Quatar

Quatar

AREA	11,427 sq km (4412 sq miles).
POPULATION	640,846 (1996).
POPULATION DENSITY	56.1 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Doha.
CAPITAL POPULATION	392,384 (1995).
GEOGRAPHY	Qatar is an oil-rich peninsula jutting out into the Gulf between Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. There are hills in the northwest, but the rest of the country consists of sand dunes and salt flats, with scattered vegetation towards the north.
GOVERNMENT	Emirate since 1971. Head of State: Crown Prince Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani since 1995. Head of Government: Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani since 1996. Gained independence from the UK in 1971.
LANGUAGE	Arabic is the official language. Some English is spoken.
RELIGION	Muslim
STANDARD TIME	GMT + 3.
ELECTRICITY	240/415 volts AC, 50Hz.

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Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico

AREA	8959 sq km (3459 sq miles).
POPULATION	3,833,000 (1998).
POPULATION DENSITY	427.8 per sq km.
CAPITAL	San Juan.
CAPITAL POPULATION	433,705 (1996).
GEOGRAPHY	Puerto Rico is an island east of the Dominican Republic and west of the British Virgin Islands. Also included are several smaller islands, such as Culebra, Mona and Vieques. The island is comparatively small, 8959 sq km (3459 sq miles), with a central mountain range reaching an altitude of 1338m (4390ft) at Cerro de Punta, and surrounded by low coastal plains. The capital is on the northeast shore. Much of the natural forest has been cleared for agriculture, but the trees in the northeast are protected as a national park. The other main towns are Ponce, Bayamón, Mayagüez and Caguas.
GOVERNMENT	Self-governing US Commonwealth Territory (incorporated). Gained internal autonomy in 1951. Head of State: President William Jefferson Clinton since 1993. Head of Government: Governor Pedro Rosselló since 1993.
LANGUAGE	Spanish and English are the official languages.
RELIGION	81% Roman Catholic; the remainder are other Christian denominations and Jews.
STANDARD TIME	GMT - 4.
ELECTRICITY	110 volts AC, 60Hz.

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Portugal

Portugal

AREA	92,345 sq km (35,655 sq miles).
POPULATION	9,927,400 (1996).
POPULATION DENSITY	108.0 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Lisbon.
CAPITAL POPULATION	2,048,000 (1992).
GEOGRAPHY	Portugal occupies the southwest part of the Iberian Peninsula and shares borders in the north and the east with Spain, while to the south and west lies the Atlantic Ocean. The country is divided into various provinces, including the Atlantic islands of Madeira and the Azores; the latter lying some 1220km (760 miles) due west of Lisbon. The Douro, Tagus and Guadiana rivers flow across the border from Spain. North Portugal is mountainous, the highest part being the Serra da Estrela, a popular area for skiing. South of Lisbon stretch the vast plains of the Alentejo region. A range of mountains divides the Alentejo from the Algarve, which runs along the south coast, and is one of the most popular resort areas with wide sandy beaches and attractive bays.
GOVERNMENT	Republic since 1910. Gained independence from Spain in 1640. Head of State: President Jorge Fernando Branco de Sampaio since 1996. Head of Government: Prime Minister António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres since 1995.
LANGUAGE	Portuguese. English is widely spoken within the business community.
RELIGION	Roman Catholic.
STANDARD TIME	GMT (GMT + 1 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).
ELECTRICITY	220 volts AC, 50Hz. 110 volts in some areas and 220 DC in parts of the south. Continental 2-pin plugs are in use.

