POLYNESIA (FRENCH) A French possession in Oceania, in the southern part of the Pacific Ocean. It includes 118 islands of volcanic or coral origin: the Society Islands (the largest of which is Tahiti), as well as the Tuamotu, Gambier, Tubuai, Marquesas Islands, and others. The total area of the islands is 4.2 thousand km², scattered over an area of 2.5 million km² (comparable to Europe). The administrative center is Papeete on Tahiti (23.5 thousand). Administratively, it is divided into 5
PITCAIRN A volcanic island in Oceania, in the southeastern part of the Pacific Ocean. This British territory also includes the uninhabited islands of Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno. Total area - 47 km². The administrative center is Adamstown (the only settlement on the island). Population - 46 people (2005), mainly Anglo-Polynesian mestizos. The official language is English. The currency is the New Zealand dollar. Pitcairn is a British territory. It was explored by the English expedition of F.
PERU. Republic of Peru A country in the western part of South America. Area - 1,285,200 km². Capital - Lima (8 million); other major cities: Arequipa, Trujillo, Chiclayo, Iquitos, Cajamarca. Administrative-territorial division - 12 regions, including 24 departments, and 1 autonomous province. Population - 27 million (2004), Peruvians; about 45% are indigenous Quechua and Aymara, about 73% are mestizos. Official languages - Spanish, Quechua, Aymara. Dominant religion - Catholicism. Currency -
PARAGUAY. Republic of Paraguay A country in the center of South America. Area - 406.8 thousand km². Capital - Asunción (approx. 900 thousand). Administrative division - 19 departments and 1 capital district. Population - 5.4 million (2004), Paraguayans; 95% of Paraguay's population consists of Spanish-Indian mestizos-Guarani, with approximately 250 thousand Brazilians, 200 thousand people of German descent, 100 thousand indigenous people, 100 thousand Argentinians, and 1.5 thousand
PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Independent State of Papua New Guinea A state in Oceania, located in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean, occupies the western part of the island of New Guinea and nearby islands, the Bismarck archipelago, the northern part of the Solomon Islands (Bougainville and Buka islands), and more than 200 other small islands. The total area is 462.8 thousand km². The capital is Port Moresby (in Papua; 200 thousand), the largest cities are Lae and Madang. The
PANAMA. Republic of Panama A country on the Panama Isthmus in Central America. Area - 77.1 thousand km². Capital - Panama City (over 1 million). Administrative-territorial division - 9 provinces. Population - 2.8 million (2004), predominantly Spanish-Indian mestizos; the country is also home to blacks, mulattos, and several tens of thousands of indigenous people. The official language is Spanish. The dominant religion is Catholicism. The currency unit is the balboa (=100 centesimos) and the US
PALESTINE The creation of an Arab state in the territory of Palestine was stipulated by UN General Assembly Resolution 181 on November 29, 1947, which called for the termination of the British mandate over Palestine, established after World War I, and the creation of two independent states on its territory - Arab and Jewish. Jerusalem was designated as a separate administrative unit with a special international regime (considered a holy city by Christians, Jews, and Muslims). During the
PALAU. Republic of Palau A state in Oceania, on an archipelago in the group of the Caroline Islands in the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean (the largest being Babeldaob Island - 367 km²). Area - 508 km². Capital - Koror on Koror Island (11.5 thousand). Population - 21 thousand (2004), mainly Belau (Palauan). Official languages - Belau (Palauan) and English. Religion - Catholics and Protestants. Currency - US dollar. National holiday - October 1 - Independence Day (1994).
