Category Archives: Countries

France Population 2013

The population of the French Republic is estimated to be about 65.8 million people, which is an increase of about 0.57% from the last record of population. Historically, the population of France has always been less than the population of Germany. However, the populations of the United Kingdom and France have oscillated between the more populous countries. France had a smaller population than the United Kingdom until about 1984. However, in recent years, the population of the United Kingdom has increasingly become closer and closer to the population of France. Based on the total land area and the total population of the country, the population density is estimated to be about 252.5 people per square mile.

Demographics of France

The largest ethnic group in the French Republic is the native French population. This group makes up approximately 92% of the population. The next largest ethnic group is the Arab and North African group, which make up about 4% of the population. There is also a German, Breton, Catalan, and Italian population in the country. The official language of the country is French. In fact, the usage of French is required in commercial and workplace communications.

France Geography and Climate

France covers 547,030 square kilometres (211,209 sq mi), the largest among European Union members. France possesses a wide variety of landscapes, from coastal plains in the north and west to mountain ranges of the Alps in the south-east, the Massif Central in the south-central and Pyrenees in the south-west.

The north and northwest regions of France have a temperate climate, while a combination of maritime influences, latitude and altitude produce a varied climate in the rest of Metropolitan France. In the south-east regions of France a Mediterranean climate prevails. In the west, the climate is predominantly oceanic with a high level of rainfall, mild winters and cool to warm summers. Inland the climate becomes more continental with hot, stormy summers, colder winters and less rain. The climate of the Alps and other mountainous regions is mainly alpine, with temperatures below freezing for over 150 days of the year and snow cover lasting for up to six months.

Religion in France

The largest religious group in the French Republic is the Roman Catholic Church. About 80% of the population identifies as Roman Catholic; however, the majority of the religious population does not actually actively attend or practice the faith. French Protestants are known as Huguenots and represent approximately 1 million people in the country. John Calvin developed the Protestant religion Calvinism in Northern France. There is also a large Muslim community in the French Republic, made up of about 5 million Muslims. The country has been faced with some controversy surrounding the Muslim community as the government has tried to suppress parts of the faith and parts of the law associated with the faith. Lastly, while the population is small, there is in fact a Jewish population throughout the country of France.

Sports in France

The most popular sport in the French Republic is football (American soccer), which is regulated by the French Football Federation. The French National Team placed 2nd in the 2006 World Cup. Another very popular sport is tennis, especially when it comes to the French Open, an international tennis tournament. Every year France hosts the Tour de France, a three-week long cycling event. All of the stages are timed to the finish; after finishing the riders’ times are compounded with their previous stage times. The rider with the lowest aggregate time is the leader of the race and gets to don the coveted yellow jersey.

France’s Aging Population

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

Historical Population of France

The growth of the French Republic has been a positive growth, but the growth has been fairly slow.  In 1960, the population of the country was approximately 47 million people.  However, over the next 50 years, the population has only grown to about 66 million people.

Year	Population (millions)
1960	46.64
1965	49.83
1970	51.96
1975	53.94
1980	55.17
1985	56.7
1990	58.28
1995	59.56
2000	60.91
2005	63.18
2010	65.08
2011	65.43

Projected Population of France

The population of the French Republic is expected to continue its slow growth over the next 37 years.  The birth rates are projected to remain fairly steady, only ranging from 11.9 births per 1000 people to about 12.5 births per 1000 people.  The death rates will range a little more, but still remain pretty steady.  The lowest death rate is 9.6 deaths per 1000 people, while the largest death rate is 11.3 deaths per 1000 people.  Also, the net migration rate is projected to remain positive throughout the next 37 years, contributing to the growth of the population.

Year	Population (millions)	Percent Increase
2015	66.408	0.92%
2020	67.763	2.0%
2025	69.056	1.9%
2030	70.055	1.4%
2035	70.931	1.3%
2040	71.786	1.2%
2045	72.612	1.2%
2050	73.413	1.1%

Italy Population 2013

The population of the Italian Republic is estimated to be about 61.321 million people, which is an increase by about 0.99% from the last record of population. Up until around 1985-1986, the population of Italy remained greater than the population of France. However, now the population of Italy is greater than the population of Spain, but less than the population of France. Based on the total land area and the total population of the country, the population density is about 527.1 people per square mile.

