Djibouti

Djibouti

AREA	23,200 sq km (8958 sq miles).
POPULATION	600,000 (1997).
POPULATION DENSITY	25.8 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Djibouti
CAPITAL POPULATION	250,000 (1995).
GEOGRAPHY	Djibouti is part of the African continent bounded to the northeast and east by the Red Sea, the southeast by Somalia, the southwest by Ethiopia and to the north by Eritrea. The country is a barren strip of land around the Gulf of Tadjoura, varying in width from 20km (12 miles) to 90km (56 miles), with a coastline of 300km (188 miles), much of it white sandy beaches. Inland is semi-desert and desert, with thorn bushes, steppes and volcanic mountain ranges.
GOVERNMENT	The official languages are Arabic and French. Afar and Somali are spoken locally. English is spoken by hoteliers, taxi drivers and traders.
LANGUAGE	Republic. Gained independence from France in 1977. Head of State and Government: President Ismail Omar Guelleh since 1999.
RELIGION	Muslim with Roman Catholic, Protestant and Greek Orthodox minorities.
STANDARD TIME	GMT + 3.
ELECTRICITY	220 volts AC, 50Hz.

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Denmark

Denmark

AREA	43,094 sq km (16,638 sq miles).
POPULATION	5,275,000 (1997).
POPULATION DENSITY	122.4 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Copenhagen
CAPITAL POPULATION	1,362,264 (1996).
GEOGRAPHY	Denmark is the smallest Scandinavian country, consisting of the Jutland peninsula, north of Germany, and over 400 islands of various sizes, some inhabited and linked to the mainland by ferry or bridge. The landscape consists mainly of low-lying, fertile countryside broken by beech woods, small lakes and fjords. Greenland and the Faroe Islands are also under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark, although both have home rule. The Faroe Islands are a group of 18 islands in the north Atlantic inhabited by a population of 43,382 (1995) whose history dates back to the Viking period. Fishing and sheep farming are the two most important occupations. Tórshavn (population 15,272), the capital of the Faroes, is served by direct flights from Copenhagen. During the summer months, there are direct flights from Aberdeen and Glasgow.
GOVERNMENT	Constitutional monarchy. Head of State: Queen Margarethe II since 1972. Head of Government: Prime Minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen since 1994.
LANGUAGE	The official language is Danish. Many Danes also speak English, German and French.
RELIGION	Predominantly Evangelical Lutheran with a small Roman Catholic minority.
STANDARD TIME	GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).
ELECTRICITY	220 volts AC, 50Hz. Continental 2-pin plugs are standard. On many campsites, 110-volt power plugs are also available.
COMMUNICATIONS	Telephone: Full IDD is available. Country code: 45. Outgoing international code: 00. There are no area codes. Fax: Available from many main post offices and from major hotels. Telegram: The Copenhagen Central Telegraph Office is open 24 hours a day. Telegrams can also be sent by phone; dial 122. Post: All telephone and postal rates are printed at the post offices. All post offices offer Poste Restante facilities. Post offices are open 0900-1730 Monday to Friday, and some are open 0900-1200 Saturday. Press: Newspapers are largely regional; the main papers in the capital include Aalborg Stifstidende, Berlingske Tidende, Ekstra Bladet, Politiken and Aktuelt. English-language newspapers and magazines are also available.

