Countries of the World

Bay of Biscay Donostia/ Tennis champion
San Sebastián The Spanish tennis legend
Santander Bilbao Rafael Nadal has won 19
FRANCE
Vitoria-Gasteiz Grand Slam singles titles.

Burgos Pamplona/Iruña Pyrenees
Aranda de
Huesca
Duero Sist e Logroño EuropeANDORRA

Soria ma Ibérico Ebro

GSuiaedrararrdaoma Zaragoza Girona Cathedrals beach
Lleida Terrassa Mataró Erosion by wind and sea has
Central (Lérida) sculpted dramatic rock formations
resembling cathedral arches at
Guadalajara Alcañiz Barcelona Brava this beach to the west of Gijón
MADRID Costa
Tarragona in northwestern Spain.

Getafe Tagu Cuencas Vinaròs The fallas are made
of cardboard and
Mota del Cuervo Castellón de la Plana/ ACzoas thaa rd e l Gulf of c Isla n d s papier-mâché.
Castelló de la Plana Valencia Pollença
Manzanares e a r i Minorca
Albacete Valencia
Júcar a l (Menorca)

B Palma

Majorca
(Mallorca)
Ibiza
Hellín Alcoy/Alcoi
Sistemas Béticos Segura Ibiza
Benidorm
Elda Alicante/Alacant

Elche/Elx a
Costa Blanc
Murcia Las Fallas

Lorca Ibiza is the third-largest of In this annual festival in

Mulhacén Cartagena the Balearic Islands, famous Valencia, people remember Saint
3,479 m for its beaches and nightlife. Joseph—the patron saint of carpenters—
(11,413 ft)

Nevada Sea with parades, music, and fireworks.
Each neighborhood builds a
Almería n e a n
sculpture called a falla, filled
M e diter r a with firecrackers, which is

Olive oil eventually burned.

Spain produces about

half of the world’s olive

oil—more than any

other country.

Wild cats
Iberian lynx live in the
mountains of southern
Spain. Once on the brink of
extinction, conservation

projects have saved
this solitary cat.

195,124 sq miles Geography: A mountainous country Culture: All over Spain, communities
(505,370 sq km) with a central plain, Spain is wet celebrate local festivals, or fiestas,
50 million and green in the north and hot and dry throughout the year. Easter is marked
Madrid in the south. by Holy Week.
Spanish, Catalan, History: Spain was divided by Food and drink: Spain has a rich
Galician, Basque civil war from 1936–1939 and then cuisine of seafood and meat dishes,
ruled by a dictator until 1975, when the but it is also popular to eat a range of small
monarchy and democracy were restored. plates, known as tapas. 101

SPAIN

Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo

Lisbon’s trams This Portuguese striker Viana do Castelo Ponte da Barca
Bright yellow trams, known from Madeira is one of
as remodelados, date back
to the 1930s and still carry the best-known soccer players Póvoa de Varzim Braga
passengers around Lisbon’s in the world. He has won
busy, and often hilly, streets.
four European Vila do Conde Guimarães
Golden Shoes Vila Real
and the coveted Matosinhos
Porto

Ballon d’Or Vila Nova de Gaia Lamego
five times. Ovar
São João da Madeira

N Aveiro Albergaria-a-Velha

Ílhavo Viseu

Madeira Flower Festival Rio Mondego Alto da Torre
Every spring, the Flower Festival 1,993 m (6,539 ft)
takes place on the Portuguese
Figueira da Foz Coimbra Covilhã
island of Madeira. People Leiria
wear flowers and Serra da Estrela
decorate floral
floats in parades Nazaré Castelo Branco
through the city Tomar
of Funchal. Peniche Entroncamento
Torres Caldas da Rainha Abrantes
Vedras
Tagus Tagus

Santarém Portalegre

Sintra LISBON Coruche Avis
Cascais (LISBOA) Sorraia

Lisbon is the Almada Barreiro Vendas Novas Elvas
westernmost capital Setúbal Estremoz
in mainland Europe.
Serra d’Ossa

Baía de Rio Sado Alcácer do Sal Évora Redondo
Setúbal

Record-breaking waves Grándola Portel S P A I N diana
Some of the biggest waves
in the world break onto the C Sines Gua
beaches at Nazaré, on
the coast west of Leiria. I Beja Barrancos
The annual surfing Serpa
competitions held here T Aljustrel
are the ultimate test N
for surfers.
N
A

A Odemira Ourique
E Mértola
SMeornr ac hdi qe u e
L Almodôvar
C

T
O

The waves can be as tall A
as 80 ft (24 m)—the record
for the tallest wave ever Lagos Portimão Ayamonte
surfed, in 2018. Cabo de Tavira
São Vicente
Faro
Gulf of
Cadiz

Lying alongside Spain in the Iberian Peninsula in Europe, 35,556 sq miles
Portugal has a long, windswept Atlantic coastline. In the (92,090 sq km)
15th and 16th centuries, explorers set out from here to 10.3 million
discover the unknown lands to the west, passing Cabo Lisbon
de São Vicente, Europe’s southwesternmost point. More Portuguese
than 600 miles (1,000 km) away, in the Atlantic Ocean, lie
the Portuguese islands of Madeira and the Azores.

0 30 km A T L A N T I C O C E A N 0 300 km PORTUGAL
0 30 miles
(approximate scale) Corvo Azores 0 300 miles
São
Flores Jorge Graciosa (approximate scale) LISBON

Faial Terceira N
Ponta Delgada
Chaves Ponta do Pico Pico
São Miguel
2,351 m (7,713 ft)
Bragança Santa Maria

Mirandela Islands of Portugal Madeira
Funchal
Douro The Portuguese islands of Porto Santo
Madeira and the Azores in the Ilhas Desertas

Atlantic Ocean are volcanic in origin.

Guarda SPAIN Casa da Música The building has Decorative tiles
The unique Casa da Música sharply angled Glazed ceramic tiles known as azulejos are often
concrete walls. used to decorate buildings. Most are blue, and some
concert hall opened in the depict scenes from Portuguese history, such as on
city of Porto in 2005. It
this wall at Porto’s São Bento Railway Station.
can hold an audience of
about 1,300 people. Prince Henry the
Navigator helped
launch Portugal’s
“Age of Discovery.”

Portuguese rooster Monument to the Discoveries
According to local legend, This famous monument on the seafront in Lisbon
roosters are considered
lucky. Painted figurines honors key figures from Portugal’s “Age of
of roosters are sold Discovery,” a period starting in the 15th century
as souvenirs.
when explorers, mapmakers, and scientists
voyaged over oceans to find unknown lands.

Palácio da Pena
This brightly colored
royal castle sits on a hill
overlooking the town of

Sintra, to the west
of Lisbon.

Geography: Portugal has more Culture: Portuguese traditions Wildlife: Iberian wolves and
than 500 miles (850 km) of include fado music— lynx roam the mountains, and
coastline. It is rocky in the north, melancholy songs accompanied by wild boars and deer the countryside.
with most farmland in the south. guitars—and popular festivals. Dolphins swim the Atlantic waters.
History: Once a global Natural wonders: The Grutas Food and drink: Portugal is
empire, the monarchy was de Mira de Aire caves near famous for its sweet custard
deposed in a revolution in 1910, Leiria and Madeira’s laurel forests tarts and seafood dishes, such as
and Portugal became a republic. stand out for their beauty. salt cod and grilled sardines.