PAKISTAN. Islamic Republic of Pakistan A country in South Asia, in the northwest of the Indian subcontinent. Area - 803.9 thousand km². Capital - Islamabad (over 800 thousand), largest cities: Karachi (over 15 million), Lahore (over 5 million). Administratively, the country includes 4 provinces (Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan), a federal capital territory, a tribal area, the so-called "Northern Territories," and Azad Kashmir - part of the territory of the former
COOK ISLANDS Islands in the center of the Pacific Ocean. They include 15 islands, which make up the northern and southern (Hervey) groups. The largest islands are in the southern group - Mangaia and Rarotonga. The total area is about 240 km². The administrative center is Avarua on the island of Rarotonga (about 1,500). The population is 21,400 (2004), consisting of Polynesians and Māori, descendants from New Zealand. About 24,000 Cook Islanders live permanently in New Zealand. The official
OMAN. Sultanate of Oman A country in Southwest Asia, in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula. Area - 312 thousand km² (the borders in the west run through deserts and are not clearly defined). The capital is Muscat (over 500 thousand including the port of Matrah). Administratively, it is divided into 59 wilayats (provinces), united into 8 regions. Population - 2.4 million (Omani subjects - 1.78 million); 80% are Arabs, the rest are Persians, Indians, Baluchis, and people from Africa. There
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES A federal state located in Southwest Asia, in the southeastern part of the Arabian Peninsula, on the shores of the Persian and Oman Gulfs. The UAE consists of 7 emirates: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman, Fujairah, and Umm Al-Quwain. The largest are Abu Dhabi (approx. 67,000 km², 1 million people) and Dubai (approx. 4,000 km², about 1.2 million people). The territory is about 83,600 km² (land borders run through deserts and are not clearly defined). The
NORFOLK An island in Oceania, in the south-western part of the Pacific Ocean, located 1676 km northeast of Sydney (Australia). Area — 34.5 km². The administrative center is Kingston. Population - 2.3 thousand (2004); consists of descendants of settlers from Pitcairn Island and partially from recent immigrants from Australia and New Zealand. The official language is English. The currency is the Australian dollar.
Svalbard An archipelago beyond the Arctic Circle (74-81° N latitude, 10-35° E longitude) in the sea part of the Arctic Ocean. The area is 62.7 thousand km². The archipelago has over 1,000 islands. There is no indigenous population; approximately 1,500 Norwegians, 950 Russians, and about 400 citizens of other countries reside there. Svalbard, along with the island of Bear Island located to the south, forms the administrative district of Norway known as Svalbard, which is governed by a governor
NORWAY. Kingdom of Norway A country in Northern Europe, occupying the western and northern parts of the Scandinavian Peninsula. Area - 324.2 thousand km²; together with the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, the islands of Jan Mayen, Bouvet in the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean, and others - 387 thousand km². Capital - Oslo (522 thousand), major cities: Bergen (237 thousand), Trondheim (156 thousand), Stavanger (114 thousand). Administrative-territorial division - 19 fylker
NEW CALEDONIA An overseas territory of France, located in Oceania in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean (New Caledonia Island, Loyalty Islands, Pine Island, and others). Total area - 18,500 km². The administrative center is Nouméa (83,200). Administratively, it is divided into 3 provinces (Northern, Southern, and Loyalty Islands Province). Population - 197,000 (1997) (in subsequent years, there were significant demographic changes); Melanesians (Kanaks) - 42.5%, Europeans (mostly
NEW ZEALAND A country in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean. It is located on two large islands (North and South), separated by the Cook Strait, and a number of smaller neighboring islands (Stewart, Chatham, Kermadec, Campbell, etc.). New Zealand also includes the islands of Tokelau, Cook Islands, and Niue in the central part of the Pacific Ocean. The territory is 270.5 thousand km². The capital is Wellington (344 thousand), the largest cities (including suburbs): Auckland (960
NIUE An island in Oceania, in the central part of the Pacific Ocean. Area - 262.6 km². Administrative center - Alofi (approx. 1,000). Population - 1,600 (2004). Language - English, however, the majority of the population speaks a local language closely related to Tongan. Religion: the majority of believers are Congregationalist Protestants. Currency - New Zealand dollar. Captain James Cook visited the island in 1774, and the first missionaries arrived in 1830. In 1901, Great Britain
NICARAGUA. Republic of Nicaragua A country in Central America. Area - 148 thousand km². Capital - Managua (over 1 million). Administrative-territorial division - 15 departments and 2 autonomous regions. Population - 5.8 million (2005); ethnic structure (according to 2004 data): 72% - Spanish-Indian mestizos, 15% - whites, 7% - blacks, 6% - indigenous people. Official language - Spanish. Religion - over 80% of the population practices Catholicism. Currency - cordoba.
