Category Archives: Countries

Population of Brazil 2014

Based on the total number of births, total number of deaths, net migration rates, and the population of 2013, the current population of the Federative Republic of Brazil is estimated to be about 201,398,858. As a result, Brazil is the fifth-most populous country in the world, behind Indonesia, but ahead of Pakistan. The current population indicates a growth of about 2,077,858 or a population growth rate of about 1.04%. Based on the total land area and the total population, the population density of Brazil in 2014 is about 23.65 people per square kilometer or 61.26 people per square mile.

Geography of Brazil 2014

Brazil has a total area of 8,514,876 square kilometers or 3,287,612 square miles, making it the fifth largest country in the world in terms of area. Due to its larges size, it borders every country in South America, except Ecuador and Chile. Brazil is located along the equator, which is the cause of much of its climate. Geographically, the northern portion of the country is the lower, flatter region. It is made up of rolling terrains and low, rounded hills. However, the southern region is made up of mountain ranges and ridges. Some mountain ranges include the Serra do Mar and the Mantiquiera. Some of the major rivers in the country include the Amazon, which is the world’s second longest river, and the Parana River.

Climate of Brazil 2014

There are five major climate regions in Brazil: equatorial, tropical, semiarid, highland tropical, temperate, and subtropical. These drastically different regions are the reasons for the existence of both semiarid deserts and equatorial rainforests. However, the northern portion of the country is made up of mostly equatorial climates. The average temperature in this region is about 77°F, but there is a large variation in temperatures throughout the day. In terms of rainfall, the northeast receives extreme seasonal rainfall, but the semiarid region tends to have, on average, less than 32 inches of rainfall per year. However, in regions south of Bahia, rain tends to fall consistently throughout the year. Lastly, the southern region tends to experience cooler temperatures and climates, sometimes even some frost and snow.

Government of Brazil 2014

The political system in Brazil is considered to be a democratic republic. Founded upon the principles of sovereignty, citizenship, dignity of human beings, social values of labor and freedom of enterprise, and political pluralism, the government is made up of three separate branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The members of the executive and legislative branches are directly elected, while the members of the judicial branch are appointed after passing an exam. The four main political parties are the Workers’ Party, Brazilian Social Democracy Party, Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, and the Democrats. Voting in the elections is required for all literate citizens from ages 18 to 70. Lastly, the Brazilian Constitution is considered to be a very important document in the government and political system.

Transportation in Brazil 2014

The most common form of transportation for both people and freight is considered to be road travel. As of 2010, there was almost 2 million kilometers of roads in Brazil. Of the approximate 2 million kilometers of roads, about only 200,000 kilometers of roads are actually paved. Another important form of freight transportation is waterway transportation. In total, there are thirty-six deep-water ports. The usage of railways and trains has decreased over the years and some railways have even been shut down. Lastly, there are approximately 2,500 airports in all of Brazil, which gives it the second highest number of airports behind the United States of America. The largest airport in Brazil is the Sao Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport.

Health Care in Brazil 2014

As of 1988, the Brazilian Constitution guarantees that everyone legally in Brazil has the right to access medical care and coverage. As a result, there is a public national health system provided by the government. The public health care system is free to anyone that is legally in Brazil. This coverage includes free doctor’s visits, prescription drugs, hospitalization, and even surgeries. Although there is a free, public system, there also exists a private system. People can choose to use the private system if they want, but it is not free to the public. Private health-care providers can receive subsidies from the government to help lower costs for the patient. Also, even if you have a private health plan and you wish to use the public system, you can still use the resources and services of the public system. Lastly, some health issues throughout the country include poor sanitation and drinking water, malnutrition, high infant mortality rates, and high disease and illness rates.

Economy of Brazil 2014

Brazil has the largest economy in all of Latin America and the seventh largest economy in the world. In 2014, according to the International Monetary Fund, the Gross Domestic Product per capita is $12,528, which ranks 77th in the world. The economy is supposed to grow to be in the top five economies in the world based on the projections of growth in Gross Domestic Product. It has the sixth largest work force in the world, totaling 107 million workers. Some of the major sectors of the economy include agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and service. Lastly, Brazil is considered to have the fourth largest car market in the world.

Education in Brazil 2014

The Brazilian Constitution guarantees education for every citizen of Brazil, but also establishes that it is the supreme authority in terms of education. Each state and territory can make some extra regulations in regards to their specific schools, but the federal government must approve of the regulations. There are three main levels of education: fundamental, intermediate, and higher education. The higher education system is made up of undergraduate and graduate school. Education is required for every Brazilian citizen from the ages of 7 years to 14 years. There is a common core curriculum, along with the allowance for specifics to certain schools. The common core includes Portuguese, History, Geography, Physics, Biology, Science, and Mathematics. Lastly, the set school year involves 200 school days, even though the minimum is only 180 school days, which does not include test and exam days.