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Czech Republic

Czech Republic

AREA	78,866 sq km (30,450 sq miles).
POPULATION	10,299,125 (1997).
POPULATION DENSITY	130.6 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Prague
CAPITAL POPULATION	1,200,455 (1998).
GEOGRAPHY	The Czech Republic is situated in central Europe, sharing frontiers with Germany, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Austria. Only about one-quarter of the size of the British Isles, the republic is hilly and picturesque, with historic castles, romantic valleys and lakes, as well as excellent facilities to 'take the waters' at one of the famous spas or to ski and hike in the mountains. Among the most beautiful areas are the river valleys of the Vltava (Moldau) and Labe (Elbe), the hilly landscape and rocky mountains. Bohemia, to the west, is one of two main regions. Besides Prague, the Czech capital, tourists are drawn to the spa towns of Karlovy Vary and Mariánské Lázne, and to the very beautiful region of South Bohemia. The Elbe flows through eastern Bohemia from the Krkonoše/Giant mountains, one of the most popular skiing regions. The eastern part, the rich agricultural area of Moravia offers a variety of wooded highlands, vineyards, folk art and castles. There are many historic towns such as Olomouc, Kromeríz and Telc. Brno is Moravia's administrative and cultural centre.
GOVERNMENT	Republic since 1993. Head of State: Václav Havel since 1993. Head of Government: Milos Zeman since 1998.
LANGUAGE	The official language is Czech. German and English are also spoken.
RELIGION	Approximately 43% Roman Catholic and 15% Protestant, including churches such as the Reformed, Lutheran, Methodist, Unity of Czech Brothers and Baptist. There is a community of approximately 15,000 Jews, mainly in Prague.
STANDARD TIME	GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 during the European/continental summertime).
ELECTRICITY	Generally 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Most major hotels have standard international 2-pin razor plugs. Lamp fittings are normally of the screw type.
COMMUNICATIONS	Telephone: Full IDD is available. Country code: 420. Outgoing international code: 00. There are public telephone booths, including special kiosks for international calls. Surcharges can be quite high on long-distance calls from hotels. Most of the public telephone boxes take phonecards, which can be purchased at all Telecom points of sale and at newsagent and tobacconist shops. Fax: Services are available. Telegram: Facilities are available at all main towns and hotels. Post: There is a 24-hour service at the main post office in Prague at Jindrisská Street, Prague 1. Poste Restante services are available throughout the country. Post office hours: 0800-1800 Monday to Friday. Press: The Prague Post (weekly) is published in English.

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Cyprus

Cyprus

AREA	9251 sq km (3572 sq miles, including Turkish-occupied territory).
POPULATION	735,900 (1995, including population of Turkish-occupied region).
POPULATION DENSITY	79.5 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Nicosia (Lefkosia).
CAPITAL POPULATION	191,000 (1995, excluding Turkish-occupied portion).
GEOGRAPHY	Cyprus is an island in the eastern Mediterranean. The landscape varies between rugged coastlines, sandy beaches, rocky hills and forest-covered mountains. The Troodos Mountains in the centre of the island rise to almost 1952m (6400ft) and provide good skiing during the winter. Between these and the range of hills which runs eastward along the north coast and the 'panhandle' is the fertile Messaoria Plain. The Morphou Basin runs around the coast of Morphou Bay in the west.
GOVERNMENT	Republic since 1960. Head of State and Government: President Glafkos Klerides since 1993.
LANGUAGE	The majority (approximately 80%) speak Greek and approximately 20% speak Turkish. The Greek Cypriot dialect is different from mainland Greek. Turkish is spoken by Turkish Cypriots. English, German and French are also spoken in tourist centres.
RELIGION	Greek Orthodox, with Muslim minority.
STANDARD TIME	GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).
ELECTRICITY	240 volts AC, 50Hz. 13-amp square 3-pin plugs (UK-type) are used

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Cuba

Cuba

AREA	110,860 sq km (42,803 sq miles).
POPULATION	11,059,000 (1997).
POPULATION DENSITY	99.8 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Havana
CAPITAL POPULATION	2,175,995 (1993).
GEOGRAPHY	Cuba is the largest Caribbean island, about the size of England, and the most westerly of the Greater Antilles group, lying 145km (90 miles) south of Florida. A quarter of the country is fairly mountainous. West of Havana is the narrow Sierra de los Organos, rising to 750m (2461ft) and containing the Guaniguanicos hills in the west. South of the Sierra is a narrow strip of 2320 sq km (860 sq miles) where the finest Cuban tobacco is grown. The Trinidad Mountains, starting in the centre, rise to 1100m (3609ft) in the east. Encircling the port of Santiago are the rugged mountains of the Sierra Maestra. A quarter of the island is covered with mountain forests of pine and mahogany.
GOVERNMENT	Socialist Republic. Gained independence from Spain in 1898. Head of State and Government: President Fidel Castro Ruz since 1959.
LANGUAGE	The official language is Spanish. Some English, French, German, Italian and Russian are spoken.
RELIGION	Roman Catholic majority.
STANDARD TIME	GMT - 5.
ELECTRICITY	110/120 volts AC, 60Hz. American-style flat 2-pin plugs are generally used, except in certain large hotels where the European round 2-pin plug is standard

