On Disk Monthly 62/odm62.zip/GEO2.DAT

Text File | 1991-10-10 | 21KB | 501 lines

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Argentina
* Official Name : Argentine Republic  (Republica
  Argentina)
* Languages : Spanish
* Population : 32,000,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Republic
* Flag : The national flag flown by the people has three
  horizontal stripes, the top and bottom being blue and
  the middle being white.  The state flag flown by the
  government has the "Sun of May" centered on the white
  stripe.
* National Anthem : "Himno Nacional Argentino"
  ("Argentine National Anthem")
* National Holidays : First self-government, May 25,
  1810; Independence of the Republic, July 9, 1816
* Natural resources : minerals, lead, zinc, tin, copper,
  iron, manganese, oil, uranium
* Exports : meats, corn, wheat, wool, hides
* Imports : machinery, fuel and lubricating oils, iron
  and steel
* Location : Southern part of South America
* Area : 1,072,067 sq. mi. (2,776,654 sq. km)
* Highest Point : Mount Aconcagua, 22,831 ft. (6,959 m)
* Lowest Point : Peninsula Valdes, 131 ft. (40 m) below
  sea level


Argentina, slightly less than 1/3 the size of the United
States, shares borders with Chile on the west, Bolivia
and Paraguay on the north, and Brazil and Uruguay on the
northeast.  Argentina has four main land regions: 1)
Northern Argentina, 2) the Pampa, 3) The Andine, and 4)
Patagonia.  In Northern Argentina there is the "Puna", a
high, level area, to the west, a forested lowland called
the "Gran Chaco" in the center, and the partly swampy,
heavily forested "Mesopotamia" between the Parana and the
Uruguay rivers.  The Pampa is a fertile, grassy plain.
In the western region is the Andine, which includes the
Andes Mountains.  Patagonia is mostly a dry plateau in
southern Argentina.
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Bolivia
* Official Name : Republic of Bolivia  (Republica de
  Bolivia)
* Capitals : While La Paz is the administrative capital,
  Sucre is the judicial capital.
* Languages : Spanish, Quechua, Aymara
* Population : 6,900,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Republic
* Flag : The national flag, used by the people, has red,
  yellow, and green horizontal stripes (top to bottom).
  Red stands for the country's animal life, yellow for
  its minerals, and green for its vegetation.  The state
  flag, used by the government, has a coat of arms at the
  center.
* National Anthem : "Himno Nacional de Bolivia"
  ("National Anthem of Bolivia")
* Natural resources : petroleum, natural gas, tin, lead,
  zinc, copper, tungsten, bismuth, antimony, gold,
  sulfur, silver, iron ore
* Exports : tin, lead, zinc, silver, antimony, coffee,
  sugar, cotton, natural gas
* Imports : foodstuffs, chemicals, capital goods,
  pharmaceuticals, transport equipment
* Location : Central South America, landlocked
* Area : 424,162 sq. mi. (1,098,581 sq. km)
* Highest Point : Nevada Ancohuma, 21,489 ft. (6,550 m)


Bolivia, equal in size to California and Texas combined,
shares borders with Peru and Chile on the west, Argentina
and Paraguay on the south, and Brazil on the east and
north.  The land regions of Bolivia are 1) the western
plateau, 2) the yungas (mountain valleys), and 3) the
lowlands.  Lake Titicaca, at an altitude of 12,507 ft.
(3,812 m), lies on the Peru - Bolivia border.  It is the
highest navigable body of water in the world.  La Paz,
the highest capital city in the world, lies at an
altitude of 12,795 ft. (3,900 m).
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Brazil
* Official Name : Federative Republic of Brazil
  (Republica Federativa de Brazil)
* Languages : Portuguese
* Population : 144,400,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Federal Republic
* Flag : The Brazilian flag has a yellow diamond on a
  light green background.  Inside the yellow diamond is a
  blue circle with 23 stars symbolizing the 22 states and
  1 federal district.  (The stars resemble
  constellations.)  The green and yellow symbolize
  Brazil's forests and minerals.
* National Anthem : "Hino Nacional"
* National Holiday : Independence Day, September 7
* Natural resources : iron ore, manganese, bauxite,
  nickel, other industrial metals
* Exports : coffee, iron ore, soybeans, sugar, beef,
  transport equipment, footwear
* Imports : wheat, aluminum, petroleum, machinery,
  chemicals, pharmaceuticals
* Location : Eastern South America
* Area : 3,286,470 sq. mi. (8,511,957 sq. km)
* Highest Point : Pico da Neblina, 9,888 (3,014 m)
* Lowest Point : sea level