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Poland

Poland

AREA	312,685 sq km (120,728 sq miles).
POPULATION	38,660,000 (1997).
POPULATION DENSITY	123.6 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Warsaw.
CAPITAL POPULATION	1,625,500 (1996).
GEOGRAPHY	Poland shares borders to the east with the Russian Federation, Belarus, Ukraine and Lithuania, to the south with the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic and to the west with Germany. To the north lies the Baltic Sea. The Baltic coast provides over 500km (300 miles) of sandy beaches, bays, steep cliffs and dunes. Northern Poland is dominated by lakes, islands and wooded hills joined by many rivers and canals. The Mazurian Lake District to the northeast is particularly beautiful. Lake Hancza, the deepest lake in Poland, is located in this district. The River Vistula has cut a wide valley from Gdansk on the Baltic coast to Warsaw in the heart of the country. The rest of the country rises slowly to the Sudety Mountains, which run along the border with the Czech Republic, and the Tatra mountains, which separate Poland from the Slovak Republic. To the west, the River Oder, with Szczecin at its mouth, forms the northwest border with Germany.
GOVERNMENT	Republic since 1918. Head of State: President Aleksander Kwasniewski since 1995. Head of Government: Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek since 1997.
LANGUAGE	Polish is the official language. There is a small German-speaking community. English and Russian are also spoken.
RELIGION	More than 90% Roman Catholic; other religions include Polish Autocephalous Orthodox, Russian and Greek Orthodox, Protestant, Jewish and Muslim.
STANDARD TIME	GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).
ELECTRICITY	220 volts AC, 50Hz; continental sockets.
COMMUNICATIONS	Telephone: Full IDD is available. Country code: 48. Outgoing international code: 00. Cheap rate on long-distance calls is available from 1600-0600. Telephone cards can be purchased from post offices, newsagents and hotel receptions for local calls. Telegram: Services are provided at all main post offices and by phone. Post: Service to Western Europe takes up to four days. Poste Restante facilities are available at post offices throughout the country. Post office hours: 0800-1800 Monday to Friday. Press: Independent publications are flourishing following the changes in the political system; about 100 newspapers are now available. The principal dailies are Gazeta Wyborcza, Rzeczpospolita and Zycie Warszawy. English-language publications include The Warsaw Voice (weekly).

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Philippines

Philippines

AREA	300,000 sq km (115,831 sq miles).
POPULATION	73,130,985 (1998).
POPULATION DENSITY	243.8 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Manila.
CAPITAL POPULATION	1,654,761 (1995).
GEOGRAPHY	The Philippines lie off the southeast coast of Asia between Taiwan and Borneo in the Pacific Ocean and South China Sea. They are composed of 7107 islands and islets (7108 at low tide), 2773 of which are named. The two largest islands, Luzon in the north and Mindanao in the south, account for 65% of the total land area and contain 60% of the country's population. Between the two lie the Visayas Islands.
GOVERNMENT	Republic since 1987. Gained independence from the USA in 1946. Head of State and Government: President Joseph Ejercito Estrada since 1998.
LANGUAGE	Filipino, based on Tagalog, is the national language. English is widely spoken, Spanish less so. The Philippines is the third-largest English-speaking country in the world. There are over 111 cultural and racial groups, each with its own language or dialect.
RELIGION	85% Roman Catholic; the rest are made up mostly of Muslims, other Christian denominations, Buddhists and Taoists.
STANDARD TIME	GMT + 8.
ELECTRICITY	220 volts (110 volts in Baguio) AC, 60Hz. 110 volts is available in most hotels. Flat and round 2- and 3-pin plugs are in use.

