Netherlands

The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland, [ˈneːdərlɑnt] (About this soundlisten)) is a country

located mainly in Northwestern Europe. Together with three island territories in the
Caribbean Sea—Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba—it forms a constituent country, the
Kingdom of the Netherlands. The European portion of the Netherlands consists of
twelve separate provinces that border Germany to the east, Belgium to the south, and
the North Sea to the northwest, with maritime borders in the North Sea with Belgium,
Germany and the United Kingdom.[12] The official language is Dutch, but a secondary
official language in the province of Friesland is West Frisian.

The five largest cities in the Netherlands are Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague,
Utrecht and Eindhoven. Amsterdam is the country's capital,[13] while The Hague holds
the seat of the States General, Cabinet and Supreme Court.[14] The Port of Rotterdam
is the largest port in Europe, and the largest in any country outside Asia.[15] The
country is a founding member of the EU, Eurozone, G10, NATO, OECD and WTO, as
well as a part of the Schengen Area and the trilateral Benelux Union. It hosts several
intergovernmental organisations and international courts, many of which are centered
in The Hague, which is consequently dubbed 'the world's legal capital'.[16]

The Netherlands was, historically, the third country in the world to have representative
government, and it has been a parliamentary constitutional monarchy with a unitary
structure since 1848. The country has a tradition of pillarisation and a long record of
social tolerance, having legalised abortion, prostitution and human euthanasia, along
with maintaining a progressive drug policy. The Netherlands abolished the death
penalty in 1870, allowed women's suffrage in 1917, and became the world's first
country to legalise same-sex marriage in 2001. Its mixed-market advanced economy
had the thirteenth-highest per capita income globally. The Netherlands ranks among
the highest in international indexes of press freedom,[20] economic freedom,[21]
human development, and quality of life, as well as happiness.[22][i] Its strong
performance on these indexes is owed in large part to a generous welfare state that
provides universal healthcare, public education and infrastructure, in addition to social
benefits. The country is also known for its "polder model", a leading socioeconomic
model based on consensus decision-making.
Spain

Spain (Spanish: España [esˈpaɲa] (About this soundlisten)), officially the Kingdom of
Spain (Spanish: Reino de España),[a][b] is a country mostly located on the Iberian
Peninsula in Europe. Its territory also includes two archipelagoes: the Canary Islands
off the coast of Africa, and the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. The African
enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla make Spain the only European country to have a
physical border with an African country (Morocco).[h] Several small islands in the
Alboran Sea are also part of Spanish territory. The country's mainland is bordered to
the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with
Gibraltar; to the north and northeast by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to
the west and northwest by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean.

With an area of 505,990 km2 (195,360 sq mi), Spain is the largest country in Southern
Europe, the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union, and
the fourth largest country in the European continent. By population, Spain is the sixth
largest in Europe and the fifth in the European Union. Spain's capital and largest city is
Madrid; other major urban areas include Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Málaga and
Bilbao.

Modern humans first arrived in the Iberian Peninsula around 35,000 years ago. Iberian
cultures along with ancient Phoenician, Greek, Celtic and Carthaginian settlements
developed on the peninsula until it came under Roman rule around 200 BCE, after
which the region was named Hispania, based on the earlier Phoenician name Sp(a)n
or Spania.[11] At the end of the Western Roman Empire the Germanic tribal
confederations migrated from Central Europe, invaded the Iberian peninsula and
established relatively independent realms in its western provinces, including the Suebi,
Alans and Vandals. Eventually, the Visigoths would forcibly integrate all remaining
independent territories in the peninsula, including Byzantine provinces, into the
Kingdom of Toledo, which more or less unified politically, ecclesiastically and legally all
the former Roman provinces or successor kingdoms of what was then documented as
Hispania.

In the early modern period, Spain became the world's first global empire and the most
powerful country in the world, leaving a large cultural and linguistic legacy that includes
+570 million Hispanophones,[13] making Spanish the world's second-most spoken
native language, after Mandarin Chinese. During the Golden Age there were also many
advancements in the arts, with world-famous painters such as Diego Velázquez.
Mexico (Spanish: México [ˈmexiko] (About this soundlisten); Nahuatl languages:
Mēxihco), officially the United Mexican States (Spanish: Estados Unidos Mexicanos,
About this soundlisten (help·info)),[10][11][12][13] is a country in the southern portion of
North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west
by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea;
and to the east by the Gulf of Mexico.[14] Covering almost 2,000,000 square kilometres
(770,000 sq mi),[13] the nation is the fifth largest country in the Americas by total area
and the 13th largest independent state in the world. With an estimated population of
over 120 million people,[15] the country is the eleventh most populous state and the
most populous Spanish-speaking state in the world, while being the second most
populous nation in Latin America after Brazil. Mexico is a federation comprising 31
states and Mexico City, a special federal entity that is also the capital city and its most
populous city. Other metropolises in the state include Guadalajara, Monterrey, Puebla,
Toluca, Tijuana and León.

