• Imports : Machinery, equipment, and spare parts, minerals, metals, fuels, construction materials, foodstuffs
• Location : Southeastern Europe
• Area : 11,100 sq. mi. (28,748 sq. km)
• Highest Point : Korab, 9,026 ft (2,751 m)
• Lowest Point : Sea level
•••
Albania is a mountainous country on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Slightly larger than Maryland, it is bordered by Yugoslavia to the north and east and Greece to the south. Its name in Albanian is “Shqipëri”, which means “The Land of the Eagle.” Albania has been a Communist country since the end of World War II. Before proclaiming its independence in 1912 it was part of the Ottoman Empire for more than 400 years.
¶Andorra
Y
Andorra la Vella
Franc and Peseta
702
1
• Official Name : Principality of Andorra
• Languages : Catalan, Spanish, French
• Population : 48,000 (est. 1988)
• Government : Co principality (France, Spain)
• Flag : The national flag, used by the people, has blue, yellow, and red vertical stripes. The state flag, used by the government, has a coat of arms on the yellow stripe
• Episcopal Co-Prince : Msgr. Joan Martí y Alanis, Bishop of Seo de Urgel, Spain
• French Co-Prince : Francois Mitterrand, President of France (1981)
• First Syndic : Francesc Cerqueda Pasquet (1982)
• Trading partners : France and Spain
• Location : Southwestern Europe, landlocked
• Area : 175 sq. mi. (453 sq. km.)
• Highest Point : Coma Pedrosa Pk, 9,665 ft (2,946 m)
• Lowest Point : Valira River valley, 2,756 ft (840 m)
•••
Andorra is one of the smallest countries in the world and lies in the Pyrenees Mountains on the French-Spain border. It covers less than half the area of New York City. Andorra is an autonomous and semi-independent co-principality. It has been under the joint rule of the Spanish bishop of Urgel and the French president since 1278.
¶Austria
Y
Vienna
Schilling
Ø
1
• Official Name : Republic of Austria
• Languages : German
• Population : 7,600,000 (est. mid-1988)
• Government : Republic
• Flag : The national flag has a white horizontal stripe in the middle of two red stripes. The state flag has a coat of arms in the center.
• National Anthem : “Land der Berge, Land am Strome” (“Land of Mountains, Land at the River”)
• Exports : iron and steel products, timber, paper, textiles, electrotechnical machines, chemical products
• Imports : machinery, chemicals, foodstuffs, textiles and clothing, petroleum
• Location : Central Europe, landlocked
• Area : 32,377 sq. mi. (83,855 sq. km.)
• Highest Point : Grosslockner, 12,457 ft (3,797 m)
• Lowest Point : Neusiedler See, 377 ft (115 m)
•••
Austria, just a little larger than South Carolina, shares boundaries with Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west, West Germany and Czechoslovakia to the north, Hungary to the east, and Yugoslavia and Italy to the south. The country's longest river, the Danube, flows 217 miles from west to east through northern Austria. About three-fourths of the country is mountainous. Austria has seven land regions : 1) the Granite Plateau, 2) the Vienna Basin, 3) the Eastern Forelands, 4) the Alpine Forelands, 5) the Northern Limestone Alps, 6) the Central Alps, and 7) the Southern Limestone Alps.
¶Belgium
Y
Brussels
Franc
Ø
1
• Official Name : Kingdom of Belgium (French: Royaume de Belgique, and Flemish: Koninkrijk België)
• Languages : [official: French and Dutch (Flemish)], also German
• Population : 9,772,160 (est. mid-1988)
• Government : Constitutional monarchy
• Flag : Vertical black, gold, and red stripes represent three provinces that led a revolution in 1789. They are a symbol of republicanism.
• National Holiday : Independence Day, July 21
• National Anthem : “La Brabançonne” (“The Brabant Song”)
• Sovereign : King Baudouin I (1951)
• Premier : Wilfried Martens (1981)
• Natural resources : coal, iron ore, zinc, lead, and copper
• Exports : iron and steel products, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textile products
• Imports : nonelectrical machinery, motor vehicles, textiles, chemicals, fuels
• Location : Western Europe
• Area : 11,783 sq. mi. (30,518 sq. km.)
• Highest Point : Botrange, 2,277 ft (694 m)
• Lowest Point : Sea level
•••
Belgium, slightly larger than Maryland is bordered by France, West Germany, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. The name “Belgium” comes from the name of a tribe, the “Belgae”, which lived in this region when Julius Caesar conquered it over 2,000 years ago. Belgium has three major geographic regions : 1) Flanders and Kempenland, 2) the Central Plain, and 3) the Ardennes.
¶Bulgaria
Y
Sofia
Lev
Ø
1
• Official Name : People's Republic of Bulgaria
• Languages : Bulgarian
• Population : 9,000,000 (est. mid-1988)
• Government : Socialist republic
• Flag : Horizontal white, green, and red stripes (top to bottom). White stands for freedom, green for forests, and red for bravery. The coat of arms at the upper left has a lion surrounded by wheat and topped by a red star.
