On Disk Monthly 61/odm61.zip/GEO.DAT

Text File | 1991-09-16 | 44KB | 1,097 lines

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Albania
* Official Name : People's Socialist Republic of Albania
* Languages : Albanian, Greek
* Population : 3,100,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Socialist republic
* Flag : A red star (for Communism) is above a two-headed
  black eagle on a red field
* Exports : minerals, metals, fuels, foodstuffs,
  agricultural materials
* Imports : Machinery, equipment, and spare parts,
  minerals, metals, fuels, construction materials,
  foodstuffs
* Location : Southeastern Europe
* Area : 11,100 sq. mi. (28,748 sq. km)
* Highest Point : Korab, 9,026 ft (2,751 m)
* Lowest Point : Sea level

Albania is a mountainous country on the eastern shore of
the Adriatic Sea.  Slightly larger than Maryland, it is
bordered by Yugoslavia to the north and east and Greece
to the south.  Its name in Albanian is "Shqiperi", which
means  "The Land of the Eagle."  Albania has been a
Communist country since the end of World War II.  Before
proclaiming its independence in 1912, it was part of the
Ottoman Empire for more than 400 years.

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Andorra
* Official Name : Principality of Andorra
* Languages : Catalan, Spanish, French
* Population : 48,000 (est. 1988)
* Government : Co principality (France, Spain)
* Flag : The national flag, used by the people, has blue,
  yellow, and red vertical stripes.  The state flag, used
  by the government, has a coat of arms on the yellow
  stripe
* Trading partners : France and Spain
* Location : Southwestern Europe, landlocked
* Area : 175 sq. mi. (453 sq. km.)
* Highest Point : Coma Pedrosa Pk, 9,665 ft (2,946 m)
* Lowest Point : Valira River valley, 2,756 ft (840 m)

Andorra is one of the smallest countries in the world and
lies in the Pyrenees Mountains on the French-Spainish
border.  It covers less than half the area of New York
City.  Andorra is an autonomous and semi-independent co-
principality.  It has been under joint french spanish rule
since 1278.

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Austria
* Official Name : Republic of Austria
* Languages : German
* Population : 7,600,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Republic
* Flag : The national flag has a white horizontal stripe
  in the middle of two red stripes.  The state flag has a
  coat of arms in the center.
* National Anthem : "Land der Berge, Land am Strome"
  ("Land of Mountains, Land at the River")
* Natural resources : iron ore, petroleum, timber,
  magnesite, aluminum, coal, lignite, cement, copper
* Exports : iron and steel products, timber, paper,
  textiles, electrotechnical machines, chemical products
* Imports : machinery, chemicals, foodstuffs, textiles and
  clothing, petroleum
* Location : Central Europe, landlocked
* Area : 32,377 sq. mi. (83,855 sq. km.)
* Highest Point : Grosslockner, 12,457 ft (3,797 m)
* Lowest Point : Neusiedler See, 377 ft (115 m)

Austria, just a little larger than South Carolina, shares
boundaries with Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the
west, Germany and Czechoslovakia to the north,
Hungary to the east, and Yugoslavia and Italy to the
south.  The country's longest river, the Danube, flows
217 miles from west to east through northern Austria.
About three-fourths of the country is mountainous.
Austria has seven land regions : 1) the Granite Plateau,
2) the Vienna Basin, 3) the Eastern Forelands, 4) the
Alpine Forelands, 5) the Northern Limestone Alps, 6) the
Central Alps, and 7) the Southern Limestone Alps.

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Belgium
* Official Name : Kingdom of Belgium  (French: Royaume de
  Belgique, and Flemish: Koninkrijk Belgie)
* Languages : [official: French and Dutch (Flemish)], also
  German
* Population : 9,772,160 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Constitutional monarchy
* Flag : Vertical black, gold, and red stripes represent
  three provinces that led a revolution in 1789.  They are
  a symbol of republicanism.
* National Holiday : Independence Day, July 21
* National Anthem : "La Brabangonne" ("The Brabant Song")
* Natural resources : coal, iron ore, zinc, lead, and
  copper
* Exports : iron and steel products, chemicals,
  pharmaceuticals, textile products
* Imports : nonelectrical machinery, motor vehicles,
  textiles, chemicals, fuels
* Location : Western Europe
* Area : 11,783 sq. mi. (30,518 sq. km.)
* Highest Point : Botrange, 2,277 ft (694 m)
* Lowest Point : Sea level

Belgium, slightly larger than Maryland, is bordered by
France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
The name "Belgium" comes from the name of a tribe, the
"Belgae", who lived in this region when Julius Caesar
conquered it over 2,000 years ago.  Belgium has three
major geographic regions : 1) Flanders and Kempenland, 2)
the Central Plain, and 3) the Ardennes.