Pre-Columbian Mexico dates to about 8000 BC and is identified as one of five cradles
of civilization and was home to many advanced Mesoamerican civilizations such as the
Olmec, Toltec, Teotihuacan, Zapotec, Maya, and Aztec before first contact with
Europeans. In 1521, the Spanish Empire conquered and colonized the territory from its
politically powerful base in Mexico-Tenochtitlan (part of Mexico City), which was
administered as the viceroyalty of New Spain. Three centuries later, the territory
became a nation state following its recognition in 1821 after the Mexican War of
Independence. The post-independence period was tumultuous, characterized by
economic inequality and many contrasting political changes. The Mexican–American
War (1846–1848) led to a territorial cession of the extant northern territories to the
United States. The Pastry War, the Franco-Mexican War, a civil war, two empires, and
the Porfiriato occurred in the 19th century. The Porfiriato was ended by the start of the
Mexican Revolution in 1910, which culminated with the promulgation of the 1917
Constitution and the emergence of the country's current political system as a federal,
democratic republic.

Mexico has the 15th largest nominal GDP and the 11th largest by purchasing power
parity. The Mexican economy is strongly linked to those of its 1994 North American
Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners, especially the United States.[16][17] In
1994, Mexico became the first Latin American member of the Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It is classified as an upper-middle
income country by the World Bank[18] and a newly industrialized country by several
analysts.[19][20][21][22] The country is considered both a regional power and a middle
power,[23][24][25][26] and is often identified as an emerging global power.[27] Due to
its rich culture and history,
Japan (Japanese: 日本; Nippon [ɲippoɴ] or Nihon [ɲihoɴ]; formally 日本国 About this
soundNippon-koku or Nihon-koku, lit. "State of Japan") is an island country in East
Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies off the eastern coast of the Asian continent
and stretches from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and the
Philippine Sea in the south.

The kanji that make up Japan's name mean "sun origin", and it is often called the "Land
of the Rising Sun". Japan is a stratovolcanic archipelago consisting of about 6,852
islands. The four largest are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku, which make up
about ninety-seven percent of Japan's land area and often are referred to as home
islands. The country is divided into 47 prefectures in eight regions, with Hokkaido being
the northernmost prefecture and Okinawa being the southernmost one. The population
of 127 million is the world's tenth largest, of which 98.5% are ethnic Japanese. 90.7%
of people live in cities, while 9.3% live in the countryside.[16] About 13.8 million people
live in Tokyo,[17] the capital of Japan. The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous
metropolitan area in the world with over 38 million people.[18]

Archaeological research indicates that Japan was inhabited as early as the Upper
Paleolithic period. The first written mention of Japan is in Chinese history texts from the
1st century AD. Influence from other regions, mainly China, followed by periods of
isolation, particularly from Western Europe, has characterized Japan's history.

Japan benefits from a highly skilled and educated workforce; it has among the world's
largest proportion of citizens holding a tertiary education degree.[22] Although it has
officially renounced its right to declare war, Japan maintains a modern military with the
world's eighth-largest military budget,[23] used for self-defense and peacekeeping
roles; it ranked as the world's fourth most-powerful military in 2015.[24] Japan is a
highly developed country with a very high standard of living and Human Development
Index. Its population enjoys the highest life expectancy and third lowest infant mortality
rate in the world, but is experiencing issues due to an aging population and low
birthrate. Japan is renowned for its historical and extensive cinema, influential music
industry, anime, video gaming, rich cuisine and its major contributions to science and
modern technology.
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a country situated in western, central
and southern Europe[9][note 4]. It consists of 26 cantons, and the city of Bern is the
seat of the federal authorities.[1][2][note 1] The sovereign state is a federal republic
bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria
and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland is a landlocked country geographically
divided between the Alps, the Swiss Plateau and the Jura, spanning a total area of
41,285 km2 (15,940 sq mi) (land area 39,997 km2 (15,443 sq mi)). While the Alps
occupy the greater part of the territory, the Swiss population of approximately 8.5
million people is concentrated mostly on the plateau, where the largest cities are to be
found: among them are the two global cities and economic centres Zürich and Geneva.

