Canada
Population: 31,281,092
Can Read: 97%
Death-rate: 7.39 per Thousand
Ethnicity: British Isles origin 28%; French origin 23%; other European 15%; Amerindian 2%; other,mostly Asian,African,Arab 6%; mixed background 26%;
Infant-mortality: 5.08/1,000 born,die
Language: English 59.3%; (official),French 23.2%; (official),other 17.5%;
Life-expectancy: 79.43 Years (~
Religions: Roman Catholic 42%; Protestant 40%; other 18%;
Their Nation: noun: Canadian(s) adjective: Canadian
Area: 9,976,140 sq km land: 9,220,970 sq km water: 755,170 sq km
Climate: varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north
Farmable-Land-Use: 5%; pastures: 3%; woodland: 54%; other: 38%;
GeoNote: second-largest country in world (after Russia); strategic location between Russia and US via north polar route; nearly 90%; of the population is concentrated within 160 km of the US/Canada border
High/Low:Low Ocean level highest point: Mount Logan 5,959 m
Land-boundaries: 8,893 km border countries: US 8,893 km (includes 2,477 km with Alaska)
Location:Northern North America,bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and North Pacific Ocean,north of the conterminous US
Nat'l-Hazards: continuous permafrost in north is a serious obstacle to development; cyclonic storms form east of the Rocky Mountains,a result of the mixing of air masses from the Arctic,Pacific, and North American interior,and produce most of the country's rain and snow
Natural-resources: iron ore,nickel,zinc,copper,gold,lead,molybdenum,potash,silver,fish,timber,wildlife,coal,petroleum,natural gas,hydropower
Terrain: mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast
Cell Phones: 3 million
ISPs: 750
Phones: 18.5 million
Radio Stations: AM 535,FM 53,shortwave 6
Radios: 32.3 million
TV Stations: 80 (plus many repeaters)
TVs: 21.5 million
Airports: 1,411
Highways: 901,902 km paved: 318,371 km, unpaved: 583,531 km
Ports/Harbors: Becancour (Quebec),Churchill,Halifax,Hamilton,Montreal,New Westminster,Prince Rupert,Quebec,Saint John (New Brunswick),St. John's (Newfoundland),Sept Isles, Sydney,Trois-Rivieres,Thunder Bay,Toronto,Vancouver,Windsor
Rails: 36,114 km.
Waterways: 3,000 km,including Saint Lawrence Seaway
Currency: 1 Canadian dollar (Can$) = 100 cents
Exports: motor vehicles and parts,newsprint,wood pulp,timber,crude petroleum,machinery,natural gas,aluminum,telecommunications equipment,electricity
Farming: wheat,barley,oilseed,tobacco,fruits,vegetables; dairy products; forest products; fish
Imports: machinery and equipment,crude oil,chemicals,motor vehicles and parts,durable consumer goods,electricity
Industry: processed and unprocessed minerals,food products,wood and paper products,transportation equipment,chemicals,fish products,petroleum and natural gas
Admin-Div: 10 provinces and 3 territories
Capital: Ottawa
Country-name: none: S/F Canada
Gov-type: confederation with parliamentary democracy
Central African Republic
Population: 3,512,751
Can Read: 60%;
Death-rate: 18.44 per Thousand
Ethnicity: Baya 34%; Banda 27%; Sara 10%; Mandjia 21%; Mboum 4%; M'Baka 4%; Europeans 6,500 (including 1,500 French)
Infant-mortality: 106.69/1,000 born,die
Language: French (official),Sangho (lingua franca and national language),Arabic,Hunsa,Swahili
Life-expectancy: 44.02 Years (~
Religions: indigenous beliefs 24%; Protestant 25%; Roman Catholic 25%; Muslim 15%; other 11%; note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority
Their Nation: noun: Central African(s) adjective: Central African
Area: 622,984 sq km land: 622,984 sq km
Climate tropical; hot,dry winters; mild to hot,wet summers
Farmable-Land-Use: 3%; pastures: 5%; woodland: 75%; other: 17%;
GeoNote: landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa
High/Low: lowest point: Oubangui River 335 m highest point: Mont Ngaoui 1,420 m
Land-boundaries: 5,203 km border countries: Cameroon 797 km,Chad 1,197 km,Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,577 km,Republic of the Congo 467 km,Sudan 1,165 km
Location:Central Africa,north of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Nat'l-Hazards: hot,dry,dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common
Natural-resources: diamonds,uranium,timber,gold,oil,hydropower
Terrain: vast,flat to rolling,monotonous plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest
Cell Phones: 79
Phones: 8,000
Radio Stations: AM 1,FM 3,shortwave 1
Radios: 283,000
TVs: 18,000
Airports: 52
Highways: 23,810 km paved: 429 km unpaved: 23,381 km
Ports/Harbors: Bangui,Nola
Waterways: 800 km; traditional trade carried on by means of shallow-draft dugouts; Oubangui is the most important river
Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Exports: diamonds,timber,cotton,coffee,tobacco
Farming: cotton,coffee,tobacco,manioc (tapioca),yams,millet,corn,bananas; timber
Imports: food,textiles,petroleum products,machinery,electrical equipment,motor vehicles,chemicals,pharmaceuticals,consumer goods,industrial products
Industry: diamond mining,sawmills,breweries,textiles,footwear,assembly of bicycles and motorcycles
Admin-Div: 14 prefectures
Capital: Bangui
Country-name: Central African Republic: S/F none: Localy called: Republique Centrafricaine former: Central African Empire abbreviation: CAR
Gov-type: republic
Chad
Population: 8,424,504
Can Read: Literacy: French or Arabic total population: 48.1%; male: 62.1%; female: 34.7%;
Death-rate: 15.71 per Thousand
Ethnicity: Muslims,commonly referred to as "northerners" or "gorane" (Arabs,Toubou,Hadjerai,Fulbe,Kotoko,Kanembou,Baguirmi,Boulala,Zaghawa,and Maba); non-Muslims,commonly referred to as "southerners" (Sara,Ngambaye,Mbaye,Goulaye,Moundang,Moussei,Massa) including nonindigenous 150,000 (of whom 1,000 are French) note: ethnicity and regional background more commonly used to identify Chadians than religious affiliation
Infant-mortality: 96.66/1,000 born,die
Language: French (official),Arabic (official),Sara and Sango (in south),more than 100 different languages and dialects
Life-expectancy: 50.49 Years
Religions: Muslim 50%; Christian 25%; indigenous beliefs (mostly animism) 25%;
Their Nation: noun: Chadian(s) adjective: Chadian
Area: 1.284 million sq km land: 1,259,200 sq km water: 24,800 sq km
Climate: tropical in south,desert in north
Farmable-Land-Use: 3%; pastures: 36%; woodland: 26%; other: 35%;
GeoNote: landlocked; Lake Chad is the most significant water body in the Sahel
High/Low: lowest point: Djourab Depression 160 m highest point: Emi Koussi 3,415 m
Land-boundaries: 5,968 km border countries: Cameroon 1,094 km,Central African Republic 1,197 km,Libya 1,055 km,Niger 1,175 km,Nigeria 87 km,Sudan 1,360 km
Location:Central Africa,south of Libya
Nat'l-Hazards: hot,dry,dusty harmattan winds occur in north; periodic droughts; locust plagues
Natural-resources: petroleum (unexploited but exploration under way),uranium,natron,kaolin,fish (Lake Chad)
Terrain: broad,arid plains in center,desert in north,mountains in northwest,lowlands in south
ISPs: 1
Phones: 5,000
Radio Stations: AM 2,FM 3,shortwave 5
Radios: 1.67 million
TV Stations: 1
TVs: 10,000
Airports: 49
Highways: 33,400 km paved: 267 km unpaved: 33,133 km
Waterways: 2,000 km navigable
Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Exports: cotton,cattle,textiles
Farming: cotton,sorghum,millet,peanuts,rice,potatoes,manioc (tapioca); cattle,sheep,goats,camels
Imports: machinery and transportation equipment,industrial goods,petroleum products,foodstuffs,textiles
Industry: cotton textiles,meat packing,beer brewing,natron (sodium carbonate),soap,cigarettes,construction materials
Admin-Div: 14 prefectures (prefectures,singular - prefecture);
Capital: N'Djamena
Country-name: Republic of Chad: S/F Chad: Localy called: Republique du Tchad, localy called: Tchad
Gov-type: republic
Chile
Population: 15,153,797
Can Read: 95.2%;
Death-rate: 5.52 per Thousand
Ethnicity: white and white-Amerindian 95%; Amerindian 3%; other 2%;
Infant-mortality: 9.6/1,000 born,die
Language: Spanish
Life-expectancy: 75.74 Years
Poverty-line: 22%;
Religions: Roman Catholic 89%; Protestant 11%; Jewish NEGL
Their Nation: noun: Chilean(s) adjective: Chilean
Area: 756,950 sq km land: 748,800 sq km water: 8,150 sq km note: includes Easter Island (Isla de Pascua) and Isla Sala y Gomez
Climate temperate: desert in north; Mediterranean in central region; cool and damp in south
Farmable-Land-Use: 5%; pastures: 18%; woodland: 22%; other: 55%;
