ATLAS 4TH EDITION

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ATLAS
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LONDON, NEW YORK, MELBOURNE,

MUNICH, AND DELHI
2

LONDON, NEW YORK, MELBOURNE,

MUNICH, AND DELHI

FOR THE FOURTH EDITION

Cartographic Manager David Roberts
Senior Cartographic Editor Simon Mumford
Cartographers Paul Eames, Encompass Graphics Limited
Designers Nimbus Design Editors Ben Hoare, Margaret Parrish,
Cambridge International Reference on Current Affairs (CIRCA)
3D Globes Planetary Visions Ltd., London
Systems Co-ordinator Philip Rowles Production Imogen Boase
Art Director Bryn Walls Publisher Jonathan Metcalf
Associate Publisher Liz Wheeler

FOR PREVIOUS EDITIONS

Cartographic Director Andrew Heritage
Cartography Roger Bullen, Rob Stokes, Iorwerth Watkins
Project Editor Sam Atkinson Art Editor Karen Gregory

First published in Great Britain in 2001 by

Dorling Kindersley Limited, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL
A Penguin Company
Fourth Edition 2010
Previously published as the Ultimate Pocket Book of the World Atlas & Factfile
Copyright © 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2010
Dorling Kindersley Limited

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form or by any other means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording
or otherwise, without the written permission of the copyright owner.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-4053-5039-6

Printed and bound in Singapore by Star Standard

Discover more at
www.dk.com
 3
Key to map symbols
ELEVATION DRAINAGE FEATURES

6000m / 19,686ft River

4000m / 13,124ft
Seasonal river
2000m / 6562ft
1000m / 3281ft Canal
500m / 1640ft
250m / 820ft Lake
100m / 328ft
Seasonal lake
0
Below sea level
SETTLEMENTS
Mountain Capital city

Depression
Major town

BORDERS
Minor town

Full international Major port

Disputed de facto COMMUNICATIONS

Territorial claim Major road

Cease-fire line Rail

International airport
Undefined

State/Province Insight; facts, figures, and

amazing information from
around the world
4
Atlas contents
The Political World . . . . . . . . . . 8-9 The Atlantic Ocean . . . . . . . . 48-49
The Physical World . . . . . . . . 10-11
Time Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-13
Atlas Opener . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-15 Africa 50–51

North & Central Northwest Africa . . . . . . . . . . 52-53

America 16–17 Northeast Africa . . . . . . . . . . 54-55
West Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56-57
Western Canada & Alaska . . . 18-19 Central Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . 58-59
Eastern Canada . . . . . . . . . . . 20-21 Southern Africa . . . . . . . . . . . 60-61
USA: The Northeast . . . . . . . . 22-23
USA: Central States . . . . . . . . 24-25
USA: The West . . . . . . . . . . . 26-27 Europe 62–63
USA: The Southwest . . . . . . . 28-29
USA: The Southeast . . . . . . . . 30-31
Mexico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32-33 The North Atlantic. . . . . . . . . 64-65
Central America . . . . . . . . . . 34-35 Scandinavia & Finland. . . . . . 66-67
The Caribbean. . . . . . . . . . . . 36-37 The Low Countries . . . . . . . . 68-69
The British Isles . . . . . . . . . . . 70-71
France, Andorra,
South America & Monaco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72-73
38–39 Spain & Portugal . . . . . . . . . . 74-75
Germany &
Northern South America . . . . 40-41 the Alpine States . . . . . . . . . 76-77
Peru, Bolivia, & North Brazil 42-43 Italy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78-79
Paraguay, Uruguay, Central Europe . . . . . . . . . . . 80-81
& South Brazil. . . . . . . . . . . 44-45 Southeast Europe. . . . . . . . . . 82-83
Southern South America . . . . 46-47 The Mediterranean . . . . . . . . 84-85
 5
Atlas contents
Bulgaria & Greece. . . . . . . . . 86-87 Mainland Southeast Asia . . 118-119
The Baltic States Maritime Southeast Asia . . 120-121
& Belarus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88-89
Ukraine, Moldova, The Indian Ocean . . . . . . . 122-123
& Romania . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90-91
European Russia . . . . . . . . . . 92-93
Australasia &
Oceania 124–125
North & West
Asia 94–95 The Southwest Pacific . . . . 126-127
Western Australia . . . . . . . 128-129
Russia & Kazakhstan . . . . . . . 96-97 Eastern Australia . . . . . . . . 130-131
Turkey & the Caucasus . . . . . 98-99 New Zealand . . . . . . . . . . 132-133
The Near East
& West Bank . . . . . . . . . . 100-101 The Pacific Ocean . . . . . . . 134-135
The Middle East . . . . . . . . 102-103 Antarctica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Arctic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Central Asia. . . . . . . . . . . . 104-105

Country Factfiles
South & East 138–359
Asia 106–107
See overleaf for contents
Western China
& Mongolia. . . . . . . . . . . 108-109 Overseas territories . . . . . . 360-365
Eastern China & Korea. . . . 110-111 International organizations . . . 366
Japan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112-113
South India & Sri Lanka. . . 114-115 Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
North India & Pakistan . . . 116-117 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368-432
6
Factfile contents
A Chad . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190 Guatemala. . . . . . . . . 226
Afghanistan . . . . . . . . 153 Chile . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 Guinea . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Albania . . . . . . . . . . . 154 China . . . . . . . . . 192-193 Guinea–Bissau. . . . . . 228
Algeria. . . . . . . . . . . . 155 Colombia . . . . . . . . . 194 Guyana . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Andorra . . . . . . . . . . . 156 Comoros . . . . . . . . . . 195
Angola. . . . . . . . . . . . 157 Congo . . . . . . . . . . . . 196 H
Antarctica . . . . . . . . . 158 Congo, Dem. Rep. . . 197 Haiti . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Antigua & Barbuda . . 159 Costa Rica . . . . . . . . . 198 Honduras . . . . . . . . . 231
Argentina. . . . . . . . . . 160 Côte d’Ivoire . . . . . . . 199 Hungary . . . . . . . . . . 232
Armenia . . . . . . . . . . 161 Croatia . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Australia . . . . . . 162–163 Cuba . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 I
Cyprus. . . . . . . . . . . . 202 Iceland . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Austria. . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Azerbaijan. . . . . . . . . 165 Czech Republic . . . . . 203 India . . . . . . . . . . 234-235
Indonesia. . . . . . . 236-237
B D Iran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Bahamas . . . . . . . . . . 166 Denmark . . . . . . . . . . 204
Iraq . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Bahrain . . . . . . . . . . . 167 Djibouti. . . . . . . . . . . 205
Ireland. . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Bangladesh . . . . . . . . 168 Dominica . . . . . . . . . 206
Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Barbados . . . . . . . . . . 169 Dominican Republic . 207
Italy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Belarus . . . . . . . . . . . 170
E
Belgium. . . . . . . . . . . 171
East Timor . . . . . . . . . 208 J
Belize . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 Jamaica . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Ecuador . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Benin. . . . . . . . . . . . . 173 Japan . . . . . . . . . . 244-245
Egypt . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Bhutan. . . . . . . . . . . . 174 Jordan . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
El Salvador . . . . . . . . 211
Bolivia. . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Equatorial Guinea . . . 212
Bosnia
Eritrea . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
K
& Herzegovina . . . . 176 Kazakhstan . . . . . . . . 247
Estonia. . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Botswana. . . . . . . . . . 177 Kenya . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Ethiopia . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Brazil. . . . . . . . . . 178-179 Kiribati . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Brunei . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 F Korea, North . . . . . . . 250
Bulgaria. . . . . . . . . . . 181 Fiji. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216 Korea, South . . . . . . . 251
Burkina . . . . . . . . . . . 182 Finland . . . . . . . . . . . 217 Kosovo . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Burma . . . . . see Myanmar France . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Kuwait . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Burundi . . . . . . . . . . . 183
G Kyrgyzstan . . . . . . . . . 254
C Gabon . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Cambodia . . . . . . . . . 184 Gambia . . . . . . . . . . . 220 L
Cameroon . . . . . . . . . 185 Georgia . . . . . . . . . . . 221 Laos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Canada . . . . . . . . 186-187 Germany . . . . . . . . . . 222 Latvia . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Cape Verde . . . . . . . . 188 Ghana . . . . . . . . . . . . 223 Lebanon . . . . . . . . . . 257
Central African Greece . . . . . . . . . . . 224 Lesotho . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Republic . . . . . . . . . 189 Grenada . . . . . . . . . . 225 Liberia . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
 7
Factfile contents
Libya . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260 Panama . . . . . . . . . . . 295 Sweden . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Liechtenstein . . . . . . . 261 Papua New Guinea . . 296 Switzerland . . . . . . . . 330
Lithuania . . . . . . . . . . 262 Paraguay . . . . . . . . . . 297 Syria . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Luxembourg . . . . . . . 263 Peru. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
M Philippines . . . . . . . . 299 T
Macedonia . . . . . . . . 264 Poland . . . . . . . . . . . . 300 Taiwan. . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Madagascar . . . . . . . . 265 Portugal . . . . . . . . . . . 301 Tajikistan . . . . . . . . . . 333
Malawi . . . . . . . . . . . 266 Q Tanzania . . . . . . . . . . 334
Malaysia . . . . . . . . . . 267 Qatar. . . . . . . . . . . . . 302 Thailand . . . . . . . . . . 335
Maldives . . . . . . . . . . 268 Togo . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Mali. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269 R
Romania . . . . . . . . . . 303 Tonga . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Malta. . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Marshall Islands . . . . 271 Russian Trinidad & Tobago . . . 338
Mauritania. . . . . . . . . 272 Federation . . . . . 304-305 Tunisia. . . . . . . . . . . . 339
Mauritius . . . . . . . . . . 273 Rwanda . . . . . . . . . . . 306 Turkey . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
Mexico . . . . . . . . . . . 274 Turkmenistan . . . . . . . 341
Micronesia . . . . . . . . 275 S
St. Kitts & Nevis . . . . 307 Tuvalu . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Moldova . . . . . . . . . . 276
Monaco. . . . . . . . . . . 277 St. Lucia . . . . . . . . . . 308 U
Mongolia. . . . . . . . . . 278 St. Vincent & the
Uganda . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Montenegro. . . . . . . . 279 Grenadines . . . . . . . 309
Samoa . . . . . . . . . . . . 310 Ukraine . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Morocco . . . . . . . . . . 280
Mozambique . . . . . . . 281 San Marino . . . . . . . . 311 United Arab Emirates. 345
Myanmar (Burma) . . . 282 São Tomé & Príncipe . 312 United Kingdom . 346-347
Saudi Arabia . . . . . . . 313 United States . . . . 348-350
N Senegal . . . . . . . . . . . 314 Uruguay . . . . . . . . . . 351
Namibia . . . . . . . . . . 283
Serbia . . . . . . . . . . . . 315 Uzbekistan . . . . . . . . 352
Nauru . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Seychelles . . . . . . . . . 316
Nepal . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Netherlands. . . . . . . . 286 Sierra Leone . . . . . . . 317 V
New Zealand . . . . . . 287 Singapore . . . . . . . . . 318 Vanuatu. . . . . . . . . . . 353
Nicaragua . . . . . . . . . 288 Slovakia. . . . . . . . . . . 319 Vatican City. . . . . . . . 354
Niger . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289 Slovenia . . . . . . . . . . 320 Venezuela . . . . . . . . . 355
Nigeria . . . . . . . . . . . 290 Solomon Islands . . . . 321 Vietnam. . . . . . . . . . . 356
Norway . . . . . . . . . . . 291 Somalia . . . . . . . . . . . 322
South Africa. . . . . . . . 323 Y
O Spain . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324 Yemen . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Oman . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Sri Lanka . . . . . . . . . . 325
P Sudan . . . . . . . . . . . . 326 Z
Pakistan . . . . . . . . . . . 293 Suriname . . . . . . . . . . 327 Zambia . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Palau . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294 Swaziland . . . . . . . . . 328 Zimbabwe . . . . . . . . . 359
 8
The Political World
A B C D

Svalbard
Severnaya Zemlya
(Norway) Franz Josef Land
New Siberian Islands
Novaya Zemlya
1 Jan Mayen
(Norway)

AY

FINLAN
ICELAND
RW
DE N
O

DENMARK
R U S S I A N F E D E R A T I O N
N

S WE

D
Faeroe Islands
(Denmark) ESTONIA
UNITED LATVIA
IRELAND KINGDOM LITHUANIA
BELARUS
NETH. 1 POLAND
BELGIUM 3 UKRAINE
5 2 MOLDOVA KA Z A KH S TA N
LUXEMBOURG 4 6 MON G OLIA
7 8 ROMANIA
2 SWITZERLAND GEORGIA
FRANCE
13 119 10 12 BULGARIA UZBEKISTAN
ANDORRA
SPAIN 14 ALB. ARMENIA AZERBAIJAN KYRGZSTAN N. KOREA
PORTUGAL MONACO ITALY MAC. TURKEY TURKMEN. TAJIKISTAN
GREECE AZ. S. KOREA JAPAN
SYRIA C H I N A
TUNISIA AFGHANISTAN
LEBANON
MOROCCO MALTA CYPRUS BHUTAN
IRAQ I R A N NEPAL
AN
ISRAEL KUWAIT MYANMAR
ST
ALGERIA L I B Y A I
WESTERN JORDAN QATAR PAK (BURMA)
SAHARA EGYPT BAHRAIN INDIA LAOS TAIWAN
U.A.E.
(disputed) SAUDI
ARABIA
CAPE MAURITANIA

VI
OMAN BANGLADESH Northern Mariana
MALI NIGER

ET
VERDE ERITREA Islands (US)

N AM
SENEGAL YEMEN
GAMBIA BURKINA
CHAD DJIBOUTI THAILAND
SUDAN PHILIPPINES
NIGERIA Guam (US)
GUINEA- CAMBODIA
A

3 GUINEA
ALI

BISSAU BENIN C.A.R. ETHIOPIA MICRONESIA

CAMEROON
SRI BRUNEI
SIERRA LEONE
M

LANKA
O

LIBERIA TOGO S MALDIVES MALAYSIA PALAU

O

UGANDA
GHANA KENYA
NG

CÔTE D’IVOIRE
RWANDA
PAPUA
CO

SAO TOME & PRINCIPE DEM. REP. SINGAPORE

CONGO
BURUNDI INDONESIA NEW
EQUATORIAL GUINEA GABON TANZANIA SEYCHELLES
GUINEA
Cabinda
(Angola) EAST
AT L A N T I C ANGOLA ZAMBIA MALAWI COMOROS TIMOR
OCEAN ZIMBABWE
MADAGASCAR
NAMIBIA BOTS. MAURITIUS
Tropic of Capricorn

4 MOZAMBIQUE I N D I A N A U S T R A L I A
KEY TO NUMBERS SOUTH SWAZILAND

1. Germany
AFRICA LESOTHO O C E A N
2. Liechtenstein
3. Czech Republic
4. Austria
French Southern
5. Slovakia
& Antarctic Territories
6. Hungary (France)
7. Slovenia
8. Croatia
9. Bosnia & Herzegovina
10. Serbia
5 11. Montenegro
12. Kosovo (disputed) S O U T H E R N O C E A N
13. San Marino
14. Vatican City
ANTARCT ICA

A B C D
 9

E F G H

A R C T I C
Greenland
O C E A N (Denmark) 1

Arctic Circle
Alaska
(US)
C A N A D A

S) AT LAN T IC
(U
Aleutian Islands
OCE AN
2
P A C I F I C
U N I T E D S TAT E S
O C E A N OF AMERICA
Bermuda (UK)
Midway Islands DOM. REP. Puerto Rico (US)
(US) ST KITTS & NEVIS
M

BAHAMAS ANTIGUA & BARBUDA

EX

Hawaii BELIZE CUBA DOMINICA Tropic of Cancer

IC

(US) O ST LUCIA
GUATEMALA HAITI BARBADOS
EL SALVADOR JAMAICA ST VINCENT &
MARSHALL Wallis & Futuna (France)
HONDURAS COSTA RICA THE GRENADINES
ISLANDS Palmyra Atoll (US) 3
NICARAGUA VENEZUELA GRENADA
PANAMA TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
Galapagos Islands COLOMBIA French Guiana (France)
NAURU (Ecuador) GUYANA Equator
KIRIBATI SURINAME
TUVALU ECUADOR
Tokelau B R A Z I L
PE

SOLOMON (NZ) Cook

ISLANDS Islands
RU

(NZ)
VANUATU French
Polynesia BOLIVIA
Niue (NZ) Pitcairn
FIJI (France) Islands CHILE PARAGUAY
(UK) Tropic of Capricorn
TONGA American
New Samoa (us) 4
Caledonia P A C I F I C
NA

(France) SAMOA
URUGUAY
O C E A N
TI
EN
ARG

NEW CONTINENTAL KEY

ZEALAND
North & Central Europe Falkland Islands (UK)
America
CHILE
South America NW/SE Asia South Georgia &
South Sandwich Islands
Australasia (UK) 5
Africa & Oceania

Antarctic Circle

E F G H
 10
The Physical World
A B C D

Spitsbergen
Franz Josef
Land Severnaya
A R C T I C
Zemlya
New Siberian
G reenl an d Novaya Islands
1 Zemlya Laptev Sea
Sea K ar a
Bare nt s
t Se a

Yenis
rai ia Se a
St v Kh

Lena
Arctic Circle k N orw eg i an na y
re b
ar et C

e
Sea di her
m

sko
S iO b e r i a

Ural Mountains
en

an

in
go
la
l t i c Se a
Iceland
D

b’
nP
Sc

a
pe Volg
British North ro a Sea of
Ba Eu Lake Baikal Okhotsk
Isles Sea r th
E U R O P E
No A SA I A ur

Am
Mo lt Sakhalin
Bay of un ai i
2 Biscay lps Da
n ube Cau
ca
tai
n b Manchurian
A Black Sea sus Aral Sea e n Shan s o Plain Hokkaido
Iberian Caspian Ti G ver Sea of
Azores

Ri
Peninsula Anatolia Sea Japan
Mediterr ush P l a t e a u o f Y e l l o

w
an Iranian uK (East Sea)
ts. ean Sea ag Plateau nd H Tibet
Madeira s M
Z

Honshu

s
i
Hi
a r

Indu
At
l Syrian o sM ma Yan g t z e
Canary Islands layas East Kyushu
S a h a r a Desert ts .
Ga China
Tropic of Cancer n ge Mount Everest Sea
s 29,035ft (8850m)
Red

il
e

Arabian Taiwan
N

A F R I C A Peninsula
Deccan
Philippine
Sea

Me
South

Phi lands
kon
Cape Verde S a h e l Arabian Bay of
China Sea
Ni

Is
Bengal

lipp
Islands Ethiopian Sea M
ge

3 Sea el
r

Highlands Horn of

ine
Africa
Malay a
Sri Lanka Peninsula
y
Great Rift Valle

Equator Gulf of Congo Somali Borneo Celebes

Lake Victoria
go

Guinea Basin Basin Sumatra

Kilimanjaro E a s t I n d i e s New
on

ATLANTIC C
Ridge

19,340ft Seychelles Java Sea

Guinea
(5895m) Java
Angola
gasc l

Timor Sea
ne

I N D I A N
ar

Basin mbezi G
han

Za
Ninetyeast

re
OCEAN
Nami

Mauritius Great
ue C

at
Mada

Sandy Desert

Di
Kalahari Réunion
biq

vid
dge

bD

Tropic of Capricorn Desert

zam

ing Range
O C E A N
eser

4 Cape g
lin
cRi

Mo

ain
e rbor Pl
t

Basin la
dg Nul r
Da
Ri
nti

Cape of
n A U S T R A
Good Hope ia
nd
tla

So
s tI ut
d-A

Tasmania
h we he
ut as
So t I
Mi

Kerguelen
nd ian R
idge
South Indian Basin
5
Antarctic Circle
S O U T H E R N O C E A N
ANTARCTICA

A B C D
 11

E F G H

O C E A N
Ellesmere Island
Queen Elizabeth
Islands Greenland 1
East Siberian Sea
Bea uf o rt Sea Baffin
Baff
in Bay
Chukchi Sea Is
Brooks Range M la
ac nd Arctic Circle
k
it

Great Bear
ra

en
St

g Lake
zie
rin
tka

C
Be Mount McKinley oas Great Slave
ha

Hudson Labrador
(Denali)
mc

Lake
R
tM

Bering Sea 20,322ft (6194m) Bay

Ka

Sea
o
ou

s
ck
nta

nd Gulf of G
Aleutian Isla NORTH
in s

Alaska
re
y

Great Lakes
t s. Grand Banks 2
at
M

No rth we s t AMERICA M e
ia
n of Newfoundland
dg
Ri
ou

P
Coas

P a c if i c ch
la
lai

ti c
i
pp

pa
n t

an
issi
Basin North American
Ap
t R

tl
ns

Miss
a

a i n

-A
P Basin
n ge

id
Ha
s

Gulf of

M
Mi w Tropic of Cancer
Isl aiia
o

d-P an n Mexico
aci ds We s t I n d i e s
l

fic
ATLANTIC
M

M
ou
y

Caribbean
ic

nt
ain Sea
ro

s
3
ne

P A C I F I C OCEAN
e

ne Galapagos
si

si Islands Equator
a

n
a A m a zo
i

Solomon O C E A N Amazon Basin

a

Islands
SOUTH
n

Brazil
East Pacific Rise

Peru
Coral
d

Fiji Basin AMERICA Basin

e

Sea s
New Caledonia
ac n
C h ra

Tropic of Capricorn
o
G

Easter Island
á

Cerro
n

4
Pa ra

Tasman North Southwest Aconcagua

Sea Island 22,831ft Pa
mp
(6959m) as
L A S I A Argentine
Pacific
a

South
oni

Island New Basin

Pa t a g

Zealand Basin
Falkland Islands
South Georgia
Tierra del Fuego
Cape Horn
s sa ge South Sandwich
Drak e Pa Islands
5
Antarctic Antarctic Circle
Peninsula

E F G H
 12
Time Zones
A B C D

–2 –1 0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10

1
A R C T I C
0 +1 +7 O C E A N
–3 +3 +10
–1
+1
+11
0 +2 +9 +10
+5 +7
+3 +8
2 0 +4
+2 +6
+10
+1 +5
–1 0 +2 +9
+31/2 +41/2 +8
+53/4 +6
+2 +3 +5
+6
–1 +1 +4 +51/2 +61/2
0
–1 +3 +7
3
0 +6 +8 +10
+8 +9 +11

+2 +3 +7
+4 +8
ATLANTIC +61/2
OCEAN +3
Greenwich Meridian

+1 I N D I A N +8
4 +2 +91/2
+10
O C E A N
0
+5

+5 +5

5
11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00

A B C D
 13

E F G H

+11 –11 –10 –9 –8 –7 –6 –5 –4 –3 –2

Inter line
Date

1
natio

0
–4
na l

–3 –1
–9
+12

–10 –8 –7 –6 –5 –4 2
–31/2

P A C I F I C ATLANTIC
O C E A N OCEAN
–11
–10 –5
–4
3
+12 –10
–41/2
Equator
+13 +14 –5
–91/2 –4
+11 –10 –10 –3
+13
+111/2 –8 –6
4
+101/2 –4 –3
+12 P A C I F I C
+123/4 O C E A N
–3 –4
–2

5
23:00 24:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00
–3

E F G H
14

The
world's
regions
15
 A B C D E
16
95 le 94
irc
cC E
cti U
Ar
1 A S I A 1

R
O
P
Franz Josef Land
E

(to Russia)

Svalbard
(to Norway)
NORTH AMERICA

ARCTIC North
134 Pole
Bering Sea
OCEAN
2 62 2
Bering Strait

A l eu
Jan Mayen

t
Queen Elizabeth (to Norway)

ian
Is l
Islands
an Yuk o n Beaufort
ds
ALASKA(US) Sea ICELAND
Mount McKinley
(Denali) Greenland
20,322ft (6194m) (Denmark)
Baffin
Gulf of Bay
3 Ba rc le 3
Alaska Ci

k en zi e
tic
ffi
n Arc
Great Bear

M ac
Is

Lake
Great Slave Lake
lan
d

PACIFIC
North & Central America

Lake Athabasca Labrador

OCEAN Sea

R o c k y
C Hudson
La

Reindeer
br

A Lake Bay
4 ad 4
N or
A D an
A u r e nti ns
i
Sn Lake Winnipeg La unta
ake
M o u
Mo
G r e
 ce
Lake Great St Pierre &

a t
en
Mount Whitney Superior r Miquelon
Lakes w (France)
La

.
14,495ft (4418m)
UNITED STATES

St
Lake Huron
Lake Lake Ontario
5 Michigan 5

M isso
s
Death Valley

o
in
Lake Erie

uri
-282ft (-86m)

n t a i n
ta
ATLANTIC

rad
n
OF AMERICA io

P l a
ou

olo
A Oh

s
r
M
C ka
i OCEAN

i
nsa
s

pp
an
Tr hi

issi
op ac
ic o l Bermuda
fC pa (UK)

M iss
anc Ap

n s
er

Ri o
Sargasso Sea

Gr

Sierra Ma
an
Virgin Islands (US)

Si e rr a
de
6 British Virgin 6
Turks & Caicos

dr e O
Ma
Islands (UK) Islands (UK)
Gulf of Mexico

d re
DOMINICAN Anguilla (UK)

M Eccide
BAHAMAS

O
X
REPUBLIC ST KITTS

n ta
& NEVIS

rie

l
I
C U Puerto

nt
ANTIGUA &

al
BA Rico BARBUDA

C
Cayman Islands (US)
O (UK) HAITI Guadeloupe
Montserrat (UK) (France)
BELIZE JAMAICA DOMINICA ST LUCIA
GUATEMALA HONDURAS Martinique (France)
Clipperton Island ST VINCENT & THE GRENADINES BARBADOS
(French Polynesia) EL SALVADOR Aruba (Neth.) GRENADA
7 NICARAGUA 7
Netherlands TRINIDAD
Antilles & TOBAGO
COSTA RICA (Neth.)

134 Equ P AC I F IC 48
ator PANAMA
s
e

OC E A N Equator
d

S O U T H
n
A

0 km 1000 Galapagos Islands

8
A M E R I C A 8
(Ecuador)
0 miles 1000
NORTH AMERICA

135 38
17

A B C D E
 18 NORTH AMERICA

Western Canada & Alaska

A B C D

97
RUSSIAN A R C T I C
1 FEDERATION Wrangel I.
In 1867 William Henry Seward negotiated
the purchase of Alaska from Russia for
the price of $7,200,000, which amounted

Ar
to around two cents per acre (0.4 hectares).

cti
c
Ci
Attu I.

rcl
Bering

e
it
Sea Ber i n g S t r a
2 135
Br Prudhoe
Rat Is St. Lawrence I. oo Bay
A

ks
Ra
le

nge
ALASKA
u

n
ia Nunivak I. ko (part of USA)
t

Yu
n Mt McKinley
(Denali)
Is 20,322ft (6194m)
Fairbanks
la
Umnak I. nd Alaska Ran
3 Dutch Harbor s ge
Unalaska I. Anchorage
Valdez YUKON
Kodiak I. TERRITORY
Kodiak Cordova

Ro
WHITEHORSE
The Aleutian Islands span some 1200 miles
Gulf

ck
(1800 km) and by crossing the 180º line of
of

y
longitude, form both the most easterly
and westerly extents of the United States. JUNEAU
4 135 Alaska
P A C I F I C Ketchikan

Prince Rupert
O C E A N Queen Charlotte Is.
BRITISH
COLUMBIA
On July 9, 1958, a massive landslide Queen Charlotte
dropped 40 million cubic yards Sound
(30.6 million cu m) of rock into Lituya Bay, Port Hardy
5
creating a wave 1720 ft (524 m) high. Vancouver I.
0 km 400
135 VICTORIA
0 miles 400

A B C D
 NORTH AMERICA 19

E F G H

64
O C E A N Greenland
(Danish external 1

s
nd
Ellesmere territory)
la Axel Island
Is
th Heiberg Despite an area of 808,109 sq miles
a be Island (2,092,993 sq km), the northerly province
liz
ee nE of Nunavut has only 530 miles (850 km)
of roads and highway.
Qu
Bathurst I. Devon Baffin Bay
Melville Island nd
S ou
ster
Island Resolute L nc a
a Davi
s S
64 2
Viscount Somerset t ra
Banks Melville Prince Island Baffin it
Beaufort Island Isl
Sound of
Sea an
Wales I. d
Amundsen Victoria
Gulf Island cle
King Cir
Inuvik tic IQALUIT
William I. Arc
(Frobisher Bay)
Kugluktuk
(Coppermine)
NUNAVUT H u d s on Stra i t
3
Great Bear Lake Southampton I.
NORTHWEST
TERRITORIES
nt

M
ac YELLOWKNIFE Rankin
D u ba w

ken Inlet
zie
Great Slave Lake
Hudson QUÉBEC
Hay River Bay
Fort Smith
Churchill
Lake 20 4
ALBERTA Athabasca
Fort Fort SASKATCHEWAN M A N I T O B A
M

St. John McMurray

C A N A DO N T A R I A
ou
nt

Flin Flon Thompson O

ai

Grande Prairie
an Only just over 1% of Canada’s
EDMONTON tc he w
ns

Prince
George a 3.5 million sq miles (9.1 million sq km)
sk Prince Albert Lake
Leduc land area is devoted to grain production,
Sa

Saskatoon Winnipeg
Red Deer yet this yields around 25 million tons
Kamloops Yorkton WINNIPEG 5
(tonnes) of wheat every year.
Vancouver Calgary REGINA
Kelowna Brandon
Lethbridge Estevan 25
U S A
E F G H
 20 NORTH AMERICA

Eastern Canada
A B C D

Southampton I. Salisbury I.
19 Nottingham I.
Coats I.
1 Ivujivik
NU NA VU T
Mansel I.
Hudson
Bay Péninsule
The largest hydroelectric d'Ungava
complex in Canada at
James Bay produces
over 16,000 megawatts Inukjuak
19 MANITOBA (Port Harrison)
of power.
2 Belcher Is. L. Minto
The Trans-Canada Highway, (Nunavut)
running from St. John’s in
the east to Victoria in the Kuujjuarapik
Peawanuck
west, is 4990 miles n (Poste-de-la-Baleine)
Se ver
(8030 km) long.
James
Wi n i s k Attawapiskat Bay

3 C At taw a
pi s k
at
A A lb
any
N Akimiski I.
(Nunavut) A Eas tma i n

L. Seul
O N T A R I O Q U É
Moosonee
Kenora L. Mistassini
Armstrong
L. Nipigon
Lake
of the Cochrane
Woods
Thunder Bay Rés. Gouin
Timmins
MINNESOTA Lake Superior
Wawa
Ot

4 25
wa
ta

Sudbury
Sault
Lake Superior is the largest freshwater Sainte Marie North Bay
lake in the world, covering an area OTTAWA
of 31,820 sq miles (82,413 sq km). Lake
Peterborough Kingston
Huron Oshawa
WISCONSIN Lake
Lake TORONTO Ontario
UNITED STATES Michigan M I C H I G A N Kitchener Hamilton NEW
IOWA London YORK
OF AMERICA
Windsor Lake Erie St. Catharines
5 ILLINOIS
INDIANA O H I O PENNSYLVANIA
22

A B C D
 NORTH AMERICA 21

E F G H

Baffin I. 64
Huds
L a b r a d o r
on Strai S e a 1
t
Akpatok I.
(Nunavut) Canada has the world’s longest coastline
(including tens of thousands of islands), with a
Ungava total length of 151,019 miles (243,042 km).
Bay
A T L A N T I C
La

Kuujjuaq Nain
Ca n

O C E A N
b

Hopedale
ia p

48 2
d
a

Makkovik
i sc

au
or
Schefferville Cartwright

Smallwood NEWFOUNDLAND
Reservoir & LABRADOR
Réservoir Strait of Belle Isle
Caniapiscau

Réservoir Newfoundland
D Manicouagan
A Havre-
Saint-Pierre
Gander 3
B E C Sept-Îles
Île d’Anticosti
Grand Falls ST.JOHN'S
Corner Brook
e
enc G u lf nc e Channel-Port-
aw
r
Gaspé of St. Lawre aux-Basques Cape Race
.L ab
C

L. Saint-Jean St ot St Pierre
Jonquière St & Miquelon
PRINCE rai
Chicoutimi Bathurst t (French territorial
EDWARD
NEW ISLAND Sydney collectivity)
QUÉBEC BRUNSWICK Moncton CHARLOTTETOWN
FREDERICTON 48 4
Trois-Rivières
NOVASCOTIA
Sherbrooke Saint John Dartmouth
HALIFAX
Montréal MAINE
Yarmouth
A T L A N T I C
NEW
HAMPSHIRE
The Bay of Fundy has the world’s
O C E A N
VERMONT
highest tidal range, with water’s rising
MASSACHUSETTS 20–56 ft (5–17 m) every high tide as
around 115 billion tons (tonnes) of 0 km 300 5
RHODE ISLAND water flows into the bay.
CONNECTICUT
0 miles 300
48

E F G H
 22 NORTH AMERICA

USA: The Northeast

A B C D

20

MINNESOTA
C A
1 L ak e S up e rio r

Superior
O N T A R I O
Ironwood Marquette
Sault Ste Marie
Iron Mountain
Ladysmith
Cheboygan
Lake Huron
WISCONSIN
2 25 Eau Claire MICHIGAN
M Green Bay
is
s
Traverse
City
is

La Crosse
sip

Oshkosh Lake
pi

Michigan Bay City

MADISON Saginaw
I O W A Grand Rapids Flint
Milwaukee
The Chicago River Waukegan LANSING
3 originally flowed into Rockford Detroit
Ann Arbor Erie
Lake Michigan, but was Chicago Lake Erie
reversed in 1900 by Aurora South
the completion of Joliet Toledo Cleveland
Rock Island Bend
a canal. Gary Youngstown
Galesburg Akron
Peoria Fort Wayne
Mansfield Canton
ILLINOIS INDIANA Wheeling
Champaign Muncie O H I O
SPRINGFIELD INDIANAPOLIS
4 25 Decatur COLUMBUS
Dayton
Effingham Terre Haute
Cincinnati
Ohio
ash

Bloomington
East St Louis
ab

Huntington
Mt. Vernon W Louisville
CHARLESTON
Evansville FRANKFORT WEST
M I S S O U R I Carbondale Lexington
Owensboro VIRGINIA
io

Richmond
Oh

5
KENTUCKY
Paducah Hopkinsville Bowling London
Green
ARKANSAS 30

A B C D
 NORTH AMERICA 23

E F G H

21
N A D A Presque Isle
NEW
1
BRUNSWICK
Q U É B E C
MAINE

dy
un
At times of peak flow, around Calais

fF
45 million US gallons (170 million litres) o
y
of water plunge over the167 ft (52 m) Bangor Ba NOVA
drop of Niagara Falls every minute. SCOTIA

PS H I R E
AUGUSTA
T
Ogdensburg Burlington
e
O N
21 2
MONTPELIER Lewiston in

a
HAM

M
Portland
R M

Watertown Rutland

of
CONCORD

lf
NEW

io Utica
V E

Lake Ont a r ATLANTIC

Gu
Manchester
Syracuse
Rochester ALBANY BOSTON
Buffalo Worcester Cape Cod O C E A N
Niagara N E W Y O R K Springfield MASSACHUSETTS
Falls Binghamton PROVIDENCE
Elmira HARTFORD RHODE ISLAND 3
Hudson
.
ts

CONNECTICUT
Williamsport Scranton
M

New Haven
n

ia New York Long Island

PENNSYLVANIA c h
Newark
a la In 1626, the Dutch bought Manhattan Island
Pittsburgh pp Allentown from the local Native Americans in exchange
A
HARRISBURG TRENTON for goods worth around US$1000. Today, this
Gettysburg Philadelphia NEW JERSEY would buy around 50 sq in (325 sq cm) of
Wilmington prime New York City real estate.
Cumberland
Baltimore DOVER Atlantic City 48 4
DELAWARE
Arlington ANNAPOLIS
WASHINGTON, D.C.
ai n
ns
nt ia

MARYLAND The Pentagon building in Arlington, Virginia,

ou ch

Fredericksburg contains nearly 100,000 miles (161,000 km) of

M la

Charlottesville telephone cable, enough to go around the

a
pp

RICHMOND circumference of the Earth almost four times.

A Chesapeake Bay
VIRGINIA Newport News 0 km 200
Roanoke Norfolk 5
Danville 0 miles 200

NORTH CAROLINA 31

E F G H
 24 NORTH AMERICA

USA: Central States

A B C D

BR I TI SH 19
CO L UM BI A
A L B E R T A
1 WASHINGTON S A S K A T C H E WA N
Havre
Kalispell Malta
At 20,016 ft (6104 m),
Minot
or almost 4 miles (6 km)
in length, the Fort Peck M i s s o u ri Fort Peck L. Williston
Great Falls
Dam is the largest earth- Missoula L. Sakakawea
filled hydraulic dam in M O N T A N A Glendive
NORTH
the United States.

ne
HELENA o
Y el l o w s t
R
Dickinson
2 26 Miles City
Butte
o
Bozeman

er
c k
Billings

wd
OREGON

Po
I D A H O

Bi Mt
gh s.
Sheridan SOUTH
y

or
The Great Salt Lake is a remnant of the

n
prehistoric Lake Bonneville, which once Gillette
Black
covered almost 20,000 square miles
M o u

(51,800 sq km) of western Utah. H i l l s Rapid City

3 WYOMING
Casper
The world’s largest
known organism is a Rock Torrington Scottsbluff
Great
100 acre (43 hectare) NEB
n t

Springs N.
grove of aspen trees Salt Lake Ogden Pla
t te
in Utah. Derived from Laramie CHEYENNE
a single tree, it contains SALT LAKE Orem
a i

CITY Ogallala
over 47,000 stems Provo Fort Collins
and weighs over
Boulder
4 U T A H
n

6000 tons (tonnes).

Grand DENVER
Lakewood
s

27
Junction Aurora
Richfield COLORADO
do

ra Colorado Springs
lo Pueblo
N E VA D A Co A r ka n s
as
L. Powell
CA

Durango
LI
FO

5 A R I Z O N A
RN
IA

N E W M E X I C O
28 TEXAS

A B C D
 NORTH AMERICA 25

E F G H

20
C A N A D A
1
M ANI TOBA Lake of the Woods O N T A R I O

Su pe r ior
MINNESOTA Lake
Grand Forks Virginia
DAKOTA Duluth
22
Moorhead
Fargo Access to the St. Lawrence Seaway
BISMARCK Brainerd
via the Great Lakes makes Duluth 2
the most westerly Atlantic port in
the US, some 1100 miles (1770 km)
Aberdeen St Cloud from the Atlantic ocean.
SAINT M
Minneapolis PAUL IC
DAKOTA Watertown W I S C O N S I N
Rochester Lake

H
PIERRE
Michigan

IG
Mitchell Sioux Falls
Mason City

AN
3
Missouri Dubuque
Cedar Rapids
Sioux City I O W A I L L I N O I S INDIANA
OHIO
RASKA DES MOINES Davenport
Columbus
North
Omaha Council Bluffs The deadliest tornado in US
Platte Burlington
e history struck Missouri on
Pl a t t
LINCOLN March 18, 1925. Leaving a
M is

Hastings Kirksville continuous 219 mile (352 km)

sis

si
pp track, the tornado crossed three 4
St Joseph i
states and killed 695 people.
Kansas City Independence
Oakley Missour i 22
Hays Kansas City Saint
TOPEKA
Louis
K A N S A S JEFFERSON CITY
KENTUCKY
Pratt
MISSOURI
Dodge Wichita Springfield
City
teau
Ar

Pla 5
ka

ark TENNESSEE
ns

s Oz
a

0 km 200
O K L A H O M A A R K A N S A S 30
0 miles 200

E F G H
 A B C D E
26
19 19

C A N A D A AL BE RTA
1 Vancouver The Boeing aircraft factory in 1
B R I TI S H C OL U MB I A
Island Everett is the world’s largest
building by volume at
Bellingham

ia
472 million cu ft (13.3 million cu m),
covering 100 acres (40 hectares).

C o l u mb

Range
Port Angeles Everett
NORTH AMERICA

Coeur d'Alene

ade
Seattle Bellevue Spokane

sc
Tacoma
Ellensburg

Ca
2 135 MONTANA 24 2

B
Aberdeen OLYMPIA

it
te
I N G T O N
W A S HYakima
rr
Walla Lewiston
Longview Richland o Hells Canyon is the
USA: The West

Astoria Walla t s.
Kennewick deepest in the US,
ot
M
with cliffs up to 7993 ft

es
ue
Vancouver C o l um b i a

Bl
Pendleton (2436 m) high.
La Grande
Ran

Portland e
ge

SALEM

Rang
Sn a k
Newport Albany Baker Hells Canyon

nge
3 Corvallis 3

Ra
Eugene Springfield Bend

e
I D A H O

ad
Coos Bay Burns Caldwell BOISE Idaho Falls

sc

ast
Nampa

Ca
O R E G O N American

Co
Bandon Falls Res. Pocatello
Snake
Medford Twin Falls
4 4
Klamath Falls

Crescent Goose Lake Great

City Alturas
Weed Basin

C o a s t
 Winnemucca

t
Redding Susanville Elko UTAH

b old

R a
Hum
Pyramid Lake
5 Chico N E V A D A At Black Rock Desert 5

n g
S Reno Sparks on October 15, 1997,
Ukiah Fallon

i
Yuba Lake Tahoe ThrustSSC, driven
Ely

e s
e
City by Andy Green,
CARSON CITY

r
became the first land
SACRAMENTO

r
Hawthorne vehicle to break the
Santa Rosa

a
sound barrier by
Berkeley achieving a speed
Stockton of 763 mph

N
San Francisco Oakland Tonopah (1228 km/h).

e
Modesto

v
6 Bishop 6

Sa
San Jose Merced

n
Jo
Santa Cruz

a
Fresno Death Valley

a d

qu
Salinas

C o
n
Monterey Mt Whitney

V
al 14,495 ft
Visalia Lake Mead

as
le (4418m) -282 ft
y

t
(-86m)
CALIFORNIA Las Vegas
The Golden Gate Bridge,

R
completed in 1937, has Bakersfield ARIZONA

a
80,000 miles (129,000 km) of Mojave

n
Desert
wire in its two main cables,

g
7 e Mojave 28 7
weighing a total of s Barstow
22,200 tons (tonnes). Santa Barbara Lancaster Death Valley is not
Pasadena only the lowest point
Oxnard do in North America, at
135 San Bernardino
Santa Rosa I.
Los Angeles Riverside 282 ft (86 m) below
C o l o ra

Long Beach Santa Ana Palm Springs sea level, it is also

P ACI FIC C h a n n e l Huntington Beach Oceanside the hottest, with
I s l a n d s Santa Catalina I. Salton a maximum air
San Nicolas I. San Sea temperature of
OCEAN Clemente I.
134ºF (57ºC)
San Diego
8 0 km 200 recorded in 1913. 8
Chula Vista
NORTH AMERICA

0 miles 200
MEXICO
32 32
27

A B C D E
 28 NORTH AMERICA

USA: The Southwest

A B C D

N E V A D A 24 UTAH
The Colorado River has
L. Powell COLORADO
1 cut down some 6242 ft
(2000 m) into the Pa

n de
nd Cany o in
Colorado Plateau ra n Farmington
te

Gra
G
to form the Grand L. Mead

Rio
Canyon, exposing Colorado

D
Los Alamos
rock strata over

es
Plateau Gallup SANTA FE

ert
2 billion years old. Flagstaff Pec
os
Albuquerque
do

Prescott
lor a

2 27
A R I Z O N A N E W
Co

CALIFORNIA Glendale Scottsdale

S o n o ra n
PHOENIX Mesa M E X I C O
Yuma Roswell
Casa Grande Alamogordo
D esert
Artesia
Tucson
Las Cruces Carlsbad

3
Douglas
El Paso
Meteor Crater was formed when a
meteor about 150 ft (46 m) across
struck the desert at about 40,000 mph Ri
o
(64,372 km/h) creating a bowl-shaped

Gr
depression 4,150 ft (1,265 m) wide and The first atomic bomb was

and
570 ft (174 m) deep. tested at Trinity Site near

e
Alamogordo on July 16, 1945,
Go

yielding an explosive force

equivalent to 20,000 tons
lf

4 135
(tonnes) of TNT from around
o

2.2 lbs (1 kg) of plutonium-239.

de
C
al
if

PACIFIC M E X I
or
n

OCEAN
ia

5
0 km 200

0 miles 200 32

A B C D
 NORTH AMERICA 29

E F G H

25
K A N S A S
Ponca City 1
Enid Tulsa
Broken Arrow
OKLAHOMA
Borger OKLAHOMA CITY Shawnee
adian
Can Pampa
Amarillo Norman A R K A N S A S
Lawton 30
Red R
Clovis iv 2
er River
On January 10, 1901,
Vernon Red
Paris the Lucas Gusher blew
Wichita Falls oil 150 ft (46 m) into the
Lubbock air, flowing at 100,000
Denton
barrels a day until it was
Brownfield
Fort Worth Arlington Longview eventually capped nine
Hobbs Dallas days later.
Sweetwater
Abilene Br Tyler
Big Spring Jacksonville
az
os

Toledo Bend Res.