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Bulgaria
* Official Name : People's Republic of Bulgaria
* Languages : Bulgarian
* Population : 9,000,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Socialist republic
* Flag : Horizontal white, green, and red stripes (top to
  bottom).  White stands for freedom, green for forests,
  and red for bravery.  The coat of arms at the upper left
  has a lion surrounded by wheat and topped by a red star.
* National Anthem : "Mila Rodino" ("Dear Fatherland")
* National Holiday : Liberation Day, September 9
* Natural resources : metals, minerals, lumber
* Exports : machinery and transport equipment, fuels,
  minerals, raw materials, agricultural products
* Imports : machinery and transportation equipment, fuels,
  raw materials, metals, agricultural raw materials
* Location : Southeastern Europe
* Area : 42,823 sq. mi. (110,912 sq. km.)
* Highest Point : Musala, 9,596 ft (2,925 m)
* Lowest Point : Sea level

Bulgaria is approximately the same size as Tennessee and
is divided into two mountain ranges and two great
valleys.  The four regions are: 1) the Danube River
Basin, 2) the Balkan Mountains, 3) the Maritsa River
Basin, and 4) the Rhodope Mountains.  It is bordered by
Yugoslavia, Romania, Greece, and Turkey.  For about 500
years Bulgaria was ruled by the Turks.  In 1878 it gained
independence as a principality, and in 1908 it became an
independent kingdom.  Bulgaria has been under Communist
rule since 1944.

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Czechoslovakia
* Official Name : Czechoslovak Socialist Republic
* Languages : Czech, Slovak, Hungarian
* Population : 15,600,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Socialist republic
* Flag : The flag is divided into sections representing
  the regions of Bohemia, Moravia, and Slovakia
* National Anthem : "Kde domov moj?" ("Where Is My
  Homeland?") combined with "Nad Tatrou sa blyska"
  ("Lightning Flashes over the Tatra")
* Natural resources : coal/coke, timber, lignite, uranium,
  magnesite
* Exports : machinery, chemicals, vehicles, consumer goods
* Imports : machinery, equipment, fuels, raw materials,
  food, consumer goods
* Location : Eastern Europe, landlocked
* Area : 49,381 sq. mi. (127,896 sq. km.)
* Highest Point : Gerlachovka, 8,711 ft (2,655 m)
* Lowest Point : Bodrog River, 308 ft (94 m)

Czechoslovakia shares borders with Germany, Poland, the
Soviet Union, Hungary, and Austria.  Its size is
approximately equal to that of New York State.  Two groups
of Slavic peoples, the Czechs and the Slovaks, live in
Czechoslovakia.  Most of the Czechs live in Bohemia and
Moravia, while the Slovaks live primarily in Slovakia.
Czechoslovakia gained independence in 1918, when the
Czechs and the Slovaks united to form one nation.  Before
that, Bohemia, Moravia, and Slovakia had been part of
Austria-Hungary.  In 1948, Czechoslovakia became a
Communist state.

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Denmark
* Official Name : Kingdom of Denmark (Kongeriget Danmark)
* Languages : Danish
* Population : 5,100,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Constitutional monarchy
* Flag : Red with a vertical white stripe and a horizontal
  white stripe.  According to legend, the Danish flag came
  from the sky to King Valdemar II in 1219.  It appeared
  as a sign of victory during a battle.
* National Anthem : "Der er et yndigt land" ("There Is a
  Lovely Land")
* National Holiday : Constitution Day, June 5
* Natural resources : oil, zinc, lead, coal, molybdenum,
  cryolite, uranium
* Exports : meat and dairy products, industrial machinery,
  textiles and clothing, chemical products, transportation
  equipment
* Imports : industrial raw materials, fuel, machinery and
  equipment, transport equipment, petroleum, chemicals
* Location : Northern Europe
* Area : 16,633 sq. mi. (43,080 sq. km.)
* Highest Point : Yding Skovhoj, 568 ft (173 m)
* Lowest Point : Lammefjord, 23 ft (7 m) below sea level

Denmark consists of a penisula (which shares a border
with Germany), and 482 nearby islands.  Denmark,
along with Norway and Sweden, is one of the Scandinavian
countries.  In 1944, Iceland declared its independence
from Denmark, ending a union that had existed since 1380.
Denmark's outlying territories include Greenland, off the
northeastern coast of Canada and the Faeroe Islands in
the North Atlantic.

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Finland
* Official Name : Republic of Finland
* Languages : Finnish, Swedish
* Population : 4,900,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Republic
* Flag : White background with a vertical blue stripe and
  a horizontal blue stripe.  The State flag also has a
  coat of arms at the intersection of the two stripes.
* National Anthem : "Maamme" (in Finnish) or "Vart Land"
  (in Swedish), meaning "Our Land"
* Natural resource : timber
* Exports : timber, paper and pulp, ships, machinery, iron
  and steel, clothing, footwear
* Imports : petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals,
  transportation equipment, machinery, textile yarns
* Location : Northern Europe
* Area : 130,558 sq. mi. (338,145 sq. km.)
* Highest Point : Haltia, 4,357 ft (1,328 m)
* Lowest Point : Sea level

Finland, slightly larger than New Mexico, shares borders
with Sweden to the east, Norway to the north, and the
Soviet Union to the west.  Finland has more than 200,000
lakes.  For centuries there was conflict between Sweden
and Russia over Finland.  Russia controlled the country
from 1809 until 1917 when Finland declared its
independence.  Today, both Finnish and Swedish are
official languages.

