Congo is different from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which used to be known as Zaire.
Congo (or the Republic of the Congo) is located in Central Africa. The capital is Brazzaville. The population is roughly 4,662,446, and it covers 132,047 square miles (roughly the size of new Mexico combined with Massachusetts, or slightly smaller than Germany).
The earliest inhabitants of Congo that we have record of are the Pygmy, who were displaced by Bantu speakers around 1500 B.C. In the late 1800s, the region became colonized by the French, eventually gaining independence in 1960. The government has been a little rocky since then, being under the control of communists until 1991, then had its first democratic elections. In 1997 there was a 4-month civil war, ending in a peace deal in 2003.
I did a report on Niger in 8th grade French class (we each had to report on a French colony), but honestly I don't remember anything about it except what the flag looks like, and I can point to it on a map within 2 countries... Over the years, I have had to point out to people that it is pronounced /nee JHER/ and not like the n* word.
Niger is a landlocked country in western Africa. It is 80% desert. The capital is Niamey, and the population is about 17,138,707. With a land area of 1,270,000 square km (789,141 sq miles), it is about the size of Texas, California, and Georgia combined. Although 80% of the population is Muslim, the separation of church and state is guaranteed in Niger's constitution.
Niger has been inhabited since prehistoric times. In the 5th century BCE, Niger was a hub in trans-Saharan trade. From 600–1591, the Songhai Empire was based in what was to become Niger. Over the following centuries, parts of Niger were controlled by the Hausa Empire, the Mali Empire, and the Kanem-Bornu Empire. In the early 20th Century, France tightened its grip on its African colonies, Niger included. After some bloody massacres, France had squashed most rebellions by 1922. Niger became independent from France in 1960.
Niger's main economic backbone is subsistence farming, though being a desert climate, only 11-15% of the land is arable. Niger also contains some of the world's largest deposits of uranium ore, which makes up its largest export.
Ténéré tree in 1961
Ténéré Tree monument
FUN FACT: The Tree of Ténéré was an acacia tree that stood 400 km from the next closest tree. It was known as "the Loneliest Tree in the World," and a famous landmark on trans-Saharan trade routes. It was knocked down by a drunk driver in 1973, and has been replaced by a statue.
UNFUN FACTS: Niger has both the world's highest fertility rate and the world's highest infant mortality rate.
the Dominica flag features the sisserou parrot, a bird found only on the island of Dominica.
Until this moment, I had no idea that Dominica was a different country from the Dominican Republic. Shows how much I need to do this project! I saw the flag once, which is really cool, and was wondering what country it was from. Now I know...
Dominica is an island nation on the Caribbean, one of the Lesser Antilles. The capital is Roseau, and the population is about 72,301.
Before colonization, the island was inhabited mainly by the Kalinago/Arawak people. Spain colonized Dominica, then France, then England. When the island was under French control, France imported a lot of African slaves, which became the majority population. The majority of the population is still of African descent today. Dominica became independent from Britain in 1978.
Due to Dominica's mountainous topography, European powers historically chose other islands with easier terrain to build ports and cities. Because of this, Dominica largely escaped the big resort culture of other islands. This led to Dominica being known as "The Nature Island of the Caribbean." Large swaths of pristine wilderness, coral reefs and beaches are protected from high-impact tourism in order to keep the island natural.
Boiling Lake, the second largest hot spring in the world
Dominica's economy has a rising banking industry, being a popular tax haven, but mainly relies on agriculture and eco-tourism. It's main agricultural export is bananas, and soap is its primary industrial export.
Eugenia Charles, first democratically elected black female head of state in the world.
FUN FACTS: The second woman head of state in the Caribbean was Mary Eugenia Charles, who was elected Prime Minister of Dominica in 1980. Charles was also the first democratically elected black female head of state in the world.
Slovenia has an area of 7,827 sq mi (roughly the size of Massachusetts). Most of the area is mountainous and/or forested. The main language is Slovene, which is a southern Slavic language. The capital city is Ljubljana, and the population is roughly 2,063,077.
Slovenia has been inhabited since prehistoric times. It was part of the Roman empire, Carolingian empire, recently the Austro-Hungarian empire and in the 20th century, joined with Serbia, Croatia, & Montenegro to become Yugoslavia. It became independent in 1991, and is part of the EU.
Bled, Slovenia
The main employment sector in Slovenia is service, employing around 2/3 of the population. The other 1/3 is in industry and construction. The main exports of Slovenia are automobiles, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and fuels.