• National Anthem : “Mila Rodino” (“Dear Fatherland”)
• National Holiday : Liberation Day, September 9
• Chairman of the State Council : Todor Zhivkov (1971)
• Prime Minister (Chairman of Council of Ministers) : Georgy Atanasov (1986)
• Natural resources : metals, minerals, lumber
• Exports : machinery and transport equipment, fuels, minerals, raw materials, agricultural products
• Imports : machinery and transportation equipment, fuels, raw materials, metals, agricultural raw materials
• Location : Southeastern Europe
• Area : 42,823 sq. mi. (110,912 sq. km.)
• Highest Point : Musala, 9,596 ft (2,925 m)
• Lowest Point : Sea level
•••
Bulgaria is approximately the same size as Tennessee and is divided into two mountain ranges and two great valleys. The four regions are: 1) the Danube River Basin, 2) the Balkan Mountains, 3) the Maritsa River Basin, and 4) the Rhodope Mountains. It is bordered by Yugoslavia, Romania, Greece, and Turkey. For about 500 years Bulgaria was ruled by the Turks. In 1878 it gained independence as a principality, and in 1908 it became an independent kingdom. Bulgaria has been under Communist rule since 1944.
¶Czechoslovakia
Y
Prague
Koruna
Ø
1
• Official Name : Czechoslovak Socialist Republic
• Languages : Czech, Slovak, Hungarian
• Population : 15,600,000 (est. mid-1988)
• Government : Socialist republic
• Flag : The flag is divided into sections representing the regions of Bohemia, Moravia, and Slovakia
• National Anthem : “Kde domov moj?” (“Where Is My Homeland?”) combined with “Nad Tatrou sa blyská” (“Lightning Flashes over the Tatra”)
Czechoslovakia shares borders with East Germany, West Germany, Poland, the Soviet Union, Hungary, and Austria. Its size is approximately equal to that of New York State. Two groups of Slavic peoples, the Czechs and the Slovaks, live in Czechoslovakia. Most of the Czechs live in Bohemia and Moravia, while the Slovaks live primarily in Slovakia. Czechoslovakia gained independence in 1918, when the Czechs and the Slovaks united to form one nation. Before that, Bohemia, Moravia, and Slovakia had been part of Austria-Hungary. In 1948, Czechoslovakia became a Communist state.
¶Denmark
Y
Copenhagen
Krone
Ø
1
• Official Name : Kingdom of Denmark (Kongeriget Danmark)
• Languages : Danish
• Population : 5,100,000 (est. mid-1988)
• Government : Constitutional monarchy
• Flag : Red with a vertical white stripe and a horizontal white stripe. According to legend, the Danish flag came from the sky to King Valdemar II in 1219. It appeared as a sign of victory during a battle.
• National Anthem : “Der er et yndigt land” (“There Is a Lovely Land”)
• Exports : meat and dairy products, industrial machinery, textiles and clothing, chemical products, transportation equipment
• Imports : industrial raw materials, fuel, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, petroleum, chemicals
• Location : Northern Europe
• Area : 16,633 sq. mi. (43,080 sq. km.)
• Highest Point : Yding Skovhøj, 568 ft (173 m)
• Lowest Point : Lammefjord, 23 ft (7 m) below sea level
•••
Denmark consists of a penisula (which shares a border with West Germany), and 482 nearly islands. Denmark, along with Norway and Sweden, is one of the Scandinavian countries. In 1944, Iceland declared its independence from Denmark, ending a union that had existed since 1380. Denmark's outlying territories include :
• Greenland, off the northeastern coast of Canada
• The Faeroe Islands in the North Atlantic
¶Finland
Y
Helsinki
Markka
Ø
1
• Official Name : Republic of Finland
• Languages : Finnish, Swedish
• Population : 4,900,000 (est. mid-1988)
• Government : Republic
• Flag : White background with a vertical blue stripe and a horizontal blue stripe. The State flag also has a coat of arms at the intersection of the two stripes.
• National Anthem : “Maamme” (in Finnish) or “Vart Land” (in Swedish), meaning “Our Land”
• President : Mauno H. Koivisto (1982)
• Premier : Harri Holkeri (1987)
• Natural resource : timber
• Exports : timber, paper and pulp, ships, machinery, iron and steel, clothing, footwear
Finland, slightly larger than New Mexico, shares borders with Sweden to the east, Norway to the north, and the Soviet Union to the west. Finland has more than 200,000 lakes. For centuries there was conflict between Sweden and Russia over Finland. Russia controlled the country from 1809 until 1917 when Finland declared its independence. Today, both Finnish and Swedish are official languages.
¶France
Y
Paris
Franc
Ø
1
• Official Name : French Republic
• Languages : French
• Population : 55,900,000 (est. mid-1988)
• Government : Republic
• Flag : The French Flag is called the “tricolor”, having one blue, one white, and one red vertical stripe. King Louis XVI was the first to use these three colors to represent France.
