tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41806317953097590952024-02-20T07:52:30.208-08:00MARXISTAn encyclopaedia of Countries from poorestlaughing clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00005129930309506974noreply@blogger.comBlogger2534125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180631795309759095.post-81146116049413315602017-08-20T04:01:00.002-07:002017-08-20T04:01:57.684-07:00maps of marxist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />laughing clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00005129930309506974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180631795309759095.post-80000955734015601292014-09-21T22:04:00.001-07:002014-09-21T22:09:14.090-07:00world map printed on palm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />laughing clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00005129930309506974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180631795309759095.post-51917234193616580902014-08-11T21:51:00.001-07:002014-08-11T21:51:17.883-07:00World Map at present (2014) as in MARXIST<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Arranged from the poorest country.<br />laughing clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00005129930309506974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180631795309759095.post-89750438118119272272014-05-27T21:37:00.002-07:002014-08-05T07:25:12.717-07:00Recent map and list of countries of Latin America<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />laughing clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00005129930309506974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180631795309759095.post-75169393735137729932014-05-26T06:40:00.000-07:002014-05-26T06:40:59.563-07:00Latin America contd- French Guiana (annex-8)<div style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
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<b>French Guiana</b> officially just <b>Guiana</b>, is an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_department" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Overseas department">overseas department</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_region" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Overseas region">region</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="France">France</a>, on the north Atlantic coast of South America. It borders <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazil" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Brazil">Brazil</a> to the east and south, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suriname" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Suriname">Suriname</a> to the west. Its 83,534 km<sup style="line-height: 1;">2</sup> (32,253 sq mi) area has a very low population density of only 3 inhabitants per km<sup style="line-height: 1;">2</sup>, with half of its 250,109 inhabitants in 2013 living in the metropolitan area of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cayenne" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Cayenne">Cayenne</a>, its <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prefectures_in_France" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Prefectures in France">capital</a>. By land area<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_departments_and_territories_of_France" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Overseas departments and territories of France">overseas region of France</a>. As an overseas region, it is inside the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="European Union">European Union</a>, and its official currency is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euro" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Euro">Euro</a>.</div>
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, it is by far the largest<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
The addition of the adjective "French" in English comes from colonial times when five such colonies existed (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Guianas" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="The Guianas">The Guianas</a>), namely from west to east: Spanish Guiana (now <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guayana_Region" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Guayana Region">Guayana Region</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuela" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Venezuela">Venezuela</a>), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Guiana" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="British Guiana">British Guiana</a> (now <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guyana" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Guyana">Guyana</a>), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surinam_(Dutch_colony)" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Surinam (Dutch colony)">Dutch Guiana</a> (now Suriname), French Guiana, and <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_Guiana" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Brazilian Guiana">Portuguese Guiana</a> (now <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amap%C3%A1" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Amapá">Amapá</a>, a state in far northern Brazil). French Guiana and the two larger countries to the north and west, Guyana and Suriname, are still often collectively referred to as the Guianas and comprise one <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guiana_Shield" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Guiana Shield">large shield landmass</a>.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
A large part of the department's economy derives from the presence of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guiana_Space_Centre" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Guiana Space Centre">Guiana Space Centre</a>, now the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Space_Agency" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="European Space Agency">European Space Agency</a>'s </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
launch site near the equator.</div>
<table cellspacing="3" class="infobox geography vcard" style="background-color: #f9f9f9; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); clear: right; color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0.5em 0px 0.5em 1em; padding: 0.2em; width: 23em;"><tbody>
<tr class="mergedrow"><td colspan="2" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.2em; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;"><a class="image" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:French_Guiana_in_France.svg" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="French Guiana in France.svg" data-file-height="550" data-file-width="977" height="141" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/de/French_Guiana_in_France.svg/250px-French_Guiana_in_France.svg.png" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/de/French_Guiana_in_France.svg/375px-French_Guiana_in_France.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/de/French_Guiana_in_France.svg/500px-French_Guiana_in_France.svg.png 2x" style="border: none; vertical-align: middle;" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr class="mergedtoprow"><th scope="row" style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;">Country</th><td style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;"><span class="flagicon"><img alt="" class="thumbborder" data-file-height="600" data-file-width="900" height="15" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c3/Flag_of_France.svg/23px-Flag_of_France.svg.png" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c3/Flag_of_France.svg/35px-Flag_of_France.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c3/Flag_of_France.svg/45px-Flag_of_France.svg.png 2x" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); vertical-align: middle;" width="23" /> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="France">France</a></td></tr>
<tr class="mergedtoprow"><th scope="row" style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prefectures_in_France" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Prefectures in France">Prefecture</a></th><td style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cayenne" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Cayenne">Cayenne</a></td></tr>
<tr class="mergedrow"><th scope="row" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Departments_of_France" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Departments of France">Departments</a></th><td style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;">1</td></tr>
<tr class="mergedtoprow"><th colspan="2" style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;">Government</th></tr>
<tr class="mergedrow"><th scope="row" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;"> • President</th><td style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodolphe_Alexandre" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Rodolphe Alexandre">Rodolphe Alexandre</a> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guianese_Socialist_Party" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Guianese Socialist Party">PSG</a>)</td></tr>
<tr class="mergedtoprow"><th colspan="2" style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;">Area</th></tr>
<tr class="mergedrow"><th scope="row" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;"> • Total</th><td style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;">83,534 km<sup style="line-height: 1;">2</sup> (32,253 sq mi)</td></tr>
<tr class="mergedtoprow"><th colspan="2" style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;">Population <span style="font-weight: normal;">(Jan 2013)<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-pop_1-0" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Guiana#cite_note-pop-1" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[1]</a></sup></span></th></tr>
<tr class="mergedrow"><th scope="row" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;"> • Total</th><td style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;">250,109</td></tr>
<tr class="mergedrow"><th scope="row" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;"> • Density</th><td style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;">3.0/km<sup style="line-height: 1;">2</sup> (7.8/sq mi)</td></tr>
<tr class="mergedtoprow"><th scope="row" style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demonym" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Demonym">Demonym</a></th><td style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;">French Guianese</td></tr>
<tr class="mergedtoprow"><th scope="row" style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_zone" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Time zone">Time zone</a></th><td style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;">GFT (<a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UTC-03" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="UTC-03">UTC-03</a>)</td></tr>
<tr class="mergedrow"><th scope="row" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_3166" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="ISO 3166">ISO 3166 code</a></th><td class="nickname" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;">GF</td></tr>
<tr class="mergedtoprow"><th scope="row" style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_product" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Gross domestic product">GDP</a> (2012)<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-GDP_2-0" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Guiana#cite_note-GDP-2" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[2]</a></sup></th><td style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_French_regions_and_overseas_collectivities_by_GDP" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="List of French regions and overseas collectivities by GDP">Ranked 27th</a></td></tr>
<tr class="mergedrow"><th scope="row" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;">Total</th><td style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;">€3.81 billion (US$4.90 bn)</td></tr>
<tr class="mergedrow"><th scope="row" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;">Per capita</th><td style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;">€15,416 (US$19,828)</td></tr>
<tr class="mergedtoprow"><th scope="row" style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;"><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_level_NUTS_of_the_European_Union#France" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="First level NUTS of the European Union">NUTS Region</a></th><td style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;">FR9</td></tr>
<tr class="mergedtoprow"><th scope="row" style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;">Website</th><td style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;"><a class="external text" href="http://www.guyane.pref.gouv.fr/" rel="nofollow" style="background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) 100% 50% no-repeat, url(data:image/svg+xml; color: #663366; padding-right: 13px; text-decoration: none;">Prefecture</a><br /><a class="external text" href="http://www.cr-guyane.fr/" rel="nofollow" style="background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) 100% 50% no-repeat, url(data:image/svg+xml; color: #663366; padding-right: 13px; text-decoration: none;">Region</a><br /><a class="external text" href="http://www.cg973.fr/" rel="nofollow" style="background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent) 100% 50% no-repeat, url(data:image/svg+xml; color: #663366; padding-right: 13px; text-decoration: none;">Department</a></td></tr>
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As an integral part of France, French Guiana is part of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="European Union">European Union</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurozone" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Eurozone">Eurozone</a>; its currency is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euro" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Euro">euro</a>. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.gf" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title=".gf">.gf</a> is the country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for French Guiana, but <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.fr" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title=".fr">.fr</a> is generally used instead.</div>
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In 2012, the GDP of French Guiana at market exchange rates was US$4.90 billion (€3.81 billion), ranking as the largest economy in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Guianas" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="The Guianas">Guianas</a>, and the 11th largest in South America.</div>
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French Guiana is heavily dependent on mainland France for subsidies, trade, and goods. The main traditional industries are fishing (accounting for 5% exports in 2012), gold mining (accounting for 32% of exports in 2012) and timber (accounting for 1% of exports in 2012). In addition, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guiana_Space_Centre" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Guiana Space Centre">Guiana Space Centre</a> has played a significant role in the local economy since it was established in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kourou" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Kourou">Kourou</a> in 1964: it accounted directly and indirectly for 16% of French Guiana's GDP in 2002 (down from 26% in 1994, as the French Guianese economy is becoming increasingly diversified).The Guiana Space Centre employed 1,659 people in 2012.</div>
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There is very little manufacturing. Agriculture is largely undeveloped and is mainly confined to the area near the coast and along the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maroni_(river)" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Maroni (river)">Maroni River</a>. Sugar and bananas were traditionally two of the main <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cash_crop" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Cash crop">cash crops</a> grown for export but have almost completely disappeared. Today they have been replaced by<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Livestock" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Livestock">livestock raising</a> (essentially beef cattle and pigs) in the coastal savannas between <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cayenne" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Cayenne">Cayenne</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni">Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni</a>, and <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Market_gardening" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Market gardening">market gardening</a> (fruits an vegetables) developed by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hmong_people" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Hmong people">Hmong</a> communities settled in French Guiana in the 1970s, both destined to the local market. A thriving rice production, developed on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polder" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Polder">polders</a> near <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mana,_French_Guiana" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Mana, French Guiana">Mana</a> from the early 1980s to the late 2000s, has almost completely disappeared since 2011 due to marine erosion and new <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directorate-General_for_Health_and_Consumers" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Directorate-General for Health and Consumers">EU plant health rules</a> which forbid the use of many pesticides and fertilizers. Tourism, especially <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecotourism" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Ecotourism">eco-tourism</a>, is growing. Unemployment is a major problem, running at about 20% to 25% year in, year out (22.3% in 2012).</div>
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In 2012, the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GDP_per_capita" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="GDP per capita">GDP per capita</a> of French Guiana at market exchange rates, not at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purchasing_power_parity" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Purchasing power parity">PPP</a>, was US$19,828 (€15,416), the highest in South America,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-IMF_8-1" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Guiana#cite_note-IMF-8" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[8]</a></sup> but only 49% of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_France" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Metropolitan France">metropolitan France</a>'s average GDP per capita that year, and 57.5% of the metropolitan French regions outside the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Region" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Paris Region">Paris Region</a>.</div>
laughing clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00005129930309506974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180631795309759095.post-32809531542790653632014-05-25T07:56:00.000-07:002014-05-25T07:56:09.882-07:00Latin America contd - Virgin Islands (annex-7)<div style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
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The <b>Virgin Islands</b> are the western <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_group" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Island group">island group</a> of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leeward_Islands" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Leeward Islands">Leeward Islands</a>, which are the northern part of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesser_Antilles" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Lesser Antilles">Lesser Antilles</a>, and form the border between the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbean_Sea" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Caribbean Sea">Caribbean Sea</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Ocean" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Atlantic Ocean">Atlantic Ocean</a>. Politically, the eastern islands form the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Virgin_Islands" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="British Virgin Islands">British Virgin Islands</a> and the western ones form the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_Islands_of_the_United_States" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Virgin Islands of the United States">Virgin Islands of the United States</a>. The British Virgin Islands is an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_territory" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Overseas territory">overseas territory</a> of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="United Kingdom">United Kingdom</a> comprising <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tortola" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Tortola">Tortola</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_Gorda" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Virgin Gorda">Virgin </a></div>
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Gorda, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jost_Van_Dyke" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Jost Van Dyke">Jost Van Dyke</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anegada" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Anegada">Anegada</a>.<br />
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The U.S. Virgin Islands is one of five inhabited <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insular_areas" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Insular areas">insular areas</a> of the United States, along with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Samoa" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="American Samoa">American Samoa</a>,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guam" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Guam">Guam</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Mariana_Islands" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Northern Mariana Islands">Northern Mariana Islands</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rico" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Puerto Rico">Puerto Rico</a>. The territory comprises <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Croix,_U.S._Virgin_Islands" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands">St. Croix</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_John,_U.S._Virgin_Islands" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands">St. John</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Thomas,_U.S._Virgin_Islands" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands">St. Thomas</a> and Water Island. The Virgin Passage separates the U.S. Virgin Islands from the <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Virgin_Islands" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Spanish Virgin Islands">Spanish Virgin Islands</a></i> of <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vieques" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Vieques">Vieques</a> and<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culebra,_Puerto_Rico" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Culebra, Puerto Rico">Culebra</a>, which are part of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rico" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Puerto Rico">Puerto Rico</a>. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_dollar" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="United States dollar">United States dollar</a> is the official currency on both the British and U.S. Virgin Islands as well as the Spanish/Puerto Rican Virgin Islands.</div>
laughing clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00005129930309506974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180631795309759095.post-42227476047975120492014-05-25T07:35:00.003-07:002014-05-25T07:35:44.932-07:00Latin America contd - Turks and Caicos Islands (annex-6) <div style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
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The <b>Turks and Caicos Islands</b> are a <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Overseas_Territory" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="British Overseas Territory">British Overseas Territory</a> consisting of the larger<b>Caicos Islands</b> and smaller <b>Turks Islands</b>, two groups of <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_island" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Tropical island">tropical islands</a> in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucayan_Archipelago" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Lucayan Archipelago">Lucayan Archipelago</a>, part of the larger <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antilles" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Antilles">Antilles</a> island grouping. They are known primarily for tourism and as an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offshore_financial_centre" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Offshore financial centre">offshore financial centre</a>. The total population is about 31,500, of whom 23,769 live on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Providenciales" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Providenciales">Providenciales</a> in the Caicos Islands.</div>
