exploitation of land for agricultural, industrial, residential, recreational, or other purposes. Because the United States historically has a
AGRICULTURE IS THE practice of cultivating plants and herding animals for food, fiber, and other products. Agriculture is the single largest land use
Country in the Indian Ocean, off east Africa, north of Madagascar. Government Seychelles is a republic within the Commonwealth with a multiparty
Climate is the characteristic state of the atmosphere at a location or in a region . It is the entirety of weather conditions over the long term. It
in political theory, the quality of belonging to a nation, in the sense of a group united by various strong ties. Among the usual ties are membership
( môrĭtā'nēə ), officially Islamic Republic of Mauritania, republic (2005 est. pop. 3,087,000), 397,953 sq mi (1,030,700 sq km), NW Africa. It borders
( məlā'zhə ), independent federation (2005 est. pop. 23,953,000), 128,430 sq mi (332,633 sq km), Southeast Asia. The official capital and by far the
the inhabitants of a given area, but perhaps most importantly, the human inhabitants of the earth (numbering about 7 billion in 2012), who by their
Empire covering, at its height in the 1920s, about a sixth of the landmass of the Earth, all of its lands recognizing the United Kingdom (UK) as their
inclusive list of proposed expenditures and expected receipts of any person, enterprise, or government for a specified period, usually one year.
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Education
any process, either formal or informal, that shapes the potential of a maturing organism. Informal education results from the constant effect of
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Madagascar
( măd´´əgăs'cär ), officially Republic of Madagascar, republic (2005 est. pop. 18,040,000), 226,658 sq mi (587,045 sq km), in the Indian Ocean,
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Indian Ocean
third largest ocean, c.28,350,000 sq mi (73,427,000 sq km), extending from S Asia to Antarctica and from E Africa to SE Australia; it is c.4,000 mi
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Constitution
fundamental principles of government in a nation, either implied in its laws, institutions, and customs, or embodied in one fundamental document or in
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Cold War
George Orwell first used the term cold war in a 1945 article entitled “You and the Atom Bomb,” which described the United States, Russia, and China as
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Endangered species
any plant or animal species whose ability to survive and reproduce has been jeopardized by human activities. In 1999 the U.S. government, in
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Comoros
Country in the Indian Ocean between Madagascar and the east coast of Africa, comprising three islands – Njazidja (Grande Comore), Nzwani (Anjouan),
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Congo
The Republic of Congo lies on the River Congo in w-central Africa. The equator runs through the centre of the country. Congo has a narrow coastal
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Benin
The Republic of Benin, formerly called Dahomey, is one of Africa's smallest countries. It extends N to S for about 620km [390mi]. The coastline on the
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Gabon
( gäbôN' ), officially Gabonese Republic, republic (2005 est. pop. 1,389,000), 103,346 sq mi (267,667 sq km), W central Africa. It borders on the
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Equatorial Guinea
( gĭn'ē ), officially Republic of Equatorial Guinea, republic (2005 est. pop. 536,000), 10,830 sq mi (28,051 sq km), W central Africa. It includes the
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Burundi
( bӘrōn'dē ), officially Republic of Burundi, republic (2005 est. pop. 6,371,000), 10,747 sq mi (27,834 sq km), E central Africa. It borders on Rwanda
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Côte d'Ivoire
( kōt dēvwär' ) or Ivory Coast, officially Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, republic (2005 est. pop. 17,298,000), 124,503 sq mi (322,463 sq km), W Africa,
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Djibouti
The Republic of Djibouti is a small country on the NE coast of Africa. The capital is also Djibouti . Djibouti occupies a strategic position around
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Burkina Faso
( burkē'nӘ fä'sō ), republic (2005 est. pop. 13,925,000), 105,869 sq mi (274,200 sq km), W Africa. It borders on Mali in the west and north, on Niger
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Senegal
Country in West Africa, on the Atlantic Ocean, bounded to the north by Mauritania, east by Mali, south by Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, and enclosing the
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Mali
( mä'lē ), officially Republic of Mali, independent republic (2005 est. pop. 12,292,000), 478,764 sq mi (1,240,000 sq km), the largest country in W
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Togo
officially Togolese Republic, republic (2010 pop. 6,191,155), 21,622 sq mi (56,000 sq km), W Africa. It borders on the Gulf of Guinea in the south, on
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Guinea-Bissau
( gĭn'ē-bĭs´´sou' ), officially Republic of Guinea-Bissau, republic (2005 est. pop. 1,416,000), 13,948 sq mi (36,125 sq km), W Africa. It borders on
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Egypt
Country in northeast Africa, bounded to the north by the Mediterranean Sea, east by the Palestinian-controlled Gaza Strip, Israel, and the Red Sea,
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Haiti
( hā'tē ), Fr. Haïti äētē' , officially Republic of Haiti, republic (2005 est. pop. 8,122,000), 10,700 sq mi (27,713 sq km), West Indies, on the
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Tunisia
( tunē'zhə, tyu– ), Fr. Tunisie, officially Republic of Tunisia, republic (2005 est. pop. 10,075,000), 63,378 sq mi (164,150 sq km), NW Africa.