Demographics of Italy

The population density, at over 200 persons per square kilometer (over 500/sq mi), is the fifth highest in the European Union. The highest density is in Northern Italy, as that one-third of the country contains almost half of the total population. The major ethnic group in the Italian Republic is the Native Italian group, which makes up about 96% of the population. There are also small populations of North African Arab, Italo-Albanian, Albanian, German, Austrian, and some other European groups. The official language of the country is Italian. There are a few dialects of the language spoken in the country and in some other places.

Religion in Italy

The major religion in the Italian Republic is Roman Catholicism. In fact, the Vatican City is in Italy, which is the center for Roman Catholicism and where the Pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, resides. There is also a very small amount of other Christian denominations, especially Jehovah’s Witnesses. However, the second largest religion in Italy is Islam. The majority of this Muslim population is immigrants or children of immigrants.

Most Italians believe in God, or a form of a spiritual life force. According to the most recent poll, 74% of Italian citizens responded that ‘they believe there is a God’, 16% answered that ‘they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force’ and 6% answered that ‘they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God, or life force’. This makes Italians much more theist than those of most other European countries.

Sports in Italy

The most popular sport in the Italian Republic is soccer. In fact, the Italian soccer team won the World Cup in 2006. The team is known by the name Azzurri. Italian soccer teams have many interesting nicknames, often referencing historical facts, mascots, and geographical locations. One colorful tradition common to all, though, is to refer to the teams by the color of their soccer jerseys. The national team of Italy has won the most prestigious World Cup four times in 1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006 respectively. Italian football team is the current titleholder. The Italian national soccer team is popularly known by the name of Azzurri for their blue shirts. It is considered to be the second-most successful national football team in the world. Apart from this most of major Italian clubs get the opportunity to compete at a high level of soccer competitions.

The other major sports in Italy are water polo, skiing, and cycling. The Giro d’Italia (Tour of Italy), established in 1909, is a long-distance bicycle race that takes place annually in May or early June throughout Italy. The symbol of the Giro d’Italia is the Maglia Rosa, awarded to the overall leader after each stage of the race as well as to the eventual winner.

Italian Cuisine

Italian cuisine is extremely varied: the country of Italy was only unified in 1861, and its cuisines reflect the cultural variety of its regions and its diverse history (with culinary influences from Greek, Roman, Norman and Arab civilizations). Italian cuisine is imitated all over the world. To a certain extent, there is really no such thing as Italian cuisine in the way that one usually understands national cuisines. Each area has its own proud specialties, primarily at regional level, but also even at provincial level. Italian cuisine is not only highly regionalized, it is very seasonal. The high priority placed on the use of fresh, seasonal produce distinguishes the cuisine of Italy from the imitations available in most other countries. Italian dishes are known for its simplicity and the quality of the ingredients instead of the preparation. Some of the main ingredients are cheese, ham, and wine. Coffee is another large part of the Italian cuisine.

The richness of Italian cuisine lies in its diversity. From delicate tortellini filled with squash in Lombardy to spaghetti tossed with salted gray mullet roe in Sardinia, regional food preferences and cooking styles vary widely across Italy. Each recipe, each dish has its own history. Some recipes are thousands of years old and have changed very little over the course of time; others were born in the Renaissance or after the discovery of the New World, when a wealth of new foodstuffs like tomatoes, beans, peppers, zucchini, corn, and cocoa reached European shores; still others appeared in the last decade or so, novel elaborations on ancient themes.

Solutions for an Aging Population in Italy

Historical Population of Italy

The population of the Italian Republic has historically increased over the last half a century. However, there were some periods where the population remained almost equal from year to year. But, starting in the beginning of the 21st century, the population had been increasing at a greater rate.

Year	Population (millions)
1960	50.2
1965	52.11
1970	53.82
1975	55.44
1980	56.43
1985	56.59
1990	56.72
1995	56.84
2000	56.94
2005	58.61
2010	60.48
2011	60.72

Projected Population of Italy

The population of the Italian Republic is expected to begin to decrease over the next 37 years. The death rates will exceed the birth rates, along with a negative migration rate. The death rates will range from about 11 deaths per 1000 people to about 14 deaths per 1000 people. However, the birth rates will range from 9 births per 1000 people to 10 births per 1000 people.