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France
* Official Name : French Republic
* Languages : French
* Population : 55,900,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Republic
* Flag : The French Flag is called the "tricolor", having
  one blue, one white, and one red vertical stripe.  King
  Louis XVI was the first to use these three colors to
  represent France.
* National Anthem : "La Marseillaise"
* National Holiday : Bastille Day, July 14
* National Motto : Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite (Liberty,
  Equality, Fraternity)
* Natural resources : coal, iron ore, bauxite, fish,
  forests
* Exports : textiles and clothing, chemicals, machinery
  and transport equipment, agricultural products
* Imports : machinery, crude petroleum, chemicals,
  agricultural products
* Location : Western Europe
* Area : 211,208 sq. mi. (547,026 sq. km.)
* Highest Point : Mt. Blanc, 15,771 ft (4,807 m)
* Lowest Point : Etang de Cazaux, 10 ft (3 m) below sea
  level

France, approximately 4/5 the size of Texas, is second in
size only to the Soviet Union among the European nations.
Corsica, an island in the Mediterranean, about 115 miles
east-southeast of Nice is also part of France.  Overseas
departments and territories which are part of France
include:

* French Guiana in South America
* French Polynesia in the South Pacific (about 120
  islands)
* Guadeloupe in the West Indies
* Martinique in the Lesser Antilles northeast of Venezuela
* Mayotte of the Comoro Islands in the Indian Ocean
* New Caledonia and dependencies about 1000 miles
  northeast of Australia
* Reunion in the Indian Ocean
* St. Pierre and Miquelon, 10 miles south of Newfoundland
* Southern and Antartic Lands including part of the
  Antartic mainland and islands in the Indian Ocean
* Wallis and Futuna Islands in the South Pacific

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Germany
* Official Name : Federal Republic of Germany
* Languages : German
* Population : 77,800,000 (mid-1988 figures)
* Government : Republic
* Flag : The German Flag has one black, one red, and one
  gold horizontal stripe.  In 1959 the coat of arms was
added to the center to form the East German Flag.
* National Anthem : "Das Deutschlandlied" ("Song of
  Germany")
* Natural resources : timber, coal, potash, bauxite
  (Brown coal was a major export from what was East
  Germany.  It is a major source of pollution in formerly
  East Germany but is the major source of energy.  Because
  it is cheap, phasing out its use will be difficult.
* Exports : machines and machine tools, chemicals, motor
  vehicles, iron and steel products, textiles, clothing
* Imports : manufactured and agricultural products, raw
  materials, fuels
* Location : Western Europe
* Area : 137,787 sq. mi. (426,866 sq. km.)
* Highest Point : Zugspitze, 9,721 ft (2,963 m)
* Lowest Point : Freepsum Lake, 7 ft (2 m) below sea level

Germany borders with France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the
Netherlands on the west, Switzerland and Austria on the
south, Czechoslovakia and Poland on east, and Denmark on
the north.  In 1945, at the conclusion of the Second World
War, Germany was divided into four occupational zones.
The portion allotted to the Soviet Union became East
Germany.  The part occupied by the United States, Britain,
and France became West Germany.  In 1949 the three zones
were combined to form the Federal Republic of Germany
known around the world as "West Germany".  West Berlin,
located within East Germany, was also part of West
Germany.  When the communists cut off all land and air
access to West Berlin, the western nations ignored the
blockade in what became known as "The Berlin Airlift".
In the end, a physical barrier was erected to keep East
Germans from fleeing to the west, and after some years,
the East and West portions of the country became two
separate nations.  1973 both East and West Germany were
admitted to the United Nations. In 1989, with the rapid
destruction of the physical barriers between the two
states (including the Berlin Wall) that set off a wave of
sweeping changes throughout Europe, the two countries
began the process of reunification.


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Greece
* Official Name : Hellenic Republic
* Languages : Greek
* Population : 10,100,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Republic
* Flag : The flag's colors are blue and white
* National Anthem : "Imnos pros tin Eleftherian" ("The
  Hymn to Liberty")
* Natural resources : bauxite, iron, forests
* Exports : fruits, textiles, tobacco
* Imports : machinery and automotive equipment, petroleum,
  consumer goods, chemicals, foodstuffs
* Location : Southeastern Europe
* Area : 50,944 sq. mi. (131,944 sq. km.)
* Highest Point : Mt. Olympus, 9,570 ft (2,917 m)
* Lowest Point : Sea level

Greece, slightly smaller than Alabama, borders Albania,
Yugoslavia, and Bulgaria on the north, the Ionian Sea on
the west, the Aegean Sea and Turkey on the east, and the
Mediterranean Sea on the south.  Greece has nine main
land regions: 1) the Central Pindus, 2) Thessaly, 3) the
Salonika Plain, 4) Macedonia-Thrace, 5) the Peloponnesus,
6) the Southeastern Uplands, 7) the Ionian Islands, 8)
the Aegean Islands, and 9) Crete.  437 islands make up
about 1/5 of the country's area.

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Vatican City State
* Official Name : State of the Vatican City  (Stato della
  Citta del Vaticano)
* Languages : Italian, Latin
* Population : 1000 (est. 1985)
* Government : Ecclesiastical state
* Flag : The Vatican City Flag has one yellow and one
  white vertical stripe.  On the white stripe there is a
  picture of two crossed keys.
* Location : Southern Europe, landlocked (within the city
  of Rome, Italy)
* Area : 0.2 sq. mi. (0.4 sq. km.)
* Highest Point : 245 ft (75 m)
* Lowest Point : 62 ft (19 m)

The Vatican City is the smallest independent state in the
world.  It has been an independent state since 1929.  It
is the center of the Roman Catholic church and the home
of the Pope, who is the head of all branches of
government.  The Vatican City is located on the Vatican
Hill on the Tiber River within the city of Rome.

