Category Geography

               Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country on the north western edge of the Balkan Peninsula in Southern Europe, formerly a constituent republic of Yugoslavia. Five countries border Croatia: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia, and it shares a sea border with Italy. Its capital city is Zagreb.

               Croatia became an independent state in 1991, after gaining its sovereignty from Yugoslavia.

               Croatia, in earlier times, was influenced by many foreign countries like Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. The Croatian War of Independence was fought successfully for four years following the declaration. The politics of Croatia are defined by a parliamentary, representative democratic republic framework, where the Prime Minister of Croatia is the head of government in a multi-party system.

               Being an extremely beautiful, scenic country, Croatia is again very popular as a tourist destination. Croatian is the official language of Croatia. The currency of Croatia is the Kuna. 

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               Costa Rica is a small country in Central America. It is bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

               Its constitution of 1949 provides for a unicameral legislature, a fair judicial system, and an independent electoral body. Moreover, the constitution abolished the country’s army, gave women the right to vote, and provided other social, economic, and educational guarantees for all of its citizens.

               The Spanish came to Costa Rica and colonized the area in 1561. It was a Spanish colony for about 250 years. However, unlike its neighbours, Costa Rica never fought for independence from Spain. On September 15th, 1821, after the final Spanish defeat in the Mexican War of Independence, the authorities in Guatemala declared the independence of all of Central America. The Capital city is San Jose. The currency is the Costa Rican colon. 

               The Slovak Republic is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Europe that is bordered by Austria and the Czech Republic in west, by Hungary in south, by Poland in north, and the Ukraine in east. Slovakia’s territory spans about 49,000 square kilometers, and is mostly mountainous. The capital and largest city is Bratislava. The official language is Slovak.

               Formerly part of Czechoslovakia, it was known as the Slovak Socialist Republic from 1969 until 1990. In 1993, the Slovak Republic became an independent, sovereign state.

               Slovakia is a parliamentary democratic republic with a multi-party system. The head of state of Slovakia is the president; he is elected by direct popular vote for a five-year term.

               In 2004, Slovakia became an EU member country, and in December 2007, it joined the Schengen zone. The Slovak economy is one of the fastest growing economies in Europe, and the 3rd fastest in Eurozone. The country maintains a combination of a market economy with a comprehensive social security system. Its currency is the Euro. 

               Swaziland, officially Kingdom of Swaziland is a country in the eastern flank of South Africa, where it adjoins Mozambique.

               The landlocked Kingdom of Swaziland is the last absolute monarchy in Africa. Swaziland became an independent state in 1968, after gaining its sovereignty from the United Kingdom.

               Swaziland is one of the smallest countries in Africa. The name Swazi is the Anglicized name of an early king and nation builder, Mswati II, who ruled from 1840 to 1868.

               According to UNICEF Swaziland has the highest HIV prevalence rate in the world. The HIV-Aids virus has killed countless Swazis who have left behind thousands of orphans.

               Some 210,000 people, out of a population of 1.2 million, are estimated to be living with HIV. Elections are held every five years to determine the House of Assembly and the Senate majority. The current constitution was adopted in 2005.

               The official languages are Swazi, and English. The currencies used are the South African rand and the Swazi lilangeni.

               Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, is a relatively new nation, situated in the eastern half of the island of Timor, at the eastern ‘end’ of the Lesser Sunda Islands, north of the Timor Sea and Australia. The country is bordered by Indonesia in the west, and the Savu Sea in north.

               The capital and largest city is Dili, the spoken languages are Tetum and Portuguese, Indonesian, English. East Timor achieved independence on 20th May 2002, from Indonesia.

               In 1999, following the United Nations-sponsored act of self-determination, Indonesia relinquished control of the territory. Thus, East Timor became the first new sovereign state of the 21st century, and joined the United Nations.

               The head of state of East Timor is the President of the Republic, who is elected by popular vote for a five-year term. Much of the country is mountainous. It is characterized by distinct rainy and dry seasons. The currencies used are the United States dollar, and the East Timor centavo coins.

            The Bahamas are a coral archipelago of around 700 islands and more than 2,000 rocks and cays in the West Atlantic south-east of the coast of Florida, USA, and northeast of Cuba.

            Formerly a British colony the Bahamas became an independent country within the Commonwealth in 1973. About 30 islands are inhabited, the most important of which are New Providence, in the middle of the group, where the capital Nassau is situated.

            The Bahamas is one of the richest countries in the Americas, with an economy based on tourism and finance. The climate is cooler than other countries in the Caribbean region but still pleasantly mild in winter. The yellow elder was chosen as the national flower of the Bahamas because it is native to the Bahama Islands, and it blooms throughout the year. The official language of the Bahamas is English.

            The Bahamas is a constitutional parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, represented by the Bahamian governor-general who acts on the advice of the Prime Minister.