The establishment of the Old Swiss Confederacy dates to the late medieval period,
resulting from a series of military successes against Austria and Burgundy. Swiss
independence from the Holy Roman Empire was formally recognized in the Peace of
Westphalia in 1648. The country has a history of armed neutrality going back to the
Reformation; it has not been in a state of war internationally since 1815 and did not join
the United Nations until 2002. Nevertheless, it pursues an active foreign policy and is
frequently involved in peace-building processes around the world.[10] In addition to
being the birthplace of the Red Cross, Switzerland is home to numerous international
organisations, including the second largest UN office. On the European level, it is a
founding member of the European Free Trade Association, but notably not part of the
European Union, the European Economic Area or the Eurozone. However, it
participates in the Schengen Area and the European Single Market through bilateral
treaties.

Spanning the intersection of Germanic and Romance Europe, Switzerland comprises

four main linguistic and cultural regions: German, French, Italian and Romansh.
Although the majority of the population are German-speaking, Swiss national identity is
rooted in a common historical background, shared values such as federalism and direct
democracy,[11] and Alpine symbolism.[12][13] Due to its linguistic diversity,
Switzerland is known by a variety of native names: Schweiz [ˈʃvaɪts] (German);[note 5]
Suisse [sɥis(ə)] (French); Svizzera [ˈzvittsera] (Italian); and Svizra [ˈʒviːtsrɐ] or
[ˈʒviːtsʁːɐ] (Romansh).[note 6] On coins and stamps, the Latin name – frequently
shortened to "Helvetia" – is used instead of the four national languages.
Brazil (Portuguese: Brasil Portuguese pronunciation: [bɾaˈziw]),[nt 1] officially the
Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: República Federativa do Brasil, About this
soundlisten (help·info)),[9] is the largest country in both South America and Latin
America. At 8.5 million square kilometers (3.2 million square miles)[10] and with over
208 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area and the fifth most
populous. The capital is Brasília, and the most populated city is São Paulo. The
federation is composed of the union of the 26 states, the Federal District, and the 5,570
municipalities. It is the largest country to have Portuguese as an official language and
the only one in the Americas;[11][12] it is also one of the most multicultural and
ethnically diverse nations, due to over a century of mass immigration from around the
world.

Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east, Brazil has a coastline of 7,491 kilometers
(4,655 mi).[14] It borders all other South American countries except Ecuador and Chile
and covers 47.3% of the continent's land area.[15] Its Amazon River basin includes a
vast tropical forest, home to diverse wildlife, a variety of ecological systems, and
extensive natural resources spanning numerous protected habitats.[14] This unique
environmental heritage makes Brazil one of 17 megadiverse countries, and is the
subject of significant global interest and debate regarding deforestation and
environmental protection.

Brazil is considered an advanced emerging economy.[18] It has the eighth largest GDP
in the world by both nominal and PPP measures.[19][20] It is one of the world's major
breadbaskets, being the largest producer of coffee for the last 150 years.[21] It is
classified as an upper-middle income economy by the World Bank[22] and a newly
industrialized country,[23][24] with the largest share of global wealth in Latin America.
Brazil is a regional power and sometimes considered a great[25][26][27] or a middle
power in international affairs.[27][28][29][30][31][26] On account of its international
recognition and influence, the country is subsequently classified as an emerging
power[32] and a potential superpower by several analysts.[33][34][35] Brazil is a
founding member of the United Nations, the G20, BRICS, Union of South American
Nations, Mercosul, Organization of American States, Organization of Ibero-American
States and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries.
El Salvador (/ɛl ˈsælvədɔːr/ (About this soundlisten); Spanish: [el salβaˈðoɾ]), officially
the Republic of El Salvador (Spanish: República de El Salvador, literally "Republic of
The Savior"), is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central
America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala,
and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is San
Salvador. As of 2016, the country had a population of approximately 6.34 million.[3]

El Salvador was for centuries inhabited by several Mesoamerican nations, especially

the Cuzcatlecs, as well as the Lenca and Maya. In the early 16th century, the Spanish
Empire conquered the territory, incorporating it into the Viceroyalty of New Spain ruled
from Mexico City. However the Viceroyalty of Mexico had little or no influence in the
daily affairs of the Central American isthmus, which would be colonized in 1524. In
1609 the area became the Captaincy General of Guatemala, from which El Salvador
was part of until its independence from Spain, which took place in 1821, as part of the
First Mexican Empire, then further seceded, as part of the Federal Republic of Central
America, in 1823. When the Republic dissolved in 1841, El Salvador became a
sovereign nation, then formed a short-lived union with Honduras and Nicaragua called
the Greater Republic of Central America, which lasted from 1895 to 1898.[8][9][10]

From the late 19th to the mid-20th century, El Salvador endured chronic political and
economic instability characterized by coups, revolts, and a succession of authoritarian
rulers. Persistent socioeconomic inequality and civil unrest culminated in the
devastating Salvadoran Civil War (1979–1992), which was fought between the military-
led government and a coalition of left-wing guerrilla groups. The conflict ended with the
Chapultepec Peace Accords. This negotiated settlement established a multiparty
constitutional republic, which remains in place to this day.