Brazil is about the size of the United States (excluding
Hawaii, and Alaska).  It is the largest country in South
America, and the fifth largest in the world (after
Russia, Canada, China, and the United States).  It shares
borders with French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, and
Venezuela on the north, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia,
Paraguay, and Argentina on the west, and Uruguay on the
south.  The land regions of Brazil include 1) the Amazon
Region, 2) the Northeast Region, and 3) the Central and
Southern Plateaus.  The Amazon River has more water and
drains more land than any other river in the world.  It
is navigable for its entire 1,962 miles (3,158 km) in
Brazil.
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Chile
* Official Name : Republic of Chile  ("Republica de
  Chile")
* Languages : Spanish
* Population : 12,600,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Republic (officially)
* Flag : The flag has a red horizontal stripe across the
  bottom symbolizing the blood of heroes.  In the top
  left corner is a blue square with a white star in the
  middle.  The blue is for the sky and the white star for
  unity.  The remainder of the top is white for the snow
  of the Andes.
* National Holiday : Independence Day, September 18
* National Anthem : "Himno Nacional de Chile" ("National
  Anthem of Chile")
* Natural resources :  copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates
* Exports : copper, iron ore, paper and wood products,
  fruits
* Imports : vehicles, petroleum, capital goods
* Location : Southwestern coastline of South America
* Area : 292,132 sq. mi. (756,622 sq. km)
* Highest Point : Ojos del Salado, 22,572 ft. (6,880 m)
* Lowest Point : sea level


Chile, about twice the size of Montana, shares borders
with Peru on the north, Bolivia on the northeast, and
Argentina on the east. Punta Arenas, the southernmost
city in the world, is located at the southern tip of
Chile's mainland.  Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire), the
largest island in the archipelago of the same name, is
located at the southern tip of South America.  Part of
the island is in Chile and part in Argentina.  It is
separated from the mainland of South America by the
Strait of Magellan.   The southernmost point of South
America is Cape Horn, a 1,390 ft (424 m) rock on Horn
Island which belongs to Chile.  The Juan Fernandez
Islands, in the South Pacific about 400 miles (644 km)
west of the mainland, and Easter Island, about 2,000
miles (3,219 km) west, are Chilean possessions.
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Colombia
* Official Name : Republic of Colombia  (Republica de
  Colombia)
* Languages : Spanish
* Population : 30,600,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Republic
* Flag : The flag has a yellow horizontal stripe above
  narrower blue and red stripes.  Yellow is for
  independence, wealth, and justice; blue for loyalty,
  vigilance, and nobility; red for courage, honor, and
  generosity.
* National Anthem : "El Himno Nacional"
* National Holiday : Independence Day, July 20
* Natural resources : petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron
  ore, nickel, gold, silver
* Legal Exports : coffee, fuel oil, cotton, bananas
* Illegal Exports : cocaine, marijuana  (see below)
* Imports : machinery, electrical equipment, chemical
  products, metals and metal products, transportation
  equipment
* Location : Northwestern South America
* Area : 455,355 sq. mi. (1,179,369 sq. km)
* Highest Point : Cristobal Colon, 19,029 ft (5,775 m)
* Lowest Point : sea level


Colombia, about the size of Texas and New Mexico
combined, shares borders with Panama on the northwest,
Ecuador and Peru on the south, and Brazil and Venezuela
on the east.  It is the only country in South America
that borders both the Atlantic Ocean (Carribean Sea) and
the Pacific Ocean.  There are three islands in the
Pacific and five in the Carribean which are part of
Colombia.  It is the fourth largest country in the
continent.  Its land regions include mountains, coastal
lowlands, and interior plains.

