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The Spanish controlled Argentina for almost four hundred years. Argentina wcs ncmed for the Latin eard for •silver." which the Spaniards hoped to find there,

CAPITAL: Buenos Aires          CURRENCY: Peso AREA:

popuLATïON. 39,144.753                                                           feed.

LANGUAGE: Spanish                      motor veh;cles

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Australia is the only country that is also a With a small population who lives mainly on the coasts The native people are the Aborigines, which means "there in the beginning." Australia became part of the British Commonwealth in 1901.

CAPITAL: Canberra AREA: 2.967910 POPULATION:

LANGUAGE: English

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The Alps dominate Austria, Covering over Three-quarters of the country. Austria, once the center Of the powerful Austro-Hungarian Empire, has a thriving industrial economy and a great tradition Of classical music.

CAPITAL: Viennc                                                  Euro

AREA 32.382 square miles              MAIN EXPORTS

POPULATION:                                 vehicles, paper.        goods.

LANGUAGE: German                     chemicals, iron and steel

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Brazil is the largest country in South America and is home to almost half the population of South America.

                                         3rasilia            MAIN EXPORTS: trmspcrT AREA: 3,286.490 square miles       , iron

POPULATION: 184,101.109            soybeans. footwear. coffee,

LANGUAGE: Portuguese                motor vehicles

CURRENCY: Recl

Vast Facts

Chim is one of the oldest and greatest civilizations in the world. with a written history dating 3.5CO years, It has the largest pcguhtion in the world. with more than born every day.

CAPITAL: Beijing                                   CURRENCY: Yuan (renmirbi),

AREA: 3705.410 square miles         Bong Kong dollar

POPULATION: EXPORTS: machinery.

LANGUAGE; Mandaf.n Chinese textiles. Clothing, toys. sportirg goods, mineral fuels

4

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The Nile River. which flows for about 4.150 miles, is the world's longest river. Most Of Egypt is sparsely populated. except alongside the Nile and the Mediterranean coast.

CAPITAL: Cairo                               CURRENCY: Egyptian pound

AREA 386.662 square miles            MAIN EXPORTS: crude oil.

POPULATION:                                Cotton. textiles. meta' products.

LANGUAGE:chemicals

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France beer. home tC great thin.Qrs. artists, writers. and architects The Frerch Resolution in 1789 made Frmce me Of the first European ccuÛries to overthrww its kirg crd establish a republic.

CAPITAL: Paris                                Currency: Euro

AREA: 2¶209 square miles              MAIN EXPORTS; machiner'.

POPULATION: 60.424213                aircrcft. plastics. chemicals.

LANGUAGE: French                        metals. beverages

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After Wor:d War Il. Germany was divided into East and West countries for fifty years, In 1990. the wall between them was torn down and the two countries were united.

CAPITAL: Berlin                               CUQRENCY: Euro

AREA: 137.847 square miles MAIN EXPORTS: machinery, POPULATION: 82,424.609     vehicles. Chemicals.

LANGUAGE: German                       foodstuffs. textiles

The Parthenon is c    that woS built in 438 B.C cn

Greece

Ancient Greece was a seafaring

the highest point in Athens.

EUROPE

nation. building Ships such as this bireme to dominate the

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Many Of the great principles Of western civilization. including democracy, originated in cncient Greece, where education cnd culture were important assets.

CAPITAL: Athens                    MAIN EXPORTS: food and AREA' 50.942

POPULATION:

LANGUAGE Greek                           textiles

CURRENCY: Eurc

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In 1947 , India independence from the United Kingdom and is the largest stable democracy in the world today, with more than 3CO million people voting in gererol electiors Irdia is an industrial power, but most people still make their from tiny farms.

CAPITAL: New Delhi                       CURRENCY: Qupee

AREA 1169,350      MAIN EXPORTS textiles.

POPULATION: 1065.070607         gems, erg;neering goods,

LANGUAGE: Hindi                          chemicals. leather

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The Irdonesian archipelago is the biggest in the world, comprising more than 17,000 islands.