Language in Brazil 2014

Based on the Brazilian Constitution, Portuguese is the official language of Brazil. Portuguese is spoken among almost the entire population as it appears in virtually every aspect of society. Because it is the only Portuguese-speaking country in Latin America, this difference gives Brazil a special identity and culture that separates it form any other Latin American country. In 2002, Brazilian Sign Language was officially recognized as a Brazilian language as well, in order to accommodate for the hearing impaired citizens of the country. In fact, the language is taught as a part of the education and speech and language pathology curricula. Schools and hospitals are required to provide equal access and assistance for the hearing impaired. Despite these two official languages, there are countless numbers of Amerindian languages spoken throughout the country, however.

Brazil’s Geographic Challenge

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Brazil Population 2013

Population of China 2014

Based on the total number of births, total number of deaths, net migration rates, and the population of 2013, the current population of the People’s Republic of China is estimated to be about 1,390,510,630. China’s population makes up around 19.3% of the world’s population. The current estimated population indicates a growth of 36,510,630 people or a population growth of 2.7% during 2013. As a result of the current population of China, it remains the most populous country in the entire world. China has about 130 million more people than the second largest country in the world, India. Based on the population and the total area of the country, the population density of China in 2014 is estimated to be about 145 people per square kilometer or 375 people per square mile.

One-Child Policy in China 2014

As a result of the continuously growing population of China, the government enacted a form of population control, officially known as the Family Planning Policy, otherwise known as the One-Child Policy. In 1979, the Chinese government introduced the policy as a response to the growing social, economic, and environmental issues that came due to the high population of the country. The premise of the policy is to discourage (and even sometimes prevent) families from having more than one child. There are some exceptions to the policy, however. If the first child is a girl or is disabled, the family can have another child. Also, if neither parent has siblings, two children are allowed. In fact, as of November 2014, the policy was updated to allow for a family to have two children if one of the parents is an only child. Some controversies surrounding the policy, both in China and throughout the rest of the world, include the increase in forced abortions, female infanticide, and an increased imbalance among the sexes in China.

Education in China 2014

It is required that children in China attend school for at least nine years. The nine years of required schooling is completely free to the students. They start school around the age of six in a primary school system and then move to a junior middle school around age eleven. As of 2011, over 81% of Chinese students continued their education to receive a secondary education degree. In order to enter into a secondary institution, a student must take the Gaokao, which is China’s national university entrance exam. Each province determines the Gaokao, but there are three standard subjects on every test: Chinese, Mathematics, and a foreign language (typically English). Some other common subjects offered are Physics, Chemistry Biology, History, Geography, and Political Education. Also, teachers must go through a significant level of training before actually teaching in the classroom in order to uphold the high standards of education in China.

Health Care in China 2014

Beginning in the 1950s, the Chinese government worked to establish a public health program in order to combat the growing health concerns in the country. Over the years since the 1950s, most of the health care in China became mostly privatized, which, in return, resulted in an increase in the quality of the education as well. In 2009, China invested around $125 billion in a 3-year health care initiative. By 2011, as a result of the initiative, around 95% of the country has health insurance. Also, it has become the world’s third largest supplier of pharmaceuticals. Some health concerns in China include respiratory problems that come as a result of the air pollution, which caused 1.2 million premature deaths in 2010, a high portion of cigarette smokers, and lastly obesity among the youth in the urban parts of China. The average life expectancy in China is about 75 years and infant mortality is 12 infants per 1000 births.

Cuisine in China 2014

There are eight standard culinary traditions throughout the region of China: Anhui, Cantonese, Fujian, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Szechuan, and Zhejiang. Each style has certain characteristics based on their geographic location and traditions. Anhui cooking derives from the cooking styles of the Huangshan Mountains. It uses a wide variety of herbs and vegetables, especially bamboo and mushrooms. Cantonese is characterized by the idea of “dim sum”, which are small dishes. Many bite-sized portions are prepared to allow the person eating to experience the tastes of many different dishes, including rice rolls, turnip cakes, and stir-fried green vegetables. Another Cantonese style of dining is called “yum cha”, which simply is the combination of dim sum dishes with tea. Fujian’s influence comes from its geographical location near the coast and the mountains. Various slicing techniques and serving the dishes in some sort of soup or broth also characterize the cuisine. Hunan dishes tend to be the hotter and spicier dishes with a variety of ingredients as a result of the agriculture in the region.