• National Anthem : “La Marseillaise”
• National Holiday : Bastille Day, July 14
• National Motto : Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité (Liberty, Equality, Fraternity)
• President : Francois Mitterrand (1981)
• Premier : Michel Rocard (1988)
• Natural resources : coal, iron ore, bauxite, fish, forests
• Exports : textiles and clothing, chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, agricultural products
• Lowest Point : Étang de Cazaux, 10 ft (3 m) below sea level
•••
France, approximately 4/5 the size of Texas, is second in size only to the Soviet Union among the European nations. Corsica, an island in the Mediterranean, about 115 miles east-southeast of Nice is also part of France. Overseas departments and territories which are part of France include :
• French Guiana in South America
• French Polynesia in the South Pacific (about 120 islands)
• Guadeloupe in the West Indies
• Martinique in the Lesser Antilles northeast of Venezuela
• Mayotte of the Comoro Islands in the Indian Ocean
• New Caledonia and dependencies about 1000 miles northeast of Australia
• Réunion in the Indian Ocean
• St. Pierre and Miquelon, 10 miles south of Newfoundland
• Southern and Antartic Lands including part of the Antartic mainland and islands in the Indian Ocean
• Wallis and Futuna Islands in the South Pacific
¶Germany, East
Y
East Berlin
Mark
Ø
1
• Official Name : German Democratic Republic
• Languages : German
• Population : 16,600,000 (est. mid-1988)
• Government : Socialist republic
• Flag : The German Flag has one black, one red, and one gold horizontal stripe. From 1955 to 1959 this was the flag for both West and East Germany. In 1959 the coat of arms was added to the center of the East German Flag.
• National Anthem : “Auferstanden aus Ruinen” (“Arisen from Ruins”)
• Chairman of Council of State : Erich Honecker (1976)
• Chairman of Council of Ministers : Willi Stoph (1976)
• Natural resources : brown coal, potash, bauxite
• Exports : machinery and equipment, chemical products, textiles, clothing
• Imports : raw materials, fuels, agricultural products, machinery and equipment
• Location : Eastern Europe
• Area : 41,768 sq. mi. (108,179 sq. km.)
• Highest Point : Fichtelberg, 3,983 ft (1,214 m)
• Lowest Point : Sea level
•••
East Germany, approximately the size of Tennessee, shares borders with West Germany to the west, Czechoslovakia to the south, and Poland to the east. In 1945, Germany was divided into four occupational zones. The portion allotted to the Soviet Union has become East Germany. In 1973 both East and West Germany were admitted to the United Nations.
¶Germany, West
Y
Bonn
Deutsche mark
Ø
1
• Official Name : Federal Republic of Germany
• Languages : German
• Population : 61,200,000 (est. mid-1988)
• Government : Republic
• Flag : The German Flag has one black, one red, and one gold horizontal stripe.
• National Anthem : “Das Deutschlandlied” (“Song of Germany”)
• President : Richard von Weizsäcker (1984)
• Chancellor : Helmut Kohl (1982)
• Natural resources : timber, coal
• Exports : machines and machine tools, chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel products
• Imports : manufactured and agricultural products, raw materials, fuels
• Location : Western Europe
• Area : 96,019 sq. mi. (248,687 sq. km.)
• Highest Point : Zugspitze, 9,721 ft (2,963 m)
• Lowest Point : Freepsum Lake, 7 ft (2 m) below sea level
•••
West Germany borders with France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands on the west, Switzerland and Austria on the south, Czechoslovakia and East Germany on the east, and Denmark on the north. West Germany was the part of Germany occupied by the United States, Britain, and France after World War II. In 1949 the three zones were combined to form the Federal Republic of Germany. West Berlin, located within East Germany, is also part of West Germany.
¶Greece
Y
Athens
Drachma
Ø
1
• Official Name : Hellenic Republic
• Languages : Greek
• Population : 10,100,000 (est. mid-1988)
• Government : Republic
• Flag : The flag's colors are blue and white
• National Anthem : “Imnos pros tin Eleftherian” (“The Hymn to Liberty”)
Greece, slightly smaller than Alabama, borders Albania, Yugoslavia, and Bulgaria on the north, the Ionian Sea on the west, the Aegean Sea and Turkey on the east, and the Mediterranean Sea on the south. Greece has nine main land regions: 1) the Central Pindus, 2) Thessaly, 3) the Salonika Plain, 4) Macedonia-Thrace, 5) the Peloponnesus, 6) the Southeastern Uplands, 7) the Ionian Islands, 8) the Aegean Islands, and 9) Crete. 437 islands make up about 1/5 of the country's area.
¶Vatican City State
Y
Vatican City
Lira
707
1
• Official Name : State of the Vatican City (Stato della Città del Vaticano)
• Languages : Italian, Latin
• Population : 1000 (est. 1985)
• Government : Ecclesiastical state
• Ruler : Pope John Paul II (1978)
• Flag : The Vatican City Flag has one yellow and one white vertical stripe. On the white stripe there is a picture of two crossed keys.