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The Turks and Caicos Islands lie southeast of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayaguana" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Mayaguana">Mayaguana</a> in the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahamas" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Bahamas">Bahamas</a> island chain and north of the island of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispaniola" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Hispaniola">Hispaniola</a>. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockburn_Town" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Cockburn Town">Cockburn Town</a>, the capital since 1766, is situated on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Turk_Island" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Grand Turk Island">Grand Turk Island</a> about 1,042 kilometres (647 mi) east-southeast of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Miami">Miami</a>, United States. The islands have a total land area of 430 square kilometres (170 sq mi). They are geographically contiguous with the Bahamas, but are politically separate.</div>
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The first recorded sighting of the islands now known as the Turks and Caicos occurred in 1512. In the subsequent centuries, the islands were claimed by several European powers with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="British Empire">British Empire</a> eventually gaining control. For many years the islands were governed indirectly </div>
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through <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bermuda" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Bermuda">Bermuda</a>, the Bahamas, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaica" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Jamaica">Jamaica</a>. When the Bahamas gained independence in 1973, the islands received their own<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor_of_the_Turks_and_Caicos_Islands" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands">governor</a> and have remained a separate autonomous British Overseas Territory since. In August 2009, the United Kingdom suspended the Turks and Caicos Islands' self-government after allegations of ministerial corruption. Home rule was restored in the islands after the<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turks_and_Caicos_Islands_general_election,_2012" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Turks and Caicos Islands general election, 2012">November 2012 elections</a>.</div>
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The Turks and Caicos Islands are named after the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turk%27s-cap_cactus" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Turk's-cap cactus">Turk's-cap cactus</a> (Melocactus communis), and the Lucayan term <i>caya hico</i>, meaning string of islands. The first inhabitants of the islands were <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arawakan_language" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Arawakan language">Arawakan-speaking</a> <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ta%C3%ADno_people" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Taíno people">Taíno people</a>, who crossed over from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispaniola" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Hispaniola">Hispaniola</a> sometime from AD 500 to 800. Together with Taino who migrated from Cuba to the southern Bahamas around the same time, these people developed as the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucayan" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Lucayan">Lucayan</a>. Around 1200 the Turks and Caicos Islands were resettled by Classical Taínos from Hispaniola.</div>
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Soon after the Spanish arrived in the islands in 1492, or 1512, they began capturing the Taíno of the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Lucayan as slaves (technically, as workers in the <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encomienda" style="background: none; color: #0b0080;" title="Encomienda">encomienda</a></i> system) to replace the largely depleted native population of Hispaniola. The southern Bahama Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands were completely depopulated by about 1513, and remained so until the 17th century.</div>
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The first documented European to sight the islands was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Empire" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Spanish Empire">Spanish</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conquistador" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Conquistador">conquistador</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Ponce_de_Le%C3%B3n" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Juan Ponce de León">Juan Ponce de León</a>, who did so in 1512. During the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, the islands passed from Spanish, to French, to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="British Empire">British</a> control, but none of the three powers ever established any settlements..</div>
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In 2006, GDP contributions were as follows:<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-quickstat1_54-0" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turks_and_Caicos_Islands#cite_note-quickstat1-54" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[51]</a></sup> Hotels & Restaurants 23.27%, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_haven" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Tax haven">Financial Services</a> 29.64%, Construction 48.71%, Wholesale & Retail Trade 20.89% and Health & Social Work 10.83%.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template" style="line-height: 1; white-space: nowrap;">[<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Please_clarify" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Wikipedia:Please clarify"><span title="The text near this tag may need clarification or removal of jargon. (February 2009)">clarification needed</span></a></i>]</sup> Most capital goods and food for domestic consumption are imported.</div>
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In 2006, major sources of government revenue included Import Duties (37%), Stamp Duties from Property Transactions (20%), Work Permits and Residency Fees (9%) and Accommodation Tax (9%). The territory's gross domestic product as of late 2006 is approximately US$722 million (per capita $17,112), with an inflation rate of 3.7%.</div>
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The labour force totalled 12000 workers in 2006. The labour force distribution is as follows:</div>
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<tr><th style="background-color: #f2f2f2; border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;">Skill level</th><th style="background-color: #f2f2f2; border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;">Percentage</th></tr>
<tr><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;">Unskilled/Manual</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;">53%</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;">Semi-skilled</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;">12%</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;">Skilled</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;">20%</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;">Professional</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;">15%</td></tr>
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The unemployment rate in 2007 was 5.4%. In 2006–2007, the territory took in revenues of $202.5 million against expenditures of $199.5 million. In 1995, the island received economic aid worth $5.7 million. The territory's currency is the United States dollar, with a few government fines (such as airport infractions) being payable in <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pounds_sterling" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Pounds sterling">pounds sterling</a>. Most commemorative coin issues are denominated in crowns.<br />
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The primary agricultural products include limited amounts of maize, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bean" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Bean">beans</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassava" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Cassava">cassava</a> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapioca" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Tapioca">tapioca</a>) and <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citrus_fruits" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Citrus fruits">citrus fruits</a>. Fish and conch are the only significant export, with some $169.2 million of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobster" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Lobster">lobster</a>, dried and fresh <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conch" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Conch">conch</a>, and conch shells exported in 2000, primarily to the United Kingdom and the United States. In recent years, however, the catch has been declining. The territory used to be an important trans-shipment point for South American narcotics destined for the United States, but due to the ongoing pressure of a combined American, Bahamian and Turks and Caicos effort this trade has been greatly reduced.</div>
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The islands import food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufacture and construction materials, primarily from the United States and the United Kingdom. Imports totalled $581 million in 2007.</div>
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The islands produce and consume about 5 GWh of electricity, per year, all of which comes from fossil fuels..</div>
laughing clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00005129930309506974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180631795309759095.post-34638669032021085352014-05-24T21:58:00.000-07:002014-05-24T21:58:00.607-07:00Latin America contd- Saint Berthelemy (annex-5)<br />
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<b>Saint Barthélemy</b> , officially the <b>Territorial collectivity of Saint Barthélemy</b> is an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_collectivity" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Overseas collectivity">overseas collectivity</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="France">France</a>. Often abbreviated to <i>Saint-Barth</i> in French, or<b>St. Barts</b> or <b>St. Barths</b> in English, the indigenous people called the island <b>Ouanalao</b>. St. Bart's lies about 35 kilometres (22 mi) southeast of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Martin" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Saint Martin">Saint Martin</a> and north of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Kitts" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Saint Kitts">St. Kitts</a>. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rico" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Puerto Rico">Puerto Rico</a> is 240 kilometres (150 mi) to the west in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Antilles" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Greater Antilles">Greater Antilles</a>.</div>
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The collectivity is one of four territories among the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leeward_Islands" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Leeward Islands">Leeward Islands</a> in the northeastern <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbean" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Caribbean">Caribbean</a> that comprise the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_West_Indies" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="French West Indies">French West Indies</a>, along with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collectivity_of_Saint_Martin" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Collectivity of Saint Martin">Saint Martin</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guadeloupe" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Guadeloupe">Guadeloupe</a> (200 kilometres (120 mi) southeast), and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martinique" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Martinique">Martinique</a>. Saint Barthélemy was for many years a French commune forming part of Guadeloupe, which is an overseas region and department of France and is therefore in the European Union.</div>
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Saint Barthélemy, a volcanic island fully encircled by shallow reefs, has an area of 25 square kilometres (9.7 sq mi) and a population of 9,035 (Jan. 2011 estimate). Its <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_city" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Capital city">capital</a> is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustavia,_Saint_Barth%C3%A9lemy" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Gustavia, Saint Barthélemy">Gustavia</a>, which also contains the main harbour to the island. It is the only Caribbean island which was a <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_colonisation_of_the_Americas" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Swedish colonisation of the Americas">Swedish colony</a> for any significant length of time; Guadeloupe was under Swedish rule only briefly at the end of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleonic_Wars" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Napoleonic Wars">Napoleonic Wars</a>. Symbolism from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coat_of_arms_of_Sweden" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Coat of arms of Sweden">Swedish national arms</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Crowns" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Three Crowns">Three Crowns</a>, still appears in the island's coat of arms. The language, cuisine, and culture, however, are distinctly <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_culture" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="French culture">French</a>. The island is a popular tourist destination during the winter holiday season, especially the rich and famous during the Christmas and new year period.</div>
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<br />laughing clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00005129930309506974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180631795309759095.post-25107464104298739052014-05-24T07:50:00.000-07:002014-05-24T07:50:23.353-07:00Latin America contd-Martinique (annex-4)<div style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
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<b>Martinique</b> is an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Island">island</a> in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesser_Antilles" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Lesser Antilles">Lesser Antilles</a> in the eastern <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbean_Sea" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Caribbean Sea">Caribbean Sea</a>, with a land area of 1,128 square kilometres (436 sq mi) and a population of 386,486 inhabitants (as of Jan. 2013). Like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guadeloupe" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Guadeloupe">Guadeloupe</a>, it is an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_region" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Overseas region">overseas region</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="France">France</a>, consisting of a single <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_department" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Overseas department">overseas department</a>. One of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windward_Islands" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Windward Islands">Windward Islands</a>, it is directly north of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Lucia" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Saint Lucia">Saint Lucia</a>, northwest of<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbados" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Barbados">Barbados</a>, and south of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominica" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Dominica">Dominica</a>.</div>
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As with the other overseas departments, Martinique is one of the twenty-seven <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regions_of_France" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Regions of France">regions of France</a> (being an overseas region) and an integral part of the French Republic. As part of France, Martinique is part of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="European Union">European Union</a>, and its currency is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euro" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Euro">euro</a>. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_language" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Official language">official language</a> is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="French language">French</a>, although many of its inhabitants also speak <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antillean_Creole" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Antillean Creole">Antillean Creole</a> (<i>Créole Martiniquais</i>).</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">Martinique owes its name to </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Christopher Columbus">Christopher Columbus</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">, who sighted the island in 1493 and finally landed on 15 June 1502.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">Martinique was occupied several times by the British, including once during the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Years%27_War" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Seven Years' War">Seven Years' War</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> and twice during the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleonic_Wars" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Napoleonic Wars">Napoleonic Wars</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">. Britain controlled the island almost continuously from 1794-1815, when it was traded back to France at the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars.</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">Martinique has remained a French possession since then. </span></div>
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As sugar prices declined in the early 1800s the planter class lost political influence, and in 1848 <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Schoelcher" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Victor Schoelcher">Victor Schoelcher</a> persuaded the French government to end slavery in the French West Indies.</div>
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On May 8, 1902, <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mont_Pel%C3%A9e" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Mont Pelée">Mont Pelée</a> erupted and completely destroyed St. Pierre, killing 30,000 people. The only survivor in the town, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludger_Sylbaris" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Ludger Sylbaris">Auguste Cyparis</a>, was saved by the thick walls of his prison cell. Shortly thereafter the capital shifted to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort-de-France" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Fort-de-France">Fort-de-France</a>, where it remains today.</div>
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In 1946, the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Assembly_of_France" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="National Assembly of France">French National Assembly</a> voted unanimously to transform the colony into an Overseas Department of France. In 1974 it became simply a Department.</div>
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In 2003 Martinique had a total <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GDP" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="GDP">GDP</a> of 5.496 billion <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euro" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Euro">euros</a>. In 2000 its <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Per_capita_GDP" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Per capita GDP">per capita GDP</a> was 14,283 euros. In that year services constituted 82.2% of GDP, while industry represented 8.6% and agriculture 3.5%. In 2002 the island exported 26 million euros-worth of goods, primarily fruit, beverages and refined petroleum products. It imported 486 million euros-worth of goods, including vehicles, furniture, medicine and raw petroleum (used in the island's refinery).</div>
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Historically Martinique's economy relied on agriculture, but by the beginning of the 21st century this sector had dwindled considerably. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Sugar">Sugar</a> production has declined, with most of the sugarcane now used for the production of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rum" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Rum">rum</a>. Banana exports are increasing, going mostly to France. The bulk of meat, vegetable, and grain requirements must be imported, contributing to a chronic trade deficit that requires large annual transfers of aid from France.</div>
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Tourism has become more important than agricultural exports as a source of foreign exchange. In 2000 the island hosted 500,000 tourists, and the tourism industry employed 7% of the total workforce. Roughly 16% of the total businesses on the island (some 6,000 companies) provide tourist-related services.</div>
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All goods entering Martinique are charged a variable "sea toll" which may reach 30% of the value of the cargo and provides 40% of the island's total revenue. Additionally the government charges an "annual due" of 1-2.5% and a <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Value_added_tax" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Value added tax">value added tax</a> of 2.2-8.5%.</div>
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laughing clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00005129930309506974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180631795309759095.post-37505286345925505432014-05-23T22:19:00.000-07:002014-05-23T22:19:03.117-07:00Latin America contd- Guadeloupe (annex-3)<div style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
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<b>Guadeloupe</b> is a group of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbean" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Caribbean">Caribbean</a> islands located in the<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leeward_Islands" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Leeward Islands">Leeward Islands</a>, in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesser_Antilles" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Lesser Antilles">Lesser </a><br />
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Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres (629 sq. mi) and a population of 405,739 inhabitants (as of Jan. 2013). It is an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_region" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Overseas region">overseas region</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="France">France</a>, consisting of a single <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_department" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Overseas department">overseas department</a>. Guadeloupe is an integral part of France, as are the other overseas departments. Besides Guadeloupe's two islands of Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dependencies_of_Guadeloupe" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Dependencies of Guadeloupe">smaller islands</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie-Galante" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Marie-Galante">Marie-Galante</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_D%C3%A9sirade" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="La Désirade">La Désirade</a>, and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%8Eles_des_Saintes" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Îles des Saintes">Îles des Saintes</a> are included in Guadeloupe.</div>