Year	Population	Percent Increase
2015	60.889	-0.71%
2020	60.812	-0.13%
2025	60.652	-0.26%
2030	60.4	-0.42%
2035	60.148	-0.42%
2040	59.85	-0.50%
2045	59.395	-0.93%
2050	58.779	-1.00%

Mexico Population 2013

The current population of the United Mexican States is estimated to be about 117.41 million people, which is an increase of 4.6% from the last record of the population. The population of the country has been historically greater then the population of Canada, but smaller than the population of Brazil. Based on the total land area and the total population of the country, the population density is estimated to be about 142 people per square mile.

Demographics of Mexico

The largest ethnic group throughout the United Mexican States is the Mestizo group, which is a group of mixed origin, specifically Spanish and Indian. The next largest ethnic group is those who consider themselves part of an indigenous group. The Mexican government recognizes approximately 56 unique indigenous groups. The largest of these is descendent of the Aztecs, the Nahua. This group contains at least 1.7 million people in the Nahua group. The official language of Mexico is considered to be the Spanish language. In fact, the country has the largest Spanish speaking population in the entire world. About 1/3 of the population speaks Spanish as a native speaker. The country is also home to many indigenous languages, as should be evident by the number of indigenous groups in the country.

Religion in Mexico

The largest religious group in the United Mexican States is considered to be the Roman Catholic Church, as it has been throughout all of history. About 77% of the population is considered to be Roman Catholic. The next largest religious group is those that practice some form of Protestantism. About 5% of the population identifies as Protestant. The country also has one of the largest groups of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the entire world.

Sports in Mexico

The most popular sport in the United Mexican States is football (American soccer). However, boxing is also a very popular sport in the country. Other than the United States, the country has produced more world champions than any other country. The national sport of Mexico is considered to be Charreria. This sport involves rodeo, riding, and roping.

Mexican Holidays

Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de Muertos) is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world in other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico, where it is a national holiday, and all banks are closed. The celebration takes place on November 1 and 2, in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts.

Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for “fifth of May”) is a celebration held on May 5. It is celebrated in the United States and regionally in Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla, where the holiday is called El Día de la Batalla de Puebla (English: The Day of the Battle of Puebla). It originated with Mexican-American communities in the American West as a way to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War, and today the date is observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. In the state of Puebla, the date is observed to commemorate the Mexican army’s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín.

Animals in Mexico

In the terms of biodiversity, Mexico belongs to five of the most important regions of the world taking the first place in reptile biodiversity with over 740 described species, second in mammals (526), fourth in amphibians (290 and rising) and vascular plants (26,000) and tenth in birds (1,150). Mexico is the destination for two marathon migrations, the monarch butterfly and the gray whale. Every year one billion monarch butterflies travel 2,500 miles to spend the winter in Michoac’n’s pine and oyamel fir forest. The 36-ton gray whales migrate 6,000 miles to Baja peninsula to mate and give birth to their calves. This distance holds the record for the longest known mammal migration.

Mexico City

Historical Population of Mexico

The population of the United Mexican States has historically always increased over the last half of a century. In fact, the population has been growing at a high rate, as the population was about 34.923 million in 1960 and it grew to 112.37 million in 2010.

Year	Population (millions)
1960	34.923
1965	43
1970	48.225
1975	58
1980	66.847
1985	74
1990	81.25
1995	91.158
2000	97.483
2005	103.263
2010	112.337

Projected Population of Mexico

The population of the United Mexican States is expected to imitate the trend that it has historically shown over the last half of a century by continuing to increase at a high rate. The birth rates per 1000 people range from 18.6 to about 10.8. However, the death rates only range from about 5.1 deaths per 1000 people to about 9.2 deaths per 1000 people. However, the net migration rate is negative throughout this period. Nonetheless, the population is expected to continue to increase over the next 37 years.

Year	Population (millions)	Percent Increase
2015	119.874	2.10%
2020	125.663	4.80%
2025	130.712	4.00%
2030	134.983	3.30%
2035	138.275	2.40%
2040	140.554	1.60%
2045	141.861	0.93%
2050	142.253	0.27%

Japan Population 2013

The current population of Japan is estimated to be about 126.66 million people, which is a decrease of about 0.89% from the last record of population. Historically, the population of Japan has been much greater than the population of South Korea, but less than the population of Russia. Based on the total land area and the total population of the country, the population density of Japan is estimated to be about 873.1 people per square mile.

