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Afghanistan

Official name: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

Capital city: Kabul

Internet country code: .af

Flag description: Three vertical bands of black (hoist), red, and green, with a gold emblem centered on the red band; the emblem features a temple-like structure encircled by a wreath on the left and right and by an inscription above pronouncing the Muslim faith: "There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his Prophet” and "Allah is Great.”

National anthem: "Soroud-e-Melli” (Hymn of the People)

Geographical description: Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran

Total area: 249,935 sq. mi. (647,500 sq. km.)

Climate: Arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers

Nationality: noun: Afghan(s); adjective: Afghan

Population: 31,889.923 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Pashtun 42%, Tajik 27%, Hazara 9%, Uzbek 9%, Aimak 4%, Turkmen 3%, Baloch 2%, other 4%

Languages spoken: Afghan Persian or Dari (official) 50%, Pashto (official) 35%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%; much bilingualism

Religions: Sunni Muslim 80%, Shi’a Muslim 19%, other 1%

List of newspapers in Afghanistan
Encyclopedia entry for Afghanistan

List of newspapers in Åland
Encyclopedia entry for Åland

Albania

Official name: Republic of Albania

Capital city: Tirana

  Internet country code: .al

Flag description: Red with a black two-headed eagle in the center

National anthem: Himni Flamurit ("The Flag Hymn”; first line in English translation: "United all around the flag”) Geographical description: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece in the south and Montenegro and Serbia to the north

Total area: 11,099 sq. mi. (28,748 sq. km.)

Climate: Mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter

Nationality: noun: Albanian(s); adjective: Albanian

Population: 3,600,523 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Albanian 98.6%, Greeks 1.17%, others (Vlachs, Roma, Serbs, Montenegrins, Macedonians,

Balkan Egyptians, and Bulgarians) 0.23%

Languages spoken: Albanian (official), Greek, Vlach, Romani, Slavic dialects

Religions: Muslim 70%, Albanian Orthodox 20%, Roman Catholic 10%

List of newspapers in Albania
Encyclopedia entry for Albania

Algeria

Official name: People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria

Capital city: Algiers

Internet country code: .dz

Flag description: Two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and white; a red, five-pointed star within a red cres­cent centered over the two-color boundary; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam (the state religion)

National anthem: "Quassaman,” by Moufdi Zakaria

Geographical description: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia

Total area: 919,590 sq. mi. (2,381,740 sq. km.)

Climate: Arid to semiarid; mild, wet winters with hot, dry summers along coast; drier with cold winters and hot summers on high plateau; sirocco is a hot, dust/sand­laden wind especially common in summer

Nationality: noun: Algerian(s); adjective: Algerian

Population: 33,333,216 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1%

Languages spoken: Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects

Religions: Sunni Muslin (state religion) 99%, Christian and Jewish 1%

List of newspapers in Algeria
Encyclopedia entry for Algeria

List of newspapers in American Samoa
Encyclopedia entry for American Samoa

Andorra

Official name: Principality of Andorra

Capital city: Andorra la Vella

Internet country code: .ad

Flag description: Three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red with the national coat of arms cen­tered in the yellow band; the coat of arms features a quar­tered shield; similar to the flags of Chad and Romania, which do not have a national coat of arms in the center, and the flag of Moldova, which does bear a national emblem

National anthem: "Hymna Andorra” (first line: "El gran Carlemany mon pare dels alarbs me deslliurà”), lyrics by Dr Benlloch, Episcopal Co-Prince of Andorra, music by Father Marfany

National motto: Virtus Unita Fortior

National flower: Grandalla (daffodil family)

Geographical description: Southwestern Europe, between France and Spain

Total area: 180 sq. mi. (468 sq. km.)

Climate: Temperate; snowy, cold winters and warm, dry summers

Nationality: noun: Andorran(s); adjective: Andorran

Population: 71,822 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Spanish 43%, Andorran 33%, Portuguese 11%, French 7%, other 6% (1998 CIA est.)

Languages spoken: Catalan (official), French, Castilian, Portuguese

Religion: Predominantly Roman Catholic

List of newspapers in Andorra
Encyclopedia entry for Andorra

Angola

Official name: Republic of Angola

Capital city: Luanda

Internet country code: .ao

Flag description: Two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and black with a centered yellow emblem consisting of a five-pointed star within half a cogwheel crossed by a machete (in the style of a hammer and sickle)

Geographical description: Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Namibia and Democratic Republic of the Congo

Land area: 481,400 sq. mi. (1,246,700 sq. km.)

Climate: Semiarid in south and along coast to Luanda; north has cool, dry season (May to October) and hot, rainy season (November to April)

Nationality: noun: Angolan(s); adjective: Angolan

Population: 12,263,596 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Ovimbundu 37%, Mbundu 25%, Bakongo 13%, mestico (mixed European and African) 2%, European 1%, other 22%

Languages spoken: Portuguese (official), Umbundu, Kim­bundu, Kikongo dialects

Religions: indigenous religions 47%, Roman Catholic 38%, Protestant 15% (1998 country est.)

List of newspapers in Angola
Encyclopedia entry for Angola

List of newspapers in Anguilla
Encyclopedia entry for Anguilla

Antigua and Barbuda

Official name: Antigua and Barbuda

Capital city: St. John’s

Internet country code: .ag

Flag description: Red, with an inverted isosceles triangle based on the top edge of the flag; the triangle contains three horizontal bands of black (top), light blue, and white, with a yellow rising sun in the black band

National anthem: "Fair Antigua and Barbuda / We thy sons and daughters stand” (first lines), lyrics by Novelle Hamilton Richards, music by Walter Garnet Picart Cham­bers

National motto: "Each Endeavouring, All Achieving”

National animal: European Fallow Deer. (Dama dama dama)

National bird: Frigate Bird, Man-o’-War or Weather Bird. (Fregata magnificens L.) National flower: Agave, Dagger Log or Batta Log (Barbuda); (Agave karatto Miller)

National fruit: Antigua "Black” Pineapple (Ananas como­sus (L.) Merril)

National sea creature: Hawksbill Turtle or ‘oxbill. (Eretmochelys imbricata)

National stone: Petrified wood

National tree: Whitewood. (Bucida buceras L.)

Geographical description: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-south­east of Puerto Rico

Total area: 170 sq. mi. (442 sq. km.); Antigua: 108 sq. mi. (281 sq. km.) and Barbuda: 62 sq. mi. (161 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation

Nationality: noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s); adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan

Population: 69,481 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Black African 91%, mixed African and European 4.4%, European 1.7%, other 2.9%

Languages spoken: English (official), local dialects

Religions: Anglican 25.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 12.3%, Pentecostal 10.6%, Moravian 10.5%, Roman Catholic 10.4%, Methodist 7.9%, Baptist 4.9%, Church of God 4.5%, other Christian 5.4%, other 2%, none or unspecified 5.8%

List of newspapers in Antigua and Barbuda
Encyclopedia entry for Antigua and Barbuda

Argentina

Official name: Argentine Republic

Capital city: Buenos Aires

Internet country code: .ar

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of light blue (top), white, and light blue; centered in the white band is a radiant yellow sun with a human face known as the Sun of May

National anthem: "Himno Nacional Argentino” (first lines: Oíd, mortales, el grito sagrado: "¡libertad, libertad, liber­tad!”), lyrics by Vicente López y Planes, music by Blas Parera

National flower: flower of the ceibo tree (also called seibo, seíbo or bucaré)

Geographical description: Southern South America, bor­dering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Chile and Uruguay

Total area: 1.1 million sq. mi. (2.8 million sq. km.)

Climate: Mostly temperate; arid in southeast; subantarctic in southwest

Nationality: noun: Argentine(s); adjective: Argentine

Population: 40,301,927 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: European (mostly Spanish and Italian) 97%, mestizo (mixed European and Amerindian), Amerindian or other non-white groups 3%

Languages spoken: Spanish (official), English, Italian, Ger­man, French

Religions: Nominally Roman Catholic 92% (less than 20% practicing), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, other 4%

List of newspapers in Argentina
Encyclopedia entry for Argentina

Armenia

Official name: Republic of Armenia

Capital city: Yerevan

Internet country code: .am

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, and orange

National anthem: "Mer Hayrenik” (Our Fatherland), lyrics by Mikael Nalbandian

Geographical description: Southwestern Asia, east of Turkey

Total area: 11,500 sq. mi. (29,800 sq. km.)

Climate: Highland continental, hot summers, cold winters

Nationality: noun: Armenian(s); adjective: Armenian

Population: 2,971,650 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Armenian 97.9%, Yezidi (Kurd) 1.3%, Russian 0.5%, other 0.3% (2001 census)

Languages spoken: Armenian 97.7%, Yezidi 1%, Russian 0.9%, other 0.4% (2001 census)

Religions: Armenian Apostolic Church 94.7%, other Chris­tian 4%, Yezidi 1.3%

List of newspapers in Armenia
Encyclopedia entry for Armenia

Aruba

Official name: Aruba Capital city: Oranjestad Internet country code: .aw Flag description: Blue, with two narrow, horizontal, yellow stripes across the lower portion and a red four-pointed star outlined in white in the upper hoist-side corner

National anthem: "Aruba Dushi Tera”

Geographical description: Island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela

Total area: 112 sq. mi. (180 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical marine; little seasonal temperature varia­tion

Nationality: noun: Aruban(s); adjective: Aruban

Population: 100,018 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Mixed European/Caribbean Amerindian 80%, other 20%

Languages spoken: Dutch (official) 5.8%, Papiamento (Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) 66.3%, Span­ish, English

Religions: Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant and other Christian 8%, other (Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish) 10%

List of newspapers in Aruba
Encyclopedia entry for Aruba

Australia

Official name: Commonwealth of Australia

Capital city: Canberra

Internet country code: .au

Flag description: Blue with the flag of the United Kingdom in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large seven-point­ed star in the lower hoist-side quadrant known as the Commonwealth or Federation Star, representing the fed­eration of the colonies of Australia in 1901; the star depicts one point for each of the six original states and one representing all of Australia’s internal and external territories; on the fly half is a representation of the South­ern Cross constellation in white with one small five-point­ed star and four larger, seven-pointed stars

National anthem: "Advance Australia Fair” by Peter Dodds McCormick

National flower: Golden wattle ( Acacia pycnantha Benth.)

National gemstone: Opal

Geographical description: Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean

Total area: 3 million sq. mi. (7.7 million sq. km.)

Climate: Generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north

Nationality: noun: Australian(s); adjective: Australian

Population: 20,434,176 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: European 92%, Asian 7%, Aboriginal and other 1%

Languages spoken: English 79.1%, Chinese 2.1%, Italian 1.9%, other 11.1%, unspecified 5.8%

Religions: Roman Catholic 26.4%, Anglican 20.5%, other Christian 20.5%, Buddhist 1.9%, Muslim 1.5%, other 1.2%, unspecified 12.7%, none 15.3%

Encyclopedia entry for Australia

Austria

Official name: Republic of Austria

Capital city: Vienna

Internet country code: .at

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red

National anthem: "Land der Berge "(Land of Mountains), lyrics by Paula von Preradovic, composer uncertain

Geographical description: Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia

Total area: 32,369 sq. mi. (83,858 sq. km.)

Climate: Temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with occasional showers

Nationality: noun: Austrian(s); adjective: Austrian

Population: 8,199,783 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Austrians, Croats, Hungarians, Slovenes, Czechs, Slovaks, Roma, Sinti

Languages spoken: German

Religions: Roman Catholic 73.6%, Protestant 4.7%, Muslim 4.2%, other 3.5%, non-denominational 12 %, unknown 3.5%

List of newspapers in Austria
Encyclopedia entry for Austria

Azerbaijan

Official name: Republic of Azerbaijan

Capital city: Baku

Internet country code: .az

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), red, and green; a crescent and eight-pointed star in white are centered in the red band

National anthem: "Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan!” lyrics by Ahmed Javad, music by Useyir Hajibeyov

Geographical description: Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia, with a small European portion north of the Caucasus range

Total area: 33,436 sq. mi. (86,600 sq. km.)

Climate: Dry, semiarid steppe

Nationality: noun: Azerbaijani(s) or Azeri(s); adjective: Azer­

baijani or Azeri

Population: 8,120,247 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Azeri 90.6%, Dagestani 2.2%, Russian 1.8%, Armenian 1.5%, other 3.9%

Languages spoken: Azerbaijani (Azeri) 90.3%, Lezgi 2.2%, Russian 1.8%, Armenian 1.5%, other and unspecified 4.3%

Religions: Muslim 93.4%, Russian Orthodox 2.5%, Armen­ian Orthodox 2.3%, other 1.8%

List of newspapers in Azerbaijan
Encyclopedia entry for Azerbaijan

Bahamas

Official name: Commonwealth of The Bahamas

Capital city: Nassau

Internet country code: .bs

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side

National anthem: "March On Bahamaland” by Timothy Gibson

National motto: "Forward Upward Onward Together”

National bird: Flamingo

National fish: Blue marlin (Makaira nigricans)

National flower: Yellow elder

National song: "God Bless Our Sunny Clime,” lyrics by Rev. Philip Rahming, music by Timothy Gibson and Clement Bethel

National tree: Lignum vitae

Geographical description: Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba

Total area: 5,382 sq. mi. (13,939 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream

Nationality: noun: Bahamian(s); adjective: Bahamian

Population: 305,655 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Black African 85%, white European 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3%

Languages spoken: English (official), Creole

Religions: Baptist 35.4%, Anglican 15.1%, Roman Catholic 13.5%, Pentecostal 8.1%, Chuch of God 4.8%, Methodist 4.2%, other Christian 15.2%, none or unspecified 2.9%, other 0.8%

List of newspapers in Bahamas
Encyclopedia entry for Bahamas

Bahrain

Official name: Kingdom of Bahrain

Capital city: Manama

Internet country code: .bh

Flag description: Red, the traditional color for flags of Persian Gulf states, with a white serrated band (five white points) on the hoist side; the five points represent the five pillars of Islam

National anthem: "Bahrainona, Maleekuna” (first line; English translation: Our Bahrain, our King)

Geographical description: Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia

Total area: 274 sq. mi. (727 sq. km.)

Climate: Arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers

Nationality: noun: Bahraini(s); adjective: Bahraini

Population: 708,573, which includes 235,108m non-nation­als (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Bahraini 63%, Asian 19%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%

Languages spoken: Arabic (official), English, Farsi, Urdu

Religions: Citizen population is 98% Muslim (about 70% Shi’a and 30% Sunni), other religious groups among non-national population include Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Baha’is, Buddhists, and Sikhs

List of newspapers in Bahrain
Encyclopedia entry for Bahrain

Bangladesh

Official name: People’s Republic of Bangladesh

Capital city: Dhaka

Internet country code: .bd

Flag description: Green field with a large red disk shifted slightly to the hoist side of center; the red disk represents the rising sun and the sacrifice to achieve independence; the green field symbolizes the lush vegetation of Bangladesh

National anthem: "Amar Sonar Bangla” (My Golden Ben­gal); (first line in English: My Bengal of gold, I love you), lyrics in Bengali by Rabindranath Tagore, translated by Syed Ali Ahsan

National animal: Royal Bengal tiger

National bird: Doel or magpie robin

National flower: Shapla or water lily National fruit: Jackfruit (Kathal)

Geographical description: Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Myanmar (Burma) and India

Total area: 55,813 sq. mi. (147,570 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; mild winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); humid, warm rainy

monsoon (June to October)

Nationality: noun: Bangladeshi(s); adjective: Bangladeshi

Population: 150,448,339 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Bengali 98%, non-Bengali Muslims and trib­al groups 2%

Languages spoken: Bangla (official; also known as Ben­gali), English

Religions: Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, Christian 0.3%, Bud­dhist 0.6%, other 0.3%

List of newspapers in Bangladesh
Encyclopedia entry for Bangladesh

Barbados

Official name: Barbados

Capital city: Bridgetown

Internet country code: .bb

Flag description: Three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold, and blue with the head of a black trident cen­tered on the gold band; the trident head represents inde­pendence and a break with the past (the colonial coat of arms contained a complete trident)

National anthem: "We loyal sons and daughters all” (first line of chorus), lyrics by Irving Burgie, music by C. Van Roland Edwards

National flower: Pride of Barbados (Dwarf Poinciana or Flower Fence; Poinciana pulcherrima linnaeus)

Geographical description: Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela

Total area: 166 sq. mi. (431 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; rainy season (June to October)

Nationality: noun: Barbadian(s) or, informally, Bajan(s); adjective: Barbadian; informally, Bajan

Population: 280,946 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Black African 90%, white European 4%, Asian and or mixed 6%

Languages spoken: English

Religions: Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other Protestant 12%, Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12%

List of newspapers in Barbados
Encyclopedia entry for Barbados

Belarus

Official name: Republic of Belarus

Capital city: Minsk

Internet country code: .by

Flag description: Red horizontal band (top) and green horizontal band one-half the width of the red band; a white vertical stripe on the hoist side bears Belarusian national ornamentation in red

National anthem: Lyrics by M. Klimkovich and U. Karyz­na, music by N. Sakalouski

Geographical description: Eastern Europe, east of Poland

Total area: 80,100 sq. mi. (207,600 sq. km.)

Climate: Cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime

Nationality: noun: Belarusian(s); adjective: Belarusian

Population: 9,724,723 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Belarusian 81.2%, Russian 11.4%, Polish 3.9%, Ukrainian 2.4%, Jewish 0.3%, other 0.8%

Languages spoken: Belarusian and Russian

Religions: Eastern Orthodox 80%, Roman Catholic 14%, Protestant 2%, other (including Autocephalous Orthodox, Jewish, Muslim, and Krishna) 4%

List of newspapers in Belarus
Encyclopedia entry for Belarus

Belgium

Official name: Kingdom of Belgium

Capital city: Brussels

Internet country code: .be

Flag description: Three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red; the design was based on the flag of France

National anthem: "La Brabançonne”

National motto: French: "L’Union fait la force,” Dutch: "Eendracht maakt macht” (Strength lies in unity)

Geographical description: Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands

Total area: 12,566 sq. mi. (32,547 sq. km.)

Climate: Temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy

Nationality: noun: Belgian(s); adjective: Belgian

Population: 10,392,226 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Fleming 58%, Walloon 31%, mixed or other 11%

Languages spoken: Dutch 60%, French 40%, German less than 1%

Religions: Roman Catholic 75%, others (including Protes­tant, Jewish, Muslim, Anglican, Greek and Russian Ortho­dox, and none) 25%

List of newspapers in Belgium
Encyclopedia entry for Belgium

Belize

Official name: Belize

Capital city: Belmopan

Internet country code: .bz

Flag description: Blue with a narrow red stripe along the top and the bottom edges; centered is a large white disk bearing the coat of arms; the coat of arms features a shield flanked by two workers in front of a mahogany tree with the national motto Sub umbra florero on a scroll at the bottom, all encircled by a green garland

National anthem: "Land of the Free”

National motto: "Sub Umbra Florero” (Under the shade I flourish)

National animal: Tapir or Mountain Cow (Tapirello Bairdii)

National bird: Keel-Billed Toucan (Ramphastos Solfuran­tus)

National flower: Black Orchid (Encyclia Cochleatum)

National tree: Mahogany tree (Swietenia Macrophilla)

Geographical description: Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico

Total area: 8,867 sq. mi. (22,966 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May)

Nationality: noun: Belizean(s); adjective: Belizean

Population: 294,385 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Mestizo 48.7%, Creole 24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%, other 9.7%

Languages spoken: Spanish 46%, Creole 32.9%, Mayan dialects 8.9%, English (official) 3.9%, Garifuna (Carib) 3.4%, German 3.3%, other 1.4%, unknown 0.2%

Religions: Roman Catholic 49.6%, Pentecostal 7.4%, Angli­can 5.3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5.2%, Mennonite 4.1%, Methodist 3.5%, Jehovah’s Witnesses 1.5%, other (includ­ing Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist) 14%, none 9.4%

List of newspapers in Belize
Encyclopedia entry for Belize

Benin

Official name: Republic of Benin

Capital city: Porto-Novo is official capital city; Cotonou is the seat of government

Internet country code: .bj

Flag description: Two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red (bottom) with a vertical green band on the hoist side

National anthem: "L’Aube Nouvelle” (The New Dawn)

National motto: "Fraternité - Justice - Travail”

Geographical description: Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo

Total area: 43,483 sq. mi. (116,622 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north

Nationality: noun: Beninese (singular and plural); adjective: Beninese

Population: 8,078,314 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Fon and related groups 39.2%, Adja and related groups 15.2%, Yoruba and related groups 12.3%, Bariba and related groups 9.2%, Peulh and related groups 7%, Ottamari and related groups 6.1%, Yoa-Lokpa and related groups 4%, Dendi and related groups 2.5%, other (including Europeans) 1.6%, unspecified 2.9%

Languages spoken: French (official), Fon and Yoruba pre­dominant in the south, Nagot, Bariba, Dendi and other tribal languages in the north

Religions: Roman Catholic 27.1%, Muslim 24.4%, Vodun (Voodoo) 17.3%, Celestial Christian 5%, Methodist 3.2 %, other Christian 7.5%, other traditional local religious groups 6%, other religious groups 1.9%, and none 6.5%

List of newspapers in Benin
Encyclopedia entry for Benin

Bermuda

Official name: Bermuda Capital city: Hamilton Internet country code: .bm

Flag description: Red, with the flag of the United Kingdom in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Bermudian coat of arms (white and green shield with a red lion holding a scrolled shield showing the sinking of the ship Sea Venture off Bermuda in 1609) centered on the outer half of the flag

Geographical description: North America, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of South Carolina (US)

Total area: 22.7 sq. mi. (58.8 sq. km.)

Climate: Subtropical; mild, humid; gales, strong winds common in winter

Nationality: noun: Bermudian(s); adjective: Bermudian

Population: 66,163 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Black African 54.8%, white European 34.1%, mixed 6.4%, other 4.3%, unspecified 0.4%

Languages spoken: English (official)

Religions: Anglican 23%, Roman Catholic 15%, African Methodist Episcopal 11%, Seventh-Day Adventist 7%, Methodist 4%, other Protestant 7%, other 12%, unaffiliat­ed 6%, unspecified 1%, none 14%

List of newspapers in Bermuda
Encyclopedia entry for Bermuda

Bhutan

Official name: Kingdom of Bhutan

Capital city: Thimphu

Internet country code: .bt

Flag description: Divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the upper triangle is yellow and the lower tri­angle is orange; centered along the dividing line is a large black and white dragon facing away from the hoist side

National anthem: "In the Kingdom of Druk, where cypresses grow” (first line in English translation)

Geographical description: Southern Asia, between China and India

Total area: 17,953 sq. mi. (46,500 sq. km.)

Climate: Varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas

Nationality: noun: Bhutanese (singular and plural); adjective: Bhutanese

Population: 634,982 (2006 government est.)

Ethnic groups: Bhote (Drukpa) 50%, ethnic Nepalese (including Lhotsampas) 35%, indigenous or migrant groups 15%

Languages spoken: Dzongka (official), English, Tibetan dialects, Nepalese dialects

Religions: Lamaistic Buddhist (state religion) 75%, Indian-and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25%

List of newspapers in Bhutan
Encyclopedia entry for Bhutan

Bolivia

Official name: Republic of Bolivia

Capital city: La Paz

Internet country code: .bo

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with the coat of arms centered on the yellow band; similar to the flag of Ghana, which has a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band

Geographical description: Central South America, south­west of Brazil

Total area: 425,000 sq. mi. (1.1 million sq. km.)