GeoNote: strategic location relative to sea lanes between Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan,Beagle Channel,Drake Passage); Atacama Desert is one of world's driest regions
High/Low: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Cerro Aconcagua 6,962 m
Land-boundaries: 6,171 km border countries: Argentina 5,150 km,Bolivia 861 km,Peru 160 km
Location:Southern South America,bordering the South Atlantic Ocean and South Pacific Ocean,between Argentina and Peru
Nat'l-Hazards: severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis
Natural-resources: copper,timber,iron ore,nitrates,precious metals,molybdenum,hydropower
Terrain: low coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes in east
Cell Phones: 197,300
ISPs: 26
Phones: 2.603 million
Radio Stations: AM 180 (eight inactive),FM 64,shortwave 17 (one inactive)
Radios: 5.18 million
TV Stations: 63 (plus 121 repeaters)
TVs: 3.15 million
Airports: 370
Highways: 79,800 km paved: 11,012 km unpaved: 68,788 km
Ports/Harbors: Antofagasta,Arica,Chanaral,Coquimbo,Iquique,Puerto Montt,Punta Arenas,San Antonio,San Vicente,Talcahuano,Valparaiso
Rails: 6,782 km
Waterways: 725 km
Currency: 1 Chilean peso (Ch$) = 100 centavos
Exports: copper,fish,fruits,paper and pulp,chemicals
Farming: wheat,corn,grapes,beans,sugar beets,potatoes,fruit; beef,poultry,wool; fish; timber
Imports: consumer goods,chemicals,motor vehicles,fuels,electrical machinery,heavy industrial machinery,food
Industry: copper,other minerals,foodstuffs,fish processing,iron and steel,wood and wood products,transport equipment,cement,textiles
Admin-Div: 13 regions
Capital: Santiago
Country-name: Republic of Chile: S/F Chile: Localy called: Republica de Chile, localy called: Chile
Gov-type: republic
Colombia
Population: 39,685,655
Can Read: 91.3%;
Death-rate: 5.73 per Thousand
Ethnicity: mestizo 58%; white 20%; mulatto 14%; black 4%; mixed black-Amerindian 3%; Amerindian 1%;
Infant-mortality: 24.7/1,000 born,die
Language: Spanish
Life-expectancy: 70.28 Years
Poverty-line: 17.7%
Religions: Roman Catholic 90%;
Their Nation: noun: Colombian(s) adjective: Colombian
Area: 1,138,910 sq km land: 1,038,700 sq km water: 100,210 sq km note: includes Isla de Malpelo,Roncador Cay,Serrana Bank,and Serranilla Bank
Climate: tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands
Farmable-Land-Use: 4%; crops: 1%; pastures: 39%; woodland: 48%; other: 8%;
GeoNote: only South American country with coastlines on both North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea
High/Low: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Nevado del Huila 5,750 m
Land-boundaries: 6,004 km border countries: Brazil 1,643 km,Ecuador 590 km,Panama 225 km,Peru 1,496 km (est.),Venezuela 2,050 km
Location:Northern South America,bordering the Caribbean Sea,between Panama and Venezuela,and bordering the North Pacific Ocean,between Ecuador and Panama
Nat'l-Hazards: highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes; periodic droughts
Natural-resources: petroleum,natural gas,coal,iron ore,nickel,gold,copper,emeralds,hydropower
Terrain: flat coastal lowlands,central highlands,high Andes Mountains,eastern lowland plains
Cell Phones: 1,800,229 (December 1998)
ISPs: 13
Phones: 5,433,565 (December 1997)
Radio Stations: AM 454,FM 34,shortwave 27
Radios: 21 million
TV Stations: 60 (includes seven low-power stations)
TVs: 4.59 million
Airports: 1,101
Highways: 115,564 km paved: 13,868 km unpaved: 101,696 km
Ports/Harbors: Bahia de Portete,Barranquilla,Buenaventura,Cartagena,Leticia,Puerto Bolivar,San Andres,Santa Marta,Tumaco,Turbo
Rails: 3,380 km
Waterways: 18,140 km,navigable by river boats (April 1996)
Currency: 1 Colombian peso (Col$) = 100 centavos
Exports: petroleum,coffee,coal,gold,bananas,cut flowers
Farming: coffee,cut flowers,bananas,rice,tobacco,corn,sugarcane,cocoa beans,oilseed,vegetables; forest products; shrimp
Imports: industrial equipment,transportation equipment,consumer goods,chemicals,paper products,fuels,electricity
Industry: textiles,food processing,oil,clothing and footwear,beverages,chemicals,cement; gold,coal,emeralds
Admin-Div: 32 departments (departamentos,singular - departamento) and 1 capital district
Capital: Bogota
Country-name: Republic of Colombia: S/F Colombia: Localy called: Republica de Colombia, localy called: Colombia
Gov-type: republic; executive branch dominates government structure
Costa Rica
Population: 3,710,558
Can Read: 94.8%;
Death-rate: 4.31 per Thousand
Ethnicity: white (including mestizo) 94%; black 3%; Amerindian 1%; Chinese 1%; other 1%;
Infant-mortality: 11.49/1,000 born,die
Language: Spanish (official),English spoken around Puerto Limon
Life-expectancy: 75.82 Years
Religions: Roman Catholic 85%; Evangelical Protestant,approximately 14%; other less than 1%;
Their Nation: noun: Costa Rican(s) adjective: Costa Rican
Area: 51,100 sq km land: 50,660 sq km water: 440 sq km note: includes Isla del Coco
Climate: tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands
Farmable-Land-Use: 6%; crops: 5%; pastures: 46%; woodland: 31%; other: 12%;
High/Low: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m
Land-boundaries: 639 km border countries: Nicaragua 309 km,Panama 330 km
Location:Middle America,bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean,between Nicaragua and Panama
Nat'l-Hazards: occasional earthquakes,hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season; active volcanoes
Natural-resources: hydropower
Terrain: coastal plains separated by rugged mountains
Cell Phones: 46,500 (December 1996)
ISPs: 2
Phones: 451,000 (525,700 main lines installed) (yearend 1996)
Radio Stations: AM 50,FM 43,shortwave 19
Radios: 980,000
TV Stations: 6 (plus 11 repeaters)
TVs: 525,000
Airports: 155
Highways: 37,273 km paved: 7,827 km unpaved: 29,446 km
Ports/Harbors: Caldera,Golfito,Moin,Puerto Limon,Puerto Quepos,Puntarenas
Rails: 950 km
Waterways: about 730 km,seasonally navigable
Currency: 1 Costa Rican colon (C) = 100 centimos
Exports: coffee,bananas,sugar; textiles,electronic components,electricity
Farming: coffee,bananas,sugar,corn,rice,beans,potatoes; beef; timber
Imports: raw materials,consumer goods,capital equipment,petroleum,electricity
Industry: microprocessors,food processing,textiles and clothing,construction materials,fertilizer,plastic products
Admin-Div: 7 provinces (provincias,singular - provincia)
Capital: San Jose
Country-name: Republic of Costa Rica: S/F Costa Rica: Localy called: Republica de Costa Rica, localy called: Costa Rica
Gov-type: democratic republic
Croatia
Population: 4,282,216
Can Read: 97%
Death-rate: 11.51 per Thousand
Ethnicity: Croat 78.1%; Serb 12.2%; Muslim 0.9%; Hungarian 0.5%; Slovenian 0.5%; Czech 0.4%; Albanian 0.3%; Montenegrin 0.3%; Roma 0.2%; others 6.6%
Infant-mortality: 7.35/1,000 born,die
Language: Croatian 96%; other 4%; (including Italian,Hungarian,Czech,Slovak,and German)
Life-expectancy: 73.67 Years
Religions: Roman Catholic 76.5%; Orthodox 11.1%; Muslim 1.2%; Protestant 0.4%; others and unknown 10.8%
Their Nation: noun: Croat(s) adjective: Croatian
Area: 56,538 sq km land: 56,410 sq km water: 128 sq km
Climate: Mediterranean and continental; continental climate predominant with hot summers and cold winters; mild winters,dry summers along coast
Farmable-Land-Use: 21%; crops: 2%; pastures: 20%; woodland: 38%; other: 19%;
GeoNote: controls most land routes from Western Europe to Aegean Sea and Turkish Straits
High/Low: lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m highest point: Dinara 1,830 m
Land-boundaries: 2,197 km border countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina 932 km,Hungary 329 km,Serbia and Montenegro 266 km (241 km with Serbia; 25 km with Montenegro),Slovenia 670 km
Location:Southeastern Europe,bordering the Adriatic Sea,between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia
Nat'l-Hazards: frequent and destructive earthquakes
Natural-resources: oil,some coal,bauxite,low-grade iron ore,calcium,natural asphalt,silica,mica,clays,salt,hydropower
Terrain: geographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian border,low mountains and highlands near Adriatic coastline and islands
Cell Phones: 187,000 (yearend 1998)
ISPs: 4
Phones: 1.477 million
Radio Stations: AM 16,FM 98,shortwave 5
Radios: 1.51 million
TV Stations: 36 (plus 321 repeaters) (September 1995)
TVs: 1.22 million
Airports: 67
Highways: 27,840 km paved: 23,497 km, unpaved: 4,343 km
Ports/Harbors: Dubrovnik,Dugi Rat,Omisalj,Ploce,Pula,Rijeka,Sibenik,Split,Vukovar (inland waterway port on Danube),Zadar
Rails: 2,296 km.