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As part of France, Guadeloupe is part of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="European Union">European Union</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurozone" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Eurozone">Eurozone</a>; hence, as for all Eurozone countries, its currency is the<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euro" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Euro">euro</a>. However, as an overseas department, Guadeloupe is not part of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Schengen Area">Schengen Area</a>. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prefectures_in_France" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Prefectures in France">prefecture</a> (i.e. French regional capital) of Guadeloupe is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basse-Terre" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Basse-Terre">Basse-Terre</a>. Its official language is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="French language">French</a>, although many of its inhabitants also speak <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antillean_Creole" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Antillean Creole">Antillean Creole</a> (<i>Créole Guadeloupéen</i>).</div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px;" title="Christopher Columbus">Christopher Columbus</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> named the island </span><i style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">Santa María de Guadalupe</i><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> in 1493 after the </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_Mary" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Virgin Mary">Virgin Mary</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">, venerated in the Spanish town of</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guadalupe,_C%C3%A1ceres" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Guadalupe, Cáceres">Guadalupe</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">, in </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extremadura" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Extremadura">Extremadura</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">.</span><br />
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The island was called "Karukera" (or "The Island of Beautiful Waters") by the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arawak" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Arawak">Arawak</a> people, who settled on there in 300 AD/CE. During the 8th century, the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribs" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Caribs">Caribs</a> came and killed the existing population of Amerindians on the island.</div>
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During his second trip to America, in November 1493, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Christopher Columbus">Christopher Columbus</a> became the first European to land on Guadeloupe, while seeking fresh water.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">In an effort to take advantage of the chaos ensuing from the French Revolution, Britain seized Guadeloupe in 1794, holding control from 21 April until December 1794, when </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Hugues" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Victor Hugues">Victor Hugues</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> obliged the British general to surrender.</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> Hugues succeeded in freeing the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Slavery">slaves</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">, who then turned on the slave owners who controlled the sugar plantations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">Slavery was abolished on the island on 28 May 1848 at the initiative of </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Schoelcher" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Victor Schoelcher">Victor Schoelcher</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">In 1946, the colony of Guadeloupe became an overseas department of France. Then in 1974, it became an administrative center. Its deputies sit in the French National Assembly in Paris.</span></div>
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In 2006, the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GDP_per_capita" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="GDP per capita">GDP per capita</a> of Guadeloupe at market exchange rates, not at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purchasing_power_parity" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Purchasing power parity">PPP</a>, was €17,338 (US$21,780).</div>
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The economy of Guadeloupe depends on tourism, agriculture, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_industry" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Light industry">light industry</a> and <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tertiary_sector_of_economic_activity" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Tertiary sector of economic activity">services</a>. But it especially depends on France for large subsidies and imports.</div>
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Tourism is a key industry, with 83.3% of tourists visiting from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_France" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Metropolitan France">metropolitan France</a>, 10.8% coming from the rest of Europe, 3.4% coming from the United States, 1.5% coming from Canada, 0.4% coming from South America, and 0.6% coming from the rest of the world.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Tourism_19-0" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guadeloupe#cite_note-Tourism-19" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[</a></sup>An increasingly large number of cruise ships visit the islands.</div>
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The traditional <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_cane" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Sugar cane">sugar cane</a> crop is slowly being replaced by other crops, such as bananas (which now supply about 50% of export earnings),<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eggplant" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Eggplant">eggplant</a>, <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamoncillo" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Mamoncillo">guinnep</a>, <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noni" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Noni">noni</a>, <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapotilla" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Sapotilla">sapotilla</a>, <a class="new" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paroka&action=edit&redlink=1" style="background: none; color: #a55858; text-decoration: none;" title="Paroka (page does not exist)">paroka</a>, <a class="new" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pikinga&action=edit&redlink=1" style="background: none; color: #a55858; text-decoration: none;" title="Pikinga (page does not exist)">pikinga</a>, <a class="new" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Giraumon_squash&action=edit&redlink=1" style="background: none; color: #a55858; text-decoration: none;" title="Giraumon squash (page does not exist)">giraumon squash</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yam_(vegetable)" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Yam (vegetable)">yam</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gourd" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Gourd">gourd</a>, <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantain_(cooking)" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Plantain (cooking)">plantain</a>, <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christophine" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Christophine">christophine</a>, <a class="new" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Monbin&action=edit&redlink=1" style="background: none; color: #a55858; text-decoration: none;" title="Monbin (page does not exist)">monbin</a>, <a class="new" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Prunecaf%C3%A9&action=edit&redlink=1" style="background: none; color: #a55858; text-decoration: none;" title="Prunecafé (page does not exist)">prunecafé</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocoa_bean" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Cocoa bean">cocoa</a>,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackfruit" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Jackfruit">jackfruit</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomegranate" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Pomegranate">pomegranate</a>, and many varieties of flowers. Other vegetables and root crops are cultivated for local consumption, although Guadeloupe is still dependent on imported food, mainly from France.</div>
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Light industry features sugar and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rum" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Rum">rum</a>, solar energy, and many industrial productions. Most manufactured goods and fuel are imported. Unemployment is especially high among the youth. Hurricanes periodically devastate the economy.</div>
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The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country_code_top-level_domain" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Country code top-level domain">country code top-level domain</a> (ccTLD) for Guadeloupe is "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.gp" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title=".gp">.gp</a>".</div>
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laughing clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00005129930309506974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180631795309759095.post-42115153417117762892014-05-23T01:05:00.000-07:002014-05-23T08:12:30.480-07:00Latin America contd - Cuba (annex-2)<div style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
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<b>Cuba</b>, officially the <b>Republic of Cuba</b> , is an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_country" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Island country">island country</a> in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbean" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Caribbean">Caribbean</a>. The nation of Cuba comprises the main island of Cuba, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isla_de_la_Juventud" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Isla de la Juventud">Isla de la Juventud</a>, and several <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archipelagos" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Archipelagos">archipelagos</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havana" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Havana">Havana</a> is the capital of Cuba and its largest city. The second largest city is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiago_de_Cuba" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Santiago de Cuba">Santiago de Cuba</a>. To the north of Cuba lies the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="United States">United States</a> (150 km or 93 mi away) and the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahamas" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Bahamas">Bahamas</a> are to the northeast, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Mexico">Mexico</a> is to the west (210 km or 130 mi away), the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cayman_Islands" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Cayman Islands">Cayman Islands</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaica" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Jamaica">Jamaica</a> are to the south, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiti" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Haiti">Haiti</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominican_Republic" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Dominican Republic">Dominican Republic</a> are to the southeast.</div>
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The island of Cuba was inhabited by numerous Mesoamerican tribes prior to the landing of Italian explorer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Christopher Columbus">Christopher Columbus</a> in 1492, who claimed it for the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Spain" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Kingdom of Spain">Kingdom of Spain</a>. Cuba remained a colony of Spain until the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish%E2%80%93American_War" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Spanish–American War">Spanish–American War</a> of 1898, after which it was briefly administered by the United States until gaining <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platt_Amendment" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Platt Amendment">nominal independence</a> in 1902. The fragile republic endured increasingly radical politics and social strife, and despite efforts to <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_Constitution_of_1940" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Cuban Constitution of 1940">strengthen its democratic system</a>, Cuba came under the dictatorship of former president <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulgencio_Batista" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Fulgencio Batista">Fulgencio Batista</a> in 1952. Growing unrest and instability led to <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_revolution" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Cuban revolution">Batista's ousting in January 1959</a> by the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_26_movement" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="July 26 movement">July 26 movement</a>, which afterwards established a new <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialism" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Socialism">socialist</a> administration under the leadership of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fidel_Castro" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Fidel Castro">Fidel Castro</a>. Since 1965, the country has been governed as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-party_state" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Single-party state">single-party state</a> by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Cuba" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Communist Party of Cuba">Communist Party</a>.</div>
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Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean, and with over 11 million inhabitants, is the second-most populous after <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispaniola" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Hispaniola">Hispaniola</a>, albeit with a much lower population density than most nations in the region. A multiethnic country, its <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cubans" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Cubans">people</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Cuba" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Culture of Cuba">culture</a>, and customs derive from diverse origins, including the aboriginal <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ta%C3%ADno_people" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Taíno people">Taíno</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciboney" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Ciboney">Ciboney</a> peoples, the long period of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Empire" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Spanish Empire">Spanish colonialism</a>, the introduction of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_in_the_Spanish_New_World_colonies" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Slavery in the Spanish New World colonies">African slaves</a>, a close <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba-Soviet_relations" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Cuba-Soviet relations">relationship with the Soviet Union</a> during the Cold War, and proximity to the United States.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;">Cuba ranks high in metrics of</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; text-decoration: none;" title="Health">health</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;">and</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; text-decoration: none;" title="Education">education</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;">, with a high</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Development_Index" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; text-decoration: none;" title="Human Development Index">Human Development Index</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;">of 0.780 as of 2013. According to data it presents to the</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; text-decoration: none;" title="United Nations">United Nations</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;">, Cuba was the only nation in the world in 2006 that met the</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Wide_Fund_for_Nature" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; text-decoration: none;" title="World Wide Fund for Nature">World Wide Fund for Nature</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;">'s definition of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_development" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; text-decoration: none;" title="Sustainable development">sustainable development</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;">, with an</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecological_footprint" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; text-decoration: none;" title="Ecological footprint">ecological footprint</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;">of less than 1.8 hectares per capita, 1.5 hectares, and a</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Development_Index" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; text-decoration: none;" title="Human Development Index">Human Development Index</a> <span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;">of over 0.855</span><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/bTLUEd2pvmE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;">After first landing on an island then called </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanahani" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; text-decoration: none;" title="Guanahani">Guanahani</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;">, </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahamas" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; text-decoration: none;" title="Bahamas">Bahamas</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> on October 12, 1492,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> La Pinta, La Niña and the Santa María, the first three European ships under the command of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; text-decoration: none;" title="Christopher Columbus">Christopher Columbus</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;">, landed on Cuba's northeastern coast near what is now Bariay, </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holguin_province" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; text-decoration: none;" title="Holguin province">Holguin province</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> on October 28, 1492.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> He claimed the island for the new Kingdom of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; text-decoration: none;" title="Spain">Spain</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> and named </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;">Isla Juana</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> after </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan,_Prince_of_Asturias" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; text-decoration: none;" title="Juan, Prince of Asturias">Juan, Prince of Asturias</a>.<br />
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A series of slave rebellions and revolts took place during the 'sugar boom' under Spanish colonizing with the 1812 Aponte Slave Rebellion in Cuba against the Atlantic Slave Trade. Independence from Spain was the motive for a rebellion in 1868 led by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Manuel_de_C%C3%A9spedes" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Carlos Manuel de Céspedes">Carlos Manuel de Céspedes</a>. De Céspedes, a sugar planter, freed his slaves to fight with him for a free Cuba. On 27 December 1868, he issued a decree condemning slavery in theory but accepting it in practice and declaring free any slaves whose masters present them for military service. The 1868 rebellion resulted in a prolonged conflict known as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Years%27_War" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Ten Years' War">Ten Years' War</a>. Two thousand Cuban Chinese joined the rebels. There is a monument in Havana that honours the Cuban Chinese who fell in the war.</div>
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The United States declined to recognize the new Cuban government, although many European and Latin American nations did so. In 1878, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pact_of_Zanj%C3%B3n" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Pact of Zanjón">Pact of Zanjón</a> ended the conflict, with Spain promising greater autonomy to Cuba. In 1879–1880, Cuban patriot <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calixto_Garc%C3%ADa" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Calixto García">Calixto García</a> attempted to start another war known as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_War_(Cuba)" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Little War (Cuba)">Little War</a> but received little support.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-41" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba#cite_note-41" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">]</a></sup> Abolition of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_in_Cuba" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Slavery in Cuba">slavery in Cuba</a> began the final third of the 19th century, and was completed in the 1880s</div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;">An exiled dissident named </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Mart%C3%AD" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; text-decoration: none;" title="José Martí">José Martí</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> founded the Cuban Revolutionary Party in </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; text-decoration: none;" title="New York">New York</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> in 1892. The aim of the party was to achieve Cuban independence from Spain.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> In January 1895 Martí traveled to </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Fernando_de_Monte_Cristi" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; text-decoration: none;" title="San Fernando de Monte Cristi">Montecristi</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo_Domingo" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; text-decoration: none;" title="Santo Domingo">Santo Domingo</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> to join the efforts of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A1ximo_G%C3%B3mez" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; text-decoration: none;" title="Máximo Gómez">Máximo Gómez</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;">.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> Martí recorded his political views in the </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manifesto_of_Montecristi" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Manifesto of Montecristi">Manifesto of Montecristi</a></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;">.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> Fighting against the Spanish army began in Cuba on 24 February 1895, but Martí was unable to reach Cuba until 11 April 1895.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> Martí was killed in the battle of Dos Rios on 19 May 1895.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> His death immortalized him as Cuba's national hero</span><br />
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Around 200,000 Spanish troops outnumbered the much smaller rebel army which relied mostly on <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerrilla" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Guerrilla">guerrilla</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabotage" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Sabotage">sabotage</a> tactics. The Spaniards began a campaign of suppression. General <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valeriano_Weyler" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Valeriano Weyler">Valeriano Weyler</a>, military governor of Cuba, herded the rural population into what he called <i>reconcentrados</i>, described by international observers as "fortified towns". These are often considered the prototype for 20th-century <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concentration_camp" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Concentration camp">concentration camps</a>. Between 200,000 and 400,000 Cuban civilians died from starvation and disease in the camps, numbers verified by the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Cross" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Red Cross">Red Cross</a> and United States Senator and former<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Secretary_of_War" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="United States Secretary of War">Secretary of War</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redfield_Proctor" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Redfield Proctor">Redfield Proctor</a>. American and European protests against Spanish conduct on the island followed.</div>
