countries

Background:

What is now Ecuador formed part of the northern Inca Empire until the Spanish conquest in 1533. Quito became a seat of Spanish colonial government in 1563 and part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada in 1717. The territories of the Viceroyalty - New Granada (Colombia), Venezuela, and Quito - gained their independence between 1819 and 1822 and formed a federation known as Gran Colombia. When Quito withdrew in 1830, the traditional name was changed in favor of the "Republic of the Equator." Between 1904 and 1942, Ecuador lost territories in a series of conflicts with its neighbors. A border war with Peru that flared in 1995 was resolved in 1999. Although Ecuador marked 25 years of civilian governance in 2004, the period has been marred by political instability. Protests in Quito have contributed to the mid-term ouster of Ecuador's last three democratically elected Presidents.

Location:	Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru
Geographic coordinates:	2 00 S, 77 30 W
Map references:	South America
Area:	total: 283,560 sq km land: 276,840 sq km water: 6,720 sq km note: includes Galapagos Islands
Area - comparative:	slightly smaller than Nevada
Land boundaries:	total: 2,010 km border countries: Colombia 590 km, Peru 1,420 km
Coastline:	2,237 km
Maritime claims:	territorial sea: 200 nm continental shelf: 100 nm from 2,500 meter isobath
Climate:	tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands
Terrain:	coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands (sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente)
Elevation extremes:	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Chimborazo 6,267 m
Natural resources:	petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower
Land use:	arable land: 5.71% permanent crops: 4.81% other: 89.48% (2005)
Irrigated land:	8,650 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:	frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity; floods; periodic droughts
Environment - current issues:	deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution; pollution from oil production wastes in ecologically sensitive areas of the Amazon Basin and Galapagos Islands
Environment - international agreements:	party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:	Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world

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Koléa tourisme

Background:

Dominica was the last of the Caribbean islands to be colonized by Europeans due chiefly to the fierce resistance of the native Caribs. France ceded possession to Great Britain in 1763, which made the island a colony in 1805. In 1980, two years after independence, Dominica's fortunes improved when a corrupt and tyrannical administration was replaced by that of Mary Eugenia CHARLES, the first female prime minister in the Caribbean, who remained in office for 15 years. Some 3,000 Carib Indians still living on Dominica are the only pre-Columbian population remaining in the eastern Caribbean.

Location:	Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago
Geographic coordinates:	15 25 N, 61 20 W
Map references:	Central America and the Caribbean
Area:	total: 754 sq km land: 754 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:	slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:	0 km
Coastline:	148 km
Maritime claims:	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:	tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall
Terrain:	rugged mountains of volcanic origin
Elevation extremes:	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Morne Diablatins 1,447 m
Natural resources:	timber, hydropower, arable land
Land use:	arable land: 6.67% permanent crops: 21.33% other: 72% (2005)
Irrigated land:	NA
Natural hazards:	flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months
Environment - current issues:	NA
Environment - international agreements:	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:	known as "The Nature Island of the Caribbean" due to its spectacular, lush, and varied flora and fauna, which are protected by an extensive natural park system; the most mountainous of the Lesser Antilles, its volcanic peaks are cones of lava craters and include Boiling Lake, the second-largest, thermally active lake in the world

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Koléa tourisme

Background:

Once the seat of Viking raiders and later a major north European power, Denmark has evolved into a modern, prosperous nation that is participating in the general political and economic integration of Europe. It joined NATO in 1949 and the EEC (now the EU) in 1973. However, the country has opted out of certain elements of the European Union's Maastricht Treaty, including the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), European defense cooperation, and issues concerning certain justice and home affairs.

Location:	Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, on a peninsula north of Germany (Jutland); also includes two major islands (Sjaelland and Fyn)
Geographic coordinates:	56 00 N, 10 00 E
Map references:	Europe
Area:	total: 43,094 sq km land: 42,394 sq km water: 700 sq km note: includes the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea and the rest of metropolitan Denmark (the Jutland Peninsula, and the major islands of Sjaelland and Fyn), but excludes the Faroe Islands and Greenland
Area - comparative:	slightly less than twice the size of Massachusetts
Land boundaries:	total: 68 km border countries: Germany 68 km
Coastline:	7,314 km
Maritime claims:	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:	temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers
Terrain:	low and flat to gently rolling plains
Elevation extremes:	lowest point: Lammefjord -7 m highest point: Yding Skovhoej 173 m
Natural resources:	petroleum, natural gas, fish, salt, limestone, chalk, stone, gravel and sand
Land use:	arable land: 52.59% permanent crops: 0.19% other: 47.22% (2005)
Irrigated land:	4,490 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:	flooding is a threat in some areas of the country (e.g., parts of Jutland, along the southern coast of the island of Lolland) that are protected from the sea by a system of dikes
Environment - current issues:	air pollution, principally from vehicle and power plant emissions; nitrogen and phosphorus pollution of the North Sea; drinking and surface water becoming polluted from animal wastes and pesticides
Environment - international agreements:	party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:	controls Danish Straits (Skagerrak and Kattegat) linking Baltic and North Seas; about one-quarter of the population lives in greater Copenhagen