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Hungary
* Official Name : Hungarian People's Republic
* Languages : Hungarian
* Population : 10,600,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Socialist republic
* Flag : The flag has three horizontal stripes, one red,
  one white, and one green
* National Anthem : "Isten aldd a Magyart" ("God Bless the
  Hungarians")
* National Holidays : Independence Day, March 15; and
  Liberation Day, April 4 (Communist)
* Natural resources : some bauxite and iron
* Exports : machinery and tools, industrial and consumer
  goods, raw materials
* Imports : machinery, raw materials
* Location : Eastern Europe, landlocked
* Area : 35,921 sq. mi. (93,036 sq. km.)
* Highest Point : Kekes, 3,330 ft (1,015 m)
* Lowest Point : Tisza River valley, 259 ft (79 m)

Hungary, approximately the size of Indiana, is bordered
by Austria to the west, Czechoslovakia to the north, the
Soviet Union and Romania to the east, and Yugoslavia to
the south.  Most of Hungary is a great rolling plain.
Part of the northern border is formed by the Danube
River, called Duna in Hungary.

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Iceland
* Official Name : Republic of Iceland (Lydhveldidh
  Island)
* Languages : Icelandic
* Population : 200,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Republic
* Flag : A red cross edged in white appears on a blue
  field.  Blue is the national color, and red and white
  recall the flag of Denmark, former ruler of Iceland.
* Natural resources : fish, diatomite, hydroelectric and
  geothermal power
* Exports : fish, animal products, aluminum
* Imports : petroleum products, machinery and
  transportation equipment, food, textiles
* Location : North Atlantic island
* Area : 39,769 sq. mi. (103,000 sq. km.)
* Highest Point : Hvannadalshnukur, 6,952 ft (2,119 m)
* Lowest Point : Sea level

Iceland is an island about the size of Kentucky which
lies in the north Atlantic Ocean east of Greenland.  It
just touches the Arctic Circle.  Iceland is one of the
most volcanic regions in the world.  There are many
natural wonders such as hot springs, geysers, sulfur
beds, canyons, waterfalls, and swift rivers.  At one time
Iceland was a self-governing kingdom united with Denmark,
but in 1944, Iceland gained full independence.

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Ireland
* Official Name : Ireland
* Languages : Irish, Gaelic, English
* Population : 3,500,000 (est. mid 1988)
* Government : Republic
* Flag : The Irish flag consists of three vertical
  stripes: green for the country's Roman Catholics, white
  for unity, and orange for the Protestants of Ulster
* National Anthem : "The Soldier's Song"
* Natural resources : zinc, lead, natural gas, barite,
  copper, gypsum, limestone, dolomite, peat, silver
* Exports : livestock, dairy products, machinery,
  chemicals, processed foods, manufactured goods, raw
  materials and minerals
* Imports : grains, petroleum products, machinery,
  chemicals, textile yarn, cereals
* Location : Northwestern Europe (5/6 of island of
  Ireland)
* Area : 27,136 sq. mi. (70,283 sq. km.)
* Highest Point : Carrauntoohil, 3,406 ft, (1,038 m)
* Lowest Point : Sea level

Ireland occupies about 5/6 of the island of Ireland in
the British Isles.  Northern Ireland, a part of the
United Kingdom, occupies the northern 1/6th of the
island.  For hundreds of years, Great Britain ruled
Ireland; it wasn't until 1921 that Ireland gained its
independence.  Ireland is sometimes called "the Emerald
Isle" because of its green countryside.

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San Marino
* Official Name : Republic of San Marino
* Languages : Italian
* Population : 23,000 (est. 1985)
* Government : Republic
* Flag : The flag has two horizontal stripes, the top
  being white and the bottom being blue.  The coat of arms
  is centered in the flag.
* Co-Regents : Two selected every six months by Grand and
  General Council
* Exports : building stone, lime, chestnuts, wheat, hides,
  baked goods
* Imports : manufactured consumer goods
* Location : Southern Europe, landlocked (within Italy)
* Area : 24 sq. mi. (61 sq. km.)
* Highest Point : Monte Titano, 2,425 ft (739 m)
* Lowest Point : 174 ft (53 m)

San Marino, which is completely surrounded by Italy, is
the smallest republic in Europe, being only 1/10th the
size of New York City.  It lies on the eastern slopes of
the Apennine Mountains in northern Italy near the
Adriatic Sea.

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Liechtenstein
* Official Name : Principality of Liechtenstein
* Languages : German
* Population : 28,000 (est. 1985)
* Government : Constitutional monarchy
* Flag : Two stripes, the upper on blue (for the sky), the
  lower one red (for the glow of evening fires).  A gold
  crown (for the unity of the royalty and the people)
  appears in the upper left-hand corner.
* Natural resources : timber, hydroelectric power, salt
* Exports : manufactured metal products, machines and
  instruments, chemical products
* Imports : raw materials, machinery processed foods and
  goods
* Location : Central Europe, landlocked
* Area : 62 sq. mi. (160 sq. km.)
* Highest Point : Vorder-Grauspitz, 8,527 ft (2,599 m)
* Lowest Point : Ruggeller Riet, 1,411 ft (430 m)

Liechtenstein, one of the smallest countries in the world
(being not quite as large as Washington D.C.), lies on
the east bank of the Rhine River south of Lake Constance
between Austria and Switzerland.  It was founded in 1719,
and became an independent country in 1806.  Like
Switzerland, it has maintained neutrality through several
wars.