Odessa Midland Waco 3
San Angelo Col orado N e ch es
Pecos
T E X L. Travis
A S Bryan
LOUISIANA
Beaumont
Edwards AUSTIN Port Arthur
Houston
Plateau Pasadena
San Antonio Texas City
San

Galveston
Del Rio Victoria 30 4
An

to Freeport
n io
Eagle Pass

Gulf
Corpus Christi
C O Laredo Kingsville of
Ri
oG

Padre Island
Mexico
ra

de 5
n

Brownsville 33

E F G H
 30 NORTH AMERICA

USA: The Southeast

A B C D

ILLINOIS
25 K E N T U C K Y
M I S S O U R I
1 Walnut Ridge Clarksville
OKLAHOMA Fayetteville NASHVILLE
Murfreesboro

see
Fort Smith
ARKANSAS TENNESSEE

nes
Memphis

n
Chattanooga

Te
North Little Rock
LITTLE ROCK Florence
Huntsville

Ar
Hot Springs ka
ns Rome
Pine as
Bluff Gadsden
Ou

ATLANTA
ch Columbus
a

Ya zo o
2 29 Texarkana ita
Birmingham
Monroe MISSISSIPPI
Shreveport Demopolis MONTGOMERY
LOUISIANA
pi

JACKSON Meridian Columbus

sip

R e
T E X A S ALABAMA
s is
d

Pea
R.

Mi s

Alexandria
rl

Hattiesburg Dothan
3 BATON ROUGE Mobile
Lake Charles Gulfport
Biloxi TALLAHASSEE
Lafayette Pensacola
Metairie New Orleans Panama City

Mississippi
Delta
In August 2005 Hurricane Katrina
cut a swath through New Orleans
4 29 with winds of up to 175 mph (278 km/h). The Mississippi/Missouri river system
At least 1836 people lost their lives drains around one-third of the US,
and the area sustained over US$100 covering 1,245,000 sq miles
billion of damage. (3,225,000 sq km) including 31
states and two Canadian provinces.

0 km 200
G u l f o f
0 miles 200

5
M e x i c o
33

A B C D
 NORTH AMERICA 31

E F G H

.
V I R G I N I A

ts
23

M
Kingsport
an
hi
Winston- Ro
Salem ano
ac ke
1
l Durham
Knoxville p pa Greensboro RALEIGH
A
Asheville Gastonia
NORTH CAROLINA Cape Hatteras
Charlotte
Fayetteville Havelock
Greenville Spartanburg

COLUMBIA Wilmington
Florence
Athens SOUTH CAROLINA Cape Fear
L. Marion 48 2
Augusta The carnivorous Venus flytrap plant,
Macon found only on the wet coastal plains of
Sava

Charleston North and South Carolina, can count.

nn

h It requires two separate stimuli on

a

trigger hairs before the trap is sprung

GEORGIA Savannah to avoid “false alarms” caused by
Albany raindrops, twigs, etc.

Brunswick
Valdosta
A T L A N T I C 3
Jacksonville
O C E A N
FLORIDA
Daytona Beach
During the Apollo Space Program
NASA launched a total of 13 Saturn V
Orlando
rockets from the Kennedy Space Center.
Cape Canaveral Each rocket was 363 ft (111 m) high,
Tampa Melbourne
Clearwater weighed around 3000 tons (tonnes) 48 4
and generated 7,648,000 lbs (34 MN)
St Petersburg
of thrust at launch.
Lake
Okeechobee West Palm Beach
Fort Myers The Pompano Beach Grand Bahama I.
Everglades
Fort Lauderdale
Miami Miami Beach
BAHAMAS
a
id
or
Fl

of New Providence 5
ys it s Andros I.
Key West Ke ra
orida St 36
Fl

E F G H
 32 NORTH AMERICA

Mexico
A B C D

Mexicali 28 NEW MEXICO

Tijuana Desierto
de Altar ARIZONA
1
Ensenada Ciudad Juárez Ri
UNITED
o

Gr
ande
I. Ángel
de la

Si
Guarda

Si
Chihuahua
B

Hermosillo
aj

er
Yaqui

er
I. Cedros
Go
a

ra
ra
2 135 Conchos
lfo
C

Monclova
de
al

Ciudad

M
M
Ca
if

Obregón
lif

or

ad
Large examples of the

a
or

ni
Saguaro cactus, found in the a

d
Gómez Palacio

re
ni

re
Altar Desert, can take nearly Torreón
Los Mochis
a

150 years to grow to their full

O
height of around 45 ft (14 m),

cc
Culiacán
and can hold several tons

E
id
3 (tonnes) of water. Durango
La Paz

en
ta Fresnillo
Tropic of Cancer l
Mazatlán Zacatecas
X
Gray whales have one of the longest migrations of any Aguascalientes
mammal, traveling some 12,500 miles (20,000 km) Islas Tepic
every year from the Arctic Ocean to their winter Marías
Guadalajara
breeding grounds in the Golfo de California.
4 135 Puerto Vallarta
L. de Chapala
PA C I F I C
Islas Revillagigedo
O C E A N (part of Mexico)

0 km 200 The cliff divers of Acapulco must time their dive from the
148 ft (45 m) cliff at La Quebrada to coincide with the
5 0 miles 200
incoming swells to avoid being dashed on the rocks
in the shallow inlet.
135

A B C D
 NORTH AMERICA 33

E F G H

30

STATES OF AMERICA LOUISIANA

1

TEXAS
Ri

In spring 2001, the Rio Grande stopped flowing

oG
ra

into the Gulf of Mexico for the first time in

nd
e

recorded history, allowing illegal immigrants

Nuevo Laredo to simply walk into the US. 36
2
Reynosa
G u l f o f cer
Matamoros of Can
Monterrey Tropic
Saltillo M e x i c o
O It is thought that “The Ballgame,” a ritual sport
ri Ciudad Victoria played by Maya and Aztec civilizations, and a
en forerunner of volleyball, often ended Cancún
3
ta with members of the losing team
l being sacrificed.
San Luis Tampico Mérida
Potosí Isla
Ciudad Valles Cozumel
Río Verde Yucatan
Dolores Hidalgo Campeche
León Poza Rica Peninsula
Querétaro Bahía de Campeche
I Pachuca
Tulancingo
Xalapa 34 4
MEXICO Veracruz
Morelia
B E L IZ E

CITY Villahermosa
Cuernavaca
Uruapan C Puebla Coatzacoalcos
Minatitlán
Sie B a ls a
s
Tehuacán
rra O Tuxtla
ALA

Ma
dre
d e l S Oaxaca
ur
EM

Acapulco Golfo Tapachula 5

HONDURAS
AT

de
U

Tehuantepec 34 G
EL SALVADOR

E F G H
 34 NORTH AMERICA
Central America
A B C D

33

1 M E X I C O
Belize City
U
su BELMOPAN
Flores

m
San Ignacio

ac
in

A
BELIZE

ta
L Islas de la Bahía
A f of H ondur as
M Gu l
GUATE Puerto Cortés Trujillo
Huehuetenango Cobán Lago
Puerto
de Izabal
Barrios San Pedro La Ceiba
2 33 Quezaltenango Zacapa Sula

ca
tu
Pa
GUATEMALA CITY Santa Rosa
de Copán Comayagua
HONDURAS
Juticalpa
Escuintla La Esperanza C oc o
TEGUCIGALPA
Santa Ana
SAN SALVADOR San Miguel

NI
EL SALVADOR Somoto

CA
Choluteca
ca Jinotega
onse Estelí
o f FChinandega

RAGUA
3 l f Matagalpa
Gu León
P A C I F I C Corinto

MANAGUA
Juigalpa
Lago de
Granada Nicaragua
O C E A N Rivas
San
Ju
an
For many years it was thought that the sharks in Liberia
Península de
Lake Nicaragua were a unique freshwater species. Nicoya Alajuela
4 135
However, research has shown that they are in fact Puntarenas
Bull Sharks that have swum 120 miles (190 km) up
SAN JOSÉ
the San Juan River from the Caribbean Sea.

The strongest living creature is the Rhinoceros Beetle,

found in the jungles of Costa Rica. It can support
up to 850 times it’s own body weight, equivalent to
a human carrying about 70 tons (tonnes).
5 0 km 200

0 miles 200
135

A B C D
 NORTH AMERICA 35

E F G H

36
The Great Blue Hole in Lighthouse Reef, a submerged Gr
cave some 1000 ft (303 m) in diameter and ea HAITI
400 ft (120 m) deep, was originally explored by te 1
r A
Jacques Cousteau, co-inventor of the aqualung. nti
lles
Islas Santanilla JAMAICA
(part of Honduras)

Bajo Nuevo
(part of Colombia) 36 2
C oast

Cayos Miskitos C a r i b b e a n
Mos quito

I. de Providencia S e a
(part of Colombia)
3
I. de San Andrés
(part of Colombia)
Islas del Maíz
Bluefields
Each chamber at Gatun Locks on the Panama Canal
is 110 ft (33 m) wide and 1000 ft (303 m) long.
The locks took four years to build and required
2 million cubic yards (1.5 million cu m)
of concrete.
COSTA 40 4
RICA
Limón
Cartago
C Colón
de ord G u lf
Ta i ll e
lam ra
anc PA N A M A PANAMA CITY
of
Darien
a David Penonomé Panama IA
Isla del Canal MB
Rey
O
Golfo Santiago
Chitré Go l f o L 5
de
CO

C h ir iqu í de
Las Tablas P a na m á
40

E F G H
 36 NORTH AMERICA

The Caribbean
A B C D

31 Grand Freeport
G u l f Bahama I.
UNITED STATES Great Abaco
o f

id a
1
OF AMERICA

B
or
M e x i c o New Providence

Fl
NASSAU
of Eleuthera I.

A
s
ait Cat I.
Trop ic of Can cer Str an
Andros I.

H
S
ta
re Great
n

A
HAVANA Ch Long I.
Matanzas a n n Exuma I.
el M
Pinar del Río Santa Clara Mayaguana
A
Yu

Acklins I.
2 33 Cienfuegos
c

S
at

n
a

Ch
an
nel Isla de la Juventud CUBA Great
Camagüey Holguín Inagua
G r e
a Bayamo Guantánamo

Cayman Islands George Town Santiago t

Cap-Haïtien
(UK dependent de Cuba Gonaïves e
territory) HAITI r
PORT-AU-PRINCE
3 Montego Bay
The Bee Hummingbird, found in Cuba, KINGSTON Jérémie
is the smallest bird in the world. An adult Jacmel A n
male measures around 2 inches (5 cm) JAMAICA t i l
from beak to tail and weighs about Navassa Island
0.06 oz (1.8 gms). (US unincorporated
territory)
HONDURAS
C a r i b b e a n
4 35

S e a
A
U
G

A
AR
NIC
0 km 200

0 miles 200
5

35 COLOMBIA

A B C D
 NORTH AMERICA 37

E F G H

48

A T L A N T I C 1

nc er
Tr op ic of Ca

O C E A N
Milwaukee Deep, which lies 84 miles (135 km)
off the north coast of Puerto Rico, is the deepest point
in the Atlantic Ocean. It is 28,231 ft (8605 m), or just 48 2
Turks &
Caicos Islands over 5 miles (8 km), below sea level.
(UK dependent
territory)
Monte Cristi
Virgin Islands
British Virgin L e e
Puerto Plata w a
(US unincorporated Islands r d
Santiago territory)
(UK dependent Anguilla I s
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC territory) l
(UK dependent territory) a
San Juan Road The Valley
Town ANTIGUA 3

n
SANTO La Romana Charlotte Barbuda
& BARBUDA

d
DOMINGO Amalie
Puerto Rico

s
BASSETERRE Antigua
l e s (US commonwealth
territory) ST KITTS & NEVIS ST JOHN'S
Montserrat Plymouth Guadeloupe
(UK dependent territory) (French overseas
Basse-Terre department)
W
L

The deadliest volcanic eruption

DOMINICA
in
e

of the 20th century took place on ROSEAU

s

dw

May 8, 1902, when Mount Pelee Martinique

se

Fort-de-France (French overseas 48 4

erupted on Martinique, killing
ar

department)
r

30,000 people, around 15% ST LUCIA

d

of the island’s population. CASTRIES

ST VINCENT & BARBADOS
Aruba L ess THE GRENADINES BRIDGETOWN
An

(autonomous part er A KINGSTOWN

ntilles
Isla

of Netherlands)
GRENADA
t i l l

Oranjestad Netherlands Antilles

ST GEORGE'S
(autonomous part
nds

Willemstad of Netherlands) Tobago TRINIDAD

Isla de Margarita 5
e s

& TOBAGO
PORT-OF-SPAIN
VENEZUELA 41 San Fernando

E F G H
 A B C D E
38
17 48

1 G 1
Puerto
re Hispa
at
er niola Rico
Jamaica Anti
lles Le
ss

er
Caribbean Sea
ATLANTIC

An
OCEAN
SOUTH AMERICA

tille
s
T r inidad

M
a

gd
(claimed by

s
2 17 ca o Venezuela) 49 2

u
Or i no c

a l en a

Ca
no
Meta VENEZUELA French
G GUYANA Guiana
(France)

Lla
South America

u i
a n SURINAME
COLOMBIA a
H i
g h l
a n d s
Equator Equator
n

R io N e gr o (claimed by
zo

Represa Suriname) a

Pu
ECUADOR

t
um Balbina Am
Chimborazo N ayo A m a z o n
20,702ft (6310m)
ap
o Içá
3 Am 3
a zon
s

Ma B a s i n

li
r a ñón
jó

ya
ra
pa

ei Planalto

ca
Ta

ad

U
Ju ru á M da
s Borborema

A
ru B R A Z I L

Pu
S

ão F r a n
ai a

ci
s

P n
tin s

gu
co

u
g

Represa de

R
A ra

E d
Sobradinho
Xin
T oc an

Cha

U
pad
i
n

e
ad
s

os
a

Ben Pa
s
li

rec
4 4
nd

is
i

Lake
z

P
Al
la

Titicaca Planalto de
ra
h

an
B

tip
ig

BOLIVIA Mato Grosso

H

tan
al

slano
 o

e
ac
PA
r

Para g
Ma

Ch
Tropic of Capricorn Tropic of Capricorn

RA

d
do

uay
G
Pi
rra

an
Ser
l co e
Isla San Ambrosio

Desert
S

Atacama
ma

UA
yo

Gr
5 5

n
(Chile) Isla San Félix

ra G
á

A
(Chile) Cerro Ojos P a ra n

er a

ná
l
del Salado

ia
ay

gu

A
E
22,572ft

ru

am

Para
U
PACIFIC (6880m)

ot

I N
p
Cerro Aconcagua

so
Lagoa dos Patos

L
e
22,835ft

T
OCEAN o

M
(6959m) Ne g r
Mirim Lagoon

I
as

N
URUGUAY
Islas Juan Fernández p
(Chile) m Rio ATLANTIC
Pa d

H
e la
Plat a
6 6

G E
Col o
R ío r a d o
OCEAN

C
Ne Bahía Blanca

R
gr
o

a
Golfo San Matías

A
Isla de Chiloé
Península

o n i
Valdés
0 km 1000
De s Gulf of San Jorge
ead
o 0 miles 1000
C
hi
Bahía Grande

P a t a g
co
7 135 Falkland Islands 49 7
West Falkland (UK)
East Falkland
Tierra del Fuego South Georgia
Strait of (UK)
Magellan Cape Horn e
ag Scotia Sea
as s
ke P South Sandwich
Dr a Islands
(UK)
South Shetland Islands South Orkney Islands

8 8
SOUTH AMERICA

ANT ARC TI CA
136 136
39

A B C D E
 40 SOUTH AMERICA

Northern South America

A B C D

Gulf Lesser
36 of
Caribbean Ríohacha Venezuela Coro
Santa Marta Maicao
1 Sea Barranquilla Maracaibo CARACAS
Cartagena Valledupar
Cabimas Maracay
Ciudad Ojeda
Lago de Barquisimeto Valencia
Sincelejo Maracaibo Acarigua
AMA Valera
P AN Montería ca Mérida Guanare de losSan Juan
Morros

Gu
Ca

a
an
l

d a len
a
Cúcuta Barinas r e L
San Cristóbal

Ma g
re San Fernando
A rau c a A pu
2 35
Bello
Bucaramanga
Barrancaberneja Arauca VENE
Medellín
Itagüí
s Puerto Carreño
Quibdó Tunja
PA C I F I C Manizales
Yopal
eta
M
Pereira e
OCE AN Armenia BOGOTÁ A
Buenaventura
Ibagué
Villavicencio I G uav
ia r
e

B
d

3
Cali

Popayán Neiva San José M Ne

gr

o
n

del Guaviare
O

Florencia
Pasto
L

Mocoa
Esmeraldas Mitú
A

Tulcán
O

Ibarra A gu
Equator ari The first coffee
QUITO co
C

seedlings were
4 135 Santo Domingo Ca
de los Colorados qu brought to
OR

et
Manta Colombia in
Ambato
á

Portoviejo 1804 by Jesuit

D

Guayaquil Riobamba missionaries;

Milagro A P u t u mayo today, Colombia
U
Golfo de Cuenca EC Nestling between snow capped
produces over
700,000 tons
Guayaquil
peaks, at 9350 ft (2850 m)
Machala (tonnes) of
Quito is the second highest
coffee beans
5 Loja P ER U capital in the world.
every year.

42

A B C D
 SOUTH AMERICA 41

E F G H

Antilles GRENADA 37
Isla de Margarita
Carúpano TRINIDAD A T L A N T I C 1
Cumaná & TOBAGO
Barcelona
The S
erpe O C E A N
nt'
s
Maturín M The Guiana Shield is one of the
Tucupita ou
Earth’s oldest surfaces, formed
El Tigre th
o s around 2 billion years ago.
a n Or
inoc
o
Ciudad Guayana
Ciudad Bolívar (claimed by Venezuela)
Embalse
de Guri
Nieuw
ZUELA Cuyu n
iGEORGETOWN
New Amsterdam
Amsterdam
49 2

Bartica St.-Laurent-
Salto PARAMARIBO du-Maroni
Cau

Ángel Rockstone Linden

a Car Sinnamary
r

GUYANA Kourou
on

W.J. van
Pa

G u i a n a
ra

Blommesteinmeer
gu

H i g h l a n d s CAYENNE
a

SURINAME French
E ss eq u i b o

Guiana

a r o wijne
O r ino c o (French overseas 3
Cour

department)
Angel Falls
an

(Salto Ángel)
Ac

ar
ty

plunge a total ai M
ne

of 3212 ft ts. (claimed by Suriname)

(979 m) to form The European Space Agency launch
the world’s (claimed by facility at Kourou takes advantage
highest waterfall. Suriname) of the Earth's spin near the
equator to gain 10 percent Equator
A m a z o n more payload than an equivalent 4
launch at Cape Canaveral in the US.

B R A Z I L 43
B a s i n
2.47 acres (one hectare) of Amazon rain forest
can contain more than 750 types of trees and
1500 plant species, amounting to around 0 km 200
900 tons (tonnes) of living plant material. 5
0 miles 200

43

E F G H
 42 SOUTH AMERICA

Peru, Bolivia & North Brazil

A B C D

GU
40 VENEZUELA

YANA
Gu
C O L O M B I A ian
1 a H
igh lands
0 km 400
Boa Vista
0 miles 400
Rio Ne g r o
Represa
Equ ator Balbina
Pu tu
ECUADOR m
ay n
o Ama zo
N

po Manaus
a

2 135 Amazon
Iquitos

uá

a
ir
Jur

de
a
P

Ma M
rañ ón Moyobamba A m a z o n B a s i n
Piura
li

Tarapoto
ya

a
Chiclayo Uc

us
B Pu
r
R A
A

Saña
E

Pucallpa Porto Velho

Trujillo
3
Chimbote
n

Huaraz Rio Branco os

Huánuco Di
R

e de Riberalta
Huacho La Oroya dr
Puerto a Gu
M

Callao
d

Maldonado a po
Ben i

re
LIMA Huancayo U
PACIFIC Ayacucho e Cusco
Pisco
Trinidad
OCEAN Ica
4 135 Nazca
s Puno B O L IV I A
Arequipa Lake LA PAZ
Titicaca Cochabamba Montero
Lake Titicaca is the largest lake in South Santa Cruz
America at 3220 sq miles (8340 sq km). Oruro
Tacna
With an altitude of 12,500 ft (3810 m) Lago Poopó SUCRE Puerto Suárez
it is also the world’s highest navigable lake. Potosí
PA

BOLIVIA'S TWO CAPITALS Uyuni Tupiza

CHIL

Tarija
RA

5 La Paz - legislative and

administrative capital
GU

Sucre - legal capital

Y
A

46
E

ARGENTINA
A B C D
 SOUTH AMERICA 43

E F G H
S UR

48
French Guiana
IN A

(French overseas department)

M

The Amazon River is 4049 miles (6516 km) long, with 1

E

an average flow of 7.7 million cubic feet (219,000 cu m)

of water entering the Atlantic Ocean every second.

Macapá Ilha Caviana de Fora ATLANTIC Equ ato r

Ilha de Marajó
Belém
Ama
zon
OCEAN
São Luís
Santarém Paranaíba
San Fernando 49 2
Represa de Fortaleza de Noronha
Tucuruí
(part of Brazil)
s
ajó

Mossoró
p

Imperatriz
Xin
Ta

Teresina
gu

Natal
Carolina
João
Z I L Juàzeiro do Norte
Campina
Grande Pessoa
ns

Te l o Fran c Recife
i

Sa
To c a n t

e sP is
ia

ire Represa de co 3
gu a

Sobradinho Juàzeiro Maceió

s

A ra

Aracaju
Taguatinga Feira de Santana
Mato Grosso
Salvador
Brazilian
Cuiabá Itabuna
Anápolis BRASÍLIA 49 4
Highlands Vitória da Conquista
Goiânia
Montes Claros Governador Valadares
Uberlândia
Uberaba Belo Horizonte
Divinópolis
Campo Ribeirão Preto Vitória
Grande
ná

Campos
ra

Nova 5
Pa

Marília Campinas Iguaçu Juiz de Fora

Londrina
Sorocaba Taubaté Rio de Janeiro 44 Tropic of Capri
corn
São Paulo
E F G H
 44 SOUTH AMERICA
Paraguay, Uruguay & South Brazil
A B C D

42
BOLIVIA
B R A

o
c
1

a
São José do Rio Preto
h
C
General Eugenio A. Garay Campo Grande
Fuerte Olimpo
n

Presidente
a

Mariscal Prudente Marília

Dourados

ná
r

Estigarribia a
ar
G

P Bauru
46
PARAGUAY Ourinhos
2 Concepción
Tropic of Capricorn Pozo Colorado
Pi Pa r Maringá Londrina
lco a gu a y
ma
yo
Coronel Ciudad
ASUNCIÓN Oviedo del Este Ponta Grossa
Villarrica Guarapuava
Lambaré
Iguaçu
Curitiba
Formed by river deposits washed Caazapá
down from the Andes and Brazilian San Juan
á Joinville
an

Shield, the Gran Chaco is virtually Bautista r

M a r
free of stones. It is composed of Pa Pelotas Blumenau
3 Pilar
sand and silt sediments that are Encarnación
Erechim Florianópolis
up to 10,000 ft (3050 m) thick.

do
Lajes
ay Carazinho Passo Fundo
u
ug

ra
The Itaipú hydroelectric project is São Borja Caxias do Sul
Ur

r
able to produce more power than

e
S
10 average nuclear reactors; it supplies Uruguaiana Santa Maria Canoas
19% of the electrical power consumption
of Brazil and 90% for Paraguay. Porto Alegre
Artigas
4 Rivera
Bagé Lagoa dos Patos
46 ARGENTINA Salto
Tacuarembó Pelotas
o
gr

Paysandú Ne Melo Rio Grande

Fray Bentos URUGUAY Mirim Lagoon

Mercedes Durazno Chuy

Trinidad
5 Las Piedras
MONTEVIDEO San Carlos
Río
de la
46 Pla ta

A B C D
 SOUTH AMERICA 45

E F G H

Uberlândia Governador 43

Z
Uberaba
I L Valadares
1
Rio Belo Horizonte
Gr
an
de
Divinópolis Vitória
Franca Represa de Furnas
Ribeirão Preto Cachoeiro de
Juiz de Fora Itapemirim

Volta Redonda Campos

Nova Iguaçu
Campinas
Sorocaba Taubaté Rio de Janeiro 49 2
São Paulo
Tropic of Ca
Santos pricorn
The famous statue of Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer),
built on top of the 2300 ft (700 m) Corcovado Mountain in 1931,
stands 100 ft (30 m) tall and weighs 700 tons (tonnes).

The population of greater Sao Paulo is close to 22,000,000,

over twice the entire population of Portugal, the country 3
that originally colonized Brazil in the 16th century.

A T L A N T I C
O C E A N
49 4
Lagoa dos Patos is the largest lagoon in Brazil and the second
largest in South America. The lagoon is 180 miles (290 km) long
and up to 40 miles (64 km) wide, with an area of more than
3900 sq miles (10,100 sq km).

0 km 400

0 miles 400
5

49

E F G H
 A B C D E
46
PERU 42 44 B
The driest place on Earth is the Atacama Desert R
in Chile, with an average rainfall of 0.004 inches
1 1

A
(0.1 mm) per year. Until recently, some places had
received no rain for over 400 years.
Arica Z I
One of the world’s largest copper mines at
Chuquicamata has produced around
L
PACIFIC 29 million tons (tonnes) of copper over
Iquique its 90-year history. The huge opencast pit
is 2.6 miles (4.3 km) long, 2 miles (3 km)
SOUTH AMERICA

OCEAN B OLIVIA
wide, and over 2788 ft (850 m) deep.

Pi
Tocopilla Chuquicamata

lc
P

om
2
ay A 2
135 o 44

s
Calama San Salvador R
Tropic of Ca
pricorn Antofagasta de Jujuy A Tropic of Ca
pricorn
G
U

e
Gran A
Salta
C h a c o Be Y

Desierto de Atacama
rm
Chañaral

d
San Miguel e jo
Formosa
Copiapó de Tucumán P a ran
á
Resistencia

n
Santiago
Corrientes Posadas
Sa

Vallenar
IL

del Estero
la
á

3 3
do
Z

ran

CHILE Vera ay
gu

La Rioja
Pa

A
A

ru

La Serena Laguna Mar

U

Chiquita R
Coquimbo Cerro
Southern South America

Aconcagua
San Juan
B
Illapel 22,831ft Concordia
(6959m) Córdoba Santa Fe
La Ligua Mendoza Paraná
Viña del Mar Godoy Cruz Río Rosario URUGUAY
Valparaíso Cuarto Gualeguaychú
San Antonio SANTIAGO
4 Rancagua Villa Mercedes Junín 4
Pilchilemu Pampas BUENOS AIRES
Islas La Plata
Juan Fernández Talca Curicó R
Linares A R G E N T I N A ío d
(to Chile) e la
Plata
Talcahuano Chillán Santa Rosa Olavarría Azul Dolores
 Concepción Lebu Tres Arroyos
Zapala Mar del Plata
Bahía Blanca
C Necochea
Temuco Neuquén ol
Río ora
do Bahía Blanca
Valdivia

es
5 San Antonio Ne 5
gr
Oeste o
Osorno Viedma
San Carlos
Puerto Montt de Bariloche

And
Península
Ch
Castro Trelew Valdés

ub
Esquel

ut
Isla de Chiloé Rawson A T L A N T I C
Archipiélago
de los Chonos Lago

ia
Musters O C E A N
6 Puerto Aisén 6
Coihaique Comodoro Rivadavia

on
A group of 150 Welsh settlers arrived
Lago Buenos Aires Caleta Olivia

g
in Patagonia on July 28, 1865, seeking
Chile Chico De a new life away from cultural and

a
se
Cochrane a Puerto religious oppression in the UK.

do
Deseado Today the area has one of the largest
Isla
Wellington Welsh populations outside of Wales.

Pat
Puerto San Julián

El Calafate Falkland Islands

7 135 PACIFIC (UK dependent territory) 49 7
Río Gallegos
Puerto Natales West Stanley
Falkland East
OCEAN Punta Arenas Falkland
Porvenir
The Strait of Magellan was named after
Tierra
del Fuego Ferdinand Magellan, who passed through
Ushuaia the straits during the first circumnavigation
Strait of
Magellan of the globe in 1520. Of the five vessels and
237 men that set out, only one ship and 18
0 km 400 Cabo de Hornos survivors returned to Spain after the three-year
8 (Cape Horn) voyage. Magellan himself was killed 8
0 miles 400
SOUTH AMERICA

in the Philippines.

136 136
47

A B C D E
 A B C D E
48
137 AR C T I C OC E AN 137

1 1

Svalbard
OCEANS

Greenland (Norway)
Greenland
Baffin (Denmark) Sea Barents
Bay
Jan Mayen Sea
(Norway)
Da
vis t ra it
Arctic Circle kS ia Arctic Circle
ar

St
av
n

nm
Faeroe Is.

rai
di

t
2 16 94 2

De
(Denmark)
an
Sc

Hudson
ea

Bay Labrador
cS

Sea The North Atlantic Deep Water North lti

Sea Ba
Current is an oceanic “river”
that moves around 20 million Rotterdam
NORTH cubic yards (15.3 million cubic m)
of water every second. E U R O P E
The Atlantic Ocean

Great Lakes St Lawrence

ps D
anu
AMERICA a n d B a n k s Newfoundland Al be
3 Gr 3

g e
Black Sea
New York Basin
Azores
The Gulf Stream travels across i d (Portugal)
R

pi
M edite
the Atlantic Ocean at up to Gibraltar rr
an
135 miles (217 km) a day. c Madeira t s. ea n
sM Sea
ti (Portugal)

M i s s i ssip
Bermuda (UK) n la
Canary Is. At Port Said
Gulf of (Spain)
l a
Mexico Sargasso Sea S a h a r a
ary Tropic of Cancer
C

an in
Tropic of Cancer as
B
Re

4 4
N ile

CAPE VERDE
dS

A F R I C A
ea

r
Caribbean Ca
i ge
N

pe Lake
Sea V er Chad
M i d - A t

de Basin
Cristóbal
 Lagos
Gulf
Equator A T L A N T I C of Equator

go
on
n Guinea C Lake
Am a zo O C E A N
5 Victoria 5
Fernando
S O U T H de Noronha Ascension Island

An
Mi
(Brazil) (St Helena)

d
sin
e A M E R I C A Lake
s Brazil St Helena Nyasa

Ba
Basin (UK)

la

d-At
go
Ilha da An
Rio de Janeiro
Trindade ge

d
Tropic of Capricorn (Brazil) Tropic of Capricorn

Ri

aná
Par
vis
6 6

d e s
PACIFIC Rio Grande

Wal
Rise Cape Cape Town

An
OCEAN Basin
Buenos Tristan da Cunha Cape of
Aires (St Helena) Good Hope

lantic Ridge
as Gough Island
t ine B in (Tristan da Cunha)
en
rg In 2001, the Caledonian Star was damaged by a 100 ft (30 m)

A
“rogue wave” in the South Atlantic. Once thought to be a
mythical occurrence, these giant waves are now a ge
id
Falkland Is. recognized phenomenon and represent a major R
7 135 a n 123 7
(UK) hazard to even the largest ships. di
-In ic
South Georgia Atlant
(UK) South Bouvet Island
Cape Horn
Scotia Sea Sandwich Is. (Norway)
(UK)
ian Basin
Atlantic-Ind

Antarctic Circle
Be l l i n gs h a u s e n 0 km 2000
8 Sea 0 miles 2000 8
OCEANS

136 Weddell Sea 136 A N T A R C T I C A

49

A B C D E
 A B C D E
50
62 63

U R O P
ATLANTIC
1 E E 1
OCEAN
AFRICA

Ca
Black Sea uca
Ca
sus
spi

Ib e r ia n
Africa

Pe ni ns u la
an S e a

M e
d i
48 t e Sicily
Ceuta Melilla (Spain)
Madeira (Spain) n s r r A S I A
a n Cyprus
(Portugal) t ai TUNISIA
2 MOR OC C O o u n e a
n S y r i a n 94 2
M S e a De se r t
as
Islas Canarias Atl
(Spain) L i b y a n
N i le
A L G E R I A D e s e r t
Pe Gul
ian
rs f

WESTERN
SAHARA L I B Y A
(disputed) E G Y P T
R

Ahaggar Tropic of Cancer

e d

Tropic of Cancer S a h a r a Arabian

Tibesti
S e

3 3
a

MAURITANIA Peninsula
M A L I N I G E R
S e n eg
a r

l
ge C H A D ERITREA
SENEGAL Ni

GAMBIA S a h e l S U D A N d en
B lu e

fA
GUINEA- BURKINA DJIBOUTI G u l f o
Ni

NIGERIA
le

BISSAU GUINEA N SOMALILAND

ig S u d d Ethiopian (not internationally

BE NI N
SIERRA er recognized)
CÔTE ETHIOPIA
W

LEONE D'IVOIRE Highlands

hi t

TOGO
A

CENTRAL AFRICAN
OON

( I VO R Y

GHANA
4 4
eN

LIBERIA C O AS T ) REPUBLIC She

LI

ER

Lake b el
i le

i
M
A

U ele Turkana
EQUATORIAL
CA

GUINEA
M
UGANDA
Gulf of Guinea C on g o KE N YA
SAO TOME & SO
Equator
GO

Equator PRINCIPE
 N
GABON RWANDA Lake Victoria

O
Kilimanjaro
BURUNDI

C
DEM. REP. 19,341ft (5895m)
Cabinda CONGO TANZANIA
(Angola)

Grea
Lake
5 Ascension I. Tanganyika 5

tR
(St Helena)

if
tV
a
Lake Nyasa COMOROS

lle
y
ANGOLA Mayotte
MALAWI (France)
ZAMBIA

el
Bi é

UE
R

St Helena Za mb ez i

nn
Pl a t e a u

Q
(UK)
CA

BI
Cha

M
NAMIBIA ZIMBABWE
GAS

que

ZA

Na
6 BOTSWANA 6

MO
ambi

mib
Kalahari
MAD A

Tropic of Capricorn Desert Tropic of

Moz

Capricorn

Dese
rt
SWAZILAND
O r a n g e Ri ve
AT L AN T IC r
LESOTHO
S OUT H
O CE A N AF R I C A I NDI AN
7 49 123 7
Cape of
Good Hope OCE AN
Tristan da Cunha
(St Helena)
Gough Island
(Tristan da Cunha)

0 km 1000
8 8
0 miles 1000
AFRICA

136 136
51

A B C D E
 52 AFRICA

Northwest Africa
A B C D

ATLANTIC 74 SPAIN

1
OCEAN
ALGIERS
On March 27, 1977, two Boeing 747s collided Mostaganem
on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport on Ceuta (Spain)
Tanger Blida
Tenerife with the loss of 583 lives, making Oran
this the world’s worst ever air disaster. Tetouan Melilla
(Spain) Sidi Bel
Kénitra Abbès
Fès
Madeira RABAT Oujda Tlemcen n s
(Portugal) Casablanca i
ta
Khouribga
o u n Laghouat
2 48 Safi Beni- s M a
Figuig Ghardaïa
Essaouira Mellal
Er Rachidia
Atl
Marrakech r
g
Béchar E l
Islas Canarias Agadir M O R O C C O
(Spain) n
d ta
n
ra de
G
La Palma Tenerife Lanzarote ci
Oc
Fuerte-
Gran ventura Tan-Tan
Canaria
3 LAÂYOUNE A L G E R
Smara Tindouf I-n-Salah
WESTERN
SAHARA Reggane
(disputed territory under
Tropic Moroccan occupation) The region of Tidikelt
of Can in Algeria once went
cer
Ad Dakhla for 10 years without
a drop of rain. S a h
4 48
The Sahara Desert is one of the harshest
Lagouira environments on Earth. With an area of
around 3,500,000 sq miles (9,000,000 sq km),
roughly the same as Europe, it has a population
of only around 2 million people compared to
Europe’s population of 731 million people.

MAURITANIA
5
0 km 400 M A L I
0 miles 400 56

A B C D
 AFRICA 53

E F G H

I T A L Y 87
Sicily
Annaba Bizerte G R E E C E
TUNIS 1
Crete
Constantine Sousse MALTA
Kairouan
Sétif Mediterranean The hottest place on earth is Al ‘Aziziyah,
Batna Libya, where on September 13, 1922, an air
Gafsa Sfax Sea temperature of 136ºF (57ºC) was recorded.
Biskra Zuwárah
Chott Gabès Darnah
Melghir Az Záwiyah Al Bayçá’
Tozeur ◊ubruq
Médenine TRIPOLI Banghází Al Marj
Al Khums
Touggourt TUNISIA Mi∞rátah 54 2
Gharyán
Yafran Khalíj Surt
Ouargla Ajdábiyá
Surt
rg

E G Y P T
E
l
a nd ta Great
r n
G rie Sand Sea
O

L I B Y A
I A Birák 3

Awbárí Sabhá

Murzuq L i b y a n
Tass
ili Al Kufrah
-n c er
-A of Can
Tropic
jj

a r a
er

D e s e r t
Ahaggar 54 4
b esti
Tamanrasset Ti
Libya has the largest proven oil reserves
in Africa, estimated at 41.5 billion barrels
in 2008. With production running at
around 1.8 million barrels per day, these
reserves are expected to last for another
60 years.

C H A D 5
N I G E R
58

E F G H
 A B C D E
54
87 S Y R I A 102
CYPRUS I R A N
Mediterranean I R A Q
1 LEBANON 1
Sea When first opened in 1869, the Suez Canal
Nile ISRAEL AN consisted of a channel 26 ft (8 m) deep and
AFRICA

Al Iskandaríyah Delta JORD

Búr Sa’íd (Port Said) 200 to 300 ft (60 to 90 m) wide at the surface.
(Alexandria) Construction involved the excavation and
Al Ismá’ílíya dredging of 97 million cubic yards
CAIRO Suez Canal
Munkhafaç Al Jízah As Suways (Suez) (74 million cubic metres) of material.

P
al Qaœœárah (Giza) Sinai er
-436ft (-133m) Al Minyá Baní Suwayf si
an
Y P T Hurghada G
L I B YA

N
E G Asyúπ ul
For thousands of years the Nile has supported f

il e
2 53 Sawháj cultivation in the Aswan region, despite it being 102 2
Qiná
Al Uq∞ur (Luxor) one of the driest places on Earth, with an average
L i b y a n Isná of only 0.02 inches (0.5 mm) of rain per year.
Al Khárijah
D e s e r t Idfú
Tropic of Cancer Aswán Tropic of Cancer
Lake Nasser
Northeast Africa

(administered by
(administered by Egypt) Sudan) S A U D I

R
Wadi Halfa sert
De A R A B I A

ed
an
bi
u

N
3 Port Sudan 3
S
Dongola

i
le

N
ea

Atbara
S U D A N

CHAD
ERITREA
r Omdurman Mits’iwa
fu Kassala Y E M E N
r KHARTOUM ASMARA
a
D Wad Medani Gedaref Teseney
El Geneina El Fasher
El Obeid Himora Mek’elé en
4 ‘Aseb Ad 4
Gonder
of
Gulf
ile

Nyala Dilling DJIBOUTI

Blue N

Bahir Dar
il

Boosaaso
i te N

DJIBOUTI
e

Desé
Kadugli
Wh

Buré Ethiopian Berbera SOMALILAND

 Diré Dawa (not internationally
Malakal Hargeysa recognized)
ADDIS ABABA
S u d d Nazrét O Garoowe
Wau Goré Highlands g a
Jíma den

W
Gaalkacyo

hi
CENTRAL Elemi Triangle
Rumbek

te
5 (adminstered E T H I O P I A 5
AFRICAN

Ni
by Kenya)

le
REPUBLIC Sh e
bel
i SOMALIA
Juba Negélé Beledweyne
Yambio Lokitaung
Lake
Arua Gulu Turkana Baydhabo
D EM . R E P. Lira Wanlaweyn
Lake Albert UGANDA KENYA Marka MOGADISHU
CO N G O Masindi

y le
Mbale Eldoret
KAMPALA

Val
Equator Lake Nakuru Meru Jamaame
6 6

ift
Equator
Edward Entebbe Nyeri Garissa

tR
Kabale Lake Kisumu Kismaayo

ea
NAIROBI The Somali language
Victoria

Gr
Lake Kivu did not become
KIGALI
RWANDA Mwanza Kilimanjaro a written language
Arusha 19,341ft (5895m) until 1972.
BUJUMBURA Malindi
BURUNDI Shinyanga Masai Moshi
Steppe
Mombasa The shortest war on record,
Tabora between Britain and Zanzibar
Kigoma Tanga
in 1896, lasted just 38 minutes.
TA N Z A N I A
7 59 Lake DODOMA Zanzibar 122 7
Tanganyika Morogoro
Lake Dar es Salaam
Sumbawanga Rukwa
Iringa IN D IAN

Gr
Mbeya

ea
t
ft
Ri
SEYCHELLES O CEAN
The Great Rift Valley is one Va l l e Lake Nyasa Lindi
y
of the most extensive rifts on Mtwara
the Earth's surface, extending Songea
from Jordan southward through
eastern Africa to Mozambique. COMOROS
MOZAMB IQUE
8 The system is some 4,000 miles 8
MAL

(6,400 km) long and averages 0 km 400

AFRICA

30–40 miles (48–64 km) wide. 0 miles 400 MADAGASCAR

AW
I

ZAMBIA 60 61
55

A B C D E
 56 AFRICA

West Africa
A B C D

0 km 400
52

i
îd
0 miles 400
WESTERN Bîr

gu
Tropic of Mogreïn
1 Cancer SAHARA I
(disputed territory rg œ

k
Mauritania and Madagascar are the under Moroccan occupation) 'E he an
âg Ì
only countries in the world not to use K El Erg
a decimal-based currency.The basic unit
Fdérik Zouérat
of currency, the ouguiyal, is divided
ne
into five khoums. râ
ua
Nouâdhibou
Choûm O S
h âr
A kc Aωr
2 48
CAPE El Mr
VERDE Akjoujt ey
yé
Ilhas de Bar
Santo l ave NOUAKCHOTT
Antão São Vicente
nt MAURITANIA
o

São Nicolau Sal Rkîz Aoukâ

Se n
Boa Vista eg Aleg Kiffa
r
Santiago
al
Fogo Maio Saint Louis Kaédi
Ilha PRAIA S E NE GAL
s de S
otave nto Mbaké
DAKAR Nioro
3 Diourbel
A T L A N T I C BANJUL
Kaolack Kayes
S Ni g
er
GAMBIA G a
B a fi n

m b ia Ségou
O C E A N Bignona B ani
BAMAKO
g

BISSAU
Gambia is only around 20 miles (32 km)

B a g oé
Gaoual
wide and 200 miles (320 km) long; GUINEA- Boké Labé Ni g e r Bougouni
its unusual shape and size are down BISSAU Bobo-
to territorial compromises arising from G U I N E A Siguiri Dioulasso
19th-century Anglo-French rivalry Kindia
Kankan
4 in western Africa. Odienné
CONAKRY
S I E R R A CÔTE
48
FREETOWN LEONE D’IVOIRE
Bo (IVORY COAST)
Lac de
Tubmanburg L I B E R I A Kossou
A Rüppell’s Vulture collided with a commercial YAMOUSSOUKRO
airliner at 37,000 ft (11,277 m) above MONROVIA S
as

Buchanan Zwedru Gagnoa

Côte d’Ivoire to earn the posthumous distinction
sa

Abidjan
nd

of the highest flying bird ever recorded.

ra

5
Harper

49

A B C D
 AFRICA 57

E F G H

A L G E R I A 53
L I B Y A
ch

The Niger River begins in Guinea just 150 miles

1
e

h (240 km) from the Atlantic coast but then heads

C inland on a 3000-mile (4100-km) journey er
Tropic of Canc
before finally reaching the Gulf of Guinea some
1200 miles (2000 km) to the east.
Taoudenni

a e h a r Ténéré a
k ân du
- Sâ Tafassâsset
-n Tessalit 58 2
g I
‘E r Adrar des Assamakka
é
d

Ifôghas
Araouane
a o uâ Massif
n ér
Az de l'Aïr a

H A D
M A L I il m
é
Lac T d eB
Agadez rg
Faguibine n dE
Tombouctou Gao G ra
Lac
Niangay Ansongo N I G E R
Hombori Tahoua

C
3
Mopti Nguigmi
a h NIAMEY
e Maradi l
Zinder
Gouré
BURKINA oto
ia

Sokoto Katsina H a d e j
ok

OUAGADOUGOU ig S
N

er
Fada- Gusau Kano Maiduguri
Koudougou Ngourma
B l a ck Vo lt a

Kandi Zaria o n g o la
G

Kainji
lta BENIN Reservoir Kaduna Kumo
Vo

Wa Natitingou
N I G E R I A
Oti
T O
W hi t e

58 4
Parakou Jos
Ko

Plateau
Tamale Sokodé Ilorin Nig
moé

er ABUJA ue
G O

GHANA Ogbomosho Ben

N

Oyo
Sunyani Abomey Ede el s
ot in
O O

Lake
Volta Ibadan Benin Enugu G nt a
Kumasi City u
o

V Lagos C.A.R.
M

Nsawam olt
LOMÉ PORTO-
ER

Onitsha
a

Asamankese NOVO Sapele Aba

ACCRA B i g h t o f B e n Calabar
Mo

i
M

Gulf of Guinea n Port Harcourt 5

ut

hs
Lake Volta is one of the largest man-made o f t h e Niger A
lakes in the world, covering 3283 sq miles EQUATORIAL 59
C
(8502 sq km), or 3.6% of Ghana’s area. GUINEA

E F G H
 A B C D E
58
53 53

L I B Y A E G Y P T
1 Tropic of Cancer 1
Tropic of Cancer
AFRICA

A L G E R I A The eye of an ostrich is bigger than it’s

brain. They are the largest bird on Earth.
An adult male can stand 8 ft (2.5 m) tall,
Ti b
esti weigh up to 300 lbs (135 kg), and run at
N I G E R around 30 mph (48 km/h).