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Rwanda
( rʊän'dä ), officially Republic of Rwanda, republic (2005 est. pop. 8,441,000), 10,169 sq mi (26,338 sq km), E central Africa. It borders on Congo
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Cape Verde
( vûd ), Port. Cabo Verde, officially Republic of Cape Verde, republic (2005 est. pop. 418,000), c.1,560 sq mi (4,040 sq km), W Africa, in the
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Niger
The Republic of Niger is a landlocked nation in N central Africa. The N plateaux lie in the Sahara , while N central Niger contains the rugged Aïr
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Vanuatu
Group of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, part of Melanesia . Government Vanuatu is an independent republic within the Commonwealth , with a
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Monaco
( mŏn'əkō, mōnä'kō, Fr. mônäkō' ), officially Principality of Monaco, independent principality (2005 est. pop. 32,400), c.370 acres (150 hectares), on
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Lesotho
( ləsō'tō ), officially Kingdom of Lesotho, kingdom (2005 est. pop. 1,867,000), 11,720 sq mi (30,355 sq km), S Africa. It is an enclave within the
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Uganda
( yugän'də, ugän'dä ), officially Republic of Uganda, republic (2005 est. pop. 27,269,000), 91,133 sq mi (236,036 sq km), E central Africa. It borders
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Canada
( kăn'ӘdӘ ), independent nation (2001 pop. 30,007,094), 3,851,787 sq mi (9,976,128 sq km), N North America. Canada occupies all of North America N of
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Dominica
Island in the eastern Caribbean, between Guadeloupe and Martinique, the largest of the Windward Islands, with the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the
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Liberia
( lìbēr'ēə ) (New Lat.,=place of freedom), officially Republic of Liberia, republic (2005 est. pop. 3,482,000), 43,000 sq mi (111,370 sq km), W
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Somalia
( sōmä'leə ), country (2005 est. pop. 8,591,000), 246,200 sq mi (637,657 sq km), extreme E Africa. It is directly south of the Arabian peninsula
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Nigeria
( nìjĭr'ēə ), officially Federal Republic of Nigeria, republic (2006 provisional pop. 140,003,542), 356,667 sq mi (923,768 sq km), W Africa. It
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Sudan
( sudăn' ), officially Republic of the Sudan, republic (2011 est. pop. 36,740,000), 718,723 sq mi (1,861,484 sq km), NE Africa. It borders on Egypt in
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Algeria
( ăljēr'ēӘ ), Arab. Al Djazair, Fr. Algérie, officially People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, republic (2005 est. pop. 32,532,000), 919,590 sq mi
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Eritrea
( ĕrĭtrē'ə ), officially State of Eritrea, republic (2005 est. pop. 4,562,000), c.48,000 sq mi (124,320 sq km), NE Africa. It is bordered on the
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France
The Republic of France is the largest country in Western Europe. The scenery is extremely varied. The Vosges Mountains overlook the Rhine Valley in
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Lebanon
The Republic of Lebanon is a country on the E shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Behind the coastal plain are the rugged Lebanon Mountains (Jabal
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Tuvalu
Country in the southwest Pacific Ocean; formerly (until 1978) the Ellice Islands; part of Polynesia . Government The constitution dates from 1978 when
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Luxembourg
The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is one of the smallest and oldest countries in Europe. The N belongs to an upland region that includes the Ardennes in
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Andorra
Landlocked country in the east Pyrenees, bounded north by France and south by Spain. Government Under the 1993 constitution, Andorra is an
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Granada
Capital of Granada province in Andalusia, southern Spain, situated to the north of the Sierra Nevada mountain range on the confluence of the rivers
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French Polynesia
officially Overseas Lands of French Polynesia, internally self-governing dependency (2002 pop. 245,516) of France, consisting of 118 islands in the
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Belgium
Country in Western Europe, bounded to the north by the Netherlands, to the northwest by the North Sea, to the south and west by France, and to the
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Ethiopia
( ēthēō'pēə ), officially Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, republic (2005 est. pop. 73,053,000), 471,776 sq mi (1,221,900 sq km), NE Africa.