* Columbia is, at this time, engaged in a full-scale
"war" with drug "cartels," or organized exporters of
illegal drugs.  Columbia processes over 90% of the
cocaine that is sold in the United States.  Significant
amounts of the marijuana trade originate in Columbia as
well.  Drug lords have engaged in terrorism that has led
to the resignation of several judges in their judicial
system.  The current political leadership of Columbia is
determined to rid the country of this scourge, but the
massive amount of drug money flowing from the United
States has allowed the drug lords to hire armies of their
own.
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Ecuador
* Official Name : Republic of Ecuador  ("Republica del
  Ecuador")
* Languages : Spanish
* Population : 10,200,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Republic
* Flag : The flag flown by the people has a yellow
  horizontal stripe above narrower blue and red stripes.
  The flag flown by the government has the coat of arms
  in the center.
* National Anthem : "Salve, O Patria" ("Hail, O
  Fatherland")
* National Holiday : Independence Day, August 10
* Natural resources : petroleum, fish, silver, gold
* Exports : petroleum, shrimp, bananas, coffee, cocoa,
  fish products
* Imports : agricultural and industrial machinery,
  industrial raw materials, foodstuffs, chemical
  products, transportation and communication equipment
* Location : Northwestern South America
* Area : 109,484 sq. mi. (270,670 sq. km)
* Highest Point : Chimborazo Volcano, 20,561 ft (6,267 m)
* Lowest Point : sea level


Ecuador, about the size of Nevada, shares borders with
Colombia to the north, and Peru to the east and south.
"Ecuador" is the Spanish word for equator, an appropriate
name since Ecuador lies on the equator.  The Galapagos
Islands (or Colon Archipelago), which lie in the Pacific
Ocean about 600 miles (966 km) west of the South American
mainland, became part of Ecuador in 1832.  Two ranges of
the Andes Mountains run north and south, dividing the
country into 3 zones: 1) the Coastal Lowland, 2) the
Andes Highland (between the two ranges), and 3) the
Eastern Lowland.
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Guyana
* Official Name : Cooperative Republic of Guyana
* Languages : English (official), Hindi, Urdu, Creole
* Population : 800,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Republic
* Flag : The flag is green (representing agriculture and
  forests) with a red triangle (zeal in nation building)
  and a golden yellow arrowhead (minerals).  The triangle
  has a black border (endurance) and the arrowhead has a
  white border (water resources).
* National Anthem : "Guyana National Anthem"
* Natural resources : bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood
  timber, shrimp
* Exports : sugar, bauxite, alumina, rice, timber
* Imports : fuels, machinery
* Location : Northern South America
* Area : 83,000 sq. mi. (214,969 sq. km)
* Highest Point : Mt. Roraima, 9,094 ft. (2,772 m)


Guyana, approximately the same size as Idaho, shares
borders with Venezuela on the west, Brazil on the south,
and Suriname on the east.  Guyana is an Amerindian
(American Indian) word meaning "Land of Waters."  Guyana
is divided into three main regions: 1) coastal plain, 2)
inland forests, and 3) savannas (treeless plains).
Although Guyana was one of the first areas to be settled
in the Western Hemisphere, it did not become an
independent nation until 1966.  The Port Kaituma ambush
of U.S.  Rep. Leo J. Ryan and others investigating
mistreatment of American followers of the Rev. Jim Jones'
People's Temple cult, triggered a mass suicide-execution
of 911 cultists in the Guyana jungle, Nov. 18, 1978.
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Paraguay
* Official Name : Republic of Paraguay  ("Republica del
  Paraguay")
* Languages : Spanish (official), Guarani
* Population : 4,400,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Republic
* Flag : The flag has red, white, and blue horizontal
  stripes (top to bottom).  The national coat of arms is
  centered on the front of the flag.  The treasury seal
  with a lion and liberty cap appears on the back.
* National Anthem : "Himno Nacional del Paraguay"
  ("National Anthem of Paraguay")
* National Holiday : Independence Day, May 14
* Natural resource : timber
* Exports : cotton, soybeans, meat products, tobacco,
  timber, coffee, hides
* Imports : fuels and lubricants, machinery and motors,
  motor vehicles, beverages, tobacco, foodstuffs
* Location : Central South America, landlocked
* Area : 157,047 sq. mi. (406,752 sq. km)
* Highest Point : Amambay Range, 2,264 ft. (690 m)