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Luxembourg
* Official Name : Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
* Languages : Luxembourgish, French, German
* Population : 400,000 (est. mid 1988)
* Government : Constitutional monarchy
* Flag : The flag has horizontal red, white, and blue
  stripes (top to bottom).  The colors come from the coat
  of arms of Luxembourg.
* National Anthem : "Mir welle bleiwe wat mir sin" ("We
  want to remain what we are")
* Natural resource : iron ore
* Exports : steel, plastics, chemicals, textiles
* Imports : machinery, chemicals, transport equipment
* Location : Western Europe, landlocked
* Area : 998 sq. mi. (2,586 sq. km.)
* Highest Point : Buurgplaatz, 1,834 ft (559 m)
* Lowest Point : 427 ft (130m)

Luxembourg, being smaller than Rhode Island, borders with
Belgium on the west, Germany on the east, and France
on the south.  The Ardennes Mountains extend from Belgium
into the northern section of Luxembourg.  Luxembourg is
one of the oldest countries in Europe.  It is also one of
the world's most industrialized countries.

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Malta
* Official Name : Republic of Malta
* Languages : Maltese, English
* Population : 400,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Republic
* Flag : A silver replica of the George Cross, a British
  medal awarded to Malta for bravery in World War II,
  appears on a red and white field.
* Natural resources : limestone, salt
* Exports : textiles, yarns, manufactured goods, ships
* Imports : manufactured goods, machinery, transport
  equipment
* Location : Mediterranean island
* Area : 122 sq. mi. (316 sq. km.)
* Highest Point : 829 ft (253 m)
* Lowest Point : Sea level

The five islands which make up the country of Malta have
a combined area smaller than Philadelphia.  They are
located in the Mediterranean Sea about 60 miles south of
the southeastern tip of Sicily.  The five islands are:
Malta, Comino, Cominotto, Filfla, and Gozo.

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Monaco
* Official Name : Principality of Monaco  (Principaute de
  Monaco)
* Languages : French, Monegasque, Italian, English
* Population : 28,000 (est. 1987)
* Government : Constitutional monarchy
* Flag : The flag has two horizontal stripes, red and
  white
* Location : Southern Europe
* Area : 0.6 sq. mi. (1.5 sq. km)
* Highest Point : 459 ft (140 m)
* Lowest Point : Sea level

Monaco is one of the smallest countries in the world and
is located on the French Riviera coast of the
Mediterranean Sea.  Monaco has four parts -- the three
towns and a small industrial area.  The four parts are:
the city of Monaco, Monte Carlo, La Condamine (between
Monaco and Monte Carlo), and Fontvieille (the industrial
zone).

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Netherlands
* Official Name : Kingdom of the Netherlands
* Languages : Dutch
* Population : 14,700,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Constitutional monarchy
* Flag : Three horizontal stripes, from top to bottom,
  red, white, and blue
* National Anthem : "Wilhelmus van Nassouwe" ("William of
  Nassau")
* Exports : foodstuffs, machinery, natural gas, chemicals,
  petroleum products, textiles
* Imports : machinery, crude petroleum, chemicals,
  textiles, mineral ores
* Location : Western Europe
* Area : 15,892 sq. mi. (41,160 sq. km.)
* Highest Point : 1,053 ft (321 m)
* Lowest Point : Prins Alexander polder, 22 ft (6.7 m)
  below sea level

The Netherlands are located on the coast of the North
Sea.  It is about twice the size of New Jersey, and it
shares borders with Germany to the east and Belgium
to the south.  Often the Netherlands is called Holland,
even though this name actually refers to only one part of
the country.  An autonomous country which is part of the
Kingdom of the Netherlands is:

* Netherlands Antilles -- two groups of Carribean islands
500 miles apart

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Norway
* Official Name : Kingdom of Norway (Kongeriget Norge)
* Languages : Norwegian, Lappish
* Population : 4,200,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Constitutional monarchy
* Flag : The Norwegian flag consists of a blue cross edged
  in white on a red field
* National Anthem : "Ja vi elsker"  ("Yes, We Love with
  Fond Devotion")
* National Holiday : Constitution Day, May 17
* Natural resources : fish, timber, hydroelectric power,
  ores, oil, gas
* Exports : oil, natural gas, fish products, chemicals,
  pulp and paper, aluminum
* Imports : machinery, motor vehicles, foodstuffs, iron
  and steel, textiles and clothing
* Location : Northern Europe
* Area : 149,158 sq. mi. (386,317 sq. km.)
* Highest Point : Glittertinden, 8,110 ft (2,472 m)
* Lowest Point : Sea level

Norway is located in the western part of the Scandinavian
peninsula.  About 1/3 of the country lies above the
Arctic Circle, making it the farthest north of any
European country.  Slightly larger than New Mexico, it
borders Sweden on the east and Finland and the Soviet
Union in the northeast.  Dependencies of Norway include:

* Svalbard -- in the Arctic Ocean
* Bouvet Island -- in the South Altantic
* Jan Mayen Island -- in the Arctic Ocean
* Peter I Island -- off Antarctica in the Bellinghausen
  Sea
* Queen Maud Land -- a section of Antarctica

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Poland
* Official Name : Polish People's Republic (Polska
  Rzeczypospolita Ludowa)
* Languages : Polish
* Population : 38,000,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Socialist republic
* Flag : The national flag (flown by the people) has two
  horizontal stripes, the top being white and the bottom
  being red.  The state flag (flown by the government)
  also contains the coat of arms centered in the white
  stripe.
* National Anthem : "Jeszcze Polska nie Zginela"  ("Poland
  Has Not Yet Perished")
* Natural resources : coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas
* Exports : coal, machinery and equipment, chemicals,
  industrial products
* Imports : machinery and equipment, fuels, raw materials,
  agricultural and food products
* Location : Eastern Europe
* Area : 120,728 sq. mi. (312,683 sq. km.)
* Highest Point : Rysy, 8,199 ft (2,499 m)
* Lowest Point : Raczki Elblaskie, 5.9 ft (1.8 m) below
  sea level

Poland is approximately the same size as New Mexico, and
borders with Germany to the west, Czechoslovakia to
the south, and the Soviet Union to the east.  Poland
became an independent republic in 1918.  Since the end of
World War II, Poland has had a Communist government.

