Atlas
ATLAS BOOKS
First published in 2019 by Murray Books (Australia) www.murraybooks.com
Copyright Š 2019 Murray Books (Australia) Copyright Š 2019 Peter Murray ISBN: 978-0-9943945-2-1
All rights reserved. This publication or any part thereof may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. Author : Peter Murray : Images: Shutterstock
The author and publisher have made every effort to ensure the information contained in this book was correct at the time of going to press and accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by any person or organisation using this book.
This compact Atlas is restricted by the number of pages available to detail each country in the world. We have endeavoured to cover all regions in the World and have included major countries of each region.
COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
The United States of America is made up of 50 states and five self-governing territories scattered
over mainland North America, the Pacific Ocean
and the Caribbean Sea. By total area, the United
States is the fourth-largest and third-most
populous country in the world. Alaska, the largest
of the country's states, covers an area of
7,663,940.6 km2 (2,959,064 sq mi), while the total
area covered by the five self-governing territories is 23,789 km2 (9,185 sq mi). In the mainland's
OFFICIAL TITLE
United States of America
deciduous forests that eventually rise to become
SIZE
3,796,742 sq mi (9,833,520 km2)
north, the Atlantic coastline is overlooked by
the Appalachian Mountains. Those mountains then
drop away to the Great Lakes area, which in turn becomes the vast grasslands of the country's
Midwest. Through the heart of America the
Mississippi-Missouri River complex runs from
north to south, giving life to the prairies of the
Great Plains. Those prairies stretch west until they meet with the towering Rocky Mountains, which
eventually give way to vast desert country or to
meet with the Pacific coast in more fertile regions
in the south. Such a vast mainland offers virtually
every
type
of
climate,
including
tropical,
continental, Mediterranean, alpine and arid. The
country is also subject to extremes that range from regular tornadoes in the south and the
midwest to hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico and volcanic activity in Hawaii and Alaska.
TIME ZONE
POPULATION
MAIN RELIGION
NATIONAL LANGUAGE/S
CAPITAL CITY / CO-ORDINATES
LARGEST CITY / CO-ORDINATES
CURRENCY
UTC-4 to +11 324,542,000 Christianity English
Washington, D.C. - 38°53′N 77°01′W New York City - 40°43′N 74°00′W
United States Dollar (USD)
CALLING CODE
+1
ANTHEM
The Star-Spangled Banner
INTERNET SUFFIX
.com
CANADA
CANADA
Canada is the second-largest country in the world
and is situated in the north of the North American
continent. The country extends from the Atlantic
to the Pacific Oceans and the United States
border to Alaska and the Arctic Ocean. The country is divided into 10 provinces and three
territories and is chiefly dominated by mountains, dense forest, tundra and lakes. Most of Canada's population lives near the southern border, and
Canadian cities are home to 82 percent of the entire population. The capital city of Canada is Ottawa, with Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal its
largest cities. Other major centres include
Edmonton, Calgary, Hamilton, Winnipeg and
Quebec City. Geologically, Canada is volcanically
active, and its most notable non-dormant craters
are on Mount Meagher, Mount Cayley, Mount Garibaldi and the volcanic complex of Mount
Edziza. The largest recorded eruption was in 1775
in British Columbia. The Great Lakes are situated
on the border of Canada and the USA, connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the inland of the country
through the Saint Lawrence River. The lakes are the largest freshwater group of lakes in the world
and account for 21 percent of the world's surface fresh water. Canada's climate varies between its
vast regions, and many parts of the country
experience harsh winters. In the interior, the Prairie lands are the country's food bowl and
experience an average daily temperature in winter of −15°C (5°F), and occasionally drop to below
−40°C (−40°F). Much of Canada's coastal areas are
snow-covered for half of the year, and the warmest areas in the country are found between
the east and west coasts and can climb to 30°C
(86°F).
OFFICIAL TITLE
TIME ZONE
SIZE
POPULATION
MAIN RELIGION
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE/S
CAPITAL CITY / CO-ORDINATES
LARGEST CITY / CO-ORDINATES
CURRENCY
CALLING CODE
INTERNET SUFFIX
ANTHEM
Canada
UTC-3.5 to -8
9,984,670 km2 (3,855,100 sq mi)
35,151,728
Christianity
English, French
Ottawa - 45°24'N 75°40'W
Toronto - 43°42'N 79°24'W
Canadian Dollar (CAD)
+1
.ca
O Canada
SOUTH AMERICA
South America is a continent in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It may also be considered a subcontinent of the Americas, which is how it is viewed in the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking regions of the Americas. The reference to South America instead of other regions (like Latin America or the Southern Cone) has increased in the last decades due to changing geopolitical dynamics (in particular, the rise of Brazil). It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east by the Atlantic Ocean; North America and the Caribbean Sea lie to the northwest. It includes twelve sovereign states (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela), a part of France (French Guiana), and a non-sovereign area (the Falkland Islands, a British Overseas Territory though this is disputed by Argentina). In addition to this, the
BRAZIL
ABC islands of the Kingdom of the Netherlands,
Trinidad and Tobago, and Panama may also be considered part of South America.
OFFICIAL TITLE
UTC-1 to -5
POPULATION
206,440,850
SIZE
8,515,767 km2 (3,287,956 sq mi)
MAIN RELIGION
Christianity (Roman Catholicism)
CAPITAL CITY / CO-ORDINATES
Brasilia - 15°47'S 47°52'W
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE/S
Brazil is the fifth-largest country in the world by
Federative Republic of Brazil
TIME ZONE
LARGEST CITY / CO-ORDINATES
Portuguese
São Paulo - 23°33'S 46°38'W
both population and area. Bordered by the
CURRENCY
Real (BRL)
country outside of Ecuador and Chile, it is also
INTERNET SUFFIX
.br
Atlantic Ocean and every other South American the largest Portuguese speaking country in the
world. Covering over 8.5 million km2 (3.3 million
sq mi), Brazil spans four time zones and has both the Tropic of Capricorn and the Equator running through it. The landscape of Brazil is a diverse
one, and most of its terrain sits at between 200
m (660 ft) and 800 m (2,600 ft). The country has
a vast network of rivers that include the Amazon
and the Paraná, and its entire river system is one
of the most extensive on Earth. The climate of Brazil is varied and is generally considered
equatorial, although there are five sub types of
climate across the country. Brazil's capital city is Brasilia, and its most populous city is São Paulo.