• Location : Southern Europe, landlocked (within the city of Rome, Italy)
• Area : 0.2 sq. mi. (0.4 sq. km.)
• Highest Point : 245 ft (75 m)
• Lowest Point : 62 ft (19 m)
•••
The Vatican City is the smallest independent state in the world. It has been an independent state since 1929. It is the center of the Roman Catholic church and the home of the Pope, who is the head of all branches of government. The Vatican City is located on the Vatican Hill on the Tiber River within the city of Rome.
¶Hungary
Y
Budapest
Forint
Ø
1
• Official Name : Hungarian People's Republic
• Languages : Hungarian
• Population : 10,600,000 (est. mid-1988)
• Government : Socialist republic
• Flag : The flag has three horizontal stripes, one red, one white, and one green
• National Anthem : “Isten áldd a Magyart” (“God Bless the Hungarians”)
• National Holidays : Independence Day, March 15; and Liberation Day, April 4 (Communist)
• President : Bruno Straub (1988)
• Premier : Károly Grósz (1988)
• Natural resources : some bauxite and iron
• Exports : machinery and tools, industrial and consumer goods, raw materials
• Imports : machinery, raw materials
• Location : Eastern Europe, landlocked
• Area : 35,921 sq. mi. (93,036 sq. km.)
• Highest Point : Kékes, 3,330 ft (1,015 m)
• Lowest Point : Tisza River valley, 259 ft (79 m)
•••
Hungary, approximately the size of Indiana, is bordered by Austria to the west, Czechoslovakia to the north, the Soviet Union and Romania to the east, and Yugoslavia to the south. Most of Hungary is a great rolling plain. Part of the northern border is formed by the Danube River, called Duna in Hungary.
¶Iceland
Y
Reykjavik
Króna
Ø
1
• Official Name : Republic of Iceland (Lydhveldidh Island)
• Languages : Icelandic
• Population : 200,000 (est. mid-1988)
• Government : Republic
• Flag : A red cross edged in white appears on a blue field. Blue is the national color, and red and white recall the flag of Denmark, former ruler of Iceland.
• President : Vigdis Finnbogadottir (1980)
• Prime Minister : Thorsteinn Palsson (1987)
• Natural resources : fish, diatomite, hydroelectric and geothermal power
• Highest Point : Hvannadalshnúkur, 6,952 ft (2,119 m)
• Lowest Point : Sea level
•••
Iceland is an island about the size of Kentucky which lies in the north Atlantic Ocean east of Greenland. It just touches the Arctic Circle. Iceland is one of the most volcanic regions in the world. There are many natural wonders such as hot springs, geysers, sulfur beds, canyons, waterfalls, and swift rivers. At one time Iceland was a self-governing kingdom united with Denmark, but in 1944, Iceland gained full independence.
¶Ireland
Y
Dublin
Pound
Ø
1
• Official Name : Ireland
• Languages : Irish, Gaelic, English
• Population : 3,500,000 (est. mid 1988)
• Government : Republic
• Flag : The Irish flag consists of three vertical stripes: green for the country's Roman Catholics, white for unity, and orange for the Protestants of Ulster
• National Anthem : “The Soldier's Song”
• President : Patrick J. Hillery (1976)
• Taoiseach (Prime Minister) : Charles J. Haughey (1987)
• Location : Northwestern Europe (5/6 of island of Ireland)
• Area : 27,136 sq. mi. (70,283 sq. km.)
• Highest Point : Carrauntoohil, 3,406 ft, (1,038 m)
• Lowest Point : Sea level
•••
Ireland occupies about 5/6 of the island of Ireland in the British Isles. Northern Ireland, a part of the United Kingdom, occupies the northern 1/6th of the island. For hundreds of years, Great Britain ruled Ireland; it wasn't until 1921 that Ireland gained its independence. Ireland is sometimes called “the Emerald Isle” because of its green countryside.
¶San Marino
Y
San Marino
Lira
705
1
• Official Name : Republic of San Marino
• Languages : Italian
• Population : 23,000 (est. 1985)
• Government : Republic
• Flag : The flag has two horizontal stripes, the top being white and the bottom being blue. The coat of arms is centered in the flag.
• Co-Regents : Two selected every six months by Grand and General Council
San Marino, which is completely surrounded by Italy, is the smallest republic in Europe, being only 1/10th the size of New York City. It lies on the eastern slopes of the Apennine Mountains in northern Italy near the Adriatic Sea.
¶Liechtenstein
Y
Vaduz
Franc
706
1
• Official Name : Principality of Liechtenstein
• Languages : German
• Population : 28,000 (est. 1985)
• Government : Constitutional monarchy
• Flag : Two stripes, the upper on blue (for the sky), the lower one red (for the glow of evening fires). A gold crown (for the unity of the royalty and the people) appears in the upper left-hand corner.