Waterways: 785 km perennially navigable; large sections of Sava blocked by downed bridges,silt,and debris
Currency: 1 Croatian kuna (HRK) = 100 lipas
Exports: textiles,chemicals,foodstuffs,fuels
Farming: wheat,corn,sugar beets,sunflower seed,alfalfa,clover,olives,citrus,grapes,vegetables; livestock,dairy products
Imports: machinery,transport and electrical equipment,chemicals,fuels and lubricants,foodstuffs
Industry: chemicals and plastics,machine tools,fabricated metal,electronics,pig iron and rolled steel products,aluminum,paper,wood products,construction materials,textiles,shipbuilding, petroleum and petroleum refining,food and beverages; tourism
Admin-Div: 20 counties (zupanije,zupanija - singular),1 city (grad -singular)
Capital: Zagreb
Country-name: Republic of Croatia: S/F Croatia: Localy called: Republika Hrvatska, localy called: Hrvatska
Gov-type: presidential/parliamentary democracy
Cuba
Population: 11,141,997
Can Read: 95.7%;
Death-rate: 7.31 per Thousand
Ethnicity: mulatto 51%; white 37%; black 11%; Chinese 1%;
Infant-mortality: 7.51/1,000 born,die
Language: Spanish
Life-expectancy: 76.21 Years
Religions: nominally 85%; Roman Catholic prior to CASTRO assuming power; Protestants,Jehovah's Witnesses,Jews,and Santeria are also represented
Their Nation: noun: Cuban(s) adjective: Cuban
Area: 110,860 sq km land: 110,860 sq km
Climate tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October)
Farmable-Land-Use: 24%; crops: 7%; pastures: 27%; woodland: 24%; other: 18%;
GeoNote: largest country in Caribbean
High/Low: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Pico Turquino 2,005 m
Land-boundaries: 29 km border countries: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay 29 km note: Guantanamo Naval Base is leased by the US and thus remains part of Cuba
Location:Caribbean,island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean,south of Florida
Nat'l-Hazards: the east coast is subject to hurricanes from August to October (in general,the country averages about one hurricane every other year); droughts are common
Natural-resources: cobalt,nickel,iron ore,copper,manganese,salt,timber,silica,petroleum,arable land
Terrain: mostly flat to rolling plains,with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast
Cell Phones: 1,939
ISPs: 1
Phones: 353,000
Radio Stations: AM 169,FM 55,shortwave 1
Radios: 3.9 million
TV Stations: 58
TVs: 2.64 million
Airports: 170
Highways: 60,858 km paved: 29,820 km, unpaved: 31,038 km
Ports/Harbors: Cienfuegos,Havana,Manzanillo,Mariel,Matanzas,Nuevitas,Santiago de Cuba
Rails: 4,807 km.
Waterways: 240 km
Currency: 1 Cuban peso (Cu$) = 100 centavos
Exports: sugar,nickel,tobacco,shellfish,medical products,citrus,coffee
Farming: sugarcane,tobacco,citrus,coffee,rice,potatoes,beans; livestock
Imports: petroleum,food,machinery,chemicals
Industry: sugar,petroleum,food,tobacco,textiles,chemicals,paper and wood products,metals (particularly nickel),cement,fertilizers,consumer goods,agricultural machinery
Admin-Div: 14 provinces (provincias,singular - provincia) and 1 special municipality*(municipio especial)
Capital: Havana
Country-name: Republic of Cuba: S/F Cuba: Localy called: Republica de Cuba, localy called: Cuba
Gov-type: Communist state
Czech Republic
Population: 10,272,179
Can-Read; 99.9%;
Death-rate: 10.87 per Thousand
Ethnicity: Czech 81.2%; Moravian 13.2%; Slovak 3.1%; Polish 0.6%; German 0.5%; Silesian 0.4%; Roma 0.3%; Hungarian 0.2%; other 0.5%; (March 1991)
Infant-mortality: 5.63/1,000 born,die
Language: Czech
Life-expectancy: 74.51 Years
Religions: atheist 39.8%; Roman Catholic 39.2%; Protestant 4.6%; Orthodox 3%; other 13.4%;
Their Nation: noun: Czech(s) adjective: Czech
Area: 78,866 sq km land: 77,276 sq km water: 1,590 sq km
Climate temperate: cool summers; cold,cloudy,humid winters
Farmable-Land-Use: 41%; crops: 2%; pastures: 11%; woodland: 34%; other: 12%;
GeoNote: landlocked; strategically located astride some of oldest and most significant land routes in Europe; Moravian Gate is a traditional military corridor between the North European Plain and the Danube in central Europe
High/Low: lowest point: Elbe River 115 m highest point: Snezka 1,602 m
Land-boundaries: 1,881 km border countries: Austria 362 km,Germany 646 km,Poland 658 km,Slovakia 215 km
Location:Central Europe,southeast of Germany
Nat'l-Hazards: flooding
Natural-resources: hard coal,soft coal,kaolin,clay,graphite,timber
Terrain: Bohemia in the west consists of rolling plains,hills,and plateaus surrounded by low mountains; Moravia in the east consists of very hilly country
Cell Phones: 965,476
ISPs: 35
Phones: 3,741,492
Radio Stations: AM 21,FM 199,shortwave 1
Radios: 3,173,856 (December 1999)
TV Stations: 102 (of which 35 are low power stations),plus about 500 repeaters
TVs: 3,428,817 (December 1999)
Airports: 114
Highways: 127,693 km paved: 127,693 km
Ports/Harbors: Decin,Prague,Usti nad Labem
Rails: 9,435 km
Waterways: 677 km; the Elbe (Labe) is the principal river
Currency: 1 koruna (Kc) = 100 haleru
Exports: machinery and transport equipment 41%; other manufactured goods 40%; chemicals 8%; raw materials and fuel 7%;
Farming: grains,potatoes,sugar beets,hops,fruit; pigs,cattle,poultry; forest products
Imports: machinery and transport equipment 39%; other manufactured goods 21%; chemicals 12%; raw materials and fuels 10%; food 5%;
Industry: fuels,ferrous metallurgy,machinery and equipment,coal,motor vehicles,glass,armaments
Admin-Div: 73 districts (okresi,singular - okres) and 4 municipalities*(mesta,singular - mesto)
Capital: Prague
Country-name: Czech Republic: S/F Czech Republic: Localy called: Ceska Republika, localy called: Ceska Republika
Gov-type: parliamentary democracy
Denmark
Population: 5,336,394
Can Read: 100%;
Death-rate: 11 per Thousand
Ethnicity: Scandinavian,Inuit,Faroese,German
Infant-mortality: 5.11/1,000 born,die
Language: Danish,Faroese,Greenlandic (an Inuit dialect),German (small minority) note: English is the predominant second language
Life-expectancy: 76.54 Years
Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 97%; other Protestant and Roman Catholic,other
Their Nation: noun: Dane(s) adjective: Danish
Area: 43,094 sq km land: 42,394 sq km water: 700 sq km note: includes the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea and the rest of metropolitan Denmark,but excludes the Faroe Islands and Greenland
Climate temperate: humid and overcast; mild,windy winters and cool summers
Farmable-Land-Use: 60%; pastures: 5%; woodland: 10%; other: 25%;
GeoNote: controls Danish Straits (Skagerrak and Kattegat) linking Baltic and North Seas; about one-quarter of the population lives in Copenhagen
High/Low: lowest point: Lammefjord -7 m highest point: Ejer Bavnehoj 173 m
Land-boundaries: 68 km border countries: Germany 68 km
Location:Northern Europe,bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea,on a peninsula north of Germany
Nat'l-Hazards: flooding is a threat in some areas of the country (e.g.,parts of Jutland,along the southern coast of the island of Lolland) that are protected from the sea by a system of dikes
Natural-resources: petroleum,natural gas,fish,salt,limestone,stone,gravel and sand
Terrain: low and flat to gently rolling plains
Cell Phones: 1.347 million
ISPs: 12
Phones: 3.203 million
Radio Stations: AM 2,FM 355,
Radios: 6.02 million
TV Stations: 42 (plus 44 repeaters) (September 1995)
TVs: 3.121 million
Airports: 118
Highways: 71,437 km paved: 71,437 km
Ports/Harbors: Alborg,Arhus,Copenhagen,Esbjerg,Fredericia,Grena,Koge,Odense,Struer
Rails: 2,859 km.