The third-most populous city in Brazil is Rio de
Janiero,
which
is
one
of
the
Southern
Hemisphere's most visited cities and the centre of carnivals, dance culture and beach lifestyle.
CALLING CODE ANTHEM
+55
Hino Nacional Brasileiro
CENTRAL AMERICA
Central America is sometimes defined as a subcontinent of the Americas. This region is bordered by Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south. Central America consists of seven countries: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. The combined population of Central America is estimated to be 42 million.
HONDURAS
The Republic of Honduras was once known as the
Spanish Honduras and it sits on the southern Pacific
Gulf of Fonseca and the northern Caribbean Gulf of
Honduras. On land, Honduras is bordered by El
Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua. The majority of
Honduras' landscape is covered with mountains, with a lowland jungle in the north-east, a densely
populated lowland in the north-west and narrow plains
along the coastline. Offshore from the north coast are
the Swan Islands and the Islas de la Bahía. Natural
resources within Honduras include gold, silver, timber,
lead, copper, iron ore, zinc, fish, coal and shrimp.
There are 18 departments that comprise Honduras
administratively. Of those, Francisco Morazán is a
department in Honduras' central district, and it is
home to the country's capital, Tegucigalpa. Honduras is a biodiverse country, renowned for its plant and
animal species. Over 600 species of orchid can be found in the country, along with 250 species of
amphibians and reptiles, 110 mammal species and 700
bird species. Half of the mammals indigenous to Honduras are bats. The forestry of Honduras is world
renowned, and the north-east of the country is home
to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Río Plátano
Biosphere Reserve. As well as rainforests, Honduras
has cloud forests that sit at levels of up to 3,000m
(9,700 ft). Other notable geographic features of Honduras are savanna, mangroves, pine and oak
forests, and the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System.
OFFICIAL TITLE
TIME ZONE
SIZE
POPULATION
MAIN RELIGION
NATIONAL LANGUAGE/S
CAPITAL CITY / CO-ORDINATES
LARGEST CITY / CO-ORDINATES
CURRENCY
CALLING CODE
INTERNET SUFFIX
ANTHEM
Republic of Honduras
UTC-6
112,492 km2(43,433 sq mi)
8,249,574
Christianity
Spanish
Tegucigalpa - 14°6′N 87°13′W
Tegucigalpa - 14°6′N 87°13′W
Lempira (HNL)
+504
.hn
Himno Nacional de Honduras
CARIBBEAN
Situated largely on the Caribbean Plate, the region has more than 700 islands, islets, reefs and cays. Island arcs delineate the eastern and northern edges of the Caribbean Sea: The Greater Antilles and the Lucayan Archipelago on the north and the Lesser Antilles and the on the south and east (which includes the Leeward Antilles). The Lucayan Archipelago (the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands), do not border the Caribbean Sea, but are still within the boundaries of the Caribbean region. On the mainland, Belize, Nicaragua, the Caribbean region of Colombia, Cozumel, the Yucatán Peninsula, Margarita Island, and the Guyanas are often included due to their political and cultural ties with the region. OFFICIAL TITLE
JAMAICA
TIME ZONE
UTC-5
POPULATION
2,950,210
NATIONAL LANGUAGE/S
English
SIZE
MAIN RELIGION
CAPITAL CITY / CO-ORDINATES
+1-876
ANTHEM
Jamaica, Land We Love
INTERNET SUFFIX
islands.
Jamaica's
nearest
Republic on the island of Hispaniola, while its closer southern neighbour is Cuba. The island is
dominated by the Blue Mountains, which are
surrounded by a coastal plain that is home to the
capital city of Kingston and its huge natural harbour.
Other significant towns and cities within Jamaica
are Spanish Town, Portmore, Port Antonio,
Mandeville, Ocho Ríos, Montego Bay and Negril.
Jamaica has a large tourism industry, and attractions
include numerous luxury resorts and sites of
interest. Situated in a tropical zone, Jamaica is home to a wide variety of ecosystems, which
include terrestrial limestone forests, riparian
woodland, rainforests and caves. The centre of Jamaica's economy lies within its capital city,
Kingston. The densely populated city is home to the
headquarters of many multi-national companies and financial institutions, which stimulate a healthy
economy. Geographically, Kingston is surrounded by the Blue Mountains, Long Mountain, Red Hills
and Kingston Harbour.
Kingston - 17°59′N 76°48′W
CALLING CODE
Greater
Antilles
Christianity
Kingston - 17°59′N 76°48′
CURRENCY
neighbours to the west are Haiti and the Dominican
10,991 km2 (4,244 sq mi)
LARGEST CITY / CO-ORDINATES
The island country of Jamaica is located in the
Caribbean Sea, and it is the third-largest of the
Jamaica
Jamaican Dollar (JMD)
.jm
EUROPE Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere
and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic
Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Asia to the east, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. It comprises the westernmost part of Eurasia.
Europe is most commonly considered to be separated from Asia by
the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas and the waterways of the Turkish
Straits. Although the term "continent" implies physical geography,
the land border is somewhat arbitrary and has been redefined several
times since its first conception in classical antiquity. The division of
Eurasia into two continents reflects East-West cultural, linguistic and ethnic differences which vary on a spectrum rather than with a sharp
dividing line. The geographic border between Europe and Asia does
not follow any state boundaries: Turkey, Russia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Kazakhstan are transcontinental countries. France, Portugal,
Netherlands, Spain and United Kingdom are also transcontinental in that the main portion is in Europe while pockets of their territory are located in other continents.