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Portugal
* Official Name : Portuguese Republic
* Languages : Portuguese
* Population : 10,300,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Republic
* Flag : The two vertical stripes are green (for hope) and
  red (for the blood of heroes).  The coat of arms in the
  center stands for the Christian faith and the search
  for knowledge.
* National Anthem : "A Portuguesa"  ("The Portuguese")
* National Holiday : Day of Portugal, June 10
* Natural resources : fish, cork, tungsten ore
* Exports : cotton, textiles, cork and cork products,
  canned fish, wine, timber and timber products, resin
* Imports : petroleum, cotton, industrial machinery, iron
  and steel, chemicals
* Location : Southern Europe
* Area : 35,516 sq. mi. (91,985 sq. km.)
* Highest Point : Pico Pt., 7,713 ft (2,351 m)
* Lowest Point : Sea level

Portugal, the westernmost country in Europe, which
occupies the western part of the Iberian Peninsula, is a
country which is slightly smaller than Indiana.  It
borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west and Spain to the
north and east.  A Portuguese Overseas Territory is:

* Macao -- comprises the peninsula of Macao and the two
  small islands of Taipa and Coloane on the South China
  coast.  Portugal will return Macao to China in 1999.

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Romania
* Official Name : Socialist Republic of Romania
* Languages : Romanian
* Population : 23,000,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Socialist republic ?
* Flag : The flag has three vertical stripes of blue,
  yellow, and red, the national colors.  The coat of arms
  appears in the center of the flag.
* National Anthem : "Te slavim Romanie, pamant stramosesc"
  ("We praise thee, fatherland Romania")
* Natural resources : oil, timber, natural gas, coal
* Exports : machinery, minerals and metals, foodstuffs,
  lumber, fuel, manufactures
* Imports : machinery, iron ore, coke and coking coal,
  minerals
* Location : Eastern Europe
* Area : 91,699 sq. mi. (237,500 sq. km.)
* Highest Point : Moldoveanu, 8,343 ft (2,543 m)
* Lowest Point : Sea level

Romania, slightly smaller than Oregon, is bordered on the
west by Hungary and Yugoslavia, on the north and east by
the Soviet Union, on the east by the Black Sea, and on
the south by Bulgaria.  Romania is divided into six land
regions: 1) Transylvania, 2) Bucovina, 3) Moldavia, 4)
Walachia, 5) Banat, and 6) Dobruja.  Romania has recently
undergone a revolution and its future politial structure
is not yet certain.

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Italy
* Official Name : Italian Republic
* Languages : Italian
* Population : 57,300,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Republic
* Flag : The flag has three vertical stripes, of green,
  white, and red. Napoleon designed the flag to look like
  that of France, but subsituted green, his favorite
  color, for the blue of the French flag.
* National Anthem : "Inno di Mameli"  ("Hymn of Mameli")
* Natural resources : fish, gas, marble
* Exports : engineering, chemicals, textiles, metals,
  shoes, food
* Imports : engineering, chemicals, food, metals
* Location : Southern Europe
* Area : 116,319 sq. mi. (301,266 sq. km.)
* Highest Point : Mt. Blanc (Monte Bianco) 15,771 ft
  (4,807 m)
* Lowest Point : Sea level

Italy is a long peninsula extending into the
Mediterranean Sea, with the Tyrrhenian Sea on the west
and the Adriatic Sea on the east.  It is slightly larger
than Arizona and borders France, Switzerland, Austria,
and Yugoslavia in the north.  The Alps form Italy's
northern border.  Several islands also form part of
Italy, the two largest being Sicily and Sardinia.  The
country got its name from the ancient Romans who called
the southern part of the peninsula "Italia" -- which
means "land of oxen" or "grazing land."

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Soviet Union
* Official Name : Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
  (U.S.S.R.)
* Languages : Russian, Slavic, Altaic, and Indo-European
  languages
* Population : 286,000,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Socialist Republic
* Flag : A gold hammer, sickle, and star on a red
  background.  The red stands for revolution, the hammer
  and sickle for united peasants and workers, and the
  star for the Communist Party.
* National Anthem : "Gosudarstveny Gimn Sovetskogo Soyusa"
  ("National Anthem of the Soviet Union")
* National Holiday : November 7 and 8, the dates of the
  Bolshevik Revolution of 1917
* National Motto : Proletarii Vsekh Stran, Soyedinyaites!
  (Workers of All Countries, Unite!)
* Natural resources : fossil fuels, water power, timber,
  manganese, lead, zinc, nickel, mercury, potash,
  phosphate
* Exports : petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas,
  machinery and equipment, manufactured goods
* Imports : grain, machinery and equipment, foodstuffs,
  raw materials, consumer manufactures
* Location : Eastern Europe and northern Asia
* Area: 8,600,383 sq. mi. (22,274,900 sq. km.)
* Highest Point : Communism Pk., 24,590 ft (7,495 m)
* Lowest Point : Vpadima Karagiye, 433 ft (132 m) below
  sea level