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The U.S. battleship <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Maine_(ACR-1)" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="USS Maine (ACR-1)">Maine</a></i> was sent to protect U.S. interests, but she exploded suddenly and sank quickly, killing nearly three quarters of her crew. The cause and responsibility for her sinking remained unclear after a board of inquiry, but popular opinion in the U.S., fueled by an active press, concluded that the Spanish were to blame and demanded action. Spain and the United States declared war on each other in late April.</div>
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Over the decades, four US presidents—<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_K._Polk" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="James K. Polk">Polk</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Buchanan" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="James Buchanan">Buchanan</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses_S._Grant" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Ulysses S. Grant">Grant</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_McKinley" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="William McKinley">McKinley</a>—tried to buy the island from Spain.</div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;">After the </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish-American_War" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; text-decoration: none;" title="Spanish-American War">Spanish-American War</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;">, Spain and the United States signed the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Paris_(1898)" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; text-decoration: none;" title="Treaty of Paris (1898)">Treaty of Paris (1898)</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;">, by which Spain ceded </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rico" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; text-decoration: none;" title="Puerto Rico">Puerto Rico</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;">, the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; text-decoration: none;" title="Philippines">Philippines</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;">, and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guam" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; text-decoration: none;" title="Guam">Guam</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> to the United States for the sum of </span><span class="nowrap" style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; white-space: nowrap;">$20 million</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;">.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> Cuba gained formal independence from the U.S. on May 20, 1902, as the Republic of Cuba..</span><br />
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The U.S. battleship <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Maine_(ACR-1)" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="USS Maine (ACR-1)">Maine</a></i> was sent to protect U.S. interests, but she exploded suddenly and sank quickly, killing nearly three quarters of her crew. The cause and responsibility for her sinking remained unclear after a board of inquiry, but popular opinion in the U.S., fueled by an active press, concluded that the Spanish were to blame and demanded action. Spain and the United States declared war on each other in late April.</div>
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Over the decades, four US presidents—<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_K._Polk" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="James K. Polk">Polk</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Buchanan" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="James Buchanan">Buchanan</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses_S._Grant" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Ulysses S. Grant">Grant</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_McKinley" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="William McKinley">McKinley</a>—tried to buy the island from Spain</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> Between 1933 and 1958, Cuba extended economic regulations enormously, causing economic problems.</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> Unemployment became a problem as graduates entering the workforce could not find jobs.</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> The middle class, which was comparable to that of the United States, became increasingly dissatisfied with unemployment and political persecution. The labor unions supported Batista until the very end.</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> Batista stayed in power until he was forced into exile in December 1958.</span></div>
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Main article: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_Revolution" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Cuban Revolution">Cuban Revolution</a></div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Che_Guevara" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Che Guevara">Che Guevara</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fidel_Castro" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Fidel Castro">Fidel Castro</a>, photographed by Alberto Korda in 1961.</div>
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In the 1950s, various organizations, including some advocating armed uprising, competed for the public's support in bringing about political change. In 1956, Fidel Castro and about 80 other rebels aboard the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granma_(yacht)" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Granma (yacht)">Granma</a> yacht launched a failed attempt to start a rebellion against the government. It was not until 1958 that the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_26th_Movement" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="July 26th Movement">July 26th Movement</a> emerged as the leading revolutionary group.</div>
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By late 1958, the rebels broke out of the Sierra Maestra and launched a general popular insurrection. After the fighters captured <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Clara,_Cuba" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Santa Clara, Cuba">Santa Clara</a>, Batista fled from Havana on 1 January 1959 to exile in Portugal. Fidel Castro's forces entered the capital on 8 January 1959. The liberal <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manuel_Urrutia_Lle%C3%B3" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Manuel Urrutia Lleó">Manuel Urrutia Lleó</a> became the provisional president.</div>
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From 1959 to 1966 Cuban insurgents fought a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_against_the_Bandits" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="War against the Bandits">six-year rebellion</a> in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escambray_Mountains" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Escambray Mountains">Escambray Mountains</a> against the Castro government. The insurgency was eventually crushed by the government's use of vastly superior numbers. The rebellion lasted longer and involved more soldiers than the Cuban Revolution. The U.S. State Department has estimated that 3,200 people were executed from 1959 to 1962. Other estimates for the total number of political executions range from 4,000 to 33,000.</div>
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The revolution was initially received positively in the United States, where it was seen as part of a movement to bring democracy to Latin America.Castro's legalization of the Communist party and the public trials and executions of hundreds of Batista's supporters caused a deterioration in the relationship between the two countries. The promulgation of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agrarian_Reform_Laws_of_Cuba" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Agrarian Reform Laws of Cuba">Agrarian Reform Law</a>, expropriating farmlands of over 1,000 acres, further worsened relations. In February 1960, Castro signed a commercial agreement with Soviet Vice-Premier <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anastas_Mikoyan" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Anastas Mikoyan">Anastas Mikoyan</a>. In March 1960, Eisenhower gave his approval to a CIA plan to arm and train a group of Cuban refugees to overthrow the Castro regime.</div>
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The invasion (known as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_of_Pigs_Invasion" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Bay of Pigs Invasion">Bay of Pigs Invasion</a>) took place on April 14, 1961. About 1,400 Cuban exiles disembarked at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_of_Pigs" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Bay of Pigs">Bay of Pigs</a>, but failed in their attempt to overthrow Castro. In January 1962, Cuba was suspended from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organization_of_American_States" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Organization of American States">Organization of American States</a> (OAS), and later the same year the OAS started to impose sanctions against Cuba of similar nature to the US sanctions. The tense confrontation known as the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_Missile_Crisis" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Cuban Missile Crisis">Cuban Missile Crisis</a> occurred in October, 1962. By 1963, Cuba was moving towards a full-fledged Communist system modeled on the USSR.</div>
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Fidel Castro and members of the<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Germany" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="East Germany">East German</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politburo" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Politburo">Politburo</a> in 1972.</div>
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During the 1970s, Fidel Castro dispatched tens of thousands of troops in support of Soviet-supported wars in Africa, particularly the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_Movement_for_the_Liberation_of_Angola" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola">MPLA</a> in<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angola" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Angola">Angola</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mengistu_Haile_Mariam" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Mengistu Haile Mariam">Mengistu Haile Mariam</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopia" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Ethiopia">Ethiopia</a>.</div>
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The standard of living in 1970s was "extremely spartan" and discontent was rife. Fidel Castro admitted the failures of economic policies in a 1970 speech.</div>
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In 1975 the OAS lifted its sanctions against Cuba, with the approval of 16 member states, including the U.S. The U.S., however, maintained its own sanctions.</div>
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Castro's rule was severely tested in the aftermath of the Soviet collapse in 1991 (known in Cuba as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Period" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Special Period">Special Period</a>), when the country faced a severe economic downturn following the withdrawal of former Soviet subsidies worth $4 billion to $6 billion annually, resulting in effects such as food and fuel shortages. The government did not accept American donations of food, medicines, and cash until 1993. On 5 August 1994, state security dispersed protesters in a <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maleconazo_uprising" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Maleconazo uprising">spontaneous protest</a> in Havana.</div>
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Cuba has found a new source of aid and support in the People's Republic of China, and new allies in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Ch%C3%A1vez" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Hugo Chávez">Hugo Chávez</a>, former <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Venezuela" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="President of Venezuela">President of Venezuela</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evo_Morales" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Evo Morales">Evo Morales</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Bolivia" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="President of Bolivia">President of Bolivia</a>, both major oil and gas exporters. In 2003, the government arrested and imprisoned a large number of civil activists, a period known as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Spring_(Cuba)" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Black Spring (Cuba)">"Black Spring"</a>.</div>
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In February 2008, Fidel Castro announced his resignation as President of Cuba, and on 24 February his brother, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra%C3%BAl_Castro" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Raúl Castro">Raúl Castro</a>, was elected as the new President. In his acceptance speech, Raúl promised that some of the restrictions that limit Cubans' daily lives would be removed. In March 2009, Raúl Castro removed some of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Cuban_government_dismissals" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="2009 Cuban government dismissals">Fidel Castro's officials</a>.</div>
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On 3 June 2009, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organization_of_American_States" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Organization of American States">Organization of American States</a> adopted a resolution to end the 47-year ban on Cuban membership of the group. The resolution stated, however, that full membership would be delayed until Cuba was "in conformity with the practices, purposes, and principles of the OAS."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Peterson_86-2" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba#cite_note-Peterson-86" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[86]</a></sup> Cuban leaders have repeatedly announced they are not interested in rejoining the OAS, and Fidel Castro restated this after the OAS resolution had been announced.</div>
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Effective January 14, 2013, Cuba ended the requirement established in 1961 that any citizens who wish to travel abroad were required to obtain an expensive government permit and a letter of invitation. The now-replaced travel ban dates to 1961, when the Cuban government imposed broad restrictions on travel starting to prevent the mass migration of people after the 1959 revolution and only approved exit visas on rare occasions. Henceforth, Cubans will only need a passport and a national ID card to leave; they will also be allowed for the first time to take their young children with them. Despite the new policy, a passport will still cost on average five months' salary and it is expected that it will be mostly Cubans with paying relatives abroad that will be able to take advantage of the new policy In the first year of the program, over 180,000 left Cuba and returned.</div>
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The Republic of Cuba is one of the world's remaining <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_state" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Socialist state">socialist states</a> with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communism" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Communism">Communist</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_state" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Socialist state">governments</a>. The Constitution of 1976, which defined Cuba as a <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_republic" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Socialist republic">socialist republic</a>, was replaced by the Constitution of 1992, which is "guided by the ideas of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Mart%C3%AD" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="José Martí">José Martí</a> and the political and social ideas of<a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marx" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Marx">Marx</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Engels" style="background: none; color: #0b0080;" title="Friedrich Engels">Engels</a> and <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenin" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Lenin">Lenin</a>." The constitution describes the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Cuba" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Communist Party of Cuba">Communist Party of Cuba</a> as the "leading force of society and of the state".</div>
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The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Secretary_of_the_Communist_Party_of_Cuba" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba">First Secretary of the Communist Party</a> is concurrently President of the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_State_of_Cuba" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Council of State of Cuba">Council of State</a> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Cuba" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="President of Cuba">President of Cuba</a>) and President of the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Ministers_of_Cuba" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Council of Ministers of Cuba">Council of Ministers</a> (sometimes referred to as <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premier_of_Cuba" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Premier of Cuba">Premier of Cuba</a>). Members of both councils are elected by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Assembly_of_People%27s_Power" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="National Assembly of People's Power">National Assembly of People's Power</a>. The President of Cuba, who is also elected by the Assembly, serves for five years and there is no limit to the number of terms of office.</div>
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The Cuban state adheres to <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Socialist">socialist</a> principles in organizing its largely state-controlled <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_economy" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Planned economy">planned economy</a>. Most of the means of production are owned and run by the government and most of the labor force is employed by the state. Recent years have seen a trend toward more private sector employment. By 2006, public sector employment was 78% and private sector, mainly composed by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_property" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Personal property">personal property</a>, 22%, compared to 91.8% to 8.2% in 1981. Any firm wishing to hire a Cuban must pay the Cuban government, which in turn will pay the employee in Cuban pesos. The average monthly wage as of July 2013 is 466 <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_pesos" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Cuban pesos">Cuban pesos</a>, which are worth about US$19.</div>
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Cuba has a dual currency system, whereby most wages and prices are set in Cuban pesos (CUP), while the tourist economy operates with<a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convertible_peso" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Convertible peso">Convertible pesos</a> (CUC), set at par with the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_dollar" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="US dollar">US dollar</a>. Every Cuban household has a ration book (known as <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libreta" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Libreta">libreta</a>) entitling it to a monthly supply of food and other staples, which are provided at nominal cost.</div>
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<a class="image" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SantiagoPeople_01.JPG" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" class="thumbimage" data-file-height="1712" data-file-width="2288" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/88/SantiagoPeople_01.JPG/220px-SantiagoPeople_01.JPG" height="165" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/88/SantiagoPeople_01.JPG/330px-SantiagoPeople_01.JPG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/88/SantiagoPeople_01.JPG/440px-SantiagoPeople_01.JPG 2x" style="background-color: white; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); vertical-align: middle;" width="220" /></a><br />
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Cigar production in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiago_de_Cuba" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Santiago de Cuba">Santiago de Cuba</a>.</div>
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Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba depended on Moscow for substantial aid and sheltered markets for its exports. The removal of these subsidies (for example the oil sent the Cuban economy into a rapid depression known in Cuba as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Period" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Special Period">Special Period</a>. Cuba took limited free market-oriented measures to alleviate severe shortages of food, consumer goods, and services. These steps included allowing some self-employment in certain retail and light manufacturing sectors, the legalization of the use of the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_dollar" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="US dollar">US dollar</a> in business, and the encouragement of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism_in_Cuba" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Tourism in Cuba">tourism</a>. Cuba has developed a unique urban farm system (the <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organop%C3%B3nicos" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Organopónicos">organopónicos</a></i>) to compensate for the end of food imports from the Soviet Union.</div>
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The leadership of Cuba has called for reforms in the country's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_in_Cuba" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Agriculture in Cuba">agricultural system</a>. In 2008, Raúl Castro began enacting agrarian reforms to boost food production, as at that time 80% of food was imported. The reforms enacted are aimed at expanding land usage and increasing efficiency. Venezuela supplies Cuba with an estimated 110,000 barrels (17,000 m<sup style="line-height: 1;">3</sup>) a day of oil in exchange for money and the services of some 44,000 Cubans, most of them medical personnel, in Venezuela. Estimates place Venezuelan assistance at over 20% of the Cuban GDP for 2008–2010, similar to the aid flows from the Soviet Union in 1985–1988.</div>
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In 2005 Cuba had exports of $2.4 billion, ranking 114 of 226 world countries, and imports of <span class="nowrap" style="white-space: nowrap;">$6.9 billion</span>, ranking 87 of 226 countries. Its major export partners are Canada 17.7%, China 16.9%, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuela" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Venezuela">Venezuela</a> 12.5%, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlands" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Netherlands">Netherlands</a> 9%, and Spain 5.9% (2012). Cuba's major exports are sugar, nickel, tobacco, fish, medical products, citrus, and coffee; imports include food, fuel, clothing, and machinery. Cuba presently holds debt in an amount estimated to be <span class="nowrap" style="white-space: nowrap;">$13 billion</span>, approximately 38% of GDP. According to the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heritage_Foundation" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Heritage Foundation">Heritage Foundation</a>, Cuba is dependent on credit accounts that rotate from country to country. Cuba's prior 35% supply of the world's export market for sugar has declined to 10% due to a variety of factors, including a global sugar commodity price drop that made Cuba less competitive on world markets.</div>
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In 2010, Cubans were allowed to build their own houses. According to Raul Castro, they will be able to improve their houses with this new permission, but the government will not endorse these new houses or improvements.</div>
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On August 2, 2011, <i>The New York Times</i> reported Cuba as reaffirming their intent to legalize "buying and selling" of private property before the year ends. According to experts, the private sale of property could "transform Cuba more than any of the economic reforms announced by President Raúl Castro's government". It will cut more than one million state jobs, including party bureaucrats who resist the changes. The new economic reforms effectively created a new economic system, referred by some as the "New Cuban Economy".</div>