Climate: Varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid

Nationality: noun: Bolivian(s); adjective: Bolivian

Population: 9,119,152 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Quechua 30%, mestizo (mixed European and Amerindian) 30%, Aymara 25%, European 15%

Languages spoken: Spanish, Quechua, Aymara, Guarani

Religions: Roman Catholic 95%, Evangelical Methodist 5%

List of newspapers in Bolivia
Encyclopedia entry for Bolivia

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Official name: Bosnia and Herzegovina

Capital city: Sarajevo

Internet country code: .ba

Flag description: A wide medium blue vertical band on the fly side with a yellow isosceles triangle abutting the band and the top of the flag; the remainder of the flag is medi­um blue with seven full five-pointed white stars and two half stars top and bottom along the hypotenuse of the tri­angle

National anthem: "Intermeco”

Geographical description: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia

Total area: 19,767 sq. mi. (51,197 sq. km.)

Climate: Hot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have short, cool summers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy winters along coast

Nationality: noun: Bosnian(s), Herzegovinian(s); adjective: Bosnian, Herzegovinian

Population: 4,552,198 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Bosniak (formerly Bosnian, associated with religious term Muslim) 48%, Serb 37.1%, Croat 14.3%, other 0.6%

Languages spoken: Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian

Religions: Muslim 40%, Orthodox 31%, Roman Catholic 15%, Protestant 4%, other 10%

List of newspapers in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Encyclopedia entry for Bosnia and Herzegovina

Botswana

Official name: Republic of Botswana

Capital city: Gaborone

Internet country code: .bw

Flag description: Light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center

National anthem: "Fatshe La Rona” (Our Land)

Geographical description: Southern Africa, north of South Africa

Total area: 224,710 sq. mi. (582,000 sq. km.)

Climate: Semiarid; warm winters and hot summers

Nationality: noun: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural); adjective: Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural) Population: 1,815,508 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Tswana (or Setswana) 79%, Kalanga 11%, Basarwa (or "San”) 3%, other (including Kgalagadi, Herero, Bayeyi, Hambukush, Khoi, and European) 7%

Languages spoken: Setswana 78.2%, Kalanga 7.9%, Sek­galagadi 2.8%, English (official) 2.1%, other and unspeci­fied 9%

Religions: Christian 71.6%, Badimo 6%, other 1.4%, unspe­ficied 0.4%, none 20.6%

List of newspapers in Botswana
Encyclopedia entry for Botswana

Brazil

Official name: Federative Republic of Brazil

Capital city: Brasilia

  Internet country code: .br

Flag description: Green with a large yellow diamond in the center bearing a blue celestial globe with 27 white five-pointed stars (one for each state and the Federal District) arranged in the same pattern as the night sky over Brazil; the globe has a white equatorial band with the motto ordem e progresso (Order and Progress)

National anthem: "Himno Nacianal Brasileiro,” lyrics by Joaquim Osório Duque Estrada, music by Francisco Manuel da Silva

National bird: Sabiá or Thrush (Turdus rufiventris)

National flower: Ipê-amarelo - (Tecoma chrysostricha)

Geographical description: Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean

Total area: 3,290,000 sq. mi. (8,511,965 sq. km.)

Climate: Mostly tropical, but temperate in south

Nationality: noun: Brazilian(s); adjective: Brazilian

Population: 190,010,647 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: White European (including Portuguese, Italian, German, Spanish ancestry) 53.7%, mulatto (mixed white European and black African) 38.5%, black African 6.2%, other (including Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 0.9%, unspecified 0.7%

Languages spoken: Portuguese, Spanish, English, French

Religions: Roman Catholic 73.6%, Protestant 15.4%, Spiri­tualist 1.3%, Bantu/Vodun 0.3%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.2%, none 7.4%

List of newspapers in Brazil
Encyclopedia entry for Brazil

List of newspapers in British Virgin Islands
Encyclopedia entry for British Virgin Islands

Brunei

Official name: Brunei Darussalam

Capital city: Bandar Seri Begawan

Internet country code: .bn

Flag description: Yellow with two diagonal bands of white (top, almost double width) and black starting from the upper hoist side; the national emblem in red is superim­posed at the center; the emblem includes a swallow-tailed flag on top of a winged column within an upturned cres­cent above a scroll and flanked by two upraised hands

National anthem: "Allah Peliharakan Sultan” (God Bless His Majesty), lyrics by Yura Halim, music by Haji Awang Besar Sagap

National motto: "Always Render Service by God’s Guid­ance”

Geographical description: Southeastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia

Total area: 2,226 sq. mi. (5,765 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; hot, humid, rainy

Nationality: noun: Bruneian(s); adjective: Bruneian

Population: 374,577 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Malay 67%, Chinese 15%, indigenous 6%, other 12%

Languages spoken: Malay, English, Chinese

Religions: Muslim (official religion) 67%, Buddhist 13%, Christian 10%, other (including indigenous religions) 10%

List of newspapers in Brunei
Encyclopedia entry for Brunei

Bulgaria

Official name: Republic of Bulgaria Capital city: Sofia Internet country code: .bg Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red National anthem: "Mila Rodino” (O Motherland Most Dear), based on music and lyrics by Tsvetan Radoslavov

National motto: "Unity Makes Strength”

Geographical description: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey

Total area: 42,823 sq. mi. (110,912 sq. km.)

Climate: Temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers

Nationality: noun: Bulgarian(s); adjective: Bulgarian

Population: 7,322,858 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Bulgarian 83.9%, Turk 9.4%, Roma 4.7%, other (including Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar, and Cir­cassian) 2%

Languages spoken: Bulgarian 84.5%, Turkish 9.6%, Roma 4.1%, other and unspecified 1.8%

Religions: Bulgarian Orthodox 84.5%, Muslim 12.2%, other Christian 1.2%, other 4%

List of newspapers in Bulgaria
Encyclopedia entry for Bulgaria

Burkina Faso

Official name: Burkina Faso

Capital city: Ouagadougou

  Internet country code: .bf

Flag description: Two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a yellow five-pointed star in the center; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

National anthem: "L’ Hymne de la Victoire” / "Ditanyè” (Hymn of Victory)

Geographical description: Western Africa, north of Ghana

Total area: 106,000 sq. mi. (274,200 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers

Nationality: noun: Burkinabe (singular and plural); adjective: Burkinabe

Population: 14,326,203 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Mossi over 40%, other (including Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, and Fulani) about 60%

Languages spoken: French (official), Dioula and other native languages 90%

Religions: Muslim 60%, indigenous religions 24%, Roman Catholic 17%, Protestant 3%

List of Mass newspapers in Burkina FasoBurkina Faso
Encyclopedia entry for Burkina Faso

Burundi

Official name: Republic of Burundi

Capital city: Bujumbura

  Internet country code: .bi

  Flag description: Divided by a white diagonal cross into red panels (top and bottom) and green panels (hoist side and fly side) with a white disk superimposed at the cen­ter bearing three red six-pointed stars outlined in green arranged in a triangular design (one star above, two stars below)

National anthem: "Burundi Bwacu” (Hymn of Independ­ence)

National motto: Unity-Work-Progress

Geographical description: Central Africa, east of Demo­cratic Republic of the Congo

Total area: 10,747 sq. mi. (27,830 sq. km.)

Climate: Equatorial; high plateau with considerable alti­tude variation; two wet seasons (February to May and September to November), and two dry seasons (June to August and December to January)

Nationality: noun: Burundian(s); adjective: Burundian

Population: 8,390,505 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Hutu (Bantu) 85%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 14%, Twa (Pygmy) 1%

Languages spoken: Kirundi (official), French (official), Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area)

Religions: Roman Catholic 62%, indigenous religions 23%, Muslim 10%, Protestant 5%

Encyclopedia entry for Burundi

Cambodia

Official name: Kingdom of Cambodia

Capital city: Phnom Penh

  Internet country code: .kh

Flag description: Three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (double width), and blue with a white three-towered tem­ple representing Angkor Wat outlined in black in the cen­ter of the red band; only national flag to incorporate an actual building in its design

National anthem: "Our Country”

National motto: "Nation, Religion, King”

Geographical description: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos

Total area: 69,900 sq. mi. (181,040 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to Novem­ber); dry season (December to April); little seasonal tem­perature variation

Nationality: noun: Cambodian(s); adjective: Cambodian

Population: 13,995,904 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Khmer 90%, Vietnamese 5%, Chinese 1%, other 4%

Languages spoken: Khmer (official) 95%, French, English

Religions: Theravada Buddhist 95%, other (Islam, Christian, and indigenous religions) 5%

List of newspapers in Cambodia
Encyclopedia entry for Cambodia

Cameroon

Official name: Republic of Cameroon

Capital city: Yaounde

Internet country code: .cm

Flag description: Three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), red, and yellow with a yellow five-pointed star cen­tered in the red band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

National anthem: "Ô Cameroun, berceau de nos ancêtres” (O Cameroon, Thou Cradle of Our Fathers)

Geographical description: Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria

Total area: 184,000 sq. mi. (475,000 sq. km.)

Climate: Varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north

Nationality: noun: Cameroonian(s); adjective: Cameroonian

Population: 18,060,382 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Cameroon Highlanders 31%, Equatorial Bantu 19%, Kirdi 11%, Fulani 10%, Northwestern Bantu 8%, Eastern Nigritic 7%, other African 13%, non-African less than 1%

Languages spoken: French (official), English (official), 24 major African language groups

Religions: Indigenous religions 40%, Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant 20%, Muslim 20%

List of newspapers in Cameroon
Encyclopedia entry for Cameroon

Canada

Official name: Canada

Capital city: Ottawa

  Internet country code: .ca

Flag description: Two vertical bands of red (hoist and fly side, half width), with white square between them; an 11­pointed red maple leaf is centered in the white square; the official colors of Canada are red and white

National anthem: "O Canada,” English lyrics by Justice Robert Stanley Weir, French lyrics by Adolphe-Basile Routhier, music by Calixa Lavallée

National symbols: maple leaf, maple tree, and beaver

Geographical description: Northern North America, bor­dering the North Atlantic Ocean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the north, north of the conterminous United States

Total area: 3.8 million sq. mi. (9.9 million sq. km.)

Climate: Varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north

Nationality: noun: Canadian(s); adjective: Canadian

Population: 33,390,141 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: British Isles ancestry 28%, French ancestry 23%, other European 15%, Amerindian 2%, other (Arab, Asian, African) 6%, mixed ancestry 26%

Languages spoken: English (official) 59.3%, French (offi­cial) 23.2%, other 17.5%

Religions: Roman Catholic 42.6%, Protestant 23.3%, other Christian 4.4%, Muslim 1.9%, other and unspecified 11.8%, none 16%

Encyclopedia entry for Canada

Cape Verde

Official name: Republic of Cape Verde

Capital city: Praia

Internet country code: .cv

Flag description: Five unequal horizontal bands; the top­most band of blue - equal to one half the width of the flag - is followed by three bands of white, red, and white, each equal to 1/12 of the width, and a bottom stripe of blue equal to one quarter of the flag width; a circle of 10 yel­low five-pointed stars, each representing one of the islands, is centered on the red stripe and positioned 3/8 of the length of the flag from the hoist side

National anthem: "Cântico da Liberdade”

Geographical description: Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal

Total area: 1,557 sq. mi. (4,033 sq. km.)

Climate: Temperate; warm, dry summer; precipitation meager and very erratic

Nationality: noun: Cape Verdean(s); adjective: Cape Verdean

Population: 423,613 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Creole (mixed African and Portuguese) 71%, African 28%, European 1%

Languages spoken: Portuguese, Crioulo (Portuguese-West African blend)

Religions: Roman Catholic more than 85%, Protestant less than 15%

List of newspapers in Cayman Islands
Encyclopedia entry for Cape Verde

Central African Republic

Official name: Central African Republic

Capital city: Bangui

Internet country code: .cf

Flag description: Four equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, green, and yellow with a vertical red band in cen­ter; there is a yellow five-pointed star on the hoist side of the blue band

National anthem: "Le Renaissance” (Rebirth)

Geographical description: Central Africa, north of Demo­cratic Republic of the Congo

Total area: 242,000 sq. mi. (622,983 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers Nationality: noun: Central African(s); adjective: Central African

Population: 4,369,038 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Baya 33%, Banda 27%, Sara 10%, Mandja 13%, Mboum 7%, M’baka 4%, Yakoma 4%, other 2%

Languages spoken: Sangho

Religions: Indigenous religions 35%, Roman Catholic 25%, Protestant 25%, Muslim 15%

List of newspapers in Central African Republic
Encyclopedia entry for Central African Republic

Chad

Official name: Republic of Chad

Capital city: N’Djamena

Internet country code: .td

Flag description: Three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; design was based on the flag of France

National anthem: "La Tchadienne” (The Chadian)

Geographical description: Central Africa, south of Libya

Total area: 496,000 sq. mi. (1,284,634 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical in south, desert in north

Nationality: noun: Chadian(s); adjective: Chadian

Population: 9,885,661 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Sara 27.7%, Arab 12.3%, Mayo-Kebbi 11.5%, Kanem-Bornou 9%, Ouaddai 8.7%, Hadjarai 6.7%, Tand­jile 6.5%, Gorane 6.3%, Fitri-Batha 4.7%, other 6.4%, unknown 0.3%

Languages spoken: French (official), Arabic (official), Sara (in the south), more than 120 other languages and dialects

Religions: Muslim 53.1%, Roman Catholic 20.1%, Protes­tant 14.2%, indigenous religions 7.3%, other and unknown 2.2%, none 3.1%

List of newspapers in Chad
Encyclopedia entry for Chad

Chile

Official name: Republic of Chile

Capital city: Santiago

Internet country code: .cl

Flag description: Two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; there is a blue square the same height as the white band at the hoist-side end of the white band; the square bears a white five-pointed star in the center representing a guide to progress and honor; blue symbol­izes the sky, white is for the snow-covered Andes, and red stands for the blood spilled to achieve independence; design was influenced by the United States flag

National anthem: "Cancion Nacionale de Chile” (National Song of Chile; first line: "Puro Chile, es tu cielo azulado”), lyrics by Eusebio Lillo, music by Ramón Carnicer

Geographical description: Southern South America, bor­dering the South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru

Total area: 302,778 sq. mi. (756,945 sq. km.)

Climate: Temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in cen­tral region; cool and damp in south

Nationality: noun: Chilean(s); adjective: Chilean

Population: 16,284,741 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Spanish descent and mixed Spanish-Amerindian 95%, Amerindian 3%, other 2%

Languages spoken: Spanish

Religions: Roman Catholic 70%, Evangelical 15.1%, Jehovah’s Witness 1.1%, other Christian 1%, other 4.6%, none 8.3%

List of newspapers in Chile
Encyclopedia entry for Chile

China

Official name: People’s Republic of China Capital city: Beijing

Internet country code: .cn

Flag description: Red with a large yellow five-pointed star and four smaller yellow five-pointed stars (arranged in a vertical arc toward the middle of the flag) in the upper hoist-side corner

National anthem: March of the Volunteers, lyrics by Tian Han, music by Nie Er

Geographical description: Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam

Total area: 3.7 million sq. mi. (9,596,960 sq. km.)

Climate: Extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north

Nationality: noun: Chinese (singular and plural); adjective: Chinese

Population: 1,321,851,888 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Han Chinese 91.9%, Zhuang, Uygur, Hui, Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Manchu, Mongol, Buyi, Korean, and other nationalities 8.1%

Languages spoken: Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Can­tonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkein-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, and other minority languages

Religions: Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Christian 3-4%, Mus­lim 1-2%; officially atheist

Encyclopedia entry for Chinaundefined

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Colombia

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Official name: Republic of Colombia

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Capital city: Bogota

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Internet country code: .co

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Flag description: Three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double-width), blue, and red; similar to the flag of Ecuador, which is longer and bears the Ecuadorian coat of arms superimposed in the center

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National bird: Condor

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National flower: Orchid (Cattleya trianae)

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National tree: Wax palm (Ceroxylon quindiuense)

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Geographical description: Northern South America, bor­dering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama

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Total area: 440,000 sq. mi. (1,138,910 sq. km.)

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Climate: Tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands

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Nationality: noun: Colombian(s); adjective: Colombian

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Population: 44,379,598 (July 2007 CIA est.)

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Ethnic groups: Mestizo 58%, white 20%, Afro-Colombian 14%, black 4%, mixed black-Amerindian 3%, Amerindian 1%

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Languages spoken: Spanish

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Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, other 10%

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Encyclopedia entry for Colombiaundefined

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List of newspapers in Colombia
Encyclopedia entry for Colombiaundefined

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Comoros

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Official name: Union of the Comoros

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Capital city: Moroni

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Internet country code: .km

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Flag description: Four equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), white, red, and blue with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist; centered within the triangle is a white crescent with the convex side facing the hoist and four white, five-pointed stars placed vertically in a line between the points of the crescent; the horizontal bands and the four stars represent the four main islands of the archipelago - Mwali, Njazidja, Nzwani, and Mahore (Mayotte - territorial collectivity of France, but claimed by Comoros); the crescent, stars, and color green are tradi­tional symbols of Islam

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National anthem: "Udzima Wamasiwa” (Union des Óles), lyrics by Said Hachim Sidi Abderemane, music by Kamil­dine Abdallah et Said Hachim Sidi Abderemane

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Geographical description: Southern Africa, group of islands at the northern mouth of the Mozambique Chan­nel, about two-thirds of the way between northern Mada­gascar and northern Mozambique

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Total area: 838 sq. mi. (2,171 sq. km.)

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Climate: Tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)

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Nationality: noun: Comoran(s); adjective: Comoran

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Population: 711,417 (July 2007 CIA est.)

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Ethnic groups: Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava

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Languages spoken: Arabic (official), French (official), Shikomoro (a blend of Swahili and Arabic)

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Religions: Sunni Muslim 98%, Roman Catholic 2%

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Encyclopedia entry for Comorosundefined

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Costa Rica

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Official name: Republic of Costa Rica

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Capital city: San Jose

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Internet country code: .cr

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Flag description: Five horizontal bands of blue (top), white, red (double width), white, and blue, with the coat of arms in a white elliptical disk on the hoist side of the red band; above the coat of arms a light blue ribbon con­tains the words "America Central” and just below it near the top of the coat of arms is a white ribbon with the words, Republica Costa Rica

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National anthem: "Noble patria, tu hermosa bandera” (first line: Noble Homeland, Your Beautiful Flag), lyrics by José María Zeledón, music by Manuel María Gutiérrez

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National bird: Yiguirro (Turdus grayi)

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National flower: Guaria Morada (Cattleya skinneri)

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National symbol of work: la carreta costarricense (Costa Rican ox-cart)

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National tree: Guanacaste Tree (Enterolobium ciclocarpum)

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Geographical description: Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama

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Total area: 19,730 sq. mi. (51,100 sq. km.)

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Climate: Tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in high­lands

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Nationality: noun: Costa Rican(s); adjective: Costa Rican

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Population: 4,133,884 (July 2007 CIA est.)

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Ethnic groups: European (including mestizo) 94%, African 3%, Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%

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Languages spoken: Spanish (official), Caribbean Creole English dialect

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Religions: Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jeho­vah’s Witness 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%

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List of newspapers in Costa Rica
Encyclopedia entry for Costa Ricaundefined

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Croatia

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Official name: Republic of Croatia

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  Capital city: Zagreb

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Internet country code: .hr

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Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue superimposed by the Croatian coat of arms (red-and-white checkered)

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National anthem: "Lijepa nasa domovino” (Our Beautiful Homeland), lyrics by Antun Mihanovi´c, music by Josip Runjanin

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Geographical description: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia

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Total area: 21,831 sq. mi. (56,542 sq. km.)

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Climate: Mediterranean and continental; continental cli­mate predominant with hot summers and cold winters; mild winters, dry summers along coast

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Nationality: noun: Croat(s), Croatian(s); adjective: Croatian

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Population: 4,493,312 (July 2007 CIA est.)

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Ethnic groups: Croat 89.6%, Serb 4.5%. other (including Bosniak, Hungarian, Slovene, Czech, and Roma) 5.9%

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Languages spoken: Croatian 96.1%, Serbian 1%, other and undesignated (including Italian, Hungarian, Czech, Slo­vak, and German) 2.9%

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Religions: Roman Catholic 87.8%, Serbian Orthodox 4.4%, other Christian 0.4%, Muslim 1.3%, other and unspecified 0.9%, none 5.2%

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List of newspapers in Croatia
Encyclopedia entry for Croatiaundefined

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Cuba

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Official name: Republic of Cuba

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Capital city: Havana

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Internet country code: .cu

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Flag description: Five equal horizontal bands of blue (top, center, and bottom) alternating with white; a red equilat­eral triangle based on the hoist side bears a white, five-pointed star in the center

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National anthem: "La Bayamesa” (The Bayamo Song) by Pedro Figueredo

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Geographical description: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida

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Total area: 44,200 sq. mi. (110,860 sq. km.)

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Climate: Tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October)

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Nationality: noun: Cuban(s); adjective: Cuban

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Population: 11,394,043 (July 2007 CIA est.)

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Ethnic groups: Mulatto 51%, European 37%, African 11%, Chinese 1%

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Languages spoken: Spanish

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Religions: Roman Catholic, Santeria, Protestant, Jehovah’s Witness, Jewish

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List of newspapers in Cuba
Encyclopedia entry for Cubaundefined

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List of newspapers in Curaçao
Encyclopedia entry for Curaçaoundefined

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Cyprus

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Official name: Republic of Cyprus

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Capital city: Nicosia

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Internet country code: .cy

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Flag description: White with a copper-colored silhouette of the island (the name Cyprus is derived from the Greek word for copper) above two green crossed olive branches in the center of the flag; the branches symbolize the hope for peace and reconciliation between the Greek and Turk­ish communities

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National anthem: "Imnos pros tin Eleftherian” (The Hymn to Liberty)

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National plant: Cyprus cyclamen

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National tree: Golden oak (Quercus alnifolia)

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Geographical description: Middle East, island in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Turkey

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Total area: 3,572 sq. mi. (9,251 sq. km.); 3,355 sq. km. Are in Turkish-controlled north Cyprus

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Climate: Temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters

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Nationality: noun: Cypriot(s); adjective: Cypriot

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Population: 788,457 (July 2007 CIA est.); est. 264,000 reside in Turkish-controlled north Cyprus

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Ethnic groups: Greek 77%, Turkish 18%, other 5%

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Languages spoken: Greek, Turkish, English

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Religions: Greek Orthodox 78%, Muslim 18%, other (including Maronite and Armenian Apostolic) 4%

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List of newspapers in Cyprus
Encyclopedia entry for Cyprusundefined

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List of newspapers in Czech Republic
Encyclopedia entry for Czech Republicundefined

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List of newspapers in Democratic Republic of the Congo
Encyclopedia entry for Democratic Republic of the Congoundefined

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Denmark

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Official name: Kingdom of Denmark

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  Capital city: Copenhagen

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Internet country code: .dk

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Flag description: Red with a white cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side, and that design element of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) was subsequently adopted by the other Nordic countries of Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Swe­den

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National anthems: Royal anthem: "Kong Christian stod ved højen mast” (King Christian stood by lofty mast), lyrics by Johannes Ewald, original source of melody is unknown; national anthem: "Der er et yndigt land” (There is a lovely land), lyrics by Adam Oehlenschläger, music by Hans Ernst Krøyer

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Geographical description: Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, on a peninsula north of Ger­many (Jutland); also includes two major islands (Sjaelland and Fyn)

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Total area: 16,639 sq. mi. (43,094 sq. km.)