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Peru

Peru

AREA	1,285,216 sq km (496,225 sq miles).
POPULATION	25,232,000 (1999).
POPULATION DENSITY	20.0 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Lima
CAPITAL POPULATION	7,060,600 (1998).
GEOGRAPHY	Peru is a large, mountainous country on the Pacific coast of South America. It has borders with Ecuador and Colombia to the north, Brazil and Bolivia to the east, and Chile to the south. The Pacific Ocean lies to the west. There are three natural zones, running roughly north to south: Costa (Coast), Sierra (the Highlands) and Selva (Amazonian Jungle). The Costa region, which contains Lima (the capital) is a narrow coastal plain consisting of large tracts of desert broken by fertile valleys. The cotton, sugar and rice plantations and most of the so far exploited oil fields lie in this area. The Sierra contains the Andes, with peaks over 6000m (20,000ft), most of the country's mineral resources (silver, zinc, lead, copper and gold) and the greater part of its livestock. The Selva, an area of fertile, subtropical uplands, lies between the Andes and the jungles of eastern Peru. Sections of a proposed international highway are at present being built through it, with some sections already in use. The Amazonian jungle of eastern Peru has vast natural resources. The absence of land communications, however, left the area largely uncharted until full-scale oil exploration began in 1973. The population is largely Indian and Mestizos with a noticeable influence from European (mainly Spanish), Chinese and African settlers.
GOVERNMENT	Republic. Gained independence from Spain in 1824. Head of State: President Alberto Fujimori since 1990. Head of Government: Prime Minister Vícot Joy Way since 1999.
LANGUAGE	Spanish is the official language. Quechua is the most important native language and is spoken in the majority of the Andean cities. Aymará is spoken in some areas of the department of Puno. Many other dialects exist in the jungle regions. English is spoken in major tourist areas.
RELIGION	90% Roman Catholic.
STANDARD TIME	GMT - 5
ELECTRICITY	220 volts AC, 60Hz.

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Paraguay

Paraguay

AREA	406,752 sq km (157,048 sq miles).
POPULATION	5,085,000 (1997).
POPULATION DENSITY	12.5 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Asunción.
CAPITAL POPULATION	546,637 (1994).
GEOGRAPHY	Paraguay is a landlocked country surrounded by Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil, lying some 1440km (900 miles) up the River Paraná from the Atlantic. The River Paraguay, a tributary of the Paraná, divides the country into two sharply contrasting regions. The Oriental zone, which covers 159,800 sq km (61,700 sq miles), consists of undulating country intersected by chains of hills rising to about 600m (2000ft), merging into the Mato Grosso Plateau in the north; the Paraná crosses the area in the east and south. East and southeast of Asunción lie the oldest centres of settlement inhabited by the greater part of the population. This area is bordered to the west by rolling pastures, and to the south by thick primeval forests. The Occidental zone, or Paraguayan Chaco, covers 246,827 sq km (95,300 sq miles). It is a flat alluvial plain, composed mainly of grey clay, which is marked by large areas of permanent swamp in the southern and eastern regions. Apart from a few small settlements, it is sparsely populated.
GOVERNMENT	Republic since 1967. Gained independence from Spain in 1811. Head of State and Government: President Luis Ángel González Macchi since 1999.
LANGUAGE	The official languages are Spanish and Guaraní. Most Paraguayans are bilingual, but prefer to speak Guaraní outside Asunción.
RELIGION	Roman Catholic.
STANDARD TIME	GMT - 4 (GMT - 3 from October to February).
ELECTRICITY	220 volts AC, 50Hz.

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Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea

AREA	462,840 sq km (178,704 sq miles).
POPULATION	4,160,000 (1996).
POPULATION DENSITY	9.0 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Port Moresby.
CAPITAL POPULATION	250,000 (1994).
GEOGRAPHY	Papua New Guinea consists of over 600 islands and lies in the middle of the long chain of islands stretching from mainland South-East Asia. It lies in the South Pacific, 160km (100 miles) north of Australia. The country occupies the eastern half of the second-largest non-continental island in the world, as well as the smaller islands of the Bismarck Archipelago (New Britain, New Ireland, Bougainville and Admiralty Island), the D'Entrecasteaux Island group and the three islands of the Louisiade Archipelago. The main island shares a land border with Irian Jaya, a province of Indonesia. The mainland and larger islands are mountainous and rugged, divided by large fertile upland valleys. Fast-flowing rivers from the highlands descend to the coastal plains. A line of active volcanoes stretches along the north coast of the mainland and continues on the island of New Britain. To the north and south of this central mountain range on the main island lie vast stretches of mangrove swamps and coastal river deltas. Volcanoes and thermal pools are also found in the southeast of other islands. Papua New Guinea also offers the greatest variety of terrestrial ecosystems in the South Pacific, including five types of lowland rainforest, 13 types of montane rainforest, five varieties of palm and swamp forest and three different mangrove forests. Two-thirds of the world's species of orchids come from Papua New Guinea. Birds include 38 species of the bird-of-paradise, and the megapode and cassowary. Marsupials and mammals include cuscus, tree kangaroos, wallabies, bandicoots, spiny anteaters and, in the coastal waters, the dugong. There are between 170 and 200 species of frog and 450 species of butterfly.
GOVERNMENT	Constitutional monarchy. Gained independence from Australia in 1975. Head of State: HM Queen Elizabeth II, represented locally by Governor General Sir Silas Atopare since 1997. Head of Government: Prime Minister Sir Mekere Morauta since 1999.
LANGUAGE	The official language is English, which is widely used in business and government circles. Pidgin English and Hiri Motu are more commonly used (742 other languages and dialects are also spoken).
RELIGION	90% Christian.
STANDARD TIME	GMT + 10.
ELECTRICITY	240 volts AC, 50Hz. Australian-style 3-pin plugs are in use. Some hotels provide 110-volt outlets in guest-rooms.