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In August 2012, a specialist of the "Cuba energia Company" announced the opening of Cuba's first Solar Power Plant. As a member of the Cuba solar Group, there was also a mention of 10 additional plants in 2013.</div>
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In October 2013, as part of Raúl Castro's latest reforms, Cuba announced an end to the dual currency system.</div>
laughing clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00005129930309506974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180631795309759095.post-67304857032229302552014-05-22T06:14:00.000-07:002014-05-22T06:14:03.025-07:00Latin America Contd -Aruba (annex-1)<div style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
<b>Aruba</b> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesser_Antilles" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Lesser Antilles">Lesser Antilles</a> in the southern <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbean_Sea" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Caribbean Sea">Caribbean Sea</a> and 27 kilometres (17 mi) north of the coast of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuela" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Venezuela">Venezuela</a>. Together with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonaire" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Bonaire">Bonaire</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cura%C3%A7ao" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Curaçao">Curaçao</a>, it forms a grou<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABC_islands_(Lesser_Antilles)" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="ABC islands (Lesser Antilles)">ABC islands</a>. Collectively, Aruba and the other <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Caribbean" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Dutch Caribbean">Dutch islands in the Caribbean</a> are often called the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlands_Antilles" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Netherlands Antilles">Netherlands Antilles</a> or the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Caribbean" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Dutch Caribbean">Dutch Caribbean</a>.</div>
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Aruba is one of the four <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constituent_country" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Constituent country">constituent countries</a> that form the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_the_Netherlands" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Kingdom of the Netherlands">Kingdom of the Netherlands</a>, along with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlands" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Netherlands">Netherlands</a>,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cura%C3%A7ao" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Curaçao">Curaçao</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sint_Maarten" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Sint Maarten">Sint Maarten</a>. The citizens of these countries all share a single nationality: Dutch. Aruba has no administrative subdivisions, but, for census purposes, is divided into eight regions. Its capital is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oranjestad,_Aruba" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Oranjestad, Aruba">Oranjestad</a>.</div>
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Unlike much of the Caribbean region, Aruba has a dry climate and an arid, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cactus" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Cactus">cactus</a>-strewn landscape. This climate has helped tourism as visitors to the island can reliably expect warm, sunny weather. It has a land area of 179 km<sup style="line-height: 1;">2</sup>(69.1 sq mi) and is densely populated, with a total of 102,484 inhabitants at the 2010 Census. It lies outside the<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_belt" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Hurricane belt">hurricane belt</a>.</div>
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Europeans first learned of Aruba following the explorations for Spain by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amerigo_Vespucci" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Amerigo Vespucci">Amerigo Vespucci</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alonso_de_Ojeda" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Alonso de Ojeda">Alonso de Ojeda</a> in the summer of 1499. Though Vespucci boasted of discovering the island, Ojeda was likely first, learning of it from natives of nearby islands.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="line-height: 1; white-space: nowrap;">[<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (September 2013)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> Both described Aruba as an "island of giants", remarking on the comparatively large stature of the native Caquetíos compared to Europeans. Gold was not discovered on Aruba, for another 300 years. Vespucci returned to Spain with stocks of cotton and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesalpinia_echinata" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Caesalpinia echinata">brazilwood</a> from the island and described houses built into the ocean. Vespucci and Ojeda's tales spurred interest in Aruba, and Spaniards soon colonized the island.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-advent_5-0" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aruba#cite_note-advent-5" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[5]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-early_6-0" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aruba#cite_note-early-6" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[6]</a></sup></div>
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Because it had low rainfall, Aruba was not considered profitable for the plantation system and the economics of the<a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slave_trade" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Slave trade">slave trade</a>.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="line-height: 1; white-space: nowrap;">[<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (July 2013)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup></div>
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Aruba was colonized by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Empire" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Spanish Empire">Spain</a> for over a century. <i>Simas,</i> the <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cacique" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Cacique">Cacique</a></i> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribal_chief" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Tribal chief">chief</a> in Aruba, welcomed the first Catholic priests in Aruba, who gave him a wooden cross as a gift. In 1508, the Spanish Crown appointed Alonso de Ojeda as its first Governor of Aruba, as part of <i>Nueva Andalucía.</i></div>
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Arawaks spoke the "broken Spanish" which their ancestors had learned on Hispaniola.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="line-height: 1; white-space: nowrap;">[<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (July 2013)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup></div>
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Another governor appointed by Spain was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Mart%C3%ADnez_de_Ampi%C3%A9s" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Juan Martínez de Ampiés">Juan Martínez de Ampiés</a>. A <i>cédula real</i> decreed in November 1525 gave Ampíes, factor of Española, the right to repopulate Aruba. In 1528, Ampíes was replaced by a representative of the<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welser" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Welser">House of Welser</a>.</div>
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The Netherlands have covered the island with their regulations since 1629. Since 1636, Aruba has been under <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Empire" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Dutch Empire">Dutch</a> administration, initially governed by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Stuyvesant" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Peter Stuyvesant">Peter Stuyvesant</a>, later appointed to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Amsterdam" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="New Amsterdam">New Amsterdam</a> (New York City). Stuyvesant was on a special mission in Aruba in November and December 1642. The island was included under the Dutch<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_West_India_Company" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Dutch West India Company">Dutch West India Company</a> (W.I.C.) administration, as "New Netherland and Curaçao," from 1648 to 1664. In 1667 the Dutch administration appointed an Irishman as "Commandeur" in Aruba.</div>
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The Dutch took control 135 years after the Spanish, leaving the Arawaks to farm and graze livestock, and used the island as a source of meat for other Dutch possessions in the Caribbean.</div>
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In August 1806, General <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_de_Miranda" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Francisco de Miranda">Francisco de Miranda</a> and a group of 200 freedom fighters, traveling to liberate Venezuela from Spain, stayed in Aruba for several weeks.</div>
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In 1933, Aruba sent its first petition to the Queen seeking independent status and autonomy.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="line-height: 1; white-space: nowrap;">[<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (July 2013)">citation n</span></a></i></sup></div>
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During <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="World War II">World War II</a>, Aruba was one of the main suppliers of refined petroleum products to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allies_of_World_War_II" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Allies of World War II">Allies</a>. During the war, after the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_occupation_of_the_Netherlands" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="German occupation of the Netherlands">German occupation of the Netherlands</a>, Aruba was made a British <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protectorate" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Protectorate">protectorate</a> from 1940 to 1942, and a US protectorate from 1942 to 1945.</div>
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<span class="mw-headline" id="Move_towards_independence">Move towards independence</span></h3>
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In August 1947, Aruba presented its first <i>Staatsreglement</i> (constitution), for Aruba's <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Status_aparte" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Status aparte">status aparte</a></i> as an autonomous state within the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_the_Netherlands" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Kingdom of the Netherlands">Kingdom of the Netherlands</a>. By 1954, the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charter_of_the_Kingdom_of_the_Netherlands" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Charter of the Kingdom of the Netherlands">Charter of the Kingdom of the Netherlands</a> was established, providing a framework for relations between Aruba and the rest of the Kingdom.</div>
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In 1972, at a conference in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suriname" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Suriname">Suriname</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betico_Croes" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Betico Croes">Betico Croes</a> (MEP), a politician from Aruba, proposed a <i>sui-generis</i> Dutch Commonwealth of four states: Aruba, the Netherlands, Suriname and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlands_Antilles" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Netherlands Antilles">Netherlands Antilles</a>, each to have its own nationality. C. Yarzagaray, a parliamentary member representing the AVP political party, proposed a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Referendum" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Referendum">referendum</a> so that the people of Aruba could choose whether they wanted total independence or <i>Status Aparte</i> as a full autonomous state under the Crown.</div>
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Croes worked in Aruba to inform and prepare the people of Aruba for independence. In 1976, he appointed a committee that chose the national flag and anthem, introducing them as symbols of Aruba's sovereignty and independence. He set 1981 as a target date for independence. In March 1977, the first Referendum for Self Determination was held with the support of the United Nations; 82% of the participants voted for independence.</div>
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The Island Government of Aruba assigned the Institute of Social Studies in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hague" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="The Hague">The Hague</a> to prepare a study for independence; it was titled <i>Aruba en Onafhankelijkheid, achtergronden, modaliteiten en mogelijkheden; een rapport in eerste aanleg</i> (Aruba and independence, backgrounds, modalities and opportunities; a preliminary report) (1978). At the conference in The Hague in 1981, Aruba's independence was set for the year 1991.</div>
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In March 1983, Aruba reached an official agreement within the Kingdom for its independence, to be developed in a series of steps as the Crown granted increasing autonomy. In August 1985 Aruba drafted a constitution that was unanimously approved. On 1 January 1986, after elections were held for its first parliament, Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles; it officially became a country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Full independence was projected in 1996.</div>
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After his death in 1986, Croes was proclaimed <i>Libertador di Aruba</i>. At a convention in The Hague in 1990, at the request of Aruba's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Oduber" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Nelson Oduber">Prime Minister</a>, the governments of Aruba, the Netherlands, and the Netherlands Antilles postponed indefinitely its transition to full independence. The article scheduling Aruba's complete independence was rescinded in 1995, although the process could be revived after another referendum.</div>
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Aruba has one of the highest standards of living in the Caribbean region. There is a low unemployment rate.</div>
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The GDP per capita for Aruba was estimated to be $21,800 in 2004; among the highest in the Caribbean and the Americas. Its main trading partners are<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuela" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Venezuela">Venezuela</a>, the United States and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlands" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Netherlands">Netherlands</a>.</div>
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<a class="image" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aruba_export_map.png" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" class="thumbimage" data-file-height="520" data-file-width="640" height="301" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/05/Aruba_export_map.png/370px-Aruba_export_map.png" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/05/Aruba_export_map.png/555px-Aruba_export_map.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Aruba_export_map.png 2x" style="background-color: white; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); vertical-align: middle;" width="370" /></a><div class="thumbcaption" style="border: none; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 3px !important; text-align: left;">
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<a class="internal" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aruba_export_map.png" style="background-image: none !important; border: none !important; color: #0b0080; display: block; text-decoration: none;" title="Enlarge"><img alt="" height="11" src="http://bits.wikimedia.org/static-1.24wmf4/skins/common/images/magnify-clip.png" style="background-image: none !important; border: none !important; display: block; vertical-align: middle;" width="15" /></a></div>
A graphical breakdown of Aruba's economy by exports</div>
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The island's economy has been dominated by five main industries: tourism, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_mining" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Gold mining">gold mining</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphate" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Phosphate">phosphate</a>mining (The Aruba Phosphaat Maatschappij), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aloe" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Aloe">aloe</a> export, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_refinery" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Oil refinery">petroleum refining</a> (The Lago Oil and Transport Company and the Arend Petroleum Maatschappij Shell Co.) Before the "Status Aparte" (a separate completely autonomous country/state within the Kingdom), oil processing was the dominant industry in Aruba despite expansion of the tourism sector. Today, the influence of the oil processing business is minimal. The size of the agriculture and manufacturing sectors also remains minimal.</div>
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The inflation on Aruba in 2007 was 8.7%.</div>
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The official exchange rate of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aruban_florin" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Aruban florin">Aruban florin</a> is pegged to the US dollar at 1.79 florins to 1 USD. Because of this fact, and due to a large number of American tourists, many businesses operate using US dollars instead of florins, especially in the hotel and resort districts</div>
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On 16 February 1942, a German submarine (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_submarine_U-156_(1941)" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="German submarine U-156 (1941)">U-156</a></i>) under the command of Werner Hartenstein attacked the island's oil processing refinery, but the mission failed.</div>
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In March 1944, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_Roosevelt" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Eleanor Roosevelt">Eleanor Roosevelt</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Lady_of_the_United_States" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="First Lady of the United States">First Lady of the United States</a>, briefly visited American troops stationed in Aruba. In attendance were Curaçao Governor P. Kasteel, and U.S. Rear Admiral <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_E._Chandler" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Theodore E. Chandler">T. E. Chandler</a>.</div>
laughing clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00005129930309506974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180631795309759095.post-38068747595776166992014-05-19T22:09:00.001-07:002014-05-23T22:51:47.133-07:00Recent map of oceania<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />laughing clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00005129930309506974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180631795309759095.post-80890368945729253442014-05-19T07:38:00.001-07:002014-05-19T07:38:52.318-07:00Countries in Oceania<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">The demographic table below shows the subregions and countries of
geopolitical Oceania.[17] The countries and territories in this table are
categorized according to the scheme for geographic subregions used by the
United Nations. The information shown follows sources in cross-referenced
articles; where sources differ, provisos have been clearly indicated. These
territories and regions are subject to various additional categorisations, of
course, depending on the source and purpose of each description.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">Name of region, followed by countries<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">and their flags[21] Area<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">(km²) Population Population density<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">(per km²) Capital ISO 3166-1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN">Australasia[22]<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"> Ashmore and Cartier Islands
(Australia) 199 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"> Australia (12) 7,686,850 23,034,879 2.7 Canberra AU<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"> Christmas Island[23] (Australia) 135 1,493 3.5 Flying Fish Cove CX<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"> Cocos (Keeling) Islands[23]
(Australia) 14 628 45.1 West Island CC<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"> Coral Sea Islands (Australia) 10 4 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN"> New
Zealand[24]</span></b><span lang="EN"> (11) 268,680 4,465,900 16.5 Wellington NZ<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"> Norfolk Island (Australia) 35 2,302 61.9 Kingston NF<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN">Melanesia[25]<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"> Fiji (8) 18,270 856,346 46.9 Suva FJ<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"> New Caledonia (France)(annex-1) 19,060 240,390 12.6 Nouméa NC<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"> Papua (Indonesia)(annex-2) 319,036 3,486,432 11 Jayapura PA<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"> Papua New Guinea[26] (1) 462,840 5,172,033 11.2 Port Moresby PG<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"> Solomon Islands (2) 28,450 494,786 17.4 Honiara SB<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"> Vanuatu (4) 12,200 240,000 19.7 Port
Vila VU<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN">Micronesia <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"> Federated States of Micronesia (7) 702 135,869 193.5 Palikir FM<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"> Guam (United States)(annex-3) 549 160,796 292.9 Hagåtña GU<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"> Kiribati (3) 811 96,335 118.8 South
Tarawa KI<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"> Marshall Islands (9) 181 73,630 406.8 Majuro MH<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"> Nauru 21(annex-4) 12,329 587.1 Yaren
(de facto) NR<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"> Northern Mariana Islands (United
States) (annex-5) 477 77,311 162.1 Saipan MP<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"> Palau 458 (10) 19,409 42.4 Melekeok[27] PW<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">Wake Island Wake Island (United States)(annex-6) 2 12 Wake Island UM<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN">Polynesia<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"> American Samoa (United States) (annex-7) 199 68,688 345.2 Pago
Pago, Fagatogo[28] AS<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"> Cook Islands (New Zealand)(annex-8) 240 20,811 86.7 Avarua CK<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"> Easter Island (Chile) (annex-9) 164 5,761 31 Hanga
Roa CL<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"> French Polynesia (France)
(annex-10*) 4,167 257,847 61.9 Papeete PF<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"> Hawaii (United States) (annex-11*) 16,636 1,360,301 81.8 Honolulu US<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"> Niue (New Zealand) 260 2,134 8.2 Alofi NU<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"> Pitcairn Islands (United Kingdom) (annex-12) 5 47 10 Adamstown PN<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"> Samoa 2,944 (6) 179,000 63.2 Apia WS<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"> Tokelau (New Zealand) 10 1,431 143.1 Nukunonu TK<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"> Tonga 748 (5) 106,137 141.9 Nukuʻalofa TO<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"> Tuvalu 26 (annex-13) 11,146 428.7 Funafuti TV<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"> Wallis and Futuna (France) 274 15,585 56.9 Mata-Utu WF<o:p></o:p></span></div>
laughing clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00005129930309506974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180631795309759095.post-56059583061356438592014-05-19T07:32:00.002-07:002014-05-19T07:32:37.705-07:00Oceania contd-Wallis Futuna -(annex-14)<div style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