Paraguay, about the size of California, shares borders
with Bolivia on the north, Argentina on the south, and
Brazil on the east.  The Paraguay River divides the
country into the eastern region and the Chaco region.
The eastern region has fertile plains, wooded slopes, and
grasslands, while the Chaco region is covered with
marshes, lagoons, dense forests, and jungles.  Paraguay
is the only country with a flag whose front and back
differ.
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Peru
* Official Name : Republic of Peru  ("Republica del
  Peru")
* Languages : Spanish and Quechua
* Population : 21,300,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Republic
* Flag : The national flag, flown by the people, has
  three vertical stripes, red, white, and red, with white
  in the middle.  The state flag, flown on public
  buildings, also has the coat of arms centered on the
  white stripe.
* National Anthem : "Himno Nacional del Peru"
* Natural resources : iron, copper, fish, petroleum,
  timber
* Exports : copper, fish products, cotton, sugar, coffee,
  lead, silver, zinc, wool, oil, iron ore
* Imports : machinery, foodstuffs, chemicals,
  pharmaceuticals
* Location : Western South America
* Area : 496,222 sq. mi. (1,285,216 sq. km)
* Highest Point : Huasscaran, 22,205 ft. (6,768 m)


Peru, approximately 5/6 the size of Alaska, shares
borders with Ecuador and Colombia on the north, Brazil
and Bolivia on the east, and Chile on the south.  It is
divided by the Andes Mountains into three different land
regions.  The coastal region extends from the Pacific to
the Andes Mountains.  The mountain region consists of
parallel cordilleras (ranges) separated by deep valleys.
There are seven peaks which rise above 19,000 feet.  The
plains include the lower eastern slopes of the Andes.
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Suriname
* Official Name : Republic of Suriname
* Languages : Dutch, Surinamese (lingua franca)
* Population : 400,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : In transition from military to civilian
  rule as of Jan. 1988
* Flag : The flag has two green horizontal stripes (one
  on the top and one on the bottom), two white stripes
  (one under the top green stripe and one over the bottom
  green stripe), and a red stripe in the center.  There
  is also a yellow star centered on the flag.
* Natural resources : bauxite, iron ore, timber, fish,
  shrimp
* Exports : bauxite, alumina, aluminum, rice, shrimp,
  lumber and wood products
* Imports : capital equipment, petroleum, iron and steel,
  cotton, flour, meat, dairy products
* Location : Northern South America
* Area : 63,251 sq. mi. (163,820 sq. km)
* Highest Point : Julianatop, 4,200 ft. (1,280 m)


Suriname, slightly larger than Georgia, shares borders
with Guyana on the west, Brazil on the south, and French
Guiana on the east.  The Tumuc-Humac Mountains are on the
border with Brazil.  The Netherlands acquired Suriname
from Britain in 1667, and it wasn't until November of
1975 that Suriname became an independent nation.
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Uruguay
* Official Name : Oriental Republic of Uruguay
  ("Republica Oriental del Uruguay")
* Languages : Spanish
* Population : 3,000,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Republic
* Flag : A gold sun on a white canton appears on a field
  of nine white and blue horizontal stripes.  The stripes
  represent Uruguay's nine political subdivisions.
* National Anthem : "Himno Nacional del Uruguay"
  ("National Anthem of Uruguay")
* National Holiday : Independence Day, August 25
* Natural resources : hydroelectric power potential
* Exports : meat, hides, wool, textiles
* Imports : crude petroleum, transportation equipment,
  chemicals, machinery, metals
* Location : Central South America
* Area : 72,172 sq. mi. (186,926 sq. km)
* Highest Point : Mirador Nacional, 1,644 ft. (501 m)