Demographics of Japan

The largest ethnic group in Japan is the Yamato Japanese group, which makes up about 98.5% of the population. The next largest group is the Korean ethnic group, making up about 1.5% of the population. There is also some representation from the Chinese and also some indigenous people. The official language of the country is considered to be Japanese. In fact, 99% of the population speaks Japanese. However, there are three written languages used in the country: hiragana, kanji, and katakana.

Religion in Japan

Everyone in Japan receives the ability to choose what faith or religion to practice due to the freedom of religion guaranteed by the Constitution. The two largest religious groups in Japan are Shinto and Buddhism. The oldest of these religious is Shinto, while Buddhism was brought in around the 6th century. Some people even consider themselves to be participants in both religions. Some minority faiths in the country include Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Judaism. Christianity is very rarely practiced in Japan.

Sports in Japan

The national sport of Japan is considered to be Sumo wrestling, which dates back to ancient Japanese times when it was used to entertain Shinto gods. Only men are allowed to participate in Sumo Wrestling. However, while Sumo Wrestling is the national sport, the most popular sport in the country is baseball. The Japanese call baseball Yakyu and it was brought to Japan by the United States. Baseball is so popular that some players even join Major League Baseball in the United States.

Sumo is a Japanese style of wrestling and Japan’s national sport. It originated in ancient times as a performance to entertain the Shinto deities. Many rituals with religious background, such as the symbolic purification of the ring with salt, are still followed today. In line with tradition, only men practice the sport professionally in Japan. The rules are simple: the wrestler who first exits the ring or touches the ground with any part of his body besides the soles of his feet loses. Matches take place on an elevated ring (dohyo), which is made of clay and covered in a layer of sand. A contest usually lasts only a few seconds, but in rare cases can take a minute or more. There are no weight restrictions or classes in sumo, meaning that wrestlers can easily find themselves matched off against someone many times their size. As a result, weight gain is an essential part of sumo training.

Entertainment Industry in Japan

The Japanese entertainment industry is one of the world’s largest and most innovative, and despite the culture and language barrier, various forms of Japanese entertainment have become internationally popular. The Japanese entertainment industry includes:

• Karaoke - Singing to the instrumental version of songs.
• Manga and Anime - Japanese comics and animation.
• Movies - the Japanese cinema.
• Amusement Parks -  Amusement and theme parks in Japan.
• Pachinko - A mixture between pinball and slot machine.
• Hot Springs - About hot springs.
• Department stores - Japanese retail

Japan’s Declining Population

Historical Population of Japan

The population of Japan has historically increased for the majority of the last half of a century. Near the beginning of the 21st century, however, the population had begun to level off and stay fairly constant from year to year. Eventually, near the end of this past decade, the population began to decrease.

Year	Population (millions)
1960	92.5
1965	98.88
1970	104.3
1975	111.9
1980	116.8
1985	120.8
1990	123.5
1995	125.4
2000	126.9
2005	127.8
2010	127.5
2011	127.8

Projected Population of Japan

The population of Japan is expected to continue this recent trend of a negative population growth. The birth rates of the population remain much lower than the death rates. The birth rates will remain fairly steady as they range from 8.2 births per 1000 people to about 9.0 births per 1000 people. In contrast, the death rates will continue to increase over the next 37 years as they range from about 11.6 deaths per 1000 people to about 15.0 deaths per 1000 people. Despite a positive net migration rate, the population will still decrease over the years.

Year	Population (millions)	Percent Increase
2015	125.75	-0.72%
2020	123.599	-1.70%
2025	120.889	-2.20%
2030	117.593	-2.70%
2035	114.36	-2.80%
2040	111.434	-2.60%
2045	108.617	-2.50%
2050	105.68	-2.70%

Brazil Population 2013

The current population of the Federative Republic of Brazil is estimated to be about 199.321 million people, which is an increase of about 1.3% from the last record of the population. Historically, the population of Brazil has been greater than the population of Mexico, but less than the population of the United States of America. Based on the total land area and the total population of the country, the population density of Brazil is about 60.63 people per square mile.