Malta Maltese filigree
In the ancient art of filigree,

artisans weave delicate

N Gozo M e di jewelr y from fine gold
rran and silver threads.
0 5 km Xagħra M al ta t e
0 5 miles Victoria Nadur C The eight-pointed cross
(approximate scale) is a common symbol
Mgarr in Maltese filigree.
Painted boats
Comino
(Kemmuna)
Blue Lagoon Bay Mellieħa
Mediterranean e

an

han

n

e

Colorful Maltese fishing Buġibba l
boats called luzzus can be
seen in the popular fishing Mosta Malta Sea Blue Lagoon
village of Marsaxlokk. Between Kemmuna
Rabat Hamrun Sliema and Kemmunett islet is a
VALLETTA bay with clear, turquoise
waters that is popular with
Sea Paola Zabbar swimmers and snorkelers.
Ta' Dmejrek Marsaxlokk
253 m (830 ft) Birzebbuġa

Zurrieq

The islands of Malta, Filfla
Gozo, and Kemmuna,
122 sq miles together with smaller islets,
(316 sq km) form the country of Malta.
457,300 Over the course of its history,
Valletta this archipelago has
Maltese, English attracted foreign powers
such as the Phoenicians,
Romans, and British.

Luxembourg Moules marinière
Despite being landlocked,
mussels cooked in a white
wine sauce is a popular

Fortress on a rock KneiB E L GIUM G E R MA dish in Luxembourg.
Built between the 11th and 560 m
(1,840 ft) e Bird whistles
14th centuries, this grand n Every Easter Monday,
castle stands high over Wiltz ne s

the town of Vianden in r d Sûre Our N Y bird-shaped whistles are
northern Luxembourg. A Diekirch
sold for the celebration
Redange Echternach of Emaischen.
Mersch

LUXEMBOURG Grevenmacher

Pétange Remich Moselle The handcrafted
Dudelange
ceramic whistles are
called péckvillercher.

FRANCE N

0 15 km

0 15 miles
(approximate scale)

998 sq miles Landlocked Luxembourg is one of the
(2,586 sq km) tiniest countries in Europe but also
628,400 among the world’s richest nations. Banking
Luxembourg and insurance and a growing internet
Luxembourgish, businesses make it very wealthy.
German, French

The circular tower AndorraComa
was added in the
Pedrosa
12th century. 2,943 m
(9,656 ft)
Arcalis F R A N C E
Ancient church Europe

Situated outside the capital Arinsal El Tarter El Pas de Forest dweller
is Santa Coloma d’Andorra, la Casa The mountain forests are
one of the oldest churches P y rEnecanmCpeaniellos
in the country. It dates back N home to European pine
to the 8th century. ANDORRA martens. They hunt small
LA VELLA
mammals and birds.
Santa Coloma d'Andorra
Andorra la Vella is
Valira Sant Julià
located 3,356 ft (1,023 m) de Lòria

Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley above sea level. SPAIN 0 7 km

This stunning, steep-sided valley cut by a 0 7 miles
(approximate scale)
glacier, not far from La Vella, makes up

almost 10 percent of the country.

180 sq miles High in the
(468 sq km) Pyrenees Mountains
77,000 between France and Spain
Andorra la Vella lies the small nation of
Spanish, Catalan, Andorra. Many tourists visit
French, Portuguese the country for trekking
and skiing and the
ancient churches.

Monaco Grand Prix Monaco
Every year, the streets of
Monaco are closed so Grand
Prix races can be held, such as

Formula 1 and the GP2 race 0 700 metres Gleaming coast
shown here.
0 700 yards Monaco’s best-known

(approximate scale) neighborhood is Monte
Carlo. Casinos and lavish
Grand Prix circuit A N C E Lycée de
l'Annonciade hotels sit alongside a
N FR spectacular harbor.

La Musée National
Condamine Larvotto
Palais Casino
Princier Monte Centre de Congrès
Carlo
Fontvieille an Sea
Port of
M Monaco
0.7 sq miles n e
(2 sq km) terra
39,000 e d i
Monaco
French, English,
Monégasque, Italian

The world’s second-smallest
country lies on the Riviera—
the Mediterranean coastline in
southeastern France. Many of the
wealthiest people in the world live
here, since residents pay no income tax.

Italy AUSTRIA

Pizza Italy’s second-largest city,
This famous flatbread baked SLOVENIA
Milan is a center of fashion, PS Bolzano Udine
with tomato, mozzarella design, and industry.F Venice
cheese, and other savory Bergamo Trento (Venezia)
Europe Mont Blanc SWITZERLAND A L Milan Treviso
toppings originated in 4,807 m (Milano)
Naples in the 18th century. Como Verona
(15,771 ft)
Ruins of Pompeii Aosta Po Ferrara
In 79 ce, the volcano of Vesuvius, near
modern-day Naples, erupted, covering the Novara Parma
city of Pompeii in ash. A visit to the site
today is like traveling back to ancient Rome. Asti A Modena Bologna Ravenna
Genoa
Turin (Genova) p en SAN MARINO Ancona
(Torino)
Florence n n
RANCE Pisa (Firenze) Arezzo i e
Ligurian
S e a Livorno
Siena Perugia

(TevTeibree)r L’Aquila

Vespa scooter Civitavecchia Vatican City
Italy’s iconic motor ROME
scooter is popular with (ROMA)
young people navigating
0 50 km

the busy traffic in cities 0 50 miles
such as Rome. (approximate scale)

Olbia N
Sassari

The Colosseum Sardinia
The largest amphitheater in the Roman Empire
was the Colosseum. This dramatic location for bloody (Sardegna)
battles between gladiators still stands today in Rome.
Cagliari

Michelangelo
This sculpture of
Moses was made by the
Italian Renaissance artist
Michelangelo in 1504.

Spectacled salamander
Found only in southern Italy, this
amphibian displays its red tummy to

warn potential attackers.

The boot-shaped country of Italy 116,348 sq miles
stretches 500 miles (800 km) into the (301,340 sq km)
Mediterranean Sea, with a coastline of 62.4 million
4,600 miles (7,500 km). Its great cities, Rome
such as Rome, Florence, and Milan, Italian, other
are world-famous centers of historic languages (+4)
art and architecture.

106

Italian vineyards
Vineyards grow

over the 20 regions
of Italy, and the

wine produced from
their grapes is one
of the country’s
major exports.

Adriatic City of islands and waterways Leonardo da Vinci
Sea The city of Venice was established on 118 islands The Italian artist Leonardo
da Vinci was also a scientist
Pescara in a lagoon in northern Italy. Gondolas and and inventor, who drew this
motorboats ferry people up and down design for a flying machine
s the canals of the city.
in the 15th century.

Foggia Bari Brindisi The tambourine
Campobassa Barletta Lecce is a vital part
of this dance.
Caserta Benevento Taranto
Potenza
Salerno
Naples
(Napoli) Gulf of

Capri Ta r a n t o Tarantella

Crotone A folk dance for couples,
the tarantella has fast,
Tyrrhenian Catanzaro lively steps. According
Sea Vibo
nds Valentia to legend, this dance
Aeolian Isla started out as a cure for

hysteria brought on Parmigiano-Reggiano
Known for its nutty taste, this
Messina by a tarantula
hard cheese is grated over
Reggio di spider’s bite. many pasta and rice dishes
Calabria
Palermo to add flavor.
Ionian Sea
Leaning Tower of Pisa
Marsala Catania Mount Etna Measuring 183 ft (55.9 m) on its highest
3,326 m
Sicily (10,912 ft) side, this iconic tower began to lean as
soon as construction started in 1173.
(Sicilia) Siracusa Italian Grand Prix
Ragusa This Formula 1 race has been

Mediterranean Sea held since 1921 on a racetrack
near Monza, north of Milan.
With 20 victories, Scuderia

Ferrari is the most successful

team on this circuit.

MALTA

Geography: The Italian peninsula Culture: Celebrated for its ancient and 107
extends from the mountains of the Renaissance art and architecture,
Alps in the north to the island of Sicily Italy was also the birthplace of opera and
in the south. is now famous for its movies and fashion.
History: Once the heart of the Food and drink: Italy’s healthy diet
Roman Empire, Italy fragmented is known for its pasta, tomatoes,
into medieval city-states and kingdoms olive oil, and fish but has many regional
before unification as a country in 1861. variations based on local produce.