Europe covers about 10,180,000 square kilometres (3,930,000 sq mi),
or 2% of the Earth's surface (6.8% of land area). Politically, Europe is divided into about fifty sovereign states of which the Russian Federation is the largest and most populous, spanning 39% of the
continent and comprising 15% of its population. Europe had a total
population of about 741 million (about 11% of the world population) as of 2016.
Europe, in particular ancient Greece and ancient Rome, was the
birthplace of Western civilization. The fall of the Western Roman
Empire in 476 AD and the subsequent Migration Period marked the
end of ancient history and the beginning of the Middle Ages.
Renaissance humanism, exploration, art and science led to the
modern era. Since the Age of Discovery started by Portugal and Spain, Europe played a predominant role in global affairs. Between
the 16th and 20th centuries, European powers controlled at various
times the Americas, almost all of Africa and Oceania and the majority
of Asia.
gERMANY
GERMANY
Germany is a central-western European country. It is the most populous European Union member state,
and is also the most popular destination for
OFFICIAL TITLE
Federal Republic of Germany
coastline is comprised of the Baltic Sea in the north
SIZE
357,168 km2(137,903 sq mi)
immigrants behind the United States. Germany's
and north-east, while land borders are shared with
TIME ZONE
POPULATION
Republic, France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the
MAIN RELIGION
Switzerland is comprised of Lake Constance, which
CAPITAL CITY / CO-ORDINATES
Poland, Denmark, Switzerland, Austria, the Czech
Netherlands. Germany's border between Austria and
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE/S
is Central Europe's third-largest lake. The country's
LARGEST CITY / CO-ORDINATES
capital and largest city is the formerly divided Berlin, while other significant cities include Frankfurt,
Munich,
Hamburg,
Stuttgart,
Cologne
and
Düsseldorf. Between Germany's coast and its highest
point in the Alps (Zugspitze), elevation rises to 2,962 m (9,718 ft). In its northern lowlands, Germany's river
system is a vast one, and the Danube, Rhine and Elbe
Rivers are significant transport and tourism routes.
The major part of Germany experiences a temperate,
seasonal climate, which is moderated through the effects of the North Atlantic Drift's warmer waters.
In the east of Germany, the climate is more continental, with cold winters, very warm summers
and less rainfall than the west. The plant and animal
life of Germany is common to most of Central
Europe, and oak, beech and assorted deciduous
trees mainly populate one-third of the country's
forests. In mountainous areas, conifers, firs and
spruce trees grow widely. The country's 16 national
parks, 15 biosphere reserves, 98 nature parks and over 400 zoos are home to numerous animals, with
the latter including the world famous Berlin Zoo.
CURRENCY
CALLING CODE
INTERNET SUFFIX ANTHEM
UTC+1
82,175,700
Christianity German
Berlin - 52°31′N 13°23′E
Berlin - 52°31′N 13°23′E Euro (EUR) +49 .de
Deutschlandlied
FRANCE
FRANCE
France, officially known as the French Republic, is a
Western European country with a number of overseas territories and regions. On the European mainland, France extends from the Mediterranean
Sea in the south and sits along the English Channel, the North Sea and Germany's Rhine River. The capital
and most populous city in France is Paris, which is
OFFICIAL TITLE
French Republic
SIZE
643,801 km2(248,573 sq mi)
also the most popular tourism destination in the
TIME ZONE
Bordeaux, Nice, Lille, Marseille, Toulouse and Lyon. The countries that border mainland France are
POPULATION
66,991,000
and Belgium in the north-west, Spain and Andorra in
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE/S
French
world. Other major urban centres of France include
Switzerland and Germany in the east, Luxembourg
the south and south-west respectively, and Monaco
and Italy in the south-east. The eastern border of France is comprised of the Alps, the Pyrenees and
the Rhine River. Overseas territories and regions include French Guiana in South America, the
Kerguelen Islands in the Indian Ocean, French
Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean and Adélie Land in
Antarctica. Additionally, the Atlantic islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon and the Antilles islands of
Martinique, Clipperton Island, Saint Barthélemy and
Guadeloupe are also part of the French Republic. Geographically, France is the largest country of the
European Union, and including its non-Antarctic
overseas regions and territories, the country covers
45 percent of the world's entire land mass. The
highest point in France is Mont Blanc, which sits in
the Alps at an elevation of 810.45 m (15,782 ft). The
climate of France is varied, and most of its western regions experience an oceanic climate between
Flanders and the Basque Country. Inland France is
protected by mountains and is considered semi-
oceanic, while the coastal southern areas are
Mediterranean. The Alps and Pyrenees regions are
alpine, and overseas territories and regions are
situated in areas that experience sub-polar, tropical and equatorial climates.
MAIN RELIGION
CAPITAL CITY / CO-ORDINATES
LARGEST CITY / CO-ORDINATES CURRENCY
CALLING CODE
INTERNET SUFFIX
ANTHEM
UTC+1
Christianity Paris - 48°51.4′N 2°21.05′E
Paris - 48°51.4′N 2°21.05′E Euro (EUR) +33
.fr
La Marseillaise
ITALY
ITALY
Italy is located in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea
and shares land borders with Switzerland, France,
Austria, Slovenia, Vatican City and San Marino. The
territory of Italy is a complex one, and the islands of
Sardinia and Siciliy join many smaller Mediterranean
islands to form part of the country. Additionally,
OFFICIAL TITLE
TIME ZONE
SIZE
POPULATION
MAIN RELIGION
NATIONAL LANGUAGE/S
CAPITAL CITY / CO-ORDINATES
Vatican City and San Marino are sovereign state
LARGEST CITY / CO-ORDINATES
Italian enclave of Campione d'Italia. Further territory
CALLING CODE
enclaves within Italy, while Switzerland is home to the
includes five full comuni and two part comuni within
the Danube's drainage basin, as well as the Val di Lei
in the Rhine Basin. Due to the country's boot-shape, locals often refer to their homeland as lo Stivale, or
the Boot. Italy has the European Union's fourth-
largest population, and its major urban centres are
renowned around the world. The country's capital and
largest city, Rome, is dominated by services that
include an enormous tourism sector. Milan is Italy's
second-largest city and is the centre of fashion and
design. Events and fairs form a large part of Milan's year, and the city is also home to a multitude of
academies, cultural institutions and universities.