<b>Wallis and Futuna</b>, officially the <b>Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands</b> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="French language">French</a>: <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><i>Wallis et Futuna</i></span> or <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Territoire des îles Wallis et Futuna</span></i>, <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fakauvea" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Fakauvea">Fakauvea</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futunan_language" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Futunan language">Fakafutuna</a>: <i><span lang="wls" xml:lang="wls">Uvea mo Futuna</span></i>), is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="France">French</a> island <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collectivity" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Collectivity">collectivity</a> in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oceania" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Oceania">South Pacific</a> between <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuvalu" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Tuvalu">Tuvalu</a> to the northwest, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotuma" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Rotuma">Rotuma</a> of Fiji to the west, the main part of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiji" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Fiji">Fiji</a> to the southwest, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonga" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Tonga">Tonga</a> to the southeast, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samoa" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Samoa">Samoa</a> to the east, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="New Zealand">New Zealand</a>-<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associated_state" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Associated state">associated state</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokelau" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Tokelau">Tokelau</a> to the northeast and to a more distant north the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Islands" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Phoenix Islands">Phoenix Islands</a> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiribati" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Kiribati">Kiribati</a>). Wallis and Futuna is not part of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Polynesia" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="French Polynesia">French Polynesia</a>, nor even contiguous with it, as the former are located at the very opposite western end of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polynesia" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Polynesia">Polynesia</a>.</div>
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Its land area is 264 km<sup style="line-height: 1;">2</sup> (102 sq mi) with a population of about 15,000. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mata-Utu" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Mata-Utu">Mata-Utu</a> is the capital and biggest city. The territory is made up of three main <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcano" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Volcano">volcanic</a> <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_island" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Tropical island">tropical islands</a> along with a number of tiny <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islets" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Islets">islets</a>, and is split into two island groups that lie about 260 km (160 mi) apart, namely <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallis_Island" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Wallis Island">Wallis Islands</a> (Uvea) in the northeast, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoorn_Islands" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Hoorn Islands">Hoorn Islands</a> (also called the Futuna Islands) in the southwest, including <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futuna_Island,_Wallis_and_Futuna" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Futuna Island, Wallis and Futuna">Futuna Island</a> proper and the mostly uninhabited <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alofi_Island" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Alofi Island">Alofi Island</a>.</div>
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Since 2003 Wallis and Futuna has been a <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_overseas_departments_and_territories#Overseas_collectivities" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="French overseas departments and territories">French overseas collectivity</a> (<i><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collectivit%C3%A9_d%27outre-mer" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Collectivité d'outre-mer">collectivité d'outre-mer</a></i>, or <i>COM</i>). Between 1961 and 2003, it had the status of a French overseas territory (<i><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territoire_d%27outre-mer" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Territoire d'outre-mer">territoire d'outre-mer</a></i>, or <i>TOM</i>), though its official name did not change when the status changed.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">The GDP of Wallis and Futuna in 2005 was 188 million US dollars at market exchange rates.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSs96t4ggzpuRDZDdA1IZbieIK7apjrLSY_Jjj9bpdmvOskUA_PQja7InlYoJEuRirzGTZp5TRkST9V0aTTQj9nOn1S7t5RppY_vcfPDoUoewei-QduCPfEDlbgx0tXBoFmTV6ON64Gv4/s1600/wallis-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSs96t4ggzpuRDZDdA1IZbieIK7apjrLSY_Jjj9bpdmvOskUA_PQja7InlYoJEuRirzGTZp5TRkST9V0aTTQj9nOn1S7t5RppY_vcfPDoUoewei-QduCPfEDlbgx0tXBoFmTV6ON64Gv4/s1600/wallis-2.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> The territory's economy is limited to traditional subsistence agriculture, with about 80% of the labor force earning its livelihood from agriculture (</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Coconut">coconuts</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> and vegetables), livestock (mostly pigs), and fishing. About 4% of the population is employed in government. Revenues come from French government subsidies, licensing of fishing rights to Japan and South Korea, import taxes, and remittances from expatriate workers in New Caledonia, French Polynesia and France. Industries include </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copra" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Copra">copra</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">, handicrafts, fishing, and lumber. In 1991, BNP Nouvelle-Calédonie, a subsidiary of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BNP_Paribas" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="BNP Paribas">BNP Paribas</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">, established a subsidiary, Banque de Wallis et Futuna, which currently is the only bank in the territory. Two years earlier </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banque_Indosuez" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Banque Indosuez">Banque Indosuez</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> had closed the branch at Mata-Utu that it had opened in 1977, leaving the territory without any bank.</span>laughing clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00005129930309506974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180631795309759095.post-81341289174506539822014-05-19T07:11:00.000-07:002014-05-19T07:11:45.388-07:00Oceania contd - Tuvalu (annex-13) <div style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
<b>Tuvalu</b> <span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><b style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">Ellice Islands</b><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">,</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">is a</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polynesia" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Polynesia">Polynesian</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_nation" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Island nation">island nation</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Hawaii">Hawaii</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">and</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Australia">Australia</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">. It comprises three</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reef" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Reef">reef</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">islands and six true</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atoll" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Atoll">atolls</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">spread out between the</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latitude" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Latitude">latitude</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">of</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5th_parallel_south" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="5th parallel south">5°</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">to</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10th_parallel_south" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="10th parallel south">10° south</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">and</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longitude" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Longitude">longitude</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">of</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/176th_meridian_east" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="176th meridian east">176°</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">to</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/180th_meridian" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="180th meridian">180°</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">, west of the</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Date_Line" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="International Date Line">International Date Line</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">.</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">Tuvalu's</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exclusive_Economic_Zone" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Exclusive Economic Zone">Exclusive Economic Zone</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">(EEZ) covers an oceanic area of approximately 900,000 km</span><sup style="line-height: 1;">2</sup><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">.</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">Its nearest neighbours are</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiribati" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Kiribati">Kiribati</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">,</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nauru" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Nauru">Nauru</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">,</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samoa" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Samoa">Samoa</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">and</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiji" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Fiji">Fiji</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">. Its population of 10,837</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">makes it the third-least populous sovereign state in the world, with only the</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatican_City" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Vatican City">Vatican City</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">and</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nauru" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Nauru">Nauru</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">having fewer inhabitants. In terms of physical land size, at just 26 square kilometres (10 sq mi) Tuvalu is the fourth smallest country in the world, larger only than the Vatican City at 0.44 km</span><sup style="line-height: 1;">2</sup><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">(0.17 sq mi),</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monaco" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Monaco">Monaco</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">at 1.98 km</span><sup style="line-height: 1;">2</sup><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">(0.76 sq mi), and Nauru at 21 km</span><sup style="line-height: 1;">2</sup><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">(8.1 sq mi).</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDoZO1TlTXAx3A1HzYqFbc1Sqm5VCsux5ejHMHTUEvlNZbsZbOsX-uNLC3VSVjCYDrErOXX4tijfvevMBI-o2IMBLsRc4BN_9tdA8ONURbe145qK7etFp2yxYlOy-o1AIBkD5yuCvw5jU/s1600/tuvalu-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDoZO1TlTXAx3A1HzYqFbc1Sqm5VCsux5ejHMHTUEvlNZbsZbOsX-uNLC3VSVjCYDrErOXX4tijfvevMBI-o2IMBLsRc4BN_9tdA8ONURbe145qK7etFp2yxYlOy-o1AIBkD5yuCvw5jU/s1600/tuvalu-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">, formerly known as the</span><br />
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The first inhabitants of Tuvalu were <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polynesians" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Polynesians">Polynesians</a>. In 1568 Spanish navigator <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%81lvaro_de_Menda%C3%B1a_de_Neira" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira">Álvaro de Mendaña</a> sailed through the islands and is understood to have sighted <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nui_(atoll)" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Nui (atoll)">Nui</a> during his expedition in search of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terra_Australis" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Terra Australis">Terra Australis</a>. In 1819 the island of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funafuti" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Funafuti">Funafuti</a> was named Ellice's Island; the name Ellice was applied to all nine islands after the work of English hydrographer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_George_Findlay" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Alexander George Findlay">Alexander George Findlay</a> (1812–1876).<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-5" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuvalu#cite_note-5" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[5]</a></sup> The islands came under Britain's sphere of influence in the late 19th century, when each of the Ellice Islands was declared a British <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protectorate" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Protectorate">protectorate</a> by Captain Gibson R.N., of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Curacoa_(1878)" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="HMS Curacoa (1878)">HMS <i>Curacoa</i></a>, between 9 and 16 October 1892.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-TAHNPT_6-0" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuvalu#cite_note-TAHNPT-6" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[6]</a></sup> The Ellice Islands were administered as British protectorate by a<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resident_Commissioner" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Resident Commissioner">Resident Commissioner</a> from 1892 to 1916 as part of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Western_Pacific_Territories" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="British Western Pacific Territories">British Western Pacific Territories</a> (BWPT), and later as part of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilbert_and_Ellice_Islands" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Gilbert and Ellice Islands">Gilbert and Ellice Islands</a> colony from 1916 to 1974.</div>
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A <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellice_Islands_self-determination_referendum,_1974" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Ellice Islands self-determination referendum, 1974">referendum was held in December 1974</a> to determine whether the Gilbert Islands and Ellice Islands should each have their own administration. As a consequence of the referendum, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony ceased to exist on 1 January 1976 and the separate British colonies of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiribati" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Kiribati">Kiribati</a> and Tuvalu came into existence. Tuvalu became fully independent within the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Nations" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Commonwealth of Nations">Commonwealth</a> on 1 October 1978. On 17 September 2000 Tuvalu became the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_1290" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="United Nations Security Council Resolution 1290">189th member of the United Nations</a>.</div>
laughing clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00005129930309506974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180631795309759095.post-58173924592639190752014-05-19T06:59:00.000-07:002014-05-19T06:59:24.046-07:00Oceania contd - Pitcairn Islands (annex-12)<div style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
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The <b>Pitcairn Islands</b> , officially named the <b>Pitcairn Group of Islands</b>, are a group of four <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcano" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Volcano">volcanic</a>islands in the southern Pacific Ocean that form the last <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Overseas_Territories" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="British Overseas Territories">British Overseas Territory</a> in the Pacific. The four islands – Pitcairn, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henderson_Island_(Pitcairn_Islands)" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Henderson Island (Pitcairn Islands)">Henderson</a>,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ducie_Island" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Ducie Island">Ducie</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oeno_Island" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Oeno Island">Oeno</a> – are spread over several hundred miles of ocean and have a total land area of about 47 square kilometres (18 sq mi). Only Pitcairn, the second largest island measuring about 3.6 kilometres (2.2 mi) from east to west, is inhabited.</div>
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The islands are inhabited by the descendants of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutiny_on_the_Bounty" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Mutiny on the Bounty"><i>Bounty</i> mutineers</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahiti" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Tahiti">Tahitians</a> (or Polynesians) who accompanied them, an event retold in numerous books and films. This history is still apparent in the surnames of many of the islanders. With only about 56 inhabitants, originating from four main families, Pitcairn is the least populous national jurisdiction in the world. The <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Committee_on_Decolonization" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="United Nations Committee on Decolonization">United Nations Committee on Decolonization</a> includes the Pitcairn Islands on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_list_of_Non-Self-Governing_Territories" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories">United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXbkojVRu03AqffgLoRXY3XMfeJDQKPWPrtqzJAf-3gLlb-DLr3S6rEhZS9Sfd97u7Qn9Ihr2aS9uBRc3IQA_2NQU3yxHeRulcbw0XlnQ7ALqy3s3VreVuKYFyfcWWaC-qPrZ8YNTOqPQ/s1600/pitcairn-3.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXbkojVRu03AqffgLoRXY3XMfeJDQKPWPrtqzJAf-3gLlb-DLr3S6rEhZS9Sfd97u7Qn9Ihr2aS9uBRc3IQA_2NQU3yxHeRulcbw0XlnQ7ALqy3s3VreVuKYFyfcWWaC-qPrZ8YNTOqPQ/s1600/pitcairn-3.gif" height="210" width="320" /></a>The fertile soil of the Pitcairn valleys, such as Isaac's Valley on the gentle slopes south-east of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adamstown,_Pitcairn_Islands" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Adamstown, Pitcairn Islands">Adamstown</a>, produces a wide variety of fruits: including bananas (Pitkern: plun), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papaya" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Papaya">papaya</a>(paw paws), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pineapple" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Pineapple">pineapples</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mango" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Mango">mangoes</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watermelon" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Watermelon">watermelons</a>, <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockmelon" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Rockmelon">rockmelons</a>, <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passionfruit" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Passionfruit">passionfruit</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breadfruit" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Breadfruit">breadfruit</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Coconut">coconuts</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avocado" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Avocado">avocadoes</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citrus" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Citrus">citrus</a> (including oranges, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandarin_orange" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Mandarin orange">mandarins</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grapefruit" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Grapefruit">grapefruit</a>, lemons and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limes" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Limes">limes</a>); and vegetables include: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_potato" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Sweet potato">sweet potatoes</a> (kumura), carrots, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_corn" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Sweet corn">sweet corn</a>, tomatoes, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taro" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Taro">taro</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yam_(vegetable)" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Yam (vegetable)">yams</a>, <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peas" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Peas">peas</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bean" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Bean">beans</a>. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrowroot" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Arrowroot">Arrowroot</a> (<i>Maranta arundinacea</i>) and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugarcane" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Sugarcane">sugarcane</a> are grown and harvested to produce arrowroot flour and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molasses" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Molasses">molasses</a>. Pitcairn Island is remarkably productive and its benign climate allows a wide range of tropical and temperate crops to be grown.</div>
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Fish are plentiful in the seas around Pitcairn. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiny_lobster" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Spiny lobster">Spiny lobster</a> and a large variety of fish are caught for meals and for trading aboard passing ships. Almost every day someone will go fishing, whether it is from the rocks, from a longboat or diving with a spear gun. There are numerous types of fish around the island. Fish such as nanwee, white fish, moi and opapa are caught in shallow water, while snapper, big eye and cod are caught in deep water, and yellow tail and wahoo are caught by trawling. A range of minerals—including manganese, iron, copper, gold, silver and zinc—have been discovered within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which extends 370 km offshore and comprises 880,000 km<sup style="line-height: 1;">2.</sup></div>
laughing clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00005129930309506974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180631795309759095.post-65424817139288008142014-05-17T22:30:00.000-07:002014-05-17T22:30:06.353-07:00Oceania contd - Hawaii (annex-11*)<div style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
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<b>Hawaii</b> is the most recent of the 50 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._state" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="U.S. state">U.S. states</a> (joined the<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="United States">Union</a> on August 21, 1959), and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polynesia" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Polynesia">Polynesia</a>, occupying most of an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archipelago" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Archipelago">archipelago</a> in the central <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Ocean" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Pacific Ocean">Pacific Ocean</a>.</div>