• Ruler : Prince Franz Josef II (1938)
• Prime Minister : Hans Brunhart (1978)
• Natural resources : timber, hydroelectric power, salt
• Exports : manufactured metal products, machines and instruments, chemical products
• Imports : raw materials, machinery processed foods and goods
• Location : Central Europe, landlocked
• Area : 62 sq. mi. (160 sq. km.)
• Highest Point : Vorder-Grauspitz, 8,527 ft (2,599 m)
• Lowest Point : Ruggeller Riet, 1,411 ft (430 m)
•••
Liechtenstein, one of the smallest countries in the world (being not quite as large as Washington D.C.), lies on the east bank of the Rhine River south of Lake Constance between Austria and Switzerland. It was founded in 1719, and became an independent country in 1806. Like Switzerland, it has maintained neutrality through several wars.
¶Luxembourg
Y
Luxembourg
Franc
701
1
• Official Name : Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
• Languages : Luxembourgish, French, German
• Population : 400,000 (est. mid 1988)
• Government : Constitutional monarchy
• Flag : The flag has horizontal red, white, and blue stripes (top to bottom). The colors come from the coat of arms of Luxembourg.
• National Anthem : “Mir welle bleiwe wat mir sin” (“We want to remain what we are”)
• Ruler : Grand Duke Jeam (1964)
• Premier : Jacques Santer (1984)
• Natural resource : iron ore
• Exports : steel, plastics, chemicals, textiles
• Imports : machinery, chemicals, transport equipment
• Location : Western Europe, landlocked
• Area : 998 sq. mi. (2,586 sq. km.)
• Highest Point : Buurgplaatz, 1,834 ft (559 m)
• Lowest Point : 427 ft (130m)
•••
Luxembourg, being smaller than Rhode Island, borders with Belgium on the west, West Germany on the east, and France on the south. The Ardennes Mountains extend from Belgium into the northern section of Luxembourg. Luxembourg is one of the oldest countries in Europe. It is also one of the world's most industrialized countries.
¶Malta
Y
Valletta
Pound
704
1
• Official Name : Republic of Malta
• Languages : Maltese, English
• Population : 400,000 (est. mid-1988)
• Government : Republic
• Flag : A silver replica of the George Cross, a British medal awarded to Malta for bravery in World War II, appears on a red and white field.
• Imports : manufactured goods, machinery, transport equipment
• Location : Mediterranean island
• Area : 122 sq. mi. (316 sq. km.)
• Highest Point : 829 ft (253 m)
• Lowest Point : Sea level
•••
The five islands which make up the country of Malta have a combined area smaller than Philadelphia. They are located in the Mediterranean Sea about 60 miles south of the southeastern tip of Sicily. The five islands are: Malta, Comino, Cominotto, Filfla, and Gozo.
¶Monaco
Y
Monaco-Ville
Franc
703
1
• Official Name : Principality of Monaco (Principauté de Monaco)
• Languages : French, Monégasque, Italian, English
• Population : 28,000 (est. 1987)
• Government : Constitutional monarchy
• Flag : The flag has two horizontal stripes, red and white
• Ruler : Prince Rainier III (1949)
• Minister of State : Jean Ausseil (1986)
• Location : Southern Europe
• Area : 0.6 sq. mi. (1.5 sq. km)
• Highest Point : 459 ft (140 m)
• Lowest Point : Sea level
•••
Monaco is one of the smallest countries in the world and is located on the French Riviera coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Monaco has four parts -- the three towns and a small industrial area. The four parts are: the city of Monaco, Monte Carlo, La Condamine (between Monaco and Monte Carlo), and Fontvieille (the industrial zone).
¶Netherlands
Y
Amsterdam
Guilder
Ø
1
• Official Name : Kingdom of the Netherlands
• Capitals : While Amsterdam is the constitutional capital, The Hague is the seat of government.
• Languages : Dutch
• Population : 14,700,000 (est. mid-1988)
• Government : Constitutional monarchy
• Flag : Three horizontal stripes, from top to bottom, red, white, and blue
• National Anthem : “Wilhelmus van Nassouwe” (“William of Nassau”)
• Imports : machinery, crude petroleum, chemicals, textiles, mineral ores
• Location : Western Europe
• Area : 15,892 sq. mi. (41,160 sq. km.)
• Highest Point : 1,053 ft (321 m)
• Lowest Point : Prins Alexander polder, 22 ft (6.7 m) below sea level
•••
The Netherlands are located on the coast of the North Sea. It is about twice the size of New Jersey, and it shares borders with West Germany to the east and Belgium to the south. Often the Netherlands is called Holland, even though this name actually refers to only one part of the country. An autonomous country which is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is:
• Netherlands Antilles -- two groups of Carribean islands 500 miles apart
¶Norway
Y
Oslo
Krone
Ø
1
• Official Name : Kingdom of Norway (Kongeriget Norge)
• Languages : Norwegian, Lappish
• Population : 4,200,000 (est. mid-1988)
• Government : Constitutional monarchy
• Flag : The Norwegian flag consists of a blue cross edged in white on a red field
• National Anthem : “Ja vi elsker” (“Yes, We Love with Fond Devotion”)
• Exports : oil, natural gas, fish products, chemicals, pulp and paper, aluminum
• Imports : machinery, motor vehicles, foodstuffs, iron and steel, textiles and clothing
• Location : Northern Europe
• Area : 149,158 sq. mi. (386,317 sq. km.)