NETHERLANDS. Kingdom of the Netherlands A country on the northern coast of Western Europe, bordered by the North Sea. Area - 41.5 thousand km² (including inland waters; without them - 34 thousand km²). About 25% of the territory is below sea level and is protected by a system of dikes and other hydraulic structures, the total length of which is 3 thousand km. The capital is Amsterdam (about 1 million with suburbs). The seat of parliament and government is The Hague (457 thousand); other major
NIGERIA. Federal Republic of Nigeria A country in West Africa on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. It borders Niger to the north, Benin to the west, Chad to the northeast, and Cameroon to the east and southeast. The length of the coastline is 853 km. The area is 924,000 km². The capital is Abuja (over 400,000; until 1991 - Lagos, 10.2 million, which is currently the economic and financial center of the country), other major cities include Kano, Ibadan, Kaduna, Port Harcourt. Administratively,
NIGER. Republic of Niger A country in West Africa. Territory - 1,267 thousand km², of which 3/4 is occupied by deserts. Capital - Niamey (over 700 thousand). Administrative-territorial division - 7 departments. Population - 10.7 million (2001), the most numerous ethnic groups: Hausa (6 million), Zarma-Songhai (2.3 million), Fulbe (1 million), Tuareg (0.8 million), Kanuri (0.5 million). Official language - French. Religion - Sunni Islam, which is practiced by about 90% of the population. 23% of
NEPAL. Kingdom of Nepal A state in South Asia, in the Himalayas. Area - 147,181 thousand km². Capital - Kathmandu (over 700 thousand), major cities: Biratnagar (145 thousand), Lalitpur (130 thousand), Pokhara (110 thousand). Administratively, it is divided into 14 zones consisting of 75 districts. Population - over 24 million (2004); of which Nepalis - 50.3%, Maithili - 11.8%, Bhojpuri - 7.5%, Tharu - 5.4%, Tamang - 4.9%, Newars - 3.7%, and others. Average population density - 157 people per
NAURU. Republic of Nauru A state in Oceania, located on the eponymous coral island in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean. Area — 21 km². It does not have an official capital; the government residence is in the Meneng district, while government buildings and parliament are located in the Yaren district. The administrative-territorial division consists of 8 districts. Population - 10.1 thousand (2004); of which 60% are Nauruans (Polynesians), the rest are immigrants from other islands of
NAMIBIA. Republic of Namibia A country in the southwestern part of Africa, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. Area - 824.3 thousand km². Capital - Windhoek (population 300 thousand). Administrative division - 13 regions. Population - 1.83 million (2004); 100 thousand of European descent (of which about 35 thousand are Germans). The largest African ethnic groups are Ovambo (about 48% of the country's population), Herero, Damara, Nama, and Kavango. The official language is English, with
MYANMAR. Union of Myanmar A state (known as the Union of Burma until June 18, 1989) at the junction of South and Southeast Asia, in the northwestern part of the Indochinese Peninsula. Area - 678 thousand km². Capital - Yangon (formerly known as Rangoon; 4 million), largest cities: Mandalay, Pathein (Bassein), Mawlamyine, Sittwe. Administrative-territorial division - 7 national and 7 administrative regions. Population - about 54 million (2005); 69% - Burmans, 7% - Karens, 5% - Shans, the rest -
MONTERRAT A British territory on the island of the same name, part of the Lesser Antilles archipelago between North and South America. Area - 102 km². Administrative center - Plymouth (1,500). Population - 9,300, mainly of African and mixed descent. Official language - English. Religion: the majority of the population are Protestants (Anglicans, Methodists, Adventists), part of the population are Catholics. Currency - East Caribbean dollar = 100 cents. National holiday - November 23 -
MONGOLIA (Mongol Ule) A country in Central Asia. Area - 1,566.5 thousand km². Capital - Ulaanbaatar (over 800 thousand, 2004), major cities: Darkhan - 88 thousand (2004), Erdenet - 65 thousand (2004). Administrative-territorial division - 21 aimag (aimags are divided into somons). Population - 2.5 million (2004); Mongols - about 94%, Kazakhs - 4% (1998), Buryats, Tuvans, and others. Official language - Mongolian. Religion - Buddhism in the form of Lamaism. Currency - Tugrik = 100 Mungus. It
MONACO. Principality of Monaco A state in Southern Europe, on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, surrounded by French territory on land. Area - 2 km² (of which 0.2 km² has been reclaimed from the sea in recent years). Capital - Monaco (3 thousand). Administratively, it is a single commune made up of merged city districts: Monaco, La Condamine, Monte Carlo, Moneghetti, and Fontvieille. Population - about 32 thousand (as of 2002); of these, the indigenous people - Monegasques - number 7
MOLDOVA. Republic of Moldova A state in the southeastern part of Europe. Although it is not a coastal state, it is geographically inclined towards the Black Sea region. It has access to the Danube (the length of the coastline is less than 1 km). The territory is 33.8 thousand km². The capital is Chișinău (707 thousand as of 2005) - it has the status of a separate administrative unit (municipality), the largest cities are Tiraspol, Bălți, Bender. Administratively, it is divided into 32
MOZAMBIQUE. Republic of Mozambique A country in southeastern Africa, bordered by the Indian Ocean. Area - 799.4 thousand km². Capital - Maputo (over 1.2 million), major cities: Beira (about 350 thousand), Nampula (about 250 thousand). Administratively, the country is divided into 11 provinces, including Maputo, which has the status of a province. Population - over 18 million (2002), over 98% belong to Bantu language groups (Makua, Tsonga, Malawian, Shona, etc.). Immigrants from Europe and Asia
MICRONESIA. Federated States of Micronesia An island nation in Oceania, including the center and the Carolinian Islands and the atoll of Kapinga Marangi, in the western part of the Pacific Ocean. Area - 701.4 km². The capital is Palikir, located on the island of Pohnpei. Administratively, the FSM consists of 4 states, each with its own government: Chuuk (formerly Truk), Kosrae, Pohnpei (Ponape), and Yap. Population - 113,000 (2004), predominantly Micronesians. The official language is English.
