Indonesia

Indonesia

AREA	1,919,317 sq km (741,053 sq miles).
POPULATION	198,342,900 (1996).
POPULATION DENSITY	103.3 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Jakarta (Java).
CAPITAL POPULATION	9,341,400 (1996).
GEOGRAPHY	Indonesia lies between the mainland of South-East Asia and Australia in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's largest archipelago state. Indonesia is made up of six main islands – Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, Bali, Kalimantan (part of the island of Borneo) and Irian Jaya (the western half of New Guinea) – and 30 smaller archipelagos. In total, the Indonesian archipelago consists of more than 17,000 islands. 6000 of these are inhabited and stretch over 4828km (3000 miles), most lying in a volcanic belt with more than 300 volcanoes, the great majority of which are extinct. The landscape varies from island to island, ranging from high mountains and plateaux to coastal lowlands and alluvial belts.
GOVERNMENT	Republic. Gained independence from the Netherlands in 1949. Head of State and Government: President Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie since 1998.
LANGUAGE	Bahasa Indonesian is the official national language. It is similar to Malay and written in the Roman alphabet. In addition, there are over 250 recognised languages spoken by as many distinct ethnic groups. Many local languages are further divided by special forms of address depending on social status, and all languages are spoken in a variety of local dialects. English is the most widely used foreign language for business and tourism, and many people in the more remote areas have a basic command of English. The older generation still speak Dutch as a second language.
RELIGION	There is a Muslim majority of approximately 88%, with Christian (10%), Hindu (mainly in Bali) and Buddhist minorities. Animist beliefs are held in remote areas.
STANDARD TIME	Indonesia spans three time zones: Bangka, Billiton, Java, West and Central Kalimantan, Madura and Sumatra: GMT + 7 (West), GMT + 8 (Central), GMT + 9 (East). Bali, Flores, South and East Kalimantan, Lombok, Sulawesi, Sumba, Sumbawa and Timor: GMT + 8. Aru, Irian Jaya, Kai, Moluccas and Tanimbar: GMT + 9.
ELECTRICITY	Generally 220 volts AC, 50Hz, but 110 volts AC, 50Hz, in some rural areas.

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India

India

AREA	3,287,263 sq km (1,269,219 sq miles).
POPULATION	936,000,000 (1997).
POPULATION DENSITY	284.7 per sq km.
CAPITAL	New Delhi.
CAPITAL POPULATION	7,206,704 (1991).
GEOGRAPHY	India shares borders to the northwest with Pakistan, to the north with China, Nepal and Bhutan, and to the east with Bangladesh and Myanmar. To the west lies the Arabian Sea, to the east the Bay of Bengal and to the south the Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka lies off the southeast coast, and the Maldives off the southwest coast. The far northeastern states and territories are all but separated from the rest of India by Bangladesh as it extends northwards from the Bay of Bengal towards Bhutan. The Himalayan mountain range to the north and the Indus River (west) and Ganges River (east) form a physical barrier between India and the rest of Asia. The country can be divided into five regions: Western, Central, Northern (including Kashmir and Rajasthan), Eastern and Southern.
GOVERNMENT	Republic since 1947. Head of State: President Kocherit Raman Narayanan since 1997. Head of Government: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee since 1998.
LANGUAGE	The official language is Hindi which is spoken by about 30% of the population; English is also often used for official or commercial purposes. In addition, 17 regional languages are recognised by the Constitution. These include Punjabi, Bengali, Gujerati and Oriya which are widely used in the north and Tamil and Telegu which are common in the south. Other regional languages are Marathi, Kannada and Malayalam. The Muslim population largely speak Urdu.
RELIGION	80% Hindu, 11% Muslim with Sikh, Christian and Buddhist minorities.
STANDARD TIME	GMT + 5.30.
ELECTRICITY	Usually 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Some areas have a DC supply. Plugs used are of the round 2- and 3-pin type.
COMMUNICATIONS	Telephone: IDD service is widely available all over India. Otherwise calls must be placed through the international operator. Country code: 91. Outgoing international code: 00. Fax: Facilities are available in most 5-star hotels and some offices of the Overseas Communication Service in large cities. Telegram: International 24-hour service from large hotels and telegraphic offices in major cities. Post: Airmail service to Western Europe takes up to a week. Stamps are often sold at hotels. Press: There are numerous local dailies published in several languages. Many newspapers are in English, the most important include The Times of India, Indian Express, The Hindu, Hindustan Times, The Deccan Herald, The Economic Times, The Telegraph and The Statesman.