• Highest Point : Glittertinden, 8,110 ft (2,472 m)
• Lowest Point : Sea level
•••
Norway is located in the western part of the Scandinavian peninsula. About 1/3 of the country lies above the Arctic Circle, making it the farthest north of any European country. Slightly larger than New Mexico, it borders Sweden on the east and Finland and the Soviet Union in the northeast. Dependencies of Norway include:
• Svalbard -- in the Arctic Ocean
• Bouvet Island -- in the South Altantic
• Jan Mayen Island -- in the Arctic Ocean
• Peter I Island -- off Antarctica in the Bellinghausen Sea
• Queen Maud Land -- a section of Antarctica
¶Poland
Y
Warsaw
Zloty
Ø
1
• Official Name : Polish People's Republic (Polska Rzeczypospolita Ludowa)
• Languages : Polish
• Population : 38,000,000 (est. mid-1988)
• Government : Socialist republic
• Flag : The national flag (flown by the people) has two horizontal stripes, the top being white and the bottom being red. The state flag (flown by the government) also contains the coat of arms centered in the white stripe.
• National Anthem : “Jeszcze Polska nie Zginela” (“Poland Has Not Yet Perished”)
• President of the Council of State : Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski (1985)
• Premier : Zbigniew Messner (1985)
• Natural resources : coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas
• Exports : coal, machinery and equipment, chemicals, industrial products
• Imports : machinery and equipment, fuels, raw materials, agricultural and food products
• Location : Eastern Europe
• Area : 120,728 sq. mi. (312,683 sq. km.)
• Highest Point : Rysy, 8,199 ft (2,499 m)
• Lowest Point : Raczki Elblaskie, 5.9 ft (1.8 m) below sea level
•••
Poland is approximately the same size as New Mexico, and borders with East Germany to the west, Czechoslovakia to the south, and the Soviet Union to the east. Poland became an independent republic in 1918. Since the end of World War II, Poland has had a Communist government.
¶Portugal
Y
Lisbon
Escudo
Ø
1
• Official Name : Portuguese Republic
• Languages : Portuguese
• Population : 10,300,000 (est. mid-1988)
• Government : Republic
• Flag : The two vertical stripes are green (for hope) and red (for the blood of heroes). The coat of arms in the center stands for the Christian faith and the search for knowledge.
• National Anthem : “A Portuguesa” (“The Portuguese”)
• National Holiday : Day of Portugal, June 10
• President : Mario Soares (1986)
• Prime Minister : Anibal Cavaco Silva (1987)
• Natural resources : fish, cork, tungsten ore
• Exports : cotton, textiles, cork and cork products, canned fish, wine, timber and timber products, resin
• Imports : petroleum, cotton, industrial machinery, iron and steel, chemicals
• Location : Southern Europe
• Area : 35,516 sq. mi. (91,985 sq. km.)
• Highest Point : Pico Pt., 7,713 ft (2,351 m)
• Lowest Point : Sea level
•••
Portugal, the westernmost country in Europe, which occupies the western part of the Iberian Peninsula, is a country which is slightly smaller than Indiana. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west and Spain to the north and east. A Portuguese Overseas Territory is:
• Macao -- comprises the peninsula of Macao and the two small islands of Taipa and Colôane on the South China coast. Portugal will return Macao to China in 1999.
¶Romania
Y
Bucharest
Leu
Ø
1
• Official Name : Socialist Republic of Romania
• Languages : Romanian
• Population : 23,000,000 (est. mid-1988)
• Government : Socialist republic
• Flag : The flag has three vertical stripes of blue, yellow, and red, the national colors. The coat of arms appears in the center of the flag.
• Imports : machinery, iron ore, coke and coking coal, minerals
• Location : Eastern Europe
• Area : 91,699 sq. mi. (237,500 sq. km.)
• Highest Point : Moldoveanu, 8,343 ft (2,543 m)
• Lowest Point : Sea level
•••
Romania, slightly smaller than Oregon, is bordered on the west by Hungary and Yugoslavia, on the north and east by the Soviet Union, on the east by the Black Sea, and on the south by Bulgaria. Romania is divided into six land regions: 1) Transylvania, 2) Bucovina, 3) Moldavia, 4) Walachia, 5) Banat, and 6) Dobruja.
¶Italy
Y
Rome
Lira
Ø
1
• Official Name : Italian Republic
• Languages : Italian
• Population : 57,300,000 (est. mid-1988)
• Government : Republic
• Flag : The flag has three vertical stripes, of green, white, and red. Napoleon designed the flag to look like that of France, but subsituted green, his favorite color, for the blue of the French flag.
