Category Geography

            Bahrain is the third smallest nation in Asia after the Maldives and Singapore. Bahrain covers 765 square kilometres of land. Bahrain is an Arab constitutional monarchy in the Persian Gulf.

            Bahrain became an independent state in 1971, after gaining its sovereignty from the United Kingdom.

            The currency of Bahrain is the Bahraini Dinar. Manama is the capital city of Bahrain. Manama is also the political centre of Bahrain.

            The spoken language is Arabic. Bahrain is ruled by the king, whose family holds the main political and military posts. Bahrain has a high Human Development Index and was recognized by the World Bank as a high income economy.

            Some 200 different species of desert plants grow in the arid portions of the archipelago, while the Irrigated and cultivated areas of the islands support fruit trees and vegetables mainly.

            Officially known as the Republic of Kiribati, a widely scattered nation of Kiribati, located in the Pacific Ocean along the edges of the Equator, includes the Gilbert, Phoenix and Line island groups. Most are uninhabited. Among the 33 islands of Kiribati only 20 are inhabited.

            All the islands are low-lying coral atolls. They are the protruding tips of undersea volcanoes, and extend only a few feet above sea level.

            Kiribati became independent from the United Kingdom in 1979. The capital, and now most populated area, South Tarawa, consists of a number of islets, connected by a series of causeways.

            Kiribati is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the IMF and the World Bank, and became a full member of the United Nations in 1999.

            Kiribati is considered one of the least developed countries in the world. The economy of Kiribati benefits from international development assistance programmes.

            Sao Tome and Principe is a Portuguese-speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa.

            The islands were uninhabited until their discovery by Portuguese explorers in the 15th century.

            Sao Tome and Principe got independence in 1975, and has since remained one of Africa’s most stable and democratic countries. In 1990, Sao Tome made changes to the constitution and embraced democratic reform. Sao Tome and Principe is the second-smallest African country after Seychelles. Until the recent discovery of oil in the Gulf of Guinea, which has had a significant impact on the country’s economy, its primary source of revenues came from its agriculture.

            The capital of the country, Sao Tome city, is situated in the north-eastern part of Sao Tome Island. The country’s closest neighbours are Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. The climate is basically maritime and tropical. The currency of the country is Dobra.

               Union of the Comoros is a sovereign archipelago island nation in the Indian Ocean east of Mozambique off the east coast of the African continent and west of the northern tip of Madagascar. Comoros is one among the smallest countries in the world and only has a total area of 1862 square kilometres.

               The Comoros consists of the three main islands: Ngazidja, Mwali, and Nzwani. The Union of the Comoros has three official languages — Comorian, Arabic and French. Capital and largest city is Moroni on Grande Comore.

               France colonized Mayotte in 1843 and by 1904 had annexed the remainder of the archipelago. In a 1974 referendum, 95 per cent of the population voted for independence. The exception was Mayotte. Today it remains a French overseas territory. Comoros is another one of the world’s poorest countries.

               This small- scenic island country located in the continent of Africa, Mauritius covers a total area of 2,040 square kilometres. It enjoys a tropical climate with clear warm sea waters, beaches, tropical fauna and flora complemented by a multi-ethnic and cultural population.

               Mauritius became an independent state in 1968, after gaining its sovereignty from France. The currency of Mauritius is the Mauritian Rupee. The capital of the country is Port Louis. The island of Mauritius is volcanic in origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs.

               Lake Vacoas, one of the main reservoirs, is the chief source of water. The most significant issues faced by the country currently are water pollution, and degradation of coral reefs.

               However, the country now boasts one of Africa’s highest per capita incomes, achieved through tourism.

               Mauritius is the only country in Africa where Hinduism is the largest religion. The government uses English as its main language.

               Located in the continent of Europe, Luxembourg became an independent state in 1867, after gaining its sovereignty from The Netherlands.

               Luxembourg shares land borders with 3 countries: Germany, Belgium, and France. Luxembourg is a constitutional monarchy and a prominent financial centre.

               Its capital, Luxembourg City, is, together with Brussels and Strasbourg, one of the three official capitals of the European Union and the seat of the European Court of Justice, the highest juridical authority in the EU.

               Luxembourg’s high-income economy has a solid growth, low inflation, and low unemployment. Its culture, people and languages are highly intertwined with its neighbours, making it essentially a mixture of French and Germanic cultures. This is emphasized by the three official languages, Luxembourgish, French, and German.