S a h a r a
2 57 Faya 54 2
The vast sand flats surrounding Lake
Chad were once covered by water.
Central Africa

Changing climatic patterns caused Ennedi

the lake to shrink and desert now
covers much of its previous area. C H A D S U D A N
Mao
Biltine
Bol Pygmies who inhabit the Congo
Lake Chad Ati Abéché
Basin grow to be only 3 to 4 feet
3 3
(0.9 to 1.2 m) tall at adulthood.
Mongo The name is derived from the Greek
Kousséri NDJAMENA
word “pygmê,” which referred to a
C ha Am Timan unit of measurement equivalent to
Maroua ri the length of a forearm.
Guider Bongor
Laï o
Garoua es Bong
Sarh si fd
NIGERIA Moundou M
as
Goré
Ndélé
4 Ngaoundéré 4

Bossangoa
CENTRAL AFRICAN
Banyo Bria
Bamenda
Nkongsamba Bouar Sibut REPUBLIC Obo
Bafoussam Bambari
 u
Douala Bertoua Berbérati BANGUI Bom
MALABO Uel
e
YAOUNDÉ
Gemena

gi
Ebolowa Isiro
SAO TOME
CAMEROON
5 5

Ub an
& PRINCIPE Bata Bumba Lake Albert
Ouésso Bunia

C
EQUATORIAL Oyem Congo on
Príncipe GUINEA Impfondo go
SÃO TOMÉ Basin
Equator LIBREVILLE CONGO Kisangani Butembo Equator
Mbandaka
Owando A
São Tomé Lambaréné Lake Edward
ND
o GA

g
U

Port-Gentil G A B O N D E M . R E P. Goma

Co n
Massoukou Lake Kivu
RWANDA
Djambala C ON G O Bukavu
6 Mossendjo Bandundu Kindu 6
Ka BURUNDI
BRAZZAVILLE sa i Lodja
Dolisie Kasongo
KINSHASA Ilebo
Pointe-Noire
Mitumba
TA N

Cabinda Boma Kikwit Kalemie

(Angola) Kananga Kabinda
ZA

Matadi Lake Tanganyika

Tshikapa
NI

Kw a
Mbuji-Mayi
A

Mwene-

ng
o
The only major river that Ditu Manono
flows both north and south
Monts

7 49 of the equator is the Congo. 55 7

It crosses the equator twice, Kamina L. Mweru
which means that at least
part of its catchment area
is always experiencing Dilolo
a rainy season. Kolwezi Likasi

A N G O L A Lubumbashi
ATLANTIC
0 km 400
8 OCEAN 8
0 miles 400
AFRICA

Z A M B I A
60 60
59

A B C D E
 60 AFRICA
Southern Africa
A B C D

59 go
DEM. REP.

n
Co
Cabinda
(Angola) Cabinda CONGO
1
0 km 400 Lake
Tanganyika
0 miles 400 Uíge
Ambriz
Lucapa
N’Dalatando
LUANDA Saurimo
Ndola
Malanje
C u an
za Mufulira
Sumbe
Lobito
ANGOLA Chingola
2 49 Kuito Kitwe
ATLANTIC Benguela
Huambo Zambezi Luanshya
OCEAN Lubango
Menongue
ZAMBIA

Za
Namibe

Cu
LUSAKA

m
ban
zi

be
Tombua zi
The Okavango River pours N’Giva Choma be
go
Lake

m
some 14.4 billion cubic yards Ok Livingstone

Za
u n e n e av Kariba
(11 billion cu m) of water into C Rundu a Victoria

ng
the Okavango Delta each year. Falls
ZIMBA

o
Etosha Tsumeb Okavango Delta
N

It drains away through a maze of Pan

3 Grootfontein
lagoons, channels, and islands
a

Maun
NAMIBIA Bulawayo
m

covering around 5800 sq miles

(15,000 sq km), before eventually Ghanzi Francistown
i b

disappearing into the sands of the

Swakopmund
WINDHOEK BOTSWANA po
Kalahari Desert to the south. K a l a h a r i Mahalapye po
D e s e

Walvis Bay m

Li
Rehoboth GABORONE
Capricorn TSHWANE/
Tropic of Desert Lobatse
PRETORIA
Mmabatho
The Kalahari Desert is the largest Soweto
Keetmanshoop
r t

4 continuous sand surface in the world. Johannesburg

Iron oxide gives a distinctive red Lüderitz V aal
49 O Karasburg Kroonstad
color to the sand, which is over ra
n g e R. Kimberley
200 ft (60 m) deep in places. MASERU
BLOEMFONTEIN
SOUTH AFRICA'S THREE CAPITALS SOUTH LESOTHO r
g

Middelburg e b
Tshwane / Pretoria - administrative capital
AFRICA ns
Cape Town - legislative capital a ke
Bloemfontein - financial capital Beaufort West
Dr
Bellville East
5
CAPE TOWN George Port London
Cape of Good Hope Elizabeth
136

A B C D
 AFRICA 61

E F G H

122

Coco de Mer, or the double coconut

Inner Islands 1
TA N Z A N I A palm, produces some of the largest
seeds in the plant kingdom. Weighing VICTORIA Mahé
up to 60 lbs (27 kg), they take Amirante SEYCHELLES
around 10 years to ripen. Islands
Mbala
Aldabra
Group

ds
Kasama

an
Farquhar
MALAWI uma

sl
Rov COMOROS Group I
Mzuzu ter
Mocímboa
Grande Comore Ou
Mpika Lake MORONI
Nyasa da Praia Mwali Anjouan 123 2
LILONGWE Mamoudzou Antsiraùana
Salima
Zomba
E Nacala Mayotte
(French territorial Ambanja
Blantyre U Moçambique collectivity) Antalaha
Tete
Q Nampula Antsohihy
Nsanje Mocuba Mahajanga
I

HARARE
MADAGASCAR
B

Chitungwiza Quelimane
el

BWE Fenoarivo Atsinanana

M

nn

Chimoio Beira 3
ANTANANARIVO Toamasina
ha
Z A

eC

Morondava
Ambositra
MAURITIUS
biqu

Fianarantsoa Mananjary PORT LOUIS

M O

Saint-Denis nd

s
Ihosy
Mozam

Inhambane
Réunion sl a
Toliara Farafangana eI
(French sca re n
Xai-Xai Vangaindrano overseas Ma
MAPUTO department) 123
MBABANE Amboasary 4
Tropic
SWAZILAND of Capri
corn
Thought to have been extinct for 70 million
Pietermaritzburg years, a living coelacanth was netted in the
Durban Indian Ocean in 1938. They are powerful
I N D I A N predators, averaging 5 feet (1.5 m) in
length and weighing about 100 lbs (45 kg).

O C E A N
5

136

E F G H
 62 EUROPE

Europe
A B C D

A
tic ce

rc
Ci ck i
137 rc r pa
le L i m i t of w i n t e

1
0 km 800 ICELAND
0 miles 800 Lofoten

Norwegian

W
Faeroe Islands Sea
(Denmark)

R
O
2 48 Outer
Hebrides

E
British

W
Isles Vänern
North

S
Irelan d Isle of Man Vättern
Sea
IRELAND (to UK)
B r i t a i n DENMARK
UNITED
3
A T L A N T IC Celtic
Sea KINGDOM El
be
NETHERLANDS
OCE A N E n gl i s h Ch an ne l N o r t h
Channel Is. SBELGIUM
(UK) GERMANY
ei

LUX.
ne

Loi CZECH

e
re
in
Rh REPUBLIC
Bay of Biscay FR ANC E LIECH.
Massif SWITZ.
ps AUSTRIA
e

Central Al
Ga

Rhôn

Py
ro

Mont Blanc SLOVENIA

nne

4 48 Duer re 15,771ft (4807m) Po

PORTUGAL o ne TIA
Ib eria n e s MONACO SAN OA
CR
Eb

Tag
us MARINO
ro

ANDORRA BOSNIA
SPAIN & HERZ.
I T

Str Pen in sula Corsica

Madeira a it o
A

(to Portugal) f G ib ds
VATICAN L
ralt Y sla n CITY
ar B a l e a ri c I Sardinia
Gibraltar Tyrrhenian
(UK) M e d i t Sea
e r
r
5 Atlas Mountains a Sicily
n
Canary Islands e a
(to Spain) 50 A F R I C A MALTA
n

A B C D
 EUROPE 63

E F G H

cl e
ir
cC 137
Bar en t s S ea c ti
Ar
North Cape
Ostrov Kolguyev 1

Ur
Y

al
Kola
A

Peninsula
FIN

M
ou
N W hi te
Sea

nt
LA

rt
E

ai
he
a

rn
ni

ns
Dv
oth
D

ND

ina
fB

Lake Onega R U S S I A N 94 2
lf o
Gu

Åland
Lake
Ladoga F E D E R A T I O N
Gotland ESTONIA
e a lti c

nds

LATVIA n
B aS a i
l
ra
P l
Upla

U
a

LITHUANIA
V o lg

RUSS. n Central
FED. e a
o p 3
Volga

Russian
E u r BELARUS Upland Aral Sea
POLAND Pripet
Don
a

Dni
tul

Marsheseper
Bu

Lo
is

UKRAINE D n i ep ewlands
V
Carpa
thi D n i est e r
SLOVAKIA a r
n

MOLDOVA
Mt

Sea of
s.

Ca

HUNGARY Azov
sp

Crimea
Caucasus 94 4
ia

ROMANIA
Se
n

El’brus
SERBIA Dan ube Black Sea 18,510ft a
(5642m)
MON. BULGARIA
KOS. Balkan
(disputed) Mts.
MACED. TURKEY
ALBANIA
Aegean ia A S I A
Sea Anatol
GREECE 5
Peloponnese
Cyprus
S e a Crete 94

E F G H
 64 EUROPE
The North Atlantic
A B C D

Arctic
19 Devon
Island Ellesmere Island

C
ircle
t
s Strai
1 Nare
N U N A V U T an d
Qaanaaq en L
m us s
At 836,100 sq miles (2,166,600 sq km), Greenland as
is the largest island in the world. However,
Innaanganeq dR
nu
Hudson 677,700 sq miles (1,756,000 sq km) of this is a Savissivik

K
Bay massive ice sheet so heavy that the central land Qimusseriarsuaq
area has sunk to form to a basin more than
1000 ft (300 m) below sea level. Baffin
Kullorsuaq
2 19 Bay
d
C A N A D A n ac
ki
ce
la rp
Is
e
m

nd
t
um ai
Hudson Strait

n fs
tr
B a f f i
it o

ory)
S
und

Lim

la
i s Qeqertarsuaq

r r it
d So

v Qeqertarsuaq

l te
Fr o b is h er Ba y

QUÉBEC a

en
rna
erlan

D Qasigiannguit

e
3

ext
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ed e r
Cu mb

re
r

h
Sisimiut on g F

nis
U ng av a d
K Lan

a
G
Bay

(D
The Jakobshavn Glacier is among Maniitsoq
Land
the world´s fastest glaciers, often an IX
risti
moving 100 feet (30 m) a day, NUUK Ch
ng
and calves around 20 billion tons
t Ko Gunnbjørn Fjeld
12,139ft (3700m)
(tonnes) of icebergs every year.
K ys
Paamiut
VI
4 21 k Ammassalik
rk
i
LAND

er

ma
ed

Ivittuut
OR

Fr

Labrador k ic
e en
ng

pac
& LABRAD

D
NEWFOUND

er
Ko

Qaqortoq int
S ea Nanortalik it
of
w Faxaflói
m
Li
Nunap Isua
(Kap Farvel)
0 km 800 ATLANTIC
5
0 miles 800 OCEAN
48

A B C D
 EUROPE 65

E F G H

137
Lincoln
Sea
Kap Morris Jesup
ARCTIC Zemlya
Frantsa-Iosifa 1

Wandel OCEAN
Kvitøya
Sea Novaya
Nord Svalbard Zemlya
d

Nordaustlandet
Lan

(Norwegian
dependency) Kong Karls Land
VIII

Spitsbergen Barentsøya
erik

Longyearbyen Edgeøya
L a h r i s Kong Fred

St
Barentsberg or fj o With temperatures ranging from 59º F 62 2
rd
en (15º C) in the summer to -40º F
X

(-40º C) in the winter, vegetation on

Greenland
n
nd tia

Svalbard consists mostly of lichens

Sea Bjørnøya and mosses; the only trees are the
C

(Norway) tiny polar willow and the dwarf birch.

ng

Barents Sea
Ko

Daneborg
Greenland's deeply indented coastline le
is 24,430 miles (39,330 km) long, irc
cC 3
cti

FE
a distance roughly equivalent to the

RU ERA
Ar

D
Kong Earth's circumference at the equator.

SS T
Oscar Fjord

IA IO
Jan Mayen

N N
Ka Ittoqqortoormiit
(Norway)
FI
n g erti
t tivaq
NL

Kangikajik
Norwegian
ic e

ck
pa
A

ai t ter Sea
Str in
N

of w
A Y

L i m it Even though only one-twentieth

D

66 4
S W

of Iceland’s potential geothermal

ICELAND power has been harnessed, around
Siglufjördhur
89% of houses are heated geothermally.
R W

Húsavík
E D

Akureyri Seydhisfjördhur
REYKJAVÍK
Selfoss
N O

E N

Surtsey
Faeroe Islands
(Denmark) 5
Tórshavn
Shetland 70
Islands

E F G H
 A B C D E
66
137 137

1 A R C T I C O C E A N 1
0 km 200
The North Cape Current warms the northern coasts of Norway,
EUROPE

0 miles 200 Finland, and Russia’s Kola Peninsula with water temperatures
of 39–54º F (4–12º C), allowing this area of the Barents Sea
to remain free of pack ice throughout the winter.

The sun is continuously visible from late Nord kap p Barents

(North Cape)
May to late July in Tromsø because of its
position well north of the Arctic Circle.
Sea
Hammerfest Vardø
2 65 92 2
Kirkenes

Y
N o rw e g i an Tromsø
atn u
De

S ea Vesterålen
Harstad M
uo

A
nio d
Narvik äl v
Scandinavia is still recovering
un

nO
RUSSI

from the last ice age, when the Lofoten Sodankylä

Kiruna
Fasjoki

land was depressed 2000 ft

3
aTor n 3
ion
I

(600 m) by the weight of the ice.

AN

Bodø l
Scandinavia & Finland

j ok le
i

Today, the Earth’s crust is Gällivare Kemijärvi c Circ

Arcti
“rebounding” at the rate of
p

W
0.3 inches (9 mm) a year
N

N Rovaniemi o ki
a
mj

in the Gulf of Bothnia. Mo i Rana Kuusamo

FED

Ke

Tornio
E

Kemi
L
L

Luleå
RA

Ån Ou
Piteå
T

ger
ma Oulu lu
j
ok
Ai

nä
4 4
lv

Skellefteå
IO

R
en

Oulujärvi
N

Kajaani
Trondheimsfjorden Steinkjer
Kokkola
D

Iisalmi
N

Umeå Pielinen
Trondheim Jakobstad
 Molde Östersund
Vaasa Joensuu

D
L j u sn
a Örnsköldsvik Seinäjoki

n
Ålesund

O
Varkaus

E
Sundsvall Jyväskylä
Saimaa
5 Gulf Imatra 5
Hermansverk of Tampere Lappeenranta
Sognefjorde Pori Hämeenlinna
n Lillehammer Bothnia
Bergen Rauma Kouvola
Hamar Riihimäki
Gjøvik
Falun Gävle Vantaa Kotka

W
Mjøsa Turku

N
Hønefoss Borlänge Åland Espoo HELSINKI
Haugesund Finland
OSLO Uppsala Mariehamn
Drammen lf of
Moss Gu
Stavanger Fredrikstad Karlstad Västerås
6 Porsgrunn
STOCKHOLM 6

S
Halden Vänern Örebro ESTONIA
Nyköping

S ete s d a l
Arendal Skövde
Trollhättan Norrköping The sauna is a Finnish institution, with
Kristiansand Vättern
Borås Linköping some 2 million sauna facilities to serve
Skag e r r a k Göteborg a population of just 5 million people.
Hjørring Jönköping Visby
Jylland Frederikshavn Gotland
Aalborg
DENMARK Halmstad Växjö Öland
L AT V I A
Silkeborg Randers Kalmar
7 70 Herning Århus Helsingborg 88 7
Karlskrona
Esbjerg Vejle
COPENHAGEN
Kristianstad
Odense Malmö Baltic LIT H UANIA
Aabenrå Sjælland Rønne Bornholm S e a KALININGRAD
Nykøbing (part of Russian
S

Federation)
U

The 10 mile (16 km) bridge and tunnel link

R
A

across the Oresund Sound is one of the largest

infrastructure projects in European history.
L
E
8 It connects the Danish capital Copenhagen P O L A N D B 8
EUROPE

to the Swedish port of Malmö.

GERMANY 76 80
67

A B C D E
 A B C D E
68
67 67

The Netherlands is the lowest country in the

1 world. It is estimated that 30% of the land e n Schiermonnikoog 1
is below sea level, with the lowest point land
nei Ameland
some 23 ft (6.7 m) below sea level.
EUROPE

a d d e Terschelling
e
W nze Delfzijl
Vlieland de
THE NETHERLAND'S TWO CAPITALS ad
W
Amsterdam - Capital Leeuwarden
The Hague - Seat of government Groningen
Texel

2 71 Den Helder Assen 76 2

Heerenveen
The inner city of Amsterdam is divided by
its network of canals into some 90 “islands” NETHERLANDS
linked together by approximately 1300 Emmen
bridges and viaducts. Meppel

eer
Hoorn
Alkmaar
lm
se
North Sea IJ
sse
IJs l
Lelystad
The Low Countries

The port of Rotterdam, combined with Purmerend Zwolle

Europoort (which handles vessels too Haarlem Almelo
3 large to reach Rotterdam), is one of AMSTERDAM 3
the largest in the world in terms of
Hilversum Deventer Hengelo
capacity, handling around 375 million
tons (tonnes) of cargo every year. Leiden Apeldoorn Enschede
THE HAGUE Amersfoort
Zoetermeer Utrecht Ede
Delft Arnhem
Gouda
Lek W aa l
Rotterdam
4 Oss Nijmegen 4
Dordrecht
’s-Hertogenbosch
GERMANY
M

Breda Tilburg
gs
B e ra a s
e

Roosendaal
 Vlissingen W
e s ter sche l d e Eindhoven Helmond
Zeebrugge Terneuzen Turnhout Venlo

Sc h
Oostende
Belgium and the

eld
t Antwerpen
5 Brugge Netherlands have an 5
Sint-
Fl Niklaas underground boundary
and Mechelen that differs from the
ers Gent surface boundary
Roeselare Genk
Aalst shown on maps. In
Hasselt Heerlen 1950, the two countries
Ieper
Leuven
BRUSSELS agreed to move the
Kortrijk Tienen Maastricht underground boundary
Mouscron
so as not to divide
B E L G I U M Liège coal mines between
6 Tournai Seraing the two countries. 6
Verviers
La Louvière e
e us
M

e
Mons Namur

rth
Ou
r e Charleroi
mb
Sa Dinant
On August 23, 1914, three weeks es
after Britain entered World War I, the
n
70,000 strong British Expeditionary en
G E R M

Force encountered the advancing r d Bastogne

7 72 German army for the first time at A 77 7
the battle of Mons. O
re
Sû ur
Diekirch

F R A N C E LUXEMBOURG
A N Y

Arlon LUXEMBOURG
Echternach is the home of the only religious dancing
procession remaining in the Western world. Every year
M o s el l e

since the 15th century, thousands of pilgrims have marched Esch-

8 down the streets of the town performing a ritual dance sur-Alzette 8
involving specific movements, music, and prayers.
EUROPE

0 km 50
72 72
0 miles 50
69

A B C D E
 A B C D E
70
Faeroe
65 Islands 65

1 1
ATLANTIC
EUROPE

Shetland
Islands
OCEAN Lerwick

Midges have the fastest wing-beat

of any insect, and are able to flap Orkney
their wings at around 20,000 beats Islands After the surrender of the German
2 48 per minute. 67 2
Kirkwall fleet in 1918 and its internment in
Scapa Flow, over 50 ships were
scuttled by the German crews on
Thurso June 21, 1919, to prevent them
Isle of Lewis falling into British hands.
The British Isles

ch
Stornoway

in
e M
Outer Hebrides Ullapool
h

Th
Firt

ch
ay

in
North Uist o r Elgin

M
M With a depth of 788 ft (240 m)

le
Isle of Inverness and a length of about 23 miles

tt
3 South Uist Loch Ness 3
Skye Aberdeen (36 km), Loch Ness contains
the largest volume of fresh

The Li
Barra SCOTLAND
water in Great Britain.
Fort William Grampian Mts.
Ben Nevis
The Giant’s Causeway comprises 4406ft (1343m)
Isle of
approximately 37,000 interlocking Mull Oban Dundee
F

dark basalt polygonal columns; or

th Perth
Loch Lomond N o r t h
they were formed by volcanic Jura Stirling Firth of Forth
activity some 55 million Greenock
EDINBURGH S e a
years ago. Islay Glasgow
4 Isle of Southern 4
Arran Uplands
Ayr
UNITED KINGDOM
P e

NORTHERN Dumfries Newcastle upon Tyne

Londonderry IRELAND Stranraer Carlisle Sunderland
n
 Donegal BELFAST Bangor Isle of Man Lake
Bay Middlesbrough
(UK crown District
Sligo dependency))

n i n
Newry Douglas
Lancaster York
Dundalk
5 Irish Blackpool Bradford Leeds Kingston upon Hull 5

e s
IRELAND
Lough Lough Ree Sea Preston Bolton
Corrib Athlone DUBLIN Manchester Grimsby
Anglesey Liverpool Sheffield
Galway n fe y Holyhead Lincoln The
no

Lif
Chester

an
Wicklow Bangor donia ENGLAND Wash

Sh
Ennis Lough Mts. ow Stoke-
Derg Sn
on-Trent Derby Nottingham The Norwich
Limerick Shrewsbury Leicester Fens
Cardigan

Barrow
Bay
W A L E S Peterborough
Tralee Birmingham
Wexford Aberystwyth Coventry
Blackwater Worcester Cambridge
Waterford Stratford-
6 upon-Avon 6
Killarney Brecon Gloucester Severn Colchester Ipswich
Fishguard Oxford
Cork Beacons
Milford Haven Th Southend-
Bantry Newport Swindon a m e sLONDON on-Sea
Bay Every year over 1.8 billion pints Swansea Bristol
(0.561 litres) of Guinness® Irish CARDIFF Bath Reading Canterbury Dover
stout are consumed in over 100 Barnstaple Salisbury
Exmoor
Southampton
countries around the world. Taunton
Brighton Channel
The River Severn has the second highest tidal range
Exeter Portsmouth Tunnel
in the world, as much as 50 ft (15 m), often giving Dartmoor Bournemouth l
Isle of Wight ne
rise to a tidal bore. In September 1996, one such an
7 Plymouth Ch 68 7
wave carried a surfer for 5.7 miles (9 km). i s h
Penzance Engl
Land's
48 End
Isles of Channel Islands
Scilly (UK crown dependency)
St. Peter Port
Guernsey
ATLANTIC St. Helier
Jersey

OCEAN
8 8
EUROPE

0 km 100 F R A N C E
0 miles 100 74 72
71

A B C D E
 A B C D E
72
71 65

1 1
U N I T E D North Sea
EUROPE

K I N G D O M NETHERLANDS
Work began on the 31-mile (50-km) Channel Tunnel in 1987.
Earth was removed at the rate of 2400 tons (tonnes) a day
On July 1, 1916, the British suffered 58,000
until completion, seven years later. Around 10.5 million
casualties on the opening day of the Somme
cu yards (8 million cu m) had been excavated.
Offensive. Five months later, after advancing
2 71 Channel 76 2
only a few miles, there had been 420,000 British,
Tunnel
200,000 French, and 500,000 German casualties.
Dunkerque
GERMANY
Calais BE Champagne bottles are placed
English Boulogne- LG neck down into a freezing brine
Channel sur-Mer Lille IU bath (bac à glace), freezing
M only the bottle’s neck to form
Channel Islands Arras
(UK crown dependency) Cherbourg So
m Douai a plug that keeps the wine –
Dieppe

m
and the bubbles – in the bottle

e
Guernsey Amiens
Le Havre while sediments are removed.
Île d’Ouessant Jersey St.-Lô
Rouen
3 Beauvais Laon 3
Caen LUXEMBOURG
St.-Malo Se Reims
M

Brest Normandie i e
St.-Brieuc ne Thionville
Mantes-la-Jolie
use

Quimper Alençon PARIS Ma r n Metz

Versailles e
Bretagne Rennes Châlons-
Chartres en-Champagne
Lorient Nancy
Laval Bar-
France, Andorra & Monaco

le-Duc Strasbourg
s

Belle Le Mans Troyes

M os

Orléans e
ge

Île Angers n
ell e

St.-Nazaire Blois g og
Tours Auxerre ur Épinal Colmar
L
Vos

Nantes
Bo

4 oi 4
re Vesoul
ne Mulhouse
ô

la Roche- F R A N C E Belfort
Sa

sur-Yon Bourges
Nevers Dijon
Poitiers Châteauroux Moulins Besançon a SWITZERLAND
la Rochelle
r
 u
Saintes Lake
Mâcon

J
Limoges Vichy Geneva
Bay of Angoulême
Roanne
Villeurbanne Mont Blanc
Clermont- Lyon Annecy 15,771ft (4807m)
5 Biscay Ferrand St.-Chamond 5
Bordeaux Périgueux
Massif St.-Étienne Chambéry s
D or dog n e Aurillac
le Puy ITALY

p
Ga
r L ot Grenoble

on
Cahors
Central Valence

ne
l
Rodez
Mont-de-Marsan Mende
Agen
Montauban

R h ô ne
n
Bayonne T ar

A
es
Auch nn
Albi éve
Pau C AvignonProvence
P Toulouse Nîmes
Tarbes Aix-en- MONACO
6 y Montpellier Provence 6
Arles MONACO
r e Carcassonne Béziers Cannes Nice
r
Narbonne Marseille t e d ' Azu
Cô Ligurian
n e
ANDORRA e s Perpignan Toulon Îles
Sea
ANDORRA d’Hyères Golfe
The Tour de France LA VELLA Bastia
bicycle race is typically held over
du Lion
Corse
some 20 day-long stages covering (Corsica)
around 2200 miles (3600 km) for The word denim comes from “de Nîmes,”
this being the town where the fabric was Ajaccio
the coveted yellow jersey.
7 originally produced. 78 7

S P A I N One of history’s great leaders,

Napoleon Bonaparte, was born
The lowest point in Andorra is Riu Runer, on August 15, 1769, at Ajaccio
at 2756 ft (840m) above sea level. in Corsica.
75 Sardinia
Balearic
0 km 100 Islands
8 0 miles 100 8
EUROPE

Mediterranean Sea
84 84
73

A B C D E
 74 EUROPE

Spain & Portugal

A B C D

71 Gijon
Ferrol Avilés (Xixón)
0 km 100 A Coruña (La Coruña)
1 Oviedo
0 miles 100
Galicia
Santiago de Compostela Lugo
ra C a n t áb r i c a
il le

o
Mi ñ
rd León
Pontevedra
Co
Vigo Ourense
ATLANTIC h (Orense)Emb. de Palencia

o
Mi n
Chaves Ricobayo
Viana do Castelo
Braga Bragança Valladolid
Póvoa de Varzim D u er o
Guimarães
2 48 OCEAN Matosinhos
Vila Real
Zamora
Porto
Vila Nova de Gaia D o ur o S P
Port has been produced in the Duoro Aveiro Salamanca Ávila
Viseu
Valley under strict regulation since
the 1750s. Brandy is added to the Coimbra Covilhã ent ral
grape juice to fortify and
Figueira da Foz Sistema C
strengthen the wine. Plasencia
PORTUGAL
Ta s
Castelo Branco gu
3 T ag us
Caldas da Rainha Cáceres
Santarém Portalegre

na
Sintra

ia
Cascais Mérida ad
Gu
LISBON Badajoz
Setúbal
Alcácer do Sal
M o r en a
Portugal is one of the world’s largest
Sines
Beja Si erra
producers of cork and has regulations Córdoba
G u ad

48 i vi r
4 protecting cork trees dating back to 1320. l qu
Guad a
ian

Sevilla
Algarve ucía
a

Lagos Huelva al
Cabo d e
Faro
Olhão nd Antequera
S ão V ic en te A Málaga
El Puerto de Santa María
Gibraltar was seized by a combined Anglo-Dutch fleet Cádiz Marbella
under Admiral Rooke in 1704. British sovereignty was Algeciras Gibraltar
5 then formalized in 1713 by the Treaty of Utrecht, and (UK)
Gibraltar eventually became a British colony in 1830. Ceuta
(Spain)
52 MOROCCO

A B C D
 EUROPE 75

E F G H

Bay of Biscay 73
Santander
F R A N C E
Donostia-San Sebastián
Bilbao 1

Vitoria-Gasteiz
P y r Golfe du

Miranda Pamplona
e n Lion
de Ebro (Iruña) e e ANDORRA Figueres
Burgos Logroño Huesca s Girona (Gerona)
Cataluña
Eb

o Costa Brava
r

Soria Lleida Terrassa Mataró

Si Zaragoza Sabadell Barcelona 78 2
st
em Reus L'Hospitalet de Llobregat
A I Ib N
ér
a
Tarragona
Work continues on the Sagrada Família,
Segovia ic
o Tortosa Gaudi’s unfinished cathedral. Begun in
MADRID 1882, the masterpiece is still
Teruel without a roof.
Getafe
no

Cuenca
Menorca
ia

Castellón Palma
Júca

Toledo
nc

de la Plana 3
Mallorca
r

le

Valencia
Va

Albacete Gandía Islas Baleares

Ibiza
ís

(Balearic Islands)
Pa

Ciudad Real
Elda Formentera
ra Benidorm
gu Cieza Alicante (Alacant)
Se

Linares Elche (Elx) Seat of many great civilizations

Murcia
Costa Blanca throughout history, the name
79 4
Jaén Lorca Mediterranean translates as
“sea between the lands.”
Cartagena
Granada a
S i e rra Ne
vad a Se
Almería e an
an
Motril
l
l So
Costa de rr
ite
Med A L G E R I A 5

52

E F G H
 A B C D E
76
North 67 67 0 km 100

Sea 0 miles 100

Jylland
1 1
The Kiel Canal is 61 miles (98 km) long and
SWEDEN
EUROPE

one of the busiest canals in the world, with around

45,000 ships a year passing between the
Baltic and the North Sea.
DENMARK Baltic Sea
Sjælla nd
Fyn
Bornholm
(Denmark)
2 71 80 2
Fa ls te rEarly in the morning of

North Fris
Flensburg Fe
hm Sunday, August 13, 1961,

ia
ar n B
Fehmarn e lt
work began on the Berlin
Stralsund Rügen

n Is
Kiel Mecklenburger Wall, which would eventually

la
Bucht Greifswald

nd
Neumünster run for 66 miles (107 km)

s
Lübeck Rostock between east and west Berlin,
Cuxhaven Wismar cutting through 192 streets.
Bremerhaven Schwerin Neubrandenburg
During what became known
Emden Hamburg Müritz as “The Berlin Airlift” a total
Oldenburg Lüneburg of 2,326,406 tons (tonnes)
3 S El be
3
of supplies were flown into
Bremen

ND
Berlin over an 18-month
period to break a Soviet

LA
se r

Em s

R
G E R M A N Y BERLIN blockade of the city.

We
Osnabrück Wolfsburg
Frankfurt an der Oder

THE
Hannover Braunschweig Potsdam
Münster Hildesheim

NE
S

Bielefeld Salzgitter Magdeburg p ree

Hamm Dessau Cottbus

Recklinghausen Paderborn
Germany & The Alpine States

S a al

Halle
e

4 Essen Dortmund 4
Duisburg Göttingen POLAN D
Bochum
Düsseldorf Wuppertal Kassel Leipzig
Leverkusen Jena Gera Dresden
Erfurt
Aachen Köln Bonn Siegen Chemnitz
 Koblenz Fulda Suhl Zwickau
e
b irg
Erzge

IUM
WiesbadenFrankfurt am Main
Offenbach

l
Mainz CZECH REPUBLIC

se
o Würzburg

BELG
5 5

Boh
LUX. M Darmstadt Erlangen At 528 ft (161 m) high and

Rhine
em
i
Kaiserslautern Mannheim containing 768 steps, the

an
Saarbrücken Heidelberg Nürnberg spire of Ulm Cathedral is the

F
tallest in the world.

b
or
Karlsruhe Heilbronn l es
eA t

N e ckar
Pforzheim i s ch Regensburg
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FRANCE Stuttgart Ingolstadt Da Krems an
Reutlingen b nu der Donau
e Al Landshut be
ld ch Augsburg Linz Sankt VIENNA

a
b is Ulm I nn Braunau
ä am Inn Pölten

r zw
6 hw Wels Barden 6

be
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Sc
München

wa
Da n u Wiener Neustadt

h
Salzburg Neusiedler

Sc
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ns

lps See
Rhine Lake Constance arian A Hellejn Kapfenberg
En

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n
Bav

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Delémont Zürich Bregenz
Innsbruck AUSTRI A
r a Biel Zug Zürichsee LIECHTENSTEIN h e T au e Judenburg
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r

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Lausanne Thuner See Villach
n Maribor
7 ner Alpe A Celje 81 7
Lake Ber Sion Brig
Geneva Locarno Kranj Sa v a
Genève Monthey
Matterhorn
Born in Salzburg on January 27, LJUBLJANA
14,692ft (4478m)
Lugano 1756, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
73 SLOVENIA
Lake Maggiore was already writing music by the
age of five, and at eleven he Koper
produced his first opera. Gulf
When it is completed in 2017, the of
Gotthard Base Tunnel will run for I TA LY Venice
C R O AT I A
35.5 miles (57 km) beneath the
Lepontine Alps to become the The acrylic glass roof over the Olympic stadium in München
8 8
longest tunnel in the world. (Munich) measures 914,940 sq ft (85,000 sq m), making
EUROPE

it the biggest structure of its kind in the world.

78 78
77

A B C D E
 A B C D E
78
CZECH REPUBLIC
77 GERMANY 77
FRANCE
SLOVAKIA
1 In May 2006 a violin called “The Hammer,” 1
made by Italian master Stradivari at
LIECHTENSTEIN Cremona in 1708, sold at Christie’s in
EUROPE

Italy

London for US$3,540,000.

SWITZERLAND
AUSTRIA
Lake s Bolzano
Maggiore Alpi
p HUNGARY
Aosta l Lago Dolomitiche
di Como Trento
2 73 Lago Udine 82 2
A Monza Bergamo di Garda
Novara P SLOVENIA
Vicenza Treviso i

av
e
Milano Brescia Mestre Trieste
Torino Cremona Verona Venezia
Padova Gulf CROATIA
Alessandria Piacenza Mantova Adi ge of
Po
Parma Ferrara Venice San Marino formed in AD 301 is the oldest,
Genova
Reggio nell’ Modena Po Delta and, at 24 sq mi (61 sq km), one of the
Savona
Golfo Emilia smallest, republics in the world.
di Genova Bologna Ravenna

A
La Spezia Forlì BOSNIA
3 San Remo Rimini 3
Viareggio &

p
Prato
Pisa A r n o SAN MARINO HERZEGOVINA
Firenze
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p
Ligurian Toscana Arezzo Ancona
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e
a

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d’Elba Perugia
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ic

Grosseto
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I T A L Y S
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n

(part of Toscano Terni e a

Te

4 France) Pescara 4
ve
i

Viterbo
re

n L’Aquila
VATICAN CITY ROME o
 Sassari Olbia Foggia S
Golfo di Gaeta Benevento
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Nuoro to
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ra n f
to
S ar de gn a Torre del Greco Salerno Altamura
5 Isola di Capri 5
Oristano (Sardinia) Potenza Taranto Brindisi
Golfo
di
Iglesias The medical school at Salerno is the Salerno Lecce
oldest in Europe, established during Golfo
the 11th and 12th centuries. di Gallipoli
Cagliari Taranto
Tyrrhenian
Cosenza
Sea a
i Crotone

r
Isola d'Ustica Isola

b
Mediterranean Isole Eolie Stromboli
6 Catanzaro 6
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la
S e a Trapani Isola Lipari Vulcano
Palermo Messina Ionian Sea
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St
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i
t (Sicily) tto
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lso
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Sa
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TUNISIA Isola di Ragusa
7 Pantelleria 83 7
Mal
ta Mt. Etna began some 300,000
Ch
an years ago as a submarine volcano
ne and has since grown to a cone with
53 l
a base 30 miles (48 km) wide and
Gozo
VALLETTA 10,922 ft (3329 m) high.
Isole Pelagie
MALTA
The George cross that appears on the
0 km 100
Maltese flag was awarded to the islanders
8 by King George VI of Britain for their heroism 8
0 miles 100 during World War II.
EUROPE

53 53
79

A B C D E
 A B C D E
80
67 88

LATVIA
1 SWEDEN 1
0 km 100 Baltic
EUROPE

0 miles 100 Sea LITHUANIA

Built between 1747 and
D E N M A RK Founded in Gdansk shipyard in 1980, the 1795, the Zaluski Library
Solidarity trade union, and its leader Lech in Warsaw was one of the
Walesa, played a key role in the world’s first public libraries.
Bornholm downfall of communism across Courland
(part of Denmark) much of eastern Europe. Lagoon

2 76 KALININGRAD 89 2
Gulf
of (part of Russian
Sîupsk Danzig Federation)
Gdynia
Pomeranian Koszalin
Gdaúsk Elblàg
Central Europe

Bay

Zalew
Szczeciúski Olsztyn

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W
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Wielkopolski Wîocîawek g
Poznaú Pîock
WARSAW
In November 1989,
the so-called
“Velvet Revolution”
Zielona Kalisz Îódź
saw Czechoslovakia
W

Góra is
split into the Radom îa
Czech Republic Lublin
4 Legnica 4
and Slovakia.
W art

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a

Wrocîaw
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Su
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PRAGUE Rybnik Rzeszów
Plzeõ Pardubice Wodzisîaw ⁄làski Kraków
Ostrava Bielsko-Biaîa
5 CZECH REPUBLIC 5

E
Tábor Olomouc
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Carpathia
Stratonice Æilina n
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ova
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Built in 1357, Charles Bridge was the Nitra Luâenec
Ózd

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Mo
only crossing point of the Vltava in
Prague until the 19th century. Miskolc
BRATISLAVA

za
Nyíregyháza

is
6 Danube 6
Sopron T
Györ
Tatabánya BUDAPEST Debrecen
A U S T R I A
Székesfehérvár Szolnok
Szombathely

Rába
Veszprém Kecskemét
Balaton

D a nub e
Zalaegerszeg n
H U N G A R Y a i Békéscsaba
n Pl
Szekszárd ga ria
Nagykanizsa Hun Szeged ROMANIA
Kaposvár G r e a t
7 ITALY Baja 90 7
SLOVENIA
Dr
av a
Pécs
With a surface area of around
231 sq mi (598 sq km), Lake
77
Balaton has an average depth
of only 11 ft (3.25 m). The Great Hungarian Plain (Alföld) stretches
south from Budapest to the borders of Croatia
and Serbia and east to Ukraine and Romania.

CR
It covers an area of 20,000 sq miles (51,800 sq km)
and is almost completely flat.

OA
Adriatic
BOSNIA &

TI
8 Sea SERBIA 8

A
EUROPE

HERZEGOVINA

77 82
81

A B C D E
 A B C D E
82
77 81
SLOVAKIA
1 1
At 11:15 am, on June 28, 1914, Archduke Francis Ferdinand
and his wife were shot dead by Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo.
EUROPE

This single act precipitated World War I, which eventually

lead to the death of almost 10 million troops.