Vatican City

This part of the Vatican Gardens
ceiling shows God More than half of
creating Adam, Vatican City is made up
the first man. of gardens with many
statues, fountains,
0 150 metres
and grottoes.
0 150 yards
(approximate scale)

Main Entrance Swiss Guard
Since the 16th century, armed
Sistine Chapel LY Belvedere N guards in traditional uniform
The Sistine Chapel was built ITA Palace have protected the pope and
in the Vatican Palace during the Vatican City.
15th century. The ceiling features Hill Vatican Pigna
vast wall paintings by the Italian Vatican Museums Courtyard Halberds are ceremonial
artist Michelangelo. weapons carried by the
Vatican Sistine Belvedere Vatican Swiss Guards.
Heliport Gardens Chapel Courtyard Central Post

O ce

Apostolic
Palace

Government St Peter's St Peter's
Palace Basilica Square
Vatican
Railway
Station

Pope Francis I T A L Y Coins from the Vatican
Born in Argentina The country adopted the
in 1936, Pope Francis euro as currency in
is the current head of 2000 but produces
the Catholic Church. its own euro coins,
some of which
show the Pope.

St. Peter’s Basilica is St. Peter’s Square
the largest church Up to 300,000 people are able to gather in St. Peter’s
in the world. Square to listen to the pope speak. It takes its name
from Saint Peter, who Catholics consider the first pope.

0.17 sq miles Located within the Italian capital of
(0.44 sq km) Rome is Vatican City, the smallest
1,000 country on Earth. This tiny city-state
None is home to the Pope, the head of
Italian, Latin the Roman Catholic Church.

108

Stamps San Marino
San Marino has produced its
own stamps since 1877, and

they are much prized

by collectors. ITALY Falciano Piadina
Ausa Dogana An Italian specialty
Ciarulla flatbread called piadina is
Serravalle ITALY eaten throughout San Marino.
Gualdicciolo It is folded and filled with
Fiorina delicious cheeses and meats.
Acquaviva Cailungo
Borgo 24 sq miles
San Marino Domagnano (61 sq km)
Maggiore
San Marino City is a medieval SAN Fiumicello
town with cobbled streets. Appe MARINO

Murata Mount Titano N
Chiesanuova 739 m (2,425 ft)
n
n Faetano
i n s
e

Montegiardino 0 2 km 34,232

ITALY 0 2 miles San Marino City
(approximate scale)
Italian

Fortress of Guaita

On top of the lofty Mount Titano sits The landlocked, mountainous
the Fortress of Guaita, which was built in the nation of San Marino sits within Italy’s
11th century. It overlooks San Marino City. borders and ranks among the world’s
smallest countries. Its constitution
was adopted in 1600, making it one
of the oldest republics.

Andreas Wenzel Liechtenstein
The country’s best-
known athlete is Olympic N
and World Cup skier
Andreas Wenzel. Ruggell
Gamprin Schellenberg
62 sq miles
(160 sq km) Mauren
39,137 Eschen
Vaduz Bendern Nendeln
German, Alemannish Planken
dialect, Italian
Schaan
Between Austria and Switzerland is
the small country of Liechtenstein. VADUZ
It is known for its mountain slopes, S W I T Z E RLAND AUS T R I A
alpine villages, forests, and Rhine
medieval castles. Samina
R
M

h
o

ä
u
Triesenberg
Triesen t
n
R h i n e Balzers
Mäls i Malbun
t Grauspitz
2,599 m (8,527 ft)
k
a

o
i

n
n

s

0 3 km Spring flowers 109
A mild climate allows wild flowers
0 3 miles to grow in the alpine meadows of
(approximate scale) Liechtenstein in spring and summer.

These include blue gentians and
yellow globeflowers.

Switzerland

Alpine ibex Matterhorn
The rocky slopes of the The pyramid-shaped peak
Swiss Alps are home to of the Matterhorn rises 14,692 ft
the Alpine ibex. These (4,478 m) high. It is the most
wild goats have padded recognizable mountain in the Alps.
hooves that make them
expert climbers.

More than half of Lake GERMANY Scha hausen ConsLtaaknece Zürich is the largest
Frauenfeld
Basel
Liestal Winterthur

Geneva is in Switzerland, Delemont city in the country.

and the rest is in France. J u r a a ins Aarau Zürich Lake Herisau Sankt Gallen
o u n t Biel Solothurn Zug Zurich Appenzell
N N
Luzern LIECHENSTEI
M

Neuchatel AUSTRI

FRANCE Lake BERN Sarnen Stans Schwyz Glarus
Neuchâtel Thun l pen
A Chur
Yverdon- Fribourg Altdorf G l a rner
les-Bains Rhine
P AS
0 25 km Lausanne RDhaavSeotts.iMa onritAz l p s
0 25 miles Lake Geneva r Alps
(approximate scale) A L I
Geneva
(Genève) BSeiorn n e rA l p e n Tessine

FRANCE Rhône T A L Y

Pennine Alps Locarno Bellinzona
Zermatt
ITALY Swiss chocolate
Lugano Famous for its smooth texture and superior
taste, Swiss chocolate is enjoyed worldwide.
Matterhorn Dufourspitze The country produces about 220,000 tons of
4,478 m 4,634 m
(15,203 ft)
(14,692 ft)

The particle accelerator at CERN is chocolate per year from many brands,

called the Large Hadron Collider. including the distinctive

Toblerone bar.

Nuclear research Bern’s Old Town
Located near Geneva, CERN is a major The Swiss capital has a
center for nuclear research. It is home to town center full of medieval
the world’s largest particle accelerator (a
machine that studies atoms), which is landmarks, including the
17 miles (27 km) long. Käfigturm, a gate tower
that once served
as a prison.

15,940 sq miles
(41,285 sq km)
8.4 million
Bern
German, Swiss-
German, French,
other languages (+2)

Nestled in the Alps and bordered by
the Jura range to the northwest, this
country is famous for its ski resorts
but also for watches and chocolates
and as a center for banking.

Ski jumping Slovenia
This sport is very popular
in the Alpine valleys of Tasty treat
northwestern Slovenia. A traditional treat in Slovenia
Many ski jumpers from is potica. This rolled dough
this country have set
world records at the filled with walnut paste
Winter Olympics. is eaten during
Easter and
other festivals.

N

Skis are spread in Triglav AUSTRIA Murska HUNGARY
a V-formation, to 2,864 m (9,396 ft) Sobota
achieve the longest Maribor
possible jump. J ulian A Jesenice Ravne na Ptuj
Bovec Koroškem
l ps Velenje Lake Bled
Visitors flock to this glacial lake to
I T ALY Tolmin Kranj Rogaška the southeast of Jesenice. At its center
CROATIASlatina lies an island with a beautiful church,
Save (Sava) Trbovlje while a medieval castle overlooks
Nova Idrija
Gorica LJUBLJANA its waters from a nearby hill.
K arst Novo Krško
Mesto Sacred symbol
GTurlifeosfte Sežana Postojna The linden leaf is an
Črnomelj important symbol
Škocjan Caves of Slovenia. In the
past, linden trees
Koper Ilirska were planted to
Bistrica
CROATIA mark where village councils
gathered for discussions.
Carniolan honey bee 0 25km
Beekeeping is an important
Slovenian tradition. The native 0 25 miles
Carniolan honeybee is highly (approximate scale)
prized by beekeepers.

Ana Desetnica Festival
Circus performers, musicians,

and dancers perform in this
annual street theater festival in
the capital city of Ljubljana.

Slovenia is one of the greenest 7,827 sq miles Lipizzaner horses
countries in Europe, with more (20,273 sq km) For more than 400 years, the
than half of its area covered in 2.1 million famous Lipizzaner horses have been bred
forests. The snow-covered Julian Ljubljana at the Lipica stud farm in the southwest of
Alps in the north has the country’s Slovenian Slovenia. These beautiful gray horses are
highest peak, Mount Triglav, trained to perform at equestrian shows.
which is a national symbol.