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Panama

Panama

AREA	75,517 sq km (29,157 sq miles).
POPULATION	2,719,000 (1997).
POPULATION DENSITY	36.0 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Panama City.
CAPITAL POPULATION	766,405 (1997).
GEOGRAPHY	Panama forms the land link between the North and South American continents. Panama borders Colombia to the east, Costa Rica to the west, and the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean to the north and south. The country forms an S-shaped isthmus which runs east–west over a total length of 772km (480 miles) and is 60-177km (37-110 miles) wide. The landscape is mountainous with lowlands on both coastlines cut by streams, wooded slopes and a wide area of savannah-covered plains and rolling hills called El Interior between the Azuero peninsula and the Central Mountains. The Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean are linked by the man-made Panama Canal, cut into a gap between the Cordillera de Talamanca and the San Blas mountain range and stretching for over 65km (40 miles); the length of the Canal is often referred to as 80km (50 miles) as this is the distance between deep-water points of entry. Only about a quarter of the country is inhabited. The majority of the population live either around the Canal and main cities of Panama City and Colón (the two cities which control the entrance and exit of the Canal) or in the Pacific lowlands and the adjacent mountains.
GOVERNMENT	Republic. Gained independence from Colombia in 1903. Head of State and Government: President Mireya Elisa Moscoso Rodríguez since 1999.
LANGUAGE	The official language is Spanish, but English is widely spoken.
RELIGION	85% Roman Catholic.
STANDARD TIME	GMT - 5.
ELECTRICITY	120 volts AC, 60Hz. Plugs are the flat 2-pin American type.

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Palau

Palau

AREA	508 sq km (196 sq miles), including Babeldaob Island, whose area is 409 sq km (160 sq miles).
POPULATION	17,285 (1995).
POPULATION DENSITY	34.0 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Koror.
CAPITAL POPULATION	11,560 (1995).
GEOGRAPHY	Palau, the westernmost cluster of the six major island groups that make up the Caroline Islands, lies 1000km (600 miles) east of the Philippines. The archipelago stretches over 650km (400 miles) from the atoll of Kayangel to the islet of Tobi. The Palau islands include more than 200 islands, of which only eight are inhabited. With three exceptions, all of the islands are located within a single barrier reef and represent two geological formations. The largest are volcanic and rugged with interior jungle and large areas of grassed terraces. The Rock Islands, now known as the Floating Garden Islands, are of limestone formation, while Kayangel, at the northernmost tip, is a classic coral atoll.
GOVERNMENT	Republic since 1947. Gained self-governing status (in free association with the USA) in 1994. Head of State and Government: President Kuniwo Nakamura since 1993.
LANGUAGE	English and Palauan.
RELIGION	Roman Catholic majority.
STANDARD TIME	GMT + 9.
ELECTRICITY	115/230 volts AC, 60 Hz

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