A U S T R I A H U N G A R Y
Born in Zagreb in 1892, Marshall Tito was The Danube forms all or part of the
the president of the former Yugoslavia border between nine different
from 1953 until his death in 1980. European nations: Germany, Austria, 2
2 78 90
Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia,
Âakovec Romania, Bulgaria, and Ukraine.
Varaªdin

Dan u b e
S LO VE N I A Koprivnica Subotica
Bjelovar Kanjiªa
Virovitica Baâka
R O M A N I A
Samobor ZAGREB
Southeast Europe

Dr
ava Sombor Topola
Karlovac C R O AT I A Osijek
Sa VOJVODINA
va Sisak Nova Zrenjanin
Gradi#ka Ãakovo Vukovar
Rijeka Ogulin Sav
3 a Novi Sad 3
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D

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Hvar Metkoviá Bijelo Polje Leskovac

Korâula Mitrovicë
 Mljet Trebinje
MONTENEGRO Pejë PRI‹TINA
Dubrovnik

A
d Palagruza PODGORICA
KOSOVO
(disputed) Ferizaj

BULG
Albania
r rth n Prizren Kumanovo
No Shkodër

Al
AR
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ps
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I T A L Y MACEDONIA

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Macedonia's capital, Skopje, was hit by a Ohrid
devastating earthquake in 1963. Around Elbasan Lake Bitola Gevgelija

D
Lushnjë m

Lu e
80% of the city's buildings were damaged v o i i Ohrid
or destroyed and over 1000 people killed. Kuçovë ll Lake Prespa
Berat i t

S
Fier Korçë

tr a
it
6 ALBANIA 6

of
Vlorë L u m Tepelenë
iiV

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jos
ë

s
Gjirokastër

an to
Sarandë
Konispol
Under an extreme communist regime between
1944 and 1991, Albania was for many years the Historically, European eels migrated
only officially atheist state in the world where thousands of miles from the
all forms of religion were banned by law. Sargasso Sea to live most of their
7 lives in Lake Ohrid, before returning 86 7
to the Atlantic to spawn and die.
In February 2008, Kosovo (a UN Protectorate within Modern hydroelectric projects have
Serbia since 1999) declared independence. Although prevented this epic journey, but efforts
79 recognized by several countries, Kosovo’s decision has are underway to restore access
proved controversial with other states wary of setting a to the lake.
precedent for separatist groups within their own
borders. It is therefore likely to be some time before G R E E C E
Kosovo becomes universally recognized.

8 0 km 100 8
EUROPE

0 miles 100 Ionian Sea

79 87
83

A B C D E
 84 EUROPE
The Mediterranean
A B C D

T hame s NETHERLANDS
62 UNITED GERMANY
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A F R I
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A B C D
 EUROPE 85

E F G H

POLAND 63
CZECH REP.
UKRAINE 1

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E F G H
 A B C D E
86
90 90
R O M A N I A
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S E R B I A Vidin
EUROPE

D a n ub e Ruse
r Razgrad Dobrich
Sofia's skyline is dominated by the
Pleven

Iskû
gold domes of the Alexander Nevski
Memorial Church, which took craftsmen Vratsa
Shumen Varna
Lovech mic h i y a
and artists some thirty years to build Ka
between 1882 and 1912. B U L G A R I A Black
Gabrovo
Balk
an Mo
untains Sliven
2 83 Pernik 93 2
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MACEDONIA
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Sea Samothráki
Kalamariá
Kozáni Kateríni Akrotírio
Thermaïkós
Built between 447 and 438 BCE, the
Pínes

P
Kólpos Parthenon survived almost unscathed
Akrotírio
for over 2000 years until, in 1687,
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Kérkyra Ioánnina Palioúri Límnos a gunpowder magazine beneath

í n
Pi n
Kérkyra Tríkala Lárisa the building exploded, causing
4 4

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G R E E C E Vólos Sporádes
Kardítsa Mitilíni

d o s
Préveza Lésvos
Lamía (Lesbos)
 Lefkáda Agrínio Évvoia
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festival was held at Olympia

án ese)

in around 776 BCE. Kÿthira Ródos

Only about 100 of the 2000
(Rhodes)
or so Greek Islands are
permanently inhabited.
The Corinth Canal was completed in 1893 after Kárpathos
Kritikó Pélagos
11 years of work. The canal is 4 miles (6.3 km) Irákleio (Sea of Crete)
long, 80 ft (25 m) wide, and 26 ft (8 m) deep. Chaniá
The central section runs along a 260 ft- (79 m-)
deep cutting through solid rock. Kríti
7 (Crete) 98 7

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ite civilization 4000 years ago, based at the
rra luxurious palace of Knossos. Unfortunately,
nea in 1400 BCE, this civilization came to an
Sea n abrupt end, destroyed by a catastrophic
event, probably a tidal wave.
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8 0 miles 100 8
EUROPE

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A B C D E
 A B C D E
88
67 Gu lf o f 67
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1
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S W E D E N
Rich oil shale deposits in northern Estonia
are quarried, crushed, and heated to produce
EUROPE

almost 7000 barrels of oil a day.

Low salinity and the shallow coastal waters cause pack ice to
accumulate at the head of the Gulf of Bothnia and off Finland
during most winters; occasionally the ice becomes banked
up in pressure ridges that are almost 50 ft (15 m) high. Gulf of F
inl
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Paldiski
Hiiumaa Vormsi Loksa
2 67 a Narva 92 2
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Tapa Rakvere Bay
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ESTONIA

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Liepája Kuldíga Valmiera Võru
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KALININGRAD Kelmë Radvili#kis

(part of Russian ‹ilutë Rézekne
nD

Federation) Courland Tauragë Panevëªys

S S

v in a

4 Lagoon 4
Ne LITHUANIA
Kaliningrad man Daugavpils
Jurbarkas Utena
Gusev
Chernyakhovsk Kaunas Ne
Ukmergë
I A N

ri s

Marijampolë Navapolatsk
 Alytus Polatsk
Hlybokaye

W
VILNIUS e ste
r n Dvin
a
Druskininkai Lyepyel’

F E D
Vitsyebsk

N D
5 5
Hrodna Maladzyechna

Neman Barysaw Orsha

MINSK Zhodzina
Vawkavysk
Horki
E R A T
B E L A R U S
Baranavichy

P O L A
Slonim Mahilyow

Byera z i n o
Slutsk
I O N

Brest Babruysk Krychaw

6 Salihorsk 6
Kobryn
Pinsk

ic h
Pr i Luninyets Zhlobin

Pt s
p et
Pripet Svyetlahorsk
Marshes
Formed in 1945 from the northern half of Rechytsa Homyel’
German East Prussia, and ceded to Russia Mazyr Kalinkavichy
under the Potsdam agreement, Kaliningrad
oblast became a true enclave, completely
r
e

separated from the rest of Russia, when

ep

Lithuania and Belarus achieved their

D ni

7 90 7
independence in 1991.
Kyyivs’ke
Vdskh
80 Covering an area of approximately Following the breakup of the Soviet Union,
34,000 sq miles (88,000 sq km), the Commonwealth of Independent States
Pripet Marshes are the largest area was established on December 8, 1991,
of marshland in Europe. by a treaty signed at Minsk, with the intent
of coordinating the foreign policies of the
newly independent former Soviet republics.
8 8
0 km 100
EUROPE

0 miles 100
U K R A I N E
90 91
89

A B C D E
 90 EUROPE
Ukraine, Moldova & Romania
A B C D

81 et
BELARUS
P O LAND Pr ip
Pripet
1 Kovel’ Marshes
On April 25, 1986, engineers accidentally initiated
an uncontrolled chain reaction in the number 4
reactor of the Chornobyl' nuclear power plant.
The resulting explosion released 8 tons (tonnes) Luts’k Korosten’
of radioactive material in the world’s worst-ever

Bug
nuclear accident. Rivne
L’viv Zhytomyr
2 81 C
SLOVAKIA Ternopil’
UKhmel’-K R
ar
pa

Ivano-
nyts’kyy
th

Vlad Dracula or Vlad the Impaler Frankivs’k Vinnytsya

ia

was the real-life prince upon Uzhhorod Kam’’yanets’-Podil’s’kyy

n

whom Bram Stoker based his Dn

ies
M

famous Count Dracula. Dracula Chernivtsi te

Satu Mare
ou

was born in Transylvania in 1431

r
in the town of Sighisoara. Rîbniπa
nt

Baia Mare Boto∞ani Bâlπi

Suceava
ai

3
Oradea MOLDOVA
ns

HUNGARY Dej
Dubâsari
Transylvania Piatra-Neamπ CHIfiINÂU
Cluj-Napoca Ia∞i
Arad Târgu Mure∞ Tiraspol
Bacâu Tighina
Alba Iulia Sighisoara
Timi∞oara (Bendery)
Sir

R O M A N I A
et

Deva Basarabeasca
Re∞iπa Sibiu
4 82 Foc∞ani
C a r paπ ii M er id io n a li Bra∞ov
SERBIA Râmnicu Vâlcea Galaπi
Reni
Târgovi∞te Buzâu
Brâila Tulcea
Drobeta-Turnu Severin Pite∞ti Ploie∞ti
BUCHAREST
Craiova
D anube Constanπa
O lt

Corabia
5 Giurgui Eforie Sud
Mangalia
BULGARIA
86

A B C D
 EUROPE 91

E F G H

RUSSIAN 93

Shostka
FEDERATION 1
Chernihiv
A monument in central Kiev stands as testament to
Chornobyl’ the 7–12 million Ukrainian peasants who died during
Sumy the Great Famine, or Holodomor, of 1932–33.
Kyyivs’ke Vdskh.
KIEV
Kanivs’ke Vdskh.
Lubny Kharkiv
Bila Tserkva
93 2
A I N E D
on
Cherkasy Poltava ets
Kremenchuts’ke Syeverodonets’k
Vdskh.
Kremenchuk
Slov’’yans’k
Oleksandriya Luhans’k
Pavlohrad
Kirovohrad Horlivka Kostyantynivka
Dnipropetrovs’k Yenakiyeve
Makiyivka Krasnyy Luch
Donets’k 3
Piv

Kryvyy Rih Nikopol

’ Zaporizhzhya
den

yy
n

Mariupol'
Bu

Kakhovs’ka Vdskh.
h

Mykolayiv Berdyans’k
Melitopol’
Kherson ep
e r Kakhovka In 1872, an iron foundry was
ni
Odesa D established at Donets’k by British
Sea industrialist John Hughes
of (from whom the town's pre- 93 4
Karkinits’ka Revolutionary name Yuzovka
Zatoka
Azov was derived) to produce rails
Kryms'kyy for the growing Russian
Kerch
Pivostriv transportation network.
Yevpatoriya
Simferopol’ Black RUSSIAN
Sevastopol’
Yalta Sea F E D E RA T I O N
Odesa was one of the major flashpoints in the Russian Revolution 0 km 100
5
of 1905, and was the scene of the mutiny on the warship Potemkin, 0 miles 100
when sailors protesting against the serving of rotten
meat eventually killed several of the ship’s officers. 98

E F G H
 A B C D E
92
137 137
0 km 400

0 miles 400
A R C T I C O C E A N
1 1

A r
Norwegian The port of Murmansk remains ice-free throughout the

cti
EUROPE

winter thanks to the Gulf Stream, whereas St. Petersburg,

cC
Sea
600 miles (965 km) to the south on the Baltic Sea, is

irc
le
ice-bound between December and May.
AY
RW
NO
Novaya Zemlya
N
EDE
2 66 SW 96 2
Murmansk
Barents Sea Karskoye

D
Gulf of More
Bothnia N Ostrov
European Russia

Kol’skiy Kolguyev
LA Poluostrov Ostrov
N Vaygach
FI
Baltic Bel
oy e M ore
Sea Gu
3 lf o
f 3
a

Fi
ESTONIA
nl
a Arkhangel’sk
Ladozhskoye
hor

nd
Ozero M
Vorkuta
Pec

Sankt Petersburg Petrozavodsk e

L
a

I
zen

LATVIA
’

Onezhskoye Us s)
Pin

TH
Ozero a in
e ga

Severn a

UA
a
Arctic Circ
Pskov nt le
eg
ya

Velikiy ou

NIA
On
Dv

Novgorod
M

Ukhta
ina

Velikiye Luki Cherepovets

al

Rybinskoye Kotlas
4 Vdkhr Vologda Syktyvkar 4
( Ur

BELARUS
Smolensk Tver’
RUSSIAN FEDERATION

er
ep
Yaroslavl’

ni
D
MOSCOW Ivanovo Kirov K ama
 Tula Vladimir

y
Bryansk Nizhniy Novgorod

or
Ryazan’ Cheboksary Perm’
Orël
Izhevsk

e G
5 Kazan’ V 5

Vyatka
Belgorod Tambov Saransk
olga Naberezhnyye

kiy
Chelny

s
Voronezh Ul’yanovsk

al'
UKRAINE Penza
Tol’yatti The Ural Mountains form the

Ur
D
Samara Ufa traditional boundary between

on
Saratov
D Europe and Asia, extending

ets
on Mikhaylovka Balakovo
some 1550 miles (2500 km).
They were formed over 280
Sea of Azov million years ago as the
Volgograd Orenburg
6 Rostov- East European and Siberian 6
na-Donu plates moved together.
Krasnodar Orsk
Stavropol’ Elista From August 1942 to February 1943, German armies

Vol
Sochi laid siege to Volgograd, formerly known as Stalingrad.

ga
Cherkessk
El'brus The Germans themselves were eventually surrounded
Black 18,510ft (5642m) Kum Astrakhan’ and lost almost 250,000 men.
a
Sea Nal’chik
K AZAK HSTA N

C
a Vladikavkaz
7 99 GE u Groznyy Caviar is the processed eggs, or roe, of sturgeon that 96 7
OR c a live in the Caspian Sea and Volga River. Overfishing
GI
A
s u Makhachkala and poaching in recent years have seen the price of
s the finest caviar rise to around US$5000 for 2.2 lbs (1 kg).

AR
U

ME
Aral Sea

AZ
TURKEY Caspian Z

NI A
B

RB
AI
AZ.
Sea EK

JA
N
IS
Running from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains T A N
8 include Mt El’brus, which at 18,510 ft (5642 m) is the highest point in Europe, 8
and still uplifting at the rate of 0.4 inches (1 cm) every year.
EUROPE

99 TURKMENISTAN 104
IRAQ IRAN
93

A B C D E
 94 NORTH & WEST ASIA

North & West Asia

A B C D

137 A R C T I C

1 Franz Josef Land Severnaya

Zemlya
lya
Zem a
a ya Se
ov ra
Norwegian
Barents
N Ka North
Sea North Cape Kh eta
Sea

Arctic Circle Central

ns
2 63
a

tai
R U S S I A N
i
hn

N
ot

Lake D o r th S
fB

Ob W est Siberian
Onega v i n e r n i

oun
lf o

a ’
Gu

Ye
Lake Ladoga Plain Ob

ni
’

se
a

Ural M
I r ty
Se

y
Vo s
North
c

h
l
ti

l
Ba
ga

Sea
Central Russian

him
KALININGRAD a
Upland o lg
Is
(Russ. Fed.)
A S
V

3
Ur al

E U R O P E D on KAZAKHSTAN Ozero
Zaysan
Aral Sea Lake
Ca u
Caspi

UZ Balkhash I l
Black Sea cas BE i
Tien Shan
Danube us
GEORGIA KI
ST
an

KYRGYZSTAN
ARMENIA AZERB. TU R AN
Am

KM
T U R K E Y Lake EN D a
u
Sea

Medite Van r TAJIKISTAN

ya
rr
.

an SYR I A IR AQ
ean
4 50 S e a LEBANON Tig
IRAN
AFGHANISTAN Tibetan
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ph
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rat
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ISRAEL es i
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a l
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KUWAIT
an Ga a y a s
si

BAHRAIN G u lf n ge s
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Tropic of Cancer U.A.E.
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Ni

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d

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M
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O Ar a bia n
EN Se a Bay of
a

5 A F R I C A YEM n
Ade Socotra (Yemen)
Beng al
Gul f of
50

A B C D
 NORTH & WEST ASIA 95

E F G H

O C E A N 137

1
New Siberian Islands

Laptev Sea
Siberian Lo East Siberian
wl and Wrangel Island
Sea
ka
ar

ab
Ko t u

ëk Chukchi
en Lon
r
An
igi
g Sea
Yana
Ol

Str
a

I nd
y

Le n

ma a it
ly
Ko

Be
Siberian Plateau Arctic Circle

rin
16 2

g St
F E D E R A T I O N V e l i k ay a

r ai t
i ga a
b e r Lena
Am
Bering
V it Sea
a
im
tk
cha

Lake Sea of
Baikal
Kam

A Okhotsk Al s
Zey
a eutian Island
m
n

ur

Sakhalin
gu

I A 3
s
Ar

nd
sla

eI
ril
Ku
b i (administered by
G o Sea of Russian Federation,
claimed by Japan.)
Japan
(East Sea)
ve
r

Ri
Y ello w
P A C I F I C 16 4
gtze East
an C hin a O C E A N
Y

S ea
Tropic of Cancer

0 km 800
So ut h
Ch i na
Mekong

0 miles 800 5
Se a
125

E F G H
 96 NORTH & WEST ASIA

Russia & Kazakhstan

A B C D

Arctic
NORWAY 66
A R C T I C
GERM

DENMARK

Circ
le
1 S W E D E N
ANY

Zemlya
Barents Sea Frantsa-
Iosifa
KALININGRAD D
(part of Russian FINLAN Murmansk
Federation)
lya
POLAND EST. Zem
LAT. aya
LITH. ov More
Pskov Sankt-Petersburg N ye
s ko
Velikiy ar
2 91 BELARUS Novgorod Arkhangel’sk K
UK

Cherepovets
RA

MOSCOW
Vologda Vorkuta
MOLDOVA Bryansk
IN

Tula Yaroslavl’ Nori’lsk

Syktyvkar r y
E

y
Ryazan’ b’ Salekhard

Yenise
Nizhniy

o
Kirov

O
G
Voronezh Novgorod Zapadno-
e
Rostov- Kazan’ Perm’
iy

Sibirskaya
3 na-Donu
Izhevsk Serov R a v n i n a R U S
k
s

Volgograd
l'

Sochi Samara Ufa Yekaterinburg Nizhnevartovsk

a

r
Vo l g a

Ural’sk U
Stavropol’ Chelyabinsk F E D E
ra l
GE

Nal’chik Orenburg
U

Kostanay
OR

Astrakhan’ Petropavlovsk Krasnoyarsk

GI

Groznyy Orsk
A

Rudnyy Omsk
ARM. Makhachkala Tomsk
Kokshetau Novosibirsk
102 Aktau K
4
AZ. A Z AKH ASTANA
Pavlodar Kemerovo
a

ST
Se

Aral A Barnaul
N
ian

Sea Karaganda Novokuznetsk

Zhezkazgan
sp

UZB

Semipalatinsk
Ca

TU
R Kyzylorda Balkhash Ust’-Kamenogorsk
K
EK
M

IST

Shymkent Ozero
EN

Taraz Balkhash
Taldykorgan
IS

AN

5 IRAN
TA

KY Almaty
N

R GY
104
Z ST A N C H I N A

A B C D
 NORTH & WEST ASIA 97

E F G H

cle
ic Cir
Ostrov 18
O C E A N Vrangelya

Arct
Vostochno- 1
Sibirskoye
Severnaya
More Pevek Anadyr’
Zemlya
Novosibirskiye Ambarchik Bering
Ostrova Sea
More
rov Laptevykh
ost
o l u myr
P Ta y 134 2
Ozero
Taymyr Tiksi Ossora

Ust’-Kamchatsks
Verk h

Poluostov
Len

Olenëk Kamchatka
oy
a

ns Magadan
a

Srednesibirskoye kiy Petropavlovsk

K hr eb et
Ploskogor'ye -Kamchatskiy
Okhotsk
Yakutsk 3
S I A N Sea of
S i b i r Suntar
Okhotsk
(Siberia)

s t r ov a
R A T I O N
Sakhalin iye O
na
il'sk

Komsomol’sk-
Le

na-Amure
Kur

Kansk Skovorodno 134 4

Bratsk Ozero Yuzhhno-
Baykal Blagoveshchensk
Sakhalinsk
Chita Khabarovsk
Irkutsk Amur

Ulan-Ude JAPAN
C H I N A
The Trans-Siberian Railroad, completed in 1916, runs
Vladivostok
5578 miles (9297 km) between Moscow and Vladivostok.
Crossing eight time zones, the journey takes six days. 0 km 500 5
MONGOLIA 0 miles 500
110

E F G H
 98 NORTH & WEST ASIA
Turkey & the Caucasus
A B C D

ROMANIA 91

1 Black Sea
An average of 50,000 commercial ships pass through the
Bosporus a year, along with thousands of ferries and smaller
BULGARIA passenger boats. The strait is three times busier than the
Suez Canal and four times as busy as the Panama Canal.

Sinop
Edirne Kırklareli
Daêl ari
2 86 Zonguldak Küre
G REECE Tekirdaê Bosporus Kastamonu Samsun
ƒstanbul C
an
Marmara Karabük
Çanakkale ik
D a Ordu

ak
Boêazi Denizi
(Dardanelles) ƒzmit Adapazarı lI
rm êlari
Bursa Çankırı
Ki
zi
Çanakkale Çorum
ANKARA Tokat
Balıkesir Eski∞ehir
Kırıkkale
Ayvalik Sivas
Kütahya
3 Lésvos A n a
T U R K
Manisa
Afyon t o l i a
Chíos Tuz Nev∞ehir
ƒzmir U∞ak Kayseri
Gölü
Sámos Niêde
Aydin Kahraman-
Denizli Konya mara∞
ƒsparta i
Muêla Ereêli
Bodrum ar
Antalya a ê l Adana Osmaniye
4 87 Toros D
Tarsus Gaziantep
Dalaman
Mersin
Antalya ƒskenderun
Ródos
Kö r f e z i
Megísti Antakya
Kárpathos TURKISH REPUBLIC OF
Kríti NORTHERN CYPRUS
Girne (recognized only by Turkey)
(Kyrenia)
Gazimaêusa
NICOSIA (Famagusta)

5
Mediterranean Paphos
Larnaca
Limassol
Sea CYPRUS LEBANON
54

A B C D
 NORTH & WEST ASIA 99

E F G H

RUSSIAN FEDERATION 93
The Spitak earthquake struck Armenia
in 1988, killing at least 25,000 people 1
and devastating the country’s infrastructure.
Gagra C a u Caspian
Sokhumi c a guri
Och’amch’ire
K’ut’aisi
s u En Sea
P’ot’i G E O R G I A s
Bat’umi T'BILISI Rust’avi Quba
Ku
Hopa
Vanadzor
ra
Mingäçevir Sumqayıt 104 2
Gäncä
Trabzon Rize r i BAKU
êla Gyumri
a ARMENIA AZERBAIJAN
iz D Kars
ar aden Sevana Lich Nagorno-
Do ê u K A ra s
YEREVAN Karabakh
Erzurum Xankändi
Büyükaêri Daêi as
Erzincan
Ar
(Mount Ararat)
16,853ft (5137m) Naxçıvan
AZERBAIJAN Länkäran
E Y Van 3

Elazig
Mu∞ Gölü
Güney Do Van Azerbaijan has substantial oil reserves
T ig gu To located in and around the Caspian Sea.
rosla
r is

Malatya r Siirt They were some of the earliest oilfields

Diyarbakır in the world to be exploited.
tan
Batman rdis
Adıyaman Ku
Mardin
I R A N
flanliurfa
The salty water of Lake Van inhibits all animal 102 4
life except the Pearl Mullet, a small fish that
has adapted to the harsh conditions.

Atatürk Dam, one of the largest dams in the world, was completed in 1990.
The reservoir behind the dam covers an area of 315 sq miles (816 sq km)
and often requires interruptions in the flow of the Euphrates River
to maintain water levels.
0 km 200
S Y R I A 5
I R A Q 0 miles 200

102

E F G H
 A B C D E
100
98 99
The Euphrates is 1700 miles (2470 km) long and drains
0 km 100
1 an area of 171,000 sq mi (443,000 sq km). Although 1
0 miles 100 less than 30 percent of the river's drainage basin is in
Turkey, about 95 percent of the river's water originates
in the Turkish highlands. T ig
ris

T U R K E Y Al Qámishlí
Lebanon has only one permanent river,
the Nahr el Litani, which runs
for 110 miles (175 km).
NORTH & WEST ASIA

2 87 Al Íasaksh 102 2
A‘záz
A
The Near East

Buíayrat
J

al-Asad Ar Raqqah a
Íalab z
Idlib í r
a h

Dayr az Zawr

Sea
Ora nt
Eu
Al Ládhiqíyah ph

es
3
S Y R I A r 3
at

Íamáh
es

CYPRUS

an
e
Tar√ús Íim∞ Tudmur

ran
Tripoli

er
LEBANON IRAQ
n

it
Baalbek
no Manufactured by a secret process,
BEIRUT

ed
4 ba 4
Zahlé e Damascus steel was much prized

ni
-L
in the preindustrial era as an

M
Saïda
ti
extremely hard metal used for high

Li t a
Golan DAMASCUS
An
Syrian quality sword blades.
Heights Soûr Al Qunay√irah
 Lake
Tiberias As Suwaydá’
Hefa Desert
Natzrat Dar‘á
WEST Irbid
Al Mafraq The shores of the Dead Sea are
5 BANK 5

Jordan
Petah the lowest land on the Earth’s
Tikva Az Zarqá’ surface, at 1371 ft (418 m) below
Tel Aviv-Yafo As Sal√ AMMAN sea level. The water within the
Holon Jericho
lake is eight to nine times saltier
Bethlehem JERUSALEM
Dead than ocean water.
Gaza ISRAEL Sea
GAZA STRIP JORDAN
(under West Bank
Palestinian Be’er Sheva Al Karak
0 km 20
administration)
0 miles 20
A√ ◊alfílah Jenín
6 6
H a N e ge v Qabátiya
Wádí Músá (Petra) Túlkarm
Náblus
Qalqílya
Ma‘án
Jo rd a n

Mas-ha
. Jiftlik
Post
Khirbet el
Ramallah 'Aujá et
Tahtá
.
Nu'eima
54 Elat Jericho
Al ‘Aqabah JERUSALEM

7 Bethlehem 102 7
Every day 7 million
Hebron D e ad
R D A N

tons (tonnes) of water The ancient city of Petra was carved

I S R A E L

Sea
evaporates from from solid rock by the Nabatean
the Dead Sea. people in about 400 BCE. It remained
J O

largely unknown until a Swiss

Major settlement

f Aq a b a
explorer, J. L. Burckhardt, heard of Israeli settlement
EGYPT its whereabouts from the local Area under Palestinian administration
G Bedouins in 1812.

Gulf o
ul
f

of
8 S A U D I A R A B I A 8

Su
NORTH & WEST ASIA

ez
Red Sea
102 102
101

A B C D E
 A B C D E
102
93 96
0 km 400
1 UKRAINE RUSSIAN 0 miles 400 1
FEDERATION
K A Z A K H S TA N
Sea of In the 10th century, the Grand Vizier of Persia took his
Azov entire library with him wherever he went. The 117,000 A ra l
volume library was carried by camels trained to S ea
walk in alphabetical order.

C
Bla C a
ck

a
UZBEK
u c IS
NORTH & WEST ASIA

s
98 Se a s TA
a GEORGIA u N
s

pi
2 Four thousand years ago Babylonian law 104 2
laid down a minimum wage for every

an
class of workers in the kingdom.

AR
M AZERBAIJAN
EN
IA T U R K M E N I S TA N
T U R K E Y
The Middle East

Sea
A AZ.
na
tolia Khvoy
Tabríz Ardabíl
N

Ti g r i s Marágheh Rasht
Zanján Sárí Gorgán Mashhad
CYPRUS Al Maw§il Arbíl Ámol
Sabzevár Neyshábúr
S TA

3 (Mosul) Qazvín 3
SYRI A Kirkúk Sanandaj TEHRÁN
NI

Hamadán
A

LEBANON I R A Q e Kavír
H

Kermánsháh Qom D a s h t -
Buíayrat ath Arák Káshán G
ISRAEL Tharthár AF
BAGHDÁD I R A N
AN Dezfúl
K (Z

D An Najaf Yazd

R
Eu á E§fahán
u h ag r o

-
h s

ph

JO
ra te M ye
s Iranian
Ahváz ount Z á Kermán
Sakákah Al Ba§rah Ábádán
a in g
s) r o P l a t e a u
4 Al Jawf (Basra) s Záhedán PA 4
KI

úd KUWAIT
in

J ab
Tabúk Shiráz
á√
ST

CITY Khásh

al
Na
lB

as
An a Bandar-e Búshehr
AN

h
í KUWAIT
Sh ád Bandar-e Hámún-e
Pe Gu
ia

Íá’il W n
rs lf

ifá
‘Abbás Jaz Múríán
 Buraydah A

A
d
imah MANAMA BAHRAIN Ash Sháriqah
r ar R
ádí QATAR Dubayy

D
a W Gulf of Oman

a
b Al Hufúf DOHA fluíár Cancer
Tropic of

EGYP
RIYADH

hn

T
5 Al Madínah i Íaraç ABU DHABI 5
(Medina)

á’
a UNITED ARAB Ar Rustáq MUSCAT
n

R e
EMIRATES Nazwá Ramlat flúr
Makkah P e
Ál Wahíbah

d
(Mecca) Laylá n i n s u l a

N
Jiddah Jazírat
(Jedda) A√ ◊á’if S A U D I A R A B I A Ma§írah

A
As Sulayyil Khalíj
hálí Duqm Ma§írah
SUDAN

S e
‘ al K M

a
Ar Ru b Quarter)
Abhá (Empty O
Sanáw flawqirah
6 6
Najrán Juzur al Íaláníyát
Wuday‘ah

A
Jízán

RE
Jazá’ir fla‘dah N flalálah
Say’ún

IT
Farasán Arabian
E t
SANA aw

ER
Al Hudaydah lat yn Sea
R a m ‘ ata
ab
M Ía ç r a m Sayíút
as S E Saudi Arabia contains the world’s
Ta‘izz Y Al Mukallá largest oil reserves. The region
Suqutrá
(Socotra) can produce around 11 million
en (to Yemen) barrels of oil every day.
Ad
7 55 ‘Adan Gul
f of 122 7
DJIBOUTI
The name “Red Sea” is probably INDIAN
derived from the extensive blooms
of algae that occasionally occur.
These change pigment when they die, OCEAN
turning the sea’s normally intense
blue-green waters a deep red.

Every Muslim must make at least one pilgrimage to Mecca during his or her
8 ETHIOPIA lifetime. Muslims regard the small shrine called the Ka’bah, located near 8
the center of the Great Mosque in Mecca, as the most sacred place on Earth.
NORTH & WEST ASIA

55 SOMALIA 122
103

A B C D E
 104 NORTH & WEST ASIA

Central Asia
A B C D

96
Aral
KAZAKHSTAN Sea
1 d
Ustyurt

n
Since 1960, the Aral Sea has shrunk

la
by 90 percent, becoming extremely Plateau

w
saline and consequently losing all

Lo
but one of its once-abundant
Nukus
fish species.
Köneürgenç UZBEKISTAN
Da§oguz Urganch Uchquduq

n
To‘rtko‘l
Zarafshon

ra
2 99 Türkmenba§y
Aydarko'l

Tu
Hazar Balkanabat Ko'li
Bereket TURKMENISTAN Navoiy
Gara Buxoro
Caspian Serdar gum Seÿdi
Baharly Samarqand
Sea Gökdepe Türkmenabat Qarshi

Am
Abadan

u
Saÿat ar

D
AflGABAT Ga ya
r ag Mary Baÿramaly
u m
3 Kaka K a n al y Atamyrat
Tejen
Áqchah
Murgap Sheberghán
The desert of Kara Kum (Garagum) occupies Mazár-e Sharíf
over 70 percent of Turkmenistan, severely limiting Bálá Morgháb Meymaneh
human settlement across much of the country.
Serhetabat D a r y á - ye M
or g
h áb
H a r í r úd
102
I R A N Herát
4

The Kara Kum (Garagum) Canal, the world’s AFGHANISTAN

longest irrigation canal, stretches some 850 miles
(1375 km) and is known as the “River of Life,”
Faráh
since it irrigates large areas of arid land.
Kalát
Gereshk
w

o
rg
Má Kandahár
Zaranj t-e-
0 km 200 Dash
5
Da

ryá nd
0 miles 200 - ye H el ma
102

A B C D
 NORTH & WEST ASIA 105

E F G H

97

1
K A Z A K H S T A N

BISHKEK Tyup
Kara-Balta
Tokmak Ozero Karakol
Talas n
S
Issyk-Kul’ h a
TASHKENT Chirchiq
KYRGYZSTAN T i e n u
a 108 2
Namangan Naryn l - T
Dzhalal-Abad aa
Olmaliq sh
Angren Andijon Kok
Qo‘qon Osh
Ûroteppa Khûjand Farg‘ona
Khaydarkan The “Epic of Manas” is a verbally transmitted
Sulyukta
Zeravshan
poem of close to 500,000 lines that tells the
Su rkhob story of Kyrgyz hero Manas and his
DUSHANBE
descendants and followers.
Norak
TAJIKISTAN
P

Danghara Murghob
Qûrghon- tang
Bar
a

teppa Kulob 3
C H I N A
m

Khorugh
Farkhor
Termez m ir r
i

Kholm
Feyzábád Pa s
Kondoz
Baghlán
ush Until recent years, people living in remote areas of
Pol-e u K
nd Afghanistan were immunized against smallpox by
Hi
Khomrí
having dried powdered scabs from victims of the
Asadábád disease blown up their noses. This treatment was
Cháríkár
invented by the Chinese in the 11th century, and is
KABUL Jalálábád thought to be the oldest form of vaccination. 108 4

Ghazní
Gardíz
Despite an area of 251,771 sq miles (652,090 sq km),
Afghanistan has a limited road network and no
railroads whatsoever, making access to much
of the country extremely difficult.

P A K I S T A N I N D I A 5

116

E F G H
 106 SOUTH & EAST ASIA

South & East Asia

A B C D

94 Lake
Black

Irty

Ye
Sea Baikal

ni
h se

s
y

a
Aral

Se
1 Sea Uvs Nuur
pian Hovsgol Nuur
Lake Balkhash Alt

Sy
ai

rD
M MONGOLIA
ou

a
Cas

nt

rya
ai
ns
Tien Shan b
i
G o River
Ira ni a n
A S I A

Y e l lo w
ush Takla Makan Shan
Pl a t ea u du K tun
Hin Desert Al
2 94 Kunlun Mo unta
ins
P er sia

s
H
Plateau
I n du

lej im al of C H I N A
n

ul Sut
Y a m u na
G

ay

M
f ek g tz e
PAKISTAN Tibet o an
rt a s Br ah m a p u
Sa l we

ng

Y
e
Gu

G an

es N tra en
D EP
lf

O ar
of

Th AL Mount Everest 29,035ft (8850m)

ge

ma s
n BHUTAN
f
Ran n o y
K a ch c h h

Re
ad
BANGLADESH Ri Xi

d
Irraw
ve Jian
3 Gulf of
I N D I A r g
MYANMAR VIETNAM
Khambhat c c a n
D e ats
West

(BURMA) LAOS
Arabian Gh Hainan
n
Sea er M ek o ng
ern

Bay of
st
Ea

THAILAND
Bengal
Gha

Laccadive Islands
(to India) CAMBODIA
ts

Andaman Islands Tônle Sap

(to India) Andaman
SRI LANKA Sea Gulf of
4 51 Gulf of Thailand
Mannar Nicobar Islands
Equat MALDIVES (to India)
or

M ALAY
I N D I A N
SINGAPORE
Su
m
at

O C E A N
ra

Java
5
Java
123

A B C D
 SOUTH & EAST ASIA 107

E F G H

95
Am u r Sakhalin
un

1
ge
rg

A
Ra n

Manchuria
Hokkaido
ga n

Plain Lake Khanka 0 km 1000

hin

L i ao H Sea of
0 miles 1000
e
tK

Japan JAPAN
u
ea

(East Sea)
al

NORTH
Gr

shu

KOREA
Hon

SOUTH
KOREA
Gr

it

Yellow
ea

134 2
ra

St
tP

Shikoku
Sea ea
Kor
la

PACIFIC
i

Kyushu
n

fC
o

hi
na
East China
nds

Sea
s la
uI
it

ky

OCEAN
ra

yu

R
St
n
wa
Ta i

TAIWAN Northern
Ph i l i p p i ne Marianas Is. 3
(to US)
Luzon Strait
Paracel Islands
S ea
(disputed) Luzon Guam
(to US)
South China
o n e s i a
Sea PHILIPPINES M i c r ator
Spratly Equ
Islands
(disputed) Palawan
Sulu
Sea
Mindanao 134 4

M e l a n e s
BRUNEI Celebes

S IA
Sea Halmahera Bismarck Arch i a
ipel
ago
Borneo Moluccas Solomon
Islands
Seram P eg u n u n g an Ma o k e
I N D O N E S I A N e w G u in e a Solomon
Celebes Sea
Banda Sea
Sea F l or e s
Islands Arafura 5
S e a Lesser Sunda Sea
EAST TIMOR
Coral
Timor 124 Sea

E F G H
 108 SOUTH & EAST ASIA

Western China & Mongolia

A B C D

96

The Altai Mountains provide one of the R U S S I A N F E D

1
last refuges for the endangered snow
leopard. There are thought to be only
a few thousand animals left in the wild.
Hövsgöl
Nuur
K A Z A K H S TA N A l
Ulaangom Uvs Nuur
The Turpan Depression is the lowest and hottest t a Ölgiy Hyargas Mörön
place in China. Temperatures can exceed i Nuur
117˚F (47˚C) around the lake of Aydingkol Hu, Altay M Har Us Nuur Ha
n g a Tsetserleg
which lies 505 ft (154 m) below sea level. Hovd yn Nu
ruu

o
2 96
M O N G

u
Ulungur n
Hu t
0 km 400 Karamay a Altay
Junggar i n Bayanhongor
0 miles 400 Kuytun Pendi s
Yining
Shihezi
K Y R G Y Z S TA N ÜRÜMQI Qitai
Hami
G Govï
e n S h a n o
T i Turpan
Bosten Hu Dalain Hob
i m H Korla
e
TA J I K Kashi Ta r im Basin Xingxingxia
3 I ST Tar Lop Nur
A Yengisar GANSU
XINJIANG UYGUR
N

Shache Qilian
Yecheng ZIZHIQU Ruoqiang Sh
AFGH. an
(claimed Taklimakan han
n S
Ka

by India) Shamo u
N Moyu lt Q
ra

A ai Qinghai Hu
o Qira da
A

ra m
ST

m Ku nlu n Shan Golmud

Pen
di
Range
KI

Dulan
PA

I
Aksai Chin
(administered by China, claimed C H I
nd

4 116 by India) Qingzang Gaoyuan Q I N G H A I

us

Rutog ( P l at eau of T i bet ) To n g t i an He Ba

Demchok/Dêmqog yan
Har Shan
(administered by China, X I Z A N G M
claimed by India) Gar Tanggula ek o
(Shiquanhe) Z I Z H I Q U Sha n g Yushu
Zanda n
H (Tibet) Amdo
I N D I A i m Br
a
Tangra Nyima Siling Co
Nagqu Salw Qamdo
a hmap u Yumco e
Jinsha

Nam Co Damxung
en

Although forming around l a tr a a i n q ê nta ngl ha Shan

y a Lhazê Ny
N

20 percent of China’s landmass, E

Jiang

Tibet is sparsely populated, P s LHASA Arunáchal

5 A
supporting only 1 percent of China’s L Gyangzê Pradesh
Mount Everest (claimed by China)
1.3 billion population.
117 29,035ft (8850m) BHUTAN INDIA

A B C D
 SOUTH & EAST ASIA 109

E F G H

97

)
un He
(Erg rgun
E R A T I O N Genhe The name Gobi Desert is derived

Ling
Jagdaqi from Mongolian, meaning “waterless 1
Hulun Buir place.” Bare rock rather than sand
n
a

n
Ono (Hailar) dunes typify the cold desert landscape
ng

Da Hingga
Se l e

that stretches for some 500,000

Sühbaatar Manzhouli Hulun sq miles (1,295,000 sq km).
Darhan Nur
HEILONGJIANG
Erdenet
Bulgan ULAN BATOR Menengiyn
Öndörhaan Tal JILIN
len
K e r u Baruun-Urt U Tongliao 112 2
O L I A
Q
I
H
I Z lia
)

Saynshand Xilinhot Z o
L g LIAONING S e a of Jap an
O Mon
Dalandzadgad Erenhot N G ( E a st S e a)
O n e r Chifeng NORTH
Altayn
Nuru M (In (Ulanhad) KOREA
u E I
b N Ulan Qab K o r e a
i (Jining) Bay
HOHHOT BEIJING SOUTH
an g H e Baotou
TIANJIN Bo Hai KOREA
u 3
Having started in the 7th century BCE, work on the
H

Wuhai
(Haibowan) Mu Us 3700 mile (6000 km) long Great Wall of China JAPAN
in ll

Shadi continued for hundreds of years. A major renovation

Ch a
a
of at W

begun in 1386 took 200 years to complete.

e

er)
Gr

SHANXI
NINGXIA Yellow
Ri v

XINING HUIZU w
ZIZHIQU e l lo JIANGSU
Sea
e (Y
Huang H
N GANSU ASHAANXI The Huang He (Yellow River) has flooded more East
113 4
than 1500 times in the last 1800 years. In 1931,
catastrophic flooding was responsible for the China
deaths of 3.7 million people. The river has also
otó

changed its course at least nine times. Sea

h

HUBEI ZHEJIANG
an)
o J i-s
ap

SICHUAN
se

CHONGQING Despite a population of 1.3 billion, China

n
(t

has only about 200 family names.

a
N

r
ance
HUNAN
JIANGXI
ic of C 5
FUJIAN
TAIWAN
Trop
YUNNAN
GUIZHOU 111

E F G H
 A B C D E
110
109 97

1 Whereas European languages such as English or French 1

use an alphabet of 26 letters, the Chinese language uses
a system of over 40,000 characters or symbols.