El Salvador's economy has historically been dominated by agriculture, beginning with

the indigo plant (añil in Spanish), the most important crop during the colonial
period,[11][12] and followed thereafter by coffee, which by the early 20th century
accounted for 90 percent of export earnings.[13][14] El Salvador has since reduced its
dependence on coffee and embarked on diversifying the economy by opening up trade
and financial links and expanding the manufacturing sector.[15] The colón, the official
currency of El Salvador since 1892, was replaced by the U.S. dollar in 2001.

As of 2010, El Salvador ranks 12th among Latin American countries in terms of the
Human Development Index and fourth in Central America (behind Panama, Costa
Rica, and Belize) due in part to ongoing rapid industrialisation.[16] However, the
country continues to struggle with high rates of poverty, inequality, and crime.
Nicaragua (/ˌnɪkəˈrɑːɡwə, -ˈræɡ-, -ɡjuə/ (About this soundlisten); Spanish:
[nikaˈɾaɣwa]), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (Spanish: About this soundRepública
de Nicaragua (help·info)), is the largest country in the Central American isthmus,
bordered by Honduras to the northwest, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the
south, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Managua is the country's capital and
largest city and is also the third-largest city in Central America, behind Tegucigalpa and
Guatemala City. The multi-ethnic population of six million includes people of
indigenous, European, African, and Asian heritage. The main language is Spanish.
Indigenous tribes on the Mosquito Coast speak their own languages and English.

Originally inhabited by various indigenous cultures since ancient times, the Spanish
Empire conquered the region in the 16th century. Nicaragua gained independence from
Spain in 1821. The Mosquito Coast followed a different historical path, with the English
colonizing it in the 17th century and later coming under the British rule, as well as some
minor Spanish interludes in the 19th century. It became an autonomous territory of
Nicaragua in 1860 and the northernmost part of it was later transferred to Honduras in
1960. Since its independence, Nicaragua has undergone periods of political unrest,
dictatorship, occupation and fiscal crisis, leading to the Nicaraguan Revolution of the
1960s and 1970s and the Contra War of the 1980s.

The mixture of cultural traditions has generated substantial diversity in folklore, cuisine,
music, and literature, particularly the latter given the literary contributions of Nicaraguan
poets and writers, such as Rubén Darío. Known as the "land of lakes and
volcanoes",[8][9] Nicaragua is also home to the second-largest rainforest of the
Americas. The country has set a goal of 90% renewable energy by the year 2020.[10]
The biological diversity, warm tropical climate and active volcanoes make Nicaragua an
increasingly popular tourist destination
Guatemala (/ˌɡwɑːtəˈmɑːlə/ (About this soundlisten) GWAH-tə-MAH-lə; Spanish:
[gwateˈmala]), officially the Republic of Guatemala (Spanish: República de
Guatemala), is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west,
Belize and the Caribbean to the northeast, Honduras to the east, El Salvador to the
southeast and the Pacific Ocean to the south. With an estimated population of around
16.6 million,[5] it is the most populated country in Central America. Guatemala is a
representative democracy; its capital and largest city is Nueva Guatemala de la
Asunción, also known as Guatemala City.

The territory of modern Guatemala once formed the core of the Maya civilization, which
extended across Mesoamerica. 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 as part of the Federal Republic of Central America, which
dissolved by 1841.

From the mid to late 19th century, Guatemala experienced chronic instability and civil
strife. Beginning in the early 20th century, it was ruled by a series of dictators backed
by the United Fruit Company and the United States government. In 1944, authoritarian
leader Jorge Ubico was overthrown by a pro-democratic military coup, initiating a
decade-long revolution that led to sweeping social and economic reforms. A U.S.-
backed military coup in 1954 ended the revolution and installed a dictatorship.[6]

From 1960 to 1996, Guatemala endured a bloody civil war fought between the US-
backed government and leftist rebels, including genocidal massacres of the Maya
population perpetrated by the military.[7][8][9] Since a United Nations-negotiated peace
accord, Guatemala has witnessed both economic growth and successful democratic
elections, though it continues to struggle with high rates of poverty, crime, drug trade,
and instability. As of 2014, Guatemala ranks 31st of 33 Latin American and Caribbean
countries in terms of the Human Development Index.[10]