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Climate: Temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers

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Nationality: noun: Dane(s); adjective: Danish

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Population: 5,468,120 (July 2007 CIA est.)

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Ethnic groups: Scandinavian, Inuit, Faroese, German, Turkish, Iranian, Somali

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Languages spoken: Danish, English, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Inuit dialect), German

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Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 95%, other Christian (including other Protestant and Roman Catholic) 3%, Muslim 2%

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List of newspapers in Denmark
Encyclopedia entry for Denmarkundefined

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Djibouti

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Official name: Republic of Djibouti

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Capital city: Djibouti

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Internet country code: .dj

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Flag description: Two equal horizontal bands of light blue (top) and light green with a white isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a red five-pointed star in the center

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Geographical description: Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Soma­lia

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Total area: 8,450 sq. mi. (21,883 sq. km.)

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Climate: Desert; torrid, dry

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Nationality: noun: Djiboutian(s); adjective: Djiboutian

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Population: 496,374 (July 2007 CIA est.)

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Ethnic groups: Somali 60%, Afar 35%, other (including French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian) 5%

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Languages spoken: French (official), Arab (official), Somali, Afar

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Religions: Muslim 94%, Christian 6%

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Encyclopedia entry for Djiboutiundefined

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Dominica

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Official name: Commonwealth of Dominica

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Capital city: Roseau

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Internet country code: .dm

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Flag description: Green, with a centered cross of three equal bands - the vertical part is yellow (hoist side), black, and white and the horizontal part is yellow (top), black, and white; superimposed in the center of the cross is a red disk bearing a sisserou parrot encircled by 10 green five-pointed stars edged in yellow; the 10 stars represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes)

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National anthem: "Isle of beauty, isle of splendour” (first line)

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National bird: Sisserou parrot

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Geographical description: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago

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Total area: 290 sq. mi. (754 sq. km.)

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Climate: Tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall

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Nationality: noun: Dominican(s); adjective: Dominican

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Population: 72,386 (July 2007 CIA est.)

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Ethnic groups: African 86.8%, mixed African and European 8.9%, Carib Amerindian 2.9%, white 0.8%, other 0.7%

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Languages spoken: English (official), French patois

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Religions: Roman Catholic 61.4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Pentecostal 5.6%, Baptist 4.1%, Methodist 3.7%, Church of God 1.2%, Jehovah’s Witness 1.2%, other Chris­tian 7.7%, Rastafarian 1.3%, Other (including Muslim and Baha’i) or unspecified 1.6%, none 6.1%

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List of newspapers in Dominica
Encyclopedia entry for Dominicaundefined

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Dominican Republic

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Official name: Dominican Republic

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Capital city: Santo Domingo

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Internet country code: .do

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Flag description: A centered white cross that extends to the edges divides the flag into four rectangles - the top ones are blue (hoist side) and red, and the bottom ones are red (hoist side) and blue; a small coat of arms featuring a shield supported by an olive branch (left) and a palm branch (right) is at the center of the cross; above the shield a blue ribbon displays the motto, Dios, Patria, Liber­tad (God, Fatherland, Liberty), and below the shield, Republica Dominicana appears on a red ribbon

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National bird: "Cigua Palmera”

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National flower: Flor de la Caoba

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Geographical description: Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti

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Total area: 18,704 sq. mi. (48,442 sq. km.)

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Climate: Tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall

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Nationality: noun: Dominican(s); adjective: Dominican

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Population: 9,365,818 (July 2007 CIA est.)

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Ethnic groups: Mixed African and European 73%, Euro­pean 16%, African 11%

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Languages spoken: Spanish

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Religions: Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%

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List of newspapers in Dominican Republic
Encyclopedia entry for Dominican Republicundefined

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List of newspapers in East Timor
Encyclopedia entry for East Timorundefined

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Ecuador

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Official name: Republic of Ecuador

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Capital city: Quito

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Internet country code: .ec

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Flag description: Three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double width), blue, and red with the coat of arms super­imposed at the center of the flag

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National anthem: info in Spanish at http://www.presidencia.gov.ec/modulos.asp?id=20

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Geographical description: Western South America, border­ing the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru

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Total area: 106,888 sq. mi. (276,840 sq. km.)

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Climate: Tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands

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Nationality: noun: Ecuadorian(s); adjective: Ecuadorian

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Population: 13,755,680 (July 2007 CIA est.)

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Ethnic groups: Mestizo (mixed European and Amerindian) 65%, Amerindian 25%, Spanish and other European 7%, African 3%

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Languages spoken: Spanish (official), Quechua and other indigenous languages

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Religions: Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%

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List of newspapers in Ecuador
Encyclopedia entry for Ecuadorundefined

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Egypt

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Official name: Arab Republic of Egypt

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Capital city: Cairo

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Internet country code: .eg

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Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; the national emblem (a gold Eagle of Saladin facing the hoist side with a shield superimposed on its chest above a scroll bearing the name of the country in Arabic) centered in the white band; design is based on the Arab Liberation

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National anthem: "My homeland, my homeland, my hal­lowed land” (first line in English translation), lyrics by Younis al-Qadi, music by Sayed Darwish

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Geographical description: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip, and the Red Sea north of Sudan, and includes the Asian Sinai Peninsula

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Total area: 386,000 sq. mi. (1,001,450 sq. km.)

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Climate: Desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters

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Nationality: noun: Egyptian(s); adjective: Egyptian

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Population: 80,335,036 (July 2007 CIA est.)

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Ethnic groups: Egyptian 98%, Berber, Nubian, Bedouin,

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and Beja 1%, Greek, Armenian and other European (pri­marily Italian and French) 1%

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Languages spoken: Arabic (official), English, French

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Religions: Muslim (mostly Sunni) 90%, Coptic Christian 9%, other Christian 1%

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List of newspapers in Egypt
Encyclopedia entry for Egyptundefined

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El Salvador

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Official name: Republic of El Salvador

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Capital city: San Salvador

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Internet country code: .sv

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Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with the national coat of arms cen­tered in the white band; the coat of arms features a round emblem encircled by the words Republica de El Salvador en la America Central

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National anthem: "Saludemos la patria orgullosos” (first line of chorus), lyrics by Juan José Cañas, music by Juan Aberle

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National bird: Torogoz or Talapo

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National flower: Izote flower

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National tree: Maquilishuat

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Geographical description: Central America, bordering the

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North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras

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Total area: 8,008 sq. mi. (20,742 sq. km.)

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Climate: Tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry sea­

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son (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands

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Nationality: noun: Salvadoran(s); adjective: Salvadoran

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Population: 6,948,073 (July 2007 CIA est.)

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Ethnic groups: Mestizo 90%, European 9%, Amerindian 1%

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Languages spoken: Spanish, Nahua

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Religions: Roman Catholic about 48%, Protestant 28%, other Christian less than 5%, none 14.6%

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List of newspapers in El Salvador
Encyclopedia entry for El Salvadorundefined

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Equatorial Guinea

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Official name: Republic of Equatorial Guinea

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Capital city: Malabo

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Internet country code: .gq

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Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side and the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms has six yellow six-pointed stars (representing the mainland and five offshore islands) above a gray shield bearing a silk-cotton tree and below which is a scroll with the motto Unidad, Paz, Justicia (Unity, Peace, Justice)

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Geographical description: Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon

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Total area: 10,827 sq. mi. (28,050 sq. km.)

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Climate: Tropical; always hot, humid

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Nationality: noun: Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatogu­inean(s); adjective: Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean

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Population: 551,201 (July 2007 CIA est.)

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Ethnic groups: Fang 85.7%, Bubi 6.5%, Mdowe 3.6%, Annobon 1.6%, Bujeba1.1%, other 1.4%

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Languages spoken: Spanish (official) 67.6%, French (offi­cial) and others, including Fang and Bubi 32.4%

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Religions: Christian 93%, indigenous religions 5%, other (including Muslim and Baha’i) 2%

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Encyclopedia entry for Equatorial Guineaundefined

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Eritrea

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Official name: State of Eritrea

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Capital city: Asmara

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Internet country code: .er

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Flag description: Red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) dividing the flag into two right triangles; the upper triangle is green, the lower one is blue; a gold wreath encircling a gold olive branch is centered on the hoist side of the red triangle

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National emblem: Camel

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Geographical description: Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan

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Total area: 48,000 sq. mi. (125,000 sq. km.)

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Climate: Hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter in the central highlands (heaviest rainfall June to September); semiarid in western hills and lowlands

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Nationality: noun: Eritrean(s); adjective: Eritrean

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Population: 4,906,585 (July 2007 CIA est.)

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Ethnic groups: Tigrigna 50%, Tigre and Kunama 40%, Afar 4%, Saho (Red Sea coast dwellers) 3%, other 3%

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Languages spoken: Afar, Arabic, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrigna, other Cushitic languages

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Religions: Sunni Muslim 50%, Orthodox Christian 30%, Roman Catholic 13%, other (including Protestant, Sev­enth-Day Adventist, Jehovah’s Witness, Buddhist, Hindu, and Baha’i) less than 5%, indigenous religions 2%

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Encyclopedia entry for Eritreaundefined

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Estonia

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Official name: Republic of Estonia Capital city: Tallinn Internet country code: .ee Flag description: Pre-1940 flag restored by Supreme Soviet in May 1990 - three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), black, and white

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National anthem: "My Native Land,” lyrics by Johann Voldemar Jannsen, music by Fredrik Pacius

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National bird: Swallow

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National flower: Cornflower

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National stone: Limestone

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Geographical description: Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland, between Latvia and Russia

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Total area: 17,462 sq. mi. (45,226 sq. km.)

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Climate: Maritime, wet, moderate winters, cool summers

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Nationality: noun: Estonian(s); adjective: Estonian

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Population: 1,315,912 (July 2007 CIA est.)

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Ethnic groups: Estonian 67.9%, Russian 25.6%, Ukrainian 2.1%, Belarusian 1.3%, Finn 0.9%, other 2.2%

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Languages spoken: Estonian (official) 67.3%, Russian 29.7%, other 2.3%, unknown 0.7%

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Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 13.6%, Orthodox Christian 12.8%, other Christian (including Methodist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal) 1.4%, unaffiliat­ed 34.1%, other and unspecified 32%, none 6.1%

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List of newspapers in Estonia
Encyclopedia entry for Estoniaundefined

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List of newspapers in Eswatini
Encyclopedia entry for Eswatiniundefined

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Ethiopia

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Official name: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Capital city: Addis Ababa Internet country code: .et Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and red with a yellow pentagram and single yellow rays emanating from the angles between the points on a light blue disk centered on the three bands; Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa, and the three main colors of her flag were so often adopted by other African countries upon independence that they became known as the pan-African colors

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Geographical description: Eastern Africa, west of Somalia

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Total area: 472,000 sq. mi. (1,127,127 sq. km.)

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Climate: Tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation

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Nationality: noun: Ethiopian(s); adjective: Ethiopian

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Population: 76,511,887 (July 2007 CIA est.)

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Ethnic groups: Oromo 40%, Amhara 25%, Tigre 7%, Somali 6%, Sidama 9%, Gurage 2%, Wolaita 4%, Afar 4%, other 3%

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Languages spoken: Amharic (official), Tigrinya, Arabic, Guaragigna, Oromigna, English, Somali

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Religions: Ethiopian Orthodox 40%, Sunni Muslim 45-50%, Protestant 5%, remainder affiliate with indigenous reli­gions

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List of newspapers in Ethiopia
Encyclopedia entry for Ethiopiaundefined

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List of newspapers in Faroe Islands
Encyclopedia entry for Faroe Islandsundefined

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Fiji

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Official name: Republic of the Fiji Islands

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Capital city: Suva

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Internet country code: .fj

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Flag description: Light blue with the flag of the United Kingdom in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Fijian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield depicts a yellow lion above a white field quartered by the cross of Saint George featuring stalks of sugarcane, a palm tree, bananas, and a white dove

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National anthem: "Meda Dau Doka” (first line in English: "Blessing grant oh God of nations on the isles of Fiji”), lyrics by Michael Francis Alexander Prescott, music from traditional Fijian song

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National symbol: Tabua (whale’s tooth)

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Geographical description: Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

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Total area: 7,056 sq. mi. (18,376 sq. km.)

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Climate: Tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation

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Nationality: noun: Fiji Islander or Fijian(s); adjective: Fiji or Fijian ("Fijian” should only be used to describe a thing or person of indigenous Fijian origin)

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Population: 918,675 (July 2007 CIA est.)

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Ethnic groups: Fijian 54.8%, Indian 37.4%, other (including European, Chinese, other Pacific Islanders) 7.9%

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Languages spoken: English (official), Fijian (official), Hindi

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Religions: Methodist 34.5%, Roman Catholic 7.2%, Assem­bly of God 3.8%, Seventh-Day Adventist 2.6%, other Christian 4.9%, Hindu 34% (Sanatan 25%, Arya Samaj 1.2%, other Hindu 7.8%), Sunni Muslim 4.2%, other Mus­lim 2.8%, other or unspecified 5.6%, none 0.3%

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List of newspapers in Fiji
Encyclopedia entry for Fijiundefined

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Finland

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Official name: Republic of Finland

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Capital city: Helsinki

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Internet country code: .fi

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Flag description: White with a blue cross extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

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National anthem: "Maamme” (translated from the Swedish "Vårt land” [Our Land]), lyrics by Johan Ludvig Runeberg, music by Fredrik Pacius

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National animal: Brown bear (Ursus arctos)

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National bird: Whooper swan (Cygnus Cygnus)

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National fish: Perch (Perca fluviatilis)

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National flower: Lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria majalis)

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National rock: Granite

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National tree: Birch (Betula pendula)

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Geographical description: Northern Europe, bordering the

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Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia

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Total area: 130,558 sq. mi. (338,144 sq. km.)

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Climate: Cold temperate; potentially subarctic but compar­atively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes

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Nationality: noun: Finn(s); adjective: Finnish

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Population: 5,238,460 (July 2007 CIA est.)

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Ethnic groups: Finn 93.4%, Swede 5.7%, Russian 0.4%, Estonian 0.2%, Roma 0.2%, Sami 0.1%

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Languages spoken: Finnish (official) 92%, Swedish (offi­cial) 5.6%, other (including Sami and Russian) 2.4%

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Religions: Lutheran Church of Finland 84.2%, Orthodox Church 1.1%, other Christian 1.1%, other 0.1%, none 13.5%

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List of newspapers in Finland
Encyclopedia entry for Finlandundefined

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France

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Official name: French Republic

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Capital city: Paris

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Internet country code: .fr (territories’ codes are French Guinea .gf, Guadeloupe .gp, Martinique .mq, and Reunion .re)

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Flag description: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), white, and red; known as the "Le drapeau tricol­ore” (French Tricolor), the origin of the flag dates to 1790 and the French Revolution; the official flag for all French dependent areas

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National anthem: "La Marseillaise” by Rouget de Lisle

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National emblem: Gallic rooster

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National motto: "Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité” (Liberty, Equality, Fraternity)

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Geographical description: The continental territory is con­sidered "metropolitan France” and is located in western Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and English Channel, between Belgium and Spain, southeast of the United Kingdom; bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain.

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Locations of French territories are as follows:
Encyclopedia entry for France

List of newspapers in France
Encyclopedia entry for France

List of newspapers in French Guiana
Encyclopedia entry for French Guiana

Gabon

Official name: Gabonese Republic

Capital city: Libreville

Internet country code: .ga

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue

National anthem: "La Concorde”

Motto: "Gouvernement du peuple, par le peuple et pour le peuple”

Geographical description: Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea

Total area: 103,347 sq. mi. (267,667 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; always hot, humid

Nationality: noun: Gabonese (singular and plural); adjective: Gabonese

Population: 1,454,867 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Approximately 40 Bantu tribes, including Fang, Bapounou, Nzebi, and Obamba; about 150,000 expatriates from Europe and elsewhere in Africa

Languages spoken: French (official), Fang, Myene, and other local languages

Religions: Christian 55%-75%, indigenous religions and Muslim less than 1%

Encyclopedia entry for Gabon

Gambia

Official name: Republic of The Gambia

Capital city: Banjul

Internet country code: .gm

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue with white edges, and green

National anthem: "For The Gambia, our homeland” (first line), adapted from the traditional Mandinka song "Foday Kaba Dumbuya”

Geographical description: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and Senegal

Total area: 4,361 sq. mi. (11,300 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; hot, rainy season (June to November); cooler, dry season (November to May)

Nationality: noun: Gambian(s); adjective: Gambian

Population: 1,688,359 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Mandinka 42%, Fula 18%, Wolof 16%, Jola 10%, Serahuli 9%, other African 4%, non-African 1%

Languages spoken: English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, and other indigenous languages

Religions: Muslim 90%, Christian 9%, indigenous religions 1%

List of newspapers in Gambia
Encyclopedia entry for Gambia

List of newspapers in Georgia (country)
Encyclopedia entry for Georgia (country)

Germany

Official name: Federal Republic of Germany

Capital city: Berlin

Internet country code: .de

  Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and gold

National anthem: Third verse of "Das Lied der Deutschen” by August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben, sung to Joseph Haydn’s "Kaiserhymne”

Geographical description: Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark

Total area: 137,821 sq. mi. (357,000 sq. km.)

Climate: Temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind Nationality: noun: German(s); adjective: German Population: 82,400,996 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: German 91.5%, Turkish 2.4%, other (includ­ing Greek, Italian, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish) 6.1%

Languages spoken: German

Religions: Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%, unaffiliated or other 28.3%

List of newspapers in Germany
Encyclopedia entry for Germany

Ghana

Official name: Republic of Ghana

Capital city: Accra

Internet country code: .gh

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with a large black five-pointed star cen­tered in the yellow band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Bolivia, which has a coat of arms centered in the yellow band

National anthem: "God bless our homeland Ghana” (first line)

Geographical description: Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d’Ivoire and Togo

Total area: 92,100 sq. mi. (238,538 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north

Nationality: noun: Ghanaian(s); adjective: Ghanaian

Population: 22,931,299 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Akan 45.3%, Mole-Dagbon 15.2%, Ewe 11.7%, Ga-Dangme 7.3%, Guan 4%, Gurma 3.6%, Grusi 2.6%, Mande-Busanga 1%, other tribes 1.4%, other 7.8%

Languages spoken: Asante 14.8%, Ewe 12.7%, Fante 9.9%, Boron (Brong) 4.6%, Dagomba 4.3%, Dangme 4.3%, Dagarte (Dagaba) 3.7%, Akyem 3.4%, Ga 3.4%, Akuapem 2.9%, other 36.1% (includes English [official])

Religions: Pentecostal/Charismatic 24.1%, Protestant 18.6%, Catholic 15.1%, other Christian 11%, Muslim 15.9%, indigenous religions 8.5%, other 0.7%, none 6.1%

List of newspapers in Ghana
Encyclopedia entry for Ghana

List of newspapers in Gibraltar
Encyclopedia entry for Gibraltar

Greece

Official name: Hellenic Republic

Capital city: Athens

  Internet country code: .gr

Flag description: Nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white; there is a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white cross; the cross symbol­izes Greek Orthodoxy, the established religion of the country

National anthem: "Hymn to Freedom” (English translation by Rudyard Kipling), first two verses of poem by Dionys­ios Solomos, music by Nicholas Mantzaros

Geographical description: Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey

Total area: 51,146 sq. mi. (131,957 sq. km.)

Climate: Temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers Nationality: noun: Greek(s); adjective: Greek

Population: 10,706,290 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Greek 93%, other (foreign citizens) 7% (per­cents represent citizenship, since Greece does not collect data on ethnicity)

Languages spoken: Greek (official) 99%, other (including English, French, Turkish, Albanian) 1%

Religions: Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other (including Jewish, Catholic, Protestant and other reli­gions) 0.7%

List of newspapers in Greece
Encyclopedia entry for Greece

List of newspapers in Greenland
Encyclopedia entry for Greenland

Grenada

Official name: Grenada

Capital city: Saint George’s

Internet country code: .gd

Flag description: A rectangle divided diagonally into yellow triangles (top and bottom) and green triangles (hoist side and outer side), with a red border around the flag; there are seven yellow five-pointed stars with three cen­tered in the top red border, three centered in the bottom red border, and one on a red disk superimposed at the center of the flag; there is also a symbolic nutmeg pod on the hoist-side triangle (Grenada is the world’s second-largest producer of nutmeg, after Indonesia); the seven stars represent the seven administrative divisions

National anthem: "Hail! Grenada, land of ours” (first line)

Geographical description: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago

Total area: 133 sq. mi. (344 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds

Nationality: noun: Grenadian(s); adjective: Grenadian

Population: 89,971 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: African 82%, mixed African and European 13%, European and East Indian 5%, and trace of

Arawak/Carib Amerindian

Languages spoken: English (official), French patois

Religions: Roman Catholic 44%; Anglican 12%; Pentecostal 11%; Seventh-Day Adventist 11%; Methodist, Presbyteri­an, Church of God, Baptist, and Evangelical more than 2%; Jehovah’s Witnesses, Brethren, Baha’i, Hindu, Mora­vian, Muslim, Rastafarian, and Salvation Army 1% or less; none 4%

List of newspapers in Grenada
Encyclopedia entry for Grenada

List of newspapers in Guam
Encyclopedia entry for Guam

Guatemala

Official name: Republic of Guatemala

Capital city: Guatemala City

Internet country code: .gt

Flag description: Three equal vertical bands of light blue (hoist side), white, and light blue with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms includes a green and red quetzal (the national bird) and a scroll bearing the inscription Libertad 15 de Septiembre de 1821 (the original date of independence from Spain) all super­imposed on a pair of crossed rifles and a pair of crossed swords and framed by a wreath

National bird: Quetzal

Geographical description: Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras and Belize

Total area: 42,042 sq. mi. (108,890 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands

Nationality: noun: Guatemalan (s); adjective: Guatemalan

Population: 12,728,111 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish - in local Spanish called Ladino) and European 59.4%, K’iche 9.1%, Kaqchikel 8.4%, Mam 7.9%, Q’eqchi 6.3%, other Mayan 8.6%, indigenous non-Mayan 0.2%, other 0.1%

Languages spoken: Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca)

Religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan

List of newspapers in Guatemala
Encyclopedia entry for Guatemala

List of newspapers in Guernsey
Encyclopedia entry for Guernsey

Guinea

Official name: Republic of Guinea

Capital city: Conakry

Internet country code: .gn

  Flag description: Three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), yellow, and green; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Geographical description: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone

Total area: 95,000 sq. mi. (245,860 sq. km.)