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Hawaii’s diverse natural scenery, warm tropical climate, abundance of public beaches, oceanic surroundings, and active <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcano" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Volcano">volcanoes</a> make it a popular destination for tourists, (wind) surfers, biologists, and volcanologists alike. Due to its mid-Pacific location, Hawaii has many North American and Asian influences along with its own vibrant native culture. Hawaii has over a million permanent residents along with many visitors and U.S. military personnel. Its capital is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honolulu" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Honolulu">Honolulu</a> on the island of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oahu" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Oahu">O<span class="unicode">ʻ</span>ahu</a>.</div>
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The state encompasses nearly the entire volcanic <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_Islands" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Hawaiian Islands">Hawaiian Island chain</a>, which comprises hundreds of islands spread over 1,500 miles (2,400 km). At the southeastern end of the archipelago, the eight "main islands" are (from the northwest to southeast) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niihau" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Niihau">Ni<span class="unicode">ʻ</span>ihau</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kauai" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Kauai">Kaua<span class="unicode">ʻ</span>i</a>,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oahu" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Oahu">O<span class="unicode">ʻ</span>ahu</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molokai" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Molokai">Moloka<span class="unicode">ʻ</span>i</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanai" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Lanai">Lāna<span class="unicode">ʻ</span>i</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kahoolawe" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Kahoolawe">Kaho<span class="unicode">ʻ</span>olawe</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maui" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Maui">Maui</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii_(island)" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Hawaii (island)">island of Hawai<span class="unicode">ʻ</span>i</a>. The last is the largest and is often called "The Big Island" to avoid confusing the name of the island with the name of the state as a whole. The archipelago is physiographically and ethnologically part of the Polynesian subregion of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oceania" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Oceania">Oceania</a>.</div>
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Hawaii is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_area" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="List of U.S. states and territories by area">8th smallest</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_population" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="List of U.S. states and territories by population">11th least populous</a>, but the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_population_density" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="List of U.S. states by population density">13th most densely populated</a> of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._state" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="U.S. state">50 U.S. states</a>. Hawaii's ocean coastline is approximately 750 miles (1,210 km) long, which is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_coastline" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="List of U.S. states by coastline">fourth in the United States</a> after those of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Alaska">Alaska</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Florida">Florida</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="California">California</a>.</div>
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Hawaii is one of two states that do not observe <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_time" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Daylight saving time">daylight saving time</a>, the other being <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Arizona">Arizona</a>. It is also one of two states that are not in the<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contiguous_United_States" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Contiguous United States">contiguous United States</a>; the other is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Alaska">Alaska</a>. Additionally, Hawaii is the only U.S. state not to be located in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americas" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Americas">Americas</a>. Hawaii is also the only state with an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_American" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Asian American">Asian</a> plurality.</div>
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Hawaii was one of the few states to control gasoline prices through a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_Cap_Law" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Gas Cap Law">Gas Cap Law</a>. Since oil company profits in Hawaii compared to the mainland U.S. were under scrutiny, the law tied local gasoline prices to those of the mainland. It took effect in September 2005 amid price fluctuations caused by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Hurricane Katrina">Hurricane Katrina</a>, but was suspended in April 2006.</div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_Electric_Industries" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Hawaiian Electric Industries">Hawaiian Electric Industries</a> provides electricity (mostly from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil-fuel_power_station" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Fossil-fuel power station">fossil-fuel power stations</a>) to 95% of the state's population.</div>
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As of January 2010, the state's unemployment rate was 6.9%.</div>
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In 2009, the United States military spent $12.2 billion in Hawaii, accounting for 18% of spending in the state for that year. 75,000 United States Department of Defense personnel reside in Hawaii.</div>
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According to a 2013 study by Phoenix Marketing International, Hawaii had the fourth-largest number of millionaires per capita in the United States, with a ratio of 7.18 percent.</div>
laughing clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00005129930309506974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180631795309759095.post-41992653871856395402014-05-17T21:12:00.001-07:002014-05-17T21:12:49.498-07:00Oceania contd - French Polynesia -(annex-10*)<b style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"><br /></b>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;">French Polynesia</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> is an </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_country_of_France" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; text-decoration: none;" title="Overseas country of France">overseas country</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> (</span><i style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">pays d'outre-mer</span></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;">) of the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; text-decoration: none;" title="France">French Republic</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;">. It is made up of several groups of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polynesia" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; text-decoration: none;" title="Polynesia">Polynesian</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> islands, the most famous island being</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahiti" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; text-decoration: none;" title="Tahiti">Tahiti</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> in the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_Islands" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; text-decoration: none;" title="Society Islands">Society Islands</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory (</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papeete" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; text-decoration: none;" title="Papeete">Papeetē</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;">). Although not an integral part of its territory, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clipperton_Island" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; text-decoration: none;" title="Clipperton Island">Clipperton Island</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px;"> was administered from French Polynesia until 2007.</span><br />
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The GDP of French Polynesia in 2008 was 7.14 billion US dollars at market exchange rates, the sixth-largest economy in Oceania after <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Australia">Australia</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="New Zealand">New Zealand</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Hawaii">Hawaii</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Caledonia" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080;" title="New Caledonia">New Caledonia</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papua_New_Guinea" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Papua New Guinea">Papua New Guinea</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purchasing_power_parity" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Purchasing power parity">PPP</a>), lower than in Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia, but higher than in all the independent insular states of Oceania.</div>
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The GDP per capita was 27,352 US dollars in 2008 (at market exchange rates, not at<br />
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French Polynesia has a moderately developed economy, which is dependent on imported goods, tourism, and the financial assistance of <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mainland_France" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Mainland France">mainland France</a>. Tourist facilities are well developed and are available on the major islands. Also, as the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noni" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Noni">noni</a> fruit from these islands is discovered for its medicinal uses, people have been able to find jobs related to this agricultural industry.</div>
laughing clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00005129930309506974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180631795309759095.post-91115056468618080962014-05-17T20:38:00.001-07:002014-05-17T20:38:31.558-07:00Oceania contd-Easter Island (annex-9)<div style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
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<b style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">Easter Island</b><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">(</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapa_Nui_language" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Rapa Nui language">Rapa Nui</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">:</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><span lang="rap" style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"><i>Rapa Nui</i></span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">,</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_language" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Spanish language">Spanish</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">:</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><span lang="es" style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"><i>Isla de Pascua</i></span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">) is a</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polynesia" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Polynesia">Polynesian</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the south </span></div>
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easternmost point of the<span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polynesian_Triangle" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Polynesian Triangle">Polynesian Triangle</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">. Easter Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><i style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moai" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Moai">moai</a></i><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">, created by the early</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapa_Nui_people" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Rapa Nui people">Rapa Nui people</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">. In 1995,</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNESCO" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="UNESCO">UNESCO</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">named Easter Island a</span><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Heritage_Site" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="World Heritage Site">World Heritage Site</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">, with much of the island protected within</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapa_Nui_National_Park" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; text-decoration: none;" title="Rapa Nui National Park">Rapa Nui National Park</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">.</span><br />
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Polynesian people settled on Easter Island in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_millennium" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="1st millennium">first millennium AD</a>, and created a thriving culture, as evidenced by the <i>moai</i> and other artifacts. However, human activity, the introduction of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polynesian_rat" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Polynesian rat">Polynesian rat</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_overpopulation" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Human overpopulation">overpopulation</a> led to gradual <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deforestation" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Deforestation">deforestation</a> and extinction of natural resources, which caused the demise of the Rapa Nui civilization. By the time of European arrival in 1722, the island's population had dropped to 2,000–3,000 from a high of approximately 15,000 just a century earlier. Diseases carried by European sailors and<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peru" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Peru">Peruvian</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slave_raiding" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Slave raiding">slave raiding</a> of the 1860s further reduced the Rapa Nui population, down to 111 in 1877.</div>
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Easter Island is one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world. The nearest inhabited land (50 residents) is <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitcairn_Island" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Pitcairn Island">Pitcairn Island</a>2,075 kilometres (1,289 mi) away, the nearest town with a population over 500 is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rikitea" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Rikitea">Rikitea</a> on island <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangareva" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Mangareva">Mangareva</a> 2,606 km (1,619 mi) away, and the nearest continental point lies in central Chile, 3,512 kilometres (2,182 mi) away.</div>
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Easter Island is a special territory of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chile" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Chile">Chile</a> that was annexed in 1888. Administratively, it belongs to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valpara%C3%ADso_Region" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Valparaíso Region">Valparaíso Region</a> and more specifically, is the only <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communes_of_Chile" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Communes of Chile">commune</a> of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provinces_of_Chile" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Provinces of Chile">Province</a> Isla de Pascua. According to the 2012 census, it has about 5,800 residents, of which some 60% are descendants of the aboriginal Rapa Nui.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;">A </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse_of_July_11,_2010" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14.44444465637207px;" title="Solar eclipse of July 11, 2010">total solar eclipse</a><span style="font-size: 14.44444465637207px;"> visible from Easter Island occurred for the first time in over 1300 years on 11 July 2010, at 18:15:15.</span></div>
laughing clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00005129930309506974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180631795309759095.post-72290944729843825702014-05-17T08:39:00.001-07:002014-05-17T08:39:49.719-07:00Oceania contd - Cook Islands (annex-8)<div style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
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The <b>Cook Islands</b> is an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_country" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Island country">island country</a> in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Ocean" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Pacific Ocean">South Pacific Ocean</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associated_state" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Associated state">free association</a> with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="New Zealand">New Zealand</a>. It comprises 15 small islands whose total land area is 240 square kilometres (92.7 sq mi). The Cook Islands' <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exclusive_Economic_Zone" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Exclusive Economic Zone">Exclusive Economic Zone</a> (EEZ), however, covers 1,800,000 square kilometres (690,000 sq mi) of ocean.</div>
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The Cook Islands' defence and foreign affairs are the responsibility of New Zealand, which is exercised in consultation with the Cook Islands. In recent times, the Cook Islands have adopted an increasingly independent foreign policy. Although <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cook_Islanders" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Cook Islanders">Cook Islanders</a> are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_nationality_law" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="New Zealand nationality law">citizens of New Zealand</a>, they have the status of <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cook_Islander" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Cook Islander">Cook Islands nationals</a>, which is not given to other New Zealand citizens.</div>
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The Cook Islands' main population centres are on the island of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rarotonga" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Rarotonga">Rarotonga</a> (14,153 in 2006), where there is an international airport. There is a much larger population of Cook Islanders in New Zealand, particularly the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Island" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="North Island">North Island</a>. In the 2006 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Census" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Census">census</a>, 58,008 self-identified as being of ethnic <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cook_Islands_M%C4%81ori" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Cook Islands Māori">Cook Islands Māori</a> descent.</div>
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With about 100,000 visitors travelling to the islands in the 2010–11 financial year, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Tourism">tourism</a> is the country's main industry, and the leading element of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_the_Cook_Islands" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Economy of the Cook Islands">economy</a>, far ahead of offshore banking, pearls, and marine and fruit exports.</div>
laughing clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00005129930309506974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180631795309759095.post-13860932446594922932014-05-17T08:32:00.000-07:002014-05-17T08:32:06.507-07:00Oceania contd- American Samoa (annex-7)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>American Samoa</b> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samoan_language" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Samoan language">Samoan</a>: <span lang="sm" xml:lang="sm"><i>Amerika Sāmoa</i>, <span class="IPA" title="Representation in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none !important;" title="Help:IPA">[aˈmɛɾika ˈsaːmʊa]</a></span>; also <i>Amelika Sāmoa</i> or <i>Sāmoa Amelika</i></span>) is an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unincorporated_territories_of_the_United_States" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Unincorporated territories of the United States">unincorporated territory</a> of the United States located in the South <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Ocean" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Pacific Ocean">Pacific Ocean</a>, southeast of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samoa" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Samoa">Samoa</a>.</div>
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American Samoa consists of 5 main islands and 2 coral <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atoll" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Atoll">atolls</a>. The largest and most populous island is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tutuila" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Tutuila">Tutuila</a>, with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manu%27a" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Manu'a">Manu<span class="unicode">ʻ</span>a</a>Islands, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_Atoll" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Rose Atoll">Rose Atoll</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swains_Island" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Swains Island">Swains Island</a> also included in the territory. American Samoa is part of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samoan_Islands" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Samoan Islands">Samoan Islands</a> chain, located west of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cook_Islands" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Cook Islands">Cook Islands</a>, north of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonga" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Tonga">Tonga</a>, and some 300 miles (500 km) south of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokelau" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Tokelau">Tokelau</a>. To the west are the islands of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallis_and_Futuna" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Wallis and Futuna">Wallis and Futuna</a> group.</div>
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The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Census_Bureau" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="United States Census Bureau">2010 census</a> showed a total population of 55,519 people. The total land area is 199 square kilometres (76.8 sq mi), slightly more than <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington,_D.C." style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Washington, D.C.">Washington, D.C.</a> American Samoa is the southernmost territory of the US and one of two US territories (with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jarvis_Island" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Jarvis Island">Jarvis Island</a>) south of the Equator. Tuna and tuna products are the main exports, and the main trading partner is the US..</div>
laughing clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00005129930309506974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180631795309759095.post-28770008607888655462014-05-17T08:21:00.000-07:002014-05-17T08:21:49.378-07:00Oceania contd - Wake Island (annex-6)<div style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