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Namibia
( nämĭb'ēə ), officially Republic of Namibia, republic (2005 est. pop. 2,031,000), c.318,000 sq mi (823,620 sq km), SW Africa. It is bordered by
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Marshall Islands
Country in the west Pacific Ocean, part of Micronesia, occupying 31 atolls (the Ratak and Ralik chains). Government The Marshall Islands has a mixed
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Saint Lucia
( sānt lu'shə, –sēə ), island nation (2005 est. pop. 166,000), 238 sq mi (616 sq km), West Indies, one of the Windward Islands. The capital is
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Botswana
( bŏtswä'nӘ ), officially Republic of Botswana, republic (2005 est. pop. 1,640,000), 231,804 sq mi (600,372 sq km), S central Africa. It is bordered
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Central African Republic
republic (2005 est. pop. 3,800,000), 240,534 sq mi (622,983 sq km), central Africa. The landlocked nation is bordered by Chad (N), Sudan and South
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Laos
( lä'ōs ), officially Lao People's Democratic Republic, republic (2005 est. pop. 6,217,000), 91,428 sq mi (236,800 sq km), SE Asia. A landlocked
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Kiribati
Republic in the west central Pacific Ocean, comprising three groups of coral atolls: the 16 Gilbert Islands, 8 uninhabited Phoenix Islands, 8 of the
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Sierra Leone
( sēĕr'ə lēō'nē, lēōn'; sēr'ə lēōn ), officially Republic of Sierra Leone, republic (2005 est. pop. 6,018,000), 27,699 sq mi (71,740 sq km), W Africa.
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Palau
Country comprising more than 350 islands and atolls (mostly uninhabited) in the west Pacific Ocean. Government Palau has a presidential political
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East Timor
Country in southeast Asia, on the island of Timor in the Malay Archipelago. Government The 2002 constitution was modelled on that of Portugal and
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Zimbabwe
The Republic of Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in S Africa. Most of the country lies on a high plateau between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers,
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Cameroon
Country in west Africa, bounded northwest by Nigeria, northeast by Chad, east by the Central African Republic, south by the Republic of the Congo,
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Cambodia
( kămbō'dēӘ ), Khmer Kampuchea, officially Kingdom of Cambodia, constitutional monarchy (2005 est. pop. 13,607,000), 69,898 sq mi (181,035 sq km), SE
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Taiwan
( tì'wän' ), Portuguese Formosa, officially Republic of China, island nation (2005 est. pop. 22,894,000), 13,885 sq mi (35,961 sq km), in the Pacific
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Swaziland
( swä'zēlănd ), officially Kingdom of Swaziland, kingdom (2005 est. pop. 1,174,000), 6,705 sq mi (17,366 sq km), SE Africa. It is bordered on the S,
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Malta
Island in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. Government Malta is a multiparty liberal democracy, with a
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Cuba
( kyō'bӘ, Span. kō'bä ), officially Republic of Cuba, republic (2005 est. pop. 11,347,000), 42,804 sq mi (110,860 sq km), consisting of the island of
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Angola
( ăng-gō'lӘ ), officially Republic of Angola (2005 est. pop. 11,191,000), including the exclave of Cabinda , 481,351 sq mi (1,246,700 sq km), SW
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Papua New Guinea
Country in the southwest Pacific, comprising the eastern part of the island of New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, and part of the Solomon Islands.