CAPITAL; Jakarta                     CURRENCY: Rupiah

AREA : .269,350 Square miles                   EXPORTS: oil and gas.

POPULATION; 238,452.952   electrical applvar,ceg. plywood. LANGUAGE: Bahcso Indonesia

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Known the Emerald Isle. Ireland is famous for its lush green hills and friendly people. Though southern counties withdrew from the United Kirgdom in 1921. the Irish government today is to '_nify with the northern .nantieS that are still under British rule.

CAPITAL: Dublin                              CURRENCY. Euro

AREA; 27.135 Sq•nre mi'es             MAIN EXPORTS: machinery.

POPULATION: 3969.55B

LANGUAGES: English, Gaelic

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TWO thousand years                  the Roman Empire dominated the

Mediterranecn region and western Europe as far north as Britain. The ancient Roman influence stilt lives on in the form cf laws. engineering, and language—Latin forms the root of many modern tongues,

Rome             MAIN EXPORTS: engineering prcducts. textiles. production

POPULATION: 58057.477                                           vehicles,

LANGUAGE. Italian                transport equipment chemicals, CURRENCY. Euro                    food.

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has a long and rich cultural history. with the longest unbroken line of monarchs in the world, dating back more than 2.000 years. Today. Japan is regarded as an industrial cnd economic power in the world.

CURRENCY: Yen

MAIN EXPORTS: motor vehicles. semiconductors, office  chemicals

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From the fourteenth through twentieth centuries. Korea was one Country. After World War 11, it was divided in two—North Korea become a Communist country where factories and farms are owned by the government. and South Korea became a Capitclist country where industry and farms are owned by people.

NORTH KOREA

CAPITAL          CURRENCY: North                   Wan AREA 46.541 Square miles  MAIN EXPORTS: minercls.

POPULATION: 22,697.553             metallurgical products, arms.

LANGUAGE: Korean        fishery                    'S SOUTH KOREA

CAPITAL: Seoul                                MAIN EXPORTS:

AREA, 38.023 square miles

POPULATION: 48,598.175            telecommunications equipment.

LA                         AGE;motor vehicles. computers.

CURRENCY: South                          steel. ships. petrochemicals

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The word •netherlands" means *lowlands" because so much cf the country is flat and below sea level, and it is protected by dams and floodgates, The people are known as the Dutch, and the country is sometimes tailed Holland. Though Amsterdam is the capital, The Hague is the national Sect of government.

CAPITAL: Amsterqdarn                   CURRENCY: Euro

AREA: 16.033 Square miles MAIN EXPORTS' machinery, POPULATION; 15318.199 chemicals, fuels. foodstuffs. LANGUAGE: Dutch dairy products. flcwer bulbs

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Called the •Giant of Africa." Nigeria has the largest population in Africa and is home to over 250 ethnic groups.

CAPITAL: Abuja                               CURRENCY: Nairo

AREA. 356,669              miles           MAIN EXPORTS

POPULATION; 137,253.133                           products,

LANGUAGEST              Hausa.         rubber

Yoruba. Igbo. Fulani

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After World War Poland MIS incorporated into the Soviet Bloc and was a communist nation. By 1990. the government collapsed and the Solidarity Party was democratically elected.

CAPITAL: Warsaw                           CURRENCY: Zloty

AREA:               Square miles           MAIN EXPORTS: machinery.

POPULATION;                                 manufactured goods. food.

LANGUAGE; Pc:ish                         J •vestock

Stretching from Europe to Asia. Russia is the largest country in the world. with varied climate and terrain, In 2817. a revolutionary group overthrew the czarist rule and formed the union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). In 1991. the USSR collapsed and the 15 republics, including Russia. became independent.