Demographics of Brazil

The largest ethnic group in the Federative Republic of Brazil identifies themselves as white. In fact, 55% of the population identifies as white. The next largest ethnic group is those that identify as mestizo, which makes up about 38% of the population. The rest of the population is made up of Asian, Amerindian, and Black. The official language of Brazil is Portuguese, which the majority of the population speaks. Because Brazil is the only country in the Americas that speaks Portuguese, language is an important aspect of the culture and society.

Religion in Brazil

The largest religious group in the Federative Republic of Brazil happens to be the Roman Catholic Church, making up over 75% of the population. In fact, when European settlers ended up making Catholicism the official religion of the country in the 19th century. Despite this fact, the population is a very diverse religious population. The majority of the population does identify as a member of a religious organization. Others are members of various other Christian denominations, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, or Spiritism. There are many other minor religions, though, throughout the country.

Animals in Brazil

In the animal kingdom, there is general consensus, that Brazil has the highest number of both terrestrial vertebrates and invertebrates of any country in the world. This high diversity of fauna can be explained in part by the sheer size of Brazil and the great variation in ecosystems such as Amazon Rainforest, Atlantic Forest and Cerrado. The numbers published about Brazil’s fauna diversity vary from source to source, as taxonomists sometimes disagree about species classifications, and information can be incomplete or out-of-date. Also, new species continue to be discovered and some species go extinct in the wild. Brazil has the highest diversity of primates (77 species) and freshwater fish (over 3000 species) of any country in the world. It also claims the highest number of mammals with 524 species, the second highest number of amphibians with 517 species and butterflies with 3,150 species, the third highest number of birds with 1,622 species, and fifth number of reptiles with 468 species. There is a high number of endangered species, many of which live in threatened habitats such as the Atlantic Forest or the Amazon Rainforest.

Tropical Forests in Brazil

Brazil also possesses the world’s largest extent of tropical forest, with 357 million hectares (145 million acres), equivalent to one-third of the world’s total, and three times that possessed by Indonesia, the nation in second place. Brazil has more forest than all of Asia, all of Africa, all of Central America, and all of the remaining South America combined. Sixty-two percent of the Amazonian forest belongs to Brazil, and about 70% of it is still reasonably intact. The northern and western portions of Brazilian Amazonia host the largest pristine block of rainforest wilderness on earth. Deforestation, which is effected primarily to make space for cattle ranching, agriculture, mining, and timber exploitation, is an extremely serious and continuing agent of destruction. A satellite-based analysis has demonstrated that, in 1987 alone, more than 8 million hectares (3.2 million acres) of forest were felled or burned.

Sports in Brazil

The most popular sport in the Federative Republic of Brazil is considered to be football (American soccer). In fact, the largest soccer stadium in the world is in Brazil, which was built for the 1950 World Cup. Some other popular sports include volleyball, for men and women, basketball, and tennis. Brazil will become the first South American country to host the Olympics after the city of Rio de Janeiro was chosen to stage the 2016 Games. Rio won a majority of the 95 votes at the meeting in Copenhagen, eliminating Madrid in the final round.

Visit Brazil

Historical Population of Brazil

Historically, over the last half of a century, the population of the Federative Republic of Brazil has always increased. This growth has been fairly steady over the years, but has slightly slowed down in the recent decade.

Year	Population (millions)
1960	72.76
1965	84.39
1970	96.08
1975	108.2
1980	121.7
1985	136.2
1990	149.7
1995	161.8
2000	174.4
2005	186
2010	194.9
2011	196.7

Projected Population of Brazil

The population of the Federative Republic of Brazil is projected to continue this trend of growth until approximately 2045. The birth rates are projected to decrease over the next 37 years. These rates range from 15.0 births per 1000 people to about 9.7 births per 1000 people. In contrast, the death rates are expected to increase from 6.9 deaths per 1000 people to about 11.4 deaths per 1000 people. Also, the net migration rate is expected to remain negative over the next 37 years, which is another reason as to why the population will eventually decrease.

Year	Population (millions)	Percent Increase
2015	202.826	1.80%
2020	209.575	3.30%
2025	215.032	2.60%
2030	218.878	1.80%
2035	221.026	0.98%
2040	221.594	0.26%
2045	220.701	-0.40%
2050	218.655	-0.93%