Climate: Generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds

Nationality: noun: Guinean (s); adjective: Guinean

Population: 9,947,814 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Peuhl 40%, Malinke 30%, Soussou 20%, other ethnic groups 10%

Languages spoken: French (official), local ethnic languages

Religions: Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous religions 7%

List of newspapers in Guinea
Encyclopedia entry for Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

Official name: Republic of Guinea-Bissau

Capital city: Bissau

  Internet country code: .gw

Flag description: Two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green with a vertical red band on the hoist side; there is a black five-pointed star centered in the red band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

National anthem: "Esta é a Nossa Pátria Bem Amada”

National motto: Unidade, Luta, Progress (Union, Fight, Progress)

Geographical description: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Senegal

Total area: 13,946 sq. mi. (36,120 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds

Nationality: noun: Guinean(s) or Bissau-Guinean; adjective: Guinean or Bissau-Guinean

Population: 1,472,780 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: African 99% (includes Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca 14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%), European and mulatto less than 1%

Languages spoken: Portuguese (official), Crioulo, French, African languages

Religions: Indigenous religions 50%, Muslim 45%, Chris­tian 5%

Encyclopedia entry for Guinea-Bissau

Guyana

Official name: Cooperative Republic of Guyana

Capital city: Georgetown

Internet country code: .gy

Flag description: Green, with a red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) superimposed on a long, yellow arrowhead; there is a narrow, black border between the red and yellow, and a narrow, white border between the yellow and the green

National anthem: "Dear land of Guyana of rivers and plains” (first line)

Geographical description: Northern South America, bor­dering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela

Total area: 83,000 sq. mi. (214,970 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to August, Novem­ber to January)

Nationality: noun: Guyanese (singular and plural); adjective: Guyanese

Population: 769,095 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: East Indian 43%, African 30%, Amerindian 9%, other (European, Chinese, and mixed) 17%

Languages spoken: English, Amerindian languages (pri­marily Carib and Arawak), Guyanese Creole, Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Urdu

Religions: Christian 50%, Hindu 35%, Muslim 10%, other 5%

List of newspapers in Guyana
Encyclopedia entry for Guyana

Haiti

Official name: Republic of Haiti

Capital city: Port-au-Prince

Internet country code: .ht

Flag description: Two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a centered white rectangle bearing the coat of arms, which contains a palm tree flanked by flags and two cannons above a scroll bearing the motto L’union fait la force (Union Makes Strength)

National anthem: "La Dessalinienne,” lyrics by Justin Lhérisson, music by Nicolas Geffrard

Geographical description: Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Repub­lic

Total area: 10,714 sq. mi. (27,750 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds

Nationality: noun: Haitian(s); adjective: Haitian

Population: 8,706,497 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: African 95%, European and mixed African and European 5%

Languages spoken: French (official), Creole (official)

Religions: Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3%; roughly half of the population practices vodun (voodoo)

List of newspapers in Haiti
Encyclopedia entry for Haiti

Honduras

Official name: Republic of Honduras

Capital city: Tegucigalpa

Internet country code: .hn

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with five blue, five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band; the stars represent the members of the former Federal Repub­lic of Central America - Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua

National anthem: "Your flag is a splendor of sky” (first line in English translation); lyrics by Augusto Constancio Coello, music by Carlos Hartling

National flower: Orquid Rhyncholaelya Digviana

Geographical description: Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Nicaragua and bordering the Gulf of Fonseca (North Pacific Ocean), between El Salvador and Nicaragua

Total area: 43,278 sq. mi. (112,090 sq. km.)

Climate: Subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains

Nationality: noun: Honduran(s); adjective: Honduran

Population: 7,483,763 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Mestizo (mixed Amerindian and European) 90%, Amerindian 7%, African 2%, European 1%

Languages spoken: Spanish, Amerindian languages

Religions: Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant 3%

List of newspapers in Honduras
Encyclopedia entry for Honduras

Hong Kong

Official name: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region [of China]

Internet country code: .hk

Flag description: Red with a stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower in the center

Geographical description: Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China

Total area: 426 sq. mi. (1,104 sq. km.)

Climate: Subtropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall

Nationality: noun: Chinese or Hong Konger; adjective: Chi­nese or Hong Konger

Population: 6,980,412 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Chinese 94.9%, Filipino 2.1%, other 3%

Languages spoken: Cantonese (official) 89.2%, other Chi­nese dialects 6.4%, English (official) 3.2%, other 1.2%

Religions: Indigenous religions 90%, Christian 10%

List of newspapers in Hong Kong
Encyclopedia entry for Hong Kong

Hungary

Official name: Republic of Hungary

Capital city: Budapest

  Internet country code: .hu

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and green

National anthem: "Himnusz” (first line in English transla­tion: O, my God, the Magyar bless), lyrics by Ferenc Kölc­sey, music by Ferenc Erkel

Geographical description: Central Europe, northwest of Romania

Total area: 35,910 sq. mi. (93,030 sq. km.)

Climate: Temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers

Nationality: noun: Hungarian(s); adjective: Hungarian

Population: 9,956,108 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Magyar 89.9%, Roma 4% (est.), German 2.6%, Serb 2%, Slovak 0.8%, Romanian 0.7%

Languages spoken: Magyar 98.2%, other 1.8%

Religions: Roman Catholic 51.9%, Calvinist 15.9%, Lutheran 3%, Greek Catholic 2.6%, other Christian 1%, other or unspecified 11.1%, unaffiliated 14.5%

List of newspapers in Hungary
Encyclopedia entry for Hungary

Iceland

Official name: Republic of Iceland

Capital city: Reykjavik

  Internet country code: .is

Flag description: Blue with a red cross outlined in white extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dan­nebrog (Danish flag)

National anthem: "Ó, Gu vors lands” (O, God of Our Land), lyrics by Matthías Jochumsson, music by Svein­björn Sveinbjörnsson

Geographical description: Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the United Kingdom

Total area: 39,600 sq. mi. (103,000 sq. km.)

Climate: Temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers

Nationality: noun: Icelander(s); adjective: Icelandic

Population: 301,931 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norwegians and Celts 94%, population of foreign origin 6%

Languages spoken: Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German widely spoken

Religions: Lutheran Church of Iceland 85.5%, Reykjavik Free Church 2.1%, Roman Catholic Church 2%, Hafnar­fjorour Free Church 1.5%, other Christian 2.7%, other or unspecified 3.8%, unaffiliated 2.4%

List of newspapers in Iceland
Encyclopedia entry for Iceland

India

Official name: Republic of India

Capital city: New Delhi

Internet country code: .in

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of saffron (subdued orange) (top), white, and green with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in the white band

National anthem: "Jana-gana-mana” by Rabindranath Tagore ("Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people,” Tagore’s translation of first line)

National animal: Tiger (Panthera tigris)

National bird: Indian peacock (Pavo cristatus)

National flower: Lotus (Nelumbo Nucipera Gaertn)

National fruit: Mango

National song: "Vande Mataram” by Bankimchandra Chatterji (first line translated by Sri Aurobindo: "I bow to thee, Mother”)

National tree: Indian fig tree or banyan tree (Ficus ben­galensis)

Geographical description: Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan

Total area: 1.27 million sq. mi. (3,287,590 sq. km.)

Climate: Varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north

Nationality: noun: Indian(s); adjective: Indian

Population: 1,129,866,154 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mon­goloid and other 3%

Languages spoken: Hindi (official) 30%, English (official) widely spoken, and 14 other official languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kan­nada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit

Religions: Hindu 80.5%, Muslim 13.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other (including Buddhist, Jain, Parsi) 1.8%, unspecified 0.1%

List of newspapers in India
Encyclopedia entry for India

Indonesia

Official name: Republic of Indonesia

Capital city: Jakarta

Internet country code: .id

Flag description: Two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to the flag of Monaco, which is shorter; also similar to the flag of Poland, which is white (top) and red

National anthem: "Indonesia Raya” (Great Indonesia) by Wage Rudolf Supratman

Geographical description: Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean

Total area: 736,000 sq. mi. (1,919,440 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

Nationality: noun: Indonesian(s); adjective: Indonesian

Population: 234,693,997 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Javanese 45%, Sundanese 14%, Madurese 7.5%, coastal Malays 7.5%, others 26%

Languages spoken: Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay), English, Dutch, local dialects (the most widely spoken of which is Javanese)

Religions: Muslim 86.1%, Protestant 5.7%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 1.8%, Buddhist, other, or unspecified 3.4%

List of newspapers in Indonesia
Encyclopedia entry for Indonesia

Iran

Official name: Islamic Republic of Iran

Capital city: Tehran

Internet country code: .ir

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red; the national emblem (a stylized rep­resentation of the word Allah in the shape of a tulip, a symbol of martyrdom) in red is centered in the white band; Allah Akbar (God Is Great) in white Arabic script is repeated 11 times along the bottom edge of the green band and 11 times along the top edge of the red band

Geographical description: Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan

Total area: 636,295 sq. mi. (1.648 million sq. km.)

Climate: Mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspi­an coast

Nationality: noun: Iranian(s); adjective: Iranian

Population: 65,397,521 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%

Languages spoken: Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Tur­kic languages (besides Turkish) 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%

Religions: Muslim 98% (Shi’a 89%, Sunni 9%), other (includes Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha’i) 2%

List of newspapers in Iran
Encyclopedia entry for Iran

Iraq

Official name: Republic of Iraq

Capital city: Baghdad

Internet country code: .iq

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with three green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white band; the phrase Allahu Akbar (God Is Great) in green Arabic script - Allahu to the right of the middle star and Akbar to the left of the middle star - was added in January 1991 during the Per­sian Gulf crisis; similar to the flag of Syria, which has two stars but no script, Yemen, which has a plain white band, and that of Egypt which has a gold Eagle of Saladin cen­tered in the white band; design is based upon the Arab Liberation colors

Geographical description: Middle East, bordering the Per­sian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait

Total area: 168,753 sq. mi. (437,072 sq. km.)

Climate: Mostly desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless summers; northern mountainous regions along Iranian and Turkish borders experience cold winters with occasionally heavy snows that melt in early spring, some­times causing extensive flooding in central and southern Iraq

Nationality: noun: Iraqi(s); adjective: Iraqi

Population: 27,499,638 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turko­man, Chaldean, Assyrian, or others less than 5%

Languages spoken: Arabic (official), Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian, Armenian

Religions: Muslim 97% (Shi’a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3%

List of newspapers in Iraq
Encyclopedia entry for Iraq

Ireland

Official name: Ireland

Capital city: Dublin

Internet country code: .ie

Flag description: Three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and orange

National anthem: "The Soldier’s Song” by Peadar Kearney

National emblem: Harp

Geographical description: Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain

Total area: 27,136 sq. mi. (70,282 sq. km.)

Climate: Temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time

Nationality: noun: Irishman(men), Irishwoman(women), Irish (collective plural); adjective: Irish

Population: 4,109,086 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Celtic, English

Languages spoken: English (official), Irish (or Gaelic, also official)

Religions: Roman Catholic 88.4%, Church of Ireland 3%, other Christian 1.6%, Muslim, 1%, Jewish 0.1%, other, unspecified, or none 8.35%

List of newspapers in Isle of Man
Encyclopedia entry for Ireland

Israel

Official name: State of Israel

Capital city: Jerusalem

Internet country code: .il

Flag description: White with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) known as the Magen David (Shield of David) centered between two equal horizontal blue bands near the top and bottom edges of the flag

National anthem: "Hatikva”

National emblem: Menorah

Geographical description: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon

Total area: 7,850 sq. mi. (20,330 sq. km.)

Climate: Temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas

Nationality: noun: Israeli(s); adjective: Israeli

Population: 6,426,679 (includes about 187,000 Israeli set­tlers in the West Bank, about 20,000 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem; July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Jewish 76.4% (Israel-born 67.1%, Europe/America-born 22.6%, Africa-born 5.9%, Asia-born 4.2%), non-Jewish (mostly Arab) 23.6%

Languages spoken: Hebrew (official), Arabic (official for Arab minority), English, Russian

Religions: Jewish 76.4%, Muslim 16%, Arab Christians 1.7%, other Christian 0.4%, Druze 1.6%, unspecified 3.9%

List of newspapers in Israel
Encyclopedia entry for Israel

Italy

Official name: Italian Republic

Capital city: Rome

Internet country code: .it

Flag description: Three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; inspired by the French flag brought to Italy by Napoleon in 1797

National anthem: "Fratelli d’Italia” (Brothers of Italy), lyrics by Geoffredo Mameli, music by Michele Novaro

Geographical description: Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia

Total area: 116,303 sq. mi. (301,225 sq. km.)

Climate: Predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south

Nationality: noun: Italian(s); adjective: Italian

Population: 58,147,733 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Italian (includes small clusters of German-, French-, and Slovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians and Greek-Italians in the south)

Languages spoken: Italian (official), German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German speaking), French (small French-speaking minority in Valle d’Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking minori­ty in the Trieste-Gorizia area)

Religions: Roman Catholic about 90% (about one-third reg­ularly attend services), other 10% (includes longstanding Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing Mus­lim immigrant community)

List of newspapers in Italy
Encyclopedia entry for Italy

List of newspapers in Ivory Coast
Encyclopedia entry for Ivory Coast

Jamaica

Official name: Jamaica

Capital city: Kingston

Internet country code: .jm

Flag description: Diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles - green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and outer side)

National anthem: "Eternal Father bless our land” (first line), composed by Hugh Sherlock, Robert Lightbourne, Mapletoft Poulle and Mrs. Poulle

National bird: Doctor-Bird (Trochilus polytmus) or Swal­low-Tail Hummingbird

National flower: Lignum Vitae (Guiacum officinale)

National fruit: Ackee (Blighia sapida)

National motto: "Out of Many One People”

National song: "I Pledge My Heart,” lyrics by Victor Stafford Reid, sung to tune of "I Vow to Thee My Coun­try”

National tree: Blue Mahoe (Hibiscus elatus)

Geographical description: Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba

Total area: 4,244 sq. mi. (10,991 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior

Nationality: noun: Jamaican(s); adjective: Jamaican

Population: 2,780,132 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: African 90.9%, East Indian 1.3%, Chinese 0.2%, European 0.2%, mixed 7.3%, other 0.1%

Languages spoken: English, patois

Religions: Protestant 62.5% (Seventh-Day Adventist 10.8%, Pentecostal 9.5%, Other Church of God 8.3%, Baptist 7.2%, New Testament Church of God 6.3%, Church of God in Jamaica 4.8%, Church of God of Prophecy 4.3%, Anglican 3.6%, other Christian 7.7%), Roman Catholic 2.6%, other (including Rastafarian and Jewish) or unspeci­fied 14.2%, none 20.9%

List of newspapers in Jamaica
Encyclopedia entry for Jamaica

Japan

Official name: Japan

Capital city: Tokyo

  Internet country code: .jp

  Flag description: White with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays) in the center

National anthem: "Kimigayo,” lyrics from traditional poem of unknown authorship, music by Hayashi Hiro­mori

Geographical description: Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula

Total area: 145,902 sq. mi. (377,864 sq. km.)

Climate: Varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north

Nationality: noun: Japanese (singular and plural); adjective: Japanese

Population: 127,433,494 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Japanese 98.5%, Koreans 0.5%, Chinese 0.4%, other 0.7%

Languages spoken: Japanese

Religions: observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian 0.7%)

List of newspapers in Japan
Encyclopedia entry for Japan

List of newspapers in Jersey
Encyclopedia entry for Jersey

Jordan

Official name: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Capital city: Amman

Internet country code: .jo

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of black

(top), representing the Abbassid Caliphate; white, repre­senting the Ummayyad Caliphate; and green, represent­ing the Fatimid Caliphate; a red isosceles triangle on the hoist side, representing the Great Arab Revolt of 1916, and bearing a small white seven-pointed star symbolizing the seven verses of the opening Sura (Al-Fatiha) of the Koran; the seven points on the star represent faith in One God, humanity, national spirit, humility, social justice, virtue, and aspirations; design is based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I

National anthem: "A-Sha-al Maleek”

Geographical description: Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia

Total area: 34,495 sq. mi. (89.342 sq. km.)

Climate: Mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)

Nationality: noun: Jordanian(s); adjective: Jordanian

Population: 6,053,193 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1%

Languages spoken: Arab (official), English

Religions: Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian (majority Greek Orthodox, but some Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations) 6%, other (several small Shi’a Muslim and Druze populations) 2%

List of newspapers in Jordan
Encyclopedia entry for Jordan

Kazakhstan

Official name: Republic of Kazakhstan

Capital city: Astana

Internet country code: .kz

Flag description: Sky blue background representing the endless sky and a gold sun with 32 rays soaring above a golden steppe eagle in the center; on the hoist side is a national ornamentation in gold

National anthem: "We are a valiant people, sons of hon­our” (first line in English translation), lyrics by Muzafar Alimbayev, Kadyr Myrzaliyev, Tumanbai Moldagaliyev and Zhadyra Daribayeva, music by Mukan Tulebayev, Eugeny Brusilovsky and Latif Khamidi

Geographical description: Central Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural River in eastern­most Europe

Total area: 1.05 million sq. mi. (2.7 million sq. km.)

Climate: Continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid

Nationality: noun: Kazakhstani(s); adjective: Kazakhstani

Population: 15,284,929 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Kazakh 55.8%, Russian 28.3%, Ukrainian 3.3%, Uzbek 2.6%, German 1.8%, Uyghur 1.5%, other 5.0%

Languages spoken: Kazakh (Qazaq, state language) 64.4%, Russian (official, used in everyday business, designated the "language of interethnic communication”) 95%

Religions: Sunni Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7%

List of newspapers in Kazakhstan
Encyclopedia entry for Kazakhstan

Kenya

Official name: Republic of Kenya

Capital city: Nairobi

Internet country code: .ke

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green; the red band is edged in white; a large warrior’s shield covering crossed spears is superim­posed at the center

National anthem: "Ee Mungu nguvu yetu” (first line in English translation: "O God of all creation”)

Geographical description: Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania

Total area: 224,960 sq. mi. (582,646 sq. km.)

Climate: Varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior

Nationality: noun: Kenyan(s); adjective: Kenyan

Population: 36,913,721 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Kikuyu 22%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 12%, Kamba 11%, Kisii 6%, Meru 6%, other African 15%, non-African (Asian, European, and Arab) 1%

Languages spoken: English (official), Kiswahili (official), numerous indigenous languages

Religions: Protestant 45%, Roman Catholic 33%, Muslim 10%, indigenous religions 10%, other (including Hindu, Sikh, Jewish, Baha’i) 2%

List of newspapers in Kenya
Encyclopedia entry for Kenya

Kiribati

Official name: Republic of Kiribati

Capital city: Tarawa

Internet country code: .ki

  Flag description: The upper half is red with a yellow frigate bird flying over a yellow rising sun, and the lower half is blue with three horizontal wavy white stripes to represent the ocean

Geographical description: Oceania, group of 33 coral atolls in the Pacific Ocean, straddling the Equator; the capital Tarawa is about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Aus­tralia; note - on 1 January 1995, Kiribati proclaimed that all of its territory lies in the same time zone as its Gilbert Islands group (UTC +12) even though the Phoenix Islands and the Line Islands under its jurisdiction lie on the other side of the International Date Line

Total area: 266 sq. mi. (719 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds

Nationality: noun: I-Kiribati (singular and plural, pro­nounced ee-keer-ah-bhass); adjective: I-Kiribati

Population: 107,817 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Micronesian 98.8%, other 1.2%

Languages spoken: English (official), Gilbertese/I-Kiribati

Religions: Roman Catholic 52%, Protestant (Congregation­al) 40%, other (includes Seventh-Day Adventist, Muslim, Baha’i, Latter-day Saints, Church of God) 8%

List of newspapers in Kiribati
Encyclopedia entry for Kiribati

List of newspapers in Korea
Encyclopedia entry for Korea

List of newspapers in Kosovo
Encyclopedia entry for Kosovo

Kuwait

Official name: State of Kuwait

Capital city: Kuwait City

Internet country code: .kw

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of green

(top), white, and red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side; design, which dates to 1961, based on the Arab revolt flag of World War I

National anthem: "Kuwait, My Country, May you be safe and glorious!” (first line in English translation), lyrics by Meshari Al-Adwani, music by Ibrahim Al-Soula

Geographical description: Middle East, bordering the Per­sian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia

Total area: 6,880 sq. mi. (17,820 sq. km.)

Climate: Dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters

Nationality: noun: Kuwaiti(s); adjective: Kuwaiti

Population: 2,505,559 (includes 1,291,354 non-nationals; July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7%

Languages spoken: Arab (official), English

Religions: Muslim 80% (Sunni 70%, Shi’a 30% among Kuwaiti citizens), other (includes Christian, Hindu, Parsi, Buddhist, Sikh) 20%

List of newspapers in Kuwait
Encyclopedia entry for Kuwait

Kyrgyzstan

Official name: Kyrgyz Republic

Capital city: Bishkek

Internet country code: .kg

Flag description: Red field with a yellow sun in the center having 40 rays representing the 40 Kyrgyz tribes; on the obverse side the rays run counterclockwise, on the reverse, clockwise; in the center of the sun is a red ring crossed by two sets of three lines, a stylized representa­tion of the roof of the traditional Kyrgyz yurt

Geographical description: Central Asia, west of China

Total area: 77,181 sq. mi. (198,500 sq. km.)

Climate: Dry continental to polar in high Tien Shan; subtropical in southwest (Fergana Valley); temperate in northern foothill zone

Nationality: noun: Kyrgyzstani(s); adjective: Kyrgyzstani

Population: 5,284,149 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Kyrgyz 67%, Uzbek 14%, Russian 11%, Dungan (ethnic Chinese Muslims) 1%, Uygur 1%, Tatars 0.9%, German 0.3%, other 4.8%

Languages spoken: Kyrgyz (official) 64.7%, Uzbek 13.6%, Russian (official) 12.5%, Dungun 1%, other 8.2%

Religions: Muslim 75%, Russian Orthodox 20%, other 5%

List of newspapers in Kyrgyzstan
Encyclopedia entry for Kyrgyzstan

Laos

Official name: Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Capital city: Vientiane

Internet country code: .la

Flag description: Three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red with a large white disk centered in the blue band

National anthem: "Xat Lao”

Geographical description: Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam

Total area: 91,430 sq. mi. (236,800 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to Novem­ber); dry season (December to April)

Nationality: noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s); adjective: Lao or Laotian

Population: 6,521,998 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: More than 40 ethnic groups, broken down descriptively as follows: Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong and the Yao 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1%

Languages spoken: Lao (official), French, English, local languages

Religions: Buddhist 65%, indigenous religions 32.9%, Christian 1.3%, other and unspecified 0.8%

List of newspapers in Laos
Encyclopedia entry for Laos

Latvia

Official name: Republic of Latvia

Capital city: Riga

Internet country code: .lv

  Flag description: Three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white (half-width), and maroon

National anthem: "Dievs, sv¯et¯? Latviju!” (God bless Latvia!), by K¯arlis Baumanis (better known as Bauman?u K¯arlis)

National bird: Balt¯a cielava or white wagtail (Motacilla alba)

National flower: P¯?pene or daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare,

earlier also known as Chrysanthemum leucanthemum)

National insect: Two-spot ladybird (Adalia bipunctata)

National river: Daugava, the "river of fate” or "mother of rivers”

National stone: Amber

National trees: Linden, or lime tree (Tilia cordata, Latvian: liepa) and the oak (Quercus robur, Latvian: ozols)

Geographical description: Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania

Total area: 24,938 sq. mi. (64,589 sq. km.)

Climate: Maritime; wet, moderate winters

Nationality: noun: Latvian(s); adjective: Latvian

Population: 2,259,810 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Latvian 59%, Russian 28.5%, Belarusian 3.8%, Ukrainian 2.5%, Polish 2.4%, other (including Lithuanian) 3.8%

Languages spoken: Latvian (official; also called Lettish) 58.2%, Russian 37.5%, Lithuanian and other 4.3%

Religions: Roman Catholic 22%, Lutheran 20%, Russian Orthodox 15%

List of newspapers in Latvia
Encyclopedia entry for Latvia

Lebanon

Official name: Lebanese Republic

Capital city: Beirut

  Internet country code: .lb

Flag description: Three horizontal bands consisting of red (top), white (middle, double width), and red (bottom) with a green cedar tree  centered in the white band

National anthem: "An-Nashid Al-Watani Al-Lubnani” (All for the country, for the glory, for the flag), lyrics by Rashid Nakhle, music by Wadih Sabra

Geographical description: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria

Total area: 4,015 sq. mi. (10,400 sq. km.)