111

Austria Kunst Haus Wien
In the 20th century, the
Europe The Austrian flag Alpine skiing Austrian-born artist and
has been used Austria has about 400 architect Friedensreich
since 1230 and is Hundertwasser designed
among the world’s ski resorts. Kitzbühel several unique buildings,
oldest flags. is home to the famous including this museum

downhill race on the in Vienna that holds
Hahnenkamm mountain. exhibitions of his and

other artists’ works.

Wolfgang CZ E C H I A Vienna sits on
the banks of the
Amadeus Mozart Schrems Danube River.
This 18th-century Austrian
musician composed his first work Krems an Laa an der Thaya
at the age of 5. He had written more
than 620 pieces of classical music Linz der Donau Danube (Donau)
by the time he died at the age of 35. Wels SLOVAKIA
VIENNA
GERMANY Salzburg Steyr Sankt Pölten Mur (WIEN)
Baden
LIECH. Bregenz
Dornbirn

Inn Kitzbühel Wiener Neustadt Eisenstadt
Innsbruck
S W Ischgl Kappl A P Kaprun Enns Liezen F i s cAhlbpaecnh e r UNGARY H
L Niedere N
I ERLA Sölden Hohe T a u e r nS Tauern Kapfenberg
T Z Leoben

N D AÖ lt z teanl e r Grossglockner Lienz G u rAkl tpaelne r Graz
p 3,798 m Feldkirchen Wolfsberg

(12,461 ft)

ITALY Villach Klagenfurt

SLOVENIA

0 50 km 32,382 sq miles
(83,871 sq km)
0 50 miles 8.9 million
(approximate scale) Vienna
German, other
Dancing horses languages (+3)
More than 450 years old, the
Spanish Riding School in Vienna Almost two-thirds of Austria
is the oldest riding academy in the is mountainous, with the dramatic
world. It trains horses to perform peaks, glaciers, and sloping meadows
acrobatic movements, such as this of the Alps dominating the landscape.
forward jump called the curvet. But the country is also known for its
palaces, art, and classical music.
Mountain lakes
Many lakes lie between the peaks of the
Austrian Alps, carved out of the landscape by
glaciers. The beautiful Vorderer Gosausee near
Salzburg lies at a height of 3,061 ft (933 m)

above sea level.

Sports star Czechia
Czechia has produced many great
tennis players. Petra Kvitová has

won 27 singles titles, including two

Wimbledon Championships. 0 50 km

0 50 miles N Astronomical Clock

GERMANY (approximate scale) This medieval clock has
struck the time in Prague
s Sněžka
eM šonuénHtoariyn) Ústí nad 1,603 m since 1410. It is an astronomical
O r (Kru Labem Liberec (5,259 ft)
Mladá K r k on clock, which means it not only
S u o š
Karlovy Vary e marks the hours but also the
Cheb P
Boleslav d movements of the sun,
Kladno O moon, and stars.
e

Bohemian Plzeň PRAGUE Elbe Hradec t L
Králové A
(PRAHA) Jesení

Pardubice e

a eská Dolní Morava
Vltav ina Brno k N
r a y n
IAhovJihlava
Čes k om o
Tábor Vr c
F Písek Ostrava
ores Winding walkway
The Sky Walk is a woodenD

t Jindřichův Olomouc raptahtiya) n s walkway in the mountain
eské Hradec resort of Dolní Morava.
eský Budějovice Zlín Ca rp AK
Krumlov Whi lé Ka Reaching a height of 180 ft
te (55 m) above the ground,
Znojmo Morava (B í V it offers majestic views
of the Morava Valley.
AU STRIA Dyje

SLO

Officially known as 30,450 sq miles Glassmaking
the Czech Republic, (78,867 sq km) Czechia is renowned
Czechia lies in the 10.7 million for the quality of its
heart of Europe Prague glassmaking, a tradition
and is known for its Czech, other that dates back to the
castles, medieval languages (+7) 13th century. These
towns, and several vases (left) are from
spa sites. Prague, the 19th century.
the capital, is known
as the “City of 100 Charles Bridge
Spires” for its many This famous bridge over the Vltava
churches and towers. River in Prague is lined with statues. It
connects the Old Town with the busy
Malá Strana district (seen here).

113

Slovakia

Europe Painted houses
Traditional log houses in the village of
Čičmany in northern Slovakia have
been preserved for their unusual
geometric decorations. The
patterns were originally
painted in mud and lime
by local women.

Towering peaks

The Tatra Mountains mark

The fujara is held Easter eggs Slovakia’s border with Poland.
upright while played. Decorating eggs is The sharp peaks and lakes are the
an Easter tradition in
Slovakia. They can be habitat of lynx, chamois (alpine
goats), marmots, and eagles.

dyed or hand-painted

like the ones here.

0 50 km Gerlachovský štít N

0 50 miles CHIA KByessukcykdéy 2,655 m (8,711 ft) POLAND
(approximate scale) Martin
CZ E Žilina Carpathian
Tatra Mountains
Dubnica nad Váhom Mountains Bardejov

Trenčín Čičmany Poprad Polo
Prievidza
Senica Brezno Hornád
ninyPrešov

nube ( Partizánske rudohorie
Košice
AUSTRIA
Trnava Váh on Zvolen Banská Bystrica Michalovce UKRAINE
Hr Slovenské
BRATISLAVA Nitra

Da Levice Lučenec Rimavská
DunKajo) lárovo Little Sobota
Alföld
Playing the fujara Mountain bears
Originally played by Komárno N G A R Y A growing population of more than
Slovakian shepherds,
HU a thousand brown bears roams
the fujara flute can the Tatra Mountains. They break
now be heard at Wild blooms up rocky ground with strong

claws to find food.

local festivals. The Turk’s cap lily can

grow to a height of 6 ft

The open flower (1.8 m), with each stem
petals curve holding up to 50 bowl-shaped
backward.
flowers. These flowers grow
wild on the slopes of the

Carpathian Mountains.

18,933 sq miles Slovakia became an independent nation
(49,035 sq km) in 1993. Its mountainous landscape is

5.4 million dotted with historic castles. The capital

Bratislava city of Bratislava has a well-preserved

Slovak, Hungarian Old Town.
(Magyar), Czech
114

Hungary

With an area of 231 sq miles Kékes Nagy Magyar Alföld is the Europe
1,014 m name given by Hungarians to
Hungarian flavor STRIA (598 sq km), Lake Balaton is (3,326 ft ) the Great Hungarian Plain.
the largest lake in Central Europe.
The national spice is paprika, Sopron UKRAI
which is made from ground hot, A U DaGnuybőe (rDuna)S LOVAKIA
sweet red peppers. It is featured in Nyíregyháza
Tatabánya Salgótarján NE
traditional dishes such as
goulash, a beef soup. AL iltftölled Vác M á t r a Bükk Miskolc
Eger
t
Pilis d
Szombathely a
BUDAPEST
Tisza l

G e Debrecen
A Berettyo
Veszprém Székesfehérvár ö
Bakony
r

Zalaegerszeg Danube ( Duna) f
Keszthely
Drava Lake Szolnok l ROMANIA
SLOVENIA Balaton
Kecskemét G r e a t N

Kaposvár Hungarian

Mecsek Szekszárd P l a i n Békéscsaba 0 50 km
Pécs Baja
Barcs Szeged Makó 0 50 miles
(approximate scale)
CRO
A T I A SERBIA Water polo
floral Both the Hungarian men’s and women’s
Striking national teams excel at the sport of water
polo. The men’s team has won 15 Olympic
designs are the most
medals and 11 World Championships.
common pattern.

Hungarian embroidery
Folk art enjoyed a revival in
19th-century Hungary as the
nation found its identity. Embroidered
costumes are worn for celebrations.

35,918 sq miles Rubik’s Cube Budapest
(93,028 sq km) In 1974, the Hungarian inventor The Danube River divides the city in
9.8 million Ernő Rubik created the Rubik’s two. On the west bank lies quiet Buda,
Budapest Cube—a color-coded 3-D puzzle home to Buda Castle and the Old Town.
Hungarian (Magyar) Across the river is lively Pest, where the
toy. More than 400 million Parliament and shopping district lie.
Known by its people as the “Land of Rubik’s Cubes have been
Magyars,” this country lost two-thirds
of its land after World War I. Today, it is sold worldwide.
known for folk art, music, and thermal
baths as well as Lake Balaton. The Széchenyi Chain Bridge is
one of eight bridges linking Buda
(on the left) with Pest (on the right).