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Australia
Country occupying all of the Earth's smallest continent, situated south of Indonesia, between the Pacific and Indian oceans. Government Australia is
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Libya
( lĭb'ēə ), republic (2005 est. pop. 5,766,000), 679,358 sq mi (1,759,540 sq km), N Africa. It borders on Algeria in the west, on Tunisia in the
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Kenya
( kĕn'yə, kēn'– ), officially Republic of Kenya, republic (2009 pop. 38,610,097), 224,960 sq mi (582,646 sq km), E Africa. Kenya is bordered by
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Malawi
( məlä'wē ), officially Republic of Malawi, republic (2005 est. pop. 12,159,000), 45,200 sq mi (117,068 sq km), E central Africa. It borders on Zambia
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Tonga
( tŏng'gə ), officially Kingdom of Tonga, island kingdom (2005 est. pop. 112,000), 270 sq mi (699 sq km), South Pacific, c.2000 mi (3,220 km) NE of
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Bahrain
The Kingdom of Bahrain, a former Emirate and now a constitutional hereditary monarchy, is an archipelago consisting of more than 30 islands in the
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Northern Mariana Islands
( märēä'nä ), officially Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, a self-governing entity in association with the United States (2010 pop.
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Solomon Islands
Country in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of New Guinea, comprising many hundreds of islands, the largest of which is Guadalcanal. Government The
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Philippines
Country in southeast Asia, on an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands west of the Pacific Ocean and south of the Southeast Asian mainland.
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Bahamas
Country comprising a group of about 700 islands and about 2,400 uninhabited islets and cays in the Caribbean, 80 km/50 mi from the southeast coast of
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Zambia
( zăm'bēə ), officially Republic of Zambia, republic (2005 est. pop. 11,262,000), 290,584 sq mi (752,614 sq km), central Africa. It borders on Congo
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South Africa
Country on the southern tip of Africa, bounded north by Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe and northeast by Mozambique and Swaziland. Government South
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Ghana
Country in West Africa, bounded north by Burkina Faso, east by Togo, south by the Gulf of Guinea, and west by Côte d'Ivoire. Government Ghana has a
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Tanzania
( tăn´´zənē'ə, –zăn'ēə, Swahili tänzänē'ä ), officially United Republic of Tanzania, republic (2005 est. pop. 36,766,000), 364,898 sq mi (945,087 sq
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Grenada
Island country in the Caribbean, the southernmost of the Windward Islands. Government Grenada is a multiparty parliamentary democracy. Its
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Indonesia
Country in southeast Asia, made up of 13,677 islands situated on or near the Equator, between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It is the world's fourth
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Samoa
Country in the southwest Pacific Ocean, in Polynesia , northeast of Fiji Islands. Government Samoa is an independent republic within the Commonwealth
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Switzerland
Landlocked country in Western Europe, bounded north by Germany, east by Austria and Liechtenstein, south by Italy, and west by France. Government
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Dominican Republic
( dəmĭn'ĭkən ), republic (2005 est. pop. 8,950,000), 18,700 sq mi (48,442 sq km), West Indies, on the eastern two thirds of the island of Hispaniola .
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Brunei
Country comprising two enclaves on the northwest coast of the island of Borneo, bounded to the landward side by Sarawak and to the northwest by the
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Mozambique
Country in southeast Africa, bounded north by Zambia, Malawi, and Tanzania; east and south by the Indian Ocean; southwest by South Africa and
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Nauru
Island country in Polynesia, southwest Pacific, west of Kiribati. Government The constitution dates from independence in 1968. It provides for a
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Singapore
Country in southeast Asia, off the tip of the Malay Peninsula. Government Singapore is a multiparty democracy with a prime ministerial political
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Fiji Islands
Country comprising 844 islands and islets in the southwest Pacific Ocean, about 100 of which are inhabited. Government Since December 2006, Fiji has
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Ireland
Irish Eire âr'ə [to it are related the poetic Erin and perhaps the Latin Hibernia], island, 32,598 sq mi (84,429 sq km), second largest of the British
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Maldives
Group of 1,196 islands in the north Indian Ocean, about 640 km/400 mi southwest of Sri Lanka; only 203 of them are inhabited. Government The Maldives