Uruguay, approximately the same size as the state of
Washington, shares borders with Argentina on the west and
Brazil on the north.  Uruguay is divided into three land
regions: 1) the coastal lowlands, 2) the highlands, and
3) the pasturelands.  From 1951 to 1967, Uruguay had one
of the most unusual democratic governments in the world.
A nine-man national council headed the government,
instead of a president or prime minister.  In 1967 a
constitution was adopted which provided for a government
headed by a president.
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Venezuela
* Official Name : Republic of Venezuela  ("Republica de
  Venezuela")
* Languages : Spanish
* Population : 18,800,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Government : Republic
* Flag : The national flag, flown by the people, has
  seven white stars (for the original seven provinces)
  arranged in an arc on three horizontal stripes of
  yellow (for Venezuela), blue (for the Atlantic), and
  red (for Spain, Venezuela's former ruler).  The state
  flag, used by the government, also has the coat of arms
  on the left corner of the yellow stripe.
* National Anthem : "Gloria al Bravo Pueblo" ("Glory to
  the Brave People")
* Natural resources : petroleum, natural gas, iron ore,
  hydroelectric power
* Exports : petroleum, iron ore
* Imports : industrial machinery and equipment,
  manufactures, chemicals, foodstuffs
* Location : Northern South America
* Area : 352,143 sq. mi. (912,050 sq. km)
* Highest Point : Pico Bolivar, 16,427 ft (5,007 m)
* Lowest Point: Sea Level

Venezuela, more than twice the size of California, shares
borders with Colombia on the west, Brazil on the south,
and Guyana on the east.  The country is divided into four
land regions: 1) the Maracaibo lowlands, 2) the northern
highlands, 3) the Orinoco plains, and 4) the Guiana
highlands.  Columbus first set foot on the South American
continent on the peninsula of Paria in August of 1498.
In 1499 Alonso de Ojeda found Lake Maracaibo and called
the land Venezuela (Little Venice) because natives had
houses on stilts.
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French Guiana
* French Guiana is not an independent nation.  It is an
  overseas department of France.
* Local capital : Cayenne (Since French Guiana is a
  possession of France, Paris is its national capital.)
* Languages : Creole, French
* Population : 78,336 (est. 1987)
* Natural Resources: Gold, Cinnabar, Minerals and
  Forests.
* Status : Overseas department of France
* Flag : The flag which flies over French Guiana is that
  of France, which has three vertical stripes of blue,
  white, and red (left to right).
* Location : Northeastern South America
* Area : 35,126 sq. mi. (90,976 sq. km)
* Highest Point : 2,723 ft. (830 m)


French Guiana is bordered by Suriname on the west and
Brazil on the East and South.  French Guiana has three
land regions: 1) a coastal plain in the north, 2) a hilly
plateau in the center, and 3) the Tumuc-Humac Mountains
in the south.  Rain forests cover most of the country.
Devil's Island, a small isle off the French Guianan
coast, was for many years a brutal prison camp for
political prisoners of France.  The camp was closed in
1945.  French Guiana was once used extensively for proson
settlements, but the last closed in 1946.
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Lake Titicaca
At 12,507 feet above sea level, Lake Titicaca is the
highest of any large lake in the world.  The lake lies on
the borders of Bolivia and Peru and is surrounded by the
Andes Mountains.  It measures 110 miles by up to 35 miles
and covers an area of 3,261 square miles, more than a
third the size of lake Ontario.
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South America
* Population : 286,000,000 (est. mid-1988)
* Area : 6,883,000 sq. mi.
* Highest Point : Mt. Aconcagua, Argentina-Chile, 23,034
  ft.
* Lowest Point : Valdes Peninsula, Argentina, 131 ft.
  below sea level

The 12 countries and 1 territory included in this
geography tutorial are the following :

^CArgentina        Bolivia          Brazil
^CChile            Colombia         Ecuador
^CFrench Guiana    Guyana           Paraguay
^CPeru             Suriname         Uruguay
^CVenezuela
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