Europe Serbia The Foremother is a
fish-themed sculpture
The coat of arms about 9,000 years old.
has a two-headed
eagle on a red shield. HUNGARY

Gray wolf Subotica 0 50 km
The national animal of Serbia
is the gray wolf. It is featured in CROATIA Sombor 0 50 miles
local poetry and mythology. (approximate scale)
Kikinda Lepenski Vir
Vojvodina The capital The archaeological site of
Belgrade is built Lepenski Vir on the banks of the
Novi Sad Zrenjanin on hilly terrain. Danube River is one of the oldest
Dan settlements in Europe. The site has
revealed several well-preserved
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA Šabac KopaonikBELGRADE ROMANIA
Sava ube Ž e l j i n(BEOGRAD) sculptures and buildings.
Smederevo PHloam
Loznica Javor Velika Morava
P o v l e n Lajkovac
MONT
o

l

jnsikn

Užice Kragujevac e
Priboj e

Čačak
Kraljevo Zapadna Morava
Zaječar

Kruševac Midžor
2,169 m
(7,116 ft)

Raspberry

ENEGRO Ni Serbia is one of

Ni šava the world’s leading
Pirot raspberry producers.
KOSOVO Leskovac The berries are mostly
(disputed) Vranje
B ULGARIA grown in the western
Djokovic holds his trophy part of the country.
after winning the 2011 US
Open Tennis Championship. N

Grand Slam M NO R TH I A
Serbian tennis ace Novak Djokovic ACE D ON
has 17 Grand Slam titles to date.
His talent for tennis was spotted Serbian national parks
when he was just four years old.
Serbia has five national parks. In the
29,913 sq miles
(77,474 sq km) mountains east of Užice is Tara National Park,
7 million
Belgrade known for the Drina River canyon (below).
Serbian, Hungarian
(Magyar)

The central European nation of Serbia
was one of the five countries that made
up the former republic of Yugoslavia.
Its capital, Belgrade, has been inhabited
for more than 7,000 years. It lies
on the Danube River, which flows a
distance of 365 miles (588 km) in Serbia.

116

Croatia

Pula Arena Windsurfing
Built in the 1st century bce in Pula, this Roman The strong winds along the
amphitheater was used as a battleground for Croatian coastline make perfect
gladiators. It could hold up to 23,000 spectators. conditions for windsurfers.
Many international windsurfing
competitions are held here.

The capital Zagreb
lies on the Sava River.

Čakovec

Krapina Varaždin
Koprivnica
SLOVENIA Bi raavVoirnoivHaitiUcaNDGravAaORsijeYk
Bjelovar lo Go
ZAGREB Sl
Rijeka Samobor SERBIA N
Rovinj Istria Sisak
Karlovac Sava Danube
Krk Crikvenica Požega

Pula Vukovar

Cres BOSNIA Slavonski 0 50 km
Pag D i naric & Brod
Velebit 0 50 miles
Plitvice Lakes National Park HERZEGOVINA (approximate scale)
This vast nature reserve has many
waterfalls, including the 52 ft (16 m) Dugi Otok Zadar Dinara Griffon vulture
tall Galovački Buk waterfall. 1,831m With a wingspan of
(6,007 ft) up to 8.7 ft (2.65 m), the
Alps
Šibenik griffon vulture is among the

21,851 sq miles world’s largest birds. It nests
(56,594 sq km) Split on the northern islands,

Brac including Cres and Krk.
4.2 million A Dalmatia

Zagreb d Vis Hvar

r

Croatian i Korčula
S
a tic
a Dubrovnik
e

Mljet

Croatia has 3,700 miles (6,000 km) of Walled city
Adriatic coastline, as well as idyllic Overlooking the Adriatic Sea in southern
islands and national parks, making it Croatia is Dubrovnik, known for the stone
popular with tourists. The country was walls, red-roofed buildings, and historic forts
a part of Yugoslavia until 1991. of the Old Town as well as its popular beaches.

Bosnia and
Herzegovina
Europe

C RO A T I

Bosanski Sava A Outdoor chess
Giant chess boards are scattered
Bihać Novi Vrbas around the streets and parks of
Banja Luka Sarajevo so locals can challenge
sna
Bo each other to a game.
D Doboj aBrčko
Bijeljina
Ključ Gradačac

i

nar Jajce V l a š i ć Tuzla Drin
CR Mountains
Zvornik S E R B I A
Zenica
ic
OA
Livno 0 40 km

T Srebrenica 0 40 miles
(approximate scale)
I Lake Alps SARAJEVO
Buško
A
Natural spring
The Vrelo Bune spring feeds from a Mostar Goražde Standing 574 ft (175 m)
cliff cave into the Buna River at Blagaj, Capljina Buna Foča tall, the Avaz Twist
a scenic spot with a monastery. Tower is the tallest

Maglić RO building in Sarajevo.
2,386 m G
19,767 sq miles (7,828 ft) N E
(51,197 sq km)
3.8 million A d r Trebinje M ONTE
Sarajevo S e
Bosnian, Serbian, ia tic
a

Croatian N Connected capital
Dating back to 1885, Sarajevo’s tram

This country is made up of the two network is thought to be one of the
regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina. oldest in Europe. A total of 95 trams
It has popular ski slopes, striking
connect different parts of the city.

waterfalls, and the historic city of Spectacular bridge
Mostar, a mix of Ottoman architecture Meaning “Old Bridge,” Stari Most links

and modern street art. the two halves of the city of Mostar.
Fearless divers jump off the bridge into

the Neretva River, 75 ft (23 m) below.

Montenegro S

D A two-headed eagle on the flag
VI of Montenegro represents unity

between church and state.

A
EuropeNNAPljevljaE
Plužine
Tara
Zeta

CROA
HEBROZESGNIOA A R B
KOSOVO
Bobotov Kuk I

River rafting 0 20 km 2,523 m Bijelo
With more than 11 miles (18 km) of (8,278 ft) Polje
fast-flowing rapids, the Tara River is a 0 20 miles
popular spot for white-water rafting. (approximate scale) Din a Nikšić Kolašin Rožaje The capital Podgorica
Vilusi Plav sits at the meeting point
5,333 sq miles ASderai TIA ric of the Morača and
(13,812 sq km) N a Ribnica rivers.
609,900 t i c Crkvice
Podgorica A
Bay of Kotor l p s PODGORICA A L BANIA

Kotor Lake Bay of Kotor
Scutari This picturesque bay on the
Petrovac Adriatic coast has limestone
na Moru
Ulcinj cliffs and is home to several

Montenegrin, Serbian, medieval towns.

other languages (+3)

In the tiny nation of Montenegro,
medieval towns nestle in the rugged
Dinaric Alps, while rivers cut through
dramatic limestone canyons. With a
depth of 4,265 ft (1,300 m), the Tara
River canyon is Europe’s deepest.

N S E RBI Kosovo

Kopaonik Champion judoka
A Sporting star Majlinda Kelmendi (in white)
National Library of Kosovo MONTENEGRO Mitrovica/ Podujevë/
Mitrovica SitSniitcnëic/a Podujevo is a two-time judo world champion and
Pejë/Peć the first Kosovar to win Olympic gold.

Designed by the Croatian architect Gjeravica/ Gjakovë/ PRISTINA
Ðeravica Đakovica (PRISHTINË/
Andrija Mutnjaković, this domed building PRIŠTINA) Gjilan/Gnjilane

in Pristina holds more than 2 million 2,656 m A Prizren Ferizaj/Uroševac
(8,714 ft)

items, including books, manuscripts, and maps. LBA N I A Mountains Kaçanik/
Kačanik

Šar MNAOCRETDHO N I A

Tasty treat 0 20 km

A popular dish in Kosovo 0 20 miles
is burek, a baked pastry (approximate scale)
with fillings such as cheese,
spinach, or meat.