Naples is Italy's third-largest city and is also one of the world's
oldest
continually
inhabited
cities.
Geographically, Italy is situated at the point where The Eurasian and African plates meet, and the result is
volcanic
and
seismic
activity
that
has
been
documented throughout the country's history. The
most famous was the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in
AD 79, when the cities of Pompeii and Herculanum were destroyed.
CURRENCY
INTERNET SUFFIX
ANTHEM
Italian Republic
UTC+1
301,338 km2(116,347 sq mi)
60,674,003
Christianity (Roman Catholicism)
Italian
Rome - 41°54′N 12°29′E
Rome - 41°54′N 12°29′E
Euro (EU)
+39
.it
Il Canto degli Italiani
SPAIN
SPAIN Spain
sits
on
south-western
Europe's
Iberian
Peninsula. Its overseas territories include the two large archipelagos that comprise the Canary Islands along
the North African coast, the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea, several small islands in the
OFFICIAL TITLE
Kingdom of Spain
SIZE
505,990 km2(195,360 sq mi)
TIME ZONE
POPULATION
MAIN RELIGION
Alboran Sea near Morocco, the North African cities of
NATIONAL LANGUAGE/S
Peninsula. On the Spanish mainland and with the
LARGEST CITY / CO-ORDINATES
Melilla and Ceuta, and the Vélez de la Gomera
exception of Gibraltar, the country is bordered by the
Mediterranean Sea to the east and south, the Bay of Biscay to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the
north-west. Land borders are shared with Portugal,
Andorra and France. Spain's African territories
comprise almost five percent of its population, and it is the largest of Southern Europe's countries. Mount Teide in Tenerife is Spain's highest mountain peak and
the third largest of the world's volcanoes. In mainland Spain, the Pyrenees Mountains comprise the French
and Andorra borders, while the border between Spain
and Portugal is the longest of the European Union's uninterrupted borders. Most of mainland Spain is
mountainous, and outside of the Pyrenees, the main
ranges are the Sierra Nevada, the Cordillera
Cantábrica, the Sistema Ibérico, the Sistema Bético,
the Sistema Central and the Meseta Central. The
capital city of Madrid lies in the centre of the Spanish
mainland, and its economy is driven by the service sector. As the largest and most commercially
important of Spain's cities, Madrid is light on the
industry and construction sectors, but is nevertheless involved in high-technology production along with Barcelona.
CAPITAL CITY / CO-ORDINATES
CURRENCY
CALLING CODE
INTERNET SUFFIX
ANTHEM
UTC+1
46,423,064
Christianity (Roman Catholicism)
Spanish
Madrid - 40°26′N 3°42′W
Madrid - 40°26′N 3°42′W
Euro (EUR)
+34
.es
Marcha Real
ENGLAND
ENGLAND
England is part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and is bordered in the north by Scotland and in part
to the west by Wales. The rest of the country is
OFFICIAL TITLE
England
as the English Channel. Over 100 smaller islands also
SIZE
130,279 km2(50,301 sq mi)
surrounded by the Irish, Celtic and North Seas, as well
make up the territory of England. The Thames, Tyne
and Mersey Rivers are home to the port cities of London, Newcastle and Liverpool respectively.
England is also home to numerous lakes in its Lake
District, and the largest of those is Lake Windermere.
TIME ZONE
POPULATION
MAIN RELIGION
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE/S
CAPITAL CITY / CO-ORDINATES
The Pennines are an ancient mountain range
LARGEST CITY / CO-ORDINATES
geological composition includes coal, limestone and
CALLING CODE
Pike, which sits at 978 m (3,209 ft) above sea level.
ANTHEM
colloquially called the 'backbone of England', and their
CURRENCY
sandstone. England's highest peak is Cumbria's Scafell
INTERNET SUFFIX
South of the Pennines are the green, rolling hills of the
Cotswolds, Chiltern, South and North Downs, which
eventually end on the east coast at the white rock
Cliffs of Dover. In England's West Country, the
landscape is made up of gentle slopes, moorland and
granite, while the South Coast is noted for its fossil-
embedded Jurassic coastline. England's climate is a
varied one, and predominantly a temperate climate
that climbs from mild in the south to colder in the
north. July is the warmest month of the year, and
rainfall is evenly spread through all 12 months. One of
the greatest influences on the English climate is the
Atlantic Ocean and its warm gulf streams. The highest recorded temperature eperienced in England was
38.5°C (101.3°F) in 2003, and its lowest was −26.1°C
(−15.0°F) in 1982.