The Soviet Union is the largest nation in the world,
occupying more than 1/7th of the land surface of the
earth.  It borders more other countries than any other
nation.  The countries it borders are Norway, Finland,
Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Turkey, Iran,
Afghanistan, China, Mongolia and North Korea.  The Soviet
Union includes 15 union republics.  Today, the Union seems
to be crumbling before our eyes as one republic after
another declares its independence.  This drive for
independence began with the three baltic republics,
Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia which the USSR illegally
acquired from Germany via a pact between Stalin and
Hitler.  After a failed coup in 1991 in which communist
hard-liners sought to regain control, not only did the
baltic republics reassert their independence, but many
other republics, tired of economic weakness and political
rigidity, were quick to follow suit.  Russia itself, the
largest and most central of the republics seems to be
battling for control of the union, and no one today can
foresee what, if anything, will be left when the dust
clears.  The cold war is finally, irrevocably, over, but
the clean up has yet to begin.

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Spain
* Official Name : Spanish State
* Languages : Spanish
* Population : 39,000,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Constitutional monarchy
* Flag : The flag has three horizontal stripes, the top
  and bottom being red and the middle being white.  The
  coat of arms is centered in the flag.
* National Anthem : "Himno Nacional"  ("National Anthem")
* Natural resources : coal, lignite, water power, uranium,
  mercury, pyrites, fluorospar, gypsum, iron ore, zinc,
  lead, tungsten, copper
* Exports : fresh fruits, iron and steel products,
  textiles, footwear, automobiles, fruits and vegetables
* Imports : machinery and transportation equipment,
  chemicals, fuels, automobiles, iron, steel
* Location : Southern Europe
* Area : 194,882 sq. mi. (504,741 sq. km.)
* Highest Point : Pico de Teide, Tenerife, Canary Is.,
  12,198 ft (3,718 m)
* Lowest Point : Sea level

Spain occupies about 85% of the Iberian Peninsula while
Portugal occupies the rest.  Spain shares borders with
Portugal to the west and France and Andorra to the
northeast.  The Pyrenees form the border between France
and Spain.  Africa is less than 10 miles south at the
Strait of Gibraltar.  Off Spain's east coast in the
Mediterranean are the Balearic Islands, the largest of
which is Majorca.  Sixty miles west of Africa are the
Canary Islands.

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Sweden
* Official Name : Kingdom of Sweden
* Languages : Swedish
* Population : 8,400,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Constitutional monarchy
* Flag : The flag has a yellow cross on a light blue
  background.  The colors come from the coat of arms.
* National Anthem : "du gamla, du fria"  ("Thou Ancient,
  Thou Free-Born")
* National Holiday : Flag Day, June 6
* Natural resources : forests, iron ore, hydroelectric
  power, unmined uranium
* Exports : machinery, motor vehicles, wood pulp, paper
  products, iron and steel products
* Imports : machinery, petroleum, yarns, foodstuffs, iron
  and steel, chemicals
* Location : Northern Europe
* Area : 173,780 sq. mi. (450,089 sq. km.)
* Highest Point : Kebnekaise, 6,926 ft (2,111 m)
* Lowest Point : Sea level

Sweden, the fourth largest country in Europe (after
Russia, France, and Spain) is a little larger than
California.  It is located in the eastern part of the
Scandinavian Peninsula, with Norway to the west, Finland
and the Gulf of Bothnia to the east, and Denmark and the
Baltic Sea in the south.  The northern seventh of the
country lies inside the Arctic Circle.  Sweden has
four main land regions: 1) the Mountain Range, 2) the
Inner Northland, 3) the Swedish Lowland, and 4) the South
Swedish Highland.

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Switzerland
* Official Name : Swiss Confederation
* Languages : German, French, Italian
* Population : 6,600,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Republic
* Flag : The flag has a white cross on a red background.
  The cross represents Christianity.
* National Anthem : "Swiss Hymn"
* National Holiday : Swiss National Day, August 1
* Natural resources : water power, timber, salt
* Exports : electrical machinery, chemicals, precision
  instruments, textiles, foodstuffs, textile yarns,
  dyestuffs.
* Imports : transport equipment, metals and metal
  products, foodstuffs, chemicals, textile yarns
* Location : Central Europe, landlocked
* Area : 15,943 sq. mi. (41,293 sq. km.)
* Highest Point : Monte Rosa (Dufourspitze), 15,203 ft
  (4,634 m)
* Lowest Point : Lago Maggiore, 633 ft (193 m)

Switzerland is called the land of the Alps.  It shares
borders with Germany to the north, France to the
west, Italy to the south, and Liechtenstein and Austria
to the east.  Switzerland has three main land regions: 1)
the Jura Mountains, 2) the Swiss Plateau, and 3) the
Swiss Alps.  One of the most well known mountains in the
world, the Matterhorn, rises to an elevation of 14,692
feet (4,478 meters).