When i went to get my car inspected last year, I was in the waiting room with a guy from Cyprus. He was impressed that I even had heard of the country! Basically all I knew, though, was that its flag is the only one in the world with a picture of the country on it, and that it was an island in the Mediterranean. I asked him what language they spoke there and he was like "good question!' He explained that most people spoke Greek, but it is a slightly different dialect than that spoken in Greece.
Cyprus is an island nation in the Mediterranean, which has inhabited since at least 10,000 BCE. It has an area of 3,572 square miles (slightly bigger than Lake Titicaca) and a population of about 1,141,166 people. The capital is Nicosia.
Due to Cyprus's strategic location in the Middle East, it has been occupied by many empires throughout its history, including the Greek, Egyptian, Assyrian, Persian, Byzantine, Arab Caliphates, Ottoman, and in the 20th Century, British. Cyprus became independent from Britain in 1960, and has been in dispute by Greek Cypriots who want to be part of Greece, and the Turkish Cypriots who wish to be part of Turkey. The island is partitioned, with the Turkish area under its own control. Turkey is the only nation to recognize this region as independent. The international community considers this region as part of Cyprus under Turkish occupation.
The main industries in Cyprus are tourism, shipping, and the financial sector. The main languages are Greek and Turkish.
FUN FACT: in Greek mythology, the goddess Aphrodite is said to have sprung from the sea near Cyprus after the titan Cronus cut off the god Uranus's 'nads and threw them into the ocean.
Bahrain is an archipelago in the Persian Gulf, off the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia. It occupies a total of 760 square kilometers, slightly smaller than Austin TX or the Isle of Man. The population is about 1,343,000, and the capital is Manama.
Bahrain was an important trading center of the Dilmun Civilization (ca. 4000-800 BCE). It was also famed for its pearl fisheries from this time until the 19th century. Oil was discovered in Bahrain in the 1930s, and benefitted greatly from the oil boom of the 1970s. Over the centuries, Bahrain was ruled by Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians and Greeks, until the region's conversion to Islam (one of the first places to do so). Bahrain was under Arab rule until the mid 19th century when the British seized it. Bahrain became independent in 1971.
Currently, Bahrain has a constitutional monarchy, though the king appoints all members of the upper house of parliament, and can dissolve the lower house at will. The king also appoints the prime minister and other ministers as well as commands the army. Women were given the right to vote and run for office in 2002.
Oil exports and banking are Bahrain's main source of revenue, with aluminum production and tourism important items as well. Bahrain's climate is mostly desert with little arable land, and because of this, it relies heavily on agricultural imports.
FUN FACT: Bahrain has 35 natural occurring islands in its archipelago, but has added 50 man-made islands to it.
East Timor is located on the eastern half of the island of Timor, which is part of Indonesia. The country also comprises two nearby island, plus an unconnected chunk of the western part of Timor island. The capital is Dili, and the population is around 1,201,542. East Timor's area is about 5,743 square miles, making it slightly larger than the state of Connecticut.
East Timor has had a long hard road to independence. It has been inhabited for at least 42,000 years, and was an important part of Asian trade networks before European colonization in the 17th century. Portugal colonized the eastern part of Timor in 1520, and nearly a century later, the Netherlands claimed the western part of the island of Timor as well as some surrounding islands. The fight over this island lasted until 1860, when Netherlands and Portugal signed a treaty dividing the island between the two countries.
During WWII, Japan occupied East Timor, resulting in the deaths of between 40,000 and 70,000 East Timorians. in 1949, the Netherlands gave up its colonies of the Dutch East Indies, creating the nation of Indonesia, which included West Timor. In 1975, Portugal gave up its colonies, including East Timor. Fearing Communist takeover, Indonesia invaded East Timor, occupying it until 1999. The USA and many western nations were supportive of this takeover, although the United Nations was not. The period of 1975-1999 was marked by Indonesia inflicting massive human rights violations on the people of East Timor. The U.N. deployed a peacekeeping force in 1999, which led to East Timor becoming independent in 2002.
About 80% of East Timorian households are engaged in agriculture, most of them subsistence farmers. However, some products, such as coffee, cinnamon, cocoa, and sandalwood are grown for export. There is oil off of East Timor's shores, whose revenue pays for nearly all of the government's annual budget, with very little going to the surrounding countryside.