UT
54,786,300
Christianity English
London - 51°30′N 0°7′W
London - 51°30′N 0°7′W Pound Sterling (GBP) +44 .uk
God Save the Queen
THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is the world's largest
OFFICIAL TITLE
Russian Federation
all of Northern Asia and the vast majority of Eastern
SIZE
17,075,200 km2(6,592,800 sq mi)
country. Located in Eurasia, the country extends across
Europe, spanning 11 time zones and home to a diverse
number of landforms and environments. Russia shares maritime borders with the United States along Alaska's
Bering Strait, and also with Japan through the Sea of
Okhotsk. On land, the country shares borders with
Finland, Norway, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Poland, Georgia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan,
Mongolia, North Korea and China. Within Russia, there are 23 World Heritage Sites, 40 biosphere reserves, 101
nature reserves and 41 national parks. The country is also
a source of many natural resources, including petroleum,
natural gas, timber, ores and other minerals. The most
populated section of Russia is the western part, and
nearly 80 percent of the entire Russian population live there. The capital city of Moscow is one of the world's
largest cities. At its greatest width, Russia is 8,000 km
(4,971 mi) wide between the Vistula Split near Poland and
the south-eastern extent of the Kuril Islands. The majority
of Russia's landscape is filled with vast plains and
mountain ranges in the south, dense forests in the north
and tundra along the northern coastline. The north-south line of the Ural Mountains forms the boundary between
Asia and Europe. The coastline of Russia is vast and measures more than 37,000 km (22,991 mi).
TIME ZONE
POPULATION
MAIN RELIGION
NATIONAL LANGUAGE/S
CAPITAL CITY / CO-ORDINATES
LARGEST CITY / CO-ORDINATES CURRENCY
CALLING CODE
INTERNET SUFFIX ANTHEM
UTC+2 to +12 144,554,993
Christianity (Orthodox) Russian
Moscow - 55°45′N 37°37′E
Moscow - 55°45′N 37°37′E Russian Ruble (RUB) +7
.ru
Gosudarstvenný gimn Rossijskoj Federaci
MIDDLE EAST
The Middle East is a transcontinental region centered on Western Asia, Turkey (both Asian and European), and Egypt (which is mostly in North Africa). Saudi Arabia is geographically the largest Middle Eastern nation while Bahrain is the smallest. The corresponding adjective is Middle Eastern and the derived noun is Middle Easterner. The term has come into wider usage as a replacement of the term Near East (as opposed to the Far East) beginning in the early 20th century. Arabs, Turks, Persians, Kurds, and Azeris (excluding Azerbaijan) constitute the largest ethnic groups in the region by population. Arabs constitute the largest ethnic group in the region by a clear margin. Indigenous minorities of the Middle East include Jews, Baloch, Assyrians, Berbers (who primarily live in North Africa), Copts, Druze, Lurs, Mandaeans, Samaritans, Shabaks, Tats, and Zazas. European ethnic groups that form a diaspora in the region include Albanians, Bosniaks, Circassians (including Kabardians), Crimean Tatars, Greeks, Franco-Levantines, and Italo-Levantines. Among other migrant populations are Chinese, Filipinos, Indians, Indonesians, Pakistanis, Pashtuns, Romani, and subSaharan Africans.
OFFICIAL TITLE
TIME ZONE SIZE
POPULATION
MAIN RELIGION
NATIONAL LANGUAGE/S
CAPITAL CITY / CO-ORDINATES
LARGEST CITY / CO-ORDINATES
CURRENCY
CALLING CODE
SAUDI ARABIA
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is situated in Western Asia
and occupies the majority of the Arabian Peninsula. The land borders of Saudi Arabia are formed by the countries
of Iraq and Jordan to the north, Bahrain, Qatar and the
United Arab Emirates to the east, Kuwait to the northeast, Yemen to the south and Oman to the south-east.
The Gulf of Aqaba separates Saudi Arabia from Egypt and Israel, and the country is the only one that has both a
Persian Gulf and a Red Sea coastline. Most of Saudi Arabia's landscape is characterised by the Arabian Desert
and its surrounding semi-desert areas. The largest continuous sand desert in the world, the Rub' al Khali, is
located in the southern sector of the country. Saudi
Arabia's most populous city is its capital, Riyadh, located in the centre of the Arabian Peninsula.
INTERNET SUFFIX
ANTHEM
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
UTC+
2,149,690] km2 (830,000 sq mi)
33,000,000
Sunni Islam
Arabic
Riyadh - 24°39′N 46°46′E
Riyadh - 24°39′N 46°46′E
Saudi Riyal (SAR)
+966
.sa
as-Salām al-Malakiyy
AFRICA
Africa is the world's second largest and second most-populous continent. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area and 20% of its land area. With 1.2 billion people, it accounts for about 16% of the world's human population. The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Isthmus of Suez and the Red Sea to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The continent includes Madagascar and various archipelagos. It contains 54 fully recognised sovereign states (countries), nine territories and two de facto independent states with limited or no recognition. The majority of the
SOUTH AFRICA
continent and its countries are in the Northern Hemisphere, with a substantial portion and number of countries in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Republic of South Africa is the African continent's southern-most country. Its coastline stretches along the Indian and South Atlantic Oceans, and it is bordered by Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland, Mozambique and Lesotho. As the world's 25th-largest county, South Africa is the only country to border both the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, and its coastline covers over 2,500 km (1,553 mi). South Africa's interior is comprised of a vast plateau that varies in altitude from 1,000 m (3,300 ft) to 2,100 m (6,900 ft), sloping down from the east to other points of the compass. Around the interior plateau sits the Great Escarpment, which at its highest (and eastern-most) point is known as the Drakensberg. To the south of the plateau lies the Great Karoo Plain, which runs north to become the dry and arid Bushmanland of South Africa before meeting with the Kalahari Desert. The middle of the country's interior plateau is the Highveld, which forms the hub of South Africa's commercial farming activities. The country's north-east is home to the Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces and the world renowned Kruger National Park, and its opposite south-west corner is comprised of the Cape Peninsula and the legislative capital city of Cape Town. South Africa's largest city, Johannesburg, also known as Joburg, Jozi and eGoli, is one of the world's 50-largest urban areas. Located in South Africa's wealthiest province (Gauteng), Johannesburg is also the seat of South Africa's Constitutional Court and the centre of the country's lucrative diamond and gold trade.