MIDWAY An atoll in Oceania, in the central part of the Pacific Ocean, in the northwestern group of the Hawaiian Islands, consists of the islands Eastern and Sand. Total area - 5.2 km². Population - about 40 people (2005), mainly employees of the U.S. Department of the Interior. Under U.S. ownership since 1867. Until 1903, when Americans established a trans-Pacific telegraph service station on the islands, they were uninhabited. The Navy command named the atoll Midway ("middle of the
MEXICO. United Mexican States A country in the southern part of North America (Mexico also owns several islands in the Pacific Ocean and in the Gulf of California). Area - 1,958.2 thousand km². Capital - Mexico City (over 20 million), other major cities: Guadalajara, Monterrey, Puebla, León, Ciudad Juárez. Administrative-territorial division - 31 states and a federal district. Population - 106.5 million (2004), Mexicans; Spanish-Indian mestizos - 55%, indigenous people - 29%, descendants of
MARSHALL ISLANDS. Republic of the Marshall Islands An island nation in Oceania, comprising two groups of coral islands in the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean (Ratak and Ralik), north of the equator. Area — 181.3 km². Capital - Majuro, on the eponymous atoll. Administratively divided into 25 districts. Population — 55.4 thousand (2004), mainly Marshallees. Official languages - Marshallese and English. Religion: the majority are Protestants, with some Catholics. Currency — US dollar. National
MARTINIQUE An overseas department of France located on the island of the same name in the Caribbean Sea, in the Lesser Antilles archipelago between North and South America. Area - 1.1 thousand km². The administrative center is Fort-de-France (94 thousand). Administrative-territorial division - 2 districts. Population - 393 thousand (2004), mainly people of African descent and mulattos. The official language is French, but the local Creole language is widely spoken.
MOROCCO. Kingdom of Morocco A country in the northwest of Africa, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Area - 458.73 thousand km². Capital - Rabat (with suburbs - about 1.2 million), largest cities: Casablanca (over 4.5 million), Fez, Oujda, Marrakech. Administratively, the country is divided into 44 provinces, 27 prefectures, and 17 wilayas, which are part of 16 regions. Population - over 30 million (2004), mainly Arabs and Berbers (97%). There are also French, Spanish,
MALTA. Republic of Malta A state in Southern Europe, occupying a group of islands in the central part of the Mediterranean Sea. The largest of them are Malta, Gozo, and Comino. The total area is 316 km². The capital is Valletta (9,000), other major cities include Sliema, Hamrun, Rabat, and Victoria. The population is 398,534 (2004), predominantly Maltese. The official languages are Maltese and English. The official religion is Catholicism (98%). The currency is the Maltese lira (1 Maltese lira
MALDIVES. Maldives Republic A state in South Asia, located on the eponymous archipelago in the northwestern part of the Indian Ocean, 640 km southwest of Sri Lanka. It consists of 26 atolls (island groups) and over 1190 small coral islands, of which more than 200 are inhabited. The area is 298 km². The capital is Male (over 73 thousand). Administrative division - 20 atolls (island groups - administrative units). The population is about 300 thousand (2004) - Maldivians. The official language is
MALI. Republic of Mali A landlocked country in West Africa. Area - 1,240,000 km². Capital - Bamako (over 1 million), other major cities: Mopti, Gao, Timbuktu, Koulikoro, Segou. Administrative division - Bamako district and 8 regions, 701 communes. Population - approximately 12 million, ethnic groups: Bambara (2.5 million), Senoufo (1 million), Soninke (600 thousand), Songhai (500 thousand), Malinke (500 thousand), Tuareg and Moor tribes account for 5% of the population, Fulbe - 10%. Official
