Vietnam

Vietnam AREA331,114 sq km (127,844 sq miles). POPULATION75,355,200 (1996). POPULATION DENSITY227.6 per sq km. CAPITALHanoi. CAPITAL POPULATION2,154,900 (1993). GEOGRAPHYVietnam shares borders to the north with the People's Republic of China and to the west with Laos and Cambodia. The South China Sea lies to the east and south. The land is principally agricultural with a central tropical rainforest. GOVERNMENTSocialist republic since 1980. Gained independence from France in 1954. Head of State: Chairman Trân Duc Luong since 1997. Head of Government: Prime Minister Phan Van Khai since 1997. LANGUAGEVietnamese is the official language. English,...

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Vetican City State Holy See

Vetican City State Holy See AREAVetican City State Holy See POPULATION1500 (1995). POPULATION DENSITY3400.0 per sq km. CAPITAL CAPITAL POPULATION GEOGRAPHYThe Vatican City is situated entirely within the city of Rome, sprawling over a hill west of the River Tiber, and separated from the rest of the city by a wall. Vatican City comprises St Peter's Church, St Peter's Square, the Vatican and the Vatican Gardens. GOVERNMENTThe State of the Vatican City came into existence in 1929. Head of State and Government: His Holiness Pope John Paul II since 1978. LANGUAGEItalian and Latin are the official languages, though most international languages...

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Vergin Islands US

Vergin Islands US AREA347.1 sq km (134 sq miles). POPULATION97,120 (1997). POPULATION DENSITY280 per sq km. CAPITALCharlotte Amalie (St Thomas). CAPITAL POPULATION12,331 (1990). GEOGRAPHYThe islands are situated 64km (40 miles) east of Puerto Rico and comprise some 50 islands covered with lush tropical vegetation. St Thomas is long and narrow, rising abruptly to a ridge with an excellent deep-water harbour. St John is covered partly in bay forests. St Croix consists of 215 sq km (83 sq miles) of rolling ex-plantation land. GOVERNMENTUS External Territory (Unincorporated). Gained a measure of self-government in 1954. Head of State: President...

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Vergin Island British

Vergin Island British AREA153 sq km (59 sq miles). POPULATION18,727 (1997). POPULATION DENSITY122.3 per sq km. CAPITALRoad Town, Tortola. CAPITAL POPULATION5000 (1997). GEOGRAPHYThe British Virgin Islands are an archipelago of more than 60 islands and cays, only 16 of which are inhabited, forming the northern extremity of the Leeward Islands in the eastern Caribbean. They are situated approximately 100km (62 miles) east of Puerto Rico, adjoining the US Virgin Islands. The islands are volcanic in origin, with the exception of Anegada, which is formed of coral and limestone and is the lowest lying. The topography is otherwise mountainous,...

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Venezuela

Venezuela AREA912,050 sq km (352,144 sq miles). POPULATION22,777,000 (1997). POPULATION DENSITY25.0 per sq km. CAPITALCaracas. CAPITAL POPULATION3,435,795 (metropolitan area, 1990). GEOGRAPHYVenezuela is bounded to the north by the Caribbean, to the east by Guyana and the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by Brazil, and to the west and southwest by Colombia. The country consists of four distinctive regions: the Venezuelan Highlands in the west; the Maracaibo Lowlands in the north; the vast central plain of the Llanos around the Orinoco; and the Guyana Highlands, which take up about half of the country. GOVERNMENTRepublic. Gained independence...

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Vanuatu

Vanuatu AREA12,190 sq km (4707 sq miles). POPULATION177,400 (1997). POPULATION DENSITY14.6 per sq km. CAPITALPort Vila (Island of Efaté). CAPITAL POPULATION33,700 (1997) GEOGRAPHYVanuatu, formerly called the New Hebrides, forms an incomplete double chain of islands stretching north to southeast for some 900km (560 miles). They are situated approximately 2250km (1407 miles) northeast of Sydney, Australia, and 800km (500 miles) west of Fiji. Together with the Banks and Torres islands, the chains comprise about 40 mountainous islands and 40 islets and rocks. The islands are volcanic in origin and there are five active volcanoes. The Ambrym...

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Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan AREA447,400 sq km (172,740 sq miles). POPULATION23,667,000 (1997). POPULATION DENSITY52.8 per sq km. CAPITALTashkent. CAPITAL POPULATION2,126,000 (1992). GEOGRAPHYUzbekistan is bordered by Afghanistan to the south, Turkmenistan to the west, Kazakhstan to the north, Kyrgyzstan to the northeast and Tajikistan to the east and has a colourful and varied countryside. The south and east are dominated by the Tien-Shan and Pamir-Alai mountain ranges and the Kyzyl Kum desert lies to the northeast. The northwestern autonomous region of Karakalpakstan is bounded by the Aral Sea and the sparsely populated Ustyurt Plateau with its vast cotton...