CAPITAL: Moscow                           CURRENCY: Ruble

A  Square miles       MAIN EXPORTS: petroleum and

POPULATION; 143.782.338          petroleum pmducts. natural gas,

LANGUAGE: Russian                      wood,

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Most Of Saudi Arabia is covered by desert, and years may 90 by without rain. It is an extremely wealthy country because Of its huge Oil reserves in the Persian Gulf,

CAPITAL: Riyadh                             CURRENCY; Riya'

AREA: 756,985 Square                    MAIN EXPORTS; petroleum and

POPULATION:                                  pet           products

DENMARK

CAPITAL: Copenhagen

AREA: 16639 Sqnre miles

PœULAT10N

LANGUAGE: Danish

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       FINLANÙ                NORWAY

CAPITAL; Helsinki         CAPITAL; Oslo

AREA^L 130559 AREA. 125.282                        mi'es POPULATION 5224512           POPULATION: 4574.560

LANGUAGES Finnish,                             A Norwegian

Swedish                                   CURRENCY Norwegian

CURRENCY: Euro

SWEDEN

CAPITAL: Stockholm

AREA; 173732        miles

POPULATION: B.986.4CO LANGUAGE Swedish

Swedish k•om

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South Africa was settled by Dutch and British colonialists in the nineteenth century. In 1948, the government imposed apartheid, which kept the black and white people separate, In 2994. dem«xratic elections eliminated apartheid, and Nelson

Mandela led the country's first majority black government

CAPITA                                                                              Venda.

Capetown (legislative),                   Xhosa. Zulu

                      (judicial)                     CURRENCY: Rand

AREA: 471.011 square miles           MAIN EXP-OQTS: gold,

POPULATION 42,718.530 dict-nones. platinum, Other LANGUAGES: Afrikaans. metals, minera's, machinery English, Ndebele, Pedi, Sctho.

Spoin is the worlds largest

supplier Of cork. which

ain

Bullfighting is Spain's national

from the bark Of the

Sport The muatador flutters

evergreen cok tree.

is a Spanish dance that reflects the passions life.

EUROPE

The Moors

his red cape to enrage the and make him Charge.

t:e.sh

PYRENEES MTS.

oranges to Spain in the ninth century. and Valencia is fer the delicious fruit.

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Spain shares the Iberian peninsula with Portugal. Spain once the most powerful country in Europe in the sixteenth century. and explored the farthest recches cf the globe. establishing colcnies in North and South America. Asia. and Africa, Today. Spain' diversity is reflected in the different cultures within Spain, each with their Own language and customs.

CAPITAL: Madrid                                                Eerc

AREA: 194,897 square                    MAIN EXPORTS: machinery.

POPULATION 40.280,780      motor vehicles. olives, oranges. AGE. Spanish

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Switzerland is c land of mountains, with the Alps over Of the Country. The is populated by people of French. German. and Italian heritage. and is krown as c politically neutral country that has not been at war for more than 150 years.

CAPITAL: Bern CURRENCY: swigs franc AREA 15,942 Square miles MAIN EXPORTS: machinery, POPULATION: 7,450.867

LANGUAGES: German. French.

Italian. Romcnsch

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Turkey is lcccted partly in Europe and partly in AsicHistorically known as Asia Minor. it is home to many sites of historical impcrtance, including the city cf Troy,

CAPITAL: Ankara                             CURRENCY: Turkish lirc

AREA: 301.384 Sgucre miles           MAIN EXP02Ts: apparel.

POPULATION: 68893.91B                             foodstuffs, textiles.

LANGUAGE: Turkish                       metal manufactures

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From the sixteenth through the first part Of the twentieth centuries, the United Kingdom (consisting of England, Scotland. Wales. and Northern Ireland) built a vast empire around the world. though most colonies are independent today. The U.' the first Country to change from an agricultural economy to an industrial one. Though it is a monarchy. the king or queen is only a figurehead and leaves the governing to the Parliament cnd prime minister.

CAPITAL: London                            CURRENCY: British pound

AREA; 94526 Square miles               MAIN EXPORTS: manufactured

POPULATION: 50.270708               goods. fuels. chemicals. food.

LANGUAGE: English                        Severcges. tobccco