Waterways: 417 km
Currency: 1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 oere
Exports: machinery and instruments,meat and meat products,fuels,dairy products,ships,fish,chemicals
Farming: grain,potatoes,rape,sugar beets; beef,dairy products; fish
Imports: machinery and equipment,petroleum,chemicals,grain and foodstuffs,textiles,paper
Industry: food processing,machinery and equipment,textiles and clothing,chemical products,electronics,construction,furniture,and other wood products,shipbuilding other: 9.13%;
Admin-Div: metropolitan Denmark - 14 counties (amter,singular - amt) and 2 kommunes;
Capital: Copenhagen
Country-name: Kingdom of Denmark: S/F Denmark: Localy called: Kongeriget Danmark, localy called: Danmark
Gov-type: constitutional monarchy
Dominican Republic
Population: 8,442,533
Can Read: 82.1%;
Death-rate: 4.72 per Thousand
Ethnicity: white 16%; black 11%; mixed 73%;
Infant-mortality: 35.93/1,000 born,die
Language: Spanish
Life-expectancy: 73.2 Years
Poverty-line: 25%;
Religions: Roman Catholic 95%;
Their Nation: noun: Dominican(s) adjective: Dominican
Area: 48,730 sq km land: 48,380 sq km water: 350 sq km
Climate: tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall
Farmable-Land-Use: 21%; crops: 9%; pastures: 43%; woodland: 12%; other: 15%;
GeoNote: shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti (eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic,western one-third is Haiti)
High/Low: lowest point: Lago Enriquillo -46 m highest point: Pico Duarte 3,175 m
Land-boundaries: 275 km border countries: Haiti 275 km
Location:Caribbean,eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola,between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean,east of Haiti
Nat'l-Hazards: lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding; periodic droughts
Natural-resources: nickel,bauxite,gold,silver
Terrain: rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed
Cell Phones: 33,000
ISPs: 1
Phones: 569,000
Radio Stations: AM 120,FM 56,shortwave 4
Radios: 1.44 million
TV Stations: 25
TVs: 770,000
Airports: 28
Highways: 12,600 km paved: 6,224 km unpaved: 6,376 km
Ports/Harbors: Barahona,La Romana,Puerto Plata,San Pedro de Macoris,Santo Domingo
Rails: 757 km
Currency: 1 Dominican peso (RD$) = 100 centavos
Exports: ferronickel,sugar,gold,silver,coffee,cocoa,tobacco,meats
Farming: sugarcane,coffee,cotton,cocoa,tobacco,rice,beans,potatoes,corn,bananas; cattle,pigs,dairy products,beef,eggs
Imports: foodstuffs,petroleum,cotton and fabrics,chemicals and pharmaceuticals
Industry: tourism,sugar processing,ferronickel and gold mining,textiles,cement,tobacco
Admin-Div: 29 provinces (provincias,singular - provincia) and 1 district*(distrito)
Capital: Santo Domingo
Country-name: Dominican Republic: S/F none: Localy called: Republica Dominicana
Gov-type: representative democracy
Ecuador
Population: 12,920,092
Can Read: 90.1%;
Death-rate: 5.52 per Thousand
Ethnicity: mestizo (mixed Amerindian and Spanish) 65%; Amerindian 25%; Spanish and others 7%; black 3%;
Infant-mortality: 35.13/1,000 born,die
Language: Spanish (official),Amerindian languages (especially Quechua)
Life-expectancy: 71.06 Years (~
Poverty-line: 50%;
Religions: Roman Catholic 95%;
Their Nation: noun: Ecuadorian(s) adjective: Ecuadorian
Area: 283,560 sq km land: 276,840 sq km water: 6,720 sq km note: includes Galapagos Islands
Climate: tropical along coast,becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands
Farmable-Land-Use: 6%; crops: 5%; pastures: 18%; woodland: 56%; other: 15%;
GeoNote: Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world
High/Low: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Chimborazo 6,267 m
Land-boundaries: 2,010 km border countries: Colombia 590 km,Peru 1,420 km
Location:Western South America,bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator,between Colombia and Peru
Nat'l-Hazards: frequent earthquakes,landslides,volcanic activity; periodic droughts
Natural-resources: petroleum,fish,timber,hydropower
Terrain: coastal plain (costa),inter-Andean central highlands (sierra),and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente)
Cell Phones: 49,776
ISPs: 8
Phones: 748,000
Radio Stations: AM 392,FM 27,shortwave 29
Radios: 4.15 million
TV Stations: 15 (including one station on the Galapagos Islands)
TVs: 1.55 million
Airports: 182
Highways: 43,197 km paved: 8,165 km unpaved: 35,032 km
Ports/Harbors: Esmeraldas,Guayaquil,La Libertad,Manta,Puerto Bolivar,San Lorenzo
Rails: 812 km
Waterways: 1,500 km
Currency: 1 sucre (S/) = 100 centavos
Exports: petroleum,bananas,shrimp,coffee,cocoa,cut flowers,fish
Farming: bananas,coffee,cocoa,rice,potatoes,manioc (tapioca),plantains,sugarcane; cattle,sheep,pigs,beef,pork,dairy products; balsa wood; fish,shrimp
Imports: machinery and equipment,raw materials,fuels; consumer goods
Industry: petroleum,food processing,textiles,metal work,paper products,wood products,chemicals,plastics,fishing,lumber
Admin-Div: 22 provinces
Capital: Quito
Country-name: Republic of Ecuador: S/F Ecuador: Localy called: Republica del Ecuador, localy called: Ecuador
Gov-type: republic
Egypt
Population: 68,359,979
Can Read: 51.4%;
Death-rate: 7.83 per Thousand
Ethnicity: Eastern Hamitic stock (Egyptians,Bedouins,and Berbers) 99%; Greek,Nubian,Armenian,other European (primarily Italian and French) 1%;
Infant-mortality: 62.32/1,000 born,die
Language: Arabic (official),English and French widely understood by educated classes
Life-expectancy: 63.33 Years
Religions: Muslim (mostly Sunni) 94%; Coptic Christian and other 6%;
Their Nation: noun: Egyptian(s) adjective: Egyptian
Area: 1,001,450 sq km land: 995,450 sq km water: 6,000 sq km
Climate: desert; hot,dry summers with moderate winters
Farmable-Land-Use: 2%; other: 98%;
GeoNote: controls Sinai Peninsula,only land bridge between Africa and remainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal,shortest sea link between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea; size,and juxtaposition to Israel,establish its major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics
High/Low: lowest point: Qattara Depression -133 m highest point: Mount Catherine 2,629 m
Land-boundaries: 2,689 km border countries: Gaza Strip 11 km,Israel 255 km,Libya 1,150 km,Sudan 1,273 km
Location:Northern Africa,bordering the Mediterranean Sea,between Libya and the Gaza Strip
Nat'l-Hazards: periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes,flash floods,landslides,volcanic activity; hot,driving windstorm called khamsin occurs in spring; dust storms,sandstorms
Natural-resources: petroleum,natural gas,iron ore,phosphates,manganese,limestone,gypsum,talc,asbestos,lead,zinc
Terrain: vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta
Cell Phones: 380,000
ISPs: 31
Phones: 3.168 million
Radio Stations: AM 42, FM 14, shortwave 3
Radios: 20.5 million
TV Stations: 51 (September 1995)
TVs: 7.7 million
Airports: 90
Highways: 64,000 km paved: 49,984 km unpaved: 14,016 km
Ports/Harbors: Alexandria,Al Ghardaqah,Aswan,Asyut,Bur Safajah,Damietta,Marsa Matruh,Port Said,Suez
Rails: 4,955 km.