• National Anthem : “Inno di Mameli” (“Hymn of Mameli”)
• Highest Point : Mt. Blanc (Monte Bianco) 15,771 ft (4,807 m)
• Lowest Point : Sea level
•••
Italy is a long peninsula extending into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Tyrrhenian Sea on the west and the Adriatic Sea on the east. It is slightly larger than Arizona and borders France, Switzerland, Austria, and Yugoslavia in the north. The Alps form Italy's northern border. Several islands also form part of Italy, the two largest being Sicily and Sardinia. The country got its name from the ancient Romans who called the southern part of the peninsula “Italia” -- which means “land of oxen” or “grazing land.”
¶Soviet Union
Y
Moscow
Ruble
Ø
1
• Official Name : Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.)
• Languages : Russian, Slavic, Altaic, and Indo-European languages
• Population : 286,000,000 (est. mid-1988)
• Government : Socialist Republic
• Flag : A gold hammer, sickle, and star on a red background. The red stands for revolution, the hammer and sickle for united peasants and workers, and the star for the Communist Party.
• National Anthem : “Gosudarstveny Gimn Sovetskogo Soyusa” (“National Anthem of the Soviet Union”)
• National Holiday : November 7 and 8, the dates of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917
• National Motto : Proletarii Vsekh Stran, Soyedinyaites! (Workers of All Countries, Unite!)
• Chairman of Presidium (President) : Andrei A. Gromyko (1985) (recently died; do not have current information)
• Chairman of Council of Ministers (Premier) : Nilolai I. Ryzhkov (1985)
• Exports : petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas, machinery and equipment, manufactured goods
• Imports : grain, machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, raw materials, consumer manufactures
• Location : Eastern Europe and northern Asia
• Area : 8,600,383 sq. mi. (22,274,900 sq. km.)
• Highest Point : Communism Pk., 24,590 ft (7,495 m)
• Lowest Point : Vpadima Karagiye, 433 ft (132 m) below sea level
•••
The Soviet Union is the largest nation in the world, occupying more than 1/7th of the land surface of the earth. It borders more other countries than any other nation. The countries it borders are Norway, Finland, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, China, Mongolia, North Korea. The Soviet Union includes 15 union republics.
¶Spain
Y
Madrid
Peseta
Ø
1
• Official Name : Spanish State
• Languages : Spanish
• Population : 39,000,000 (est. mid-1988)
• Government : Constitutional monarchy
• Flag : The flag has three horizontal stripes, the top and bottom being red and the middle being white. The coat of arms is centered in the flag.
• National Anthem : “Himno Nacional” (“National Anthem”)
• Highest Point : Pico de Teide, Tenerife, Canary Is., 12,198 ft (3,718 m)
• Lowest Point : Sea level
•••
Spain occupies about 85% of the Iberian Peninsula while Portugal occupies the rest. Spain shares borders with Portugal to the west and France and Andorra to the northeast. The Pyrenees form the border between France and Spain. Africa is less than 10 miles south at the Strait of Gibraltar. Off Spain's east coast in the Mediterranean are the Balearic Islands, the largest of which is Majorca. Sixty miles west of Africa are the Canary Islands.
¶Sweden
Y
Stockholm
Krona
Ø
1
• Official Name : Kingdom of Sweden
• Languages : Swedish
• Population : 8,400,000 (est. mid-1988)
• Government : Constitutional monarchy
• Flag : The flag has a yellow cross on a light blue background. The colors come from the coat of arms.
• National Anthem : “du gamla, du fria” (“Thou Ancient, Thou Free-Born”)
• Exports : machinery, motor vehicles, wood pulp, paper products, iron and steel products
• Imports : machinery, petroleum, yarns, foodstuffs, iron and steel, chemicals
• Location : Northern Europe
• Area : 173,780 sq. mi. (450,089 sq. km.)
• Highest Point : Kebnekaise, 6,926 ft (2,111 m)
• Lowest Point : Sea level
•••
Sweden, the fourth largest country in Europe (after Russia, France, and Spain) is a little larger than California. It is located in the eastern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula, with Norway to the west, Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia to the east, and Denmark and the Baltic Sea in the south. The northern seventh of the country lies inside the Arctic Circle. Sweden has four main land regions: 1) the Mountain Range, 2) the Inner Northland, 3) the Swedish Lowland, and 4) the South Swedish Highland.
¶Switzerland
Y
Bern
Franc
Ø
1
• Official Name : Swiss Confederation
• Languages : German, French, Italian
• Population : 6,600,000 (est. mid-1988)
• Government : Republic
• Flag : The flag has a white cross on a red background. The cross represents Christianity.
• Imports : transport equipment, metals and metal products, foodstuffs, chemicals, textile yarns
• Location : Central Europe, landlocked
• Area : 15,943 sq. mi. (41,293 sq. km.)