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Uruguay

Uruguay AREA176,215 sq km (68,037 sq miles). POPULATION3,203,000 (1996). POPULATION DENSITY18.2 per sq km. CAPITALMontevideo. CAPITAL POPULATION1,383,660 (1992). GEOGRAPHYUruguay is one of the smallest of the South American republics. It is bounded to the north by Brazil, to the southeast by the Atlantic, and is separated from Argentina in the west and south by the River Uruguay, which widens out into the Rio de la Plata estuary. The landscape is made up of hilly meadows broken by streams and rivers. There is a string of beaches along the coast. Most of the country is grazing land for sheep and cattle. Montevideo, the most southern point...

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United States

United States AREA9,809,155 sq km (3,787,319 sq miles). POPULATION9,809,155 sq km (3,787,319 sq miles). POPULATION DENSITY27.6 per sq km. CAPITALWashington, DC. CAPITAL POPULATION543,213 (1996). Nineteen other cities have a population larger than that of Washington, DC. New York is the largest city, with a population of over seven million. Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, San Diego, Phoenix and Dallas had estimated populations of over one million in 1994. GEOGRAPHYCovering a large part of the North American continent, the United States of America shares borders with Canada to the north and Mexico to the south and has coasts on...

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United Kingdom

United Kingdom AREA241,752 sq km (93,341 sq miles). POPULATION58,801,500 (1996). POPULATION DENSITY243.2 per sq km. CAPITALLondon. CAPITAL POPULATION7,074,300 (Greater London, 1996). GEOGRAPHYThe British landscape can be divided roughly into two kinds of terrain – highland and lowland. The highland area comprises the mountainous regions of Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern England and north Wales. The English Lake District in the northwest contains lakes and fells. The lowland area is broken up by sandstone and limestone hills, long valleys and basins such as the Wash on the east coast. In the south east, the North and South Downs culminate...

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United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates AREA77,700 sq km (30,000 sq miles). POPULATION2,443,000 (1996). POPULATION DENSITY31.4 per sq km. CAPITALAbu Dhabi. CAPITAL POPULATION798,000 (1991). GEOGRAPHYThe Emirates are bordered to the north by the Gulf and the Musandam Peninsula, to the east by Oman, to the south and west by Saudi Arabia and to the northwest by Qatar. They comprise a federation of seven small former sheikhdoms. Abu Dhabi is the largest Emirate, and the remainder (Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Umm al Qaiwain and Ras al- Khaimah) are known collectively as the Northern States. The land is mountainous and mostly desert. Abu Dhabi is flat and sandy,...

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Turkey

Turkey AREA779,452 sq km (300,948 sq miles). POPULATION62,510,000 (official estimate 1997). POPULATION DENSITY80.7 per sq km. CAPITALAnkara CAPITAL POPULATION2,890,025 (1996). GEOGRAPHYTurkey borders the Black Sea and Georgia and Armenia to the northeast, Iran to the east, Iraq to the southeast, Syria and the Mediterranean to the south, the Aegean Sea to the west and Greece and Bulgaria to the northwest. Asia Minor (or Anatolia) accounts for 97% of the country and forms a long, wide peninsula 1650km (1025 miles) from east to west and 650km (400 miles) from north to south. Two east–west mountain ranges, the Black Sea Mountains in the north...

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Tonga

Tonga AREA748 sq km (289 sq miles). POPULATION97,446 (1996). POPULATION DENSITY130.3 per sq km. CAPITALNuku'alofa. CAPITAL POPULATION34,000 (1990). GEOGRAPHYTonga is an archipelago of 172 islands in the South Pacific, most of which are uninhabited, covering an area of 7700 sq km (3000 sq miles). The major island groups are Tongatapu and 'Eua, Ha'apai and Vava'u. Tonga's high volcanic and low coral forms give the islands a unique character. Some volcanoes are still active and Falcon Island in the Vava'u group is a submerged volcano that erupts periodically, its lava and ash rising above sea level forming a visible island which disappears...