Kosovo was a part of Serbia before 4,203 sq miles (10,887 sq km)
it declared itself independent 1.9 million
in 2008. It is bordered by steep Pristina
mountains, and Mount Gjeravica Albanian, Serbian,
is its highest point. Most people other languages (+4)
live in the fertile central plains.

Cyprus This intricately
decorated copper

pot is used for
serving coffee.

Kyrenia Castle

There has been a castle

overlooking the harbor

of Kyrenia for hundreds

of years. Its present

structure dates from Grape candy
the 16th century. Made with grapes and

nuts, shoushouko is

Copper pot a traditional Cypriot
Copper has been mined in Cyprus dessert. The grape juice
for 6,000 years. People have traditionally gives it a chewy texture.

used it to make copperware, such as

cooking utensils and this pot.

e r r a nea n Dipkarpaz Cape
Northern Cyprus has (Rizokarpaso) Apostolos
Cat island e d i t Cape Sea been occupied by Yeni Erenköy Andreas
Since ancient times, M Turkey since 1974
Kormakitis (Yialousa) s i a Apollo, Greek god of
Cyprus has been full p a the sun, is shown with
of cats. There are Erenköy Kyrenia Girne (Kyrenia) K a r his instrument, the lyre.
almost 300,000 Mountains
more cats than Cape (Kokkina) Güzelyurt Tatlısu
people on Arnaouti (Akanthoú)
the island. (Morphou)
APkorlBoi0Ásat(iPsPrreiasaSkAocoThrshvernneaoara)(eo2AUi0dgkKnokr) mostiri1MM,o9ouC5n2uL(aLtipmneOmemPlt(ya6aGames,4laispMsan0tóuoi4ascssle)hftó) driNi I(tDCLLháOeaSarrSnrlniIaeaArkMcaaaa)enLsF(GaaeaaBrmznoaaiamayrgncauiağsautsaB(DSaUoah,KvseAF)eek(mAAraeAelgymmriiagiieaaBnoaaNacNghayauoppssaatt)oas)
Paphos
(Páfos)

N

0 20 miles Mosaics of Paphos
(approximate scale) Ancient floor mosaics
depicting scenes from
Divided city Greek mythology were
The capital city of Nicosia is discovered in Paphos
split into a Greek part and a in 1962 and are now
Turkish part. The minarets of on display at the city’s
the historic Selimiye Mosque Archaeological Park.
tower over the Turkish district.

3,572 sq miles (9,251 sq km)
1.3 million
Nicosia
Greek, Turkish

Traces of this Mediterranean
island’s rich past can be seen
in its Stone-Age settlements,
Roman ruins, and Byzantine
churches. Since 1974, Cyprus
has been divided, with Turkey
running the north, and Greek
Cypriots the south.

North Macedonia

KOSOVO SERBIA
Tetovo
Matka Canyon Mount Korab EuropeKumanovoLakeside theater
Located to the west of Skopje, this canyon 2,764 m A legacy of the area’s Roman
(9,068 ft) BUL G A R I AOsogovskiPlanini
past, this amphitheater on
VardarSKOPJE
nska Planina
is known for its many caves and medieval N Gostivar Delčevo the shore of Lake Ohrid was
ALBANIA
monasteries and the artificial Matka Lake. Plake Veles built in about 200 bce but
Crn Debrešte only rediscovered in the
Radoviš 1980s. It is now a venue

Struga Prilep a Reka Negotino for shows and concerts.
Lake Ohrid Gevgelija 0
9,928 sq miles Ohrid Bitola 25 km
(25,713 sq km)
Lake
Prespa
2.1 million GREECE 0 25 miles
Skopje (approximate scale)

Macedonian, other
languages (+4)

North Macedonia became independent
in 1991 when the former state of
Yugoslavia split into new nations.
The country’s mountainous walking
trails are as popular as its unspoiled
lakes, such as Lake Ohrid.

Theth National Park Albania

Stunning scenery, the Shala ENEGRO
AlbBaanijarnamAlps
River, the Grunas Waterfall, O N T
and the village of Theth
(left) attract hikers to M KOSOVO Star athlete

this national park in Koplik Curri Luiza Gega made
Lake
the Albanian Alps. Scutari Shkodër history when she won
A d r iSaeta
Lezhë Kukës Mount Albania’s first gold
Korab
Tirana is the biggest i c Peshkopi 2,764 m medal in the 1,500 m
and busiest city Durrës Krujë (9,068 ft)
in Albania. race at the 2015
TIRANA
MNAOCRETDHONIA European Games.
(TIRANË)
Elbasan

Strait of Otranto Lushnjë Lake
11,100 sq miles Fier Ohrid
(28,748 sq km) Pogradec
3.1 million
Vlorë Korçë

Tirana Tepelenë Ersekë N

Albanian, Greek Gjirokastër ECE
Sarandë
This mountainous country in the GRE 0 50 km
southeast of Europe is home to
many historic castles in the dramatic Konispol 0 50 miles
Albanian Alps and along the coast. (approximate scale)
Its capital, Tirana, is known for its
brightly colored buildings.

Greece N O R T H N I A B ULGARIA
MA C E D O
Kilkís Rhodope Mountains
Sérres Dráma Xánthi

Lake Flórina Kavála
ANIA Prespa Edessa Salonica

EuropeTorchbearers Ioánnina Véroia (Thessaloníki) Thracian
also carry an
ALBolive branch,Kozáni Polygyros Sea
a symbol Kateríni
of peace. Karyés

Corfu Pindus Mountai Mount Olympus Pineiós Thermaic Límnos
(Kérkyra) 2,917 m (9,570 ft) Gulf Mýrina
Ionian Pefkohori
Corfu Tríkala Lárisa

Kardítsa Vólos Aegean

Préveza ns Lamía Euboea
Kefalloniá Livadeia
Agrínio (Evvoia)
Chalkida
Sea
I Pátra

I

Olympic torch sl ATHENS
The Olympic Games started
in ancient Greece. Today, a o (ATHINA)
torch is lit at Olympia, near Piraeus
Pirgos, and a series of runners a (Peiraiás)
carry it through Greece before Ermióni
a similar relay in the host n
country and city.
n Pýrgos Peloponne Corinth Ándros
(Kórinthos)
i Olympia Trípoli

d se

a Spárti

s

n

Sea Syros
Ermoúpoli
Kalamáta l
Cyc

Kalamata olives Néapoli Mílos
Purple olives grow on
kalamata trees in southern Kýthira Santoríni
Greece. They are handpicked
and preserved in olive oil. N Sea

The Parthenon temple stands at of
the top of an ancient site called the
Athena’s city Acropolis, which overlooks Athens. Chaniá Crete
Athens, the capital of Greece, takes its name from the
ancient Greek goddess Athena. Today, remains of Réthymno
the old civilization can still be seen in the modern city. Irákleio

Ancient Greece was one of the first great 50,948 sq miles
civilizations of Europe, where people prayed (131,957 sq km)
to the gods of Mount Olympus. Today, tourists 10.6 million
flock to this Mediterranean country to see its Athens
ancient ruins and explore its thousands of Greek, other
beautiful islands. The country’s economy languages (+2)
depends largely on tourism and shipping.

122

Orestiáda Jersey tiger moth Europe
Known as the “Valley of the
Komotiní Butterflies,” the Petaloúdes
Alexandroúpoli Valley on the Greek island
of Rhodes is a sanctuary for
Shipping industry thousands of migrating
Together with tourism, shipping is one of Greece’s
biggest industries. This maritime nation has many Jersey tiger moths.
busy ports, including Piraeus (above).
KEY The colorful moths have
Mytilíni R striped forewings and
Lesbos U spotted underwings.

Chíos T Greek pottery
For thousands of years,
Chios Sámos skilled Greek artisans
Pátmos have handcrafted pots.
Mýkonos Many are decorated
with scenes from Greek
ades myths. This jar shows
the Greek hero Theseus
Náxos
Amorgós slaying the Minotaur.