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Cote Dlvoire

Cote Dlvoire

AREA	322,462 sq km (124,503 sq miles).
POPULATION	14,781,000 (1996).
POPULATION DENSITY	45.8 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Yamoussoukro (administrative and political capital since 1983).
CAPITAL POPULATION	130,000 (1990). Abidjan (former capital). , 2,797,000 (1995).
GEOGRAPHY	Côte d'Ivoire shares borders with Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana. There are 600km (370 miles) of coast on the Gulf of Guinea (Atlantic Ocean). The southern and western parts of the country are forested, with undulating countryside rising to meet the savannah plains of the north and the mountainous western border. Three rivers, the Sassandra, the Bandama and the Comoé, run directly north–south and, on their approach to the coast, flow into a series of lagoons. Birdlife is plentiful throughout the country, but particularly so near the coast.
GOVERNMENT	Republic. Gained independence from France in 1960. In 1999, the army took power and installed a National Council for Public Salvation. Head of State: Chairman of the National Council for Public Salvation, Robert Guéï since 1999. Head of Government: Prime Minister (information not available at the time of going to press).
LANGUAGE	The official language is French. The main African languages are Yacouba, Senoufo, Baoulé, Betie, Attie, Agni and Dioula (the market language).
RELIGION	39% Muslim, 26% Christian, 17% traditional beliefs.
STANDARD TIME	GMT.
ELECTRICITY	220 volts AC, 50Hz. Round 2-pin plugs are standard.

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Croatia

Croatia

AREA	56,610 sq km (21,857 sq miles).
POPULATION	4,777,000 (1994).
POPULATION DENSITY	84.4 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Zagreb
CAPITAL POPULATION	706,770 (1991)
GEOGRAPHY	Croatia stretches along the Adriatic coast (narrowing north-south; the major ports being Rijeka, Pula, Zadar, Sibenik, Split and Dubrovnik) and a larger inland area (running west-east from Zagreb to the Danubian border with Serbia, part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia). The country borders Slovenia and Hungary to the north, Serbia and Montenegro to the east (both parts of the Former Republic of Yugoslavia), and Bosnia-Herzegovina (southeast from Zagreb; northeast from the Adriatic coastline).
GOVERNMENT	Republic. Independence from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia proclaimed in 1991. Head of State: President Stipe Mesic since 2000. Head of Government: Prime Minister Ivic Racan since 2000.
LANGUAGE	Croat, written in the Latin alphabet.
RELIGION	Roman Catholic Croats (76.5% of the total population) and Eastern Orthodox Serbs (11%), as well as small communities of Protestants, Jews and Muslims.
STANDARD TIME	GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Saturday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).
ELECTRICITY	220 volts AC, 50Hz.