R U S S I A N F E D E R A T I O N
A mu r (H
ei l on
The “Yongle Dadian,” an encyclopedia of the Chinese Ming g
SOUTH & EAST ASIA

dynasty, had 22,937 chapters in 11,000 volumes. More than Jia

Xi
ng

2000 Chinese scholars worked on the book for five years a

)

2 108 before it was finished. 112 2

o H
i n
gg
an
Li

Tangshan, China, suffered the deadliest earthquake of the

ng

20th century on July 28, 1976. One-quarter of the population Qiqihar

was killed or seriously injured, with an estimated death Lake
HEILONGJIANG
toll of 242,000 people. Khanka
HARBIN

3 M O N G O L I A Mudanjiang 3
CHANGCHUN
XINJIANG Tiananmen Square in Beijing is the largest Jilin
Eastern China & Korea

UYGUR public square in the world, covering an J I L I N Ch’ôngjin

ZIZHIQU U
area of 100 acres (40.5 hectares). IQ Sea of
ZH SHENYANG Baishan
ZI Fuxin Fushun Japan
NG
OL ) LIAONING NORTH (East
ia Jinzhou
Q i N E I M O ongol Haicheng KOREA Sea)
l i r M Datong Dandong Hamhûng
a n (Inne l
al a Tangshan Dalian P’YÔNGYANG
S W n BEIJING
h YINCHUAN at hi TIANJIN Namp’o
a re TIANJIN SHI Bo SOUTH
4 G o f C Shijiazhuang 4
n HEBEI Hai Korea Bay
TAIYUAN SEOUL KOREA
NINGXIA SHANDONG Taegu
Handan JINAN Qingdao Taejôn Pusan
Q INGHAI Zibo
it

LANZHOU SHANXI Anyang Kwangju

ra

R iver)
(Y el low

Xinxiang Zaozhuang
H ua ng H e
St
 it a
GANSU Chej u S tra re
Luoyang Xuzhou Ko
XI’AN JIANGSU Cheju-do

Ya
ZHENGZHOU Kaifeng JAPAN
Hanzhong Bengbu Ye l l o w

lon
HENAN

g
XIZANG SICHUAN SHAANXI Huainan Nanjing Sea
ZIZHIQU Mianyang S i c h u a n HEFEI

J ian
HUBEI SHANGHAI

g
5 (Tibet) Pendi Wuxi 5
ANHUI
CHENGDU Lichuan WUHANJiaxing

H
HANGZHOU
C H CHONGQING Yueyang
I Jingdezhen
N A

eng
Ningbo E a s t Ch i n a
Jinhua

Jinsha J
Leshan Zigong CHONGQING
g NANCHANG ZH EJ I A N G Sea

iang
ze
CHANGSHA Shangrao Wenzhou Okinawa

gt an
Fuzhou

duan S
n)

Ji a n
GUIZHOU

an

g
HUNAN

ha
pa t ó

JIANGXI (China and Taiwan

(Y ng Ji
C
Ja o

Guiyang FUZHOU claim all of each

han
i
of s h

Hengyang F U J I A N other's territory)

t -

t
KUNMING se r

rai
a n (pa

S a l w e en
Xiamen TAIPEI N

St
6 Liuzhou 6

n
YUNNAN GU ANGXI G UA N G D O N G T’aichung C ancer
Z HU A NGZU Tropic of

iwa

(BURM
Z I Z HIQU Shantou

Wulian
T’ainan

M ek
Ta
GUANGZHOU Dongguan

M Y A N MA )
ong
TAIWAN

g S
NANNING

AR
Kaohsiung

Re

h
d
Macao HONG KONG

an
Ri
ve
(Aomen) (Xianggang) PACIFIC

r
tra it
on S
LAOS Luz
Hainan Dao Li is the family name OCEAN
HAINAN
for over 87 million

Gu
7 118 The Giant Bamboo is the people in China. 134 7

lf
Paracel

V
fastest growing plant in

of
Islands
the world, able to grow at (disputed by China,

To

IE
the rate of 3 ft (90 cm) a day. Taiwan and Vietnam)

ng
PHILIPPINES

ki

TN
ng
THAILAND
South China

AM
Sea
By far the biggest tidal bore in the world occurs
CAMBODIA on the Qiantang River in China. At spring tides
the wave attains a height of up to 30 ft (9 m)
0 km 400 Spratly Islands
8 (disputed by China,
and a speed of 25 mph (40 km/h). 8
Malaysia, Philippines,
SOUTH & EAST ASIA

0 miles 400
Taiwan and Vietnam)

118 121
111

A B C D E
 A B C D E
112
97 97
Kurile Islands
1
Ostrov (administered by the 1
Russian Federation,

ION
Sakhalin claimed by Japan)

AT
Sea of

R
C H I N A La P e ro u se Str
ai t Okhotsk
Japan

Wakkanai Ostrov

DE
Rebun-tó Iturup
Ostrov
Rishiri-tó

FE
Kunashir
Ostrov

N
Abashiri Shikotan
SOUTH & EAST ASIA

IA
Asahikawa Kitami

SS
2 110 Nemuro 134 2

RU
Sapporo Kushiro
Otaru Obihiro
Hokkaidó
Tomakomai

Okushiri-tó Hakodate

At 33.4 miles (53.8 km), 14.3 miles (23.3 km)

A
of which lie under the Tsugaru Strait, the Seikan
Tunnel is currently the longest tunnel in the Aomori
Hachinohe

RE
3 world. Construction began in 1964 and took 3
24 years to complete.

KO
Morioka
Akita
Sea of Japan Honshú
(East Sea)

NORTH
JAPAN
The Toyota Motor Corporation was first established in Sendai
1937 as a spin-off from Toyoda Automatic Loom Sado Niigata
Works. The company now produces 8.5 million Fukushima
4 Kóriyama 4
cars a year, equivalent to one every 3.7 seconds. Shinano-gawa
Iwaki
Liancourt Rocks Toyama
(under South Nagano Hitachi
Korean control) Kanazawa Mito
 Fukui TÓKYO
Oki-shotó Kawasaki
Biwa-ko Chiba
SOUTH Tottori Yokohama
Matsue Nagoya
KOREA

it
Okazaki The same family has occupied the
Kóbe

ra
5 Hamada Okayama Kyóto Imperial Throne of Japan for the 5

St
a
Hamamatsu
re Kurashiki Ósaka last 1300 years. The present-day
K o TsushimaHiroshima Wakayama emperor, Akihito, is the 125th
Shimonoseki Yamaguchi in succession.

I z u
Shingú

-
Kitakyúshú Matsuyama Tokushima
Iki Kóchi Hachijó-jima

s
Fukuoka Óita Shikoku
Sasebo Aoga-shima

ho
Nakamura
Nagasaki
Kumamoto

tó
Gotó-rettó Kyúshú
Amakusa-nada On August 12, 1990, Typhoon Winona, combined with
6 Miyazaki 6
the summer vacation rush, created the longest traffic
Kagoshima jam in Japan's history, an 84-mile long tailback
involving about 15,000 vehicles.

Tanega-shima
Ósumi-shotó
Yaku-shima The longest bridge in the world is the Akashi Kaikyo
Bridge linking Honshu and Shikoku, with a central
East China span of 6352 ft (1991 m); the total length shore to
shore is 12,831 ft (3911 m), or 2.4 miles (3.9 km).
7 111 Sea 134 7
Philippine
tó

t
re
Sea

ú-
Tokuno-shima

y
úk
Amami-Ó-shima

Ry
P A C I F I C
Okinawa 0 km 200
Naha 0 miles 200
8 O C E A N 8
SOUTH & EAST ASIA

134 134
113

A B C D E
 114 SOUTH & EAST ASIA

Southern India & Sri Lanka

A B C D

Mumbai Kalyán Nánded

116

n
(Bombay) Nizámábád
Pune

a
W e
1 Solápur
K ri

c c
The Mumbai (Bombay) movie industry, known as sh
n Hyderábád

s t e
Bollywood, makes around 900 films each year,

a
compared to Hollywood's 100, making it the most I N D I A
prolific film-producing country in the world. Hubli

D e
Belgaum
Kurnool

r n
Pánáji

A r a b i a n Dávangere Anantapur
K arná t a ka

G h
103
Bangalore Vellore
2
Mangalore
S e a

a t
Mysore
Amíndívi Is. Tamil
Salem

s
Lakshadweep Nadu
(part of India) Kozhikode / Calicut
Kavaratti I. Coimbatore Tiruchchi-
Ernákulam ráppalli

Keral a
The word ghats, literally “stairs that Kalpeni I.
descend to a river,” refers to the Kochi / Cochin
3 stair-like appearance of the slopes Madurai
of the Western Ghats mountain Thiruvananthapuram / Gulf
range, as they descend to Tivandrum of
the coastal plain. Minicoy I. Mannar
Nágercoil

Ihavananthapuram
Atoll
MALDIVES
4 55
There are over 1300 islands in the Maldives
but only about 200 are inhabited. All the MALE’
islands are low-lying, none rising more
than 6 ft (1.8m) above sea level.

Kolhumadulu Atoll
0 km 300

Equator
0 miles 300 INDIAN
5 Huvadhu Atoll

123

A B C D
 SOUTH & EAST ASIA 115

E F G H

God
áv
a 117
ts
ri

Andhra a B a y M Y A N M AR
h
Pradesh n G Visákhapatnam (BURMA) 1
er o f
a s t Rájahmundry
E
Vijayawáda B e n g a l M
o u t h of the
s
Ir ra w a ddy
Ongole
The Indian cobra is often displayed
Nellore by snake charmers. The cobras
appear to respond to the music North Andaman
Chennai played by the charmer, but, like 119 2
(Madras) all snakes, they are deaf and
Middle Andaman Andaman Is.
Kánchípuram only follow the movements of
Port Blair (part of India)
the charmer.
South Andaman
Pondicherry
Little Andaman Andaman
Palk Strait
Jaffna Sea
SRI LANKA 3
Mannar
Trincomalee Nicobar Is.
Batticaloa (part of India)
Kandy One of the world’s largest tea Indira
producers, Sri Lanka has over Point
COLOMBO Great Nicobar
8500 sq miles (22,000 sq km)
Galle of land under tea cultivation, yielding
Matara about 300,000 tons (tonnes) a year, INDONESIA
and accounting for around 10
percent of global production.
Sumatra
120 4

At 7:58 am on December 26, 2004, an earthquake

just off the coast of Sumatra measuring 9.1 on the
Richter scale triggered a massive and devastating
Tsunami that advanced across the Indian Ocean,
killing over 200,000 people and leaving millions
homeless in eleven countries.
OCEAN Equator 5

123

E F G H
 116 SOUTH & EAST ASIA

North India & Pakistan

A B C D

(claimed by India)
104
u Kush Ka
Hi nd
The Karakoram Highway K2
ra 28,251ft
1 (A "line of control" ko
was finally completed in ra
1986 after 24,000 workers
was set between In d us m (8611m)
India and Pakistan
had toiled for almost 20 in 1972) Mardán

R
years. The road climbs to Pesháwar

an
ge
15,397 ft (4693 m) ISLÁMÁBÁD
at the Khunjerab Pass. Jamu &
Ráwalpindi
Jhelum Gujrát Kashmir
AFGHANISTAN P u n j a b C h en á b Gujránwála
g Sargodha Amritsar

e
n
Ra Lahore
ka r
2 102 Jalandhar
a K á
T ob Faisalábád Ludhiána
Quetta Okára Chandígarh
Dera Gházi
Khán Multán
Chágai H i l l s
Baháwalpur Meerut
P A K I S T A N Rahímyár Khán NEW DELHI
Delhi

IRA N Shikárpur us
e In d Bíkáner
g
n Lárkána
T h a r De
3
n Ra Sukkur s e r t Jaipur Ágra
l Makrá
C e nt ra Ajmer
Nawábsháh
Jodhpur Gwalior
Rajásthán
Hyderábád Kota
Karáchi
s
I n du

Tropic of C
ancer
Mo e I

I N D
th

Rann
ut

0 km 200 nd hs o of Kachchh
us f
4 103 G ul Gánhídhám Ahmadábád Bhopál
0 miles 200 f of K
a ch c h h G ujarát Indore
A r a b i a n Jámnagar Rájkot Vadodara M a d h y a
a
Porbandar N a rma d
Nágpur
S e a Bhávnagar
Súrat Mahárashtra
On January 26, 2001, a massive G u lf Damán
of
earthquake devastated the Gujarat Kh ambh á t Nánded
Náshik
region of India, costing some 25,000 lives.
D e c
5 Kalyán
Mumbai
(Bombay) Pune Nizámábád
Ceasefire Line
114
Solápur

A B C D
 SOUTH & EAST ASIA 117

E F G H

XINJIANGUYGUR 108
ZIZHIQU The northern ranges of the Himalayas contain the highest
mountains in the world, with average heights of more than 1
Aksai Chin
(adminstered by China, 23,000 ft (7000 m) and many peaks higher
claimed by India) than 26,000 ft (8000m).

C H I N A QINGHAI
Demchok/Dêmqog Cherrapunji, 4872 ft (1484 m) above sea level, has an average
(administered by China,
claimed by India) annual rainfall of 450 inches (1143 cm), although most of this
falls during the monsoon – the winter is a virtual drought.
The highest-ever seasonal rainfall was 904 inches (2298 cm).
XIZANG ZIZHIQU 108 2
(Tibet)
The Kingdom of Bhutan is
H the only country in the world Arunachal Pradesh
i to measure the happiness (claimed by China)
m of its citizens.
a l s
N Mount Everest a y a
Bareilly
E 29,035ft (8850m)
THIMPHU
Uttar P KATHMANDU
Pradesh A Gangtok BHUTAN 3

Lucknow
L Birátnagar
Guwáháti
Dispur Kohíma
Saidpur ma p u t r a
Kánpur Váránasi Patna ah
Br

Yam
un Ganges Jamálpur
a Imphál
Allahábád Bihár BANGLADESH
Sylhet
cer
Gaya Rájsháhi Tropic of Can
I A Dhanbád W e s t DHAKA
Bengal Comilla 118 4
Jabalpur Ránchi
Kolkata Khulna Chittagong
(Calcutta)
Pradesh e
s

ng MYANMAR
he Ga
Raipur Mou th s o f t (BURMA)
M
ah
ána dí B a y
n Orissa Cuttack The heaviest hailstones

c a
s on record, weighing about
h at o f 2.25 lbs (1 kg), are
G reported to have killed 92 5
Godá n B e n g a l people in the Gopalganj
er

ve
r area of Bangladesh on
st

115
i

Ea

Warangal Visákhapatnam April 14, 1986.

E F G H
 A B C D E
118
108 111

1 Around 60 percent of Myanmar’s cultivated land 1

is given over to growing rice, producing almost
20 million tons (tonnes) each year.

C H I N A

ange
nR
mo
Ku
SOUTH & EAST ASIA

INDIA Every year around 300–500 million poeple

in n
are infected with malaria from the bite of

dw
2 135 female Anopheles Mosquitos, of which 111 2

in
between 1 and 3 million die, making this

Ch
Bhamo the deadliest animal in the world.
Katha

dy
Tropic of Cancer Tropic of Cancer

I r raw ad
M Y A N M A R
R
Bl
ed

Mandalay
ac

Monywa Phôngsali Lang Sòn

k
R
iv

Ri
er

Pakokku Shan Plateau ve

g
r
Ou

3 n 3
Hông Gai

e ko
Chauk Taunggyi HANÓI
M Hai Phong
Sittwe Xam Nua
( B U R M A ) Mek on g
Nam Ãinh
e en Louangphabang
lw
Mainland Southeast Asia

Gulf

Sa
NAY PYI TAW L
Ramree Pek of
Island Toungoo Xaignabouri
Pyay Chiang Mai Tongking

Sit
A Vinh

tou
Bay of VIENTIANE

ng
Hinthada
Sirikit
Ma

Bago
e

Bengal Res. V
O

4 Insein 4
Na

Thaton Udon Thani Thakhèk

m

Pathein I
Yangon (Rangoon) Pa-an
Pi
n Khon Kaen Khanthabouli E Huê
g

M
S
T

I r r o u t h s o f t h e Pyapon Mawlamyine Ãa Nâng

awa
ddy THAILAND
 Nakhon Sawan Ubon Attapu
Nakhon
Ratchathani

N
Srinagarind Ratchasima
Res. Ayutthaya Muang Không ôn
K g

e
Dawei

nl
BANGKOK Phumî S t œe
Quy Nhòn
Sâmraông Tô

ng
5 Bâtdâmbang 5
Ratchaburi

A M
Bangkok has some of Stœng Treng

Sên
M e k ong
Chon Buri Tônlé Sap
the worst traffic jams
Myeik Pattaya Nha Trang
in the world. In July C A M B O DIA
1992, after a monsoon Ko Chang Kâmpóng Ãa Lat
storm, it took 11 Chhnâng Kâmpóng Cham
hours for one Mergui
Gulf
of PHNOM PENH Svay Riêng
jam to clear. Archipelago
Thailand Kâmpôt
M Hô Chi Minh
g

Isthmus of Kra Chumphon Kâmpóng Saôm eko

ng
on
ek

Ko Phangan Rach Gia Cân Thò

6 M 6
Andaman Ko Samui e
th
of
Sea Surat Thani Nakhon Si u ths
Thammarat Mo

Ko Phuket Following years of conflict, it is

Nicobar Islands
(part of India) Phuket
Trang estimated that as many as 6 million
Songkhla landmines remain buried in
Hat Yai Pattani the soils of Cambodia.
Yala

7 115 122 7
The world's smallest mammal is the
bumblebee bat of Thailand, weighing South
M
less than 0.09 oz (2.5 g).
A Malay China Sea

St
L

ra
Peninsula
it
A

o
IN fM
D
Y

I N D I A N O al
N ac
ca
S
O C E A N E I A
8 S 0 km 200 8
IA
SOUTH & EAST ASIA

Sumatra
0 miles 200
121 121
119

A B C D E
 120 SOUTH & EAST ASIA

Maritime Southeast Asia

A B C D

119 Gulf of
L A
M YA N M A R Tongking

O
(BURMA) Paracel Islands

S
1

V
(disputed by China,

IE
0 km 400 Taiwan, and Vietnam)
THAILAND

T
0 miles 400

N
South China

AM
MALAYSIA'S TWO CAPITALS Sea
Kuala Lumpur - Capital CAMBODIA
Spratly Islands
Putrajaya - Administrative capital (disputed by China,
Malaysia, Philippines,
Andaman Taiwan, and Vietnam)
2 122 Gulf
Sea of
The Rafflesia plant has the largest single flower
Is t h

Nicobar Islands Thailand

in the world. The bloom, 3 ft (90 cm) in
mu

(to India)
so

diameter, attracts insects by imitating Balabac

fK

ra the foul smell of rotting flesh.

St
rai George
to
Kota Bharu
f M Town Kota Kinabalu
Bandaaceh a la c
Kuala Terengganu
ca BANDAR SERI
Taiping Ipoh BEGAWAN Sab
Medan Kuantan BRUNEI
3 Klang KUALA LUMPUR
Pematangsiantar
Pulau Simeulue Danau
Toba PUTRAJAYA M A L A Y SSibuI A r a w a kn Ka
ya
n

Sibolga Johor Bahru S a unga

n
Kuching P eg uMu l l e r
Pe

Equator Pulau Nias

M
S u ma tera SINGAPORE ha
gu

a
uas ka
( S u m a t r a ) Padang Pekanbaru Pontianak Ka p Borneo m
nu

B a ta K
Sel

Pulau Siberut n g H ari al Samarinda

ng

Bangka im
at

a n Balikpapan
Ke enta

Jambi ar
an

K
M

im ta
pu w

n
ua Palembang a t a
la

4 122
Ba

ai n Banjarmasin
I N D
ri

Pulau
I N D I A N Bengkulu Jav
sa

n Belitung
a S e a Pulau
Tegal Laut
Bandar Lampung JAKARTA Pekalongan M aka ssar
O C E A N Sela
t Sun d a Semarang
Bogor Kudus Surabaya
Sukabumi Mataram
In August 1883, a devastating volcanic Bandung Jember
eruption destroyed most of the island of Denpasar
Krakatau and triggered a tsunami that
Jawa Cilacap Malang BaliPulau
5 (Java) Magelang Kediri Lombok
claimed around 35,000 lives. Yogyakarta
Madiun
123 Surakarta

A B C D
 SOUTH & EAST ASIA 121

E F G H

L u z o n Str a it
B abuy 112
an Channel P h i l i p p i n e
Tuguergarao
Ilagan Northern 1
Baguio Luzon S e a Mariana
Dagupan Islands
The Philippines take their name from Philip II (to US)
Angeles Cabanatuan of Spain, who was king when the islands were
MANILA Lucena colonized during the 16th century.
Batangas Naga
Legazpi City PHILIPPINES
Guam (to US)
Mindoro SMindoro
tr Sibuyan
Sea Calbayog
ait
ge a n

Roxas City P A C I F I C
ssa law

Tacloban
Pa Pa

Iloilo Cadiz Yap 126 2

Peurto
Bacolod Cebu
Princesa City S e a Butuan
Palawan B ohol
Cagayan de Oro
O C E A N
Strait Sulu Sea Iligan Mindanao Babeldaob
Davao MICRONESIA
go

Zamboanga PALAU
Da
ela

va
ip oG
r ch General u lf
ah uA Santos Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago,
Sul Kepulauan
Sa n l au a n

Talaud with over 17,500 islands stretching 3

Tawau
3100 miles (5000 km) between the Indian
gir

Celebes Sea
u
K ep

Pulau Morotai and Pacific oceans.

a

Manado
Se

Pulau Equator
Halmahera
a

Gorontalo
cc

u Pulau
Gulf of ol Halmahera Biak
M M Sorong
Tomini al
Kepulauan u Sea
ku Jazirah
Palu
Su

Banggai Doberai ga Jayapura

n

Sulawesi Sea (
r a m Wahai M
iM
(Celebes) Kepulauan Ce o am
bera
Sula
Ambon l Pe g u n u n ga n M mo 126 4
a
u

O it N Kendari E Pulau S Seram I A ok e

PAPUA
cc

Pulau
Papua
as

ra Parepare Pulau Buru NEW

St
)

Buton Kepulauan (Irian Jaya) G U I NE A

a Kepulauan
Makassar Banda Se Kai
Aru Ne w Gui nea
r a r Wetar Kepulauan D ig u
l
Flores Sea g a o Tanimbar
e n g auan Al Strai t Pulau Yamdena
N u s a T Ke pu l
Flores DILI Kepulauan Leti
at Sumba Sea A r a f u r a res Strait
Sel Savu
EAST TIMOR
S e Tor 5
Timor a
Pulau
Sumba Kupang
Ti m or S ea 130 A U S T R A L I A

E F G H
 A B C D E
122
137 137

Ye
ni

O
se
y

b'
1 1
Lake

l
ga Baikal
OCEANS

Vo
Lake A S I A
Aral Balkhash
Sea
Black Sea Cau
ca With no part of the Maldives over 7ft 7in (2.3 m) above
s u Caspian
s Sea sea level, they are under great threat from global
warming. There are over 2000 islands, yet the
2 63 total land area is only 115 sq miles (298 sq km). 2
r

Ti g
Eu ve
Ri

ri s
ph
ra Iranian H Yello w
te i 134
s Plateau m
Brahm tz e
a ng

Pe
Kuwait s Ya

rsi
du l a y a p u t r as

In
a

an
y

Gu
lf Karachi G a n ge s
dd

G ul
Tropic of Cancer Dubai f of Oman Ind Tropic of Cancer
The Indian Ocean

u
wa

e g
sF
Mina' Kolkata Hong Kong

id
an
I r ra

Re
A r ab ia n Qabus (Calcutta) Ganges (Xianggang)
Fan

d S
Pe ni ns u la Mumbai

e
on y R
3 Arabian Bay of 3

a
(Bombay)
Me

r e Z ra
Sea Bengal

t u Mur
kon

Aden

ac
g

en Arabian

Fr
of Ad
Gulf
An

South China

en
B asin
d

Horn of Gulf of
Sri Lanka

Ow
am

Ethi opian Africa Ca Sea

a

Thailand
n

H ighlands rls
be
Se

rg MALDIVES Colombo
a

AFRICA R

id
M
e

ge Ceylon Singapore
Su

rench
ccadive Plateau
Ke ntaw

Equator
ma

n
al Plain Equator Borneo
pu a
an
lau i

si i
tra

4 4
Cocos
os-La

So Ba
E a s t I n d i e s
g

Mombasa M Basin
Chagos T
J

SEYCHELLES
as
c
M i d - I n d i an av Jav
a Se
a
Cha

a
ar
Aldabra British Indian Ocean
R i d g e

en
M i d -

Group
Tr Java
e

Territory (to UK) en

I nv es t i g at o r

ch
 Lake COMOROS Mascarene Christmas Island
Nyasa B as i n North
Mayotte Basin Cocos Islands (to Australia)

Ridge
Australian
(to France) Osborn (to Australia)

Plateau
Basin
ne Plateau

I n d i
re

Davi
ca Exmouth

e
scar
as in

y e a s t
5 M Pla MAURITIUS W h art on Plateau 5

nel
a n

m
aga
Réunion e

Rid
Basin dg
(to France) Ri

ge

Chan bique
Mad

Moza
Farafangana an

R i
INDIAN m Tropic of Capricorn

ia
Natal

nd
Madagascar
SIA

d g
tI
Perth

N i n e t
Basin ge

s
Basin Madagascar

e
Ea
id
ALA

Plateau Basin
R Br
oken Rid
ge
Fremantle
STR

Di
i an am
Naturaliste
AU

an
d OCEAN tin
a F Plateau
In ract
ure Zon
6 Amsterdam Island e 6
t Crozet Every cubic mile (4.3 cu km) of
es Île St-Paul
w Basin seawater holds over 150 million
th S o u t h e
a s tons (tonnes) of minerals.
ou French Southern & t
I n
S Antarctic Territories d i
Crozet (to France) Ke a n
Islands rg
u
R i d
g e
e

le
n
Heard & Mcdonald Islands

Pl
(to Australia)

at
n

ea
7 49 dia 134 7

u
In
ic- i n
ant sin P l a Banzare South Indian Basin
Atl Ba y
e r b Seamounts Limit of winter pack ice
E n d The largest animal ever seen alive was a 110 ft (34 m),
Limit of summer pack ice
170-ton (tonne) female blue whale.
Antarctic Circle Antarctic Circle

0 km 1500
8 ANTARCTICA 8
0 miles 1500
OCEANS

136 136
123

A B C D E
 124 AUSTRALASIA & OCEANIA

Australasia & Oceania

A B C D

107 Northern Wake Island

International Dateline
Mariana (to US)
Islands
(to US)
1 MARSHALL
P h i l i p p i n e Saipan M i ISLANDS
Guam c Rat
S e a (to US) r ak
o Ch
ai
n al

n
R
Philippines Yap MICRONESIA e ik
Cha
C a r o l Chuuk Pohnpei in
i n Islands

s
Sulu Babeldaob e Kosrae
I s

T u lbert
Sea l a

(Gi
n d

ng
PALAU s a

a
2 107
M e l a n Nauru Is r u
Banaba lan
Celebes e NAURU ds )
Borneo
Sea B i s m a r c k A r c h ip ela
s KIR IB A TI
Bismarck Sea
go i
tor S ol a
Equa Mount Wilhelm om TUVALU
14,793ft (4509m)
New Britain on SOLOMON
I s ISLANDS
Solomon la
Celebes New Guinea Sea
B a n d a Santa Cruz

nd
PAPUA NEW Guadalcanal Islands

s
S e a
Arafura S t r a i t GUINEA
Timor Sea r r es
Flores To VANUATU
Coral
G

3 Espiritu Santo Vanua Levu

re

Gulf Sea
Timor Malekula Viti
at

Arnhem of Cape Coral Sea Efate

Sea Levu
Land Carpentaria York Islands New Caledonia
B

Ashmore &
a

Cartier Islands Peninsula (to Australia) (to France)

FIJI
rr

(to Australia) G New

ie

re Caledonia
r

a
R

AUSTRALIA t
I N D IAN
ee

D
i
f
s ell

Great
nn
v

OC EAN Sandy c do e
id

Simpson
M a a ng
e

Desert Norfolk Island

in
ng

R Desert
123 Uluru
Ra

4 (to Australia)
g Ra ge

Gibson (Ayers Rock)

ey

Lord Howe
g
Gr

D e s e r t L. Eyre North
li n

Island
n North Cape
icor
ar

(to Australia)
n

Great
D

apr V i c t o r i a L. Torrens North

ic of C Desert Island
op ain Mu Mount Kosciuszko
Tr Pl rray 7310ft (2228m)
NEW
b o r l i an B i g h t ZEALAND
r tra
us
la

Kangaroo Tasman South Island

ul

S tr a it
tA

Island
N

Bass Sea Aoraki (Mt Cook)

ea
Gr

12,283ft (3744m)
5 Cape Leeuwin Tasmania
Antipodes
Auckland Islands Islands
136 (to New Zealand)

A B C D
 AUSTRALASIA & OCEANIA 125

E F G H

Hawaii
an 107
(to U Islan
S) ds
Johnston Atoll
(to US)
1

Kingman Reef
P A C I F I C O C E A N
(to US)

a
Palmyra Atoll
(to US) Teraina
Baker & Howland

teline
Tabuaeran
Islands
(to US) Kiritimati
i
International Da 134 2
L

Jarvis Island
in

(to US)
K I RI B A T I
e

Malden Island Equato

I s

P hoe nix Islan ds r

Starbuck Island
s
l a
KIR

Tokelau
n d

Norther
n Co Penrhyn
IBA

(to NZ) Millennium

Wallis & ok
Isla Island
s

Futuna
TI

Manihiki nd Marquesas Islands

(to France) s Flint Island
SAMOA
e

Cook Islands
American (to NZ)
TONGA Samoa Tua 3
mo
Vava‘u (to US) So tu
Group c i Isl
l a n d s et an
Niue kI s y Tahiti
o
n

C o I
ds

(to NZ) n sl
h e r a
Tongatapu u t
S o Rarotonga
n

Group
ds

Île
s A French Polynesia
us
y

tra (to France)

Kermadec Islands l
(to New Zealand) Pitcairn
es

Islands
Marotiri (to UK)
l Pitcairn Island
134 4
Tro
pic
of C
o apr
ico
rn
P
0 km 1000

0 miles 1000
Chatham Islands
(to New Zealand)
5

136

E F G H
 126 AUSTRALASIA & OCEANIA

The Southwest Pacific

A B C D

h
134

nc
Guam

re
(US unincorporated MARSHALL

T
territory) HAGÅTÑA
1 ISLANDS
M i s

Ra
a
Yap ri an

Ra

tak
Ma c
Caroline Islands r

lik
Majuro
o

Cha
n

Ch
Chuuk Is. Pohnpei

in
e

ai
MELEKEOK
PALIKIR

n
MICRONESIA
PALAU Kosrae s
2 121 The Pitohui bird has a poison on its feathers and skin

i
similar to the poison arrow tree frog, making it the BAIRIKI

a
only known example of a poisonous bird. Tarawa
Equator NAURU
Banaba
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Bismarck Archip New Ireland
elag
I ND ON E S IA o M
3
Mt Wilhelm
14,793ft (4509m)
Madang
Bougainville I. e
New Guinea New l
Lae
New Britain
Georgia
Islands
a
PORT MORESBY Solomon
A r a f u r a Sea HONIARA Santa Cruz n
S e a T o r r e s S t r ai t
SOLOMON
Islands
e
s
Gulf
ISLANDS i
4 128 of C o r a l S e a a
Carpentaria Banks Is.
Found only in the rainforest of New Guinea, VANUATU
Queen Alexandra's Birdwing, with a wingspan
of 11 inches (280 mm), is the G Coral Sea Islands PORT VILA
largest butterfly in the world. re (Australian external
a New Caledonia
territory)
(French overseas
t
B

territory)
ar

AUSTRALIA
ri

Îles
er

5 NOUMÉA Loyauté
Re
ef

Tropic of Capricorn 131

A B C D
 AUSTRALASIA & OCEANIA 127

E F G H

135

P A C I F I C O C E A N 1

In 1995, the International Date Line was repositioned around Kiribati

territory, bringing Millennium Island 14 hours ahead of GMT, making it
International Dateline

the first landfall for sunrise at the dawn of the new millennium.

Kingman Reef
(administered by US) Palmyra Atoll
(administered by US)
Teraina 135 2
Baker & Howland Is. Tabuaeran
(G il b

(administered by US) L
T u nr t Is l a n

Jarvis I. Kiritimati
i
(administered by US) n
e

e Equator
g a ds)
ru

International Dateline
I
s
l
K I R I B A T I Phoenix Islands
KIRIBATI a
n
Samoa is home to the world’s smallest known d
s 3
spider, the Patu marplesi, which spans a mere
TUVALU 0.017 inches (0.4 mm).

FONGAFALE Tokelau
(NZ dependent territory)
American Vostok I.
Millennium I.
Samoa
Wallis
P o (US unincorporated Northern Flint I.

& Futuna SAMOA

l y n territory) Cook Is. 135

(French overseas ÁPIA PAGO

e s i a F r e n c h P o l yn e sia
4
territory) PAGO (French overseas
FIJI Vava‘u Îles de l
a S o territory)
Vanua Levu Group Cook Islands c ié
té
Niue (in free assoc. PAPEETE
SUVA
Ha‘apai (in free assoc. with NZ)
Viti Group Tahiti
Levu with NZ) Southern
TONGA ALOFI Cook Is.

NUKU‘ALOFA AVARUA 0 km 500

Rarotonga 5
0 miles 500

135 Tropic of Capricorn

E F G H
 A B C D E
128
120 121

I N D O N E S I A
1 1

On Christmas Day, 1974, Cyclone Tracy devastated Darwin with

Arafura
winds of up to 175 mph (280km/h), resulting in 71 deaths,
thousands of injuries, and 95 percent of the city destroyed. Sea

Melville
Island Croker Island
T i m o r
One of the largest states in the world, with an area of Bathurst Island Van Diemen
2 123 S e a Gulf 130 2
more than 1,000,000 sq miles (2.6 million sq km), Western
AUSTRALASIA & OCEANIA

Australia covers a third of the Australian continent. DARWIN Arnhem

Cape
Bonaparte Londonderry Joseph Land
Archipelago Bonaparte
Gulf Pine Creek Katherine
I N D I A N Heywood
Western Australia

Islands Wyndham Vi c t o r ia
Ki
n Daly
Kimberley Kununurra
Ri v e r

gS
Waters

oun
d
3 O C E A N Plateau Top Springs 3
Roadhouse
Fitzroy
Broome Crossing Halls Creek Tanami

h
Fi
tzr

ac
oy River

Be
Desert
ile
M
E ighty Tennant Creek
Port Hedland
Gr
eat N O R T H E R N
Dampier San
Exmou
t Marble Bar dy Des
ert
Fort
esc Percival

hG
4 Onslow ue T E R R I T O R Y 4
Lakes

ulf
Ri v
Exmouth Hamers er ges
ley Ran
As h
bu Ra W E S T E R N Lake Mackay n e l l
rt ng Lake
e

Ba
Newman Macdon
Tropic of Capricorn
rle o n R
eR Disappointment
ange i v e r G i b s o n D e s e r t Alice Springs
 L. Macleod Lake
Carnarvon A U S T R A LAmadeus I A
Shark Bay Ro b i n s o n Uluru
n R i ve r Lake Carnegie (Ayers Rock)
Dirk Hartog Denham h is o Ra

c
ng
e 2845ft (867m) ges
Island Lake Wells n
5 Meekatharra s Mus grav e R a 5

Mur
A U S T R A L I A
S O U T H
Kalbarri Mount Magnet
Great Victoria Desert
Lake Carey Coober Pedy
Geraldton Lake Barlee
A U S T R A L I A
Lake Moore Lake Rebecca
Moora Reid
Coolgardie Kalgoorlie
r Plain
Gingin Merredin Lake Cowan ll arbo
Southern Nu Penong
6 PERTH Eucla Lake 6
Northam Cross
Fremantle Ceduna Gairdner
Brookton Norseman
Mandurah
Australian Bi
Bunbury Wagin eat ght Elliston
Gr
Busselton Katanning
Manjimup Esperance Port
Augusta Lincoln
Albany The Nullarbor Plain is so flat that the
Trans-Australian Railway runs
through it in a dead straight line
7 123 Around 18 percent of Australia is covered in 131 7
for 297 miles (478 km), the longest
desert, the biggest being The Great Victoria section of straight track in the world.
Desert, which at 163,900 sq miles (424,400 sq km)
is over 10 times the size of Belgium.

Residents of Coober Pedy have built their homes

I N below ground to escape temperatures that can
D I reach 113˚F (45˚C) during the summer months.
A N
0 km 400
8 8
AUSTRALASIA & OCEANIA

O C
0 miles 400
E A N
136 136
129

A B C D E
 A B C D E
130
121 126

Arafu PAPUA NEW GUINEA

1 ra Sea 1
IND O N E S I A The venom of the box jellyfish (also known
as the sea wasp or marine stinger) can
kill a person in between 30 seconds
and four minutes.
Strait
Torres
Cape York Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is the
world’s largest area of coral islands

G
Wessel Islands and reefs, running for about 1,240

r
miles (2,000 km) along the coast
DARWIN

e
Ar n h e m Cape of Queensland.
2 126 2
Land York Princess
AUSTRALASIA & OCEANIA

a
128
Pine Creek Groote Eylandt Peninsula Charlotte
Bay Koalas feed only on nutrient-poor

t
Katherine Gulf of eucalypt leaves and consequently
Carpentaria M have evolved a low energy lifestyle
Cooktown
Eastern Australia

itc
he based around sleeping for
B

Daly Waters Wellesley ll

Ri
Islands v Port Douglas 20 hours each day.

at
G r e er
a

Top Springs Ba Gi
l be C o r a l S e a
Roadhouse rk rt Cairns
r

ly Ri v
er
T Normanton
3 Coral Sea Islands 3
r

Burketown

ab
l
G Hinchinbrook Island (to Australia)
Divi

N O R T H E R N Tully

el
re i

F li
go
d

an
n
ry
e

d
Townsville
i

de
Tanami
rs
Tennant Creek
Ra
n
r

ng

Desert Ri
Bowen
e

ve

Se
r

Charters Whitsunday

lw
T E R R I T O R Y
y
Mount Isa Towers Group
g R

n Cloncurry
R Hughenden
R

an Mackay
an

ge
Winton
g
e

Alice Q U E E N S L A N D Clermont
e

4 Springs 4
es Longreach Barcaldine Emerald
Macdonnell Rang Tropic of Capricorn
f

A U S T R A L I A Rockhampton
Biloela
Uluru (Ayers Rock)
2845ft (867m) Simpson Windorah Tambo Bundaberg Fraser Island
 M usgrave Ranges Desert Charleville Maryborough
ge Miles
n Roma
SO U TH AU S TR A L I A Ra Dalby
y BRISBANE
Great Lake re Cunnamulla St. George
5 Coober Lake G Toowoomba Surfer's Paradise 5

ge
Eyre
V ic toria Pedy North -16m Blanche Goondiwindi Gold
Deser t Murwillumbah
er

Ran
Lake Eyre South Marree Lake v Moree
Ri

e
Coast

g
Callabonna Ba
r w on
Lake

an
Walgett Grafton

ng
Torrens Lake R Bourke

d
i

ges
Tarcoola ie r Armidale
Frome rr Coffs Harbour

id
Ba Wilcannia Tamworth

Flin
Ran ers
Penong Lake Nyngan

iv
Gairdner Port Broken Port Macquarie

D
Ceduna Augusta Hill N E W S O U T H

n
Whyalla Peterborough Ivanhoe Dubbo at
R i ve r re

River g
Eyre hlan

Darl i
6 Crystal Brook Lac G Newcastle 6
Peninsula r ay R i v e r Gosford
M ur Mildura W A L E S Parramatta

ulf
Port Gawler Cootamundra SYDNEY

rG
Lincoln

ce
ADELAIDE Wagga Wollongong

en
rr
Ouyen Wagga

Sp
ay
River Mount CANBERRA
Kosciuszko
n
Kangaroo Island AUSTRALIAN

ia
Horsham Bendigo 7310ft (2228m)
l CAPITAL TERRITORY
ra Cooma
V I C T OR I A st ps
Mount Gambier Ballarat Au Al
129 Geelong MELBOURNE
Portland
T a s m a n
7 Huge truck rigs known as Traralgon 134 7
Warrnambool
Road Trains, which can reach South East Point
King Island B a s
up to 175 ft (53.5 m) in length, s Strait S e a
Ba Flinders Island
carry freight across the vast nk
distances of the Australian interior. Marrawah s
Burnie S t r
They have as many as four a
it

trailers, weighing more than Devonport Launceston

150 tons (tonnes) in total. The platypus lives in an aquatic
TASMANIA environment, suckles its young
like a mammal, lays eggs, and
0 km 400
HOBART has webbed feet and a bill
8 8
AUSTRALASIA & OCEANIA

resembling that of a duck.

0 miles 400

136 136
131

A B C D E
 A B C D E
132
127 127

The lizardlike tuatara is found on some of the islands

1 and rocky stacks off New Zealand. It is the sole 1
T a s m a n remaining representative of the reptilian order
Three Kings Sphenodontia, which first evolved before the
Islands
dinosaurs. It has a third “eye” on the top of
North Cape its head, which is sensitive to light.
S e a Great Exhibition
Te Kao Bay
Kaitaia
Ninety Mile Beach is in fact only about
55 miles (88 km) long. Nevertheless, this still Paihia
makes it one of the longest sandy Kaikohe
2 131 Whangarei 135 2
beaches in the world.
AUSTRALASIA & OCEANIA

Ruawai
New Zealand

Great Barrier
N o r t h I s l an d Warkworth Island
Hauraki
Gulf
Takapuna
Around 130 CE, something in the order of 33 billion tons Whitianga
(tonnes) of pumice was ejected in a massive volcanic Auckland Manurewa
eruption that left a 20,000 sq mile (51,800 sq km) debris Waiuku Ba y o f
Paeroa
field and created an enormous caldera that Plen ty East Cape
subsequently became Lake Taupo. Tauranga
3 Hamilton Lake Whakatane 3
Ruatoria
Cambridge Rotorua
a
es ra

Te Kuiti Rotorua m
ku g
North Taranaki R au R a n
More than 46 million sheep thrive in New Zealand’s Bight Taupo Gisborne
mild climate, outnumbering the human Lake
New Plymouth Taumarunui Taupo Wairoa
population by 12 to 1.
Stratford Hawke
Napier Bay
NEW ZEALAND Taihape
South Taranaki Hawera i Hastings
ke
4 Bight g it i 4
Wanganui n Waipawa
Ra

Cape Farewell Palmerston North Woodville

Tasman Levin Cape Turnagain
Bay Paraparaumu Masterton
 Motueka Picton Lower Hutt
Karamea Bight
Richmond nge WELLINGTON
Seddonville a

Cook
nd R u Blenheim
Westport mo ira Cape Palliser

a
ch

Str

W
Though still the highest peak in Ri

ait
5 New Zealand, at 12,316 ft Reefton ce 5
en
ar
(3754 m), a massive rock Greymouth Cl
Kaikoura
fall in 1991 reduced the
Hokitika Hu ru n u i
height of Aoraki (Mount
Cook) by 33 ft (10 m). Otira Pegasus
s
l pRak Rangiora Bay New Zealand has always been a leader
A ai
a in progressive social legislation. In
Fox Glacier
n Christchurch
e rAoraki (Mt Cook) s 1893, it was the first country to grant
12,283 (3744m) lain
M Haast th yP Banks women the right to vote.
Mayfield rbur

ilf
u te Ashburton Peninsula

or
o an

d
C
6 S Fairlie Canterbury 6

So
Lake

un
Wanaka Timaru Bight S ou t h I s lan d

d
W
ai
Milford Lake Wanaka ta
ki Studholme
Sound Wakatipu The royal albatross colony on Otago Peninsula is the
only mainland nesting site for these birds in the world.

nd
Lake Te Queenstown Oamaru

la
Anau Alexandra Soaring on wings up to 9’6’’ (3 m) across, breeding

rd
pairs mate for life and have been known to live

eri
Te Anau Lumsden for over 60 years.