Dodecan Kos

ese Rhodes Greek salad
(Ródos) A simple salad of tomatoes,
cucumbers, onion, olives, feta
Líndos Rhodes cheese, and olive oil is eaten

Crete throughout the country. Santorini island
Many island groups dot the seas around Greece.
Kárpathos
The volcanic island of Santorini, in the Aegean
Sitia e a n Sea, is famous for its whitewashed buildings.

Med er r a n Folk festivals
S e a Greece has a busy calendar of
i t national celebrations and local
village festivals, such as this
0 50 km annual folk festival in the village
of Pefkohori. Traditional music
0 50 miles and dance, as well as outdoor
(approximate scale) feasts, accompany these
special occasions.

Geography: Greece has Culture: Ancient Greek- Wildlife: The country’s 123
a rugged landscape. Of its inspired architecture can be terrain is home to bears,
6,000 islands, only around 227 seen worldwide. An example is the goats, lynx, wolves, and deer.
are inhabited. use of Greek columns on buildings. Food and drink: Greeks enjoy
History: More than 2,500 Natural wonders: Greece’s a healthy Mediterranean diet of
years ago, the ancient amazing landscape includes grilled meat and fish, fresh fruit and
Greeks led the way in politics, Meteora’s rock formations and vegetables, cheese, and olive oil.
philosophy, and science. the Samaria Gorge on Crete.

Europe Bulgaria Valley of the Roses
Rare damask roses are grown
Varna gold treasure in a valley in the foothills of the
The oldest gold treasures Balkan Mountains. They are
ever found were discovered in cultivated for their perfumed oil.

prehistoric graves in the city
of Varna. They date back
to 4600 bce.

Vidin R NIA
MDoanntuabnea(DunaOv)
SERBIA M A sRkusae RRaavzgn ri anda Silistra
Dobrich
0 50 km Vratsa Pleven D un a v

0 50 miles SBOaFIlAk a n Lovech a Veliko Shumen Varna
(approximate scale) Mount Tarnovo
(SOFIYA) ins
Pernik
Sliven
Kyustendil Musala k
2,925 m (9,596 ft)
MANCOERDTOHNIA Rila Mtns. leaac
Plovdiv Stara Tund zha Burgas Shopska
Rhodope Mo Zagora B
Smolyan Maritsa Haskovo URK S Bulgaria’s national dish—
shopska—is a salad of tomato,
GREE u ntains E
cucumber, onion, and cheese.
tradition C T E Y

Kukeri N

During the winter

festival of Surva,

men and boys wear

animal skins and

furs to scare off Rila Monastery
evil spirits. Bulgaria’s patron

saint, John of

Bulgaria is a mountainous Rila, established
country with a Black Sea this five-domed

monastery in the

coastline of long sandy 42,810 sq miles Rila Mountains.
beaches. To the north, the (110,879 sq km)
Danube River marks its 7 million Seven Rila Lakes
border with Romania. Sofia A group of seven lakes named after their various shapes,

Bulgarian, other including “fish,” “eye,” and “tear,” are situated near Musala,
languages (+2)
the highest peak in the Rila Mountains south of Sofia.

124

Romania

Wall paintings Europe
Monasteries in the
Bucovina region, near N
Suceava, are painted with
colorful 15th-century
frescoes that depict
Biblical stories.

Mărțișor amulets ARY Satu Mare UKRAINE
Every Mărțișor
(meaning “March 1”), Baia Mare Car Botoșani
at the start of spring, Suceava
Romanians give their
loved ones lucky amulets. HUNG Oradea Zalău Bistrița MOLDOV A

Red and white (DuDanănruebae)Cluj-NapocaSiretIași
trinkets are worn
around the neck pathian Mountains
or wrist in March. Târgu Mureș Piatra-Neamț Bran Castle
Some say this 14th-century castle
Arad Mureș Bacău in the Carpathian Mountains was
Bram Stoker’s inspiration for the setting
Timișoara Alba Iulia Miercurea- Vaslui of his fictional story of Dracula.
Ciuc Sfântu Gheorghe
Deva Vârful Moldoveanu UKRAINE
2,544 m (8,346 ft) Bran
Castle
Reșița Transylvanian Alps
Brașov Focșani

SERB Târgu Jiu Râmnicu Vâlcea Buzău Brăila

Pitești Ploiești Danube
Tulcea Delta
IA BUCHAREST
Craiova (BUCUREŞTI)
Slatina Slobozia
BlaSecak
Danube (DunCăareraa)cal Călărași

BULGARI

A

0 75 km

0 75 miles
(approximate scale)

Great white pelicans A handheld
In summer, thousands ribbon is
of great white pelicans twirled by
congregate to a rhythmic
breed in the gymnast.
Danube River
Delta, east Gymnastics
of Tulcea. Romania has a long
history of success in
gymnastics. Romanian

gymnasts have won more
than 70 medals at the
Summer Olympics.

92,043 sq miles Romania, in southeastern Europe,
(238,391 sq km) is one of the largest countries in
21.3 million Europe. It is known for its Carpathian
Bucharest Mountains, Transylvanian
Romanian, other forests, and castles.
languages (+3)
125

Ukraine The Antonov Serial
Production Plant
Domes of gold in Kyiv has been
St. Michael’s Golden- manufacturing
Domed Cathedral in Kyiv planes since 1920.
is a working monastery as
well as a cathedral of the
Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

BEL A RUS Aircraft industry

Pripet Marshes Chernobyl For decades, Ukraine has been an industrial

Chernihiv powerhouse producing many types of aircrafts,
AND Luts’k (Chornobyl’) Dnieper Lowl
L’viv Korosten’ D including large cargo planes, such
L Rivne Kyiv Reservoir
P O Pryluky Sumy as this An-225 Mriya.

M Ternopil’ Zhytomyr KYIV R U
Carpathian
SLOVAKIA Ivano-Frankivs’k Khmelʼnyts’kyy nieper and Kharkiv S S I A
Cherkasy
Uzhhorod Hoverla Po d i l Vinnytsya Poltava Donets’ N
2,061m
HUNGARY oun (6,762 ft) ’ s ’ k a Uman’ Kremenchuk Kremenchuk
Reservoir
R Khust A t ains Chernivtsi D V y

OM NI A MOL s oc Kropyvnyts’kyy Dnipro Luhans’k
(Kirovohrad) (Dnipropetrovs’k)
D h y n a Kryvyi Rih

niester Zaporizhzhya Donets’k
OVA
The male roe deer Bla Kakhovka Nikopol’
grows a new pair of Mykolayiv Reservoir
c k o w l a n d Mariupol’
antlers every year. Sea L
Berdyans’k
Odessa Kherson Gulf of Taganrog 0 100 km
(Odesa)
0 100 miles
Artsyz Black RUSSIA (approximate scale)
Sea
Yevpatoriya C r i m e a Sea of
A z o v Kerch

(annexed by Russia Simferopol’
since 2014)

Sevastopol’ Yalta

Roe deer Farming crops
This solitary mammal Ukraine’s vast fertile plains and mild
climate make it one of the top producers
with a distinctive of wheat, corn, barley, and soy beans. In
white rump and 2019, nearly 82.7 millions tons (75 million
metric tons) of grain were harvested.
short tail thrives in
Ukraine’s forests.

233,032 sq miles The bandura Young musicians
(603,550 sq km) is a stringed Traditional folk music is popular
43.9 million instrument that throughout Ukraine. Their tunes range
Kyiv resembles a lute. from love melodies to political songs.
Ukrainian,
Russian, Tatar

Formerly part of the Soviet
Union, Ukraine became an
independent republic in
1991. The nation is sometimes
known as the “Breadbasket
of Europe” for its fertile fields.

