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Showing posts from June, 2010

New Zealand

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Country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia, comprising two large islands, the North Island and the South Island, and numerous smaller islands. Its Maori name is Aotearoa, meaning "Land of the Long White Cloud." It became an independent member of the British Commonwealth in 1931. Languages: English. Currency: New Zealand dollar. Capital: Wellington. Population: 4,213,418 (2009 estimate). Area: 270,534 sq km (104,454 sq mi) Maori Name: Aotearoa Major Cities: Wellington Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand. The urban area is situated on the southwestern tip of the country's North Island, and lies between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range. It is home to 386,000 residents, with an additional 3,700 residents living in the surrounding rural areas. The Wellington urban area is the major population centre of the southern North Island, and is the seat of the Wellington Region - which in addition to the urban area c

Austria

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Country in central Europe. Languages: German. Currency: euro. Capital: Vienna. Population: 8,210,281 (2009 estimate). Area: 83,872 sq km (32,383 sq mi). Official Name: Republic of Austria. Major Cities: Vienna Vienna is the capital of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.7 million (2.3 million within the metropolitan area, more than 25% of Austria's population), and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre. It is the 10th largest city by population in the European Union. Vienna is host to many major international organizations such as the United Nations and OPEC. Vienna lies in the east of Austria and is close to Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary. These regions work together in a European Centrope border region. With the close by Bratislava, Vienna forms a 3 million inhabitants metropolitan region, referred to as Twin City. In 200

Armenia

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Country in western Asia between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, bordered by Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan-Nakcivan enclave, Iran, Turkey, and Georgia. Languages: Armenian . Currency: dram. Capital: Yerevan . Population: 2,967,004 (2009 estimate). Area: 29,800 sq km (11,500 sq mi) Official Name: Republic of Armenia Major Cities: Yerevan Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country. It has been the capital since 1918, the thirteenth in the history of Armenia. The history of Yerevan dates back to the 8th century B.C., with the founding of the fortress of Erebuni in 782 BC by king Argishti at the western extreme of the Ararat plain. After World War I, Yerevan became the capital of the Democratic Republic of Armenia as thousands of survivors of the Armenian Genocide settled in the area. The city expanded rapidly du