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Costa Rica

Costa Rica

AREA	51,060 sq km (19,720 sq miles).
POPULATION	3,464,000 (1997).
POPULATION DENSITY	67.8 per sq km.
CAPITAL	San José
CAPITAL POPULATION	329,154 (1997).
GEOGRAPHY	Costa Rica, lying between Nicaragua and Panama, is a complete coast-to-coast segment of the Central American isthmus. Its width ranges from 119 to 282km (74 to 176 miles). A low thin line of hills, that rises between Lake Nicaragua and the Pacific Ocean in Nicaragua, broadens and rises as it enters northern Costa Rica, eventually forming the high, rugged, mountains of volcanic origin in the centre and south. The highest peak is Chirripó Grande which reaches 3820m (12,530ft). More than half the population live on the Meseta Central, a plateau with an equitable climate. It is rimmed to the southwest by the Cordillera range, and provides the setting for the country's capital, San José. There are lowlands on both coastlines, mainly swampy on the Caribbean coast, with grassland savannah on the Pacific side merging into swamps towards the south. Rivers cut through the mountains, flowing down to both the Caribbean and the Pacific.
GOVERNMENT	Republic. Gained independence in 1840. Head of State and Government: President José María Figueres Olsen since 1994.
LANGUAGE	Spanish is the official language. English is widely spoken. Some French, German and Italian are also spoken.
RELIGION	Roman Catholic.
STANDARD TIME	GMT - 6.
ELECTRICITY	110/220 volts AC, 60Hz. 2-pin plugs are standard.

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Cook Island

Cook Island

AREA	240 sq km (93 sq miles).
POPULATION	19,103 (1996).
POPULATION DENSITY	80.6 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Avarua (on Rarotonga).
CAPITAL POPULATION	11,225 (1996, the whole island of Rarotonga).
GEOGRAPHY	The Cook Islands are situated 3500km (2200 miles) northeast of New Zealand and 1000km (600 miles) southwest of Tahiti in the South Pacific, forming part of Polynesia. The islands fall into two groups: the scattered Northern Group are all coral atolls while the Southern Group is of volcanic origin. Rarotonga is the largest and highest island with a rugged volcanic interior, its highest peak being Te Manga, at 652m (2140ft). Coral reef surrounds the island and the population lives between reef and hills where rich soil supports both tropical and subtropical vegetation. Most of the island is covered by thick evergreen bush. Most of the larger islands include lagoons surrounded by small areas of fertile land above which rise volcanic hills. The best beaches found on Aitutaki are also part of the 8-island Southern Group. The Northern Group comprises seven islands, the largest being Penrhyn, Manihiki and Pukapuka. The Cook Islands have been used as the setting for several films, the best known being Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence.
GOVERNMENT	Self-governing state in 'free association' with New Zealand. (New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs.) Gained self-governing status in 1965. Head of State: HM Queen Elizabeth II, represented locally by Sir Apenera Short since 1991. New Zeland is represented locally by High Commissioner Rob Moore-Jones since 1998. Head of Government: Prime Minister Geoffrey A Henry since 1989.
LANGUAGE	The official languages are English and Cook Islands Maori. RELIGION: Mainly Cook Islands Christian Church, also Roman Catholic, Latter Day Saints, Seventh Day Adventists and Assembly of God.
RELIGION
STANDARD TIME	GMT - 10.
ELECTRICITY	240 volts DC, 50Hz.

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Congo Democratic Republic

Congo Democratic Republic

AREA	342,000 sq km (132,047 sq miles).
POPULATION	2,745,000 (1997).
POPULATION DENSITY	8.0 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Brazzaville
CAPITAL POPULATION	596,200 (1984).
GEOGRAPHY	Congo is situated in Africa, bounded to the north by Cameroon and the Central African Republic, to the south and east by the Democratic Republic of Congo, to the southwest by the Atlantic and to the west by Gabon. Vast areas are swamps, grassland or thick forests with rivers being virtually the only means of internal travel. The vast River Congo and its major tributaries form most of the country's border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, drawing much of its water from the swamplands in the north of the country. The narrow sandy coastal plain is broken by lagoons behind which rise the Mayombe Mountains. Most of the population lives in the south of the country.
GOVERNMENT	Republic. Gained independence from France in 1960. Head of State and Government: President Denis Sassou-Nguesso since 1997.
LANGUAGE	The official language is French. Other major languages are Lingala, Munukutuba and Kikongo. English is spoken very little.
RELIGION	The majority is Animist, with 45% Roman Catholic. There are small Protestant and Muslim minorities.
STANDARD TIME	GMT + 1.
ELECTRICITY	220 volts AC, 50Hz.

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