MALAYSIA A country in Southeast Asia, geographically consists of 2 parts: the peninsula (located in the south of the Malacca Peninsula) and the island (northern part of Borneo). The climate is equatorial, hot, and humid. The total area is 336.7 thousand km². The capital is Kuala Lumpur (approximately 1.6 million). The administrative center, where government institutions were relocated in 2003, is Putrajaya. The administrative-territorial division consists of 13 states and 3 federal territories
MALAWI. Republic of Malawi A country in Southeast Africa. Area - 118.5 thousand km². Capital - Lilongwe (505 thousand). Administratively, the country is divided into 3 provinces (Northern, Central, and Southern), consisting of districts. Population - 11.1 million (2004); 99.7% are Africans, predominantly from the Bantu language group. The country is also home to Europeans and people from Asia (Indians and Pakistanis). Official languages - English and Chichewa (the language of Malawi).
MACEDONIA. Republic of Macedonia A country in southeastern Europe in the center of the Balkan Peninsula. Area - 25,713 km². Capital - Skopje (approx. 500 thousand), major cities: Bitola, Prilep, Kumanovo, Ohrid. The main administrative-territorial unit is the municipality (a total of 84), headed by a mayor. Population - 2.023 million (2002 census), of which Macedonians - 64.18%, Albanians - 25.17%, Turks - 3.85%, Roma - 2.66%, Serbs - 1.78%. A significant number of Macedonians live abroad: 150
MAURITANIA. Islamic Republic of Mauritania A country in the northwest of Africa, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. Area - 1,032.5 thousand km² (mostly the Sahara Desert). Capital - Nouakchott (approx. 700 thousand). Administrative division - 12 districts, with the capital designated as a separate district. Population - 2.9 million (2004); Arabs and Berbers - over 80%, the rest - Negroid peoples (Toucouleur, Peul, Wolof, Bambara, etc.), 25% of the population are nomads. Official language -
MAURITIUS. Republic of Mauritius An island nation in the southwestern part of the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, it includes the island of Mauritius and several smaller islands - Rodrigues, Agalega, and the Cargados Carajos Shoals. The Legislative Assembly of Mauritius passed a law in 1980 to include the island of Tromelin, which is administered by France (since 1990, negotiations have been ongoing between Mauritius and France regarding the future of the island), and in 1982, the Chagos
LUXEMBOURG. Grand Duchy of Luxembourg A state in Western Europe. Official name - Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Area - 2586 km², borders Belgium, Germany, and France. Capital - Luxembourg City (81.8 thousand), largest cities: Esch-sur-Alzette (25 thousand), Differdange (17 thousand), and Dudelange (16 thousand). Administrative division - 3 districts (Luxembourg, Diekirch, Grevenmacher), 12 cantons, 118 communes. Population - 455 thousand (2005); of which Luxembourgers - 61.4%, foreigners - 38.6%
MADAGASCAR. Republic of Madagascar A state on the island of Madagascar and the adjacent small islands in the Indian Ocean off the southeast coast of Africa. Area - 587,000 km². Capital - Antananarivo (over 1 million), largest cities: Fianarantsoa, Toamasina, Antsirabe, Antsiranana. Administrative-territorial division - 6 faritany (provinces). Population - 15.1 million (2004); 99% are Malagasy, in addition, there are French, Comorians, Arabs, Chinese, Indians, and Pakistanis.
LIECHTENSTEIN. Principality of Liechtenstein A state in Central Europe, located between Switzerland and Austria. Area - 160 km². Capital - Vaduz (5 thousand). Administratively, it consists of two historically formed parts: Oberland (Upper Liechtenstein) with its center in the city of Vaduz and Unterland (Lower Liechtenstein) with its center in the city of Schaan. It is divided into 11 municipalities. Population - 33 thousand (2004); of which 64% are Liechtensteiners, 36% are foreigners, mainly