Climate: Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers; mountains experience heavy winter snows

Nationality: noun: Lebanese (singular and plural); adjective: Lebanese

Population: 3,925,502 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1% ( note: many Christian Lebanese do not identify themselves as Arab but rather as descendents of the ancient Canaanites and prefer to be called Phoenicians).

Languages spoken: Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian

Religions: Muslim (Shi’a, Sunni, Druze, Isma’ilite, Alawite or Nusayri) 59.7%, Christian (Maronite Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Melkite Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Syrian Catholic, Armenian Catholic, Syrian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Chaldean, Assyrian, Copt, Protestant) 39%, other 1.3%

List of newspapers in Lebanon
Encyclopedia entry for Lebanon

Lesotho

Official name: Kingdom of Lesotho

Capital city: Maseru

Internet country code: .ls

Flag description: Three horizontal stripes of blue (top), white, and green in the proportions of 3:4:3; the colors represent rain, peace, and prosperity respectively; cen­tered in the white stripe is a black Basotho hat represent­ing the indigenous people; the flag was unfurled in Octo­ber 2006 to celebrate 40 years of independence

Geographical description: Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa

Total area: 11,718 sq. mi. (30,355 sq. km.)

Climate: Temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers

Nationality: noun: Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural); adjective: Basotho

Population: 2,125,262 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Sotho 99.7%, Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%

Languages spoken: Sesotho (southern Sotho; official), Eng­lish (official), Zulu, Xhosa

Religions: Christian 80%, including Roman Catholic (majority), Lesotho Evangelical, Anglican, other denomi­nations; other religions include Islam, Hindu, indigenous religions

Encyclopedia entry for Lesotho

Liberia

Official name: Republic of Liberia

Capital city: Monrovia

Internet country code: .lr

Flag description: Eleven equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a white five-pointed star on a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner; the design was based on the United States flag

National anthem: "All Hail, Liberia Hail!”, lyrics by Daniel Bashiel Warner, music by Olmstead Luca

National bird: Pepperbird

Geographical description: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone

Total area: 43,000 sq. mi. (111,369 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers

Nationality: noun: Liberian(s); adjective: Liberian

Population: 3,195,931 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: African 95% (including Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru, Grebo, Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Vai, Dei, Bella, Mandingo, and Mende), Americo-Liberians 2.5% (descendants of immigrants from the US who had been slaves), Congo People 2.5% (descendants of immi­grants from the Caribbean who had been slaves)

Languages spoken: English (official), more than 15 indige­nous languages

Religions: Christian 40%, Muslim 20%, indigenous reli­gions 40%

Encyclopedia entry for Liberia

Libya

Official name: Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

Capital city: Tripoli

Internet country code: .ly

Flag description: Plain green; green is the traditional color of Islam (the state religion)

Geographical description: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Tunisia

Total area: 679,358 sq. mi. (1,759,540 sq. km.)

Climate: Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior

Nationality: noun: Libyan(s); adjective: Libyan

Population: 6,036,914 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Berber and Arab 97%, other (including Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, and Tunisians) 3%

Languages spoken: Arabic, English, French, Italian

Religions: Sunni Muslim 97%, other 3%

List of newspapers in Libya
Encyclopedia entry for Libya

Liechtenstein

Official name: Principality of Liechtenstein

Capital city: Vaduz

Internet country code: .li

Flag description: Two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a gold crown on the hoist side of the blue band

National anthem: "Oben am jungen Rhein lehnet sich Liechtenstein an Alpenhöhn” (first line), sung to the music of "God Save the King”

Geographical description: Central Europe, between Aus­tria and Switzerland

Total area: 61.7 sq. mi. (160 sq. km.)

Climate: Continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain; cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers

Nationality: noun: Liechtensteiner(s); adjective: Liechten­stein

Population: 34,247 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Alemannic 86%, Italian, Turkish, and other 14%

Languages spoken: German (official), Alemannic dialect

Religions: Roman Catholic 76.2%, Protestant 7%, unknown 10.6%, other 6.2%

List of newspapers in Liechtenstein
Encyclopedia entry for Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Official name: Republic of Lithuania

Capital city: Vilnius

Internet country code: .lt

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), green, and red

Geographical description: Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Latvia and Russia

Total area: 26,080 sq. mi. (65,200 sq. km.)

Climate: Transitional, between maritime and continental; wet, moderate winters and summers

Nationality: noun: Lithuanian(s); adjective: Lithuanian

Population: 3,575,439 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Lithuanian 84.6%, Polish 6.3%, Russian

5.1%, other or unspecified 4%

Languages spoken: Lithuanian (official) 84.6%, Russian, and Polish

Religions: Roman Catholic 79%, Russian Orthodox 4.1%, Protestant (including Lutheran and Evangelical Christian Baptist) 1.9%, other or unspecified 5.5%, none 9.5%

List of newspapers in Lithuania
Encyclopedia entry for Lithuania

Luxembourg

Official name: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

Capital city: Luxembourg

Internet country code: .lu

  Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and light blue; similar to the flag of the Netherlands, which uses a darker blue and is shorter; design was based on the flag of France

National anthem: "Ons Hémécht” (Our Motherland)

National flower: Rose

Geographical description: Western Europe, between France and Germany

Total area: 999 sq. mi. (2,586 sq. km.)

Climate: Modified continental with mild winters, cool summers

Nationality: noun: Luxembourger(s); adjective: Luxem­

bourg, Luxembourgian, Luxembourgish

Population: 480,222 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Celtic base (with French and German blend), Portuguese, Italian, Slavs (from Montenegro, Albania, and Kosovo), Belgians, French, and Germans

Languages spoken: Luxembourgish (national language), German (administrative language), French (administra­tive language), English

Religions: Roman Catholic 87%, other (includes Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 13%

List of newspapers in Luxembourg
Encyclopedia entry for Luxembourg

Macau

Official name: Macau Special Administrative Region [of China]

Internet country code: .mo

Flag description: Light green with a lotus flower above a stylized bridge and water in white, beneath an arc of five gold five-pointed stars: one large in center of arc and four smaller

Geographical description: Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China

Total area: 10.9 sq. mi. (28.2 sq. km.)

Climate: Subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm sum­mers

Nationality: noun: Macanese, Chinese (singular and plu­ral); adjective: Macanese, Chinese

Population: 456,989 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Chinese 95.7%, Macanese (mixed Por­tuguese and Asian ancestry) 1%, other 3.3%

Languages spoken: Portuguese (official), Cantonese (offi­cial), Hokkien, Mandarin, other Chinese dialects

Religions: Buddhist, Roman Catholic

Encyclopedia entry for Macau

Madagascar

Official name: Republic of Madagascar

Capital city: Antananarivo

Internet country code: .mg

Flag description: Two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a vertical white band of the same width on hoist side

National anthem: "Ry Tanindraza nay malala ô” (Oh, Our Beloved Fatherland)

National motto: "Tanindrazana, Fahafahana, Fandrosoana” (Fatherland, Liberty, Progress)

Geographical description: Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique

Total area: 228,880 sq. mi. (592,800 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south

Nationality: noun: Malagasy (singular and plural); adjective: Malagasy

Population: 19,448,815 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Malayo-Indonesian (Merina and related Betsileo), Cotiers (mixed African, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab ancestry - Betsimisaraka, Tsimihety, Antaisaka, Sakalava), French, Indian, Creole, Comoran

Languages spoken: Malagasy, French, English

Religions: Indigenous religions 52%, Christian 41%, Mus­lim 7%

List of newspapers in Madagascar
Encyclopedia entry for Madagascar

Malawi

Official name: Republic of Malawi

Capital city: Lilongwe

Internet country code: .mw

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a radiant, rising, red sun cen­tered in the black band

Geographical description: Southern Africa, east of Zambia

Total area: 45,747 sq. mi. (118,484 sq. km.)

Climate: Sub-tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November)

Nationality: noun: Malawian(s); adjective: Malawian

Population: 13,603,181 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European

Languages spoken: English (official), Chichewa (official), regional dialects, i.e., Chitumbuka, Chiyao,  Chilomwe

Religions: Protestant 55%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 3%, other 2%.

List of newspapers in Malawi
Encyclopedia entry for Malawi

Malaysia

Official name: Malaysia

Capital city: Kuala Lumpur

  Internet country code: .my

  Flag description: Fourteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top) alternating with white (bottom); there is a blue rec­tangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a yellow crescent and a yellow 14-pointed star; the crescent and the star are traditional symbols of Islam; the design was based on the flag of the United States

National anthem: "Negaraku” (My Homeland)

National flower: Hibiscus

Geographical description: Southeastern Asia, peninsula bordering Thailand and northern one-third of the island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia, Brunei, and the South China Sea, south of Vietnam

Total area: 127,316 sq. mi. (329,749 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and

northeast (October to February) monsoons

Nationality: noun: Malaysian(s); adjective: Malaysian

Population: 24,821,286 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Malay 50.4%, Chinese 23.7%, indigenous 11%, Indian 7.1%, other 7.8%

Languages spoken: Bahasa Malaysia (official), English, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi, Thai; in East Malaysia there are several indigenous languages, the most widely spoken of which are Iban and Kadazan

Religions: Muslim 60.4%, Buddhist 19.2%, Christian 9.1%, Hindu 6.3%, Confucianism, Taoism, other traditional Chi­nese religions 2.6%, other or unknown 1.5%, none 0.8%

List of newspapers in Malaysia
Encyclopedia entry for Malaysia

Maldives

Official name: Republic of Maldives

Capital city: Male

Internet country code: .mv

Flag description: Red with a large green rectangle in the center bearing a vertical white crescent; the closed side of the crescent is on the hoist side of the flag

National flower: Finifenmaa (Pink rose)

National tree: Dhivehi Ruh (Coconut palm)

Geographical description: Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India

Total area: 115 sq. mi. (298 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)

Nationality: noun: Maldivian(s); adjective: Maldivian

Population: 369,031 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: South Indians, Sinhalese, Arabs

Languages spoken: Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most gov­ernment officials

Religions: Sunni Muslim

List of newspapers in Maldives
Encyclopedia entry for Maldives

Mali

Official name: Republic of Mali

Capital city: Bamako

Internet country code: .ml

  Flag description: Three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red; uses the popular pan-African col­ors of Ethiopia

National anthem: "Le Mali”

National motto: "Un Peuple, un But, une Foi” (One Nation, One Goal, One Faith)

Geographical description: Western Africa, southwest of Algeria

Total area: 474,764 sq. mi. (1,240,278 sq. km.)

Climate: Subtropical to arid; hot and dry (February to June); rainy, humid, and mild (June to November); cool and dry (November to February)

Nationality: noun: Malian(s); adjective: Malian

Population: 11,995,402 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Mande 50% (Bambara, Malinke, Soninke), Peul 17%, Voltaic 12%, Songhai 6%, Tuareg and Moor 10%, other 5%

Languages spoken: French (official), Bambara 80%, numer­ous African languages

Religions: Muslim 90%, indigenous 6%, Christian 4%

List of newspapers in Malta
Encyclopedia entry for Mali

Marshall Islands

Official name: Republic of the Marshall Islands

Capital city: Majuro

Internet country code: .mh

Flag description: Blue with two stripes radiating from the lower hoist-side corner - orange (top) and white; there is a white star with four large rays and 20 small rays on the hoist side above the two stripes

National anthem: "Forever Marshall Islands” by President Amata Kabua

Geographical description: Oceania, two archipelagic island chains of 29 atolls, each made up of many small islets, and five single islands in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia

Total land area: 70 sq. mi. (181 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November; islands border typhoon belt

Nationality: noun: Marshallese (singular and plural); adjective: Marshallese

Population: 61,815 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Marshallese 90%, American, Filipino, Chi­nese, New Zealander, Australian, other Micronesian (FSM), Kiribati, Korean, and Fijian 10%

Languages spoken: Two major Marshallese dialects from Malayo-Polynesian family; English

Religions: Protestant 54.8%, Assembly of God 25.8%, Roman Catholic 8.4%, Bukot nan Jesus 2.8%, Mormon 2.1%, other Christian 3.6%, other 1%, none 1.5%

Encyclopedia entry for Marshall Islands

Mauritania

Official name: Islamic Republic of Mauritania

Capital city: Nouakchott

Internet country code: .mr

Flag description: Green with a yellow five-pointed star above a yellow horizontal crescent; the closed side of the crescent is down; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam

National anthem: lyrics taken from poem by Baba Ould Cheikh

Geographical description: Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara

Total area: 419,212 sq. mi. (1,030,070 sq. km.)

Climate: Desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty

Nationality: noun: Mauritanian(s); adjective: Mauritanian

Population: 3,270,065 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Arab-Berber (White Moor), Arab-Berber-Negroid (Black Moor), Haalpulaar, Soninke, Wolof (Black African Mauritanians)

Languages spoken: Arabic (official), Hassaniya (Arabic dialect), French, Pulaar, Wolof, and Soninke

Religions: Muslim 100%

Encyclopedia entry for Mauritania

Mauritius

Official name: Republic of Mauritius

Capital city: Port Louis

Internet country code: .mu

Flag description: Four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green

National anthem: "Glory to thee, Motherland” (first line), lyrics by Jean Georges Prosper, music by Philippe Gentil

National flower: Trochetia Boutoniana (Boucle d’Oreille)

Geographical description: Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar

Total area: 720 sq. mi. (1,865 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)

Nationality: noun: Mauritian(s); adjective: Mauritian

Population: 1,250,882 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%, Franco-Mauritian 2%

Languages spoken: Creole (common), French, English (offi­cial), Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bhojpuri

Religions: Hindu 48%, Roman Catholic 23.6%, Muslim 16.6%, other Christian 8.6%, other 2.5%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.4%

List of newspapers in Mauritius
Encyclopedia entry for Mauritius

Mexico

Official name: United Mexican States

Capital city: Mexico City

Internet country code: .mx

Flag description: Three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; the coat of arms (an eagle perched on a cactus with a snake in its beak) is centered in the white band

National anthem: "Mexicanos, al grito de Guerra” (Mexi­cans, at the cry of war - first line of chorus), lyrics by Francisco González Bocanegra, music by Jaime Nunó

Geographical description: Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, between Belize and the United States and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the United States

Total area: 761,600 sq. mi. (1,972,500 sq. km.)

Climate: Varies from tropical to desert

Nationality: noun: Mexican(s); adjective: Mexican

Population: 108,700,891 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish) 60%, Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian 30%, white 9%, other 1%

Languages spoken: Spanish, various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional indigenous languages

Religions: Roman Catholic 76.5%, Protestant 6.3% (Pente­costal 1.4%, Jehovah’s Witnesses 1.1%, other 3.8%), other 0.3%, unspecified 13.8%, none 3.1%

List of newspapers in Mexico
Encyclopedia entry for Mexico

Micronesia

Official name: Federated States of Micronesia

Capital city: Palikir

Internet country code: .fm

Flag description: Light blue with four white five-pointed stars centered; the stars are arranged in a diamond pat­tern

National anthem: "Tis here we are pledging with heart and with hands” (first line)

Geographical description: Oceania, island group in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Indonesia

Total area: 270 sq. mi. (702 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; heavy year-round rainfall, especially in the eastern islands; located on southern edge of the typhoon belt with occasionally severe damage

Nationality: noun: Micronesian(s); adjective: Micronesian; Chuukese, Kosraen(s), Pohnpeian(s), Yapese

Population: 107,862 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Chuukese 48.8%, Pohnpeian 24.2%, Kosraean 6.2%, Yapese 5.2%, Yap outer islands 4.5%, Asian 1.8%, Polynesian 1.5%, other 6.4%, unknown 1.4%

Languages spoken: English (official and common lan­guage), Trukese, Pohnpeian, Yapese, Kosrean, Ulithian, Woleaian, Nukuoro, Kapingamarangi

Religions: Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 47%, other 3%

Encyclopedia entry for Micronesia

Moldova

Official name: Republic of Moldova

Capital city: Chisinau (Kishinev; pronounced kee-shee­now)

Internet country code: .md

Flag description: Same color scheme as Romania - three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; emblem in center of flag is of a Roman eagle of gold out­lined in black with a red beak and talons carrying a yel­low cross in its beak and a green olive branch in its right talons and a yellow scepter in its left talons; on its breast is a shield divided horizontally red over blue with a styl­ized ox head, star, rose, and crescent all in black-outlined yellow

National anthem: "Limba noastr?a-i o comoar?a” (first line), lyrics by Alexei Mateevici, music by Alexandru Cristea

Geographical description: Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania

Total area: 13,000 sq. mi. (33,843 sq. km.)

Climate: Moderate winters, warm summers

Nationality: noun: Moldovan(s); adjective: Moldovan

Population: 4,320,490 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Moldovan/Romanian 78.2%, Ukrainian 8.4%, Russian 5.8%, Gagauz 4.4%, Bulgarian 1.9%, other 1.3%

Languages spoken: Moldovan (official, virtually the same as the Romanian language), Russian, Ukrainian, Gagauz (a Turkish dialect)

Religions: Eastern Orthodox 98%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist and other 0.5%

List of newspapers in Moldova
Encyclopedia entry for Moldova

Monaco

Official name: Principality of Monaco

Capital city: Monaco

Internet country code: .mc

Flag description: Two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to the flag of Indonesia which is longer and the flag of Poland which is white (top) and red

Geographical description: Western Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea on the southern coast of France, near the border with Italy

Total area: 0.8 sq. mi. (1.95 sq. km.)

Climate: Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers

Nationality: noun: Monegasque(s) or Monacan(s); adjective: Monegasque or Monacan

Population: 32,671 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: French 47%, Monegasque 16%, Italian 16%, other 21%

Languages spoken: French (official), English, Italian, Mon­egasque

Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, other 10%

List of newspapers in Monaco
Encyclopedia entry for Monaco

Mongolia

Official name: Mongolia

Capital city: Ulaanbaatar

Internet country code: .mn

Flag description: Three equal, vertical bands of red (hoist side), blue, and red; centered on the hoist-side red band in yellow is the national emblem ( soyombo - a columnar arrangement of abstract and geometric representation for fire, sun, moon, earth, water, and the yin-yang symbol)

Geographical description: Northern Asia, between China and Russia

Total area: 604,103 sq. mi. (1,566,500 sq. km.)

Climate: Desert; continental (large daily and seasonal tem­perature ranges)

Nationality: noun: Mongolian(s); adjective: Mongolian

Population: 2,951,786 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Mongol (mostly Khalkha) 85%, Turkic (mostly Kazakh) 7%, Tungusic 4.6%, other (including Chi­nese and Russian) 3.4%

Languages spoken: Mongolian, Kazakh, Russian, and Eng­lish

Religions: Tibetan Buddhist Lamaism 94%, Christian, Mus­lim, Shamanism 6%

List of newspapers in Mongolia
Encyclopedia entry for Mongolia

Montenegro

Official name: Republic of Montenegro

  Capital city: Podgorica

Internet country code: .me

Flag description: A red field bordered by a narrow golden-yellow stripe with the Montenegrin coat of arms centered

Geographical description: Southeastern Europe, between the Adriatic Sea and Serbia

Total area: 5,381 sq. mi. (13,938 sq. km.)

Climate: Mediterranean climate, hot dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfalls inland

Nationality: noun: Montenegrin(s); adjective: Montenegrin

Population: 684,736 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Montenegrin 43%, Serbian 31%, Bosniak 8%, Albanian 5%, other (Croat, Roma) 12%

Languages spoken: Serbian (official; Ijekavian dialect), Bosnian, Albanian, Croatian

Religions: Orthodox 74%, Muslim 18%, Roman Catholic 4%

List of newspapers in Montenegro
Encyclopedia entry for Montenegro

List of newspapers in Montserrat
Encyclopedia entry for Montserrat

Morocco

Official name: Kingdom of Morocco

Capital city: Rabat

Internet country code: .ma

Flag description: Red with a green pentacle (five-pointed linear star) known as Sulayman’s (Solomon’s) seal in the center of the flag; red and green are traditional colors in Arab flags, although the use of red is more commonly associated with the Arab states of the Persian gulf; design dates to 1912

National anthem: "Royaume du Maroc: Garde Royale”

National motto: God, The Country, The King

Geographical description: Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Western Sahara

Total area: 172,413 sq. mi. (446,550 sq. km.)

Climate: Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior

Nationality: noun: Moroccan(s); adjective: Moroccan

Population: 33,757,175 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Arab-Berber 99.1%, other 0.7%, Jewish 0.2%

Languages spoken: Arabic (official), Berber dialects, French often the language of business, government, and diplo­macy

Religions: Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2%

List of newspapers in Morocco
Encyclopedia entry for Morocco

Mozambique

Official name: Republic of Mozambique

Capital city: Maputo

Internet country code: .mz

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of green (top), black, and yellow with a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; the black band is edged in white; centered in the triangle is a yellow five-pointed star bear­ing a crossed rifle and hoe in black superimposed on an open white book

National anthem: "Moçambique nossa terra gloriosa!” (Mozambique, our Glorious Land - first line of chorus)

Geographical description: Southeastern Africa, bordering the Mozambique Channel, between South Africa and Tan­zania

Total area: 309,494 sq. mi. (801,590 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical to subtropical

Nationality: noun: Mozambican(s); adjective: Mozambican

Population: 20,905,585 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: African (Makhuwa, Tsonga, Lomwe, Sena, and others) 99.66%, Europeans 0.06%, Euro-Africans 0.2%, Indians 0.08%

Languages spoken: Emakhuwa 26.1%, Xichangana 11.3%, Portuguese 8.8% (official; spoken by 27% of population as a second language), Elomwe 7.6%, Cisena 6.8%, Echuwabo 5.8%, other Mozambican languages 32%, other foreign languages 0.3%, unspecified 1.3%

Religions: Roman Catholic 23.8%, Muslim 17.8%, Zionist Christian 17.5%, other 17.8%, none 23.1%

List of newspapers in Mozambique
Encyclopedia entry for Mozambique

List of newspapers in Myanmar
Encyclopedia entry for Myanmar

Namibia

Official name: Republic of Namibia

Capital city: Windhoek

Internet country code: .na

Flag description: A wide red stripe edged by narrow white stripes divides the flag diagonally from lower hoist corner to upper fly corner; the upper hoist-side triangle is blue and charged with a yellow 12-rayed sunburst; the lower fly-side triangle is green

National anthem: "Namibia Land of the Brave”

National motto: Unity, Liberty, Justice

Geographical description: Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and South Africa

Total area: 320,827 sq. mi. (823,145 sq. km.)

Climate: Desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic

Nationality: noun: Namibian(s); adjective: Namibian

Population: 2,055,080 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Black 87%; white 6%; mixed race 7%. About 50% of the population belong to Ovambo ethnic group, and 9% to the Kavango ethnic group. Other ethnic groups are: Herero 7%, Damara 7%, Nama 5%, Caprivian 4%, San (Bushmen) 3%, Baster 2%, and Tswana 0.5%.