OFFICIAL TITLE TIME ZONE SIZE
POPULATION
MAIN RELIGION
NATIONAL LANGUAGE/S
CAPITAL CITY / CO-ORDINATES
Cape Town
Bloemfontein
LARGEST CITY / CO-ORDINATES
CURRENCY
Republic of South Africa UTC+2
1,221,037 km2(471,445 sq mi)
54,956,900
Christianity
Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Zulu, Ndebele, Sotho, Venda, Swazi, Xhosa, Tswana and Tsonga
Pretoria (Executive) - 25°44′46″S 28°11′17″E
(Legislative) - 33°55′31″S 18°25′26″E
(Judicial) - 29°07′S 26°13′E
Johannesburg - 26°12′16″S 28°2′44″E
South African Rand (ZAR)
CALLING CODE
+27
ANTHEM
National Anthem of South Africa
INTERNET SUFFIX
.za
INDIA
INDIA
India is the world's seventh-largest country by area and the second-largest by population. The
country is situated on the Indian Sub-continent
and is surrounded by the Bay of Bengal to the
south-east, the Indian Ocean to the south and
the Arabia Sea to the south-west. India also shares land borders with Pakistan, Nepal, China,
Myanmar (Burma), Bangladesh and Bhutan.
Nearby countries include Sri-Lanka and the
Maldives, while the Andaman, Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands are also part of India's territory. The coastline of India, including its islands, is 7,517 km (4,700 mi) long, and the
majority of the mainland coastline is comprised
equally of sandy beaches and mudflats. Rivers of
Himalayan origin flow through India, and the
most important to the country's people is the
Ganges, followed by the Brahmaputra. Both
rivers flow into the Bay of Bengal. Other major
rivers include the Krishna, Godavari, Kaveri and
Mahanadi Rivers on the Bay of Bengal side, while the Tapti and Narmada drain into the Arabian
Sea. The Himalayas and the Thar Desert have a
major impact upon India's climate and are the
source of the seasonal monsoons experienced
throughout the country. India is one of the
world's 17 megadiverse countries, and it is home
to a large number of exotic animal species. Those animals live in habitats that are often
covered in canopied forests and comprise a little
over 20 percent of the entire country, or are part
of the Western Ghats, the Andaman Islands, North-Eastern India or the coniferous forests of
the Himalayas.Within protected habitats, the
most endangered of India's species are the
Bengal tiger, the Asiatic lion, the Indian white-
rumped vulture and the snow leopard.
OFFICIAL TITLE
TIME ZONE
SIZE
POPULATION
MAIN RELIGION
Republic of India
UTC+5:30
3,287,263 km2(1,269,219 sq mi)
1,293,057,000
Hinduism
NATIONAL LANGUAGE/S
Hindi, English
LARGEST CITY / CO-ORDINATES
Mumbai - 18°58′N 72°49′E
CAPITAL CITY / CO-ORDINATES
CURRENCY
New Delhi - 28°36.8′N 77°12.5′E
Indian Rupee (INR)
CALLING CODE
+91
ANTHEM
Jana Gana Mana
INTERNET SUFFIX
.in
CHINA
CHINA
China is the most populous country in the world and is made up of 22 provinces and five
autonomous regions. An additional four directly
OFFICIAL TITLE
People's Republic of China
of Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongging, while
the two self-governing administrative regions of the
SIZE
9,596,961 km2 (3,705,407 sq mi)
of China is a diverse one, and it varies significantly
MAIN RELIGION
country's east, alluvial plains sit along the shores of
CAPITAL CITY / CO-ORDINATES
controlled municipalities are made up of the cities
TIME ZONE
country are Hong Kong and Macau. The landscape
POPULATION
from east to west and north to south. In the
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE/S
the East China and Yellow Seas, while vast
LARGEST CITY / CO-ORDINATES
Plateau. In the high north, the Gobi and Taklamakan
CALLING CODE
grasslands dominate the northern Inner Mongolian
Deserts typify the region's arid climate. Central
China is populated by the deltas of the Yangtze and
Yellow Rivers, and the country's south is filled with
low mountain ranges and hills. The most significant
of the country's mountains are the Himalayas in the west, and the highest point on Earth (Mount
Everest) lies on the Sino-Nepalese border. Most of
China's climate is dominated by wet monsoons and
dry seasons, and the divide between winter and
summer is great. Plant and animal life in China is
abundant and includes more than 34,000 species. Of those, 551 mammal species, 333 amphibian
species, 424 reptile species and 1,221 bird species
make China an official 'megadiverse' country and the world's most biodiverse behind Brazil and
Colombia.
CURRENCY
INTERNET SUFFIX ANTHEM
UTC+8
1,376,049,000
Taoism, Confucianism Standard Chinese
Beijing - 39째55'N 116째23'E
Shanghai - 31째13'N 121째28'E Renminbi Yuan (CNY) +86 .cn
March of the Volunteers
KOREAN PENINSULA
Until the end of World War II, Korea was a single political entity whose territory roughly coincided with the Korean Peninsula. In August 1945, the Soviet Union declared war on Imperial Japan, as a result of an agreement with the United States, and liberated Korea north of the 38th parallel. U.S. forces subsequently moved into the south. By 1948, as a product of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, Korea was divided into two regions, with separate governments. Both claimed to be the legitimate government of all of Korea, and neither accepted the border as permanent. The conflict escalated into open warfare when North Korean forces—supported by the Soviet Union and China— moved into the south on 25 June 1950. Since the Armistice Agreement ended the Korean War in 1953, the northern section of the peninsula has been governed by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, while the southern portion has been governed by the Republic of
SOUTH KOREA Korea.