• Highest Point : Monte Rosa (Dufourspitze), 15,203 ft (4,634 m)
• Lowest Point : Lago Maggiore, 633 ft (193 m)
•••
Switzerland is called the land of the Alps. It shares borders with West Germany to the north, France to the west, Italy to the south, and Liechtenstein and Austria to the east. Switzerland has three main land regions: 1) the Jura Mountains, 2) the Swiss Plateau, and 3) the Swiss Alps. One of the most well known mountains in the world, the Matterhorn, rises to an elevation of 14,692 feet (4,478 meters).
¶United Kingdom
Y
London, England
Pound sterling
Ø
1
• Official Name : United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• Languages : English
• Population : 57,100,000 (est. mid-1988)
• Government : Constitutional monarchy
• Flag : The flag has a horizontal, a vertical, and two diagonal red stripes crossing in the middle, surrounded by white edges on a blue background. It is know as the British Union Flag or the Union Jack.
• National Anthem : “God Save the Queen” (or “King”)
• Sovereign : Queen Elizabeth II (1952)
• Prime Minister : Margaret Thatcher (1979)
• Natural resources : coal, oil, gas
• Exports : machinery, transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum
• Highest Point : Ben Nevis, Scotland, 4,406 ft (1,343 m)
• Lowest Point : Holme Fen, England, 9ft (3 m) below sea level
The United Kingdom consists of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, and is twice the size of New York State. Great Britain covers most of an island group called the British Isles. The British Isles consist of two large islands (Great Britain and Ireland) and thousands of small islands. England, Scotland, and Wales occupy the island of Great Britain. Northern Ireland occupies the northeastern part of the island of Ireland. The English Channel separates Great Britain from France. The United Kingdom can be divided into eight main land regions, seven of which occupy the island of Great Britain. They are: 1) the Scottish Highlands, 2) the Central Lowlands, 3) the Southern Uplands, 4) the Pennines, 5) Wales, 6) the Southwest Peninsula, and 7) the English Lowlands. Northern Ireland makes up the eighth land region. The Dependencies of the United Kingdom include :
• Anguilla -- in the West Indies
• Bermuda -- in the West Indies
• British Antarctic Territory -- consists of some land in Antarctica and some islands
• British Indian Ocean Territory -- consists of the Chagos Archipelago and other small island groups
• British Virgin Islands -- in the Caribbean Sea
• Cayman Islands -- three islands about 180 miles northwest of Jamaica
• Channel Islands -- in the English Channel
• Falkland Islands and Dependencies -- a group of islands in the South Atlantic
• Gibraltar -- at the south end of the Iberian Peninsula
• Hong Kong -- about 90 miles southeast of Canton; will return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997
• Isle of Man -- in the Irish Sea
• Montserrat -- in the West Indies
• Pitcairn Island -- in the South Pacific
• St. Helena -- in the South Atlantic
• Turks and Caicos Islands -- at the southeast end of the Bahamas
¶Yugoslavia
Y
Belgrade
Dinar
Ø
1
• Official Name : Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Socijalisticka Federativna Republika Jugoslavija
• Languages : Serbo-Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian
• Population : 23,600,000 (est. mid-1988)
• Government : Socialist republic
• Flag : A gold-bordered red star (for Communism) is centered on three horizontal stripes of blue, white, and red
• National Anthem : “Hej Sloveni” (“Hey Slavs”)
• President : Lazar Mojsov (1987)
• President of Federal Executive Council (Premier) : Branko Mikulíc (1986)
Yugoslavia is located on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea opposite Italy. It is slightly larger than Wyoming and shares borders with Austria, Italy, and Hungary to the north, Romania and Bulgaria to the east, and Greece and Albania to the south. Yugoslavia has three main geographic regions: 1) a coastal plain, 2) a mountain chain, and 3) a great inland river valley.
¶Europe
N
Ø
Ø
Ø
2
EUROPE (Excluding Russia)
• Population : 497,000,000 (est. mid-1988)
• Area : 1,905,000 sq. mi.
• Highest Point : Mount Blanc, France, 15,781 ft.
• Lowest Point : Sea level
RUSSIA
• Population : 286,000,000 (est. mid-1988)
• Area : 8,647,000 sq. mi.
• Highest Point : Communism Peak, Pamir, 24,547 ft.
• Lowest Point : Caspian Sea, 96 ft. below Sea level
EUROPE (Including Russia)
• Population : 783,000,000 (est. mid-1988)
• Area : 10,552,000 sq. mi.
• Highest Point : Communism Peak, Pamir, Russia, 24,547 ft.
• Lowest Point : Caspian Sea, 96 ft. below Sea level
The 33 countries included in this geography tutorial are:
• Albania, Andorra, Austria
• Belgium, Bulgaria
• Czechoslovakia
• Denmark
• Finland, France
• East Germany, West Germany, Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland, Ireland, Italy
• Liechtenstein, Luxembourg
• Malta, Monaco
• Netherlands, Norway
• Poland, Portugal
• Romania
• San Marino, Soviet Union, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
