My Science School

The smallest count in the world is the Vatican City. The Vatican is an independent and sovereign state within the boundaries of Rome in Italy.

   Although the Vatican has always been the spiritual and administrative centre of the Roman Catholic Church, it did not become an independent state until 1929.

    The city state has a daily news paper, a railway station, and its own bank. It has an area of 0.17 square miles and a population of about 1,000.

     There are no frontier formalities for those entering Vatican City where millions yearly visit St Peter’s and the exhibition galleries.

    The chief treasures to be seen are the Michelangelo frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, paintings by Raphael, Fra Angelico and Caravaggio, the frescoes of Pinturicchio and the codex Vaticanus of the Greek Bible.

               Guatemala is a largely mountainous country is located in Central America, south east of Mexico. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean in south, and it has a narrow coastline on the Caribbean Sea.

               Guatemala is the most populated state in Central America. Guatemala is a representative democracy; its capital and largest city is Nueva Guatemala de la Asuncion, also known as Guatemala City. The spoken languages are Spanish and about twenty Mayan languages, especially in rural areas. The Maya civilization was very advanced in math and astronomy.

               The country is home to more than 30 volcanoes, many of them still active. Most of the country was conquered by the Spanish in the 16th century, becoming part of the viceroyalty of New Spain. Guatemala attained independence in 1821.

               The president of Guatemala is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system.

               Iceland is an island nation in the North Atlantic Ocean, between Europe and North America. The country is situated on a strategic location between North America and Europe, about 840 km North West of the United Kingdom and about 460 km south east of Greenland’s coast.

               Iceland’s extraordinary landscape offers hot springs and geysers, ice fields and volcanoes, glaciers and wild waterfalls. Iceland has 30 active volcanic systems, of which 13 have erupted since the settlement of the island in AD 874; only about 20 per cent of the country is habitable.

               The affluence enjoyed by Icelanders before 2008 initially rested on the fishing industry, but with the gradual contraction of this sector, the Icelandic economy diversified into new areas. Icelandic culture is founded upon the nation’s Scandinavian heritage. Most Icelanders are descendants of Norse and Gaelic settlers. The official language is Icelandic. The currency is the Icelandic krona.

               Compared to the giants of Asia like India and China, South Korea is much smaller in size. Its total area is 100,032 square kilometres.

               South Korea is in Eastern Asia, and occupies the southern half of the Korean Peninsula and many islands. It borders both the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea. Its only land border is with North Korea along the 238 km Korean demilitarized zone, a 4,000m strip of heavily guarded land separating the two countries. The capital of South Korea is Seoul.

               South Korea is a republic whose president is the head of state, and whose prime minister is the head of government. The president is elected for a single five-year term in office by popular vote.

               South Korea has one of the most homogeneous populations in the world, which are thought to be descended from several Mongol tribes that migrated from Central Asia. Tourism is a fast-growing industry in South Korea.

               Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe, which borders no fewer than seven countries: Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria. The country is mostly flat, with low mountains in the north.

                After centuries as a powerful medieval kingdom, Hungary was part of the Ottoman, and then Habsburg empires from the 16th century onwards, emerging as an independent country again after the First World War.

                Budapest, Hungary’s capital is the largest city, and metropolis. Hungary has a population of almost 9.8 million people. The official language is Hungarian. Interestingly, the Hungarian language is not related to any other major European language.

               Because of its situation within the Carpathian Basin, Hungary has a moderately dry continental climate, with hot summers with low overall humidity levels, but frequent rain showers, and cold snowy winters.

               Hungary has two main waterways, the Danube, and the Tisza Rivers. The currency of Hungary is the Forint.

               Portugal is a sovereign state in the Western Europe. It comprises of the continental part of Portugal on the western coast of the Iberian Peninsula, and the small archipelagos of Madeira and the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean.

               Once continental Europe’s greatest power, Portugal shares geographic and cultural commonalities with the countries of both Northern Europe and the Mediterranean. The country has a population of 10.3 million people. Its capital and largest city is Lisbon. The official language is Portuguese.

               During the Age of Discovery, Portugal was at the forefront of European exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries: Ferdinand Magellan was the first person to circumnavigate the globe; Vasco de Gama discovered the sea route to India; Bartholomew Diaz was the first to sail around the southern tip of Africa, which he called the Cape of Good Hope; and Alvares Cabral and others discovered new lands, including Brazil, parts of Africa and the Far East — and claimed them for Portugal. Portugal monopolized the spice trade during this time.

               Jordan, the Hashemite Kingdom in the Middle East, is situated west of Israel and the Jordan River. It is a country at the crossroads of the continents of Asia, Africa, and Europe.

               Jordan is a young state that occupies an ancient land, one that bears the traces of many civilizations. Separated from ancient Palestine by the Jordan River, the region played a prominent role in biblical history.

               Much of Jordan is covered by the Arabian Desert. Jordan has a population around 9.4 million people. The capital and largest city is Amman.

               Arid hills and mountains make up most of the country. The southern section of the Jordan River flows through the country. Jordan is a country with few natural resources. The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature was set up in 1966 to protect and manage Jordan’s natural resources. The official language is Arabic and the currency is the Dinar.

               Serbia is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of central and southern Europe.

               It is bordered by four of the six former Yugoslavian socialist republics, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia, and Montenegro. It also shares borders with Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania.