South Korea is officially known as the Republic of Korea, and it sits on the Korean Peninsula to the south of North Korea and the Korean Demilitarized Zone. Maritime borders include the Sea of Japan to the east, the Yellow Sea to the west and the East China Sea and the Korea Strait at the country's southern tip. There are four distinct geographical regions within South Korea, those being the narrow coastal plains and high mountain ranges of the east, the broad coastal plains and hills and river basins of the west, and the Nakdong River basin in the south-east. Most of South Korea is mountainous and difficult to farm, and the centres of population, agriculture and industry are concentrated on the plains. South Korea's territory also extends to several thousand islands that sit off of the country's southern coast. The largest of the country's offshore islands is Jeju-do, which is 100 km (62 mi) away and has a total land area of 1,845 km2 (712 sq mi). On the South Korean mainland there are only 20 national parks, which are located away from the coast, as a vast majority of the country's coastal lands are devoted to urbanisation. Most South Koreans live in towering high-rise buildings, which are concentrated in the country's capital city of Seoul. In total, the population of the greater Seoul Capital Area sits at approximately 25 million people, and it is the fourth-largest of the world's metropolitan areas. The city of Seoul itself is home to 10 million South Koreans.
OFFICIAL TITLE
Republic of Korea
SIZE
100,210 km2(38,690 sq mi)
TIME ZONE
POPULATION
MAIN RELIGION
NATIONAL LANGUAGE/S
CAPITAL CITY / CO-ORDINATES
LARGEST CITY / CO-ORDINATES CURRENCY
UTC+9
50,801,405
Christianity, Buddhism Korean
Seoul - 37°33′N 126°58′E
Seoul - 37°33′N 126°58′E
South Korean Won (KRW)
CALLING CODE
+82
ANTHEM
Aegukga
INTERNET SUFFIX
.kr
JAPAN
JAPAN
Japan is an island nation of Eastern Asia, situated in the Pacific Ocean off of the Asian mainland's eastern
coast. Its nearest mainland neighbours are China,
Russia and Korea. The nation is comprised of 6,852
islands that extend along the East Asian Pacific
coastline, and the main islands are Honshu, Hokkaido,
OFFICIAL TITLE
Japan
SIZE
377,972.28 km2(145,935.91 sq mi)
MAIN RELIGION
Shinto
TIME ZONE
POPULATION
NATIONAL LANGUAGE/S
CAPITAL CITY / CO-ORDINATES
+81
INTERNET SUFFIX
Japan's coastal areas, which have enormous
population densities. Most of the islands are located
within a volcanic area on the Pacific Ring of Fire, and
over 100 volcanoes are currently active within Japan.
Destructive earthquakes are not uncommon in Japan
as a result of its position, and the country is ranked
at 15th on the World Risk Index as a result. Due to the
distance between the country's islands, the climate of
Japan is a varied one and generally considered to be
temperate. The country's capital, Tokyo, is located on the island of Honshu in the Kantō Region. The city is
technically classified as a metropolis, and its main centre sits to the north-west of Tokyo Bay. Tokyo's
climate is a humid subtropical one, and its warmest
month is August, wherein temperatures average
26.4°C (79.5°F). In winter, the city receives sporadic snowfall, and temperatures average 5.2°C (41.4°F) in
the coldest month of January.
Tokyo - 35°41′N 139°46′E
CALLING CODE
covered in mountainous forest, which is unsuitable for
most activity and human habitation is centred in
Japanese
Tokyo - 35°41′N 139°46′E
CURRENCY
human habitation, agriculture or industry. As a result,
126,860,000
LARGEST CITY / CO-ORDINATES
Kyushu and Shikoku. Also significant are the islands of Okinawa and Ryukyu. Over 70 percent of Japan is
UTC+9
ANTHEM
Yen (KPY)
.jp
Kimigayo
OCEANIA Oceania is a geographic region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. Spanning the eastern and western
hemispheres, Oceania has a land area of 8,525,989 square kilometres
(3,291,903 sq mi) and a population of 40 million. Situated in the
southeast of the Asia-Pacific region, Oceania, when compared to
continental regions, is the smallest in land area and the second smallest in population after Antarctica.
Definitions of Oceania vary; however, the islands at the geographic
extremes of Oceania are generally considered to be the Bonin Islands,
a politically integral part of Japan; Hawaii, a state of the United States;
Clipperton Island, a possession of France; the Juan Fernรกndez Islands, belonging to Chile; and Macquarie Island, belonging to Australia. (The
United Nations has its own geopolitical definition of Oceania, but this consists of discrete political entities, and so excludes the Bonin
Islands, Hawaii, Clipperton Island, and the Juan Fernรกndez Islands,
along with Easter Island.) Oceania has a diverse mix of economies
from the highly developed and globally competitive financial markets
of Australia and New Zealand, which rank high in quality of life and
human development index, to the much less developed economies
that belong to countries such as Kiribati and Tuvalu, while also including medium-sized economies of Pacific islands such as Palau,
Fiji and Tonga. The largest and most populous country in Oceania is Australia, with Sydney being the largest city of both Oceania and
Australia. In the 1950s Indonesia and Philippines were removed from
Oceania and added to Asia; this resulted in Oceania as a "great division" of the world being replaced by the concept of the continent
of Australia.
The first settlers of Australia, New Guinea, and the large islands just
to the east arrived more than 60,000 years ago. Oceania was first explored by Europeans from the 16th century onward. Portuguese
navigators, between 1512 and 1526, reached the Tanimbar Islands, some of the Caroline Islands and west Papua New Guinea. On his first
voyage in the 18th century, James Cook, who later arrived at the
highly developed Hawaiian Islands, went to Tahiti and followed the east coast of Australia for the first time. The Pacific front saw major
action during the Second World War, mainly between Allied powers
the United States and Australia, and Axis power Japan.
