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As the Soviet Union split apart in late 1991, 15 new nations emerged onto the world stage. The breakup of Yugoslavia created five more. And in January 1993, Czechoslovakia became two separate nations.

These dramatic changes followed the collapse of communism in Europe and parts of Asia and the rise of nationalism. For millions, however, the new taste of freedom was soured by violence between ethnic groups and by the hardships that followed the difficult transition from state-controlled economies to free-market systems.

The National Geographic Society, whose cartographic policy is to recognize de facto countries, counted 191 independent nations in mid-1996. The profiles and maps that follow will cover U.S. states and independent nations. They touch on history, politics, economics, and, frequently, matters relating to the environment.

Fact boxes accompany each profile, highlighting geographic, demographic, and economic data. Space limitations dictate the amount of information included. For example, the only language listed for the U.S. is English, although many others are spoken.

In the POPULATION category, the figures for states and their capital cities are from the U.S. Census. All other population figures are 1995 estimates by the Population Reference Bureau, Washington, D.C. Where two figures are listed for capital cities, the first is the population of the city proper; the second, in parentheses, represents that of the metropolitan area. Definitions of city proper and metropolitan area vary from country to country.

Under RELIGION, the most widely practiced faith appears first. "Traditional" connotes beliefs of important local sects, such as animism in Africa. Under LANGUAGE, any official language is listed first. LITERACY indicates the percentage of the population above the age of 15 who can read and write. LIFE EXPECTANCY represents the average number of years an infant born in 1995 can be expected to live.

The ECONOMY category condenses numerous activities into a few leading industries and agricultural products—ranked by value where possible—for all states and nations. For most countries with a per capita income of less than U.S. $8,625, major staples raised and consumed locally are categorized as food crops.

Per capita income, or PCI, is a nation's gross national product (GNP) divided by its population. All PCI figures are given in U.S. dollars. The World Bank defines a high-income country as one having a PCI of U.S. $8,625 or more. Per capita income for states, which do not report a figure equivalent to GNP, is derived by dividing total personal income by population. The resulting PCI figures are usually higher than those for the country as a whole.

PCI is just one of many indicators used to assess a nation's well-being. As a statistical average it hides extremes of poverty and wealth. Furthermore, PCI takes no account of factors that affect quality of life, such as environmental degradation, educational opportunities, and health care.

NA indicates that data is not available.

Choosing a continent below will yield a map from which you can select a country. Or go to the index for an alphabetical list.

AFRICA | ASIA | EUROPE | NORTH AMERICA | OCEANIA | SOUTH AMERICA | INDEX