Waterways: 3,500 km (including the Nile,Lake Nasser,Alexandria-Cairo Waterway,and numerous smaller canals in the delta); Suez Canal,193.5 km (including approaches),used by oceangoing vessels drawing up to 16.1 m of water
Currency: 1 Egyptian pound = 100 piasters
Exports: crude oil and petroleum products,cotton,textiles,metal products,chemicals
Farming: cotton,rice,corn,wheat,beans,fruits,vegetables; cattle,water buffalo,sheep,goats; fish
Imports: machinery and equipment,foodstuffs,chemicals,wood products,fuels
Industry: textiles,food processing,tourism,chemicals,petroleum,construction,cement,metals
Admin-Div: 26 governorates (muhafazat,singular - muhafazah);
Capital: Cairo
Country-name: Arab Republic of Egypt: S/F Egypt: Localy called: Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah, localy called: Misr former: United Arab Republic (with Syria)
Gov-type: republic
El Salvador
Population: 6,122,515
Can-Read; age 10 and over can read and write total population: 71.5%; male: 73.5%; female: 69.8%;
Death-rate: 6.27 per Thousand
Ethnicity: mestizo 90%; Amerindian 1%; white 9%;
Infant-mortality: 29.22/1,000 born,die
Language: Spanish,Nahua (among some Amerindians)
Life-expectancy: 69.74 Years
Poverty-line: 48%;
Religions: Roman Catholic 86%; note: there is extensive activity by Protestant groups throughout the country; by the end of 1992,there were an estimated 1 million Protestant evangelicals in El
Their Nation: noun: Salvadoran(s) adjective: Salvadoran
Area: 21,040 sq km land: 20,720 sq km water: 320 sq km
Climate tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands
Farmable-Land-Use: 27%; crops: 8%; pastures: 29%; woodland: 5%; other: 31%;
GeoNote: smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on Caribbean Sea
High/Low: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Cerro El Pital 2,730 m
Land-boundaries: 545 km border countries: Guatemala 203 km,Honduras 342 km
Location:Middle America,bordering the North Pacific Ocean,between Guatemala and Honduras
Nat'l-Hazards: known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity
Natural-resources: hydropower,geothermal power,petroleum,arable land
Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau
Cell Phones: 13,475
ISPs: 2
Phones: 380,000
Radio Stations: AM 61 (plus 24 repeaters),FM 30,
Radios: 2.75 million
TV Stations: 5
TVs: 600,000
Airports: 85
Highways: 10,029 km paved: 1,986 km unpaved: 8,043 km
Ports/Harbors: Acajutla,Puerto Cutuco,La Libertad,La Union,Puerto El Triunfo
Rails: 602 km
Waterways: Rio Lempa partially navigable
Currency: 1 Salvadoran colon (C) = 100 centavos
Exports: offshore assembly exports,coffee,sugar,shrimp,textiles,chemicals,electricity
Farming: coffee,sugarcane,corn,rice,beans,oilseed,cotton,sorghum; beef,dairy products; shrimp
Imports: raw materials,consumer goods,capital goods,fuels,foodstuffs,petroleum,electricity
Industry: food processing,beverages,petroleum,chemicals,fertilizer,textiles,furniture,light metals
Admin-Div: 14 departments (departamentos,singular - departamento)
Capital: San Salvador
Country-name: Republic of El Salvador: S/F El Salvador: Localy called: Republica de El Salvador, localy called: El Salvador
Gov-type: republic
Eritrea
Population: 4,135,933
Can-Read; 25%;
Death-rate: 12.3 per Thousand
Ethnicity: ethnic Tigrinya 50%; Tigre and Kunama 40%; Afar 4%; Saho (Red Sea coast dwellers) 3%;
Infant-mortality: 76.66/1,000 born,die
Language: Afar,Amharic,Arabic,Tigre and Kunama,Tigrinya,other Cushitic languages
Life-expectancy: 55.79 Years
Religions: Muslim,Coptic Christian,Roman Catholic,Protestant
Their Nation: noun: Eritrean(s) adjective: Eritrean
Area: 121,320 sq km land: 121,320 sq km
Climate: hot,dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter in the central highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually); semiarid in western hills and lowlands; rainfall heaviest during June- September except in coastal desert
Farmable-Land-Use: 12%; crops: 1%; pastures: 49%; woodland: 6%; other: 32%;
GeoNote: strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia along the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993
High/Low: lowest point: near Kulul within the Denakil depression -75 m highest point: Soira 3,018 m
Land-boundaries: 1,630 km border countries: Djibouti 113 km,Ethiopia 912 km,Sudan 605 km
Location:Eastern Africa,bordering the Red Sea,between Djibouti and Sudan
Nat'l-Hazards: frequent droughts and locust storms
Natural-resources: gold,potash,zinc,copper,salt,possibly oil and natural gas,fish
Terrain: dominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending highlands,descending on the east to a coastal desert plain,on the northwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling plains
ISPs: 1
Phones: 23,578
Radio Stations: AM 2,FM 1,shortwave 2
Radios: 345,000
TV Stations: 1
TVs: 1,000
Airports: 21
Highways: 4,010 km paved: 874 km unpaved: 3,136 km
Ports/Harbors: Assab (Aseb),Massawa (Mits'iwa)
Rails: 317 km
Currency: 1 nafka = 100 cents
Exports: livestock,sorghum,textiles,food,small manufactures
Farming: sorghum,lentils,vegetables,corn,cotton,tobacco,coffee,sisal; livestock,goats; fish
Imports: processed goods,machinery,petroleum products
Industry: food processing,beverages,clothing and textiles
Admin-Div: 8 provinces (singular - awraja);
Capital: Asmara (formerly Asmera)
Country-name: State of Eritrea: S/F Eritrea: Localy called: Hagere Ertra, localy called: Ertra former: Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia
Gov-type: transitional government
Estonia
Population: 1,431,471
Can Read: 100%;
Death-rate: 13.55 per Thousand
Ethnicity: Estonian 65.1%; Russian 28.1%; Ukrainian 2.5%; Byelorussian 1.5%; Finn 1%; other 1.8%;
Infant-mortality: 12.92/1,000 born,die
Language: Estonian (official),Russian,Ukrainian,English,Finnish,other
Life-expectancy: 69.45 Years
Poverty-line: 6.3%;
Religions: Evangelical Lutheran,Russian Orthodox,Estonian Orthodox,Baptist,Methodist,Seventh-Day Adventist,Roman Catholic,Pentecostal,Word of Life,Jewish
Their Nation: noun: Estonian(s) adjective: Estonian
Area: 45,226 sq km land: 43,211 sq km water: 2,015 sq km note: includes 1,520 islands in the Baltic Sea
Climate: maritime,wet,moderate winters,cool summers
Farmable-Land-Use: 25%; pastures: 11%; woodland: 44%; other: 20%;
High/Low: lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m highest point: Suur Munamagi 318 m
Land-boundaries: 633 km border countries: Latvia 339 km,Russia 294 km
Location:Eastern Europe,bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland,between Latvia and Russia
Nat'l-Hazards: flooding occurs frequently in the spring
Natural-resources: shale oil (kukersite),peat,phosphorite,amber,cambrian blue clay,limestone,dolomite,arable land
Terrain: marshy,lowlands
Cell Phones: 246,000
ISPs: 6
Phones: 476,078
Radio Stations: AM 3 , FM 82, shortwave 1
Radios: 1.01 million
TV Stations: 31
TVs: 605,000
Airports: 5
Highways: 49,480 km paved: 10,935 km. unpaved: 38,545 km
Ports/Harbors: Haapsalu,Kunda,Muuga,Paldiski,Parnu,Tallinn
Rails: 1,018 km
Waterways: 320 km perennially navigable
Currency: 1 Estonian kroon (EEK) = 100 sents
Exports: machinery and appliances 19%; wood products 15%; textiles 13%; food products 12%; metals 10%; chemical products 8%;