               Serbia was one of six republics that made up the country of Yugoslavia, which broke up in the 1990s. In February 2003, Serbia and Montenegro were the remaining two republics of rump Yugoslavia, forming a loose federation. In 2006, Montenegro split from Serbia. Serbia is a parliamentary republic, with the government divided into legislative; executive and judiciary branches.

               The capital of Serbia is Belgrade, a cosmopolitan city at the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers. The official language of the country is Serbian.

               It is largely mountainous and has a rich diversity of wild animals. Among the larger mammals, deer and bear abound in forested areas.

               Located in the continent of Asia, Azerbaijan covers a total area of 86,600 square kilometres. Azerbaijan became an independent state in 1991, after gaining its sovereignty from Russia.

               Azerbaijan is a country of eastern Transcaucasia. Historically, the name Azerbaijan refers to a larger region that formed part of Persia (Iran). Despite the oil rich country’s wealth, and increased influence in the wider region, poverty and corruption continue to overshadow the country’s development.

               According to the 1995 constitution, Azerbaijan is a republic with a presidential government system. But the political system of Azerbaijan has been characterized since 1992 by the authoritarian leadership of Azerbaijan’s presidents, and undermined by corruption.

               It is home to a vast variety of landscapes. The capital and largest city is Baku. The official language is Azerbaijani. The currency is the Azerbaijanian Manat.

               Austria is a landlocked country in East Central Europe which borders the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland. Austria is a largely mountainous country, due to its location at the eastern end of the Alps. The official language of Austria is German.

               Austria is a federation of nine autonomous federal states. In fact, it is a federal parliamentary representative democratic republic. The capital and largest city, with a population exceeding 1.8, million, is Vienna. The country has developed a high standard of living and in 2014, was ranked 21st in the world for its Human Development index.

               Austria is now a member of European Union. A large number of international organizations that call its capital Vienna their home, these include, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

               Austria, with its well-developed market economy, skilled labour force, and high standard of living, is closely tied to other EU economies.

               The United, Arab Emirates is a constitutional federation of seven emirates; Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Quwain, Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah. The federation was formally established on 2nd December 1971.

               The UAE occupies an area of 83,600 square kilometres along the south-eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. It has grown from a quiet backwater, to one of the Middle East’s most important economic centres. The capital city is Abu Dhabi.

               The UAE’s oil reserves are the seventh-largest in the world while its natural gas reserves are the world’s seventeenth-largest. Arabic is the official language. The UAE joined the Arab League in 1971. It was a founding member of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

            The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe that became a separate state in 1993 after Czechoslovakia split into two countries. Like many other European countries, the Czech Republic too is smaller in size. The Czech Republic covers an area of 78,866 square kilometres.

            The capital and largest city is Prague. The official language is Czech. The president is the formal head of state with limited and specific powers, most importantly to return bills to the parliament.

            Although large areas of the original forest cover have been cleared for cultivation and for timber, woodlands remain a characteristic feature of the Czech landscape.

            The Czech Republic possesses a developed high-income economy. The Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004. The nation’s currency is the Czech koruna.

            Panama is a country in Central America on the Isthmus of Panama, the land bridge between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean that connects North and South America. The capital and largest city is Panama City.

            Since 1914, the 82-km long Panama Canal, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, has afforded a long-sought shortcut for shipping and assures the country’s standing as one of the most strategic transportation hubs of the world.

            The home of several Native American peoples, such as the Guaymi, Kuna, and Choco, Panama became the first Spanish colony on the Pacific, celebrated as “the door to the seas and key to the universe”. Panama became an independent state in 1903, after gaining its sovereignty from Spain.

            Panama’s official language is Spanish although a large number of Panamanians are bilingual with English being the most common second language. Since 2010, Panama has been the second-most competitive economy in Latin America, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index. The currencies are the Balboa and the US dollar.

               Sierra Leone is a tropical country on the coast of West Africa, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in south west, Liberia in south east, and it is half surrounded by Guinea in north and north east. The original Portuguese name, Serra Lyoa (Lion Mountains); referred to the range of hills that surrounds the harbour.

               Sierra Leone became independent from the United Kingdom on 27th April, 1961. Sierra Leone has a population of seven million people. Its largest city, chief port and capital is Freetown, the city is situated in the northwest of the country at the coast of the North Atlantic Ocean. Free-town, commands one of the world’s largest natural harbours.

               Sierra Leone is a constitutional republic with a directly elected president. Although English is the official language, the Krio language, is the most widely spoken language, and is spoken by 97 per cent of the population. 

               Ireland is situated in the Atlantic Ocean and separated from Great Britain by the Irish Sea. It occupies the entire island except for the six counties that make up Northern Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin.

               Ireland is known for its wide expanses of lush, green fields. In fact, its nickname is the Emerald Isle.

               The island was an integral part of the United Kingdom from 1800 to 1922, when, by virtue of the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 6th, 1921, the Irish Free State was established as a self-governing dominion of the British Empire. In 1937, the present day Irish state, Ireland was established. Ireland remained a member of the British Commonwealth until 1948.

               Ireland was transformed from a largely agricultural society into a modern, high-technology economy. The government of Ireland consists of an elected parliament, which makes the laws, and a president, who is head of state.

               Ireland is a member of the European Union and is a founding member of the Council of Europe. The official currency is the Euro.