Albania
Capital: Tirana
Language(s): Albanian (Official), Greek
Leaders: Pres. Alfred Moisiu, Prime Minister Sali Berisha
Size: 11,100 sq. mi. # -World # -Europe
Independence: 28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire) (emerging
democracy)
Algeria
Capital: Algiers
Language(s): Arabic, French
Leaders: Pres. Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Prime Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem
Size: 919, 595 sq. mi. # -World # -Africa
Independence: 5 Jul 1962 (from France and Ottoman Empire) (democratic
republic)
Andorra
Capital: Andorra la Vella
Language(s): Catalan, Spanish, French
Leaders: French Co-Prince Jacques Chirac, Episcopal Co-Prince Joan
Enric Vives Sicília, Executive Council President Albert Pintat
Size:181 sq. mi. # -World # -Europe
Independence: 1278 (Paréage) (parliamentary co-principality)
Angola
Capital: Luanda
Language(s): Portuguese
Leaders: Pres. Jose Eduardo dos Santos, Prime Minister Fernando da
Piedade Dias dos Santos
Size: 481,354 sq. mi. # -World # -Africa
Independence: 11 Nov 1975 (from Portugal) (multi-party democracy)
Antigua
& Barbuda
Capital: St. John's
Language(s): English
Leaders: Governor-General James Carlisle, Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer
Size: 171 sq. mi. # -World # -North America
Independence: 1 Nov 1981 (from UK) (federal constitutional monarchy)
Argentina
Capital: Buenos Aires
Language(s): Spanish
Leaders: Pres. Néstor Kirchner
Size: 1,084,120 sq. mi. # -World #2 -South America
Independence: 9 Jul 1816 (from Spain) (federal republic)
Armenia
Capital: Yerevan
Language(s): Armenian
Leaders: Pres. Robert Kocharian, Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan
Size: 11, 500 sq. mi. # -World # -Europe
Independence: 23 Aug 1990 (from USSR) (republic)
Australia
Capital: Canberra
Language(s): English and tribal dialects
Leaders: Gov.-General Michael Jeffery, Prime Minister John Howard
Size: 2,967,909 sq. mi. # -World #1 -Oceania
Independence: 3 Mar 1986 (from UK) (federal constitutional monarchy)
Austria
Capital: Vienna
Language(s): German
Leaders: Pres. Heinz Fischer, Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel
Size: 32,374 sq. mi. # -World # -Europe
Independence: 27 Jul 1955 (republic)
Azerbaijan
Capital: Baku
Language(s): Azerbaijani
Leaders: Pres. Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister Artur Rasizade
Size: 33,400 sq. mi. # -World # -Asia
Independence: 30 Aug 1991 (from USSR) (republic)
The Bahamas
Capital: Nassau
Language(s): English
Leaders: Gov.-General Arthur Dion Hanna, Prime Minister Perry Christie
Size: 5,358 sq. mi. # -World # -North America
Independence: 10 Jul 1973 (from UK) (commonwealth)
Bahrain
Capital: Manama
Language(s): Arabic, English
Leaders: King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, Prime Minister Khalifah Bin
Sulman Al Khalifa
Size: 253 sq. mi. # -World # -Asia
Independence: 15 Aug 1971 (from UK) (constitutional monarchy)
Bangladesh
Capital: Dhaka
Language(s): Bengali
Leaders: Pres. Iajuddin Ahmed, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia
Size: 55,598 sq. mi. # -World # -Asia
Independence: 26 Mar 1971 (from Pakistan) (parliamentary republic)
Barbados
Capital: Bridgetown
Language(s): English
Leaders: Gov.-General Clifford Husbands, Prime Minister Owen Arthur
Size: 167 sq. mi. # -World # -North America
Independence: 30 Nov 1966 (from UK) (parliamentary democracy
constitutional monarchy)
Belarus
Capital: Minsk
Language(s): Belorussian, Russian
Leaders: Pres. Alexander Lukashenko, Prime Minister Sergey Sidorsky
Size: 80, 155 sq. mi. # -World # -Europe
Independence: 27 Jul 1990 (from USSR) (republic)
Belgium
Capital: Brussels
Language(s): Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German
(official)
Leaders: King ALBERT II, Prime Minister Guy VERHOFSTADT
Size: 11, 787 sq. mi. # -World # -Europe
Independence: 21 July 1831 (from the Netherlands) (federal
parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy)
Belize
Capital: Belmopan
Language(s): English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib),
Creole
Leaders: Governor General Sir Colville YOUNG, Sr., Prime Minister Said
Wilbert MUSA
Size: 8,867 sq. mi. # -World # -North America
Independence: 21 September 1981 (from UK) (parliamentary democracy)