Farming: potatoes,fruits,vegetables; livestock and dairy products; fish
Imports: machinery and appliances 26%; foodstuffs 15%; chemical products 10%; metal products 9%; textiles 8%;
Industry: oil shale,shipbuilding,phosphates,electric motors,excavators,cement,furniture,clothing,textiles,paper,shoes,apparel
Admin-Div: 15 counties (maakonnad,singular - maakond)
Capital: Tallinn
Country-name: Republic of Estonia: S/F Estonia: Localy called: Eesti Vabariik, localy called: Eesti former: Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic
Gov-type: parliamentary democracy
Ethiopia
Population: 64,117,452
Can Read: 35.5%;
Death-rate: 17.63 per Thousand
Ethnicity: Oromo 40%; Amhara and Tigre 32%; Sidamo 9%; Shankella 6%; Somali 6%; Afar 4%; Gurage 2%; other 1%;
Infant-mortality: 101.29/1,000 born,die
Language: Amharic,Tigrinya,Orominga,Guaraginga,Somali,Arabic,other local languages,English (major foreign language taught in schools)
Life-expectancy: 45.17 Years (~
Religions: Muslim 45%-50%; Ethiopian Orthodox 35%-40%; animist 12%; other 3%-8%;
Their Nation: noun: Ethiopian(s) adjective: Ethiopian
Area: 1,127,127 sq km land: 1,119,683 sq km water: 7,444 sq km
Climate: tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation
Farmable-Land-Use: 12%; crops: 1%; pastures: 40%; woodland: 25%; other: 22%;
GeoNote: landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993
High/Low: lowest point: Denakil -125 m highest point: Ras Dashen Terara 4,620 m
Land-boundaries: 5,311 km border countries: Djibouti 337 km,Eritrea 912 km,Kenya 830 km,Somalia 1,626 km,Sudan 1,606 km
Location:Eastern Africa,west of Somalia
Nat'l-Hazards: geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes,volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts
Natural-resources: small reserves of gold,platinum,copper,potash,natural gas,hydropower
Terrain: high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley
Cell Phones: 4,000
ISPs: 1
Phones: 365,000
Radio Stations: AM 5,FM 0,shortwave 2
Radios: 11.75 million
TV Stations: 25
TVs: 320,000
Airports: 85
Highways: 28,500 km paved: 4,275 km unpaved: 24,225 km
Ports/Harbors: none; Ethiopia is landlocked and was by agreement with Eritrea using the ports of Assab and Massawa; since the border dispute with Eritrea flared,Ethiopia has used the port of Djibouti for nearly all of its imports
Rails: 681 km
Currency: 1 birr (Br) = 100 cents
Exports: coffee,gold,leather products,oilseeds
Farming: cereals,pulses,coffee,oilseed,sugarcane,potatoes; hides,cattle,sheep,goats
Imports: food and live animals,petroleum and petroleum products,chemicals,machinery,motor vehicles
Industry: food processing,beverages,textiles,chemicals,metals processing,cement other: 3.31%;
Admin-Div: 9 ethnically-based administrative regions (astedader akababiwach,singular - astedader akabibi) and 2 chartered cities - Addis Ababa
Capital: Addis Ababa
Country-name: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia: S/F Ethiopia: Localy called: Ityop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik, localy called: Ityop'iya abbreviation: FDRE
Gov-type: federal republic
Finland
Population: 5,167,486
Can Read: 100%
Death-rate: 9.73 per Thousand
Ethnicity: Finn 93%; Swede 6%; Lapp 0.11%; Roma 0.12%; Tatar 0.02%;
Infant-mortality: 3.82/1,000 born,die
Language: Finnish 93.4%; (official),Swedish 5.9%; (official),small Lapp- and Russian-speaking minorities
Life-expectancy: 77.41 Years
Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 89%; Greek Orthodox 1%; none 9%; other 1%;
Their Nation: noun: Finn(s) adjective: Finnish
Area: 337,030 sq km land: 305,470 sq km water: 31,560 sq km
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
Farmable-Land-Use: 8%; woodland: 76%; other: 16%;
GeoNote: long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain
High/Low: lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m highest point: Haltiatunturi 1,328 m
Land-boundaries: 2,628 km border countries: Norway 729 km,Sweden 586 km,Russia 1,313 km
Location:Northern Europe,bordering the Baltic Sea,Gulf of Bothnia,and Gulf of Finland,between Sweden and Russia
Natural-resources: timber,copper,zinc,iron ore,silver
Terrain: mostly low,flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills
Cell Phones: 2,162,574
ISPs: 36
Phones: 2.861 million
Radio Stations: AM 2,FM 186,shortwave 1
Radios: 7.7 million
TV Stations: 130 (plus 385 repeaters)
TVs: 3.2 million
Airports: 157
Highways: 77,895 km paved: 49,853 km, unpaved: 28,042 km
Ports/Harbors: Hamina,Helsinki,Kokkola,Kotka,Loviisa,Oulu,Pori,Rauma,Turku,Uusikaupunki,Varkaus
Rails: 5,865 km
Waterways: 6,675 km total (including Saimaa Canal); 3,700 km suitable for steamers
Currency: 1 markka (FMk) or Finmark = 100 pennia
Exports: machinery and equipment,chemicals,metals; timber,paper,and pulp
Farming: cereals,sugar beets,potatoes; dairy cattle; fish
Imports: foodstuffs,petroleum and petroleum products,chemicals,transport equipment,iron and steel,machinery,textile yarn and fabrics,fodder grains
Industry: metal products,shipbuilding,pulp and paper,copper refining,foodstuffs,chemicals,textiles,clothing
Admin-Div: 6 provinces
Capital: Helsinki
Country-name: Republic of Finland: S/F Finland: Localy called: Suomen Tasavalta, localy called: Suomi
Gov-type: republic
France
Population: 59,329,691
Can Read: 99%
Death-rate: 9.14 per Thousand
Ethnicity: Celtic and Latin with Teutonic,Slavic,North African,Indochinese,Basque minorities
Infant-mortality: 4.51/1,000 born,die
Language: French 100%; rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal,Breton, Alsatian, Corsican,Catalan,Basque,Flemish)
Life-expectancy: 78.76 Years
Religions: Roman Catholic 90%; Protestant 2%; Jewish 1%; Muslim (North African workers) 1%; unaffiliated 6%;
Their Nation: noun: Frenchman(men),Frenchwoman(women) adjective: French
Area: 547,030 sq km land: 545,630 sq km water: 1,400 sq km note: includes only metropolitan France,but excludes the overseas administrative divisions
Climate: generally cool winters and mild summers,but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean
Farmable-Land-Use: 33%; crops: 2%; pastures: 20%; woodland: 27%; other: 18%;
GeoNote: largest West European nation; occasional strong,cold,dry,north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral
High/Low: lowest point: Rhone River delta -2 m highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m
Land-boundaries: 2,889 km border countries: Andorra 56.6 km,Belgium 620 km,Germany 451 km,Italy 488 km,Luxembourg 73 km,Monaco 4.4 km,Spain 623 km,Switzerland 573 km
Location:Western Europe,bordering the Bay of Biscay and English Channel,between Belgium and Spain,southeast of the UK; bordering the Mediterranean Sea,between Italy and Spain
Nat'l-Hazards: flooding; avalanches
Natural-resources: coal,iron ore,bauxite,fish,timber,zinc,potash
Terrain: mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous,especially Pyrenees in south,Alps in east
Cell Phones: 11.078 million (yearend 1998)
ISPs: 128
Phones: 34.86 million (yearend 1998)
Radio Stations: AM 41,FM about 3,500 (this figure is an approximation and includes many repeaters),shortwave 2
Radios: 55.3 million
TV Stations: 574 (plus 9,634 repeaters)