Jiangsu cuisine is one of the most popular forms of cuisine in the country. It combines different styles together and is famous across the world. Most of its dishes involve some sort of meat, whether it is duck, seafood, or poultry. Shandong cuisine is quite popular in Northern China. This cuisine is known for its plethora of different techniques used while cooking and its usage of seafood. Szechuan cuisine tends to use a lot of garlic, chili peppers, and peppercorns. Some other frequent ingredients include peanuts, ginger, and sesame. Lastly, Zhejiang cuisine includes four different styles: Hangzhou, Shaoxing, Ningbo, and Shnghai. These dishes tend to be fresh instead of greasy, and the specifics for each styles come from the location of each area.

China Rising 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6ROvOQTwo8

Transportation in China 2014

There are a large variety of transportation systems throughout China. China has the largest highway system in the world, totaling around 53,000 miles of highway. China has also become the world’s largest automobile market, even higher than the United States. Despite the number of people that own automobiles, many people, especially in urban areas, own bicycles. In 2012, around 470 million people owned a bicycle. Also, China has a sophisticated and busy railway system, which is owned by the state. In 2010, the system carried around 1.68 billion passengers. China takes pride in its high-speed railway system, which includes the world’s longest high-speed line. Currently, there exists about 10,000 kilometers worth of high-speed line. By 2020, there is expected to be about 16,000 kilometers of high-speed line. Lastly, in 2011, there was approximately 1,910 active commercial aircrafts in China. However, according to Boeing, that number should increase to almost 6,000 by 2031. But, still, about 80% of the airspace in China is limited to military usage.

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China Population 2013

Guatemala Population 2013

The current population of the Republic of Guatemala is estimated to be about 15.44 million people, which is a 4.6% increase from the last record of population. The population is much greater than the population of both Honduras and El Salvador and has been historically as well. Based on the total land area and the total population, the population density of the country is about 348.6 people per square mile.

Demographics of Guatemala

The largest ethnic group in the Republic of Guatemala is the group of people who identify as mestizo, which is mixed ancestry, or European. This group makes up about 59% of the population. The other ethnicities in the country are indigenous populations: K’iche, Kaqchikel, Mam, and Q’eqchi. There are also some other small Mayan groups. The official language of the country is Spanish; however, there are also 21 Mayan languages that are spoken throughout the country. But, 93% of the population does speak Spanish as a first or second language.

Religion of Guatemala

The major religion in the Republic of Guatemala is Roman Catholicism. However, the Guatemalans also tend to practice their Roman Catholicism with Mayan influence and traditions interwoven into the practices. The next largest religion is Protestantism due to the many Protestant missionaries that have been in Central America. Lastly, there are some that practice solely Mayan religions and faiths.

Sports in Guatemala

The most popular sport in the Republic of Guatemala is football (American soccer). Guatemala City used to even be the home of the largest stadium in all of Central America. The oldest sport, however, in the country is a game called Maya ball. The game dates back to at least 500 B.C. Guatemalans also enjoy playing baseball, basketball, boxing, and American football. Guatemala’s dramatic highland landscape and tumbling rivers also provide some excellent opportunities for whitewater rafting. Rafting on the rio Cahabon, Usumacinta, Nahualate or Motagua give you the chance to see some very remote areas and also visit some of the country’s most inaccessible Maya sites. There is also some surfing in Guatemala, on the Pacific coast with a small, new surf camp set up near the village of Sipacate.

Historical Population of Guatemala

The population of the Republic of Guatemala has continually increased over the last half a century. In fact, it seems that the rate of growth has begun to exponentially increase in the latter half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century.

Projected Population of Guatemala

The population of the Republic of Guatemala is expected to maintain its population growth trends that it has been exhibiting. The birth rates of the country are projected to remain quite high, as it ranges from 32 births per 1000 people to about 20 births per 1000 people. However, the death rates will remain fairly steady at about 5 deaths per 1000 people. There is also a substantial positive migration rate, which accounts for the population increase as well.

Visit Guatemala

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Learn more about Guatemala here.

Colombia Population 2013

The current population of the Republic of Colombia is estimated to be about 47.073 million people, which is an increase of about 0.3% from the last census in the country.  Currently, the population of Colombia is greater than both Argentina and Venezuela.  Historically, however, this has not always been the case.  In 1987, the population of Argentina was about the same as the population of the population of Colombia.  Before 1987, though, the population of Colombia had been less than that of Argentina, but still greater than the population of Venezuela.  Based on the land area and the total population, the population density of the country is about 105.7 people per square mile.