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<b>Wake Island</b> is a <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_atoll" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Coral atoll">coral atoll</a> with a <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coastline" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Coastline">coastline</a> of 12 miles (19 km) just north of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Islands" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Marshall Islands">Marshall Islands</a>. It is an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unorganized_territory" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080;" title="Unorganized territory">unorganized</a>, <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unincorporated_territory" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Unincorporated territory">unincorporated territory</a> of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="United States">United States</a>, administered by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_of_Insular_Affairs" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Office of Insular Affairs">Office of Insular Affairs</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_the_Interior" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="United States Department of the Interior">U.S. Department of the Interior</a>. There are about 150 people living on its 2.85 square miles. Access to the island is restricted, and all activities on the island are managed by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Air_Force" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="United States Air Force">United States Air Force</a>. There is also a missile facility operated by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="United States Army">United States Army</a>. The largest island, Wake Island, is the center of activity on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atoll" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Atoll">atoll</a> and is the location of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wake_Island_Airfield" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Wake Island Airfield">Wake Island Airfield</a> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Air_Transport_Association_airport_code" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="International Air Transport Association airport code">IATA</a>: <b>AWK</b>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Civil_Aviation_Organization_airport_code" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="International Civil Aviation Organization airport code">ICAO</a>: <b>PWAK</b>), which has a 9,800-foot (3,000 m) runway.</div>
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On January 6, 2009, President <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W._Bush" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="George W. Bush">George W. Bush</a> included the atoll as a part of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Remote_Islands_Marine_National_Monument" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument">Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument</a>.For <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statistics" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Statistics">statistical</a> purposes, Wake is grouped as one of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Minor_Outlying_Islands" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="United States Minor Outlying Islands">United States Minor Outlying Islands</a>.</div>
laughing clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00005129930309506974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180631795309759095.post-12482798155046286242014-05-17T08:07:00.000-07:002014-05-17T08:07:32.537-07:00Oceania contd -Northerm Mariana Islands (annex-5) <div style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTc2oGlBy3sp5IVKomPgV2cFpHimfnjEB3Ec9PkylBeUv5MiaB8kFMeT7f1wa1UZ50Ysj8V5NsTiIJx7WjpJ1iivT8iP7LdRjyqdKtgF7UlGheb1I8bShnRK9070HlI8yvq4dR27jkzMY/s1600/northern+mariana+islands-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTc2oGlBy3sp5IVKomPgV2cFpHimfnjEB3Ec9PkylBeUv5MiaB8kFMeT7f1wa1UZ50Ysj8V5NsTiIJx7WjpJ1iivT8iP7LdRjyqdKtgF7UlGheb1I8bShnRK9070HlI8yvq4dR27jkzMY/s1600/northern+mariana+islands-1.jpg" /></a></div>
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The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the <b>Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands</b> (<b>CNMI</b>; <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamorro_language" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Chamorro language">Chamorro</a>: <span lang="ch" xml:lang="ch"><i>Sankattan Siha Na Islas Mariånas</i></span>), is one of the five inhabited U.S. island territories (the other four are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guam" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Guam">Guam</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rico" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Puerto Rico">Puerto Rico</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Virgin_Islands" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="United States Virgin Islands">U.S. Virgin Islands</a> and<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Samoa" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="American Samoa">American Samoa</a>). It is one of two territories with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_(U.S._insular_area)" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Commonwealth (U.S. insular area)">"Commonwealth"</a> status; the other is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rico" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Puerto Rico">Puerto Rico</a>).<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-3" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Mariana_Islands#cite_note-3" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[3]</a></sup> It consists of fifteen islands in the western <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Ocean" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Pacific Ocean">Pacific Ocean</a>, about three-quarters of the way from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Hawaii">Hawaii</a> to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Philippines">Philippines</a>. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Census_Bureau" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="United States Census Bureau">United States Census Bureau</a> reports the total land area of all islands as 183.5 square miles (475.26 km<sup style="line-height: 1;">2</sup>).<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-4" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Mariana_Islands#cite_note-4" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[4]</a></sup> As of the 2010 census, the Northern Mariana Islands had a population of 53,883,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-5" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Mariana_Islands#cite_note-5" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[5]</a></sup> of whom over 90% live on the island of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saipan" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Saipan">Saipan</a>. Of the 14 other islands, only two – <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinian" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Tinian">Tinian</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rota_(island)" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Rota (island)">Rota</a> – are permanently inhabited.</div>
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The Commonwealth's center of government is in the village of <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_Hill,_Saipan" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Capital Hill, Saipan">Capitol Hill</a> on Saipan. As the island is governed as a single <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Municipality" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Municipality">municipality</a>, most publications name Saipan as the Commonwealth's <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_(political)" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Capital (political)">capital</a>.</div>
laughing clubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00005129930309506974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180631795309759095.post-86183160449134299662014-05-17T07:48:00.000-07:002014-05-17T07:55:14.519-07:00Oceania contd - Nauru (annex-4)<div style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 24.88888931274414px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
<b>Nauru</b> , officially the <b>Republic of Nauru</b> and formerly known as <b>Pleasant Island</b>, is an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_country" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Island country">island country</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micronesia" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080;" title="Micronesia">Micronesia</a> in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Ocean" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Pacific Ocean">South Pacific</a>. Its nearest neighbour is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banaba_Island" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Banaba Island">Banaba Island</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiribati" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Kiribati">Kiribati</a>, 300 kilometres (186 mi) to the east. With 9,378 residents in a 21 square kilometres (8.1 sq mi) area, Nauru is the smallest nation in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Ocean" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Pacific Ocean">South Pacific</a> and 2nd smallest nation by population on the planet, behind only <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatican_City" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Vatican City">Vatican City</a>.</div>
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Settled by Micronesian and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polynesia" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Polynesia">Polynesian</a> people, Nauru was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annexation" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Annexation">annexed</a> and claimed as a colony by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Empire" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="German Empire">German Empire</a> in the late 19th century. After <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="World War I">World War I</a>, Nauru became a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_of_Nations_mandate" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="League of Nations mandate">League of Nations mandate</a> administered by Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. During <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="World War II">World War II</a>, Nauru was occupied by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_of_Japan" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Empire of Japan">Japanese</a> troops, who were bypassed by the Allied advance across the Pacific. After the war ended, the country entered into trusteeship again. Nauru gained its independence in 1968.</div>
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Nauru is a <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphate_rock" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Phosphate rock">phosphate rock</a> island with rich deposits near the surface, which allow easy <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strip_mining" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Strip mining">strip mining</a> operations. It has some phosphate resources which, as of 2011, are not economically viable for extraction. Nauru boasted the highest per-capita income enjoyed by any sovereign state in the world during the late 1960s and early 1970s. When the phosphate reserves were exhausted, and the environment had been seriously harmed by mining, the trust that had been established to manage the island's wealth diminished in value. To earn income, Nauru briefly became a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_haven" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Tax haven">tax haven</a> and illegal <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Money_laundering" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Money laundering">money laundering</a> centre. From 2001 to 2008, it accepted aid from the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Government" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Australian Government">Australian Government</a>in exchange for hosting the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nauru_detention_centre" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Nauru detention centre">Nauru detention centre</a>.</div>
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The president of Nauru is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baron_Waqa" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Baron Waqa">Baron Waqa</a>, who heads a 19-member <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unicameralism" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Unicameralism">unicameral</a> parliament. The country is a member of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="United Nations">United Nations</a>, the<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Nations" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Commonwealth of Nations">Commonwealth of Nations</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Development_Bank" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Asian Development Bank">Asian Development Bank</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Islands_Forum" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Pacific Islands Forum">Pacific Islands Forum</a>. Nauru also participates in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_Games" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Commonwealth Games">Commonwealth</a> and<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Games" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Olympic Games">Olympic Games</a>. Recently Nauru became a member country of the International Renewable Energy Agency (<a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IRENA" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="IRENA">IRENA</a>)</div>
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<tr><td colspan="3" style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.6em 0px 0.3em; text-align: center; vertical-align: top;"><div class="center" style="width: 267.77777099609375px;">
<div class="floatnone" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
<a class="image" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nauru_on_the_globe_(Polynesia_centered).svg" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Location of Nauru"><img alt="" data-file-height="861" data-file-width="861" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/Nauru_on_the_globe_%28Polynesia_centered%29.svg/250px-Nauru_on_the_globe_%28Polynesia_centered%29.svg.png" height="250" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/Nauru_on_the_globe_%28Polynesia_centered%29.svg/375px-Nauru_on_the_globe_%28Polynesia_centered%29.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/Nauru_on_the_globe_%28Polynesia_centered%29.svg/500px-Nauru_on_the_globe_%28Polynesia_centered%29.svg.png 2x" style="border: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; vertical-align: middle;" width="250" /></a></div>
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<tr class="mergedtoprow"><td colspan="2" style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;"><b>Capital</b></td><td style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaren_District" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Yaren District">Yaren</a> <small style="font-size: 10px;">(<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_facto" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="De facto">de facto</a></i>)</small> <sup class="reference" id="ref_capital" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nauru#endnote_capital" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[a]</a></sup></td></tr>
<tr><th colspan="2" style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">Official languages</th><td style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em; vertical-align: top;"><div class="plainlist">
<ul style="line-height: 1.6em; list-style: none none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nauruan_language" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Nauruan language">Nauruan</a> <small style="font-size: 10px;">(native)</small></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px;"><span class="nowrap" style="white-space: nowrap;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="English language">English</a> <small style="font-size: 10px;">(widely spoken)</small></span></li>
</ul>
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<tr><th colspan="2" style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demonym" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Demonym">Demonym</a></th><td style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nauruan_people" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Nauruan people">Nauruan</a></td></tr>
<tr><th colspan="2" style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Nauru" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Politics of Nauru">Government</a></th><td style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliamentary_republic" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Parliamentary republic">Parliamentary republic</a></td></tr>
<tr class="mergedrow"><td style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.6em; vertical-align: top; width: 1em;"> - </td><td style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.2em 0px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Nauru" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="President of Nauru">President</a></td><td style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baron_Waqa" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Baron Waqa">Baron Waqa</a></td></tr>
<tr class="mergedbottomrow"><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-top-width: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.6em; vertical-align: top; width: 1em;"> - </td><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-top-width: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.4em 0px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Speakers_of_the_Parliament_of_Nauru" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="List of Speakers of the Parliament of Nauru">Speaker of the Parliament</a></td><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-top-width: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.4em; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_Scotty" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Ludwig Scotty">Ludwig Scotty</a></td></tr>
<tr><th colspan="2" style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em; vertical-align: top;">Legislature</th><td style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament_of_Nauru" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Parliament of Nauru">Parliament</a></td></tr>
<tr class="mergedtoprow"><th colspan="3" style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Independence">Independence</a></th></tr>
<tr class="mergedbottomrow"><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-top-width: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.6em; vertical-align: top; width: 1em;"> - </td><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-top-width: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.4em 0px; vertical-align: top;"><span class="nowrap" style="white-space: nowrap;">from <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_trust_territories" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="United Nations trust territories">UN trusteeship</a></span>, (from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="United Kingdom">United Kingdom</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Australia">Australia</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="New Zealand">New Zealand</a>)</td><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-top-width: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.4em; vertical-align: top;">31 January 1968 </td></tr>
<tr class="mergedtoprow"><th colspan="3" style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Nauru" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Geography of Nauru">Area</a></th></tr>
<tr class="mergedrow"><td style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.6em; vertical-align: top; width: 1em;"> - </td><td style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.2em 0px; vertical-align: top;">Total</td><td style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;">21 km<sup style="line-height: 1;"><small>2</small></sup> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_dependencies_by_area" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="List of countries and dependencies by area">239th</a>)<br />
8.1 sq mi</td></tr>
<tr class="mergedrow"><td style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.6em; vertical-align: top; width: 1em;"> - </td><td style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.2em 0px; vertical-align: top;">Water (%)</td><td style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;">0.57</td></tr>
<tr class="mergedtoprow"><th colspan="3" style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Nauru" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Demographics of Nauru">Population</a></th></tr>
<tr class="mergedrow"><td style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.6em; vertical-align: top; width: 1em;"> - </td><td style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.2em 0px; vertical-align: top;">July 2011 estimate</td><td style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;">9,378<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-CIA_1-0" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nauru#cite_note-CIA-1" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[1]</a></sup> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="List of countries by population">216th</a>)</td></tr>
<tr class="mergedrow"><td style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.6em; vertical-align: top; width: 1em;"> - </td><td style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.2em 0px; vertical-align: top;">December 2006 census</td><td style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;">9,275</td></tr>
<tr class="mergedbottomrow"><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-top-width: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.6em; vertical-align: top; width: 1em;"> - </td><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-top-width: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.4em 0px; vertical-align: top;">Density</td><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-top-width: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.4em; vertical-align: top;">447/km<sup style="line-height: 1;"><small>2</small></sup> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states_and_dependent_territories_by_population_density" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="List of sovereign states and dependent territories by population density">23rd</a>)<br />
1,158/sq mi</td></tr>
<tr class="mergedtoprow"><td colspan="2" style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;"><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_product" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Gross domestic product">GDP</a></b> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purchasing_power_parity" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Purchasing power parity">PPP</a>)</td><td style="border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding: 0.4em 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;">2006 estimate</td></tr>
<tr class="mergedrow"><td style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.6em; vertical-align: top; width: 1em;"> - </td><td style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.2em 0px; vertical-align: top;">Total</td><td style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.2em; vertical-align: top;">$36.9 million<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-CER-NAU-2007_2-0" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nauru#cite_note-CER-NAU-2007-2" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[2]</a></sup>(<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="List of countries by GDP (PPP)">192nd</a>)</td></tr>
<tr class="mergedbottomrow"><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-top-width: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.6em; vertical-align: top; width: 1em;"> - </td><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-top-width: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.4em 0px; vertical-align: top;">Per capita</td><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-top-width: 0px; padding: 0px 0.6em 0.4em; vertical-align: top;"><span class="nowrap" style="white-space: nowrap;">$2,500 <small style="font-size: 10px;">(2006 est.)</small> <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-CER-NAU-2007_2-1" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nauru#cite_note-CER-NAU-2007-2" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;">[2]</a></sup><br />$5,000 <small style="font-size: 10px;">(2005 est.)</small> <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-CIA_1-1" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nauru#cite_note-CIA-1" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;">[1]</a></sup></span>(<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)_per_capita" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="List of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita">135th–141st</a>).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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