Languages spoken: English (official) 7%, Afrikaans com­mon language of most of the population and about 60% of the white population, German 32%, indigenous lan­guages (including Oshivambo, Herero, Nama) 1%

Religions: Christian 80% to 90% (at least 50% Lutheran 50%), indigenous religions 10% to 20%

List of newspapers in Namibia
Encyclopedia entry for Namibia

Nauru

Official name: Republic of Nauru

Capital city: no official capital; government offices in Yaren District

Internet country code: .nr

Flag description: Blue with a narrow, horizontal yellow stripe across the center and a large white 12-pointed star below the stripe on the hoist side; the star indicates the country’s location in relation to the Equator (the yellow stripe) and the 12 points symbolize the 12 original tribes of Nauru

National anthem: "Nauru bwiema” (Nauru Our Home­land)

Geographical description: Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands

Total area: 8.1 sq. mi. (21 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical with a monsoonal pattern; rainy season (November to February)

Nationality: noun: Nauruan(s); adjective: Nauruan

Population: 13,528 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Nauruan 58%, other Pacific Islander 26%, Chinese 8%, European 8%

Languages spoken: Nauruan (official; a distinct Pacific Island language), English widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes

Religions: Protestant 66.7, Roman Catholic 33.3%

List of newspapers in Nauru
Encyclopedia entry for Nauru

Nepal

Official name: Nepal

Capital city: Kathmandu

Internet country code: .np

Flag description: Red with a blue border around the unique shape of two overlapping right triangles; the smaller, upper triangle bears a white stylized moon and the larger, lower triangle bears a white 12-pointed sun

National bird: Impean Pheasant Danfe

National flower: Rhododendron Arboreum (Lali Gurans)

Geographical description: Southern Asia, between China and India

Total area: 56,136 sq. mi. (147,181 sq. km.)

Climate: Varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south

Nationality: noun: Nepalese (singular and plural); adjective: Nepalese

Population: 28,901,790 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Chhettri 15.5%, Brahman-Hill 12.5%, Magar 7%, Tharu 6.6%, Tamang 5.5%, Newar 5.4%, Muslim 4.2%, Kami 3.9%, Yadav 3.9%, other 32.7%, unspecified 2.8%

Languages spoken: Nepali 47.8%, Maithali 12.1%, Bhojpuri 7.4%, Tharu (Dagaura/Rana) 5.8%, Tamang 5.1%, Newar 3.6%, Magar 3.3%, Awadhi 2.4%, other 10%, unspecified 2.5%

Religions: Hindu 80.6%, Buddhist 10.7%, Muslim 4.2%, Kirant 3.6%, other 0.9%

List of newspapers in Nepal
Encyclopedia entry for Nepal

Netherlands

Official name: Kingdom of the Netherlands

Capital city: Amsterdam

Internet country code: .nl

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue; similar to the flag of Luxembourg, which uses a lighter blue and is longer; one of the oldest flags in constant use, originating with William I, Prince of Orange, in the latter half of the 16th century

National anthem: "Wilhelmus”

Geographical description: Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany

Total area: 16,485 sq. mi. (41,526 sq. km.)

Climate: Temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters

Nationality: noun: Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women); adjective: Dutch

Population: 16,570,613 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Dutch 83%, other 17% (of which 9% are non-Western origin, mainly Turks, Moroccans, Antilleans, Surinamese, and Indonesians)

Languages spoken: Dutch, Frisian

Religions: Roman Catholic 31%, Dutch Reformed 13%, Calvinist 7%, Muslim 5.5%, other 2.5%, none 41%

List of newspapers in Netherlands
Encyclopedia entry for Netherlands

New Zealand

Official name: New Zealand

Capital city: Wellington

Internet country code: .nz

Flag description: Blue with the flag of the United Kingdom in the upper hoist-side quadrant with four red five-point­ed stars edged in white centered in the outer half of the flag; the stars represent the Southern Cross constellation

National anthems: "God Defend New Zealand” and "God Save the Queen”

Geographical description: Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia

Total area: 104,440 sq. mi. (270,500 sq. km.)

Climate: Temperate with sharp regional contrasts

Nationality: noun: New Zealander(s); adjective: New Zealand

Population: 4,115,771 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: European 77%, Maori 14.6%, other Polyne­sian Pacific peoples 6.9%, other 1.5%

Languages spoken: English (official), Maori (official), Sign Language (official)

Religions: Anglican 14.9%, Roman Catholic 12.4%, Presby­terian 10.9%, Methodist 2.9%, Pentecostal 1.7%, Baptist 1.3%, other Christian 9.4%, other 3.3%, unspecified 17.2%, none 26%

List of newspapers in New Zealand
Encyclopedia entry for New Zealand

Nicaragua

Official name: Republic of Nicaragua

Capital city: Managua

Internet country code: .ni

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with the national coat of arms cen­tered in the white band; the coat of arms features a trian­gle encircled by the words Republica de Nicaragua on the top and America Central on the bottom; similar to the flag of El Salvador, which features a round emblem centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Honduras, which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern cen­tered in the white band

Geographical description: Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras

Total area: 59,998 sq. mi. (129,494 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands

Nationality: noun: Nicaraguan(s); adjective: Nicaraguan

Population: 5,675,356 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Mestizo (mixed Amerindian and European) 69%, white 17%, black Jamaican 9%, Amerindian 5%

Languages spoken: Spanish (official) 97.5%, Miskito 1.7%, other 0.8% (English and indigenous languages on Atlantic coast)

Religions: Roman Catholic 72.9%, Evangelical 15.1%, Moravian 1.5%, Episcopal 0.1%, other 1.9%, none 8.5%

List of newspapers in Nicaragua
Encyclopedia entry for Nicaragua

Niger

Official name: Republic of Niger

Capital city: Niamey

Internet country code: .ne

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and green with a small orange disk (repre­senting the sun) centered in the white band

National motto: Fraternity – Work – Progress

Geographical description: Western Africa, southeast of Algeria

Total area: 490,000 sq. mi. (1,267,000 sq. km.)

Climate: Desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south

Nationality: noun: Nigerien(s); adjective: Nigerien

Population: 12,894,865 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Haoussa 55.4%, Djerma Sonrai 21%, Touareg 9.3%, Peuhl 8.5%, Kanouri Manga 4.7%, other 1.2%

Languages spoken: French (official), Hausa, Djerma, Ful­fulde, Kanuri, Tamachek, Toubou, Gourmantche, Arabic

Religions: Muslim 85%, other (includes indigenous reli­gions and Christian) 15%

Encyclopedia entry for Niger

Nigeria

Official name: Federal Republic of Nigeria

Capital city: Abuja

Internet country code: .ng

Flag description: Three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green

National motto: "Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress”

Geographical description: Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon

Total area: 356,700 sq. mi. (923,768 sq. km.)

Climate: Varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north

Nationality: noun: Nigerian(s); adjective: Nigerian

Population: 135,031,164 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups; the following are the most populous and politically influential: Hausa and Fulani 29%, Yoruba 21%, Igbo (Ibo) 18%, Ijaw 10%, Kanuri 4%, Ibibio 3.5%, Tiv 2.5%

Languages spoken: English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani

Religions: Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous reli­gions 10%

List of newspapers in Nigeria
Encyclopedia entry for Nigeria

Niue

Official name: Niue

Capital city: Alofi

Internet country code: .nu

Flag description: Yellow with the flag of the United Kingdom in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the flag of the United Kingdom bears five yellow five-pointed stars - a large one on a blue disk in the center and a smaller one on each arm of the bold red cross

Geographical description: Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga

Total area: 100 sq. mi. (260 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; modified by southeast trade winds

Nationality: noun: Niuean(s); adjective: Niuean

Population: 1,492 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Niuen 78.2%, Pacific Islander 10.2%, Euro­pean 4.5%, mixed 3.9%, Asian 0.2%, unspecified 3%

Languages spoken: Niuean, a Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and Samoan; English

Religions: Ekalesia Niue (Niuean Church - a Protestant church closely related to the London Missionary Society) 61.1%, Latter-Day Saints 8.8%, Roman Catholic 7.2%, Jehovah’s Witnesses 2.4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, other 8.4%, unspecified 8.7%, none 1.9%

List of newspapers in Niue
Encyclopedia entry for Niue

List of newspapers in Norfolk Island
Encyclopedia entry for Norfolk Island

List of newspapers in North Korea
Encyclopedia entry for North Korea

List of newspapers in North Macedonia
Encyclopedia entry for North Macedonia

List of newspapers in Northern Cyprus
Encyclopedia entry for Northern Cyprus

List of newspapers in Northern Mariana Islands
Encyclopedia entry for Northern Mariana Islands

Norway

Official name: Kingdom of Norway

Capital city: Oslo

Internet country code: .no

Flag description: Red with a blue cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

Geographical description: Northern Europe, bordering the North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Sweden

Total area: 148,725 sq. mi. (385,199 sq. km.)

Climate: Temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current; colder interior with increased precipita­tion and colder summers; rainy year-round on west coast

Nationality: noun: Norwegian(s); adjective: Norwegian

Population: 4,627,926 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Norwegian (Nordic, Alpine, Baltic); Sami, a racial-cultural minority of 40,000; foreign nationals (415,000) from Nordic and other countries

Languages spoken: Bokmal Norwegian (official), Nynorsk Norwegian (official), small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities; note - Sami is official in six municipalities

Religions: Church of Norway 85.7%, Pentecostal 1%, Roman Catholic 1%, other Christian 2.4%, Muslim 1.8%, other 8.1%

List of newspapers in Norway
Encyclopedia entry for Norway

Oman

Official name: Sultanate of Oman

Capital city: Muscat

Internet country code: .om

Flag description: Three horizontal bands of white, red, and green of equal width with a broad, vertical red band on the hoist side; the national emblem (a khanjar dagger in its sheath superimposed on two crossed swords in scab­bards) in white is centered near the top of the vertical band

Geographical description: Middle East, bordering the Ara­bian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and United Arab Emirates

Total area: 119,498 sq. mi. (309,500 sq. km.)

Climate: Dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry inte­rior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south

Nationality: noun: Omani(s); adjective: Omani

Population: 3,204,897 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi), East African

Languages spoken: Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Swahili, Hindi and Indian dialects

Religions: Ibadhi Muslim 75%, other (includes Sunni Mus­lim, Shi’a Muslim, Hindu, Christian) 25%

List of newspapers in Oman
Encyclopedia entry for Oman

Pakistan

Official name: Islamic Republic of Pakistan

Capital city: Islamabad

Internet country code: .pk

Flag description: Green with a vertical white band (symbolizing the role of religious minorities) on the hoist side; a large white crescent and star are centered in the green field; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam

National anthem: Blessed be the sacred Land (first line in English translation), lyrics by Abdul Asar Hafeez Jul­lundhri, music by Ahmed G. Chagla

National animal: Markhor

National bird: Chakor (Red-legged partridge)

National flower: Jasmine

National poet: Allama Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938)

National tree: Deodar (Cedrus Deodara)

Geographical description: Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north

Total area: 310,527 sq. mi. (803,943 sq. km.)

Climate: Mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north

Nationality: noun: Pakistani(s); adjective: Pakistani

Population: 164,741,924 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from India at the time of partition and their descendants), Saraiki, and Hazara

Languages spoken: Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Siraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu (official) 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui 1%, English (official; lin­gua franca of Pakistani elite and most government min­istries), Burushaski and other 8%

Religions: Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shi’a 20%), other (includes Christian and Hindu) 3%

List of newspapers in Pakistan
Encyclopedia entry for Pakistan

Palau

Official name: Republic of Palau

Capital city: Melekeok

Internet country code: .pw

Flag description: Light blue with a large yellow disk (rep­resenting the moon) shifted slightly to the hoist side

National anthem: "Belau Rekid” (Our Palau), composed by Ymesei O. Ezekiel

Geographical description: Oceania, group of islands in the

North Pacific Ocean, southeast of the Philippines

Total area: 190 sq. mi. (458 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November

Nationality: noun: Palauan(s); adjective: Palauan

Population: 20,842 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Palauan (Micronesian with Malayan and Melanesian admixtures) 69.9%, Filipino 15.3%, Chinese 4.9%, other Asian 2.4%, white 1.9%, Carolinian 1.4%, other Micronesian 1.1%, other or unspecified 3.2%

Languages spoken: Palauan 64.7% official in all islands except Sonsoral (Sonsoralese and English are official), Tobi (Tobi and English are official), and Angaur (Angaur, Japanese, and English are official), Filipino 13.5%, English 9.4%, Chinese 5.7%, Carolinian 1.5%, Japanese 1.5%, other Asian 2.3%, other languages 1.5%

Religions: Roman Catholic 41.6%, Protestant 23.3%, Mod­ekngei (indigenous to Palau) 8.8%, Seventh-Day Adven­tist 5.3%, Jehovah’s Witness 0.9%, Latter-Day Saints 0.6%, other 3.1%, unspecified or none 16.4%

List of newspapers in Palestine
Encyclopedia entry for Palau

Panama

Official name: Republic of Panama

Capital city: Panama City

Internet country code: .pa

Flag description: Divided into four equal rectangles; the top quadrants are white (hoist side) with a blue five-pointed star in the center and plain red; the bottom quad­rants are plain blue (hoist side) and white with a red five-pointed star in the center

Geographical description: Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica

Total area: 30,193 sq. mi. (78,200 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)

Nationality: noun: Panamanian(s); adjective: Panamanian

Population: 3,242,173 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Mestizo (mixed African, Amerindian, and European) 70%, Amerindian and mixed (West Indian) 14%, white 10%, Amerindian 6%

Languages spoken: Spanish (official), English 14%

Religions: Roman Catholic 84%, Protestant 15%, other 1%

List of newspapers in Panama
Encyclopedia entry for Panama

Papua New Guinea

Official name: Independent State of Papua New Guinea

Capital city: Port Moresby

Internet country code: .pg

Flag description: Divided diagonally from upper hoist-side corner; the upper triangle is red with a soaring yellow bird of paradise centered; the lower triangle is black with five white five-pointed stars of the Southern Cross constellation centered

National anthem: "O Arise All You Sons”

Geographical description: Oceania, group of islands including the eastern half of the island of New Guinea between the Coral Sea and the South Pacific Ocean, east of Indonesia

Total area: 178,710 sq. mi. (462,860 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon (May to October); slight sea­sonal temperature variation

Nationality: noun: Papua New Guinean(s); adjective: Papua New Guinean

Population: 5,795,887 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Melanesian, Papuan, Negrito, Micronesian, Polynesian

Languages spoken: Melanesian Pidgin serves as the lingua franca, English spoken by 1%-2%, Motu spoken in Papua region; more than 800 indigenous languages spoken (over one-tenth of the world’s total)

Religions: Indigenous religions 34%, Roman Catholic 22%, Lutheran 16%, Presbyterian/Methodist/London Mission­ary Society 8%, Anglican 5%, Evangelical Alliance 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1%, other Protestant 10%

List of newspapers in Papua New Guinea
Encyclopedia entry for Papua New Guinea

Paraguay

Official name: Republic of Paraguay

Capital city: Asuncion

Internet country code: .py

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue with an emblem centered in the white band; unusual flag in that the emblem is different on each side; the obverse (hoist side at the left) bears the national coat of arms (a yellow five-pointed star within a green wreath capped by the words Republica del Paraguay, all within two circles); the reverse (hoist side at the right) bears the seal of the treasury (a yellow lion below a red Cap of Liberty and the words Paz y Justicia (Peace and Justice) capped by the words Republica del Paraguay, all within two circles)

Geographical description: Central South America, north­east of Argentina

Total area: 157,047 sq. mi. (406,752 sq. km.)

Climate: Subtropical to temperate; substantial rainfall in the eastern portions, becoming semiarid in the far west

Nationality: noun: Paraguayan(s); adjective: Paraguayan

Population: 6,669,086 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Mestizo (mixed Spanish and Amerindian) 95%, other 5%

Languages spoken: Spanish (official), Guarani (official)

Religions: Roman Catholic 89.6%, Protestant (including Mennonite and other Christian) 7.3%, other or unspeci­fied 1.9%, none 1.1%

List of newspapers in Paraguay
Encyclopedia entry for Paraguay

Peru

Official name: Republic of Peru

Capital city: Lima

  Internet country code: .pe

  Flag description: Three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), white, and red with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a shield bearing a vicuna, cinchona tree (the source of quinine), and a yel­low cornucopia spilling out gold coins, all framed by a green wreath

National anthem: lyrics by Jose de la Torre Ugarte, music by Jose Bernardo Alcedo

Geographical description: Western South America, border­ing the South Pacific Ocean, between Chile and Ecuador

Total area: 496,225 sq. mi. (1,285,220 sq. km.)

Climate: Varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate to frigid in Andes

Nationality: noun: Peruvian(s); adjective: Peruvian

Population: 28,674,757 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Amerindian 45%, Mestizo (mixed Amerindian and European) 37%, European 15%, African, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3%

Languages spoken: Spanish, Quechua, Aymara, and a large number of Amazonian languages

Religions: Roman Catholic 81%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.4%, other Christian 0.7%, other 0.6%, unspecified or none 16.3%

List of newspapers in Peru
Encyclopedia entry for Peru

Philippines

Official name: Republic of the Philippines

Capital city: Manila

Internet country code: .ph

Flag description: Two equal horizontal bands of blue (top; representing peace and justice) and red (representing courage); a white equilateral triangle based on the hoist side represents equality; the center of the triangle displays a yellow sun with eight primary rays, each representing one of the first eight provinces that sought independence from Spain; each corner of the triangle contains a small yellow five-pointed star representing the three major geo­graphical divisions of the country: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao; the design of the flag dates to 1897

National anthem: "Lupang Hinirang,” music from "Mar­cha Nacional Filipina” (Philippine National March) by Julian Felipe; lyrics from poem "Filipinas” by Jose Palma

National motto: "Maka-Diyos, Maka-Tao, Makakalikasan At Makabansa.”

Geographical description: Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam

Total area: 117,187 sq. mi. (300,000 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to October)

Nationality: noun: Filipino(s); adjective: Philippine

Population: 91,077,287 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Tagalog 28.1%, Cebuano 13.1%, Ilocano 9%, Bisaya/Binisaya 7.6%, Hiligaynon Ilonggo 7.5%, Bikol 6%, Waray 3.4%, other 25.3%

Languages spoken: Filipino (official; based on Tagalog) and English (official); eight major dialects - Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinan

Religions: Roman Catholic 80.9%, Muslim 5%, Evangelical 2.8%, Iglesia ni Kristo 2.3%, Aglipayan 2%, other Chris­tian 4.5%, other (including Buddhist) 1.8%, unspecified 0.6%, none 0.1%

List of newspapers in Philippines
Encyclopedia entry for Philippines

Poland

Official name: Republic of Poland

Capital city: Warsaw

Internet country code: .pl

Flag description: Two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; similar to the flags of Indonesia and Mona­co which are red (top) and white

National anthem: "Mazurek Dabrowskiego” (Dombrows­ki’s Mazurka; informally known in English as "Poland Is Not Yet Lost” or "Poland Has Not Yet Perished”)

National emblem: White eagle on a red field

Geographical description: Central Europe, east of Ger­many

Total area: 120,725 sq. mi. (312,683 sq. km.)

Climate: Temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers

Nationality: noun: Pole(s); adjective: Polish

Population: 38,518,241 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Polish 96.7%, German 0.4%, Belarusian 0.1%, Ukrainian 0.1%, other and unspecified 2.7%

Languages spoken: Polish 97.8%, other and unspecified 2.2%

Religions: Roman Catholic 89.8% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox 1.3%, Protestant 0.3%, other 0.3%, unspecified 8.3%

List of newspapers in Poland
Encyclopedia entry for Poland

Portugal

Official name: Portuguese Republic

Capital city: Lisbon

Internet country code: .pt

Flag description: Two vertical bands of green (hoist side, two-fifths) and red (three-fifths) with the Portuguese coat of arms centered on the dividing line

National anthem: "A Portuguesa”

Geographical description: Southwestern Europe, border­ing the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain

Total area: 35,672 sq. mi. (92,391 sq. km.)

Climate: Maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south

Nationality: noun: Portuguese (singular and plural); adjec­tive: 10,642,836

Population: 10,642,836 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Homogeneous Mediterranean stock with small minority groups from Africa (Angola, Cape Verde, Mozambique), South America (Brazil) and Eastern Europe (Ukraine, Romania).

Languages spoken: Portuguese (official), Mirandese (offi­cial - but locally used)

Religions: Roman Catholic 84.5%, other Christian 2.2%, other 0.3%, unknown 9%, none 3.9%

List of newspapers in Portugal
Encyclopedia entry for Portugal

List of newspapers in Puerto Rico
Encyclopedia entry for Puerto Rico

Qatar

Official name: State of Qatar

Capital city: Doha

Internet country code: .qa

Flag description: Maroon with a broad white serrated band (nine white points) on the hoist side

National anthem: "Swearing by God who erected the sky” (first line in English translation)

Geographical description: Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia

Total area: 4,427 sq. mi. (11,437 sq. km.)

Climate: Arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers

Nationality: noun: Qatari(s); adjective: Qatari

Population: 907,229 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Arab 40%, Indian 18%, Pakistani 18%, Iranian 10%, other 14%

Languages spoken: Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language

Religions: Muslim 77.5%, Christian 8.5%, other 14%

List of newspapers in Qatar
Encyclopedia entry for Qatar

List of newspapers in Republic of Ireland
Encyclopedia entry for Republic of Ireland

Romania

Official name: Romania

Capital city: Bucharest

Internet country code: .ro

  Flag description: Three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; the national coat of arms that used to be centered in the yellow band has been removed

National anthem: "Des¸teapt ?a-te Române!” (Awaken Thee, Romanian!)

Geographical description: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Ukraine

Total area: 91,699 sq. mi. (237,499 sq. km.)

Climate: Temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms

Nationality: noun: Romanian(s); adjective: Romanian

Population: 22,276,056 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Romanian 89.5%, Hungarian 6.6%, Roma 2.5%, Ukrainian 0.3%, German 0.3%, Russian 0.2%, Turk­ish 0.2%, other 0.4%

Languages spoken: Romanian (official) 91%, Hungarian 6.7%, Romany 1.1%, other 1.2%

Religions: Eastern Orthodox (including all sub-denomina­tions) 86.8%, Protestant (various denominations including Reformate and Pentecostal) 7.5%, Roman Catholic 4.7%,  other (mostly Muslim) and unspecified 0.9%, none 0.1%

List of newspapers in Romania
Encyclopedia entry for Romania

List of newspapers in Russia
Encyclopedia entry for Russia

Rwanda

Official name: Republic of Rwanda

Capital city: Kigali

Internet country code: .rw

Flag description: Three horizontal bands of sky blue (top, double width), yellow, and green, with a golden sun with 24 rays near the fly end of the blue band

National anthem: "Rwanda Nziza”

Geographical description: Central Africa, east of Demo­cratic Republic of the Congo

Total area: 10,169 sq. mi. (26,338 sq. km.)