Guatemala's abundance of biologically significant and unique ecosystems includes a

large number of endemic species and contributes to Mesoamerica's designation as a
biodiversity hotspot
Bolivia (/bəˈlɪviə/ (About this soundlisten), Spanish: [boˈliβja]; Guarani: Mborivia
[ᵐboˈɾiʋja]; Quechua: Puliwya [pʊlɪwja]; Aymara: Wuliwya [wʊlɪwja]), officially the
Plurinational State of Bolivia (Spanish: Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia [esˈtaðo
pluɾinasjoˈnal de βoˈliβja])[8][9] is a landlocked country located in western-central
South America. The capital is Sucre while the seat of government and financial center
is located in La Paz. The largest city and principal industrial center is Santa Cruz de la
Sierra, located on the Llanos Orientales (tropical lowlands) a mostly flat region in the
east of Bolivia.

The sovereign state of Bolivia is a constitutionally unitary state, divided into nine
departments. Its geography varies from the peaks of the Andes in the West, to the
Eastern Lowlands, situated within the Amazon Basin. It is bordered to the north and
east by Brazil, to the southeast by Paraguay, to the south by Argentina, to the
southwest by Chile, and to the northwest by Peru. One-third of the country is within the
Andean mountain range. With 1,098,581 km2 (424,164 sq mi) of area, Bolivia is the
fifth largest country in South America and the 27th largest in the world.

The country's population, estimated at 11 million, is multiethnic, including Amerindians,

Mestizos, Europeans, Asians and Africans. The racial and social segregation that
arose from Spanish colonialism has continued to the modern era. Spanish is the official
and predominant language, although 36 indigenous languages also have official status,
of which the most commonly spoken are Guarani, Aymara and Quechua languages.

Modern Bolivia is a charter member of the UN, IMF, NAM, OAS, ACTO, Bank of the
South, ALBA and USAN. For over a decade Bolivia has had one of the fastest
economic growths in Latin America; however, it remains the second poorest country in
South America.[10][11] It is a developing country, with a medium ranking in the Human
Development Index, a poverty level of 38.6%,[12] and it has one of the lowest crime
rates in Latin America.[13] Its main economic activities include agriculture, forestry,
fishing, mining, and manufacturing goods such as textiles, clothing, refined metals, and
refined petroleum. Bolivia is very rich in minerals, including tin, silver, and lithium.
Argentina (Spanish: [aɾxenˈtina]), officially named the Argentine Republic[A] (Spanish:
República Argentina), is a country located mostly in the southern half of South
America. Sharing the bulk of the Southern Cone with Chile to the west, the country is
also bordered by Bolivia and Paraguay to the north, Brazil to the northeast, Uruguay
and the South Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Drake Passage to the south. With a
mainland area of 2,780,400 km2 (1,073,500 sq mi),[B] Argentina is the eighth-largest
country in the world, the fourth largest in the Americas, and the largest Spanish-
speaking nation. The sovereign state is subdivided into twenty-three provinces
(Spanish: provincias, singular provincia) and one autonomous city (ciudad autónoma),
Buenos Aires, which is the federal capital of the nation (Spanish: Capital Federal) as
decided by Congress.[20] The provinces and the capital have their own constitutions,
but exist under a federal system. Argentina claims sovereignty over part of Antarctica,
the Falkland Islands (Spanish: Islas Malvinas), and South Georgia and the South
Sandwich Islands.

The earliest recorded human presence in modern-day Argentina dates back to the
Paleolithic period.[21] The country has its roots in Spanish colonization of the region
during the 16th century.[22] Argentina rose as the successor state of the Viceroyalty of
the Río de la Plata,[23] a Spanish overseas viceroyalty founded in 1776. The
declaration and fight for independence (1810–1818) was followed by an extended civil
war that lasted until 1861, culminating in the country's reorganization as a federation of
provinces with Buenos Aires as its capital city. The country thereafter enjoyed relative
peace and stability, with several waves of European immigration radically reshaping its
cultural and demographic outlook. The almost-unparalleled increase in prosperity led to
Argentina becoming the seventh wealthiest nation in the world by the early 20th
century.

Argentina retains its historic status as a middle power[27] in international affairs, and is
a prominent regional power in the Southern Cone and Latin America.[28][29] Argentina
has the second largest economy in South America, the third-largest in Latin America
and is a member of the G-15 and G-20 major economies. It is also a founding member
of the United Nations, World Bank, World Trade Organization, Mercosur, Union of
South American Nations, Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and the
Organization of Ibero-American States. It is the country with the second highest Human
Development Index in Latin America with a rating of "very high".