Afghanistan | |
|---|---|
| Land Area | 652230km² |
| Land Area + Seaarea | |
| Population | 32738376 |
| Population density | 50.2 / km² |
Afghanistan ( (listen); Pashto/Dari: افغانستان, Pashto: Afġānistān [avɣɒnisˈtɒn, ab-], Dari: Afġānestān [avɣɒnesˈtɒn]), officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country in South and Central Asia. Afghanistan is bordered by Pakistan to the east and south; Iran to the west; Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan to the north; and China to the northeast. Occupying 652,000 square kilometers (252,000 sq mi), it is a mountainous country with plains in the north and southwest. Kabul is the capital and largest city. The population is around 32 million, mostly composed of ethnic Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras and Uzbeks. Human habitation in Afghanistan dates back to the Middle Paleolithic Era, and the country's strategic location along the Silk Road connected it to the cultures of the Middle East and other parts of Asia. The land has historically been home to various peoples and has witnessed numerous military campaigns, including those by Alexander the Great, Mauryas, Muslim Arabs, Mongols, British, Soviets, and by the United States with allied countries. The land also served as the source from which the Kushans, Hephthalites, Samanids, Saffarids, Ghaznavids, Ghorids, Khaljis, Mughals, Hotaks, Durranis, and others have risen to form major empires. The political history of the modern state of Afghanistan began with the Hotak and Durrani dynasties in the 18th century, with Ahmad Shah Abdali being considered as the founder of the state. In the late 19th century, Afghanistan became a buffer state in the "Great Game" between British India and the Russian Empire. Its border with British India, the Durand Line, was formed in 1893 but it is not recognized by the Afghan government and it has led to strained relations with Pakistan since the latter's independence in 1947. In the First Anglo-Afghan War, the British East India Company seized control of Afghanistan briefly, but following the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919 the country was free of foreign influence, eventually becoming a monarchy under Amanullah Khan, until almost 50 years later when Zahir Shah was overthrown and a republic was established. In 1978, after a second coup Afghanistan first became a socialist state and then a Soviet protectorate. This evoked the Soviet–Afghan War in the 1980s against mujahideen rebels. By 1996 most of Afghanistan was captured by the Islamic fundamentalist group the Taliban, who ruled as a totalitarian regime for over five years. Following the 9/11 attacks, an intervention by the US and its allies forcibly removed the Taliban from power, and a new democratically-elected government was formed, but the Taliban still control a significant portion of the country. Afghanistan is a unitary presidential Islamic republic. The country has high levels of terrorism, poverty, child malnutrition, and corruption. It is a member of the United Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Group of 77, the Economic Cooperation Organization, and the Non-Aligned Movement. Afghanistan's economy is the world's 96th largest, with a gross domestic product (GDP) of $72.9 billion by purchasing power parity; the country fares much worse in terms of per-capita GDP (PPP), ranking 169th out of 186 countries as of 2018.
Source: WikipediaMarshall Islands | |
|---|---|
| Land Area | 181km² |
| Land Area + Seaarea | |
| Population | 0 |
| Population density | 0.0 / km² |
<p>The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands (Marshallese: Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ), is an island Nation and a United States associated state Close to the equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the International Date Line. </p>The country is part of the island group of Micronesia. The country's population of 58,413 people (at the 2018 World Bank Census) is spread out over 29 coral atolls, comprising 1,156 individual islands and islets. The capital and largest city is Majuro. It has the largest portion of its territory made from water of any sovereign state, at 97.87%. The islands discuss Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati to the southeast, Nauru to the south, and maritime borders with the Wake Island to the north . About 52.3% of Marshall Islanders (27,797 at the 2011 Census) live on Majuro. Data from the United Nations suggests an estimated population of 58,413 in 2018. In 2016, 73.3% of the population were defined as being"urban". The UN also indicates a population density of 295 per km² (765 individuals per mi²) and its projected 2020 population is 59,190. Micronesian colonists reached the Marshall Islands with canoes circa 2nd century BC, with navigation made possible with traditional stick charts. They settled here. Islands in the archipelago were first explored by Europeans in the 1520s, starting with Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer in the service of Spain, Juan Sebastián Elcano and Miguel Saavedra. Spanish explorer Alonso de Salazar reported sighting an atoll in August 1526. Other expeditions by Spanish and English ships followed. The islands derive their title from John Marshall, who visited in 1788. The islands were historically known by the inhabitants as"jolet jen Anij" (Gifts from God).Spain claimed the islands in 1592, and the European powers recognized its sovereignty over the islands in 1874. They had been part of the Spanish East Indies since 1528. Later, Spain sold some of the islands to the Empire in 1885, and they became part of German New Guinea that year, run by the trading companies doing business. In World War I the Marshall Islands, which the League of Nations and other German territories along to form the South Seas Mandate were occupied by the Empire of Japan. During World War II, the United States took control of the islands. Testing concluded in 1958 and began on Bikini Atoll in 1946. The US government formed the Congress of Micronesia in 1965, a plan for of Pacific islands. The Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands in 1979 provided independence to the Marshall Islands, whose constitution and president (Amata Kabua) were formally recognized by the usa. Self-government or sovereignty was attained in a Compact of Free Association with the United States. Marshall Islands has been a member of the Pacific Community (SPC) since 1983 and a United Nations member state since 1991. Politically, the Marshall Islands is a presidential republic in free association with the United States, with the US providing protection, subsidies, and access to U.S.-based agencies like the Federal Communications Commission and the United States Postal Service. With few natural resources, the islands' wealth is based on some fishing, in addition to a service economy and agriculture; help from the USA represents a large proportion of the islands' gross domestic product. The country uses the United States dollar . In 2018, it also announced plans for a new cryptocurrency to be used as legal tender.The most of the citizens of the Republic of Marshall Islands, formed in 1982, are of Marshallese descent, though there are small numbers of immigrants from the USA, China, Philippines, and other Pacific islands. The two official languages are English; and Marshallese, which is one of the Malayo-Polynesian languages. Almost the whole population of the islands practices some faith: three-quarters of the country follows the United Church of Christ -- Congregational from the Marshall Islands (UCCCMI) or the Assemblies of God.
Source: WikipediaGibraltar ( jih-BRAWL-tər, Spanish: [xiβɾalˈtaɾ]) is a British Overseas Territory located at the...
Monaco ( (listen); French pronunciation: [mɔnako]), formally the Principality of Monaco (French:...
Bhutan ( (listen); Dzongkha: འབྲུག་ཡུལ, romanized: Druk Yul, [ʈuk̚˩.yː˩]), officially the Kingdom...
The Comoros ( (listen); Arabic: جزر القمر, Juzur al-Qumur / Qamar), officially the Union of the...
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