Climate: Temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible

Nationality: noun: Rwandan(s); adjective: Rwandan

Population: 9,907,509 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Hutu (Bantu) 84%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 15%, Twa (Pygmy) 1%

Languages spoken: Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers

Religions: Roman Catholic 56.5%, Protestant 26%, Adven­tist 11.1%, Muslim 4.6%, indigenous religions 0.1%, none 1.7%

List of newspapers in Saint Kitts and Nevis
Encyclopedia entry for Rwanda

List of newspapers in Saint Lucia
Encyclopedia entry for Saint Lucia

List of newspapers in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Encyclopedia entry for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Samoa

Official name: Independent State of Samoa

Capital city: Apia

Internet country code: .ws

Flag description: Red with a blue rectangle in the upper

hoist-side quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation

National anthem: "O le Fua o le Saolotoga o Samoa” (The Banner of Freedom), lyrics and music by Sauni I. Kuresa

National motto: "Faavae i le Atua Samoa” (God Be the Foundation of Samoa)

Geographical description: Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Total area: 1,133 sq. mi. (2,934 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to October)

Nationality: noun: Samoan(s); adjective: Samoan

Population: 214,265 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Samoan 92.6%, Euronesians (mixed European and Polynesian) 7%, Europeans 0.4%

Languages spoken: Samoan (Polynesian), English

Religions: Congregationalist 34.8%, Roman Catholic 19.6%, Methodist 15%, Latter-Day Saints 12.7%, Assembly of God 6.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.5%, Worship Centre 1.3%, other Christian 4.5%, other 1.9%, unspecified 0.1%

List of newspapers in Samoa
Encyclopedia entry for Samoa

San Marino

Official name: Republic of San Marino

Capital city: San Marino

Internet country code: .sm

Flag description: Two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and light blue with the national coat of arms super­imposed in the center; the coat of arms has a shield (fea­turing three towers on three peaks) flanked by a wreath, below a crown and above a scroll bearing the word Liber­tas (Liberty)

National anthem: written by Federico Consolo (score only)

Geographical description: Southern Europe, an enclave in central Italy

Total area: 23.6 sq. mi. (61.2 sq. km.)

Climate: Mediterranean; mild to cool winters; warm, sunny summers

Nationality: noun: Sammarinese (singular and plural); adjective: Sammarinese

Population: 29,615 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Sammarinese, Italian

Languages spoken: Italian

Religions: Roman Catholic

List of newspapers in San Marino
Encyclopedia entry for San Marino

São Tomé and Príncipe

Official name: Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe

Capital city: São Tomé

Internet country code: .st

Flag description: Three horizontal bands of green (top), yellow (double width), and green with two black five-pointed stars placed side by side in the center of the yel­low band and a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Geographical description: Western Africa, islands in the Gulf of Guinea, straddling the Equator, west of Gabon

Total area: 386 sq. mi. (1,001 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May)

Nationality: noun: Sao Tomean (s); adjective: Sao Tomean

Population: 199,579 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: mestico (mixed African Europeanz), ango­lares (descendants of Angolan slaves), forros (descendants of freed slaves), servicais (contract laborers from Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde), tongas (children of servi­cais born on the islands), Europeans (primarily Por­tuguese)

Languages spoken: Portuguese (official)

Religions: Catholic 70.3%, Evangelical 3.4%, New Apos­tolic 2%, Adventist 1.8%, other 3.1%, none 19.4%

Encyclopedia entry for São Tomé and Príncipe

Saudi Arabia

Official name: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Capital city: Riyadh

Internet country code: .sa

Flag description: Green, a traditional color in Islamic flags, with the Shahada or Muslim creed in large white Arabic script (translated as "There is no god but God; Muham­mad is the Messenger of God”) above a white horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side); design dates to the early 20th century and is closely associated with the Al Saud family which established the kingdom in 1932

Geographical description: Middle East, bordering the Per­sian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen

Total area: 784,233 sq. mi. (1,960,582 sq. km.)

Climate: Harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes

Nationality: noun: Saudi(s); adjective: Saudi or Saudi Arabi­an

Population: 27,601,038 (includes 5,576,076 non-nationals; July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%

Languages spoken: Arabic

Religions: Muslim 100%

List of newspapers in Saudi Arabia
Encyclopedia entry for Saudi Arabia

List of newspapers in Scotland
Encyclopedia entry for Scotland

Senegal

Official name: Republic of Senegal

Capital city: Dakar

Internet country code: .sn

Flag description: Three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red with a small green five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Geographical description: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauri­tania

Total area: 76,000 sq. mi. (196,840 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind

Nationality: noun: Senegalese (singular and plural); adjective: Senegalese

Population: 12,521,851 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Wolof 43.3%, Pular 23.8%, Serer 14.7%, Jola 3.7%, Mandinka 3%, Soninke 1.1%, European and Lebanese 1%, other 9.4%

Languages spoken: French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Serer, Diola, Mandingo, Soninke

Religions: Muslim 94%, Christian (mostly Roman Catholic) 5%, indigenous religions 1%

List of newspapers in Senegal
Encyclopedia entry for Senegal

Serbia

Official name: Republic of Serbia

Capital city: Belgrade

Internet country code: .rs

Flag description: Three equal horizontal stripes of red (top), blue, and white; charged with the coat of arms of Serbia shifted slightly to the hoist side

National anthem: "Boze Pravde” (God of Justice), music by Davorin Jenko and lyrics by Jovan Djordjevic

Geographical description: Southeastern Europe, between Macedonia and Hungary

Total area: 34,116 sq. mi. (88,361 sq. km.)

Climate: In the north, continental climate (cold winters and hot, humid summers with well distributed rainfall); in other parts, continental and Mediterranean climate (rela­tively cold winters with heavy snowfall and hot, dry summers and autumns)

Nationality: noun: Serb(s); adjective: Serbian

Population: 10,150,265 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Serb 82.9%, Hungarian 3.9%, Romany 1.4%, Yugoslavs 1.1%, Bosniaks 1.8%, Montenegrin 0.9%, other 8%

Languages spoken: Serbian (official) 88.3%, Hungarian 3.8%, Bosniak 1.8%, Romany 1.1%, other 4.1%, unknown 0.9%

Religions: Serbian Orthodox 85%, Roman Catholic 5.5%, Muslim 3.2%, unspecified 2.6%, other, unknown, or athe­ist 2.6%, Protestant 1.1%

List of newspapers in Serbia
Encyclopedia entry for Serbia

Seychelles

Official name: Republic of Seychelles

Capital city: Victoria

Internet country code: .sc

Flag description: Five oblique bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, red, white, and green (bottom) radiating from the bottom of the hoist side

Geographical description: archipelago in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar

Total area: 176 sq. mi. (455 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer sea­son during northwest monsoon (March to May)

Nationality: noun: Seychellois (singular and plural); adjec­tive: Seychellois

Population: 81,895 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Mixed French, African, Indian, Chinese, and Arab

Languages spoken: Creole 91.8%, English 4.9%, other 3.1%, unspecified 0.2%

Religions: Roman Catholic 82.3%, Anglican 6.4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.1%, other Christian 3.4%, Hindu 2.1%, Muslim 1.1%, other non-Christian 1.5%, unspecified 1.5%, none 0.6%

Encyclopedia entry for Seychelles

Sierra Leone

Official name: Republic of Sierra Leone

Capital city: Freetown

Internet country code: .sl

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light blue

Geographical description: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia

Total area: 29,925 sq. mi. (71,740 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)

Nationality: noun: Sierra Leonean(s); adjective: Sierra Leonean

Population: 6,144,562 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: 20 African ethnic groups 90% (Temne 30%, Mende 30%, other 30%), Creole (Krio) 10% (descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area in the late-18th century), refugees from Liberia’s recent civil war, small numbers of Europeans, Lebanese, Pakistanis, and Indians

Languages spoken: English (official, regular use limited to literate minority), Mende (principal vernacular in the south), Temne (principal vernacular in the north), Krio (English-based Creole, spoken by the descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area, a lingua franca and a first language for 10% of the population but understood by 95%), and several other indigenous languages

Religions: Muslim 60%, Christian and indigenous religions 40%

List of newspapers in Sierra Leone
Encyclopedia entry for Sierra Leone

Singapore

Official name: Republic of Singapore

Capital city: Singapore

Internet country code: .sg

Flag description: Two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; near the hoist side of the red band, there is a vertical, white crescent (closed portion is toward the hoist side) partially enclosing five white five-pointed stars arranged in a circle

National anthem: "Majulah Singapura” (Onward Singa­pore)

National flower: Vanda Miss Joaquim orchid

National symbol: Lion head

Geographical description: Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia

Total area: 271 sq. mi. (704 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; hot, humid, rainy; two distinct monsoon seasons - Northeastern monsoon (December to March) and Southwestern monsoon (June to September); inter-monsoon - frequent afternoon and early evening thunder­storms

Nationality: noun: Singaporean(s); adjective: Singapore

Population: 4,553,009 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Chinese 76.8%, Malay 13.9%, Indian 7.9%, other 1.4%

Languages spoken: Mandarin 35%, English 23%, Malay 14.1%, Hokkien 11.4%, Cantonese 5.7%, Teochew 4.9%, Tamil 3.2%, other Chinese dialects 1.8%, other 0.9%

Religions: Buddhist 42.5%, Muslim 14.9%, Taoist 8.5%, Hindu 4%, Catholic 4.8%, other Christian 9.8%, other 0.7%, none 14.8%

List of newspapers in Singapore
Encyclopedia entry for Singapore

Slovakia

Official name: Slovak Republic

Capital city: Bratislava

Internet country code: .sk

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red superimposed with the coat of arms of Slovakia (consisting of a red shield bordered in white and bearing a white Cross of Lorraine surmounting three blue hills); the coat of arms is centered vertically and off­set slightly to the hoist side

National anthem: "Nad Tatrou sa blyska”

Geographical description: Central Europe, south of Poland

Total area: 18,859 sq. mi. (48,845 sq. km.)

Climate: Temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters

Nationality: noun: Slovak(s); adjective: Slovak

Population: 5,447,502 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Slovak 85.8%, Hungarian 9.7%, Roma 1.7%, Ruthenian/Ukrainian 1%, other and unspecified 1.8%

Languages spoken: Slovak (official) 83.9%, Hungarian 10.7%, Romany 1.8%, Ukrainian 1%, other or unspecified 2.6%

Religions: Roman Catholic 69%, Protestant 9%, Greek Catholic 4%, Orthodox 0.9%, other 0.6%, unknown 3.5%, none 13%

List of newspapers in Slovakia
Encyclopedia entry for Slovakia

Slovenia

Official name: Republic of Slovenia

Capital city: Ljubljana

Internet country code: .si

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red, with the Slovenian seal (a shield with the image of Triglav, Slovenia’s highest peak, in white against a blue background at the center; beneath it are two wavy blue lines depicting seas and rivers, and above it are three six-pointed stars arranged in an inverted trian­gle, which are taken from the coat of arms of the Counts of Celje, the great Slovene dynastic house of the late 14th and early 15th centuries); the seal is in the upper hoist side of the flag centered in the white and blue bands

National anthem: the seventh stanza of France Preseren’s poem "Zdravljica” (A Toast), music by Stanko Premrl

Geographical description: Central Europe, eastern Alps bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Austria and Croatia

Total area: 7,906 sq. mi. (20,273 sq. km.)

Climate: Mediterranean climate on the coast, continental climate with mild to hot summers and cold winters in the plateaus and valleys to the east

Nationality: noun: Slovene(s); adjective: Slovenian

Population: 2,009,245 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Slovene 83.1%, Serb 2%, Croat 1.8%, Bosni­ak 1.1%, other (including Hungarian, Montenegrin, Mace­donian, Albanian, Italian, Roma) or unspecified 12%

Languages spoken: Slovenian (official) 91.1%, Serbo-Croat­ian 4.5%, other or unspecified 4.4%; Hungarian and Ital­ian are spoken in the border regions, and German fluency is common near the Austrian border. Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian are spoken by a sizable (6% of the popula­tion) minority. English is widely understood by business people and students.

Religions: Roman Catholic 57.8%, Muslim 2.4%, Orthodox 2.3%, other Christian 0.9%, unaffiliated 3.5%, other or unspecified 23%, none 10.1%

List of newspapers in Slovenia
Encyclopedia entry for Slovenia

Solomon Islands

Official name: Solomon Islands

Capital city: Honiara

Internet country code: .sb

Flag description: Divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is blue with five white five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern; the lower triangle is green

Geographical description: Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea

Total area: 11,599 sq. mi. (27,556 sq. km.); archipelago: 280,000 sq. mi. (725,197 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather

Nationality: noun: Solomon Islander(s); adjective: Solomon Islander

Population: 566,842 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Microne­sian 1.5%, other 1.5%

Languages spoken: Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca; English is official, but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population; 120 indigenous languages

Religions: Anglican Church of Melanesia 32.8%, Roman Catholic 19%, South Seas Evangelical 17%, Seventh-Day Adventist 11.2%, United Church (Methodist) 10.3%, Christian Fellowship Church 2.4%, other Christian 4.4%, other 2.4%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.2%

List of newspapers in Solomon Islands
Encyclopedia entry for Solomon Islands

Somalia

Official name: Somalia

Capital city: Mogadishu

Internet country code: .so

Flag description: Light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the center; blue field influenced by the flag of the United Nations

Geographical description: Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia

Total area: 246,199 sq. mi. (637,657 sq. km.)

Climate: Principally desert; northeast monsoon (December to February), moderate temperatures in north and hot in south; southwest monsoon (May to October), torrid in the north and hot in the south, irregular rainfall, hot and humid periods (tangambili) between monsoons

Nationality: noun: Somali(s); adjective: Somali

Population: 9,118,773 (this July 2007 CIA estimate was derived from an official census taken in 1975 by the Somali Government; population counting in Somalia is complicated by the large number of nomads and by refugee movements in response to famine and clan war­fare)

Ethnic groups: Somali 85%, Bantu and other non-Somali 15% (including 30,000 Arabs)

Languages spoken: Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, Eng­lish

Religions: Sunni Muslim 99.9%

Encyclopedia entry for Somalia

South Africa

Official name: Republic of South Africa

Capital city: Pretoria

Internet country code: .za

Flag description: Two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separated by a central green band which splits into a horizontal Y, the arms of which end at the corners of the hoist side; the Y embraces a black isosceles triangle from which the arms are separated by narrow yellow bands; the red and blue bands are separated from the green band and its arms by narrow white stripes

National anthem: A combination of "Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfri­ka” by Enoch Sontonga and "The Call of South Africa” (Die Stem van Suid-Afrika), lyrics by C. J. Langenhoven, music by M. L. de Villiers

National animal: Springbuck/springbok (Antidorcas mar­supialis)

National bird: Blue crane (Anthropoides paradisia)

National fish: Galjoen (Coracinus capensis)

National flower: King Protea (Protea cynaroides)

National tree: Real yellowwood (Podocarpus latifolius)

Geographical description: Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa

Total area: 470,462 sq. mi. (1,219,912 sq. km.)

Climate: Mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights

Nationality: noun: South African(s); adjective: South African

Population: 43,997,828 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Black African 79%, white 9.6%, colored 8.9%, Indian/Asian 2.5%

Languages spoken: IsiZulu 23.8%, IsiXhosa 17.6%, Afrikaans 13.3%, Sepedi 9.4%, English 8.2%, Setswana 8.2%, Sesotho 7.9%, Xitsonga 4.4%, isiNdebele—all offi­cial; other (including siSwati and Tshivenda) 7.2%

Religions: Zion Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Roman Catholic 7.1%, Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%, Muslim 1.5%, other Chris­tian 36%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1%

List of newspapers in South Africa
Encyclopedia entry for South Africa

List of newspapers in South Korea
Encyclopedia entry for South Korea

Spain

Official name: Kingdom of Spain

Capital city: Madrid

Internet country code: .es

Flag description: Three horizontal bands of red (top), yellow (double width), and red with the national coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band; the coat of arms includes the royal seal framed by the Pillars of Her­cules, which are the two promontories (Gibraltar and Ceuta) on either side of the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar

National anthem: "Grenadier March” or "Royal Spanish March”

Geographical description: Southwestern Europe, border­ing the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains, southwest of France

Total area: 194,884 sq. mi. (504,750 sq. km.)

Climate: Temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast

Nationality: noun: Spaniard(s); adjective: Spanish

Population: 40,448,191 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Composite of Mediterranean and Nordic groups; distinct ethnic groups within Spain include the Basques, Catalans, and Galicians

Languages spoken: Castilian Spanish (official) 74%, Cata­lan 17%, Galician 7%, and Basque 2% are official regional­ly

Religions: Roman Catholic 94%, other (including Protes­tant and Muslim) 6%

List of newspapers in Spain
Encyclopedia entry for Spain

Sri Lanka

Official name: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

Capital city: Colombo

Internet country code: .lk

Flag description: Yellow with two panels; the smaller hoist-side panel has two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and orange; the other panel is a large dark red rectangle with a yellow lion holding a sword, and there is a yellow bo leaf in each corner; the yellow field appears as a border around the entire flag and extends between the two panels

National anthem: "Sri Lanka Matha”

National flower: Blue Water Lily (Nymphaea stellata)

Geographical description: Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India

Total area: 25,332 sq. mi. (65,610 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October)

Nationality: noun: Sri Lankan(s); adjective: Sri Lankan

Population: 20,926,315 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Sinhalese 74%, Tamil 18%, Burgher (descen­dants of Dutch and Portuguese colonist) and others 8%

Languages spoken: Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%, other 8% (English is commonly used in government and is spoken competent­ly by about 10% of the population)

Religions: Buddhist 69.1%, Muslim 7.6%, Hindu 7.1%, Christian 6.2%, unspecified 10%

List of newspapers in Sri Lanka
Encyclopedia entry for Sri Lanka

Sudan

Official name: Republic of the Sudan

Capital city: Khartoum

Internet country code: .sd

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist side

Geographical description: Northern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea

Total area: 967,500 sq. mi. (2,505,810 sq. km.)

Climate: tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy sea­son varies by region (April to November)

Nationality: noun: Sudanese (singular and plural); adjective: Sudanese

Population: 39,379,358 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: black 52%, Arab 39%, Beja 6%, foreigners 2%, other 1%

Languages spoken: Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic lan­guages, English

Religions: Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), Christian 5% (mostly in south and Khartoum), indigenous religions 25%

List of newspapers in Sudan
Encyclopedia entry for Sudan

Suriname

Official name: Republic of Suriname

Capital city: Paramaribo

Internet country code: .sr

Flag description: Five horizontal bands of green (top, dou­ble width), white, red (quadruple width), white, and green (double width); there is a large, yellow, five-pointed star centered in the red band

National anthem: "Rise country men rise” (first line)

National flower: Fajalobi ("passionate love”; orchid)

National motto: Justitia – Pietas – Fides (Justice-Faith-Loy­alty)

Geographical description: Northern South America, bor­dering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana

Total area: 63,037 sq. mi. (163,194 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; moderated by trade winds

Nationality: noun: Surinamer(s); adjective: Surinamese

Population: 470,784 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Hindustani (also known locally as "East Indians”; their ancestors emigrated from northern India in the latter part of the 19th century) 37%, Creole (mixed white and black) 31%, Javanese 15%, "Maroons” (their African ancestors were brought to the country in the 17th and 18th centuries as slaves and escaped to the interior) 10%, Amerindian 2%, Chinese 2%, white 1%, other 2%

Languages spoken: Dutch (official), English (widely spo­ken), Sranang Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is native language of Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca among others), Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese

Religions: Hindu 27.4%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), Roman Catholic 22.8%, Muslim 19.6%, indige­nous religions 5%

List of newspapers in Suriname
Encyclopedia entry for Suriname

List of newspapers in Svalbard
Encyclopedia entry for Svalbard

Sweden

Official name: Kingdom of Sweden

Capital city: Stockholm

Internet country code: .se

Flag description: Blue with a golden yellow cross extend­ing to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

National anthem: "Du gamla, Du fria” (Thou ancient, Thou freeborn)

Geographical description: Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, Kattegat, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway

Total area: 173,731 sq. mi. (449,964 sq. km.)

Climate: Temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north

Nationality: noun: Swede(s); adjective: Swedish

Population: 9,031,088 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: indigenous population: Swedes with Finnish and Sami minorities; foreign-born or first-genera­tion immigrants include Finns, Iraqis, former Yugoslav nationals, Iranians, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks

Languages spoken: Swedish, small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities

Religions: Lutheran 87%, other (includes Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist) 13%

List of newspapers in Sweden
Encyclopedia entry for Sweden

Switzerland

Official name: Swiss Confederation

Capital city: Bern

Internet country code: .ch

Flag description: Red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center that does not extend to the edges of the flag

National anthem: "Schweizerpsalm” (Swiss Psalm)

Geographical description: Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy

Total area: 15,941 sq. mi. (41,285 sq. km.)

Climate: Temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid sum­mers with occasional showers

Nationality: noun: Swiss (singular and plural); adjective: Swiss

Population: 7,554,661 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6%

Languages spoken: German (official) 63.7%, French (offi­cial) 20.4%, Italian (official) 6.5%, Serbo-Croatian 1.5%, Albanian 1.3%, Portuguese 1.2%, Spanish 1.1%, English 1%, Romansch (official) 0.5%, other 2.8%

Religions: Roman Catholic 41.8%, Protestant 35.3%, Mus­lim 4.3%, Orthodox 1.8%, other Christian 0.4%, other 1%, unspecified 4.3%, none 11.1%

List of newspapers in Switzerland
Encyclopedia entry for Switzerland

Syria

Official name: Syrian Arab Republic

Capital city: Damascus

Internet country code: .sy

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black, colors associated with the Arab Libera­tion flag; two small green five-pointed stars in a horizon­tal line centered in the white band; former flag of the United Arab Republic where the two stars represented the constituent states of Syria and Egypt; similar to the flag of Yemen, which has a plain white band, Iraq, which has three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a hor­izontal line centered in the white band, and that of Egypt, which has a gold Eagle of Saladin centered in the white band; the current design dates to 1980

Geographical description: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey

Total area: 71,504 sq. mi. (185,170 sq. km.)

Climate: Mostly desert; hot, dry, sunny summers (June to August) and mild, rainy winters (December to February) along coast; cold weather with snow or sleet periodically in Damascus

Nationality: noun: Syrian(s); adjective: Syrian

Population: 19,314,747 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Arab 90.3%, Kurds 9%, Armenians, Circas­sians, Turkomans 0.7%

Languages spoken: Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely understood; French, English somewhat understood

Religions: Sunni Muslims 74%, Alawis 12%, Christians 10%, Druze 3%, and small numbers of other Muslim sects, Jews, and Yazidis

List of newspapers in Syria
Encyclopedia entry for Syria

Taiwan

Official name: Taiwan

Capital city: Taipei

Internet country code: .tw

Flag description: Red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white sun with 12 trian­gular rays

National flower: Plum blossom (prunus mei)

Geographical description: Eastern Asia, islands bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, north of the Philippines, off the southeast­ern coast of China

Total area: 13,887 sq. mi. (35,967 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year

Nationality: noun: Taiwan(s); adjective: Taiwan

Population: 22,858,872 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Taiwanese (including Hakka) 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, indigenous 2%

Languages spoken: Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects

Religions: mixture of Buddhist and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5%

List of newspapers in Taiwan
Encyclopedia entry for Taiwan

Tajikistan

Official name: Republic of Tajikistan

Capital city: Dushanbe

Internet country code: .tj

Flag description: Three horizontal stripes of red (top), a wider stripe of white, and green; a gold crown surmount­ed by seven gold five-pointed stars is located in the center of the white stripe

Geographical description: Central Asia, west of China

Total area: 55,251 sq. mi. (143,100 sq. km.)

Climate: Mid-latitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains

Nationality: noun: Tajikistani(s); adjective: Tajikistani

Population: 7,076,598 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Tajik 79.9%, Uzbek 15.3%, Russian 1.1%, Kyrgyz 1.1%, other 2.6%

Languages spoken: Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business

Religions: Sunni Muslim 85%, Shi’a Muslim 5%, other 10%

List of newspapers in Tajikistan
Encyclopedia entry for Tajikistan

Tanzania

Official name: United Republic of Tanzania

Capital city: Dar es Salaam

Internet country code: .tz

Flag description: Divided diagonally by a yellow-edged black band from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green and the lower triangle is blue

National anthem: "Wimbo Wa Taifa” (God Bless Africa)

National motto: "Uhuru na Umoja” (Freedom and Unity)

National symbol: Uhuru Torch

Geographical description: Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Kenya and Mozambique

Total area: 378,000 sq. mi. (945,000 sq. km.)