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Togo

Togo AREA56,785 sq km (21,925 sq miles). POPULATION3,928,000 (1994). POPULATION DENSITY69.2 per sq km. CAPITALLomé. CAPITAL POPULATION513,000 (1990). GEOGRAPHYTogo shares borders with Burkina Faso to the north, Benin to the east and Ghana to the west with a short coast on the Atlantic in the south. The country is a narrow strip, rising behind coastal lagoons and swampy plains to an undulating plateau. Northwards, the plateau descends to a wide plain irrigated by the River Oti. The central area is covered by deciduous forest, while savannah stretches to the north and south. In the east, the River Mono runs to the sea; long sandy beaches shaded...

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Thailand

Thailand AREA513,115 sq km (198,115 sq miles). POPULATION60,816,227 (1997). POPULATION DENSITY118.5 per sq km. CAPITALBangkok CAPITAL POPULATION7,753,000, including Thon Buri (1995). GEOGRAPHYThailand is bounded to the west by Myanmar and the Indian Ocean, to the south and east by Malaysia and the Gulf of Thailand, to the east by Cambodia, and to the north and east by Laos. Central Thailand is dominated by the Chao Phraya River. GOVERNMENTConstitutional monarchy since 1973. Head of State: HM King Bumipol Adulyadej (Rama IX) since 1946. Head of Government: Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai since 1997. LANGUAGEThai is the official language. English...

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Tanzenia United Republic

Tanzenia United Republic AREA945,087 sq km (364,900 sq miles). POPULATION28,251,511 (1995). POPULATION DENSITY29.9 per sq km. CAPITALDodoma (administrative capital designate)., ). Dar es Salaam remains the capital for the time being. CAPITAL POPULATION203,833 (1988). , 1,651,534 (1995). GEOGRAPHYThe United Republic of Tanzania lies on the Indian Ocean and is bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, by Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west, and by Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique to the south. The Tanzanian mainland is divided into several clearly defined regions: the coastal plains, which vary in width from 16-64km...

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Tajikistan

Tajikistan AREA143,100 sq km (55,251 sq miles). POPULATION5,945,903 (1997). POPULATION DENSITY41.6 per sq km. CAPITALDushanbe. CAPITAL POPULATION528,600 (1993). GEOGRAPHYTajikistan is bordered by Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan to the north, Afghanistan to the south and China to the east. 93% of the republic is occupied by mountains, most notably by the sparsely populated Pamir Mountains, which include Ismoili Somoni (formerly Pik Kommunizma; 7495m/24,590ft), the highest point of the former Soviet Union. The mountainous terrain means that in winter it is impossible to reach the east or the north of the country by road without taking a detour through...

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Taiwan (Provience of China)

Taiwan (Provience of China) AREA36,000 sq km (13,900 sq miles). POPULATION21,615,000 (1997). POPULATION DENSITY600.4 per sq km. CAPITALTaipei. CAPITAL POPULATION2,605,374 (1996). GEOGRAPHYTaiwan (China) is the main island of a group of 78 islands. It is dominated by the Central Mountain Range covering 75% of its land area and running its full length north to south on the eastern seaboard. Over 60 peaks exceed 3000m (9850ft), the highest being Yu Shan (Jade Mountain) at 3950m (12,959ft), and most are heavily forested. About 25% of the country is alluvial plain, most of it on the coastal strip. The Pescadores (Fisherman's Isles), which the...

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Syrian Arab Republic

Syrian Arab Republic AREA185,180 sq km (71,498 sq miles). POPULATION17,459,550 (1998). POPULATION DENSITY94.2 per sq km (1998). CAPITALDamascus CAPITAL POPULATION1,431,821(1998). GEOGRAPHYThe country can be divided geographically into four main areas: the fertile plain in the northeast, the plateau, coastal and mountain areas in the west, the central plains, and the desert and steppe region in the central and southeastern areas. The Euphrates flows from Turkey in the north, through Syria, down to Iraq in the southeast. It is the longest river in Syria, the total length being 2330km (1450 miles), of which 600km (370 miles) pass through Syria....

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Switzerland

Switzerland AREA41,285 sq km (15,940 sq miles). POPULATION7,085,000 (1997). POPULATION DENSITY171.6 per sq km. CAPITALBern. CAPITAL POPULATION129,400 (1997). GEOGRAPHYSwitzerland is bordered by France to the west, Germany to the north, Austria to the east and Italy to the south. It has the highest mountains in Europe, with waterfalls and lakes set amid green pastures. The highest peaks are Dufour Peak, 4634m (15,217ft), on the Italian border; the Dom, 4545m (14,912ft); the Matterhorn, 4478m (14,692ft); and the Jungfrau, 4166m (13,669ft). GOVERNMENTFederal Republic since 1848. Head of State and Government: President Adolf Ogi since 2000. LANGUAGE65-70%...

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