TVs: 34.8 million
Airports: 474
Highways: 893,300 km paved: 893,300 km
Ports/Harbors: Bordeaux,Boulogne,Cherbourg,Dijon,Dunkerque,La Pallice,Le Havre,Lyon,Marseille,Mullhouse,Nantes,Paris,Rouen,Saint Nazaire,Saint Malo,Strasbourg
Rails: 31,939 km
Waterways: 14,932 km; 6,969 km heavily traveled
Currency: 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exports: machinery and transportation equipment,chemicals,iron and steel products; agricultural products,textiles and clothing
Farming: wheat,cereals,sugar beets,potatoes,wine grapes; beef,dairy products; fish
Imports: crude oil,machinery and equipment,chemicals; agricultural products
Industry: steel,machinery,chemicals,automobiles,metallurgy,aircraft,electronics,mining; textiles,food processing; tourism
Admin-Div: 22 regions (regions,singular - region);
Capital: Paris
Country-name: French Republic: S/F France: Localy called: Republique Francaise, localy called: France
Gov-type: republic
Gabon
Population: 1,208,436
Can Read: 63.2%;
Death-rate: 16.83 per Thousand
Ethnicity: Bantu tribes including four major tribal groupings (Fang,Eshira,Bapounou,Bateke),other Africans and Europeans 154,000,including 6,000 French and 11,000 persons of dual nationality
Infant-mortality: 96.3/1,000 born,die
Language: French (official),Fang,Myene,Bateke,Bapounou/Eschira,Bandjabi
Life-expectancy: 50.08 Years
Religions: Christian 55%-75%; Muslim less than 1%; animist
Their Nation: noun: Gabonese (singular and plural) adjective: Gabonese
Area: 267,667 sq km land: 257,667 sq km water: 10,000 sq km
Climate tropical; always hot,humid
Farmable-Land-Use: 1%; crops: 1%; pastures: 18%; woodland: 77%; other: 3%;
High/Low:Low Ocean level highest point: Mont Iboundji 1,575 m
Land-boundaries: 2,551 km border countries: Cameroon 298 km,Republic of the Congo 1,903 km,Equatorial Guinea 350 km
Location:Western Africa,bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator,between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea
Natural-resources: petroleum,manganese,uranium,gold,timber,iron ore,hydropower
Terrain: narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south
Cell Phones: 4,000
ISPs: 1
Phones: 32,000
Radio Stations: AM 6,FM 7,shortwave 6
Radios: 208,000
TV Stations: 4
TVs: 63,000
Airports: 61
Highways: 7,670 km paved: 629 km, unpaved: 7,041 km
Ports/Harbors: Cap Lopez,Kango,Lambarene,Libreville,Mayumba,Owendo,Port-Gentil
Rails: 649 km.
Waterways: 1,600 km perennially navigable
Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Exports: crude oil 75%; timber,manganese,uranium
Farming: cocoa,coffee,sugar,palm oil,rubber; cattle; okoume (a tropical softwood); fish
Imports: machinery and equipment,foodstuffs,chemicals,petroleum products,construction materials
Industry: food and beverage; textile; lumbering and plywood; cement; petroleum extraction and refining; manganese,uranium,and gold mining; chemicals; ship repair
Admin-Div: 9 provinces
Capital: Libreville
Country-name: Gabonese Republic: S/F Gabon: Localy called: Republique Gabonaise, localy called: Gabon
Gov-type: republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties legalized in 1990)
Gaza Strip
Population: 1,132,063 note: in addition,there are some 6,500 Israeli settlers in the Gaza Strip
Death-rate: 4.31 per Thousand
Ethnicity: Palestinian Arab and other 99.4%; Jewish 0.6%;
Infant-mortality: 25.97/1,000 born,die
Language: Arabic,Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians),English (widely understood)
Life-expectancy: 70.82 Years
Religions: Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 98.7%; Christian 0.7%; Jewish 0.6%;
Area: 360 sq km land: 360 sq km
Climate: temperate,mild winters,dry and warm to hot summers
Farmable-Land-Use: 24%; crops: 39%; woodland: 11%; other: 26%;
GeoNote: there are 24 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Gaza Strip (August 1999)
High/Low: lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Auda) 105 m
Land-boundaries: 62 km border countries: Egypt 11 km,Israel 51 km
Location:Middle East,bordering the Mediterranean Sea,between Egypt and Israel
Natural-resources: arable land
Terrain: flat to rolling,sand- and dune-covered coastal plain
ISPs: 3
Phones: 95,729 (total for Gaza Strip and West Bank)
Radios: most Palestinian households have radios
TV Stations: 2
TVs:most Palestinian households have televisions
Airports: 2
Ports/Harbors: Gaza
Currency: 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot
Exports: citrus,flowers
Farming: olives,citrus,vegetables; beef,dairy products
Imports: food,consumer goods,construction materials
Industry: generally small family businesses that produce textiles,soap,olive-wood carvings,and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale modern industries in an industrial center
Country-name: none: S/F Gaza Strip: Localy called: none, localy called: Qita Ghazzah
Georgia
Population: 5,019,538
Can Read: 99%
Death-rate: 14.52 per Thousand
Ethnicity: Georgian 70.1%; Armenian 8.1%; Russian 6.3%; Azeri 5.7%; Ossetian 3%; Abkhaz 1.8%; other 5%;
Infant-mortality: 52.94/1,000 born,die
Language: Georgian 71%; (official),Russian 9%; Armenian 7%; Azeri 6%; other 7%; note: Abkhaz (official in Abkhazia)
Life-expectancy: 64.48 Years
Poverty-line: 60%;
Religions: Georgian Orthodox 65%; Muslim 11%; Russian Orthodox 10%; Armenian Apostolic 8%; unknown 6%;
Their Nation: noun: Georgian(s) adjective: Georgian
Area: 69,700 sq km land: 69,700 sq km
Climate: warm and pleasant; Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast
Farmable-Land-Use: 9%; crops: 4%; pastures: 25%; woodland: 34%; other: 28%.
High/Low: lowest point: Black Sea 0 m highest point: Mt'a Mqinvartsveri (Gora Kazbek) 5,048 m
Land-boundaries: 1,461 km border countries: Armenia 164 km,Azerbaijan 322 km,Russia 723 km,Turkey 252 km
Location:Southwestern Asia,bordering the Black Sea,between Turkey and Russia
Nat'l-Hazards: earthquakes
Natural-resources: forests,hydropower,manganese deposits,iron ore,copper,minor coal and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow for important tea and citrus growth
Terrain: largely mountainous with Great Caucasus Mountains in the north and Lesser Caucasus Mountains in the south; Kolkhet'is Dablobi (Kolkhida Lowland) opens to the Black Sea in the west; Mtkvari River Basin in the east; good soils in river valley flood plains,foothills of Kolkhida Lowland
Cell Phones: 150
ISPs: 5
Phones: 554,000
Radio Stations: AM 7,FM 12,shortwave 4
Radios: 3.02 million
TV Stations: 12 (plus repeaters)
TVs: 2.57 million
Airports: 28
Highways: 20,700 km paved: 19,354 km unpaved: 1,346 km
Ports/Harbors: Bat'umi,P'ot'i,Sokhumi
Rails: 1,583 km
Currency: 1 lari (GEL) = 100 tetri
Exports: citrus fruits,tea,wine,other agricultural products; diverse types of machinery and metals; chemicals; fuel reexports; textiles
Farming: citrus,grapes,tea,vegetables,potatoes; livestock
Imports: fuel,grain and other foods,machinery and parts,transport equipment
Industry: steel,aircraft,machine tools,electric locomotives,trucks,tractors,textiles,shoes,chemicals,wood products,wine
Admin-Div: 53 rayons (raionebi,singular - raioni), 9 cities (k'alak'ebi,singular - k'alak'i),and 2 autonomous republics (avtomnoy respubliki,singular - avtom respublika).
