Madagascaren

Madagascar

AREA	587,041 sq km (226,658 sq miles).
POPULATION	13,494,000 (1996).
POPULATION DENSITY	23.0 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Antananarivo (formerly Tananarive).
CAPITAL POPULATION	1,052,835 (1993).
GEOGRAPHY	Madagascar, the fourth-largest island in the world, lies in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Mozambique. It includes several much smaller islands. A central chain of high mountains, the Hauts Plateaux, occupies more than half of the main island and is responsible for the marked differences – ethnically, climatically and scenically – between the east and west coasts. The narrow strip of lowlands on the east coast, settled from the 6th century by Polynesian seafarers, is largely covered by dense rainforests, whereas the broader west-coast landscape, once covered by dry deciduous forests, is now mostly savannah. The east coast receives the monsoon and, on both coasts, the climate is wetter towards the north. The southern tip of the island is semi-desert, with great forests of cactus-like plants. The capital, Antananarivo, is high up in the Hauts Plateaux near the island's centre. Much of Madagascar's flora and fauna is unique to the island. There are 3000 endemic species of butterfly; the many endemic species of lemurs fill the niches occupied elsewhere by animals as varied as racoons, monkeys, marmots, bushbabies, sloths and even (though this variant is now extinct) bears; there is a similar diversity of reptiles, amphibians and birds (especially ducks), and also at all levels of plant life.
GOVERNMENT	Republic since 1992. Gained independence from France in 1960. Head of State: President Didier Ratsiraka since 1997. Head of Government: Prime Minister René Tantely Andrianarivo since 1998.
LANGUAGE	The official languages are Malagasy (which is related to Indonesian) and French. Local dialects are also spoken. Very little English is spoken.
RELIGION	51% follow Animist beliefs, about 43% Christian; remainder Muslim.
STANDARD TIME	GMT + 3.
ELECTRICITY	Mostly 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are generally 2-pin.

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Macau

Macau

AREA	21.45 sq km (8.28 sq miles).
POPULATION	430,539 (1998). 95% of the population is Chinese and 5% Portuguese, European and from other regions.
POPULATION DENSITY	20,0071.7 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Macau.
CAPITAL POPULATION
GEOGRAPHY	Macau is situated on a tiny peninsula at the mouth of the Pearl River. Two bridges of 2.5km (1.5 miles) and 4.5km (2.8 miles) respectively link it to its nearest island of Taipa, which in turn is joined to the island of Côloane by a 2.2 km-/1.3 mile-long causeway. At the extreme northern end of the peninsula, on a narrow isthmus, is the imposing gateway (Portas do Cerco, or Border Gate), which leads to the Zhuhai and Zhongshan areas of the People's Republic of China. Some 60km (37.5 miles) to the east-northeast, across the mouth of the river, is Hong Kong.
GOVERNMENT	Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China since 1999. Head of State: President Jiang Zemin since 1999. Head of Government: Chief Executive.
LANGUAGE	The official languages are Chinese (Cantonese) and Portuguese. English is widely spoken by those engaged in trade, tourism and commerce.
RELIGION	The main religions are Buddhism, Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. The majority are Buddhists while 7% are Catholics.
STANDARD TIME	GMT + 8.
ELECTRICITY	Usually 220 volts AC, 50Hz.

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Luxembourg

Luxembourg

AREA	2586 sq km (999 sq miles).
POPULATION	423,700 (1998).
POPULATION DENSITY	163.8 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Luxembourg-Ville.
CAPITAL POPULATION	79,500 (1998).
GEOGRAPHY	The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg shares borders to the north and west with Belgium, to the south with France and to the east with Germany. One-third of the country is made up of the hills and forests of the Ardennes, while the rest is wooded farmland. In the southeast is the rich wine-growing valley of Moselle. The capital, Luxembourg-Ville, is built on a rock overlooking the Alzette and Petrusse valleys.
GOVERNMENT	Constitutional monarchy. Luxembourg is a founding member of the European Union and the only Grand Duchy in the world. Head of State: Grand Duke Jean since 1964. Head of Government: Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker since 1995.
LANGUAGE	Lëtzeburgesch, a German-Moselle-Frankish dialect, became the officially recognised national language in 1984. French and German are generally used for administrative and commercial purposes. Many Luxembourgers also speak English.
RELIGION	91% Roman Catholic, with Protestant, Anglican and Jewish minorities.
STANDARD TIME	GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).