AUSTRALIA
AUSTRALIA
Australia is comprised of a vast mainland, the
island state of Tasmania and a large number of
smaller islands. As the world's sixth-largest
country by land mass, Australia is surrounded by
sea, which is chiefly comprised of the vast Pacific
Ocean to the east and the Indian Ocean to the
west. Considered the largest island in the world, the country has a coastline that stretches for
OFFICIAL TITLE
TIME ZONE
Commonwealth of Australia
UTC+8 to 10.5
34,218 kilometres (21,262 mi). Australia's closest
SIZE
7,692,024 km2 (2,969,907 sq mi)
Indonesia, New Zealand, Vanuatu and the
MAIN RELIGION
Christianity
neighbours are Papua New Guinea, East Timor,
Solomon Islands. Due to its size, the country has a
POPULATION
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE/S
24,364,400
English
wide variety of landscapes and climates. While it
CAPITAL CITY / CO-ORDINATES
Canberra - 35°18′S 149°07′E
also home to the largest surface area of annual
CURRENCY
Australian Dollar (AUD)
is known for its deserts and beaches, Australia is snow anywhere in the world. Semi-arid land and
LARGEST CITY / CO-ORDINATES
desert take up much of the continent's hot inland
CALLING CODE
of the world's smallest as a result. In Australia's
ANTHEM
areas, and the country's population density is one
east, the Great Dividing Range runs parallel to the
country's long coastline, which is also home to the Great Barrier Reef and the tropical far north
coastline of Queensland. At the country's very heart lies Uluru (Formerly known as Ayers Rock),
which is an ancient sandstone monolith left over from the Ice Age. Drought is a common
occurrence in Australia, and much of the country's
weather patterns are influenced by the greater La Niña weather pattern. Following drought, many areas of Australia experience widespread flooding.
INTERNET SUFFIX
Sydney - 33°51′S 151°12′E
+61
.au
Advance Australia Fair
NEW ZEALAND
NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand is a Pacific island nation comprised of
two major landmasses - the North Te Ika-a-Māui
and South Te Waipounamu Islands, which are
separated by the Cook Strait. A number of smaller
islands also comprise part of New Zealand's
territory, and the largest of those are the islands of
d'Urville Island in the Marlborough Sound, the Chatham Islands, Stewart Island, Great Barrier
Island in the Hauraki Gulf and Waiheke Island,
which lies only 22 km (14 mi) from the North Island city of Auckland. New Zealand's South Island is
closer to Antarctica than the North Island, and is colder as a result. The Southern Alps divide the
island lengthways, and the highest peak is Mount
Cook or Aoraki, which sits at 3,754 m (12,316 ft)
above sea level. In the Fiordland area, deep fiords
and steep mountains fill the island's south-west
corner. New Zealand's North Island is less mountainous but is volcanically active within the
Taupo Volcanic Zone, which is also home to Lake
Taupo. The latter sits within the crater of one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Wellington is
the country's capital city, but New Zealand's most populous city is Auckland, which is located in the
south of the North Island. New Zealand's export
market is predominantly driven by food exports
and wool, and its economy is dependent upon
international trade. The service sector is the country's largest industry, and tourism plays a key
role within it.
OFFICIAL TITLE
TIME ZONE
SIZE
POPULATION
MAIN RELIGION
NATIONAL LANGUAGE/S
CAPITAL CITY / CO-ORDINATES
LARGEST CITY / CO-ORDINATES
CURRENCY
CALLING CODE
INTERNET SUFFIX
ANTHEM
New Zealand
UTC+12
268,021 km2(103,483 sq mi)
4,765,610
Christianity
English, Māori
Wellington - 41°17′S 174°27′E
Auckland - 36°50′S 174°44′E
New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
+64
.nz
God Defend New Zealand
INDONESIA
Indonesia is a transcontinental country that lies mainly in Southeast Asia and has territories in Oceania. The country sits
between the Pacific and Indian Oceans and is the largest island country in the world. Indonesia plays host to over 17,000
islands, 6,000 of which are inhabited. Within the world's fourth-largest country by population, half of Indonesia's
population lives on the island of Java. Outside of Java, islands belonging to Indonesia include Sumatra, Borneo (shared
with Malaysia and Brunei), Sulawesi and New Guinea (shared with Papua New Guinea), among others. Outside of its
shared island borders, Indonesia also shares maritime borders with Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam, Palau
and Australia. The capital city of Jakarta is on the island of Java, and it is also Indonesia's most populous city. Outside
of the country's numerous cities and towns, Indonesia is a country of high mountain lakes and vast rivers that act as
significant transportation and trade routes. There are at least 150 active volcanoes on Indonesia's islands, and the most
active of those today include Tambora and Krakatoa. Indonesia enjoys a relatively even climate on a year-round basis,
and it proximity to the Equator sees no great extremes between summer and winter. Across the majority of the country,
the wet season lasts from November to March, while the dry season arrives in April and ends in October. Outside of the higher mountainous regions, monsoons are common in Indonesia, and much of the country's landscape has been
shaped by seasonal rainfall. Outlying islands, including parts of Sulawesi and Sumba, have a drier climate.
OFFICIAL TITLE
TIME ZONE
SIZE
POPULATION
MAIN RELIGION
NATIONAL LANGUAGE/S
CAPITAL CITY / CO-ORDINATES
LARGEST CITY / CO-ORDINATES
CURRENCY
CALLING CODE
INTERNET SUFFIX
ANTHEM
Republic of Indonesia
UTC+7 to +9
1,904,569 km2(735,358 sq mi)
255,461,700
Islam
Indonesian
Jakarta - 6°10.5′S 106°49.7′E
Jakarta - 6°10.5′S 106°49.7′E
Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)
+62
.id
Indonesia Raya
Animals of
North America Atlantic Atlantic Ocean Ocean Pacific Ocean
South America
the world
Arctic Ocean
Europe
Asia Pacific Ocean
Africa Australia Indian Ocean
Antarctica
Atlas
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© DESIGNED AND PRODUCED BY MURRAY BOOKS
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Atlas
Assembly Instructions
© DESIGNED AND PRODUCED BY MURRAY BOOKS
PLEASE COLOUR-IN PUZZLE ON FLAT SHEET PRIOR TO ASSEMBLY