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Koléa tourisme

                                                                      en

The native Amerindian population of Cuba began to decline after the European discovery of the island by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1492 and following its development as a Spanish colony during the next several centuries. Large numbers of African slaves were imported to work the coffee and sugar plantations, and Havana became the launching point for the annual treasure fleets bound for Spain from Mexico and Peru. Spanish rule, marked initially by neglect, became increasingly repressive, provoking an independence movement and occasional rebellions that were harshly suppressed. It was US intervention during the Spanish-American War in 1898 that finally overthrew Spanish rule. The subsequent Treaty of Paris established Cuban independence, which was granted in 1902 after a three-year transition period. Fidel CASTRO led a rebel army to victory in 1959; his iron rule has held the regime together since then. Cuba's Communist revolution, with Soviet support, was exported throughout Latin America and Africa during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. The country is now slowly recovering from a severe economic recession in 1990, following the withdrawal of former Soviet subsidies, worth $4 billion to $6 billion annually. Cuba portrays its difficulties as the result of the US embargo in place since 1961. Illicit migration to the US - using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, air flights, or via the southwest border - is a continuing problem. The US Coast Guard intercepted 2,810 individuals attempting to cross the Straits of Florida in fiscal year 2006.

Location:	Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida
Geographic coordinates:	21 30 N, 80 00 W
Map references:	Central America and the Caribbean
Area:	total: 110,860 sq km land: 110,860 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:	slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Land boundaries:	total: 29 km border countries: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay 29 km note: Guantanamo Naval Base is leased by the US and remains part of Cuba
Coastline:	3,735 km
Maritime claims:	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:	tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October)
Terrain:	mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast
Elevation extremes:	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Pico Turquino 2,005 m
Natural resources:	cobalt, nickel, iron ore, chromium, copper, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land
Land use:	arable land: 27.63% permanent crops: 6.54% other: 65.83% (2005)
Irrigated land:	8,700 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:	the east coast is subject to hurricanes from August to November (in general, the country averages about one hurricane every other year); droughts are common
Environment - current issues:	air and water pollution; biodiversity loss; deforestation
Environment - international agreements:	party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:	largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles

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Koléa tourisme

Background:

The lands that today comprise Croatia were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the close of World War I. In 1918, the Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes formed a kingdom known after 1929 as Yugoslavia. Following World War II, Yugoslavia became a federal independent Communist state under the strong hand of Marshal TITO. Although Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, it took four years of sporadic, but often bitter, fighting before occupying Serb armies were mostly cleared from Croatian lands. Under UN supervision, the last Serb-held enclave in eastern Slavonia was returned to Croatia in 1998.

Location:	Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia
Geographic coordinates:	45 10 N, 15 30 E
Map references:	Europe
Area:	total: 56,542 sq km land: 56,414 sq km water: 128 sq km
Area - comparative:	slightly smaller than West Virginia
Land boundaries:	total: 2,197 km border countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina 932 km, Hungary 329 km, Serbia 241 km, Montenegro 25 km, Slovenia 670 km
Coastline:	5,835 km (mainland 1,777 km, islands 4,058 km)
Maritime claims:	territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:	Mediterranean and continental; continental climate predominant with hot summers and cold winters; mild winters, dry summers along coast
Terrain:	geographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian border, low mountains and highlands near Adriatic coastline and islands
Elevation extremes:	lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m highest point: Dinara 1,830 m
Natural resources:	oil, some coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium, gypsum, natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, hydropower
Land use:	arable land: 25.82% permanent crops: 2.19% other: 71.99% (2005)
Irrigated land:	110 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:	destructive earthquakes
Environment - current issues:	air pollution (from metallurgical plants) and resulting acid rain is damaging the forests; coastal pollution from industrial and domestic waste; landmine removal and reconstruction of infrastructure consequent to 1992-95 civil strife
Environment - international agreements:	party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - note:	controls most land routes from Western Europe to Aegean Sea and Turkish Straits; the vast majority of Adriatic Sea islands lie off the coast of Croatia - some 1,200 islands, islets, ridges, and rocks

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Koléa tourisme