Capital: T'bilisi
Country-name: none: S/F Georgia: Localy called: none, localy called: Sak'art'velo former: Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic
Gov-type: republic
Germany
Population: 82,797,408
Can Read: 99%
Death-rate: 10.49 per Thousand
Ethnicity: German 91.5%; Turkish 2.4%; other 6.1%; (made up largely of Serbo-Croatian,Italian,Russian,Greek,Polish,Spanish)
Infant-mortality: 4.77/1,000 born,die
Language: German
Life-expectancy: 77.44 Years
Religions: Protestant 38%; Roman Catholic 34%; Muslim 1.7%; unaffiliated or other 26.3%;
Their Nation: noun: German(s) adjective: German
Area: 357,021 sq km land: 349,223 sq km water: 7,798 sq km
Climate: temperate and marine; cool,cloudy,wet winters and summers; occasional warm foehn wind
Farmable-Land-Use: 33%; crops: 1%; pastures: 15%; woodland: 31%; other: 20%;
GeoNote: strategic location on North European Plain and along the entrance to the Baltic Sea
High/Low: lowest point: Freepsum Lake -2 m highest point: Zugspitze 2,963 m
Land-boundaries: 3,621 km border countries: Austria 784 km,Belgium 167 km,Czech Republic 646 km,Denmark 68 km,France 451 km,Luxembourg 138 km,Netherlands 577 km,Poland 456 km, Switzerland 334 km
Location:Central Europe,bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea,between the Netherlands and Poland,south of Denmark
Nat'l-Hazards: flooding
Natural-resources: iron ore,coal,potash,timber,lignite,uranium,copper,natural gas,salt,nickel,arable land
Terrain: lowlands in north,uplands in center,Bavarian Alps in south
Cell Phones: 15.318 million (April 1999)
ISPs: 625
Phones:46.5 million main lines are installed (July 1999)
Radio Stations: AM 51,FM 767,shortwave 4
Radios: 77.8 million
TV Stations: 9,513 (including repeaters)
TVs: 51.4 million
Airports: 615
Highways: 656,140 km paved: 650,891 km, unpaved: 5,249 km
Ports/Harbors: Berlin,Bonn,Brake,Bremen,Bremerhaven,Cologne,Dresden,Duisburg,Emden,Hamburg,Karlsruhe,Kiel,Lubeck,Magdeburg,Mannheim,Rostock,Stuttgart
Rails: 40,826 km.
Waterways: 7,500 km ; major rivers include the Rhine and Elbe; Kiel Canal is an important connection between the Baltic Sea and North Sea
Currency: 1 deutsche mark (DM) = 100 pfennige
Exports: machinery,vehicles,chemicals,metals and manufactures,foodstuffs,textiles
Farming: potatoes,wheat,barley,sugar beets,fruit,cabbages; cattle,pigs,poultry
Imports: machinery,vehicles,chemicals,foodstuffs,textiles,metals
Industry: among world's largest and technologically advanced producers of iron,steel,coal,cement,chemicals,machinery,vehicles,machine tools,electronics,food and beverages; shipbuilding; textiles
Admin-Div: 16 states
Capital: Berlin
Country-name: Federal Republic of Germany: S/F Germany: Localy called: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, localy called: Deutschland
Gov-type: federal republic
Ghana
Population: 19,533,560
Can Read: 64.5%;
Death-rate: 10.22 per Thousand
Ethnicity: black African 99.8%; (major tribes - Akan 44%; Moshi-Dagomba 16%; Ewe 13%; Ga 8%),European and other 0.2%;
Infant-mortality: 57.43/1,000 born,die
Language: English (official),African languages (including Akan,Moshi-Dagomba,Ewe,and Ga)
Life-expectancy: 57.42 Years
Poverty-line: 31.4%
Religions: indigenous beliefs 38%; Muslim 30%; Christian 24%; other 8%;
Their Nation: noun: Ghanaian(s) adjective: Ghanaian
Area: 238,540 sq km land: 230,020 sq km water: 8,520 sq km
Climate tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north
Farmable-Land-Use: 12%; crops: 7%; pastures: 22%; woodland: 35%; other: 24%;
GeoNote: Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake; northeasterly harmattan wind (January to March)
High/Low:Low Ocean level highest point: Mount Afadjato 880 m
Land-boundaries: 2,093 km border countries: Burkina Faso 548 km,Cote d'Ivoire 668 km,Togo 877 km
Location:Western Africa,bordering the Gulf of Guinea,between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo
Nat'l-Hazards: dry,dusty,harmattan winds occur from January to March; droughts
Natural-resources: gold,timber,industrial diamonds,bauxite,manganese,fish,rubber,hydropower
Terrain: mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area
Cell Phones: 30,000 (yearend 1998)
ISPs: 2
Phones: 200,000
Radio Stations: FM 18,shortwave 3
Radios: 4.4 million
TV Stations: 11
TVs: 1.73 million
Airports: 12
Highways: 39,409 km paved: 11,653 km, unpaved: 27,756 km
Ports/Harbors: Takoradi,Tema
Rails: 953 km
Waterways: Volta,Ankobra,and Tano Rivers provide 168 km of perennial navigation for launches and lighters; Lake Volta provides 1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways
Currency: 1 new cedi (C) = 100 pesewas
Exports: gold,cocoa,timber,tuna,bauxite,aluminum,manganese ore,diamonds
Farming: cocoa,rice,coffee,cassava (tapioca),peanuts,corn,shea nuts,bananas; timber
Imports: capital equipment,petroleum,foodstuffs
Industry: mining,lumbering,light manufacturing,aluminum smelting,food processing
Admin-Div: 10 regions;
Capital: Accra
Country-name: Republic of Ghana: S/F Ghana former: Gold Coast
Gov-type: constitutional democracy
Greece
Population: 10,601,527
Can Read: 95%
Death-rate: 9.64 per Thousand
Ethnicity: Greek 98%; other 2%; note: the Greek Government states there are no ethnic divisions in
Infant-mortality: 6.51/1,000 born,die
Language: Greek 99%; (official),English,French
Life-expectancy: 78.44 Years
Religions: Greek Orthodox 98%; Muslim 1.3%; other 0.7%;
Their Nation: noun: Greek(s) adjective: Greek
Area: 131,940 sq km land: 130,800 sq km water: 1,140 sq km
Climate temperate: mild,wet winters; hot,dry summers
Farmable-Land-Use: 19%; crops: 8%; pastures: 41%; woodland: 20%; other: 12%;
GeoNote: strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country,possessing an archipelago of about 2,000 islands
High/Low: lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Olympus 2,917 m
Land-boundaries: 1,210 km border countries: Albania 282 km,Bulgaria 494 km,Turkey 206 km,The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 228 km
Location:Southern Europe,bordering the Aegean Sea,Ionian Sea,and the Mediterranean Sea,between Albania and Turkey
Nat'l-Hazards: severe earthquakes
Natural-resources: bauxite,lignite,magnesite,petroleum,marble,hydropower
Terrain: mostly mountains with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or chains of islands
Cell Phones: 328,500
ISPs: 23
Phones: 5.431 million
Radio Stations: AM 26,FM 88,shortwave 4
Radios: 5.02 million
TV Stations: 64.
TVs: 2.54 million
Airports: 80
Highways: 117,000 km paved: 107,406 km unpaved: 9,594 km
Ports/Harbors: Alexandroupolis,Elefsis,Irakleion (Crete),Kavala,Kerkyra,Chalkis,Igoumenitsa,Lavrion,Patrai,Peiraiefs (Piraeus),Thessaloniki,Volos
Rails: 2,548 km
Waterways: 80 km; system consists of three coastal canals; including the Corinth Canal (6 km) which crosses the Isthmus of Corinth connecting the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf and shortens the sea voyage from the Adriatic to Peiraiefs (Piraeus) by 325 km; and three unconnected rivers
Currency: 1 drachma (Dr) = 100 lepta
Exports: manufactured goods,food and beverages,fuels
Farming: wheat,corn,barley,sugar beets,olives,tomatoes,wine,tobacco,potatoes; beef,dairy products
Imports: manufactured goods,foodstuffs,fuels,chemicals
Industry: tourism; food and tobacco processing,textiles; chemicals,metal products; mining,petroleum other: 0.5%;
Admin-Div: 51 prefectures (nomoi,singular - nomos)and 1 autonomous region;
Capital: Athens
Country-name: Hellenic Republic: S/F Greece: Localy called: Elliniki Dhimokratia, localy called: Ellas or Ellada former: Kingdom of Greece
Gov-type: parliamentary republic; monarchy rejected by referendum 8 December 1974
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