Cl u t h

Fio
T ai
a
Otago Peninsula

Wai
Mosgiel
Dunedin

au
Gore P A C I F I C
7 131 Balclutha 135 7
Riverton Invercargill
F ove
au

x
O C E A N
Halfmoon Bay St
ra
it The Kakapo is a nocturnal flightless parrot that lives in burrows.
Stewart When in danger, its main form of defense is to remain perfectly
South West
Island
Cape still, which made it an easy target for predators such as the
dogs, cats, rats, and ferrets that were introduced in the 19th
century. Consequently, it is in danger of extinction; in 2009
there were only 125 birds left in the wild.
0 km 100
8 8
AUSTRALASIA & OCEANIA

0 miles 100

136 136
133

A B C D E
 134 OCEANS

The Pacific Ocean

A B C D

Arctic Circle 137 ai t

Str
i ng
B er
Bering
1 Aleutian S e a
Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench is 35,838 ft Sea of nds
Basin sla
(10,923 m), or almost 7 miles (11 km), below the Okhotsk Aleutian I
surface of the Pacific. At this depth water pressures ds T r e nch
n
an
Isl r e n
ch Aleutia
is around 16,000 lbs/sq inch (1,127 kg/cm sq).
ile fic

gh
an K u r
le
T
P ac i ou
i Vladivostok p r i s t Tr
Go
b J a ) u e ook
ao S
f e a K
th
w in
s C hi n
er S e E ast or B a docin
o
A S I A Y e llow Ri v ( Tokyo N Men
Yellow Osaka
Shanghai Sea Se Nagoya
a

107 g t ze h Midway Islands

Yan a Japan
nc
in e (to US)
2 Ch Tr Northern
Hong Kong st yu
Haw
S h as in

Ea k Mariana a ii an
B

Tropic of Cancer (Xianggang) u Ri dg e

iko

Ry Islands Wake Island

(to US)
ku

Taiwan (to US) Mid Johnston

-Pacif
ic Mountains
Philippine en ana Atoll
Me k

Manila Sea Guam ch (to US)

MARSHALL
i

(to US)
ar

P A C I
Ph B
ong

Philippines pp M r M i c r ISLANDS
il i a

i T C e ntr a l
sin ne Challenger Deep o n Pa c i f i c Kingman Reef
South China 35,838ft (10,923m) MICRONESIA
Sea e Ba s i n Baker &(to US)
Celebes C a r o l i n e I sl s
Singapore PALAU ands Melanesian i Howland Is.
Equator Sea Basin a (to US) Jarvis I.
Borneo
Su

Celebes (to US)

3 M NAURU
m

tr E a s t I n d i e s e K I R IBA TI
a

a Java Sea Banda New l a Tokelau (to NZ)

Jakarta Java Sea A Guinea n TUVALU
ra f SOLOMON e
Timor ur
aS ISLANDS s Wallis (to & Futuna
France)
SAMOA
Timor ea C oral S ea i American
Gr

Sea tB a Samoa
ea

Coral Sea (to US)

Gr ar Islands VANUATU
INDIAN ea rier (to Australia) Cook
FIJI TONGA Islands
tD

New Caledonia
Re

(to NZ)
ivi

ef

Tropic of Capricorn (to France) Niue

d i ng

Kermadec Islands (to NZ)

OCEAN A U S T R A L A S I A Norfolk (to NZ)
o
Ran ge

Island
L o r R is e

4 123 Great Mu (to Australia) P

dH

u s t r a l i an B i g h t rr ay Sydney o
A we
Tasman
North Island
0 km 2000 South Australian Sea New
Basin Tasmania Hobart Zealand Chatham Islands
0 miles 2000
South Island (to NZ)
Campbell
Internat

Mauna Loa on the Big Island of Hawaii rises 33,132 ft

(10,098 m) from the ocean floor to its peak 13,677 ft Plateau
(4169 m) above the surface of the Pacific Ocean, and
contains around 9,700 cubic miles (39,731 cu km) of rock.
io

Pac
nal Datel

5 ific- ic
Antarct
Antarctic Circle
136 ANTARCTICA
ine

A B C D
 OCEANS 135

E F G H

137 Arctic Circle

R
Anchorage o
c Hudson
k Labrador 1
y Bay
M Sea
Gulf of
Alaska
o
u
n
NORTH
Vancouver t
a AMERICA
Cascadia
i

Pacific giant kelp can grow up to 18 inches (45 cm)

n

Basin
s

Fracture Zone a day, and may eventually reach up to 200 ft (60 m),
San Francisco or 34 times the height of the average man.
one
ct ure Z ATLANTIC 48
y Fra Long Beach
Murra
G OCEAN 2
one Gulf of
racture Z
ul

olokai F Mexico Greater Tropic of Cancer

fo

M Ant
fC

Hawaiian Islands ille

s
ali

e
(to US) ture Zon
fo r

n Frac
Clario Mid
nia

dle Carib
bean Sea
F I C O C E A N T r e Am er i c
nch a
one Panama City
Palmyra ure Z Clipperton Island The Pacific Equatorial
Atoll (to US) Fract (to France) Guatemala
rton Counter Current flows
Clippe Basin
Kiritimati eastward toward South
a

(Christmas Island) t u r e Zone America, carrying up

rac
agos F Galapagos Islands 3
Galap Gallego Rise to 40 million tons
i

(to Ecuador)
Per

KIRIBATI (tonnes) of warm water

s e

Marquesas
Islands Marquesas Bauer with it every second.
s

u-

Penrhyn Galapagos
u re Zon e
R i

Basin
Tiki Fract
Ch

Basin Rise n e Callao

Zo
e

u r e
il

ct
Tahiti French Basin a Fra SOUTH
M e n d añ
e

al
Polynesia Au s tr o ne
n

Tr
i c

eZ
s

(to France) r act ur Sala y Gomez

ench

y F Isla San Ambrosio AMERICA

(to Chile)
i f

Îles (to Chile)

l Ea s t e r F r a c tu r e Z o n e Tropic of Capricorn
e

A u Îles Gambier Pitcairn Islands Isla San Félix

str
in
a c

ale (to UK) Easter Island

s (to Chile) (to Chile)
as

Islas Juan Fernández 49 4

P

Valparaiso
Southwest
re Zon
e (to Chile) le
Fractu hi
n

Pacific Agassiz Ch
s t

ile C
Basin Ri
A
a

se
E

Elta Mornington
nin Abyssal
Frac
ture Plain
Zon
e Cape Horn
Limit of winter pack ice
Passage
Ridg
e S outheast s haus en Pla in Drake
P a c ific Basin Belling 5
Peter I Island
Plain (to Norway) Antarctic Circle
undsen pack ice
Am Limit of summer
136

E F G H
 136 POLAR REGIONS

Antarctica
A B C D

48 Limit
of wi
ATLANTIC OCEAN nter
pac
k

ice
1 South Georgia
(to UK)
South Atlantic-Indian Basin INDIAN
Sandwich
T HERN OCEA
Scotia Islands
(to UK) SOU N OCEAN
Antarctic Circle En
Sea
Lazarev Sea de
Weddell Plain rb
South Orkney
y

Pl
Islands Limit
of

ai
sum
Dronning Mau

n
South Shetland Li m e me
2 48 it of s um mer pack ic Land d r 122
Islands

pa
ck
Ground visibility in the

ice
A Antarctic during the summer
nt Weddell Sea Coats months can be as much
ar Land Enderby
cti as 150 miles (250 km).
c Land
Pal P en
me Ronne
in

Ice Shelf Mackenzie

r

Alexander
sula

Bay
La

Island Princess
ANTARCTICA
nd

Elizabeth
3 Bellingshausen Land Davis
Tra

Sea
East Sea
Ellsworth South
ns

Peter I Island West a n Pole Shackleton

Limit o

(to Norway) Land ta Antarctica

rc South Ice Shelf
M
Antarctica t ic Geomagnetic
f

ar Pole
summ

ie
By
M
Amundsen rd
ou

Lan
er pa

d Wilkes
nt

Sea Land
c k ic

Ross Ice
ain

ice

Shelf
e

k
pac
s

4 134 135
r
me

PACIFIC Victoria Terre

Ross
su m

Am u n ds e n Land Adélie
Sea
of

P l ai n
OCEAN
it
im

George V L
The largest iceberg of recent times Land
broke off from the Ross Ice Shelf The world's windiest place is reputed
in the spring of 2000. It was about to be Commonwealth Bay, George V
186 miles (300 km) from end to Land, where wind speeds of 200 mph
end and 25 miles (40 km) wide. (320 km/h) have been recorded.
5
Paci f ic - An tar c ti c Ridge NP 
134
PLOHV 

A B C D
 POLAR REGIONS 137
Arctic
E F G H

Provideniya
95 A

Ber
A
Arctic C
ircle S
SK )

ing
A SA R U S
A L of U S I A I 1

St
rt N

ra
it
(pa A
E RIC Chukchi
Ostrov
F E
D A
AM Sea Vrangelya E
R
i ce
A
TH
k
ac East
me
rp c T

e
ki

Ridge
Limit
of su m pac Siberian I
R

Limit of permanen t
NO

Sea

O
Tuktoyaktuk Chukchi

leyev

N
Plain
lf Beaufort
Gu Sea Chukchi Novosibirskiye 95
16 n 2
nde
e
n ds Plateau Ostrova
u
Me
Am Canada
Basin The Arctic Ocean is the world's
smallest ocean, with a total area of
Victoria 5,440,000 sq miles (15,1000,000 sq km),
Island
and is almost permanently covered
by pack ice.
CANADA Makarov
Queen Basin Severnaya
Zemlya 3
Elizabeth A R C T I C
Islands North
L a nc as

sin

Pole
Baffin Ellesmere Kara
Island
O C E A N S e a Dikson
Ba

Island Sv
Franz yTataya An
t er S

Lincoln Josef Land rough na

n

Ostrov
se

Sea
ou n

E as t N o v

Belyy
n

ice

Kn ud R a smu s se a
ic e

N
d

Land n
pac
k
ac

Baffin
tp

Wandel
er

en
aya
mm

an Novaya
II

16 Bay Sea per m 94 4

VI

it of
Z em

Zemlya
su

Lim
d ik

f
it o
Lan eder

a
ly

L im Tr
Greenland Svalbard o u gh
Fr

(to Denmark) Spitsbergen (to Norway)

ng
Ko

Longyearbyen
e

The Arctic Lion’s Mane is the

ic

Bjørnøya
ack

world’s largest jellyfish, 7 ft (to Norway) Barents

ter p

Greenland Sea
(2.1 m) in diameter. Its main
win

Sea
body trails tentacles up to North Cape
it of

NP  e Murmansk

180 ft (55 m) in length. dg
Lim

Ri Norwegian Y 5
PLOHV  h ns A
Archangel
Mo Sea
RW

FIN

Jan Mayen
NO

(to Norway)
mark Strait 62
LA

Den E U R O P E
N
D

E F G H
138

The
world
factfiles
139
 A B C D E
140

A S I A Franz Josef Land

1 (to Russia) 1

ARCTIC Svalbard
(to Norway)
North
Pole

OCEAN
Jan Mayen
Queen Elizabeth (to Norway)
2 Yuk o n
Islands 2
ALASKA
NORTH & CENTRAL AMERICA

Ar
Greenland

ct
ic
(Denmark)

Ci
rc Baffin
le
Bay

n z ie
Ba

R
ff
in

Great Bear

M acke

o
Lake
Isl

Great Slave Lake

c
NUUK
an d

3 3

k
Lake Athabasca

y
North & Central America

PACIFIC C Reindeer Hudson

La
b

A Lake Bay ra

M
do
OCEAN N r
A

o
D A n
Sna Lake Winnipeg tia
en ns

u
ke u r tai
4 Lake
La oun 4
M
ce

n
Superior Gulf of
en

St.Lawrence
wr

St Pierre &
a

t
Great Lake Huron Miquelon
.L
St

OTTAWA (France)
a
UNITED STATES Lakes
 o Lake Lake Ontario

Mi

i
Michigan

rad
ss
Lake Erie

ns
ou
ri ATLANTIC

ai

Colo
io

nt
Oh

ou
WASHINGTON, D.C.
O F A M E RAI C A

s
M
rka OCEAN

n
5 ns 5

i
a a

s
hi

pp
Tr c
opi a la Bermuda

i ssi
co pp
fC
anc A (UK)
er

M iss
Sargasso Sea

Sierra M
Rio G

ad
ra
Virgin Islands (US)

nd

re O
e
British Virgin

cc
Turks & Caicos

i
Islands (UK) Islands (UK)
Gulf of Mexico
NASSAU DOMINICAN Anguilla (UK)

M Ed e n t a l
X
HAVANA BAHAMAS REPUBLIC
ST KITTS & NEVIS
Puerto

I
MEXICO CITY C U
6 BA Rico (US) ANTIGUA & 6
Cayman SANTO BARBUDA

C
Islands (UK) HAITI DOMINGO Guadeloupe
O PORT-AU-PRINCE
(France)
BELMOPAN
JAMAICA KINGSTON Montserrat (UK) DOMINICA
GUATEMALA BELIZE
Martinique (France) ST LUCIA
Clipperton Island GUATEMALA CITY HONDURAS BARBADOS
ST VINCENT & THE GRENADINES
(French Polynesia) SAN SALVADOR TEGUCIGALPA
Aruba (Neth.) GRENADA
EL SALVADOR NICARAGUA TRINIDAD
MANAGUA Netherlands & TOBAGO
COSTA RICA Antilles
(Neth.)
SAN JOSÉ PANAMA CITY
Equ
ator es
PANAMA
d

7 7
n
A

S O U T H or
Equat
POLITICAL FACTFILE
TOTAL AREA: COUNTRY WITH HIGHEST A M E R I C A
8,116,571 sq miles POPULATION DENSITY:
(21,021,940 sq km) Barbados 1542 people per sq mile
(595 people per sq km)
TOTAL NUMBER OF COUNTRIES: 0 1000 km
23 LARGEST COUNTRY:
Canada 3,855,171 sq miles 0 1000 miles
TOTAL POPULATION: (9,984,670 sq km)
8 536.1 million 8
SMALLEST COUNTRY:
NORTH & CENTRAL AMERICA

LARGEST CITY WITH POPULATION: St. Kitts & Nevis 101 sq miles
Mexico City, Mexico 22.9 million (261 sq km)
141

A B C D E
 A B C D E
142

1 Caribbean Sea
ATLANTIC 1

OCEAN
CARACAS

Is
th a

gd
P a m u s of
nama a
VENEZUE LA

uc
SOUTH AMERICA

al e n a
co GEORGETOWN

Ca
Orino
Meta PARAMARIBO
G

SUR
BOGOTÁ CAYENNE

GUY
u

I NA
are ia French
avi 2

AN
2

M
Gu Guiana

E
na

A
CO LO M BI A H i
g h l a n d s (France)

Equator QUITO Equator

R io N e gro
South America

C a q ue
tá
n
P u tu Am a zo
ECUADOR N
ap
mayo A m a z o n
o

M arañón
B a s i n
Xin

a
gu

Ju ru á ir
de

A
a

P
3 B M R A Z I L 3
us o Fr a n c

E
Pur Sã

n
is
co

ins

R
os Represa de

d
Di
a

U e Sobradinho
M a d re d
uai

i
Tocant

e
LIMA
ag

B en
Ar

s
Lake
Titicaca BRASÍLIA
LA PAZ

BOLIVIA
4 4
SUCRE

Tropic of Capricorn PARAGUAY Tropic of Capricorn

 ASUNCIÓN
Isla San Isla San Félix a
P aran

E
Ambrosio (Chile)

A
ay

n
(Chile) gu

ru
U

L
Para

N
5 5

e s
I
Islas Juan Fernandez Lagoa dos Patos

I
(Chile) URUGUAY
SANTIAGO

H
BUENOS AIRES MONTEVIDEO

A n d
C
PACIFIC

E
C olo rad
o
Río Neg
ro ATLANTIC
OCEAN

G
6 Isla de Chiloé OCEAN 6

A R
Falkland Islands

Patagoni a
(UK)
Strait of
Magellan

Tierra del Fuego

7 South Georgia 7
Cape Horn (UK)

POLITICAL FACTFILE
TOTAL AREA: COUNTRY WITH HIGHEST
6,731,428 sq miles POPULATION DENSITY:
(17,434,410 sq km) Ecuador 127 people per sq mile
(49 people per sq km)
TOTAL NUMBER OF COUNTRIES:
12 LARGEST COUNTRY: 0 500 km
Brazil 3,286,470 sq miles 0 500 miles
TOTAL POPULATION: (8,511,965 sq km)
8 388.9 million 8
SMALLEST COUNTRY:
SOUTH AMERICA

LARGEST CITY WITH POPULATION: Suriname 63,039 sq miles

São Paulo, Brazil 21 million (163,270 sq km)
143

A B C D E
 A B C D E
144

E U R O P E
1 1
A TL A N T I C
AFRICA

Black Sea
OCEAN
Africa

M e
Ceuta ALGIERS d i
(Spain) Melilla t e
(Spain) TUNIS r r
Madeira RABAT s a n A S I A
in TUNISIA
(Portugal) ta e a
2 MOR OCCO o u n TRIPOLI n S e a Sy r i a n 2
M Deser t
s
Islas Canarias la
At CAIRO
(Spain)
Pe

Lib ya n
rs

N i le
i

A L G E R I A De s e rt
an

LAÂYOUNE
G

WESTERN
L I B Y A E G Y P T
ul
f

SAHARA
(disputed)
e d

Tropic of Cancer S a h a r a Tropic of Cancer

Arabian
S e

MAURITANIA Tibesti
a

3 3
NOUAKCHOTT Peninsula
M A L I
S e n e ga l
N I G E R
r KHARTOUM ERITREA
DAKAR Nige C H A D
SENEGAL ASMARA
NIAMEY
GAMBIA BAMAKO S U D A N
BANJUL INA NDJAMENA
BISSAU RK OUAGADOUGOU DJIBOUTI
Blu

BU
GUINEA- GUINEA ADDIS DJIBOUTI
NIGERIA
eN

BISSAU CONAKRY ABABA

i

SOMALILAND
l

CÔTE e
ON

FREETOWN D'IVOIRE ABUJA (not internationally

BENIN
W

N ig e

TOG O
(IVORY COAST) r recognized)

GHANA
RO
hi t

SIERRA LEONE PORTO-NOVO ETHIOPIA

YAMOUSSOUKRO
CENTRAL AFRICAN
eN

MONROVIA
ME

4 LOMÉ REPUBLIC Sh e 4
i le

LIBERIA ACCRA
bel
BANGUI i SOMALIA
CA

MALABO U el e Lake
EQUATORIAL GUINEA YAOUNDÉ Turkana MOGADISHU
C o ng o

UGANDA KENYA
GABON Lake
Equator SÃO TOMÉ LIBREVILLE KAMPALA Equator
Victoria
GO
 N
RWANDA KIGALI NAIROBI
SÃO TOMÉ &

O
PRÍNCIPE C BRAZZAVILLE BUJUMBURABURUNDI
Cabinda KINSHASA DEM. REP. TA N ZA N I A
(part of Angola) CONGO Lake
DODOMA
Tanganyika
5 Ascension I. 5
(St Helena) LUANDA
Lake Nyasa COMOROS
ANGOLA MALAWI MORONI
LILONGWE Mayotte

E
Z A M B I A (France)

U
St Helena LUSAKA

IQ
(UK) Z am be zi

B
HARARE ANTANANARIVO

M
A T L AN T I C NAMIBIA ZIMBABWE

ZA
6 OC E A N BOTSWANA MADAGASCAR 6

MO
WINDHOEK
Kalahari
Tropic of Capricorn Desert Tropic of Capricorn
GABORONE TSHWANE/PRETORIA
MAPUTO
MBABANE SWAZILAND
O r a n g e R ive r
LESOTHO
BLOEMFONTEIN MASERU
SOUTH I N D I A N
CAPE TOWN
AFR IC A
7 Cape of Good Hope O C E A N 7

POLITICAL FACTFILE
TOTAL AREA: COUNTRY WITH HIGHEST
11,437,866 sq miles POPULATION DENSITY:
(29,624,290 sq km) Mauritius 1794 people per sq mile
(693 people per sq km)
TOTAL NUMBER OF COUNTRIES:
53 LARGEST COUNTRY:
Sudan 967,493 sq miles
TOTAL POPULATION: (2,505,810 sq km) 0 1000 km
8 1008.4 million 8
SMALLEST COUNTRY: 0 1000 miles
AFRICA

LARGEST CITY WITH POPULATION: Seychelles 176 sq miles

Cairo, Egypt 14.8 million (455 sq km)
145

A B C D E
 146 EUROPE

Europe
A B C D

POLITICAL FACTFILE
TOTAL AREA: REYKJAVÍK
1
3,739,678 sq miles ICELAND Ar
cti
(9,685,756 sq km ) cC
ircl
e
TOTAL NUMBER OF COUNTRIES:
46
Norwegian
TOTAL POPULATION:
Faeroe Islands
717.8 million Sea
(Denmark)

Y
LARGEST CITY WITH POPULATION:

A
Moscow, European Russia 13.5 million

W
Shetland Islands
2 R
COUNTRY WITH HIGHEST Outer O
POPULATION DENSITY: Hebrides N
Monaco 42,667 people per sq mile Orkney Islands
British

E
(16,410 people per sq km) OSLO
Isles North

W
LARGEST COUNTRY:
European Russia 1,527,341 sq miles Sea

S
(3,955,818 sq km) IRELAND
DENMARK
DUBLIN UNITED
SMALLEST COUNTRY: COPENHAGEN
Vatican City, Italy 0.17 sq miles KINGDOM
(0.44 sq km) AMSTERDAM
3 El
LONDON NETH. be
THE BERLIN
Channel Is. BELGIUM HAGUE
(UK) BRUSSELS GE RMA N Y
LUXEMBOURG
PARIS PRAGUE
LUXEMBOURG
L oi r e e CZECH REPUBLIC
in

Bay of Biscay FRANCE

Rh

LIECH. BRATISLAVA
BERN VIENNA
SWITZERLAND AUSTRIA
Ga

4 ATLANTIC r SLOVENIA
on

LJUBLJANA
PORTUGAL
ne

ZAGREB
Eb

OCEAN MONACO CROATIA

ro

Tag MADRID SARAJEVO

us ANDORRA SAN MARINO
LISBON BOSNIA
I T

Madeira
(Portugal)
SPAIN Corsica & HERZ.
G ua d a l q u i v i r VATICAN CITY
A

s ROME
nd Y
L

sla
Gibraltar B ale ar ic I
(UK) Sardinia
Ceuta M e d i t
Canary Islands (Spain) Melilla e
5 (Spain) (Spain) r
r Sicily
a
n e
A F R I C A VALLETTA a n
MALTA
A B C D
 EUROPE 147

E F G H

U r a
1

l
Ob'

M o u
Ir ty sh
N

N D

n t a
E
D

or
th e
L A

rn D

i n
vin
a

s
I N

Lake Onega 2
R U S S I A N
F

HELSINKI
Lake Ladoga
STOCKHOLM F E D E R A T I O N
TALLINN
ea

ESTONIA
c S

LATVIA
lt i

RIGA MOSCOW l
Ba

ra
U
LITHUANIA
lga

VILNIUS
Vo

KALININGRAD MINSK
3
(Russ.Fed.)
BELARUS Aral Sea
WARSAW
Don
POLAND KIEV
UKRAINE
per

SLOVAKIA
BUDAPEST MOLDOVA
ie

Dn
C

HUNGARY CHIfiINÂU
as

4
ROMANIA
pi

Cau cas us
A
SERBIA
an

BELGRADE BUCHAREST
S

e
ea

MONTENEGRO nub Black Sea

Da
I

PODGORICA
PRISTINA BULGARIA
SOFIA
KOS.
(disp.) SKOPJE
S
MACED. TURKEY
TIRANA
ALBANIA A
G R EECE 0 1000 km
5
0 1000 miles
ATHENS

S e a Crete
Cyprus

E F G H
 148 ASIA

Asia
A B C D

A R C T I C O C E A N
Franz Josef
Land
Severnaya
1 Zemlya

Laptev Sea
Kara Sea

Le
na

R U S S I A N F E D E R A T I O N
E U R O P E b

Ye n
2 I rt

i
ys

s ey
h
Black
Sea ASTANA Lake Baikal
ANKARA
GEORGIA KAZAKHSTAN
TU R K E Y TBILISI
ULAN BATOR
Tr

CYPRUS ARMENIA
op

of AZERBAIJAN MONGOLIA
ic

Ca NICOSIA YEREVAN UZBEKISTAN

BAKU
nc BEIRUT SYRIA BISHKEK
er LEBANON TURKMENISTAN
DAMASCUS AflGABAT KYRGYZSTAN
JERUSALEM AMMAN TEHRÁN TASHKENT
ISRAEL JORDAN
3 BAGHDAD DUSHANBE TAJIKISTAN
IRAQ I R AN
KUWAIT
KABUL C H I N A
AFGHANISTAN ISLAMABAD
KUWAIT
MANAMA

ze
BAHRAIN
Red

gt
RIYADH QATAR PAKISTAN NEW n
DOHA DELHI NEPAL THIMPHU Ya
s

SA U D I
I ndu

ABU DHABI
BHUTAN
Sea

U.A.E. KATHMANDU
A R A B IA MUSCAT Ga
n g e s BANGLADESH
A F R I C A SANA OM AN
DHAKA VIETNAM
I N D I A MYANMAR HANOI
Y EMEN (BURMA) LAOS
4 Arabian
NAY PYI TAW VIENTIANE
Socotra
Equ (Yemen) Sea Bay of THAILAND
ato Bengal BANGKOK
r CAMBODIA
Laccadive Andaman &
Islands Nicobar Islands PHNOM
(India) (India) PENH

COLOMBO
MALE’
SRI M ALA
MALDIVES LANKA KUALA LUMPUR
PUTRAJAYA
SINGAPORE
5
I N
I N D I A N O C E A N JAKARTA

A B C D
 ASIA 149

E F G H

POLITICAL FACTFILE
TOTAL AREA:
1
17,006,354 sq miles
(44,046,472 sq km)

TOTAL NUMBER OF COUNTRIES:

49

TOTAL POPULATION:
4148.4 million
Sea of
Okhotsk LARGEST CITY WITH POPULATION:
Tokyo, Japan 33.8 million
Kurile Islands 2
COUNTRY WITH HIGHEST
POPULATION DENSITY:
Singapore 20,072 people per sq mile
(7765 people per sq km)

LARGEST COUNTRY:
Asiatic Russia 5,065,394 sq miles
NORTH
er

JA PA N (13,119,382 sq km)
nc

KOREA
Ca

PYONGYANG TOKYO f
i co SMALLEST COUNTRY:
SEOUL op Maldives 116 sq miles
BEIJING Tr
SOUTH (300 sq km)
KOREA 3

Ryukyu Islands

TAIPEI

TAIWAN P ACIF IC
O CEAN
4
MANILA

r
P H I L I P P I N ES ato
Equ 0 1000 km
0 1000 miles

BRUNEI BANDAR
SERI BEGAWAN
Y S I A
AUS T R AL AS I A
5
D O N E S I A & O C E ANI A
DILI
EAST TIMOR

E F G H
 150 AUSTRALASIA & OCEANIA

Australasia & Oceania

A B C D

Wake Island
Northern (to US)
1 Mariana
Islands
(US)
Philippine M
i MARSHALL
HAGÅTÑA c
Sea Guam r
(US) o ISLANDS
n
PALIKIR e MAJURO
Caro
line
MELEKEOK Islan
ds s
Babeldaob
MI CRO NE S I A

i
2 BAIRIKI

a
PALAU NAURU
M e l a n NAURU
e KIRIBATI
PAPUA NEW s
i
tor GUINEA TUVALU
Equa a
A S I A SOLOMON
FONGAFALE

PORT MORESBY ISLANDS

HONIARA
3
VANUATU
Coral Sea PORT VILA
Islands SUVA
Ashmore & (Australia) New Caledonia
Cartier Islands (France)
G

(Australia) FIJI
re

a
t NOUMÉA
D
INDIAN
iv
id

4 OCEAN
in

AUSTRALIA
g R

Norfolk Island
(Australia)
g

ange
lin

Lake Eyre North

Lord Howe
ar
D

Lake Torrens Island

(Australia)
ico rn NEW
apr
fC ZEALAND
op ic o M urray
CANBERRA
Tr
WELLINGTON
5 Tasman
Sea
Tasmania

A B C D
 AUSTRALASIA & OCEANIA 151

E F G H

POLITICAL FACTFILE
Johnston Atoll
(US) TOTAL AREA: COUNTRY WITH HIGHEST
International Dateline

3,244,632 sq miles (8,403,608 sq km) POPULATION DENSITY:

1
Nauru 1210 people per sq mile
TOTAL NUMBER OF COUNTRIES: (467 people per sq km)
14
LARGEST COUNTRY:
TOTAL POPULATION: Australia 2,967,893 sq miles
34.5 million (7,686,850 sq km)

LARGEST CITY WITH POPULATION: SMALLEST COUNTRY:

Sydney, Australia 4.4 million Nauru 8.1 sq miles (21 sq km)

Baker & Howland

Islands Jarvis Island 2
(US)
a
(US)
P A C I F I C
KIRIBATI
Equa
i

Phoenix Islands
KIRIBATI O C E A N tor

Tokelau
(NZ)
s

Wallis & Marquesas Islands

Futuna American Cook Islands
(Fr.) SAMOA Samoa (NZ)
3
MATÁ’UTU (US)
ÁPIA PAGO PAGO
e

TONGA So
cie PAPEETE
ty
Niue Isl
n

an
(NZ) ds
NUKU‘ AVARUA
ALOFA French Polynesia
Ile (France)
y

sA
u str
al Pitcairn
Kermadec Islands es 4
Islands
(New Zealand)
l

(UK)
International Dateline

o Tro
pic
o f Ca
P pric
orn

0 1000 km
0 1000 miles 5
Chatham Islands
(New Zealand)

E F G H
152
Key to factfile maps
FOREWORD
This factfile is intended as a guide to a world that is continually changing as
political fashions and personalities come and go. Nevertheless, all the
material in these factfiles has been researched from the most up-to-date
and authoritative sources to give an incisive portrait of the geographical,
social, and economic characteristics that make each country unique.

KEY TO MAP SYMBOLS

ELEVATION DRAINAGE FEATURES
River
4000m/13,124ft
Seasonal river
3000m/9843ft
2000m/6562ft Canal

1000m/3281ft Lake
500m/1640ft Seasonal lake
200m/656ft
0 SYMBOLS
Below sea level Capital city

BORDERS Major town

Full international International airport

Mountain
Disputed de facto
The asterisk in the Factfile denotes the country's
Territorial claim official language(s)

Date of formation denotes the date of political

Cease-fire line origin or independence; the second date (if any)
identifies when its current borders were established

State/Province The area figure denotes total land area

 ASIA 153
Afghanistan
About 75% of this landlocked Asian country is
inaccessible. The Islamist Taliban, ousted in 2001, continue
to fight a guerrilla war against Afghan and NATO-led forces.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
Predominantly mountainous. Mainly agricultural, severely
Highest range is the Hindu Kush. disrupted by war. Illicit opium trade is big
Mountains are bordered by fertile plains. cash earner. Natural gas pipeline planned
Desert plateau in the south. from the Caspian Sea to Pakistan.

CLIMATE INSIGHT: The UN estimates that it

Harsh continental. Hot, dry could take 100 years to remove the
summers. Cold winters with heavy 10 million landmines laid since 1979
snow, especially in the Hindu Kush.
TAJIKISTAN
PEOPLE & SOCIETY UZBEK. CHINA
TURKMENISTAN
Mujahideen factions fought first Mazár-e Sharíf
Feyzábád
sh
Kondoz Ku
against Soviet invaders (from 1979), Meymaneh Baghlán d u
in
and then against each other (after 1989),

H
Cháríkár
before the Taliban won control in 1996. Herát KABUL
Jalálábád
Under their strict Islamist regime Ghazní
Khyber Pass

women were denied all rights and PAKISTAN

ethnic tensions were exacerbated. Gereshk Kandahár
The US assisted anti-Taliban forces in
IRAN
2001 as part of its “war on terrorism.”
3000m/9843ft
A new democratic government 2000m/6562ft
struggles to maintain control as 0 100 km 1000m/3281ft
500m/1640ft
insurgency continues. 0 100 miles 200m/656ft

FACTFILE DENSITY: 112 people per sq. mile

OFFICIAL NAME: Islamic State LANGUAGES: Pashtu*, Dari*, Tajik, other
of Afghanistan RELIGIONS: Sunni Muslim 84%,
DATE OF FORMATION: 1919 Shi’a Muslim 15%, other 1%
CAPITAL: Kabul ETHNIC MIX: Pashtun 38%, Tajik 25%, Hazara
POPULATION: 28.1 million 19%, Uzbek, Turkmen, other 18%
TOTAL AREA: 250,000 sq. miles GOVERNMENT: Presidential system
(647,500 sq. km) CURRENCY: Afghani = 100 puls
154 EUROPE

Albania
Lying at the southeastern end of the Adriatic Sea,
Albania was the last east European country to liberalize its
economy. The regional strife of the 1990s has left a difficult legacy.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
Narrow coastal plain. Interior is Oil and natural gas reserves have
mostly hills and mountains. Forest and potential to offset rudimentary
scrub cover over 40% of the land. infrastructure and lack of foreign
investment. Organized crime problem.
CLIMATE
2000m/6562ft
Mediterranean coastal climate, 1000m/3281ft
500m/1640ft
with warm summers and cool winters. MONTENEGRO 200m/656ft
Sea Level
Mountains receive heavy rains or Lake Scutari KOSOVO
snows in winter. Shkodër
Kukës

PEOPLE & SOCIETY Adriatic

The pace of economic reform Sea MACEDONIA
remains a major issue. EU membership, Durrës TIRANA
applied for in 2009, is a distant Elbasan Lake
Ohrid
prospect. Mosques and churches Lushnjë
Lake
Fier Berat Prespa
have reopened in what was once the
Vlorë Korçë
world’s only officially atheist state.
The Greek minority in the south
suffers much discrimination. Delvinë
Ionian GREECE
Sea
INSIGHT: The Albanians’ name
for their country, Shqipërisë, 0 50 km
means “Land of the Eagles” 0 50 miles

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Albanian*, Greek

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Albania RELIGIONS: Sunni Muslim 70%,
DATE OF FORMATION: 1912 Orthodox Christian 20%,
CAPITAL: Tirana Roman Catholic 10%
POPULATION: 3.16 million ETHNIC MIX: Albanian 93%, Greek 5%,
TOTAL AREA: 11,100 sq. miles other 2%
(28,748 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Parliamentary system
DENSITY: 298 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: Lek = 100 qindarka (qintars)
 AFRICA 155
Algeria
Africa’s second-largest country, Algeria won independence
from France in 1962. Today, national reconciliation is key to
recovery from a conflict launched by Islamic extremists in 1992.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
85% of the country lies within the Oil and natural gas exports.
Sahara Desert. Fertile coastal region with Political turmoil has led to exodus of
plains and hills rises from the southeast skilled foreign labor. Limited agriculture.
to the Atlas Mountains.
INSIGHT: The world’s highest dunes
CLIMATE are located in the deserts
Coastal areas are warm and of east central Algeria
temperate, with most rainfall during the Mediterranean Sea
mild winters. The south is very hot, with ALGIERS Béjaïa Annaba
negligible rainfall. Oran Constantine
Sétif Batna
Tlemcen Tiaret
t s. Biskra TUNISIA
Atlas M
PEOPLE & SOCIETY MOROCCO
Ghardaïa
Algerians are predominantly Béchar
Arab, under 30 years of age, and
urban. Most indigenous Berbers
I-n-Salah Tas LIBYA
consider the mountainous Kabylia sil
i- n-
A
region in the northeast to be their MAUR. jje
r
homeland. They have been granted A h a g g a r
Tamanrasset
greater ethnic rights in recent years. MALI
S a h a r a
The Sahara sustains just 500,000 people, NI GER

mainly oil workers and Tuareg nomads 2000m/6562ft

1000m/3281ft
with goat and camel herds, who move 500m/1640ft 0 200 km
200m/656ft
between the irrigated oases. Sea Level 0 200 miles

FACTFILE DENSITY: 38 people per sq. mile

OFFICIAL NAME: People’s Democratic LANGUAGES: Arabic*, Tamazight, French
Republic of Algeria RELIGIONS: Sunni Muslim 99%,
DATE OF FORMATION: 1962 Christian and Jewish 1%
CAPITAL: Algiers ETHNIC MIX: Arab 75%, Berber 24%,
POPULATION: 34.9 million European and Jewish 1%
TOTAL AREA: 919,590 sq. miles GOVERNMENT: Presidential system
(2,381,740 sq. km) CURRENCY: Algerian dinar = 100 centimes
156 EUROPE

Andorra
A tiny landlocked principality, Andorra lies high in the
eastern Pyrenees between France and Spain. It held its first full
elections in 1993. Tourism is the main source of income.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
High mountains, with six deep, Tourism and duty-free sales
glaciated valleys that drain into the dominate the economy. Banking secrecy
Valira River as it flows into Spain. laws and low consumer taxes promote
investment and commerce. France and
CLIMATE Spain effectively decide economic policy.
Cool, wet springs followed by dry, Dependence on imported food and
warm summers. Mountain snows linger raw materials.
until March. 2000m/6562ft
1000m/3281ft
500m/1640ft

PEOPLE & SOCIETY F R A N C E

Immigration is strictly monitored P y r e
and restricted by quota to French n e e s
and Spanish nationals seeking Arinsal Soldeu
employment in Andorra. Low taxes Canillo
Ordino Port
attract wealthy expatriates. A Encamp d'Envalira
referendum in 1993 ended 715 years Escaldes
of semifeudal status, but Andorran
ANDORRA LA VELLA
a
V al i r

society remains conservative.

Sant Julià de Lòria

INSIGHT: Andorra’s coprincipality

S P A I N
status dates from the 13th century.
The “princes” are the president of France 0 5 km
and the bishop of Urgel in Spain. 0 5 miles

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Spanish, Catalan*, French,

OFFICIAL NAME: Principality of Andorra Portuguese
DATE OF FORMATION: 1278 RELIGIONS: Roman Catholic 94%,
CAPITAL: Andorra la Vella other 6%
POPULATION: 82,200 ETHNIC MIX: Spanish 46%, Andorran 28%,
TOTAL AREA: 181 sq. miles other 18%, French 8%
(468 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Parliamentary system
DENSITY: 457 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: Euro = 100 cents
 AFRICA 157
Angola
Located in southwest Africa, Angola suffered a civil war
following independence from Portugal in 1975, until a 2002
peace deal. Hundreds of thousands of people died.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
Most of the land is hilly and grass- Potentially one of Africa’s richest
covered. Desert in the south. Mountains countries, but long civil war hampered
in the center and north. economic development. Oil and
diamonds are exported.
CLIMATE
Varies from temperate to tropical. CONGO

Rainfall decreases north to south. Coast CABINDA ng

o
(part of Angola)

Co
is cooler and dry. DEM. REP.CONGO
M’Banza
Congo Uíge
PEOPLE & SOCIETY
LUANDA Lucapa
Civil war pitched the ruling Malanje Saurimo
Kimbundu-dominated MPLA against ATLANTIC Cu
a
UNITA, representing the Ovimbundu. OCEAN
be z
i

nz
Luena m
Za

a
Multiparty elections in 1991–1992, after Lobito
Huambo
Benguela Planalto
the MPLA had abandoned Marxism, failed do Bié
to stall the war for long. Power-sharing Menongue
Lubango ZAMBIA
from 2002 ended when the MPLA won Namibe
the 2008 election; a presidential poll has
Cunene
yet to be held.
NAMIBIA
BOTSWANA
INSIGHT: Angola has the greatest 2000m/6562ft
1000m/3281ft
number of amputees (caused by 500m/1640ft
200m/656ft
0 200 km
landmines) in the world Sea Level 0 200 miles

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Portuguese*, Umbundu,

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Angola Kimbundu, Kikongo
DATE OF FORMATION: 1975 RELIGIONS: Roman Catholic 50%,
CAPITAL: Luanda other 30%, Protestant 20%
POPULATION: 18.5 million ETHNIC MIX: Ovimbundu 37%, other 25%,
TOTAL AREA: 481,351 sq. miles Kimbundu 25%, Bakongo 13%
(1,246,700 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Presidential system
DENSITY: 38 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: Readjusted kwanza = 100 lwei
158 ANTARCTICA

Antarctica
The circumpolar continent of Antarctica is almost entirely covered by
ice, some up to 1.2 miles (2 km) thick. It also contains 90% of the Earth’s
freshwater reserves.
GEOGRAPHY PEOPLE & SOCIETY
The bulk of Antarctica’s ice is No indigenous population.
contained in the Greater Antarctic Ice Scientists and logistical staff work at
Sheet – a huge dome that rises steeply the 40 permanent, and as many as
from the coast and flattens to a plateau 100 temporary, research stations. A
in the interior. few Chilean settler families live on
King George Island. Tourism is mostly
CLIMATE by cruise ship to the Antarctic Peninsula.
Powerful winds create a storm belt Annual tourist numbers have reached
around the continent, which brings cloud, nearly 50,000.
fog, and blizzards. Winter temperatures 0 1000 km
can fall to –112°F (–80°C). 0 1000 miles

South A n ta
Orkney Is. rc ti
cC
ir SOUTHERN
Territorial Claims: South
cl e
Shetland Is. OCEAN
Chilean claim d
au
King M
Argentinian claim George I. Weddell n nd
L e

Sea a
ue

Brazilian zone of interest Ende r by

Q

Antarctic
Peninsula Land
British claim
Norwegian undefined limit R o nne Ice
She lf East
South A n t a r c t i c a
Ellsworth Pole
Australian Land Tr
claim an
sa
nd

We s t nt
A nt ar c t ic a
La
ar

A munds e n
French claim
ct

Ross Ice
s

Se a
ke
ic

New Zealand claim Shelf il

M

W
V La
ic n d

t s.
to
ri

Ross SOUTHERN
The Antarctic Treaty of 1959
a

Sea OCEAN
South
holds all territorial claims in SOUTHERN
Balleny Is. Magnetic
OCEAN Pole Ice Cap
abeyance in the interest of Permanent Ice
international cooperation

FACTFILE INSIGHT: If the ice sheets of

DATE OF FORMATION: 1961 Antarctica were to melt, the
TOTAL AREA: 5,405,000 sq. miles world’s oceans would rise by as much
(14,000,000 sq. km) as 200–210 ft (60–65 m)
 NORTH & CENTRAL AMERICA 159
Antigua & Barbuda
A former colony of Spain, France, and the UK, Antigua
and Barbuda lies at the outer edge of the Leeward Islands group
in the Caribbean, and includes the uninhabited islet of Redonda.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
Mainly low-lying limestone and Tourism is the main source
coral islands with some higher volcanic of revenue and the biggest provider
areas. Antigua’s coast is indented with of jobs. Financial services and Internet
bays and harbors. gambling are expanding. High debt.
ATLANTIC
CLIMATE OCEAN
Tropical, moderated by trade winds 0 5 km
and sea breezes. Humidity and rainfall are 0 5 miles

Th
low for the region.

eH
Codrington

ig
Codrington

hla
200m/656ft Lagoon
PEOPLE & SOCIETY Barbuda

nds
Sea Level
Population almost entirely of Palmetto
African origin, with small communities of Isla Point
nd
s
Europeans and South Asians. Women’s 30
mi
Spanish
V.C. Bird l es Point
status has risen as a result of greater Intl. Airport Long I. (50
access to education. Wealth disparities ST. JOHN’S Guiana I.
k m)
a pa
are small. The Bird family dominated rt
politics from 1960, but lost power to the Antigua
United Progressive Party (UPP) from 2004. Bolans Freetown Green I.

ge pe
sa ou
Falmouth as del
INSIGHT: In 1865, Redonda was
a

u
“claimed” by an eccentric Englishman as G P
a kingdom for his son Caribbean Sea

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: English*, English patois

OFFICIAL NAME: Antigua and Barbuda RELIGIONS: Anglican 45%,
DATE OF FORMATION: 1981 other Protestant 42%, Roman Catholic 10%,
CAPITAL: St. John’s other 2%, Rastafarian 1%
POPULATION: 82,800 ETHNIC MIX: Black African 95%,
TOTAL AREA: 170 sq. miles other 5%
(442 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Parliamentary system
DENSITY: 487 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: E. Caribbean $ = 100 cents
160 SOUTH AMERICA

Argentina
Argentina occupies most of southern South America.
After 30 years of intermittent military rule, democracy returned
in 1983. Economy has slowed since its recovery from 2001 crash.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
The Andes form a natural border Agricultural exports restored
with Chile in the west. East are the growth from 2003, but bad drought in
heavily wooded plains (Gran Chaco) and 2008 coincided with global downturn.
treeless but fertile Pampas plains. Bleak
BOLIV IA PARAGUAY
and arid Patagonia in the south.
c

o
Salta C ha
CLIMATE an Posadas
San Miguel de Gr Corrientes
The Andes are semiarid in the north Tucumán

Sa
l a do BRAZIL
and snowy in the south. Pampas have a CHILE Santa Fe Paraná URUGUAY

A
mild climate with summer rains. San Juan Córdoba Rosario
BUENOS AIRES
Mendoza

s
pa
La Plata

Pam
PEOPLE & SOCIETY Santa Rosa
Mar del Plata
People are largely of European d Bahía Blanca
Neuquén N e g Bahía Blanca
descent; over one-third are of Italian r o
e

Viedma
origin. Indigenous peoples are now in a AT L AN T IC
Pa ta g on ia
s

minority, living mainly in Andean regions Golfo

O C E AN
or in the Gran Chaco. The middle classes San Jorge

were worst hit by the economic Falkland Islands

(to UK)
Bahía
meltdown of 2001–2002. Grande
Río Gallegos
Strait of Tierra 4000m/13124ft
del
INSIGHT: The Tango originated Magellan Fuego
3000m/9843ft
2000m/6562ft
in the poorer quarters of Buenos 0 400 km 1000m/3281ft
200m/656ft
Aires at the end of the 19th century 0 400 miles Sea Level

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Spanish*, Italian, Amerindian

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Argentina languages
DATE OF FORMATION: 1816 RELIGIONS: Roman Catholic 90%,
CAPITAL: Buenos Aires other 6%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%
POPULATION: 40.3 million ETHNIC MIX: Indo-European 83%, Mestizo
TOTAL AREA: 1,068,296 sq. miles 14%, Jewish 2%, Amerindian 1%
(2,766,890 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Presidential system
DENSITY: 38 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: Argentine peso = 100 centavos
 ASIA 161
Armenia
The smallest of the former USSR’s republics, Armenia
lies landlocked in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains. After
1988, a confrontation with Azerbaijan dominated national life.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
Rugged and mountainous, with Overseas remittances and
expanses of semidesert and a large lake agriculture each account for a sixth
in the east: Sevana Lich. of GDP. Main products are wine,
tobacco, potatoes, and fruit. Well-
CLIMATE developed machine-building and
Continental climate, with little manufacturing – includes textiles
rainfall in the lowlands. The winters are and bottling of mineral water.
often bitterly cold.
3000m/9843ft
2000m/6562ft
PEOPLE & SOCIETY GEORGIA 1000m/3281ft
500m/1640ft
Christianity is the dominant Alaverdi
religion, but minority groups are Vanadzor
well integrated. War with Azerbaijan

Les
Gyumri Sevan A ZERBAI JAN
over the enclave of Nagorno Karabakh

se
TURKEY Hrazdan
forced 350,000 Armenians living in Ashtarak

r C
Sevana
Vagharshapat Lich
Azerbaijan to return home, many to

a
Armavir YEREVAN

uc
live in poverty. There are close and ra Ararat
A

a
s

su
important ties to the seven-million-

s
strong Armenian diaspora.
AZERBAIJAN Kapan
A r as
INSIGHT: In the 4th century, Armenia
became the first country to adopt 0 50 km
IRAN
Christianity as its state religion 0 50 miles

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Armenian*, Azeri, Russian

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Armenia RELIGIONS: Armenian Apostolic Church
DATE OF FORMATION: 1991 (Orthodox) 88%, Armenian Catholic Church
CAPITAL: Yerevan 6%, other 6%
POPULATION: 3.08 million ETHNIC MIX: Armenian 98%, Yezidi 1%,
TOTAL AREA: 11,506 sq. miles other 1%
(29,800 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Parliamentary system
DENSITY: 268 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: Dram = 100 luma
162 AUSTRALASIA & OCEANIA

Australia
An island continent in its own right, Australia is the
world’s sixth-largest country. European settlement began over
200 years ago. Most Australians now live in cities along the coast.