Demographics of Colombia

The largest ethnic group in the Republic of Colombia is considered to be the mestizo group, which is an ethnic group of mixed origins. The next largest group is those that consider being of European ancestry. Even though the majority of the indigenous population has been absorbed into the mestizo group, there are still over 85 distinct cultures represented in the country. These indigenous groups make up about 3% of the population. The main language in the country is the Spanish language, which over 99% of the population speaks. The rest of the population either speaks some form of an indigenous language or some people even speak English.

Religion in Colombia

Until 1991, the official state religion of the Republic of Colombia was Roman Catholicism. However, the Constitution written and established in 1991 abolished the church as the official religion as the Constitution guarantees the freedom of religion to all the people of the country. However, Roman Catholics still make up over 80% of the population of Colombia. The rest of the population is made up of evangelical, non-evangelicals, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and a very small population of Jews and Muslims.

Sports in Colombia

The most popular sport in the Republic of Colombia is football (American soccer). The international team has consistently competed competitively with the top teams of Argentina and Brazil. Other popular sports are cycling, boxing, and baseball.

Food in Colombia

Colombian Cuisine is very diverse and varies depending on the different regions of Colombia. In some areas you will find specialties like roasted ants or guinea pigs while in other areas Colombians wouldn’t even touch those dishes. Arepas are the most ubiquitous Colombian food – served with almost every meal, and when bought on the street (for $1), a meal unto themselves. Made of ground corn dough or flour, arepas con queso are best sampled from street vendors. Many of the most famous dishes, like bandeja paisa and ajiaco bogotano, are usually enjoyed in their places of origin, with the precise ingredients and quantities and in the appropriate atmosphere: decor, tableware, and the final appearance of the dish.

Colombia Tourism Video

Historical Population of Colombia

The population of Colombia has increased over the last half a century.  The increase has been fairly steady, even though the latter end of 19^th century seemed to indicate a slightly larger increase over the years.

Projected Population of Colombia

The population projections seem to indicate the same sort of trend that has been seen historically.  It is expected to continue to increase over the next 37 years.  The high birth rates are a main cause for the increase.  The birth rates are projected to remain between 19 and 11 births per 1000 people.  On the other hand, the death rates are expected to stay between 5 and 10 deaths per 1000 people.  Along with these rates, the net migration rate is expected to remain positive throughout the next 37 years.

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Learn more about Colombia Population Statistics using this link.

North Korea Population 2013

The most recent estimate for the population of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is that there are about 24.554 million people, which is an increase of about 0.84% from the last record of population. Historically, the population of North Korea has always been less than that of the population of South Korea. Near the latter end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, the difference in the populations became even greater. Based on the total land area and the total population of the country, the population density of North Korea is 513.8 people per square mile.

Demographics of North Korea

The largest ethnic group in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is native Korean. About 99.8% of the population identifies as Korean. The other 0.2% identifies as Chinese. A trivial portion of the population identifies as Japanese, but not enough to make up any portion of a percent of the population. The official language of the country is the Korean Language. Even though there are different dialects throughout the language, there is no language difference across the borders of the two Korean Republics.

Religion in North Korea

Religion in North Korea has an interesting role in society. Even though a lot of people may perceive that the majority of the population is not religious, the Buddhist religion has a large impact on the society. Some claim that Christianity is a persecuted religion in the country. In fact, some sources say that the country has the most severely persecuted Christians.

Korea Division

The division of North Korea and South Korea stems from the end of WWII. The Allies were victorious over the Axis powers in 1945, after which point the United States of America forced Japan to relinquish its 35 year rule over Korea. After the surrender of Japan at the end of World War II, Japanese rule was brought to an end. The Korean peninsula was divided into two occupied zones in 1945 along the 38th parallel, with the northern half of the peninsula occupied by the Soviet Union and the southern half by the United States, in accordance with a prior arrangement between the two world powers, where United Nations–supervised elections were intended to be held for the entire peninsula shortly after the war.

Projected Population of North Korea

The population of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is expected to increase up until the years 2040-2045. The birth rates are projected to decrease from about 14.2 births per 1000 people to about 12.0 births per 1000 people. However, the death rates are expected to increase from about 10.2 deaths per 1000 people to about 12.8 deaths per 1000 people. Also, there is almost an average net migration rate of 0 people. So the number of immigrants into the country just about equals the number of people emigrating from the country.

State of North Korea

Historical Population of North Korea

The population of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has always increased over the course of the last half a century. However, at the beginning of the 21st century, the increase in population began to level off.

Projected Population of North Korea Table