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Lithuania

Lithuania

AREA	65,301 sq km (25,213 sq miles).
POPULATION	3,701,253 (1999).
POPULATION DENSITY	56.7 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Vilnius.
CAPITAL POPULATION	578,412 (1999).
GEOGRAPHY	Lithuania is situated on the eastern Baltic coast and borders Latvia in the north, the Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation and Poland in the southwest and Belarus in the southwest and east. The geometrical centre of Europe lies in eastern Lithuania near the village of Bernotai, 25km (16 miles) north of Vilnius. The landscape alternates between lowland plains and hilly uplands and has a dense, intricate network of rivers, including the Nemunas and the Neris. 1.5% of the country's territory is made up of lakes, of which there are over 2800. The majority of these lie in the east of the country and include Lake Druksiai and Lake Tauragnas.
GOVERNMENT	Republic. Declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1989. Head of State: President Valdas Adamkus since 1996. Head of Government: Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius since 1999.
LANGUAGE	Lithuanian is the official language. Lithuanian has a large number of dialects for such a small territory, including High Lithuanian (Aukstaiciai) and Low Lithuanian (Zemaiciai).
RELIGION	Predominantly Roman Catholic with Evangelical Lutheran, Evangelical Reformist, Russian Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim and Jewish minorities.
STANDARD TIME	GMT + 2.
ELECTRICITY	220 volts AC, 50Hz. European 2-pin plugs are in use.

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Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein

AREA	160 sq km (61.8 sq miles).
POPULATION	31,000 (1997).
POPULATION DENSITY	200.0 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Vaduz
CAPITAL POPULATION	5106 (1998).
GEOGRAPHY	Liechtenstein shares borders with Austria and Switzerland and lies between the upper reaches of the Rhine Valley and the Austrian Alps. The principality is noted for its fine vineyards.
GOVERNMENT	Imperial Principality with a hereditary constitutional monarchy. Principality established in 1719. Present Constitution from 1921. Head of State: Prince Hans Adam II since 1989. Head of Government: Prime Minister Mario Frick since 1993.
LANGUAGE	German; a dialect of Alemannish is widely spoken. English is also spoken.
RELIGION	Christian, predominantly Roman Catholic.
STANDARD TIME	GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).
ELECTRICITY	220 volts AC, 50Hz. European 2-pin plugs are used.

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LlibyaArab Jamahiriya

LlibyaArab Jamahiriya

AREA	1,775,500 sq km (685,520 sq miles).
POPULATION	4,811,902 (1995).
POPULATION DENSITY	2.7 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Tripoli.
CAPITAL POPULATION	990,700 (1984).
GEOGRAPHY	Libya consists mostly of huge areas of desert. It shares borders with Tunisia and Algeria in the west, and Egypt in the east, while the Sahara extends across the southern frontiers with Niger, Chad and the Sudan. There are almost 2000km (1250 miles) of Mediterranean coast, with a low plain extending from the Tunisian border to the Jebel Akhdar (Green Mountain) area in the east. Inland the terrain becomes more hilly. Agriculture has developed mainly on the coast between Zuara and Misurata in the west and from Marsa Susa to Benghazi in the east. In the uplands of the old province of Cyrenaica and on Jebel Akhdar the vegetation is more lush. With the exception of the 'Sand Sea' of the Sarir Calanscio, and the Saharan mountains of the Sarir Tibesti, there are oases scattered throughout the country.
GOVERNMENT	Jamahiriya (state of the masses). Gained independence from Italy in 1951. Head of State: Muammar al-Qadhafi (Leader of the Revolution) since 1969. Head of Government: Premier Muhammad al-Manqush (Secretary of the General People's Committee) since 1998.
LANGUAGE	Arabic (which must be used for all official purposes), with some English or Italian. All road, shop and other signs are in Arabic. English is normally understood by people working in hotels, restaurants and shops.
RELIGION	Sunni Muslim.
STANDARD TIME	GMT + 2.
ELECTRICITY	150/220 volts AC, 50Hz. All services may be intermittently disrupted by power cuts.