GEOGRAPHY PEOPLE & SOCIETY

Located between the Indian The first settlers arrived in
and Pacific oceans, Australia has a Australia at least 100,000 years ago.
variety of landscapes, including tropical Today, the Aborigines make up around
rainforests, the arid plateaus, ridges, 2% of the population. European
and vast deserts of the “red center,” colonization began in 1788, and was
the lowlands and river systems draining dominated by British and Irish
into Lake Eyre, rolling tracts of pastoral immigrants, some of whom were
land, and magnificent beaches around convicts. White-only immigration drives
much of the coastline. In the far brought many Europeans to Australia,
east are the mountains of the but since the 1960s multi-culturalism
Great Dividing Range. Famous natural has been encouraged and most new
features include Uluru (Ayers Rock) and settlers are Asian; Cantonese has
the Great Barrier Reef. overtaken Italian as the second most
widely spoken language. Wealth
CLIMATE disparities are small, but Aborigines,
The west and south are semi-arid the exception in an otherwise
with hot summers. The arid interior integrated society, are marginalized:
can reach 120°F (50°C) in the central their average life expectancy is around
desert areas. The north is hot 11 years less than other Australians.
throughout the year, and humid The new Labor government from 2007
during the summer monsoon. East, has overturned right-wing policies on
southeast, and southwest coastal illegal immigration and has signed up
areas are temperate. to limiting greenhouse gas emissions.

FACTFILE DENSITY: 7 people per sq. mile

OFFICIAL NAME: Commonwealth of LANGUAGES: English*, Cantonese, other
Australia RELIGIONS: Various Protestant 38%,
DATE OF FORMATION: 1901 other 36%, Roman Catholic 26%
CAPITAL: Canberra ETHNIC MIX: European 90%, Asian 7%,
POPULATION: 21.3 million Aboriginal 2%, other 1%
TOTAL AREA: 2,967,893 sq. miles GOVERNMENT: Parliamentary system
(7,686,850 sq. km) CURRENCY: Australian dollar = 100 cents
 AUSTRALASIA & OCEANIA 163

THE ECONOMY Asian financial crisis. China now rivals

Efficient mining and agriculture: Japan as Australia’s major trading partner.
particular success in viticulture. Large Upward trend in Asian visitor arrivals
resource base: coal, iron ore, bauxite, has strengthened tourism.
and most other minerals. Protectionism
abandoned to open up Australian INSIGHT: Sydney has the
markets. Concentration on trade with world’s largest suburban area,
Asia: China’s expanding demand for a conurbation so vast that the city
minerals spurred a return to strong is twice as large as Beijing and
economic growth after the 1997 six times the size of Rome
A r af u r a S e a
Bama
Bamag
ag
ga C
Cape
Caape
pee Y ork

Gre
Timor P A C I F I C
Daarw
Da rrwi
rw
wiin
w
win
Seeaa

at
Arr n h e m
A Gulf
ulf
lf
lf
O C E A N
off

Ba
Land Caar
C a r pe n
ntar
t ria

rr
ie
K i mb
m b e rrll eey
y
I N D I A N

r
P lla
a
ate
te
t au Cairn
Cairn
irn
rn
ns
ns C o r a l

Re
O C E A N S e a

Gr

ef
N O R T H E R N
T E R R I T O R Y Towns
Tow
TTown
own
o
owns
wns
wn
wnsssville
n villlllee
ville
vill
vvil

ea
t
Po
Po
Port
ort
or
rrtt H
Hedl
He
Hedla
Hed
eedla
edl
ed
dla
dllaand
nd Great Sandy Mo
Mount
Moun
Mo n
nt Isa
sa
a Ma
Maacka
ccka
kay

D
D e s e r t Lake
iv
L
Lak
La
Lake kee
Macka
cka
kaay Macdonnell
id
Ham Disa
Disap
Di
D isap
iis
ssap
app poi
point
p oi nt
oint
oinnt ment
m Alic
A
Al
Alice
lilice
ce Spr
Spri
Sp
pri
r ngs
ng
n gss
g
R a negr s l e y Gibson
Ranges
in
Roc
Roockh
ckh
kh
hamp
haaam
m
mpton
e QUEENSL A N D
Desert Ulur
Uluru
U lluru
uru
rru
u g Bund
Bun
Bu
Bun
uunda
nda
nd
daaberg
b
(A
(Aye
(Ayer
(A
(Ay
Ayer
Ay y e s Roc
R ck)
k) R
W E S T E R N (867
(8
(86
((867m
867m
8 67m
6
677m )
7m Simps
Simp
Sim
Si
S i m p on
im n a
n g F rraas
a ssee r I.
Carn
Carna
C rna
narvon
na rvo
von
on Lak
La
Lake
L aake
ke Carne
ke Carn
negie
neegie
g iie D ees t
Deser
Des
De e Gympie
Me
Meek
Meeka
eeka
eek
eka
ek tth
tharr
harr
harrra Brrri
B rissb
sbane
Great Toowo
owo
ow
wo
w oom omba
omb
o mb
A U S T R A L I A Lak
La
L aake
ke Eyre
Eyrre
re Goo l d Coast
G
Victoria IIpswi
Ip
p
pswi
pswwiicch
w h
SOUT H SSu urfers
n ge
es
Desert ng n g Pa
P a
ara
ar ra
raad dise
rli
Ra
Ra

Geral
aldt
dto
dt
dton
to
on
n AUSTR A L IA Da Graf
Graft
Gr
G raft
rraf
ra
aaft
fftto
on
n
er s

n
r Plai
ng

Kalgo
Ka
algo
alg
a l orlie
lgo rlie
e o
b Co
C o
off
of f
ffs
fffs
Fl in d

NEW SOUT H
di

r
lla Por
Port
PPo
ort
o rrtt Augu
Augus
Augugu
ugustaa
gu Haarrrb
Ha bour
vi

Per
Pe
Perth
ert
errth
th
h Nu Brok
Broke
B roke
rok
rro
o
okk n Hi
oke Hiliill
Di

New
Ne
N eew
wca
wc
w ca
c ststle
Dar ng

Fremaannttle
tllee Whya
W hyal
hy llaa Port
PPo
Por
ort
or
o rtt PPir
irie
rie WA L ES
at
Ra

re

Rockingh
ham
am EEliza
liza
izzzaabe
iza beth
bet
b eeth
etth
th Syd
Sydn
SSydne
ydne
ydn
yyddne
neey
G

Wagga
Wag
W agga
agg
gga
gga
ga
lin e

Bunb
unb
nbbury
bu ry Port Li
Lin
inc
nco
ncco oln
n
Espe
E
Esper
spe
pee an
er
eraance
anc
nce Adela
Ade
Adel
A
Add
del
delae i
ide
idd Wag
Wagga
W
Wagg
agga
agg
ag
a g
gga
ggga
g a Wo
W o
ollo
oll
l
llo
o n gong
g

Cape Leeu
u w iin
n M
ur
ra A Albu bu
bur
b urry
u CA
C AN
A NBERRA
NB
Allba
Alba
A
Alban
lban
ban
anny Kaang
a ng
nga
n gaa rroo
ooo II. Bendigo o y
go AU
A U
USSST
UST
STR
STRA
TRA
TRA ALIA
LIAN
LIAN
CA
CAAPIT
AP
PPIT
ITTA
TAL TERRITORY
TE
G r e a t A u s t r a l i a n VI CTO RI A
A u stralian Alps
Au
B i g h t Melb
Mel
Me
Melbo
M elbo
eel
elb
llbo
bo
b ourne
urn
ur
urrne
rn
ne
ne
Geel
Geelo
G
Gee
Ge eelo
ee
eelo
eel
eello
long
ng
T a s m a n
Bass
B
Ba
Bas
ass
as
sss Stra
Sttrai
Str
Strai
t rra
rai
ait
ai S e a
Bur
Bu
B urn
rn
nie
ni
1000m/3281ft TAS
ASSM
SMANNIIA
NIA
IA La
LLau
aau
unc
un
unncce
ceest
eston
sto
t
500m/1640ft
200m/656ft 0 400 km Ho
H
Hob
o
obar
ob
bbaaarrt
bar
Sea Level
Below Sea Level 0 400 miles Sou
Sout
S out
outh
uth
t h E ast Cape
164 EUROPE

Austria
Bordering eight countries in the heart of Europe,
Austria was created in 1918 after the collapse of the Habsburg
Empire. Neutral after World War II, it joined the EU in 1995.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
Mainly mountainous. Alps and Large manufacturing base, despite
foothills cover the west and south. lack of energy resources. The skilled labor
Lowlands in the east are part of the force is key to high-tech exports.
Danube River basin. Eurozone membership since 2002 has
boosted investment.
CLIMATE
Temperate continental climate. INSIGHT: Many of the world’s great
The western Alpine regions have composers were Austrian, including
colder winters and more rainfall. Mozart, Haydn, Schubert, and Strauss

PEOPLE & SOCIETY 3000m/9843ft

2000m/6562ft
Though Austrians speak German, 1000m/3281ft
CZECH REP.
500m/1640ft
they like to stress their distinctive 200m/656ft
Sea Level
identity in relation to Germany. Vienna Linz e VIENNA SLVKA.

b
Da n u
is a major cultural center. Minorities Wels
Steyr Sankt Pölten
are few; there are some ethnic Croats, GERMANY
Salzburg
Wiener
Slovenes, and Hungarians, plus Bad Ischl Neustadt
Dornbirn
Leoben
refugees from conflict in former LIECH. Innsbruck s
HUNG.
p Graz
Yugoslavia. Though strongly Roman A l Wolfsberg
SWITZ. ITALY
Catholic, Austrian society is less Villach
Klagenfurt
conservative than some southern SLOVENIA
German Länder. Class divisions 0 50 km
remain strong. 0 50 miles

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: German*, Croatian, Slovenian,

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Austria Hungarian (Magyar)
DATE OF FORMATION: 1918 RELIGIONS: Roman Catholic 78%,
CAPITAL: Vienna nonreligious 9%, other 8%, Protestant 5%
POPULATION: 8.36 million ETHNIC MIX: Austrian 93%, Croat, Slovene,
TOTAL AREA: 32,378 sq. miles and Hungarian 6%, other 1%
(83,858 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Parliamentary system
DENSITY: 262 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: Euro = 100 cents
 ASIA 165
Azerbaijan
Situated on the western coast of the Caspian Sea, it
was the first Soviet republic to declare independence in 1991.
Territorial disputes with Armenia have dominated politics since.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
Caucasus Mountains in west, Oil and natural gas exports drive
including Naxçivan exclave south of economic growth. Pipeline to Ceyhan,
Armenia. Flat, low-lying terrain on the Turkey, has opened up European market.
coast of the Caspian Sea. Severe pollution in Baku.
INSIGHT: The fire-worshipping
CLIMATE
Zoroastrian faith originated in
Low rainfall. Continental, with Azerbaijan in the 6th century BCE
bitter winters, inland. Subtropical in
coastal regions. RUSS. FED.
GEORGIA C Caspian
a Quba
u Sea
PEOPLE & SOCIETY fiäki c a
Ku
ra
s u
Azeris, a Muslim people with s
Gäncä Mingäàevir Sumqayıt
ethnic links to Turks, form a large
Le

BAKU
majority. Thousands of Armenians, Ku
ss

ARMENIA ra
er

Nagorno-
Russians, and Jews have left since Karabakh
Ca

Xankändi Äli-Bayramlı
uc

independence. Influx of half a million

as

s as
Ar
u

Azeri refugees fleeing war with Armenia Naxàıvan

over the disputed enclave of Nagorno Länkärän

IRAN
Karabakh. Armenians there operate with
4000m/13124ft
de facto independence. The status of 3000m/9843ft
2000m/6562ft
women deteriorated after the fall of 1000m/3281ft
500m/1640ft
communism but they are slowly 200m/656ft 0 100 km
Sea Level
regaining their position. Below Sea Level 0 100 miles

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Azeri*, Russian

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Azerbaijan RELIGIONS: Shi’a Muslim 68%,
DATE OF FORMATION: 1991 Sunni Muslim 26%, Russian Orthodox 3%,
CAPITAL: Baku Armenian Orthodox 2%, other 1%
POPULATION: 8.83 million ETHNIC MIX: Azeri 91%, other 3%,
TOTAL AREA: 33,436 sq. miles Lazs 2%, Russian 2%, Armenian 2%
(86,600 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Presidential system
DENSITY: 264 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: New manat = 100 gopik
166 NORTH & CENTRAL AMERICA

Bahamas
Located off the Florida coast in the western
Atlantic, the Bahamas comprises an archipelago of some 700
islands and 2400 cays, only around 30 of which are inhabited.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
Long, mainly flat coral Major tourist destination, especially
formations with a few low hills. for US visitors. Financial services: banking
Some islands have pine forests, and insurance.
lagoons, and mangrove swamps.
INSIGHT: The country’s extensive
CLIMATE merchant fleet consists mainly of
Subtropical. Hot summers and “flag-of-convenience” vessels
mild winters. Heavy rainfall, especially a
registered by foreign owners
id
or Grand
in summer. Hurricanes can strike in Fl
Bahama I.
f
so
July–December.
a it
Freeport 200m/656ft
St r

Sea Level
Great Abaco
Berry Is.
PEOPLE & SOCIETY New Eleuthera I.
Over 60% of the population live Nicholls Providence A T L A N T I C
Town NASSAU O C E A N
on New Providence. Tourism employs Andros I. Andros Ex
Cat I.
over 40% of the labor force. There are Town um
San Salvador
aS
marked wealth disparities, from urban Exuma
ou

Cays d Rum Cay

n

professionals in the banking sector to

Long I.
traditional fishermen on outlying islands
Crooked I.
and illegal Haitian and Cuban immigrants. Mayaguana
Acklins I.
More women are now entering the
professions. Government priorities ge
Pa ssa
Ca i c o s
are tackling narcotics trafficking and 0 100 km Great
Inagua
money laundering. 0 100 miles

FACTFILE DENSITY: 88 people per sq. mile

OFFICIAL NAME: Commonwealth LANGUAGES: English*, English Creole,
of the Bahamas French Creole
DATE OF FORMATION: 1973 RELIGIONS: Baptist 32%, other 29%,
CAPITAL: Nassau Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%
POPULATION: 341,700 ETHNIC MIX: Black African 85%, other 15%
TOTAL AREA: 5382 sq. miles GOVERNMENT: Parliamentary system
(13,940 sq. km) CURRENCY: Bahamian dollar = 100 cents
 ASIA 167
Bahrain
Bahrain is an archipelago of 49 islands between the
Qatar peninsula and the Saudi Arabian mainland. Only three of the
islands are inhabited. It was the first Gulf emirate to export oil.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
All islands are low-lying. The Main exports are refined petroleum
largest, Bahrain Island, is mainly sandy and aluminum products. As oil reserves
plains and salt marshes. run out, natural gas is of increasing
importance. Major Middle East offshore
CLIMATE banking center, hit by global banking
Summers are hot and humid. crisis in 2008–2009.
Winters are mild. Low rainfall. Persian Jazírat al
Muíarraq
Gulf Al Busaytín
Al Muíarraq
PEOPLE & SOCIETY MANAMA
To mainland Jidd Íaf§
The key social division is (Saudi Arabia)
Madínat ‘Ísá
between the Shi’a majority and Sitrah
Sunni minority. Sunnis hold the best Ar Rifá‘ al Ar Rifá‘ ash
Umm an Gharbí Sharqí
jobs in bureaucracy and business while Na‘sán Gulf
Gulf of
Shi’as tend to do menial work. The of Bahrain
200m/656ft
Ba hra in Sea Level
al-Khalifa family has ruled since 1783, Bahrain

but transformed Bahrain into a

constitutional monarchy, with
limited democracy, in 2002. Bahrain
is socially liberal.
Hawar
Islands
INSIGHT: The 16 Hawar Islands were
awarded to Bahrain in 2001 after a 0 10 km
lengthy dispute with Qatar 0 10 miles

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Arabic*

OFFICIAL NAME: Kingdom of Bahrain RELIGIONS: Muslim (mainly Shi’a) 99%,
DATE OF FORMATION: 1971 other 1%
CAPITAL: Manama ETHNIC MIX: Bahraini 70%, Iranian,
POPULATION: 791,500 Indian, and Pakistani 24%, other 6%
TOTAL AREA: 239 sq. miles GOVERNMENT: Mixed monarchical-
(620 sq. km) parliamentary system
DENSITY: 2899 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: Bahraini dinar = 1000 fils
168 ASIA

Bangladesh
Bangladesh lies at the north end of the Bay of Bengal
and frequently suffers devastating flood, cyclones,
and famine. It seceded from Pakistan in 1971.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
Mostly flat alluvial plains and Agriculture is vulnerable to
deltas of the Brahmaputra and Ganges unpredictable climate. Bangladesh
rivers. Southeast coasts are fringed accounts for 90% of world jute fiber
with mangrove forests. exports. Poor infrastructure deters
investment. Growing textile industry.
CLIMATE 500m/1640ft
Hot and humid. During the 200m/656ft
Sea Level
monsoon, water levels can rise 20 ft (6 m) Rangpur ra

t
a pu
Saidpur
above sea level. INDIA

Br ahm
Dinajpur

Jamalpur Sylhet
PEOPLE & SOCIETY
Mymensingh
After a period of military rule, Rajshahi Shirajganj Ghat
Bangladesh returned to democracy in Ga
Brahmanbaria
Pabna ng
1991; political instability has continued, es
(P
DHAKA
ad
Ha

however, and corruption is a major INDIA ma Comilla

)
ri n

problem. Half of the population live in Jessore

gh

t Barisal
á

Khulna
poverty, but living standards are Mouths Chittagong
of the Ganges
improving. Women are prominent in
politics, but their rights are neglected. B a y

M AA R
)
o f

(B ANM
B e n g a l

UR
INSIGHT: Torrential monsoon
Y
M
rains flood two-thirds of the 0 100 km
country every year 0 100 miles

FACTFILE DENSITY: 3138 people per sq. mile

OFFICIAL NAME: People’s Republic LANGUAGES: Bengali*, Urdu, Chakma,
of Bangladesh Marma, Garo, Khasi, Santhali, Tripuri, Mro
DATE OF FORMATION: 1971 RELIGIONS: Muslim (mainly Sunni) 87%,
CAPITAL: Dhaka Hindu 12%, other 1%
POPULATION: 162 million ETHNIC MIX: Bengali 98%, other 2%
TOTAL AREA: 55,598 sq. miles GOVERNMENT: Parliamentary system
(144,000 sq. km) CURRENCY: Taka = 100 poisha
 NORTH & CENTRAL AMERICA 169
Barbados
Barbados is the most easterly of the Caribbean islands.
Once solely inhabited by the native Arawak, Barbados
was first colonized by British settlers in the 1620s.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
Encircled by coral reefs. Fertile and Well-developed tourism sector
predominantly flat, with a few gentle hills based on climate and accessibility.
to the north. Financial services, offshore banking,
and information processing are key
CLIMATE industries. Sugar production has
Moderate tropical climate. Sunnier dwindled. High cost of living.
and drier than its more mountainous
neighbors. 0 5 km
0 5 miles
PEOPLE & SOCIETY
Some latent tension between white Speightstown
community, which controls politics and ATLANTIC
much of the economy, and majority OCEAN
black population, but violence is rare. Holetown
Bathsheba
Increasing social mobility has enabled
black Barbadians to enter the professions.
Despite political stability, and good
Marchfield
welfare and education services, pockets
of abject poverty remain. BRIDGETOWN
Hastings Grantley Adams
Oistins
Intl. Airport
INSIGHT: Barbados retains a strong ATLANTIC
British influence and is referred to by its OCEAN
200m/656ft
neighbors as “Little England” Sea Level

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Bajan (Barbadian English),

OFFICIAL NAME: Barbados English*
DATE OF FORMATION: 1966 RELIGIONS: Anglican 40%, other 24%,
CAPITAL: Bridgetown nonreligious 17%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist
POPULATION: 255,900 7%, Roman Catholic 4%
TOTAL AREA: 166 sq. miles ETHNIC MIX: Black African 92%, other 8%
(430 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Parliamentary system
DENSITY: 1542 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: Barbados dollar = 100 cents
170 EUROPE

Belarus
Literally “White Russia,” Belarus lies landlocked in
eastern Europe. It reluctantly became independent when the
USSR broke up in 1991. It has few resources other than agriculture.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
Mainly plains and low hills. The Low unemployment. Industry
Dnieper and Dvina rivers drain the outmoded and mainly state-owned.
eastern lowlands. Vast Pripet Marshes Depends on Russia for energy and raw
in the southwest. materials: tensions over natural gas prices.

CLIMATE INSIGHT: The number of cancer

Extreme continental climate. and leukemia cases soared after
Winters are long, sub-freezing, but the 1986 Chernobyl disaster
mainly dry; summers are hot. LA TV IA

200m/656ft
We
PEOPLE & SOCIETY Sea Level s te
rn D
Vitsyebsk
vina
Only 2% of people are non-Slav, RUSS.
FED.
so ethnic tension is minimal. Russian LITHUANIA Orsha
culture dominates. Belarus was the Barysaw
slowest ex-Soviet state to implement Lida MINSK
POLAND

Mahilyow
political reform; President Lukashenka Hrodna
Slutsk Babruysk
has been labeled as Europe’s last Baranavichy

Dn
dictator. Enthusiasm for a merger with Homyel’

i ep
Brest Pinsk Rechytsa

er
Russia has waned. Wealth is held by a Pripet
Marshes Mazyr
small ex-Communist elite. Fallout from UKRAI NE
the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in U K RA IN E

Ukraine still seriously affects health and 0 100 km

the environment. 0 100 miles

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Belarussian*, Russian*

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Belarus RELIGIONS: Orthodox Christian 60%,
DATE OF FORMATION: 1991 other (including Muslim, Jewish, and
CAPITAL: Minsk Protestant) 32%, Roman Catholic 8%
POPULATION: 9.63 million ETHNIC MIX: Belarussian 81%, Russian 11%,
TOTAL AREA: 80,154 sq. miles Polish 4%, Ukrainian 2%, other 2%
(207,600 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Presidential system
DENSITY: 120 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: Belarussian rouble = 100 kopeks
 EUROPE 171
Belgium
Belgium lies in northwestern Europe. Its history has been
marked by tensions between the majority Dutch-speaking
(Flemish) and minority French-speaking (Walloon) communities.

GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY

Low-lying coastal plain covers Variety of industrial exports,
two-thirds of the country. Land including steel, glassware, cut
becomes hilly and forested in the diamonds, and textiles. Very high
southeast (Ardennes) region. levels of public debt. Bureaucracy
larger than European average.
CLIMATE
Maritime climate with Gulf INSIGHT: The Ardennes region,
Stream influences. Temperatures are in the southeast of the country, is
mild, with heavy cloud cover and rain. famous for its forests, lakes, and cuisine
More rainfall and weather fluctuations
at the coast.
North Sea N ETHERLANDS
Oostende Antwerpen
PEOPLE & SOCIETY Brugge
Gent Mechelen

se
Since 1970, Flemish regions

Me u
Kortrijk Aalst Leuven
have become more prosperous than BRUSSELS
Tournai Liège
those of the minority Walloons, La Louvière GER.
overturning traditional roles and Mons Namur
Charleroi
increasing friction. Belgium moved to FRANCE

a federal system from 1980 in order to

es
500m/1640ft n
en
contain tensions, but recent fractious 200m/656ft Ard LUX.
Sea Level
politics have raised doubts over the
union’s survival. Brussels hosts key 0 40 km
European Union institutions. 0 40 miles

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Dutch*, French*,

OFFICIAL NAME: Kingdom of Belgium German*
DATE OF FORMATION: 1830 RELIGIONS: Roman Catholic 88%,
CAPITAL: Brussels other 10%, Muslim 2%
POPULATION: 10.6 million ETHNIC MIX: Flemish 58%, Walloon 33%,
TOTAL AREA: 11,780 sq. miles other 6%, Italian 2%, Moroccan 1%
(30,510 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Parliamentary system
DENSITY: 840 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: Euro = 100 cents
172 NORTH & CENTRAL AMERICA

Belize
Belize lies on the eastern shore of the Yucatan
Peninsula. Formerly called British Honduras, Belize was the last
Central American country to gain its independence, in 1981.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
Almost half the land area is Tourism, agriculture, and offshore
forested. Low mountains in southeast. banking. Oil extraction began in 2005.
Flat swampy coastal plains. Sugar, textiles, lobsters, and shrimp are
exported. Serious hurricane damage is a
CLIMATE recurring problem.
Tropical. Very hot and humid, with
0 50 km
May–December rainy season. Corozal
0 50 miles Louisville
do
PEOPLE & SOCIETY MEXICO

n
Orange Walk

Ho
English-speaking black Creoles

er
Maskall

Riv
are outnumbered by Spanish speakers, Crooked Tree

New
including native mestizos and immigrants Belize City

ze
li
from neighboring states. The Creoles B
e

Reef
BELMOPAN
have traditionally dominated society,
San Ignacio
but high levels of emigration to the Dangriga

.
ts
US have weakened their influence. GUATEMALA

er
M
The Afro-Carib garifuna have their

rri
a

y
Ba
own language. Corruption, and M
a
Monkey River
trafficking of people and narcotics, San Antonio Town
are major problems. Punta Gorda
Caribbean
S a r s t oo n
Sea
1000m/3281ft
INSIGHT: Belize’s barrier reef is 500m/1640ft
200m/656ft
the second-largest in the world Sea Level

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: English Creole, Spanish,

OFFICIAL NAME: Belize English*, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib)
DATE OF FORMATION: 1981 RELIGIONS: Roman Catholic 62%,
CAPITAL: Belmopan other 20%, Anglican 12%, Methodist 6%
POPULATION: 306,800 ETHNIC MIX: Mestizo 49%, Creole 25%,
TOTAL AREA: 8867 sq. miles Maya 11%, other 9%, Garifuna 6%
(22,966 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Parliamentary system
DENSITY: 35 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: Belizean dollar = 100 cents
 AFRICA 173
Benin
Benin stretches north from the west African coast.
In 1990, Benin became one of the pioneers of African
democratization, ending 17 years of one-party Marxist-Leninist rule.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
Sandy coastal region. Numerous Strong agricultural sector: cash
lagoons lie just behind the shoreline. crops include cotton, oil palm, and
Forested plateaus inland. Mountains in cashew nuts. Large-scale smuggling is
the northwest. a serious problem. France is the main
aid donor.
CLIMATE
Hot and humid in the south. INSIGHT:
NIGER
Two rainy seasons. Hot, dusty Voodoo is N
ig
harmattan winds blow during the thought to have er
BURKINA Malanville
originated in
December–February dry season.
Benin, and was
Kandi
taken to Haiti
PEOPLE & SOCIETY by slaves Natitingou
There are 42 different ethnic Ndali
groups. The southern Fon have tended Djougou
to dominate politics. Other major Parakou

groups are the Adja and Yoruba. TOGO

NIGERIA
The northern Fulani follow a nomadic Savè
lifestyle. North–south tension is
mainly due to the south being more 500m/1640ft Ouéme
developed. French culture, centered 200m/656ft
Sea Level
on Cotonou, is highly prized. Substantial Lokossa
PORTO-NOVO
differences in wealth reflect a strongly 0 100 km Ouidah Cotonou
hierarchical society. 0 100 miles A TLA NTIC O CEAN

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Fon, Bariba, Yoruba, Adja,

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Benin Houeda, Somba, French*
DATE OF FORMATION: 1960 RELIGIONS: 50%, Muslim 30%,
CAPITAL: Porto-Novo Christian 20%
POPULATION: 8.94 million ETHNIC MIX: Fon 41%, other 21%,
TOTAL AREA: 43,483 sq. miles Adja 16%, Yoruba 12%, Bariba 10%
(112,620 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Presidential system
DENSITY: 209 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: CFA franc = 100 centimes
174 ASIA

Bhutan
Perched in the eastern Himalayas between India and
China lies the landlocked Kingdom of Bhutan. It is largely closed to
the outside world to protect its culture; TV was banned until 1999.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
Low, tropical southern strip rising Reliant on India for trade. Most
through fertile central valleys to high people farm their own plots of land and
Himalayas in the north. Around 70% of herd cattle and yaks. Steep land unsuited
the land is forested. for cultivation. Development of cash
crops for Asian markets.
CLIMATE
South is tropical, north is alpine, INSIGHT: In 2004 Bhutan became
cold, and harsh. Central valleys warmer the first country in the world to ban
in east than west. smoking and the sale of tobacco

PEOPLE & SOCIETY CHINA

The king was absolute monarch
until 1998, and the first democratic H i m a l a y a s
elections were held a decade later. Most THIMPHU
people are devoutly Buddhist and Paro
Wangdi
Phodrang Tashigang
International Shemgang
originate from Tibet. The Hindu Nepalese Chhukha
settled in the south. Bhutan has 20 Phuntsholing Samdrup
languages. In 1988, Dzongkha (a Tibetan INDIA
Jonkhar

dialect native to just 16% of the people)

was made the official language. The 4000m/13124ft
3000m/9843ft
Nepalese community regard this as 2000m/6562ft
1000m/3281ft
“cultural imperialism,” causing 500m/1640ft 0 50 km
200m/656ft
considerable ethnic tensions. Sea Level 0 50 miles

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Dzongkha*, Nepali

OFFICIAL NAME: Kingdom of Bhutan RELIGIONS: Mahayana Buddhist 70%,
DATE OF FORMATION: 1656 Hindu 24%, other 6%
CAPITAL: Thimphu ETHNIC MIX: Bhute 50%, other 25%,
POPULATION: 697,300 Nepalese 25%
TOTAL AREA: 18,147 sq. miles GOVERNMENT: Mixed monarchical–
(47,000 sq. km) parliamentary system
DENSITY: 38 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: Ngultrum = 100 chetrum
 SOUTH AMERICA 175
Bolivia
Landlocked high in central South America, Bolivia is one
of the region’s poorest countries. La Paz is the world’s highest
capital city: 13,385 feet (3631 m) above sea level.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
A high windswept plateau, the Gold, silver, zinc, tin, oil, natural gas:
altiplano, lies between two Andean all vulnerable to world price fluctuations.
mountain ranges. Semiarid grasslands Social issues and nationalization of
to the east; dense tropical forests natural gas sector deter investors. Major
to the north. coca producer. Lack of manufacturing.
Rich eastern provinces want autonomy.
CLIMATE
Altiplano has extreme tropical 3000m/9843ft
2000m/6562ft
climate, with night-frost in winter. North Guayaramerín
1000m/3281ft
500m/1640ft
and east are hot and humid. Riberalta 200m/656ft
Sea Level

PERU Gu

i
PEOPLE & SOCIETY
Ben
ap o
ré
The indigenous majority faces Lake
Trinidad
widespread discrimination. Wealthy Titicaca
A

BRAZIL
Spanish-descended families have LA PAZ
Montero
n

traditionally controlled the economy. Cochabamba

Amerindian Evo Morales, president from Oruro Santa Cruz
SUCRE Puerto
d

2005, pledged to cut poverty, legalize Alti ac

o Suárez
coca, and redistribute land. p l a Potosí Ch
no
an
e

CHILE
Gr

Tupiza PARAGUAY
Tarija
INSIGHT: Between 1825 and 1982
s

Bolivia averaged more than one armed A RG EN TIN A 0 200 km

coup a year 0 200 miles

FACTFILE DENSITY: 24 people per sq. mile

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Bolivia LANGUAGES: Aymara*, Quechua*, Spanish*
DATE OF FORMATION: 1825 RELIGIONS: Roman Catholic 93%,
CAPITAL: La Paz (administrative); other 7%
Sucre (judicial) ETHNIC MIX: Quechua 37%, Aymara 32%,
POPULATION: 9.86 million mixed 13%, European 10%, other 8%
TOTAL AREA: 424,162 sq. miles GOVERNMENT: Presidential system
(1,098,580 sq. km) CURRENCY: Boliviano = 100 centavos
176 EUROPE

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Perched in the highlands of southeast Europe, Bosnia
and Herzegovina was the focus of the bitter ethnic conflict which
accompanied the early 1990s dissolution of the Yugoslav state.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
Hills and mountains, with narrow Potential to recover status as a
river valleys. Lowlands in the north. thriving market economy with a strong
Mainly deciduous forest covers about manufacturing base, but still struggles
half of the total area. with resettling refugees and the legacy
of war. Little investment.
CLIMATE
Continental. Hot summers Sa v CROATIA
a
and cold, often snowy winters. Prijedor Modriâa
Bihaá REPUBLICA SRPSKA
PEOPLE & SOCIETY D Banja Luka Doboj
SERBIA
in Tuzla
Despite sharing the same origin

na
Zvornik

os
and spoken language, Bosnians have a Travnik B D
r Zenica rin
ic Srebrenica a
been divided by history between A Bugojno
Orthodox Serbs, Catholic Croats, and lp
FEDERACIJA
SARAJEVO
s
Muslim Bosniaks. Ethnic cleansing was CROATIA BOSNA I
HERCEGOVINA
practiced by all sides in the civil war,
displacing about 60% of the population. Mostar
Hopes for EU integration will require 2000m/6562ft MONTENEGRO
1000m/3281ft
further ethnic reconciliation. 500m/1640ft
200m/656ft
Sea Level

INSIGHT: The murder of Archduke

Ferdinand of Austria in Sarajevo in 0 50 km
1914 triggered the First World War 0 50 miles

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Bosnian*, Serbian*,

OFFICIAL NAME: Bosnia and Herzegovina Croatian*
DATE OF FORMATION: 1992 RELIGIONS: Muslim 40%, Orthodox
CAPITAL: Sarajevo Christian 31%, Catholic 15%, other 14%
POPULATION: 3.77 million ETHNIC MIX: Bosniak 44%, Serb 31%,
TOTAL AREA: 19,741 sq. miles Croat 17%, other 8%
(51,129 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Parliamentary system
DENSITY: 191 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: Marka = 100 pfeninga
 AFRICA 177
Botswana
Landlocked in the heart of southern Africa, Botswana
boasts the world’s largest inland river delta. Diamonds provide
potential wealth, but the country is crippled by HIV/AIDS.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
Lies on vast plateau, high Overreliance on diamonds:
above sea level. Hills in the east. vulnerable to world price fluctuations.
Kalahari Desert in center and Beef is exported to Europe. Tourism
southwest. Swamps and salt pans aimed at wealthy wildlife enthusiasts.
elsewhere and in Okavango Basin. AIDS is devastating the population.

CLIMATE 1000m/3281ft
ZAMBIA 500m/1640ft
Dry and prone to drought. nd o
wa Kasane
Summer wet season, April–October. K

Winters are warm, with cold nights. Ok a v a n go

ZIMBABWE
NAMIBIA Delt a
Maun
PEOPLE & SOCIETY Makgadikgadi
The nomadic San bushmen, Francistown
the first inhabitants, are marginalized. Ghanzi
Selebi Phikwe
One in four adults are living with Serowe
HIV/AIDS: only Swaziland is worse Kalahari Mahalapye po
po
affected. Life expectancy is around Desert

Li m
50 years. Diamond revenue has widened GABORONE Mochudi
wealth inequalities. Kanye
SOU T H
Lobatse
A FRI CA

INSIGHT: Water, Botswana’s most

precious resource, is honored in the 0 200 km
name of the currency – pula 0 200 miles

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Setswana, English*, Shona,

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Botswana San, Khoikhoi, isiNdebele
DATE OF FORMATION: 1966 RELIGIONS: Traditional beliefs 50%,
CAPITAL: Gaborone Christian (mainly Protestant) 30%,
POPULATION: 1.95 million other (including Muslim) 20%
TOTAL AREA: 231,803 sq. miles ETHNIC MIX: Tswana 98%, other 2%
(600,370 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Presidential system
DENSITY: 9 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: Pula = 100 thebe
178 SOUTH AMERICA

Brazil
Covering almost half of South America, Brazil is the site
of the world’s largest and ecologically most important rainforest.
The country has immense natural and economic resources.

GEOGRAPHY PEOPLE & SOCIETY

Rainforest grows around the Diverse population includes
massive Amazon River and its delta, Amerindians, black people of
Equatorr
covering almost half of Brazil’s total African descent, European
land area. Apart from the basin of the immigrants, and those of COLOMBIA
River Plate to the south, the rest of the mixed race. Amerindians suffer
country consists of highlands. The prejudice from most other
mountainous east is part-forested groups. Shanty towns in the
and part-desert. The coastal plain cities attract poor migrants from
in the southeast has swampy areas. the northeast. Urban crime,
The Atlantic coastline is 1240 miles violent land disputes, and
(2000 km) long. unchecked development in
Amazonia tarnish Brazil’s image as
PERU
CLIMATE a modern nation. Catholicism and
Brazil’s share of the Amazon the family unit remain strong.
Basin has a model tropical equatorial
climate, with high temperatures and THE ECONOMY
rainfall all year round. The Brazilian Dominant regional economy.
plateau has far greater seasonal Huge potential for growth based
variation. The dry northeast suffers on abundant natural resources.
frequent droughts, though coastal A leading exporter of coffee, sugar,
regions are occasionally flooded by and orange juice. Social tension
bouts of torrential rain. The south has threatens stability. Infrastructure
hot summers and cool winters. needs investment.

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Portuguese*, German, Italian,

OFFICIAL NAME: Federative Rep. of Brazil Spanish, Polish, Japanese, other
DATE OF FORMATION: 1822 RELIGIONS: Roman Catholic 74%, Protestant
CAPITAL: Brasília 15%, atheist 7%, other 4%
POPULATION: 194 million ETHNIC MIX: White 54%, Mixed race 38%,
TOTAL AREA: 3,286,470 sq. miles Black 6%, other 2%
(8,511,965 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Presidential system
DENSITY: 59 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: Real = 100 centavos
 SOUTH AMERICA 179

INSIGHT: Since 1900, a third of

Brazil’s indigenous Amerindian groups
have become extinct due to disease,
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JJo
oiin
oin
oinvi
vill
vvil
iillll e
Fllo
Fl orianópolis
ARG EN T IN
NA
Caxi
Cax
Ca
C axi
aax xias iaass do Sul
ATLANTIC 2000m/6562ft
1000m/3281ft
500m/1640ft
Po
Poort
orrrtto
to Al Alegre
Ale eg 200m/656ft
Lago
La
Lag
Lagoa
agoa
aag
g oa
goa
gooa d
doooss Pa
dos P aatos
Patos
tos OCEA N Sea Level

Pelo
Pel
PPe
elo
eel
lottas
lo taaas
UR UGU
UAAY
Y Riio
R
Rio
io Gr
Gr de
Gran
Miri
Mirim
Mir
Mi
M iirim
irr i Lag
L
Lagoon
La 0 500 km
0 500 miles
180 ASIA

Brunei
Lying on the northern coast of the island of Borneo,
Brunei is surrounded and divided in two by the Malaysian
state of Sarawak. It has been independent since 1984.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
Mostly dense lowland rainforest Oil and natural gas production has
and mangrove swamps, with some brought one of the world’s highest
mountains in the southeast. standards of living. Massive overseas
investments. Major consumer of high-
CLIMATE tech hi-fi, video equipment, and Western
Tropical. Six-month rainy season designer clothes.
with very high humidity.
1000m/3281ft
500m/1640ft So uth C hina Sea
200m/656ft
PEOPLE & SOCIETY Sea Level Pekan Muara
Malays benefit from positive
Kampong BANDAR SERI
discrimination. Many in the Chinese Bunut BEGAWAN
community are stateless. Since a failed Tutong

rebellion in 1962, Brunei has been ruled Pekan Seria

Bangar

by decree of the sultan. In 1990, “Malay Kampong Kampong

Kuala Belait Bukit Sawat Batang Duri
Muslim Monarchy” was introduced,
promoting Islamic values as state Kampong
Tanajor
ideology. Women, less restricted than in Kampong
Sukang
some Muslim states, usually wear Kampong
Teraja
MALAYSIA

headscarves but not the veil.

