The U.N.’s main goals are to prevent war, develop friendly relations between states, solve international problems, and promote respect for human rights. Founded in 1863, the organization’s symbol in Muslim countries is a red crescent. Diamond cutting and polishing is Israel’s main export-oriented industry. The Nile, Egypt’s only river, is the world’s longest: 6,648 km (4,132 mi) long. Marsupials developed here without predators for 50 million years. Alvaro de Mendaña named these islands, believing they were the source of King Solomon’s gold for the Temple of Jerusalem. A Spanish colony for over 300 years, Mexico became a republic in 1824. The name is thought to come from “Kanata,” the Huron-Iroquois word for “village” or “community.” On November 25, 1783, as the British fleet left New York Harbor, an American sailor named David Van Arsdale climbed the flagpole the British had greased, and let fly the new nation’s flag. The name comes from the Portuguese word for the reddish color of brazil wood. The smallest country in South America, Uruguay is wedged between Brazil and Argentina. Crossing from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea, travellers actually travel northwest through the Panama Canal. About 95% of the world’s emeralds come from Colombia. Home of Aconcagua, whose peak is the highest point in the Western hemisphere. Home of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world. Home of Cotopaxi, South America’s most dangerous volcano. Home of Angel Falls, the world’s highest waterfall. The central railroad reaches 4,817 m (15,809 ft): the highest standard gauge railroad in the world. A former union of 15 republics. Officially proclaimed in 1922 and dissolved in 1991. The world’s largest producer of olives. The oldest continuous democracy in Europe. The federal legislature finally granted women the right to vote in 1971. Timber and wood by-products have traditionally been among Sweden’s most valuable exports. The Polish name for Poland, “Polska,” means “the land of the plain.” Lacking natural borders and having stronger neighbors during much of its history, Germany has often been a battleground. Includes within its borders the islands of Sicily and Sardinia, as well as many other smaller islands. Consists of England, Scotland, Wales, and six counties of Northern Ireland. One of the oldest countries. France’s frontiers have changed relatively little since the close of the Middle Ages. Proclaimed its independence in 1945, after more than 300 years of Dutch control. Saudi Arabia’s southern desert is the largest continuous body of sand in the world. China’s written history begins during the Shang dynasty in the 16th century B.C. Named in 1543 for the crown prince of Spain, these islands achieved independence in 1946. The government of Chiang Kai-Shek fled here in 1949 when communists took over mainland China and proclaimed the People’s Republic of China. The world’s second most populous nation, after China. India has 16 official languages. Ruled by France from 1885 to 1954, when it gained independence but was divided into north and south. Developed in the 15th century, the Korean alphabet is thought to be East Asia’s first phonetic alphabet. The name means “land of the rising sun.”