Climate: Varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands

Nationality: noun: Tanzanian(s), Zanzibari(s); adjective: Tan­zanian, Zanzibari

Population: 39,384,223 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: mainland - African 99% (of which 95% are Bantu consisting of more than 130 tribes), other 1% (con­sisting of Asian, European, and Arab); Zanzibar - Arab, African, mixed Arab and African

Languages spoken: Kiswahili or Swahili (official), Kiungu­ja (name for Swahili in Zanzibar), English (official, pri­mary language of commerce, administration, and higher education), Arabic (widely spoken in Zanzibar), many local languages

Religions: mainland - Christian 30%, Muslim 35%, indige­nous religions 35%; Zanzibar - more than 99% Muslim

List of newspapers in Tanzania
Encyclopedia entry for Tanzania

Thailand

Official name: Kingdom of Thailand

Capital city: Bangkok

Internet country code: .th

Flag description: Five horizontal bands of red (top), white, blue (double width), white, and red

National animal: Elephant

National architecture: Sala Thai (Thai Pavilion)

National flower: Ratchaphruek (Cassia fistula Linn)

Geographical description: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma

Total area: 198,114 sq. mi. (513,115 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid

Nationality: noun: Thai (singular and plural); adjective: Thai

Population: 65,068,149 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Thai 75%, Chinese 14%, other 11%

Languages spoken: Thai, English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic and regional dialects

Religions: Buddhist 94.6%, Muslim 4.6%, Christian 0.7%, other (including Hindu, Brahmin) 0.1%

Encyclopedia entry for Thailand

Timor-Leste

Official name: Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (for­merly East Timor)

Capital city: Dili

Internet country code: .tl

Flag description: Red, with a black isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) superimposed on a slightly longer yellow arrowhead that extends to the center of the flag; there is a white star in the center of the black triangle

National anthem: "Pátria” (Fatherland), lyrics by Francisco Borja da Costa, music by Afonso de Araújo

Geographical description: Southeastern Asia, northwest of Australia in the Lesser Sunda Islands at the eastern end of the Indonesian archipelago; note - Timor-Leste includes the eastern half of the island of Timor, the Oecussi (Ambeno) region on the northwest portion of the island of Timor, and the islands of Pulau Atauro and Pulau Jaco

Total area: 5,794 sq. mi. (15,007 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; hot, humid; distinct rainy and dry sea­sons

Nationality: noun: Timorese (singular and plural); adjective: Timorese

Population: 1,084,971 (July 2007 CIA est.; note: other esti­mates range as low as 800,000)

Ethnic groups: Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian), Papuan, small Chinese minority

Languages spoken: Tetum (official), Portuguese (official), Indonesian, English; there are about 16 indigenous lan­guages, including Tetum, Galole, Mambae, and Kemak, which are spoken by significant numbers of people

Religions: Roman Catholic 98%, Muslim 1%, Protestant 1%

Encyclopedia entry for Timor-Leste

Togo

Official name: Togolese Republic

Capital city: Lomé

Internet country code: .tg

Flag description: Five equal horizontal bands of green (top and bottom) alternating with yellow; there is a white five-pointed star on a red square in the upper hoist-side cor­ner; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Geographical description: Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and Ghana

Total area: 21,924 sq. mi. (56,785 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north

Nationality: noun: Togolese (singular and plural); adjective: Togolese

Population: 5,701,579 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: African (37 tribes; most prominent are Ewe, Mina, Kabye, Cotocoli, Moba) 99%, European and Syrian-Lebanese less than 1%

Languages spoken: French (official and the language of commerce), Ewe and Mina (the two major African lan­guages in the south), Kabye (sometimes spelled Kabiye) and Dagomba (the two major African languages in the north)

Religions: Christianity, Islam, indigenous religions

List of newspapers in Tokelau
Encyclopedia entry for Togo

Tonga

Official name: Kingdom of Tonga

Capital city: Nuku’alofa

Internet country code: .to

Flag description: Red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner

Geographical description: Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Total area: 288 sq. mi. (747 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December)

Nationality: noun: Tongan(s); adjective: Tongan

Population: 116,921 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Tongan 98%, other Polynesian, European

Languages spoken: Tongan, English

Religions: Christian (Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents)

List of newspapers in Tonga
Encyclopedia entry for Tonga

Trinidad and Tobago

Official name: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago

Capital city: Port-of-Spain

Internet country code: .tt

Flag description: Red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side to the lower fly side

National anthem: "Forged from the love of liberty” (first line) by Patrick S. Castagne

National birds: Scarlet Ibis (Tantalus Ruber) and Cocrico (Rufus Tailed Guan)

National flower: Chaconia, called "Wild Poinsettia” or "Pride of Trinidad and Tobago” (of the family Rubianceae)

National motto: "Together We Aspire, Together We Achieve”

National watchwords: Discipline, Production, Tolerance

Geographical description: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela

Total area: 1,980 sq. mi. (5,128 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; rainy season (June to December)

Nationality: noun: Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s); adjective: Trinidadian, Tobagonian

Population: 1,056,608 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Indian (South Asian) 40%, African 37.5%, mixed 20.5%, European 0.6%, Chinese 0.3%, other or unspecified 1.1%, unspecified 0.8%

Languages spoken: English (official), Caribbean Hindus­tani (a dialect of Hindi), French, Spanish, Chinese

Religions: Roman Catholic 26%, Hindu 22.5%, Anglican 7.8%, Baptist 7.2%, Pentecostal 6.8%, Muslim 5.8%, Sev­enth-Day Adventist 4%, other Christian 5.8%, other 10.8%, unspecified 1.4%, none 1.9%

List of newspapers in Trinidad and Tobago
Encyclopedia entry for Trinidad and Tobago

Tunisia

Official name: Tunisian Republic

Capital city: Tunis

Internet country code: .tn

Flag description: Red with a white disk in the center bear­ing a red crescent nearly encircling a red five-pointed star; the crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam

Geographical description: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya

Total area: 63,378 sq. mi. (163,610 sq. km.)

Climate: Temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south

Nationality: noun: Tunisian(s); adjective: Tunisian

Population: 10,276,158 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Arab-Berber 98%, European 1%, other 1%

Languages spoken: Arabic (official and one of the lan­guages of commerce), French (commerce)

Religions: Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%

List of newspapers in Tunisia
Encyclopedia entry for Tunisia

Turkey

Official name: Republic of Turkey

Capital city: Ankara

Internet country code: .tr

Flag description: Red with a vertical white crescent (the closed portion is toward the hoist side) and white five-pointed star centered just outside the crescent opening

National anthem: "Istiklal Marsi” (The Independence March)

Geographical description: Southeastern Europe and south­western Asia (that portion of Turkey west of the Bosporus is geographically part of Europe), bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria

Total area: 314,500 sq. mi. (814,578 sq. km.)

Climate: Temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior

Nationality: noun: Turk(s); adjective: Turkish

Population: 71,158,647 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Turkish 80%, Kurdish 20% (estimated)

Languages spoken: Turkish (official), Kurdish, Dimli (or Zaza), Azeri, Kabardian, Arabic, Armenian, Greek ( note: there is also a substantial Gagauz population in the Euro­pean part of Turkey)

Religions: Muslim (mostly Sunni) 99.8%, other (mostly Christians, Jews, and Baha’i) 0.2%

List of newspapers in Turkey
Encyclopedia entry for Turkey

Turkmenistan

Official name: Turkmenistan

Capital city: Ashgabat (Ashkhabad)

Internet country code: .tm

Flag description: Green field with a vertical red stripe near the hoist side, containing five tribal guls (designs used in producing carpets) stacked above two crossed olive branches similar to the olive branches on the United Nations flag; a white crescent moon representing Islam with five white stars representing the regions or velayats of Turkmenistan appear in the upper corner of the field just to the fly side of the red stripe

National anthem: "The great creation of Turkmenbashy” (first line in English translation)

Geographical description: Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan

Total area: 303,292 sq. mi. (488,100 sq. km.)

Climate: Subtropical desert

Nationality: noun: Turkmen(s); adjective: Turkmenistani

Population: 5,097,028 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Turkmen 85%, Uzbek 5%, Russian 4%, other 6%

Languages spoken: Turkmen 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%

Religions: Muslim 89%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2%

List of newspapers in Turkmenistan
Encyclopedia entry for Turkmenistan

Tuvalu

Official name: Tuvalu

Capital city: Funafuti

Internet country code: .tv

Flag description: Light blue with the flag of the United Kingdom in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the outer half of the flag represents a map of the country with nine yel­low five-pointed stars symbolizing the nine islands

Geographical description: Oceania, island group consist­ing of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia

Total area: 10 sq. mi. (26 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)

Nationality: noun: Tuvaluan(s); adjective: Tuvaluan

Population: 11,992 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Polynesian 96%, Micronesian 4%

Languages spoken: Tuvaluan, English, Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui)

Religions: Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Sev­enth-Day Adventist 1.4%, Baha’i 1%, other 0.6%

List of newspapers in Tuvalu
Encyclopedia entry for Tuvalu

Uganda

Official name: Republic of Uganda

Capital city: Kampala

Internet country code: .ug

Flag description: Six equal horizontal bands of black (top), yellow, red, black, yellow, and red; a white disk is super­imposed at the center and depicts a red-crested crane (the national symbol) facing the hoist side

National anthem: "Oh, Uganda! may God uphold thee”

National bird: Crested crane (Regulorum gibbericeps)

National motto: "For God and My Country”

Geographical description: Eastern Africa, west of Kenya

Total area: 93,070 sq. mi. (241,040 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August); semiarid in

northeast

Nationality: noun: Ugandan(s); adjective: Ugandan

Population: 30,262,610 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: African 99% (including Baganda 16.9%, Banyakole 9.5%, Basoga 8.4%, Bakiga 6.9%, Iteso 6.4%, Langi 6.1%, Acholi 4.7%, Bagisu 4.6%, Lugbara 4.2%, Bun­yoro 2.7%, other African), European, Asian, Arab 1%

Languages spoken: English (official national language, taught in grade schools, used in courts of law and by most newspapers and some radio broadcasts), Ganda or Luganda (most widely used of the Niger-Congo lan­guages, preferred for native language publications in the capital and may be taught in school), other Niger-Congo languages, Nilo-Saharan languages, Swahili, Arabic

Religions: Roman Catholic 41.9%, Protestant 42% (Angli­can 35.9%, Pentecostal 4.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.5%), Muslim 12.1%, other 3.1%, none 0.9%

List of newspapers in Uganda
Encyclopedia entry for Uganda

Ukraine

Official name: Ukraine

Capital city: Kyiv (Kiev)

  Internet country code: .ua

Flag description: Two equal horizontal bands of azure (top) and golden yellow represent grain fields under a blue sky

National anthem: "Sche ne vmerla Ukrainy i slava i volya” (first line in English translation: The glory and fame of Ukraine are still alive), lyrics by Pavlo Chubynsky, music by Mykhailo Verbytsky

Geographical description: Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland, Romania, and Moldova in the west and Russia in the east

Total area: 233,000 sq. mi. (603,700 sq. km.)

Climate: Temperate continental; Mediterranean only on the southern Crimean coast; precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest in west and north, lesser in east and southeast; winters vary from cool along the Black Sea to cold farther inland; summers are warm across the greater part of the country, hot in the south

Nationality: noun: Ukrainian(s); adjective: Ukrainian

Population: 46,299,862 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Ukrainian 77.8%, Russian 17.3%, Belarusian 0.6%, Moldovan 0.5%, Crimean Tatar 0.5%, Bulgarian 0.4%, Hungarian 0.3%, Romanian 0.3%, Polish 0.3%, Jew­ish 0.2%, other 1.8%

Languages spoken: Ukrainian (official) 67%, Russian 24%, other 9% (includes small Romanian-, Polish-, and Hun­garian-speaking minorities)

Religions: Ukrainian Orthodox - Kyiv Patriarchate 19%, Orthodox (no particular jurisdiction) 16%, Ukrainian Orthodox - Moscow Patriarchate 9%, Ukrainian Greek Catholic 6%, Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox 1.7%, Protestant, Jewish, none 38%

List of newspapers in Ukraine
Encyclopedia entry for Ukraine

List of newspapers in Ukrainian SSR
Encyclopedia entry for Ukrainian SSR

United Arab Emirates

Official name: United Arab Emirates

Capital city: Abu Dhabi

Internet country code: .ae

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a wider vertical red band on the hoist side

Geographical description: Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia

Total area: 30,000 sq. mi. (82,880 sq. km.)

Climate: Desert; cooler in eastern mountains

Nationality: noun: Emirati(s); adjective: Emirati

Population: 4,444,011 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Egyptian, Jordanian, Iranian, Filipino, other Arab; only 15-20% of

residents are U.A.E. citizens)

Languages spoken: Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu

Religions: Muslim 96% (Shi’a 16%), other (includes Chris­tian, Hindu) 4%

List of newspapers in United Arab Emirates
Encyclopedia entry for United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

Official name: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (note - Great Britain includes England, Scotland, and Wales)

Capital city: London

Internet country code: .uk

Flag description: Blue field with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) edged in white superim­posed on the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick (patron saint of Ireland), which is superimposed on the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland); properly known as the Union Flag, but commonly called the Union Jack; the design and colors (especially the Blue Ensign) have been the basis for a number of other flags including other Commonwealth countries and their con­stituent states or provinces, and British overseas territo­ries

National anthem: "God Save the Queen”

Geographical description: Western Europe, islands includ­ing the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, northwest of France

Total area: 93,000 sq. mi. (243,000 sq. km.)

Climate: Temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than onehalf of the days are overcast

Nationality: noun: Briton(s), British (collective plural); adjective: British

Population: 60,776,238 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: English 83.6%, Scottish 8.6%, Welsh 4.9%, Northern Irish 2.9%, African 2%, Indian 1.8%, Pakistani 1.3%, mixed 1.2%, other 1.6%

Languages spoken: English, Welsh, Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic

Religions: Christian (Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyte­rian, Methodist) 71.6%, Muslim 2.7%, Hindu 1%, other 1.6%, unspecified or none 23.1%

Encyclopedia entry for United Kingdom

United States

Official name: United States of America

Capital city: Washington, D.C.

Internet country code: .us

Flag description: Thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 50 small white five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars; the 50 stars represent the 50 states, the 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies; known as Old Glory; the design and colors have been the basis for a number of other flags, including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico

National anthem: "The Star-Spangled Banner”

National bird: Bald eagle

National mottoes: E pluribus unum (Out of Many, One) and "In God We Trust”

Geographical description: North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico

Total area: 3,794,062 sq. mi. (9,826,630 sq. km.)

Climate: Mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the Great Plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains

Nationality: noun: American(s); adjective: American

Population: 301,139,947 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: European 81.7%, black 12.9%, Asian 4.2%, Amerindian and Alaska native 1%, native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander 0.2% ( note: a separate listing for His­panic is not included because the United States Census Bureau considers Hispanic to mean a person of Latin American descent, including persons of Cuban, Mexican, or Puerto Rican origin, living in the U.S. who may be of any race or ethnic group - white, black, Asian, etc.)

Languages spoken: English 82.1%, Spanish 10.7%, other Indo-European 3.8%, Asian and Pacific island 2.7%, other 0.7%

Religions: Protestant 52%, Roman Catholic 24%, Mormon 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 1%, other 10%, none 10%

List of newspapers in United States Virgin Islands
Encyclopedia entry for United States

Uruguay

Official name: Oriental Republic of Uruguay

Capital city: Montevideo

Internet country code: .uy

Flag description: Nine equal horizontal stripes of white (top and bottom) alternating with blue; there is a white square in the upper hoist-side corner with a yellow sun bearing a human face known as the Sun of May with 16 rays that alternate between triangular and wavy

Geographical description: Southern South America, bor­dering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil

Total area: 68,000 sq. mi. (176,000 sq. km.)

Climate: Warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown

Nationality: noun: Uruguayan(s); adjective: Uruguayan

Population: 3,460,607 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: European 88%, mestizo 8%, African 4%, Amerindian (practically nonexistent)

Languages spoken: Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero (Por­tuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier)

Religions: Roman Catholic 66% (less than half of the adult population attends church regularly), Protestant 2%, Jew­ish 1%, nonprofessing or other 31%

List of newspapers in Uruguay
Encyclopedia entry for Uruguay

Uzbekistan

Official name: Republic of Uzbekistan

Capital city: Tashkent (Toshkent)

Internet country code: .uz

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and green separated by red fimbriations with a white crescent moon and 12 white stars in the upper hoist-side quadrant

National anthem: lyrics from poem by A. Aripov, music by M. Burkhanov

Geographical description: Central Asia, north of Afghanistan

Total area: 172,741 sq. mi. (447,400 sq. km.)

Climate: Mostly mid-latitude desert, long, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid grassland in east

Nationality: noun: Uzbekistani(s); adjective: Uzbekistani

Population: 27,780,059 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Uzbek 80%, Russian 5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazakh 3%, Karakalpak 2.5%, Tatar 1.5%, other 2.5% (1996 est.)

Languages spoken: Uzbek 74.3%, Russian 14.2%, Tajik 4.4%, other 7.1%

Religions: Muslim (mostly Sunnis) 88%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%

List of newspapers in Uzbekistan
Encyclopedia entry for Uzbekistan

Vanuatu

Official name: Republic of Vanuatu

Capital city: Port-Vila (on Efate)

Internet country code: .vu

Flag description: Two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a black isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) all separated by a black-edged yellow stripe in the shape of a horizontal Y (the two points of the Y face the hoist side and enclose the triangle); centered in the tri­angle is a boar’s tusk encircling two crossed namele leaves, all in yellow

Geographical description: Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia

Total area: 4,707 sq. mi. (12,190 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds from May to October; moderate rainfall from November to April; may be affected by cyclones from December to April

Nationality: noun: Ni-Vanuatu(s); adjective: Ni-Vanuatu

Population: 211,971 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Ni-Vanuatu 94%, European 4%, other Pacif­ic Islanders, Asian 2%

Languages spoken: local languages (more than 100) 72.6%, pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama) 23.1%, English 1.9%, French 1.4%, other 0.3%, unspecified 0.7%

Religions: Presbyterian 31.4%, Anglican 13.4%, Roman Catholic 13.1%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10.8%, other Christian 13.8%, indigenous beliefs 5.6% (including Jon Frum cargo cult), other 9.6%, none 1%, unspecified 1.3%

List of newspapers in Vanuatu
Encyclopedia entry for Vanuatu

List of newspapers in Vatican City
Encyclopedia entry for Vatican City

Venezuela

Official name: Bolivarian Republic ofVenezuela Capital city: Caracas Internet country code: .ve Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of yellow

(top), blue, and red with the coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band and an arc of eight white five-pointed stars centered in the blue band

National anthem: "Gloria al Bravo Pueblo”

National flower: Orchid

National tree: Araguaney

National bird: Turpial

Geographical description: Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana

Total area: 352,143 sq. mi. (912,050 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

Nationality: noun: Venezuelan(s); adjective: Venezuelan

Population: 26,023,528 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, indigenous Amerindian

Languages spoken: Spanish (official), numerous indige­nous dialects

Religions: nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2%

List of newspapers in Venezuela
Encyclopedia entry for Venezuela

Vietnam

Official name: Socialist Republic of Vietnam Capital city: Hanoi Internet country code: .vn

Flag description: Red with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center

National anthem: "Tiˆe´n quân ca” (The Song of the March­ing Troops) by V?an Cao

Geographical description: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia

Total area: 127,243 sq. mi. (331,114 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (May to September) and warm, dry season (October to March)

Nationality: noun: Vietnamese (singular and plural); adjective: Vietnamese

Population: 85,262,356 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Kinh (Viet) 86.2%, Tay 1.9%, Thai 1.7%, Muong 1.5%, Khome 1.4%, Hoa 1.1%, Nun 1.1%, Hmong 1%, others 4.1%

Languages spoken: Vietnamese (official), English (increas­ingly favored as a second language), some French, Chi­nese, and Khmer; mountain area languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)

Religions: Buddhist 9.3%, Roman Catholic 6.7%, Hoa Hao 1.5%, Cao Dai 1.1%, Protestant 0.5%, Muslim 0.1%, none 80.8%

List of newspapers in Vietnam
Encyclopedia entry for Vietnam

Yemen

Official name: Republic of Yemen

Capital city: Sanaa

Internet country code: .ye

Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black

Geographical description: Middle East, bordering the Ara­bian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea, between Oman and Saudi Arabia

Total area: 203,796 sq. mi. (527,970 sq. km.)

Climate: Mostly desert; hot and humid along west coast; temperate in western mountains affected by seasonal monsoon; extraordinarily hot, dry, harsh desert in east

Nationality: noun: Yemeni(s); adjective: Yemeni

Population: 22,230,531 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Predominantly Arab, but also Afro-Arabs, South Asians, Europeans

Languages spoken: Arabic

Religions: Muslim including Shaf’i (Sunni) and Zaydi (Shi’a), small numbers of Jewish, Christian, and Hindu

List of newspapers in Yemen
Encyclopedia entry for Yemen

Zambia

Official name: Republic of Zambia

Capital city: Lusaka

Internet country code: .zm

Flag description: Green with a panel of three vertical bands of red (hoist side), black, and orange below a soar­ing orange eagle, on the outer edge of the flag

Geographical description: Southern Africa, east of Angola

Total area: 290,585 sq. mi. (752,614 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (Octo­ber to April)

Nationality: noun: Zambian(s); adjective: Zambian

Population: 11,477,447 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: African (more than 70 groups) 98.7%, Euro­pean 1.1%, other 0.2%

Languages spoken: English (official), major vernaculars include Bemba, Kaonda, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga, and about 70 other indigenous languages

Religions: Christian 50%-75%, Muslim and Hindu 24%­49%, indigenous religions 1%

List of newspapers in Zambia
Encyclopedia entry for Zambia

Zimbabwe

Official name: Republic of Zimbabwe

Capital city: Harare

Internet country code: .zw

Flag description: Seven equal horizontal bands of green, yellow, red, black, red, yellow, and green with a white isosceles triangle edged in black with its base on the hoist side; a yellow Zimbabwe bird representing the long histo­ry of the country is superimposed on a red five-pointed star in the center of the triangle, which symbolizes peace; green symbolizes agriculture, yellow represents mineral wealth, red symbolizes blood shed to achieve independ­ence, and black stands for the native people

Geographical description: Southern Africa, between South Africa and Zambia

Total area: 150,760 sq. mi. (390,580 sq. km.)

Climate: Tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to March)

Nationality: noun: Zimbabwean(s); adjective: Zimbabwean

Population: 12,311,143 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: African 98% (Shona 82%, Ndebele 14%, other 2%), mixed and Asian 1%, white less than 1%

Languages spoken: English (official), Shona, Sindebele (the language of the Ndebele, sometimes called Ndebele), numerous but minor tribal dialects

Religions: Syncretic Christian and indigenous religions 50%, Christian 25%, indigenous religions 24%, Muslim and other 1%

List of newspapers in Zambia
Encyclopedia entry for Zambia