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Hungary

Hungary

AREA	93,030 sq km (35,919 sq miles).
POPULATION	10,135,400 (1998).
POPULATION DENSITY	108.9 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Budapest
CAPITAL POPULATION	1,861,383 (1998).
GEOGRAPHY	Hungary is situated in Central Europe, sharing borders to the north with the Slovak Republic, to the northeast with Ukraine, to the east with Romania, to the south with Croatia and Serbia and to the west with Austria and Slovenia. There are several ranges of hills, chiefly in the north and west. The Great Plain (Nagyalföld) stretches east from the Danube to the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains in the CIS, to the mountains of Transylvania in Romania, and south to the Fruska Gora range in Croatia. Lake Balaton is the largest unbroken stretch of inland water in Central Europe.
GOVERNMENT	Republic. Head of State: President Árpad Göncz since 1990. Head of Government: Prime Minister Viktor Orbán since 1998.
LANGUAGE	Hungarian (Magyar) is the official language. German and English are widely spoken. Some French is also spoken, mainly in western Hungary.
RELIGION	65% Roman Catholic, 20% Calvinist. Eastern Orthodox and Jewish minorities. There is no official national religion.
STANDARD TIME	GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).
ELECTRICITY	230 volts AC, 50Hz. European-style 2-pin plugs are used.

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Hongkong

Hongkong

AREA	1095 sq km (423 sq miles).
POPULATION	6,502,100 (1997).
POPULATION DENSITY	5938.0 per sq km.
CAPITAL
CAPITAL POPULATION
GEOGRAPHY	Hong Kong is located in the Far East, just south of the Tropic of Cancer. Hong Kong Island is 32km (20 miles) east of the mouth of Pearl River and 135km (84 miles) southeast of Canton. It is separated from the mainland by a good natural harbour. Hong Kong Island was ceded to Britain in 1842 by the Treaty of Nanking; and the Kowloon Peninsula (south of Boundary Street and Stonecutters Island) in 1860 by the Convention of Peking. The area of Boundary Street to Shenzhen River and a group of 260 islands, now known as the New Territories, were leased to Britain in 1898 for a period of 99 years. The New Territories (plus the 260 islands) comprise 891 sq km (380 sq miles). Shortage of land suitable for development has led to reclamation from the sea, principally from the seafronts of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.
GOVERNMENT	Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China since 1997. Head of Government: Chief Executive Tung Chee-Hwa .
LANGUAGE	Chinese and English are the official languages with Cantonese most widely spoken. English is spoken by many, particularly in business circles.
RELIGION	Buddhist, Confucian and Taoist, with Christian and Muslim minorities, but there are also places of worship for most other religious groups.
STANDARD TIME	GMT + 8.
ELECTRICITY	220 volts AC, 50Hz.
COMMUNICATIONS	Telecommunications services are as sophisticated and varied as one might expect in an advanced Western-style economy (including radio-paging and viewdata). Telephone: Directory enquiries services are computerised. For directory enquiries, dial 1081 (English) or 1083 (Chinese). Full IDD is available. Country code: 852. Outgoing international code: 001. Local public telephone calls can be made either with phonecards or coins. Local calls are free from private phones. Fax: HK Telecom International Ltd and the post office provide services. Bureaufax and international services are also available. Post: Regular postal services are available. Airmail to Europe takes three to five days. Poste Restante facilities are available. Post office hours: 0800-1800 Monday to Friday; 0800-1400 Saturday. Press: English-language dailies include Asian Wall Street Journal, Eastern Express, Hong Kong Standard, International Herald Tribune and South China Morning Post.