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Liberia

Liberia

AREA	97,754 sq km (37,743 sq miles).
POPULATION	2,879,000 (1997).
POPULATION DENSITY	29.5 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Monrovia.
CAPITAL POPULATION	668,000 (1990).
GEOGRAPHY	Liberia borders Sierra Leone, Guinea Republic and Côte d'Ivoire. The Atlantic coastline to the west is 560km (348 miles) long, of which over half is sandy beach. Lying parallel to the shore are three distinct belts. The low coastal belt is well watered by shallow lagoons, tidal creeks and mangrove swamps, behind which rises a gently undulating plateau, 500-800m (1640-2625ft) high, partly covered with dense forests. Inland and to the north is the mountain region which includes Mount Nimba at 1752m (5748ft) and Waulo Mountain at 1400m (4593ft). About half the country's population are rural dwellers.
GOVERNMENT	Republic. Gained independence from the USA in 1847. Head of State and Government: President Charles Ghankay Taylor since 1997.
LANGUAGE	English is the official language. The main local languages are Bassa, Dan (Gio), Kpelleh, Kru, Lorma and Mano.
RELIGION	Officially a Christian state, with more than 30 denominations represented; Islam is practised in the north and traditional animist beliefs exist throughout the country.
STANDARD TIME	GMT.
ELECTRICITY	110 volts AC, 60Hz.

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Lesotho

Lesotho

AREA	30,355 sq km (11,720 sq miles).
POPULATION	2,131,000 (1997).
POPULATION DENSITY	70.2 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Maseru.
CAPITAL POPULATION	170,000 (1990).
GEOGRAPHY	Lesotho is a landlocked country surrounded on all sides by South Africa. It is a mountainous kingdom situated at the highest part of the Drakensberg escarpment on the eastern rim of the South African plateau. Its mountainous terrain is cut by countless valleys and ravines, making it a country of great beauty. To the west the land descends through a foothill zone of rolling hills to a lowland belt along the border where two-thirds of the population live. Three large rivers, the Orange, the Caledon and the Tugela, rise in the mountains.
GOVERNMENT	Kingdom. Gained independence from the UK in 1966. Head of State: King Letsie III since 1996. Head of Government: Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili since 1998.
LANGUAGE	Sesotho and English.
RELIGION	Christian; mainly Anglican, Catholic and Lesotho Evangelical. The remainder belong to other denominations.
STANDARD TIME	GMT + 2
ELECTRICITY	220 volts AC, 50Hz

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Lativa

Lativa

AREA	64,589 sq km (24,938 sq miles).
POPULATION	2,439,800 (1999).
POPULATION DENSITY	37.8 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Riga
CAPITAL POPULATION	815,851 (1997).
GEOGRAPHY	Latvia is situated on the Baltic coast and borders Estonia in the north, Lithuania in the south, the Russian Federation in the east and Belarus in the southeast. The coastal plain is mostly flat, but inland to the east the land is hilly with forests and lakes. There are about 12,000 rivers in Latvia, the biggest being the River Daugava. The ports of Riga, Liepaja and Ventspils never freeze over during the winter.
GOVERNMENT	Republic. Gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Head of State: President Guntis Ulmanis since 1993. Head of Government: Prime Minister Guntars Krasts since 1997.
LANGUAGE	Latvian is the official language. It is an Indo-European, non-Slavic and non-Germanic language and is similar only to Lithuanian. Russian and, increasingly, English are widely spoken. German may also be understood.
RELIGION	Predominantly Protestant (Lutheran) with Roman Catholic communities in the east of the country. There is also a Russian Orthodox minority.
STANDARD TIME	GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).
ELECTRICITY	220 volts AC, 50Hz. European-style 2-pin plugs are in use.

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Lao Peoples Democratic Republic (Laos)

Lao Peoples Democratic Republic (Laos)

AREA	236,800 sq km (91,400 sq miles).
POPULATION	4,845,800 (1997).
POPULATION DENSITY	20.5 per sq km (1997).
CAPITAL	Vientiane.
CAPITAL POPULATION	555,100 (1997).
GEOGRAPHY	Laos is a landlocked country bordered to the north by China, to the east by Vietnam, to the south by Cambodia and to the west by Thailand and Myanmar. Apart from the Mekong River plains along the border of Thailand, the country is mountainous, particularly in the north, and in places is densely forested.
GOVERNMENT	People's Republic since 1975. Head of State: Khamtai Siphandon since 1996. Head of Government: Sisavat Keobounphan since 1998. Gained independence from France in 1953.
LANGUAGE	The official language is Lao, however many tribal languages are also spoken. French, Vietnamese and some English are also spoken.
RELIGION	The Laos-Lum (Valley Laos) people follow the Hinayana (Theravada) form of Buddhism. The religions of the Laos-Theung (Laos of the mountain tops) range from traditional Confucianism to Animism and Christianity.
STANDARD TIME	GMT + 7.
ELECTRICITY	220 volts AC, 50Hz.

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