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United Kingdom
* Official Name : United Kingdom of Great Britain and
  Northern Ireland
* Languages : English
* Population : 57,100,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Constitutional monarchy
* Flag : The flag has a horizontal, a vertical, and two
  diagonal red stripes crossing in the middle, surrounded
  by white edges on a blue background. It is known as the
  British Union Flag or the Union Jack.
* National Anthem : "God Save the Queen"  (or "King")
* Natural resources : coal, oil, gas
* Exports : machinery, transport equipment, chemicals,
  petroleum
* Imports : foodstuffs, petroleum, machinery, chemicals,
  crude materials
* Location : Northernwestern European islands
* Area : 94,092 sq. mi. (243,694 sq. km.)
* Highest Point : Ben Nevis, Scotland, 4,406 ft (1,343 m)
* Lowest Point : Holme Fen, England, 9 ft (3 m) below sea
  level

The United Kingdom consists of England, Wales, Scotland,
and Northern Ireland, and is twice the size of New York
State.  Great Britain covers most of an island group
called the British Isles.  The British Isles consist of
two large islands (Great Britain and Ireland) and
thousands of small islands.  England, Scotland, and Wales
occupy the island of Great Britain.  Northern Ireland
occupies the northeastern part of the island of Ireland.
The English Channel separates Great Britain from France.
The United Kingdom can be divided into eight main land
regions, seven of which occupy the island of Great
Britain.  They are: 1) the Scottish Highlands, 2) the
Central Lowlands, 3) the Southern Uplands, 4) the
Pennines, 5) Wales, 6) the Southwest Peninsula, and 7)
the English Lowlands.  Northern Ireland makes up the
eighth land region.  The Dependencies of the United
Kingdom include :

* Anguilla -- in the West Indies
* Bermuda -- in the West Indies
* British Antarctic Territory -- consists of some land in
  Antarctica and some islands
* British Indian Ocean Territory -- consists of the Chagos
  Archipelago and other small island groups
* British Virgin Islands -- in the Caribbean Sea
* Cayman Islands -- three islands about 180 miles
  northwest of Jamaica
* Channel Islands -- in the English Channel
* Falkland Islands and Dependencies -- a group of islands
  in the South Atlantic
* Gibraltar -- at the south end of the Iberian Peninsula
* Hong Kong -- about 90 miles southeast of Canton; will
  return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997
* Isle of Man -- in the Irish Sea
* Montserrat -- in the West Indies
* Pitcairn Island -- in the South Pacific
* St. Helena -- in the South Atlantic
* Turks and Caicos Islands -- at the southeast end of the
  Bahamas

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Yugoslavia
* Official Name : Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
  (Socijalisticka Federativna Republika Jugoslavija
* Languages : Serbo-Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian
* Population : 23,600,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Socialist republic
* Flag : A gold-bordered red star (for Communism) is
  centered on three horizontal stripes of blue, white,
  and red
* National Anthem : "Hej Sloveni"  ("Hey Slavs")
* Natural resources : timber, copper, iron, lead, zinc,
  bauxite
* Exports : leather goods, textiles, machinery
* Imports : machinery, chemicals, iron, and steel
* Location : Eastern Europe
* Area : 98,766 sq. mi. (255,804 sq. km.)
* Highest Point : Triglav, 9,393 ft (2,863 m)
* Lowest Point : Sea level

Yugoslavia is located on the eastern coast of the
Adriatic Sea opposite Italy.  It is slightly larger than
Wyoming and shares borders with Austria, Italy, and
Hungary to the north, Romania and Bulgaria to the east,
and Greece and Albania to the south.  Yugoslavia has
three main geographic regions: 1) a coastal plain, 2) a
mountain chain, and 3) a great inland river valley.
Yugoslavia is yet another eastern-european country in
termoil, and is currently embroiled in a civil war between
ethnic Cerbians and Croatians.

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Europe

The last few months have seen dramatic changes throughout
Europe, from the opening of the Berlin Wall to the recent
attempted coup in the Soviet Union.  Many European
countries are moving away from communism toward more
representative forms of government, and thus many European
flags may be changed.  As we enter the final decade of the
twentieth century, we see the countries of western Europe
banding  together in an economic union (the EC or European
Community) even as the once-mighty Soviet Union
disintegrates.  It would be naive to think that the
changes that have swept the continent will bring an end to
the woes of the many good people who live upon it, but at
least they seem now to be working together for change. In
the end, perhaps that is what matters the most.

EUROPE (Excluding Russia)
* Population : 497,000,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Area : 1,905,000 sq. mi.
* Highest Point : Mount Blanc, France, 15,781 ft.
* Lowest Point : Sea level

RUSSIA
* Population : 286,000,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Area : 8,647,000 sq. mi.
* Highest Point : Communism Peak, Pamir, 24,547 ft.
* Lowest Point : Caspian Sea, 96 ft. below Sea level

EUROPE (Including Russia)
* Population : 783,000,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Area : 10,552,000 sq. mi.
* Highest Point : Communism Peak, Pamir, Russia, 24,547
  ft.
* Lowest Point : Caspian Sea, 96 ft. below Sea level


The 32 countries included in this geography tutorial are:

  Albania             Andorra             Austria
  Belgium             Bulgaria            Czechoslovakia
  Denmark             Finland             France
  Germany             Greece              Hungary
  Iceland             Ireland             Italy
  Liechtenstein       Luxembourg          Malta
  Monaco              Netherlands         Norway
  Poland              Portugal            Romania
  San Marino          Soviet Union        Spain
  Sweden              Switzerland         United Kingdom
  Vatican City        Yugoslavia
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