B o r n e o

INSIGHT: The sultan spent 0 20 km

US$350 million building the world’s 0 20 miles
largest palace at Bandar Seri Begawan

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Malay*, English,

OFFICIAL NAME: Sultanate of Brunei Chinese
DATE OF FORMATION: 1984 RELIGIONS: Muslim (mainly Sunni) 66%,
CAPITAL: Bandar Seri Begawan Buddhist 14%, other 10%, Christian 10%
POPULATION: 399,700 ETHNIC MIX: Malay 67%, Chinese 16%,
TOTAL AREA: 2228 sq. miles other 11%, indigenous 6%
(5770 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Monarchy
DENSITY: 196 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: Brunei dollar = 100 cents
 EUROPE 181
Bulgaria
Located in southeastern Europe, Bulgaria was under
communist rule from 1947 to 1989. Political and economic
reform since then enabled it to join the EU in 2007.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
Mountains run east–west across Good agricultural production,
center and along southern border. including grapes, for well-developed wine
Danube plain in north, Thracian plain in industry, and tobacco. Expertise in
southeast. Black Sea to the east. software development. Industry and
infrastructure are outdated.
CLIMATE
Warm summers and snowy winters, INSIGHT: Archaeologists have found
especially in mountains. East winds bring evidence of wine-making in Bulgaria
seasonal extremes. dating back over 5000 years

PEOPLE & SOCIETY ROMANIA

The communists tried forcibly to D
an u be Ruse
Dobrich
suppress cultural identities, leading to a
Pleven
large exodus of Bulgarian Turks in 1989. SERBIA
Vratsa
Veliko Tûrnovo
Shumen Varna
Ba
Later privatization programs left many lka
n Mountians
SOFIA Sliven
Turks landless, prompting further Pernik Kazanlûk
Burgas
Stara Yambol Black
emigration. Roma suffer discrimination at Pazardzhik Plovdiv Zagora Sea
all levels of society. Women have equal MAC. Khaskovo
rights in theory, but society remains TURKEY

patriarchal. EU accession included caveats

GREECE
demanding further action against 2000m/6562ft
1000m/3281ft
organized crime, human trafficking, 0 50 km 500m/1640ft
200m/656ft
and corruption. 0 50 miles Sea Level

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Bulgarian*, Turkish,

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Bulgaria Romani
DATE OF FORMATION: 1908 RELIGIONS: Orthodox Christian 83%,
CAPITAL: Sofia Muslim 12%, other 4%, Catholic 1%
POPULATION: 7.54 million ETHNIC MIX: Bulgarian 84%, Turkish 9%,
TOTAL AREA: 42,822 sq. miles Roma 5%, other 2%
(110,910 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Parliamentary system
DENSITY: 177 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: Lev = 100 stotinki
182 AFRICA

Burkina
The west African state of Burkina was known as Upper
Volta until 1984. It became a multiparty state in 1991, though
former military ruler Blaise Compaoré remains in power.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
The Sahara covers the north of Cotton is the major cash crop,
the country. The south is largely but the encroaching Sahara Desert is
savanna. The three main rivers are restricting agriculture. Beneficiary of
the Black, White, and Red Voltas. foreign debt cancellation plans.

CLIMATE INSIGHT: Droughts and poor

Tropical. Dry, cool weather soils mean that many Burkinabes
November–February. Erratic rain seek work southward in Ghana and
March–April, mostly in southeast. Côte d’Ivoire

500m/1640ft
PEOPLE & SOCIETY 200m/656ft
MALI
Sea Level
No single ethnic group is
dominant, but the Mossi, from Ouahigouya
NIGER

around Ouagadougou, have

Kaya
always played an important part
in government. The people from Koudougou OUAGADOUGOU
Fada-Ngourma
Wh

the west are much more ethnically ol

ta Re
ite

d
mixed. Extreme poverty has led to a ck V Bobo-Dioulasso Vo Tenkodogo
Vo

B la lta a
lt

Léo
strong sense of egalitarianism. Most BENI N
TOGO
B l a ck

women are still denied access to Banfora GHANA

education, though their absence

V ol t a

from public life belies their real CÔTE

D 'IV OIRE
0 100 km
power and social influence. (IV ORY COA ST) 0 100 miles

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Mossi, Fulani, French*, Tuareg,

OFFICIAL NAME: Burkina Faso Dyula, Songhai
DATE OF FORMATION: 1960 RELIGIONS: Muslim 55%,
CAPITAL: Ouagadougou Traditional beliefs 35%, Roman Catholic 9%,
POPULATION: 15.8 million other Christian 1%
TOTAL AREA: 105,869 sq. miles ETHNIC MIX: Other 52%, Mossi 48%
(274,200 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Presidential system
DENSITY: 149 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: CFA franc = 100 centimes
 AFRICA 183
Burundi
Small, densely populated and landlocked, Burundi lies
just south of the equator, on the Nile–Congo watershed in central
Africa. Its people have the world’s lowest per capita income.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
Hilly with high plateaus in center Overwhelmingly agricultural
and savanna in the east. Great Rift Valley economy, mostly subsistence. Small
on western side. quantities of gold and tungsten. Potential
of oil in Lake Tanganyika. Little prospect
CLIMATE of lasting stability.
Temperate, with high humidity.
Heavy and frequent rainfall, mostly
October–May. Highlands have frost. RWA N D A Kirundo

Muyinga
PEOPLE & SOCIETY Kayanza
Ngozi

Burundi has been riven by ethnic Bubanza Cankuzo

conflict between majority Hutu and the BUJUMBURA
Karuzi
Tutsi, who controlled the army – with Ruyigi
Gitega
repeated large-scale massacres: hundreds
DEM.REP.
of thousands of people have died since CONGO TANZANI A

1993. The constitution now guarantees an Bururi Rutana

ethnic balance in the government and Lake
Tanganyika Makamba
army. Twa pygmies were not involved in
Nyanza-Lac
the conflict.

INSIGHT: Burundi’s fertility rate

is one of the highest in Africa. On 0 50 km 2000m/6562ft
1000m/3281ft
average, women have seven children 0 50 miles 500m/1640ft

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Kirundi*, French*,

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Burundi Kiswahili
DATE OF FORMATION: 1962 RELIGIONS: Christian (mainly Roman Catholic)
CAPITAL: Bujumbura 60%, traditional beliefs 39%,
POPULATION: 8.3 million Muslim 1%
TOTAL AREA: 10,745 sq. miles ETHNIC MIX: Hutu 85%, Tutsi 14%, Twa 1%
(27,830 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Presidential system
DENSITY: 838 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: Burundi franc = 100 centimes
184 ASIA

Cambodia
Located on the Indochinese peninsula in southeast Asia,
Cambodia has emerged from genocide, civil war, and invasion
from Vietnam. Tourists are returning. Rice is the principal crop.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
Mostly low-lying basin. Tônlé Sap Economy is heavily aid-reliant, still
(Great Lake) drains into the Mekong River. recovering from civil war. Exports rubber
Forested mountains and plateau east of and timber. Self-sufficient in rice.
the Mekong. Garment industry is growing. Land
disputes and corruption issues.
CLIMATE
Tropical. High temperatures INSIGHT: Cambodia has many
throughout the year. Heavy rainfall during impressive temples, dating from
May–October monsoon. when the country was the center of
the Khmer Empire
PEOPLE & SOCIETY TH A ILA N D LA OS
Devastated by US bombing, then Phumî
Virôchey
Sâmraông
by the Khmer Rouge regime, whose Sisôphôn
Chôâm
Khsant Phumî
extreme Marxist program killed over a Bâtdâmbâng
Kâmpóng Trâbék
Tônlé Sap
million between 1975 and 1979, Cambodia Kâmpóng Mekong
Poûthîsât
then endured further civil conflict and Chhnâng Krâchéh
Vietnamese occupation. The effects are Krông Kaôh Kâmpóng Cham
Kông PHNOM PENH
still felt, reflected in the high rates of Prey Vêng
G ulf
orphans, widows, and land-mine victims. of Kâmpóng Saôm
Tha ila nd VIETNAM
A fragile stability has lasted since
elections in 1993. King Norodom 1000m/3281ft
Sihanouk, a key figure in politics, 500m/1640ft
200m/656ft
0 100 km
abdicated in 2004. Sea Level 0 100 miles

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Khmer*, French, Chinese,

OFFICIAL NAME: Kingdom of Cambodia Vietnamese, Cham
DATE OF FORMATION: 1953 RELIGIONS: Buddhist 93%, Muslim 6%,
CAPITAL: Phnom Penh Christian 1%
POPULATION: 14.8 million ETHNIC MIX: Khmer 90%, other 5%,
TOTAL AREA: 69,900 sq. miles Vietnamese 4%, Chinese 1%
(181,040 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Parliamentary system
DENSITY: 217 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: Riel = 100 sen
 AFRICA 185
Cameroon
Situated in the corner of the Gulf of Guinea, Cameroon
was effectively a one-party state for 30 years. Multiparty
elections, since 1992, regularly return that same party to power.

GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY

Over half the land is forested: Oil reserves. Very diversified
equatorial rainforest in north, evergreen agricultural economy – timber, cocoa,
forest and wooded savanna in south. bananas, coffee. Fuel smuggling from
Mountains in the west. Nigeria undermines refinery profits.
Corruption. Port for Chad and CAR.
CLIMATE
South is equatorial, with plentiful 2000m/6562ft
CHAD
1000m/3281ft
rainfall, declining inland. Far north is beset 500m/1640ft Lake
200m/656ft Chad
by drought. Sea Level

Maroua
PEOPLE & SOCIETY 0 100 km
NIGERIA

Around 230 ethnic groups; no single 0 100 miles Garoua

group is dominant. The Bamileke is the
largest, though it has never held political
Ngaoundéré
power. North–south tensions are
Meiganga
diminished by the ethnic diversity. There Bamenda Kumbo
is more rivalry between majority French- Bafoussam CENTRAL
AFRICAN
and minority English-speakers. Kumba Nkongsamba REPUBLIC
YAOUNDÉ
Douala
Edéa Mbalmayo
INSIGHT: Cameroon’s name Ebolowa
ATLANTIC
derives from the Portuguese word OCEAN
EQ.
camarões, after the shrimp fished by the GUINEA
GABON C ONGO
early European explorers

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Bamileke, Fang, Fulani,

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Cameroon French*, English*
DATE OF FORMATION: 1960 RELIGIONS: Catholic 35%, traditional beliefs
CAPITAL: Yaoundé 25%, Muslim 22%, Protestant 18%
POPULATION: 19.5 million ETHNIC MIX: Highlanders 31%, other 39%,
TOTAL AREA: 183,567 sq. miles equatorial Bantu 19%, Kirdi 11%
(475,400 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Presidential system
DENSITY: 109 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: CFA franc = 100 centimes
186 NORTH & CENTRAL AMERICA

Canada
Canada extends from the Arctic to its US border
along the 49th parallel. Unified under British rule from 1763, its
development and expansion attracted large-scale immigration.

GEOGRAPHY PEOPLE & SOCIETY

The world’s second-largest Two-thirds of the population
country, stretching north to Cape live in the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence
Colombia on Ellesmere Island, south to lowlands, fostering some shared
Lake Erie, and across five time zones cultural values with the neighboring
from the Pacific seaboard to US. Important differences, however,
Newfoundland. Arctic tundra and include wider welfare provision and
islands in the far north give way Commonwealth membership. The
southward to forests, interspersed with French-speaking Québécois wish to
lakes and rivers, and then the vast preserve their culture and language
Canadian Shield, which covers over half from further Anglicization, and demand
the area of Canada. Rocky Mountains in to be recognized as a “distinct society.”
west, beyond which are the Coast The government welcomes ethnic
Mountains, islands, and fjords. Fertile diversity among immigrants, promoting
lowlands in the east. a policy that encourages each group
to maintain its own culture. Land claims
CLIMATE made by the indigenous peoples are being
Ranges from polar and subpolar in redressed. Nunavut, an Inuit-governed
the north, to continental in the south. territory that covers nearly
Winters in the interior are colder and a quarter of Canada’s land area, was
longer than on the coast, with created from a portion of the
temperatures well below freezing and Northwest Territories in 1999. Women
deep snow; summers are hotter. Pacific are well represented at most levels
coast has the mildest winters. of business and government.

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: English*, French*, other

OFFICIAL NAME: Canada RELIGIONS: Roman Catholic 44%, Protestant
DATE OF FORMATION: 1867 29%, other 27%
CAPITAL: Ottawa ETHNIC ORIGIN: British, French, and other
POPULATION: 33.6 million European 87%, Asian 9%, Amerindian, Métis,
TOTAL AREA: 3,855,171 sq. miles and Inuit 4%
(9,984,670 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Parliamentary system
DENSITY: 9 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: Canadian dollar = 100 cents
 NORTH & CENTRAL AMERICA 187

THE ECONOMY competition, especially since the

Wide-ranging resources, creation of the NAFTA free trade area, but
providing exports, cheap energy, and reliance on the US market makes
raw materials for manufacturing, the Canadian economy vulnerable to
underpin a high standard of living, US slowdowns. Unemployment rose
with smaller wealth disparities than in during the 2009 recession.
the US. Prices for primary exports
fluctuate, but the high oil price has INSIGHT: The Magnetic North Pole,
encouraged development of Alberta’s vast where the dipping needle of a
oil fields. Manufactured exports compass stands still, migrates across
have flourished under growing global northern Canada

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Lak
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2000m/6562ft Wind
Wi
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1000m/3281ft
500m/1640ft 0 400 km
200m/656ft
Sea Level 0 400 miles
188 AFRICA

Cape Verde
Off the west coast of Africa, in the Atlantic Ocean,
lies the group of islands that make up Cape Verde, a
Portuguese colony until it gained independence in 1975.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
Ten main islands and eight smaller Most people are subsistence farmers.
islets, all of volcanic origin. Mostly Clothing is the main export. No natural
mountainous, with steep cliffs and resources. Mid-Atlantic location ensures
rocky headlands. work maintaining ships and planes.

CLIMATE 0 50 km 2000m/6562ft
Warm, and very dry. Subject to 0 50 miles 1000m/3281ft
droughts that can sometimes last for 500m/1640ft
200m/656ft
years at a time. Sea Level
Santo
Antão
PEOPLE & SOCIETY Mindelo
Santa Luzia Sal
São Vicente
Most people are of mixed
Portuguese–African origin; the rest are São Nicolau
descendants of African slaves or more Sal Rei
Boa Vista

recent immigrants. Creolization of the Ilhas de Barlavento

culture negates ethnic tensions. Almost A T L A N T I C

half of the population live on Santiago.
Around 700,000 Cape Verdeans live O C E A N

abroad, mostly in the US. Ilhas de Sotavento Maio

Tarrafil

INSIGHT: Poor soils and lack of Brava

São Filipe PRAIA
Santiago
surface water mean that Cape Fogo (São Tiago)
Verde is dependent on food aid

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Creole, Portuguese*

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Cape Verde RELIGIONS: Roman Catholic 97%,
DATE OF FORMATION: 1975 other 2%, Protestant 1%
CAPITAL: Praia ETHNIC MIX: Mestiço 60%, African 30%,
POPULATION: 505,600 other 10%
TOTAL AREA: 1557 sq. miles GOVERNMENT: Mixed presidential-
(4033 sq. km) parliamentary system
DENSITY: 325 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: C.V. escudo = 100 centavos
 AFRICA 189
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic (CAR) is a landlocked
country lying between the basins of the Chad and Congo Rivers.
Politics has suffered frequent interruption by military coups.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
Comprises a low plateau, Dominated by subsistence farming.
covered by scrub or savanna. North Exports include diamonds, cotton,
is arid. Equatorial rainforests in the timber, and coffee. Aid needed to
south. The Ubangi River forms the support refugees. Instability and
border with the Democratic Republic poor infrastructure hinder progress.
of the Congo.
INSIGHT: “Emperor” Bokassa’s
CLIMATE eccentric rule from 1965 to 1979 was
The south is equatorial; the followed by military dictatorship until
north is hot and dry. Rain occurs all democracy was restored in 1993
year round, with heaviest falls
1000m/3281ft
between July and October. 500m/1640ft
200m/656ft Birao
Sea Level
PEOPLE & SOCIETY Ouanda SUDAN
The Baya and Banda are the CHAD
Ndélé
Djallé
largest ethnic groups, but the lingua
Batangafo Kaga Bandoro
franca is Sango, a trading creole spoken Bozoum
Bambari
by the minorities in the south who Bouar Sibut
Carnot Bangassou
have traditionally provided most BANGUI
CAM

Berbérati Mobaye
Ub an g i
political leaders. Less than 2% of the
ER

D EM . REP. CON G O
population live in the north. Recent
O

CONGO
O
N

rebellions by northern groups have 0 200 km

displaced thousands of people. 0 200 miles

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Sango, Banda, Gbaya,

OFFICIAL NAME: Central African Republic French*
DATE OF FORMATION: 1960 RELIGIONS: Traditional beliefs 60%,
CAPITAL: Bangui Christian 35%, Muslim 5%
POPULATION: 4.42 million ETHNIC MIX: Baya 34%, Banda 27%,
TOTAL AREA: 240,534 sq. miles Mandjia 21%, Sara 10%, other 8%
(622,984 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Presidential system
DENSITY: 18 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: CFA franc = 100 centimes
190 AFRICA

Chad
Landlocked in north-central Africa, Chad has had a
turbulent history since independence from France in 1960.
Intermittent periods of civil war followed a military coup in 1975.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
Mostly plateaus sloping west-ward to The discovery of oil, and the
Lake Chad. Northern third is Sahara. Tibesti opening of a pipeline to the coast via
Mountains in north rise to 10,826 ft (3300 m). Cameroon, are transforming Chad’s
economy, though the new wealth is
CLIMATE unlikely to reach most people.
Three distinct zones: desert in
north, semiarid region in center, 3000m/9843ft
2000m/6562ft
and tropics in south. 1000m/3281ft
500m/1640ft LIBYA
200m/656ft
Tibe s t i
PEOPLE & SOCIETY Sea Level

Half the population live in the

S a h a r a
southern fifth of Chad. The northern NIGER
third has only 100,000 people, mainly
Muslim Toubou nomads. Democracy was
restored in 1996 by ex-coup leader Idriss
Bol Abéché
Déby. Instability has continued, first with Lake Chad SUDAN
tension between Muslims and southern NIGERIA Mongo
Christians and, more recently, with NDJAMENA
Bongor
rebellions in the east. Fianga CENTRAL
Bénoy Sarh AFRICAN
CAMEROON
Moundou Doba REPUBLIC
INSIGHT: Lake Chad is slowly
drying up – it is now estimated to 0 200 km
be just 10% of the size it was in 1970 0 200 miles

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: French*, Sara, Arabic*, Maba

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Chad RELIGIONS: Muslim 55%, traditional beliefs
DATE OF FORMATION: 1960 35%, Christian 10%
CAPITAL: Ndjamena ETHNIC MIX: Other 30%, Sara 28%,
POPULATION: 11.2 million Mayo-Kebbi 12%, Arab 12%,
TOTAL AREA: 495,752 sq. miles Ouaddai 9%, Kanem-Bornou 9%
(1,284,000 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Presidential system
DENSITY: 23 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: CFA franc = 100 centimes
 SOUTH AMERICA 191
Chile
Chile extends in a ribbon down the west coast of South
America. It returned to elected civilian rule in 1989 after a
referendum forced out military dictator General Pinochet.

GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY

Fertile valleys in the center World’s biggest copper
between the coast and the Andes. producer. Growth in foreign
Atacama Desert in north. Deep-sea investment due to PERU
channels, lakes, and fjords in south. political stability. Exports BOLIVIA
Arica
include wine, fishmeal,
Iquique

e rt
CLIMATE fruits, and salmon.

A n ca m a D e s
Arid in the north. Hot, dry Antofagasta

s
INSIGHT:

de
summers and mild winters in the center. PACIFIC
Chile’s Atacama

a
Higher Andean peaks have glaciers and OCEAN

At
year-round snow. Very wet and stormy Desert is the driest
in the south. place on Earth
Viña del Mar
Valparaíso SANTIAGO
Rancagua
PEOPLE & SOCIETY Talcahuano Talca
Most people are of mixed Concepción Chillán
Spanish–Amerindian descent, and are Temuco
Valdivia
highly urbanized. Almost a third of Puerto Montt

s
the population live in Santiago, many

Ande
4000m/13124ft Isla de Chiloé
in large slums. There are three main 3000m/9843ft
2000m/6562ft
indigenous groups, including the 1000m/3281ft
ARGENTINA
Sea Level
Rapa Nui of Easter Island. General
Pinochet’s dictatorship was brutally
Punta Arenas
repressive, but the business and 0 300 km
Strait of Magellan
middle classes prospered. 0 300 miles
Cape Horn

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Spanish*, Amerindian

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Chile languages
DATE OF FORMATION: 1818 RELIGIONS: Roman Catholic 80%, other
CAPITAL: Santiago and nonreligious 20%
POPULATION: 17 million ETHNIC MIX: Mixed and European 90%,
TOTAL AREA: 292,258 sq. miles other Amerindian 9%, Mapuche 1%
(756,950 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Presidential system
DENSITY: 59 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: Chilean peso = 100 centavos
192 ASIA

China
Covering a vast area of eastern Asia, China is bordered
by 14 countries. A one-party Communist state since 1949, it has
recently become a dominant force in global manufacturing.

GEOGRAPHY PEOPLE & SOCIETY

A land of huge physical diversity, Most people are Han Chinese.
China has a long Pacific coastline to The rest of the population belong to
the east. Two-thirds of the country is one of 55 minority nationalities, or
uplands. The southwestern mountains recognized ethnic groups. Many of
include Tibet, the world’s highest these groups have a disproportionate
plateau; in the northwest, the Tien political significance as they live in
Shan Mountains separate the arid strategic border areas. A policy of
Tarim and Dzungarian basins. The resettling Han Chinese in remote
rolling hills and plains of the low-lying east regions is deeply resented and has
are home to two-thirds of the population. led to uprisings in Xinjiang and Tibet.
The government has relaxed the
CLIMATE one-child family policy, particularly
China is divided into two main for minorities, after some small groups
climatic regions. The north and west were brought close to extinction.
are semiarid or arid, with extreme Chinese society is patriarchal in
temperature variations. The south and practice, and generations tend to live
east are warmer and more humid, with together. However, economic change
year-round rainfall. Winter temperatures is breaking down the social controls of the
vary with latitude, but are warmest on the Mao Zedong era. Divorce and
subtropical southeast coast. Summer unemployment are rising; materialism
temperatures are more uniform, rising has replaced the puritanism of the past.
above 70°F (21°C). A resurgence of religious belief has
occurred in recent years.

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Mandarin*, other

OFFICIAL NAME: People’s Rep. of China RELIGIONS: Nonreligious 59%, traditional
DATE OF FORMATION: 960 beliefs 20%, other 13%, Buddhist 6%,
CAPITAL: Beijing Muslim 2%
POPULATION: 1.35 billion ETHNIC MIX: Han 92%, other 4%, Hui 1%,
TOTAL AREA: 3,705,386 sq. miles Miao 1%, Manchu 1%, Zhuang 1%
(9,596,960 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: One-party state
DENSITY: 374 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: Yuan = 10 jiao = 100 fen
 ASIA 193

THE ECONOMY economy. Faced with a global downturn

China has shifted from a centrally from 2008, Chinese stimulus packages
planned to a market-oriented economy; have boosted domestic spending. The
liberalization has gone furthest in the buying power of China’s huge market for
south where the emerging business raw materials and consumer goods could
class is based. The Tenth Five-Year drive global recovery.
Plan (2001–2005) emphasized rapid
development; the Eleventh Plan aims to INSIGHT: China has the world’s
reduce wealth disparities. Exports led oldest continuous civilization. Its
sustained GDP growth from 2003; China recorded history began 4000 years ago,
has become the world’s third-largest with the Shang dynasty

Amur
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4000m/13124ft Sea
3000m/9843ft
2000m/6562ft
1000m/3281ft
500m/1640ft 0 400 km
200m/656ft
Sea Level 0 400 miles
194 SOUTH AMERICA

Colombia
Lying in northwest South America, Colombia has
coastlines on both the Caribbean and the Pacific. It is primarily
noted for its coffee, emeralds, gold, and cocaine trafficking.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
The densely forested and almost Healthy and diversified export
uninhabited east is separated from the sector – includes coffee and coal.
western coastal plains by the Andes, Considerable growth potential, but
which divide into three ranges drugs-related violence and corruption
(cordilleras) with intervening valleys. deter foreign investors.

CLIMATE Sea
Caribbean
Santa Marta
Coastal plains are hot and wet. The Barranquilla Valledupar
highlands are much cooler. The equatorial Sincelejo
Cartagena
east has two wet seasons. Montería
Cúcuta
PANAMA
VENEZUELA
OCEANBucaramanga
PEOPLE & SOCIETY Medellín

ta
s
Me

Or
Most Colombians are of mixed Manizales
BOGOTÁ

i n o co
e
Armenia
blood. Blacks and Amerindians have the d Villavicencio
least political representation. Civil Cali N
FIC

Neiva
n

eg r o
conflict over four and a half decades has Popayán
CI

Pasto
A

displaced millions of people, and left

PA

Equator
over 200,000 dead. The fighting is deeply ECUADOR C aq
Pu

tu uet BRAZIL
á
entwined with the narcotics trade.
m

PERU
ay
o

Violent crime is common.

3000m/9843ft
2000m/6562ft
INSIGHT: Over 50% of the world’s 1000m/3281ft 0 200 km
500m/1640ft
cocaine is produced in Colombia Sea Level 0 200 miles

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Spanish*, Wayuu, Páez, other

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Colombia Amerindian languages
DATE OF FORMATION: 1819 RELIGIONS: Catholic 95%, other 5%
CAPITAL: Bogotá ETHNIC MIX: Mestizo 58%, White 20%,
POPULATION: 45.7 million European-African 14%, African 4%, African-
TOTAL AREA: 439,733 sq. miles Amerindian 3%, other 1%
(1,138,910 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Presidential system
DENSITY: 114 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: Col. peso = 100 centavos
 AFRICA 195
Comoros
Off the east African coast, between Mozambique and
Madagascar, lies the archipelago republic of the Comoros,
comprising three main islands and a number of smaller islets.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
Main islands are of volcanic origin One of the world’s poorest
and are heavily forested. The remainder countries. Subsistence-level farming.
are coral atolls. Vanilla and cloves are main cash crops.
Lack of basic infrastructure.
CLIMATE
Hot and humid all year round, INSIGHT: The Comoros is the world’s
especially on the coasts. November to largest producer of ylang-ylang – an
May is hottest and wettest period. extract from tree blossom used in
manufacturing perfumes
PEOPLE & SOCIETY Grande Comore
The Comoros has absorbed a (Njazidja) 1000m/3281ft
500m/1640ft
diversity of people over the years, 200m/656ft
Sea Level
including Africans, Arabs, Polynesians, Koimbani
and Persians. There have also been MORONI
Portuguese, Dutch, French, and Indian
Foumbouni
immigrants. Ethnic discord is rare, but Dembéni
INDIAN OCEAN
regional tensions between islands are
marked. The country is politically Ouani
Mohéli
unstable and there have been frequent (Mwali) Moutsamudou
coups. A fragile new federal system has Mozambique Fomboni
Channel Moya
been in place since 2002. Wealth is Anjouan
(Nzwani)
concentrated within a political and 0 20 km
business elite. 0 20 miles

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Arabic*, Comoran*,

OFFICIAL NAME: Union of the Comoros French*
DATE OF FORMATION: 1975 RELIGIONS: Muslim (mainly Sunni) 98%,
CAPITAL: Moroni Roman Catholic 1%, other 1%
POPULATION: 676,000 ETHNIC MIX: Comoran 97%,
TOTAL AREA: 838 sq. miles other 3%
(2170 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Presidential system
DENSITY: 785 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: Comoros franc = 100 centimes
196 AFRICA

Congo
Astride the equator in west-central Africa, this former
French colony emerged from 20 years of Marxist-Leninist rule in
1990. Democracy was soon overshadowed by years of violence.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
Mostly forest- or savanna- Oil provides over 95% of export
covered plateaus, drained by the revenue. Timber is extracted. Foreign
Ubangi and Congo river systems. debt high. Substantial industrial base
Narrow coastal plain is lined with around Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire.
sand dunes and lagoons.
INSIGHT: In 1970, Congo became
CLIMATE the first African country to
Hot, tropical. Temperatures rarely declare itself a communist state
fall below 86°F (30°C). Two wet and two C. A. R.
0 200 km
dry seasons. Rainfall is heaviest south of
0 200 miles
the equator. CAMEROON

Ouésso

n gi
500m/1640ft
PEOPLE & SOCIETY 200m/656ft

Ub a
San
One of the most tribally Sea Level

gh
a
conscious and heavily urbanized Equator
Owando
countries in Africa, with most people

o
ng
GABON
living in the Brazzaville–Pointe-Noire

Co
region. Main tensions are between Djambala
the Bakongo in the north and the Mossendjo DEM. REP.
CONGO
Mbochi in the south. Relative peace Loudima
Nkayi
was secured in 1999, and “ninja” rebels ATLANTIC
OCEAN
BRAZZAVILLE
Kinkala
in the Pool region, around Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire
ANGOLA
signed a peace deal in 2003. (Cabinda)

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Kongo, Teke, Lingala,

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of the Congo French*
DATE OF FORMATION: 1960 RELIGIONS: Traditional 50%, Catholic 25%,
CAPITAL: Brazzaville Protestant 23%, Muslim 2%
POPULATION: 3.68 million ETHNIC MIX: Bakongo 51%, Teke 17%,
TOTAL AREA: 132,046 sq. miles other 16%, Mbochi 11%, Mbédé 5%
(342,000 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Presidential system
DENSITY: 28 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: CFA franc = 100 centimes
 AFRICA 197
Congo, (DRC)
Lying in east-central Africa, the Democratic Republic
of the Congo (DRC) is one of Africa’s largest countries,
and the scene of one of its worst regional wars.

GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY

Rainforested basin of Congo River Rich resource base: minerals
occupies 60% of the land area. High (copper, coltan, cobalt, diamonds)
mountain ranges and lakes stretch down dominate export earnings. War and
the eastern border. decades of corruption have caused
economic collapse. Food aid is needed to
CLIMATE ease humanitarian crisis.
Tropical and humid. Distinct wet
and dry seasons south of the equator. CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
U b a n gi
SUDAN
The north is mainly wet.
Bumba Isiro Lake
Albert
PEOPLE & SOCIETY Mbandaka Kisangani UGANDA
Equator
There are 12 main ethnic groups

Lual
o
Congo Goma

ng
CONGO
and around 190 smaller ones. The Co
Basin RWANDA

aba
Bukavu
BURUNDI
indigenous forest pygmies, victimized in ANGOLA
KINSHASA Ilebo
the war, are now a marginalized group. (Cabinda) Kananga Kalemie TANZANIA
Kikwit
ATL EAN

Matadi Lake
Civil war from 1996 drew neighboring Mbuji-Mayi Tanganyika
OC
ANT

countries into a bloody conflict. ANGOLA

K a sai Kamina
IC

Tentative peace in 2003 was soon Likasi

ZAMBIA
undermined by rebels in the east. Lubumbashi
ZAMBIA
2000m/6562ft
INSIGHT: The DRC’s rainforests 1000m/3281ft
comprise 6% of the world’s, and 50% of 500m/1640ft 0 200 km
200m/656ft
Africa’s, remaining woodlands Sea Level 0 200 miles

FACTFILE DENSITY: 75 people per sq. mile

OFFICIAL NAME: Democratic Republic LANGUAGES: Kiswahili, Tshiluba, French*
of the Congo RELIGIONS: Christian 70%, Kimbanguist 10%,
DATE OF FORMATION: 1960 traditional beliefs 10%, Muslim 10%
CAPITAL: Kinshasa ETHNIC MIX: Other 55%, Mongo, Luba, Kongo,
POPULATION: 66 million and Mangbetu-Azande 45%
TOTAL AREA: 905,563 sq. miles GOVERNMENT: Presidential system
(2,345,410 sq. km) CURRENCY: Congolese franc = 100 centimes
198 NORTH & CENTRAL AMERICA

Costa Rica
Costa Rica, Central America’s most stable country, is
rich in pristine scenery and exotic wildlife. Its neutrality in
foreign affairs is long-standing, but it has strong ties with the US.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
Coastal plains of swamp and Stability has attracted
savanna rise to a fertile central plateau, multinationals. The main exports are
which leads to a mountain range with bananas, pineapples, coffee, and beef,
active volcanic peaks. but all are vulnerable to fluctuating world
prices. History of high inflation. Pioneer
CLIMATE of eco-tourism. Pledged to be carbon
Hot and humid in coastal regions. neutral by 2021.
Temperate central uplands. High 0 50 km
annual rainfall. 0 50 miles
NICARAGUA

PEOPLE & SOCIETY Sa

n Juan
Most people are mestizo, of partly Liberia Caribbean
Sea
Spanish origin. There is a black, English- Cañas Quesada
speaking minority and around 35,000 San Ramón Heredia
Puntarenas
indigenous Amerindians. Plantation SAN JOSÉ Turrialba Limón
Cartago
owners are the wealthiest group, while
o

C
de
one in six people live in poverty. San Isidro Ta rd i
la ll e
m ra
Nonetheless, living standards are high for PACIFIC

A
an
ca

NAM
OCEAN
the region, and education and healthcare
provision is good.

PA
3000m/9843ft
2000m/6562ft Península
1000m/3281ft de Osa
INSIGHT: Costa Rica’s 1949 500m/1640ft
200m/656ft
constitution bans a national army Sea Level

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Spanish*, English Creole,

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Costa Rica Bribri, Cabecar
DATE OF FORMATION: 1838 RELIGIONS: Roman Catholic 76%,
CAPITAL: San José other (including Protestant) 24%
POPULATION: 4.58 million ETHNIC MIX: Mestizo and European 96%,
TOTAL AREA: 19,730 sq. miles Black 2%, Chinese 1%, Amerindian 1%
(51,100 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Presidential system
DENSITY: 232 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: C.R. colón = 100 céntimos
 AFRICA 199
Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
One of the larger nations along the coast of west Africa,
Côte d’Ivoire is the world’s biggest cocoa producer.
An image of stability was rocked by civil war in 2002–2005.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
Sandy coastal strip backed by a Main crops are cocoa and coffee.
largely rainforested interior, and a Oil is now major export. Good
savanna plateau in the north. infrastructure. Lack of professional
training. Instability deters investment.
CLIMATE
High temperatures all year round. M A LI
South has two wet seasons; north has BU RKI NA
one, with lower rainfall.
Odienné
Korhogo
PEOPLE & SOCIETY G U IN EA
There are over 60 tribes; the largest
is the Baoulé (an Akan group). Southern Lac de Bouaké
Man Kossou
Christians harbor resentment against
Daloa Abengourou
non-Ivorian Muslims in the north. Guiglo
GHANA
Plantations employ millions of migrant YAMOUSSOUKRO Dimbokro
Gagnoa
workers (including children), though Divo
LIBERIA Abidjan
thousands fled back to Burkina during Grand-Bassam
the civil war. Rebels joined a transitional San Pédro y Coast
Ivor
government in 2007. G ulf o f G uinea
ATLANTIC OCEAN
INSIGHT: The Basilica of Our Lady of 1000m/3281ft
Peace in Yamoussoukro is the largest 500m/1640ft 0 100 km
200m/656ft
church in the world Sea Level 0 100 miles

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Akan, French*, Krou,

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Côte d’Ivoire other
DATE OF FORMATION: 1960 RELIGIONS: Muslim 38%, Christian 31%,
CAPITAL: Yamoussoukro traditional beliefs 25%, other 6%
POPULATION: 21.1 million ETHNIC MIX: Akan 42%, Voltaïque 18%,
TOTAL AREA: 124,502 sq. miles Mandé du Nord 17%, Krou 11%, other 12%
(322,460 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Transitional regime
DENSITY: 172 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: CFA franc = 100 centimes
200 EUROPE

Croatia
Though it was controlled by Hungary from medieval
times and was a part of the Yugoslav state for much of
the 20th century, Croatia has a very strong national identity.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
Rocky, mountainous Adriatic The war cost the economy an
coastline is dotted with islands. Interior is estimated $50 billion. Unemployment has
a mixture of wooded mountains and been persistently high. Corruption deters
broad valleys. foreign investment. Tourism is mainly on
the Dalmatian coast.
CLIMATE
0 50 km
The interior has a temperate
0 50 miles
continental climate. Mediterranean Varaªdin
Âakovec
climate along the Adriatic coast. Koprivnica D r HUNGARY
a va

SER ube
SLOVENIA

Da
ZAGREB Virovitica

n
PEOPLE & SOCIETY Karlovac

BIA
S Osijek
Rijeka K up a Sa l a v o n i a
Croats are distinguished from
a

va Vukovar
tr

Is Slavonski
Bosniaks and Serbs by their Roman Brod
Pula
Catholic faith and use of the Latin BOSNIA
alphabet. Many Serbs fled Croatia during &
Zadar D HERZEGOVINA
i
the early 1990s conflict that accompanied
na
D

ri

Yugoslavia’s breakup. Minority rights and

c
a

l
A

m Split
lp

fighting organized crime are key issues in

s

a
Adriatic t
the quest for EU membership by 2011. Sea
i
a

Dubrovnik MON.
INSIGHT: Croatia only regained 1000m/3281ft
control of Serb-occupied Eastern 500m/1640ft
200m/656ft
Slavonia, around Vukovar, in 1998 Sea Level

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Croatian

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Croatia RELIGIONS: Roman Catholic 88%,
DATE OF FORMATION: 1991 other 7%, Orthodox Christian 4%,
CAPITAL: Zagreb Muslim 1%
POPULATION: 4.42 million ETHNIC MIX: Croat 90%, other 5%,
TOTAL AREA: 21,831 sq. miles Serb 5%
(56,542 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: Parliamentary system
DENSITY: 202 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: Kuna = 100 lipa
 NORTH & CENTRAL AMERICA 201
Cuba
A former Spanish colony, Cuba is the largest island in
the Caribbean. It became the only communist country
in the Americas after Fidel Castro seized power in 1959.

GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY

Mostly fertile plains and basins. Sugar industry now superseded
Three mountainous areas. Forests of by tourism and nickel. US trade
pine and mahogany cover one-quarter embargo, since 1961. Shortages drive a
of the country. black market. Parallel use of US dollar
(1993–2004), and then convertible peso,
CLIMATE has boosted investment but created a
Subtropical. Hot all year round, “dollarized” elite.
and very hot in summer. Heaviest rainfall
in the mountains. Hurricanes can strike INSIGHT: Fidel Castro had become
in the fall. the world’s longest-serving non-
hereditary ruler before handing power
to his brother Raúl in 2006
PEOPLE & SOCIETY
The Castro regime has reduced its
of
St r a ri da
formerly extreme wealth disparities, HAVANA Flo ATLANTIC
given education a high priority, and Marianao Matanzas OCEAN
established an efficient health service. Pinar Santa Clara
Cienfuegos
del Río Ciego de Avila
Political dissent, however, is not Camagüey
Archipiélago de los
tolerated. A dramatic fall in living Canarreos
Bayamo
Holguín
Caribbean Guantánamo
standards since the late 1980s has led Sea Santiago
thousands of Cubans to flee to the US, de Cuba GUANTÁNAMO
BAY
to seek asylum. About 70% of Cubans 1000m/3281ft
(to USA)

are of Spanish descent. There is little 500m/1640ft

200m/656ft
0 100 km
ethnic tension. Sea Level 0 100 miles

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Spanish

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Cuba RELIGIONS: Nonreligious 49%, Roman
DATE OF FORMATION: 1902 Catholic 40%, atheist 6%, other 4%,
CAPITAL: Havana Protestant 1%
POPULATION: 11.2 million ETHNIC MIX: White 66%,
TOTAL AREA: 42,803 sq. miles European–African 22%, Black 12%
(110,860 sq. km) GOVERNMENT: One-party state
DENSITY: 262 people per sq. mile CURRENCY: Cuban peso = 100 centavos
202 EUROPE

Cyprus
Cyprus lies south of Turkey in the eastern
Mediterranean. Since 1974, it has been partitioned between
the Turkish-occupied north and the Greek-Cypriot south.
GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY
Mountains in the center-west give Financial services and tourism.
way to a fertile plain in the east, flanked Eurozone member with best economic
by hills to the northeast. performance and lowest unemployment
in 2009 downturn. North suffers from
CLIMATE lack of investment and lower wages.
Mediterranean. Summers are hot
and dry. Winters are mild, with snow in INSIGHT: The Green Line, which
the mountains. separates north from south, was
opened for the first time in 2003
PEOPLE & SOCIETY
Mediterranean Sea Dipkarpaz
The Greek majority practice (Rizokarpason)
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Orthodox Christianity. Since the 16th (only recognized by Turkey)
century, a minority community of Turkish Lapta (Lápithos) Girne (Kerÿneia) Famagusta
Muslims has lived in the north of the Deêirmenlik Bay
Güzelyurt (Mórfou)
island. In 1974 Turkish troops occupied (Kythréa) Gazimaêusa
NICOSIA (Famagusta)
the north and proclaimed the Turkish
Troodos Agia Nápa
Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Mts. Lárnaka
Páfos Sovereign
but it is recognized only by Turkey. Lemesós Base Area
Over 100,000 mainland Turks have settled Sovereign (Limassol) (to UK)
Base Area Akrotiri
there since. UN-led mediation failed to (to UK) Cease-fire line
reunite the island ahead of EU accession 1000m/3281ft
in 2004, so the north was left out 0 25 km 500m/1640ft
200m/656ft
of membership. 0 25 miles Sea Level

FACTFILE LANGUAGES: Greek*, Turkish*

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Cyprus RELIGIONS: Orthodox Christian 78%,
DATE OF FORMATION: 1960 Muslim 18%, other 4%
CAPITAL: Nicosia ETHNIC MIX: Greek 81%, Turkish 11%,
POPULATION: 871,000 other 8%
TOTAL AREA: 3571 sq. miles GOVERNMENT: Presidential systems
(9250 sq. km) CURRENCY: Euro = 100 cents
DENSITY: 244 people per sq. mile (new Turkish lira in TRNC = 100 kurus)
 EUROPE 203
Czech Republic
Once part of Czechoslovakia, a central European
communist state in 1948–1989, the Czech Republic peacefully
dissolved its union with Slovakia in 1993. It joined the EU in 2004.

GEOGRAPHY THE ECONOMY

Landlocked in central Europe. Traditional heavy industries
Bohemia, the western territory, is a (machinery, iron, car-making) have been
plateau surrounded by mountains. successfully privatized. Prague attracts
Moravia, in the east, is characterized by tourists. Skilled workforce. Will join euro
hills and lowlands. in 2013 at earliest.

CLIMATE INSIGHT: Charles University in Prague

Cool, sometimes cold winters and was founded in the 13th century
warm summer months, which bring most
of the annual rainfall.
GERMANY
Liberec
PEOPLE & SOCIETY Ústí nad Labem
Karlovy
Secular and urban society, with
E lb
Vary POLAND

e
high divorce rates. Czechs make up the Kladno
PRAGUE
Hradec Králové

vast majority of the population, while Plzeõ

ia
Pardubice
m Ostrava
the next largest group are Moravians. Bo
he Olomouc
Havíüov
Âeské
The 300,000 Slovaks left after partition Budêjovice
Moravia
Zlín
are now permitted dual citizenship. Br