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Iceland

Iceland

AREA	103,000 sq km (39,770 sq miles).
POPULATION	269,727 (1996).
POPULATION DENSITY	2.6 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Reykjavík.
CAPITAL POPULATION	105,487 (1996).
GEOGRAPHY	Iceland is a large island in the North Atlantic close to the Arctic Circle and includes islands to the north and south. The landscape is wild, rugged and colourful, with black lava, red sulphur, hot blue geysers, grey and white rivers with waterfalls and green valleys, its coastline richly indented with bays and fjords. The whole of the central highland plateau of the island is a beautiful but barren and uninhabitable moonscape; so much so that the first American astronauts were sent there for pre-mission training. Five-sixths of Iceland is uninhabited, the population being concentrated on the coast, in the valleys and in the plains of the southwest and southeast of the country. More than half the population live in or around Reykjavík, the capital. Iceland is one of the most volcanically active countries in the world. Hekla, in the south of Iceland, is the most famous and magnificent volcano of them all. It has erupted no fewer than 16 times since Iceland was settled, and throughout the Middle Ages was considered by European clergymen as one of the gateways to Hell itself. Another volcano, Snæfellsnes, fired Jules Verne's imagination to use its crater as the point of entry for his epic tale Journey to the Centre of the Earth. Iceland's highest and most extensive glacier is Vatnajökull; at 8500 sq km (3280 sq miles), it is the largest in Europe.
GOVERNMENT	Republic. Gained full independence from Denmark in 1944. Head of State: President Ólafur Ragnar Grimsson since 1996. Head of Government: Prime Minister Davið Oddsson since 1991. Iceland's Parliament (the Althing) is the oldest in the world.
LANGUAGE	The official language is Icelandic, which has remained virtually unchanged since the Vikings settled Iceland in the 9th and 10th centuries. The Icelandic language refuses to accept foreign words, preferring instead to coin new words from ancient Viking roots. The word for computer thus becomes hölva, a hybrid made up of the old words for 'number' and 'prophetess'. English (which is taught in schools) and Danish are widely spoken. `
RELIGION	Lutheran, with a Catholic minority.
STANDARD TIME	GMT
ELECTRICITY	220 volts AC, 50Hz. Plug fittings are normally 2-pin with round section pins 4mm in diameter with centres 2cm apart. Lamp fittings are screw-type. Almost all the power is generated by thermal hydro-electric stations.
COMMUNICATIONS	Telephone: Full IDD service is available. Country code: 354. Outgoing international code: 00. There are no longer any area codes; all lines now have a seven-digit number. For Reykjavík, old six-digit numbers are now preceded by 5, while old five-digit numbers are preceded by 55. Fax: Public facilities are available at the main telephone headquarters in Austurvoll Square and in most hotels and offices. Telegram: There is a 24-hour telegram service from the Telegraph Office in Reykjavík. Post: There is an efficient airmail service to Europe. Post offices are open 0830-1630 Monday to Friday. The post office at Austurstræti is also open 1000-1400 Saturday from June-September. Press: The most popular newspapers are Morgunbladid, DV and Dagur. International English-language newspapers and magazines are available.

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Honduras

Honduras

AREA	112,492 sq km (43,433 sq miles).
POPULATION	6,338,000 (1997).
POPULATION DENSITY	56.3 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Tegucigalpa
CAPITAL POPULATION	897,000 (1996).
GEOGRAPHY	Honduras shares borders in the southeast with Nicaragua, in the west with Guatemala, and in the southwest with El Salvador. To the north lies the Caribbean and to the south the Pacific Ocean. The interior of the country comprises a central mountain system running from east to west, cut by rivers flowing into both the Caribbean and Pacific. The lowlands in the south form a plain along the Pacific coast. The Gulf of Fonseca in the southwest contains many islands which have volcanic peaks. The large fertile valleys of the northern Caribbean lowlands are cultivated with banana plantations. However, large areas of land in Honduras are unsuitable for cultivation, and communications tend to be difficult. The majority of the population lives in the western half of the country, while the second-largest concentration of people is in the Cortés area which extends northwards from Lake Yojoa towards the Caribbean.
GOVERNMENT	Republic. Head of State and Government: President Carlos Flores Facussé since 1998.
LANGUAGE	The official language is Spanish. English is widely spoken by the West Indian settlers in the north and on the Bay Islands off the Caribbean coast.
RELIGION	Roman Catholic majority.
STANDARD TIME	GMT - 6.
ELECTRICITY	110/120/220 volts AC, 60Hz.

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Haiti

Haiti

AREA	27,750 sq km (10,714 sq miles).
POPULATION	7,492,000 (1997).
POPULATION DENSITY	270.0 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Port-au-Prince.
CAPITAL POPULATION	846,247 (1995).
GEOGRAPHY	Haiti is situated in the Caribbean and comprises the forested mountainous western end of the island of Hispaniola, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Its area includes the Île de la Gonâve, in the Gulf of the same name; among other islands is La Tortue off the north peninsula. Haiti's coastline is dotted with magnificent beaches, between which stretches lush subtropical vegetation, even covering the slopes which lead down to the shore. Port-au-Prince is a magnificent natural harbour at the end of a deep horseshoe bay.
GOVERNMENT	Republic. Gained independence from France in 1804. Head of State: President René Préval since 1996. Head of Government: Prime Minister Jacques Eduard Aléxis since 1999.
LANGUAGE	The official languages are French and Creole. English is widely spoken in tourist areas.
RELIGION	The official religion is Roman Catholic (75%) with Protestant minorities. Voodooism (an African religion) is still found in Haiti, despite the largely Christian population. Voodooism is a folk religion, manifested by a series of complex ritual drawings, songs and dances.
STANDARD TIME	GMT - 5 (GMT - 4 from first Sunday in April to Saturday before last Sunday in October).
ELECTRICITY	110 volts AC, 60Hz.

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Guyana

Guyana

AREA	214,969 sq km (83,000 sq miles).
POPULATION	838,000 (1996).
POPULATION DENSITY	3.9 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Georgetown
CAPITAL POPULATION	200,000 (1996).
GEOGRAPHY	Guyana lies in the northeast of South America, bordered by Venezuela to the west, Surinam to the southeast and Brazil to the south. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and east. The word 'Guiana' (the original spelling) means 'land of many waters' and the name was well chosen, for there are over 1600km (965 miles) of navigable rivers in the country. The interior is either high savannah uplands (such as those along the Venezuelan border, called the Rupununi, and the Kanaku Mountains in the far southwest), or thick, hilly jungle and forest, which occupy over 85% of the country's area. The narrow coastal belt contains the vast majority of the population, and produces the major cash crop, sugar, and the major subsistence crop, rice. One of the most spectacular sights to be seen in the interior is the towering Kaieteur Falls along the Potaro River, five times the height of Niagara. The country has 322km (206 miles) of coastline. More than 25% of the population lives in or near Georgetown.
GOVERNMENT	Republic. Head of State: President Janet Jagan since 1997. Head of Government: Prime Minister Samuel A Hinds since 1997.
LANGUAGE	English is the official language but Creole, Hindi, Urdu and Amerindian are also spoken.
RELIGION	50% Christian, 33% Hindu, less than 10% Muslim.
STANDARD TIME	GMT - 4.
ELECTRICITY	110 volts AC, 60Hz.

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Guineabissau

Guineabissau

AREA	36,125 sq km (13,948 sq miles).
POPULATION	1,112,000 (1997).
POPULATION DENSITY	30.3 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Bissau.
CAPITAL POPULATION	197,610 (1991).
GEOGRAPHY	Guinea-Bissau (formerly Portuguese Guinea) is located in West Africa, and is bounded to the north by Senegal and to the south and east by the Republic of Guinea. It encompasses the adjacent Bijagós Islands and the island of Bolama. The country rises from a coastal plain broken up by numerous inlets through a transitional plateau to mountains on the border with Guinea. Thick forest and mangrove swamp cover the area nearest the Atlantic Ocean. Savannah covers the inland areas
GOVERNMENT	Republic. Gained independence from Portugal in 1973. Head of State: President Kumba Yala since 2000. Head of Government: Prime Minister Francisco Fadul since 1999.
LANGUAGE	Official language is Portuguese. The majority of the population speak Guinean Creole. Balante and Fulani languages are also spoken.
RELIGION	Mainly Animist and Muslim. There are a small minority of Roman Catholics and other Christians.
STANDARD TIME	GMT.

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Guinea

Guinea

AREA	245,857 sq km (94,926 sq miles).
POPULATION	7,164,823 (1996).
POPULATION DENSITY	29.1 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Conakry
CAPITAL POPULATION	1,000,000 (1996).
GEOGRAPHY	The Republic of Guinea is located in West Africa and bounded to the northwest by Guinea-Bissau, the north by Senegal and Mali, the east by Côte d'Ivoire, the south by Liberia and the southwest by Sierra Leone. Guinea's many rivers supply water to much of West Africa. The River Niger flows north from the southern highlands into Mali before turning south again through Niger and Nigeria. The coastal plain is made up of mangrove swamps, while inland are the Fouta Djalon hills which form several distinct ranges and plateaux over the whole of western Guinea. In the northeast, savannah plains of the Sahel region stretch into Mali. To the south are mountains known as the Guinea Highlands.
GOVERNMENT	Republic since 1958. Gained independence from France in 1958. Head of State: President Lansana Conté since 1993. Head of Government: Prime Minister Laimine Sidime since 1999.
LANGUAGE	French is the official language. Susu, Malinké and Fula are local languages.
RELIGION	74% Muslim, with Animist and Roman Catholic minorities.
STANDARD TIME	GMT.
ELECTRICITY	220 volts, 50Hz.

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