126

Belovezhskaya Pushcha Belarus
National Park
This ancient forest protects nearly

579 sq miles (1,500 sq km) of old oak,
80,154 sqwipNnmihantetheiir,oeleeannsiantedliigsPhfcaibrarotklrlr.eeidneBsgeB.locHivoaePaNuzłouhalnfsswttihPkooricaanyefDhyrażkaaztolhayfaerPz3pho4aGHy5lnarrrmBskoonkddd(lay1innye,,Lea1oas3I/HlT2aaHfBBrtaL)aarUirrduAaaannsMMoaNkvvoaNaiillMccaooavhhvLddaIyyiNopezA/pSycoaToehlKBalcnVotahHosItbnsAkrark/u/aBBysaodkrrPP/iyassoooallvaowttss/RkkMM/VVUOiioattSrghessybiiSllhesëyaIbokvAswk//
POLAND Europe0 100 km
NIA
Pripet 0 100 miles
Dnieper (approximate scale)
(207,600 sq km) Brest Pinsk Pripet Bobruysk Homyel’/
9.5 million Marshes Mazyr/ Gomel Modern Minsk
Minsk Mozyr’ Two rivers—the Svislač
UKRAINE
and the Nyamiha
(below)—flow through
Minsk, the nation’s capital

and industrial center.

N

Belarusian, Russian

Forest and marshland cover much
of this landlocked nation, which
lies between Russia and Poland.
Belarus’s rural areas are home to wild
boars, elks, wolves, and rare zubrs,
also known as European bison.

Moldova

Soroca fortress Edineţ UK 0 60 km
This 15th-century Soroca
0 60 miles
fortress was built to Bălţi R (approximate scale)

protect Moldova from A
invaders. The round
towers helped it resist Falesti Rîbnița I
Bălănești Hill Dubăsari
430 m (1,411 ft) NE

Dniester

cannon fire. ROMANIACHIŞINĂU Tiraspol Lavender harvest
Bender Lavender thrives in
(Tighina)
Leova Basarabeasca Moldova’s dry, warm
13,070 sq miles climate and rich soil.
(33,851 sq km)
3.4 million Cahul N The flowers are distilled
Chișinău
Moldovan, to produce a fragrant
Ukrainian, Russian
essential oil.
This landlocked nation, lying on a hilly
plateau, declared its independence
from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Orchards and vineyards dot the
country’s rolling hills and produce
an abundance of fruit and wine.

127

Russia First human in space

Russia became the first country to send a
person into space when Soviet cosmonaut
Yuri Gagarin circled Earth for 108 minutes
aboard the Vostok 1 spacecraft in 1961.

Franz Josef
Land

Baltic P e nKionlsau l aSeaFINLANDMurmanskNova Zemlya
Kaliningrad
Ne Barents
LITLAHTUVAINAIA
POLAND ESTONIA St Petersburg Sea
(Sankt-Peterburg)
Lake Petrozavodsk
Pskov va Ladoga Kara Sea

BELARUS Lake Archangel Dikson
Onega (Arkhangel’sk)
Noril’sk
Moscow skyscrapers Smolensk Tver a
The biggest city in Russia is the capital, West
Moscow, situated on the Moskva River. Modern Vologda Siberianl
skyscrapers in the business district contrast with l
the historic architecture of Red Square. Plain
Bryansk MOSCOW Syktyvkar Vorkuta nYian smua
(MOSKVA) Tomsk
e

U K RAINE ns P
Surgut
Ryazan’ Nizhny Novgorod Mounta i
al
Voronezh Kirov Yekaterinburg O b’

Rostov-na- Penza Kazan’ Perm’ Taz

Matryoshka dolls Donu Saratov Ul’yanorsk r

Wooden stacking dolls called Krasnodar Volgograd Samara Ufa U
matryoshkas, meaning “little Stavropol’
Sochi Volga
Chelyabinsk
matrons,” have been Orenburg Irty
handmade in Russia Nal’chik Astrakhan’ Ob’Omsk
since the 1890s. They Groznyy sh
fit inside one Mt. Elbrus
5,642 m Ural
KAZAKHSTAN
(18,510 ft) Caspian Sea

another and AZERBAIJAN 0 500 km Novosibirsk Kemerovo
form part 0 500 miles Barnaul Krasnoyarsk
of a set. (approximate scale)

St. Petersburg Abakan

The golden dome of St. Isaac’s Cathedral Kyzyl

dominates the skyline of Russia’s former

imperial capital. The historic port city and

its palaces are home to world-class museums.

Russia is the largest country in the world. Spanning 6,601,668 sq miles
11 time zones, it is spread over two continents, from (17,098,242 sq km)
eastern Europe to the Pacific coast of Asia. The 141.7 million
Ural Mountains divide Russia in two. The Siberian Moscow
wilderness in the east has the coldest inhabited Russian, Tatar,
place on Earth: Oymyakon, east of Yakutsk. Here, the Ukrainian, Chavash,
temperature falls below −58°F (−50°C) in the winter. other languages

128

Nenet people
Deep in the Siberian Arctic, on the
Yamal Peninsula, live the Nenets.
These nomadic reindeer herders
wear thick furs to survive the
subzero temperatures.
Europe
N ARCTIC Lake Baikal
aitOCEANThe world’s largest freshwater lake is Lake Baikal in
Severmaya Kamchatkasouthern Siberia. This 25-million-year-old lake holds
Zemlya about 20 percent of the planet’s fresh surface water.
Khre
Poluostrov Taymyr Ve r k h o y an s k i Bering Str Dancers from Moscow’s
Khatanga
Len New Siberian S Si beear i a n Ch u k o t famous Bolshoi Ballet
Islands R a n g e perform Don Quixote.

Laptev East Ambarchik Anadyr’
Sea
Chokurdakh Kolyma Range
Tiksi Nizhneyansk
Koryak Range
Central Batagay bet Cher
Siberian Ust-Nera
Plateau s k o g o

Sib Zhigansk y K h r e b e t Oymyakon Palana
a

eri a Magadan
Okhotsk
Mirnyy Yakutsk

Lensk

Lena Aldan S e a o f Petropavlovsk-
Okhotsk Kamchatsky
Stanovoy
Ust-Ilimsk Khrebet
ebet
Bratsk AmurOkha

r h Kuril IslandsSakhalin
Bukachacha
Lake b l o n ovyy K
Baikal Chita
Irkutsk Y a

Ulan-Ude Blagoveshchensk Yuzhno- Russian ballet
Sakbalinsk Russia is renowned
C H I N AM O N G O L I A Khabarovsk for its classical ballet
tradition and is where
Dal’negorsk some of the most famous

ballets, such as Swan

Vladivostok Lake, were created.

Sea of

Japan JAPAN

Long journey (East Sea)

Trains running on the main Siberian tiger

line of the Trans-Siberian Railway The Siberian, or Amur, tiger has

network take eight days to complete thick fur for extra warmth in the

the journey from Moscow in the west icy forests of eastern Russia.

to Vladivostok in the east, a distance Only about 500 of these big

of 5,772 miles (9,289 km). cats survive in the wild today.

Geography: The vast terrain covers Culture: Russia’s rich culture
mountains, forests, treeless tundra, includes the literature of Tolstoy,
grassy steppes, and deserts. Europe’s longest the music of Tchaikovsky, and athletes
river, the Volga, flows through central Russia. such as tennis star Maria Sharapova.
History: Russia was ruled by monarchs Wildlife: Russia’s diverse habitats
called czars until the 1917 Revolution, are home to the Eurasian lynx,
when Communists took control and created Amur leopards, red deer, brown bears,
the Soviet Union. This fell in 1991. beluga whales, and Oriental storks.

ROP E ns
st
TURKEY Black S E U Ural M o u n ta i
W e
CYPRUS ea
LEBANON PeGrusliaf n Siberian
ISRAEL ARMENIAGEORGIA
SYRIA Plain
JORDAN uphrates A Z E R B . AZERBAIJAN
Red SeaAFRIC ian Aral
Ca s p TURKMENISTA UZ
A Sea K A Z A K H S TA N
BEKISTAN
Tigris N
E

Sea
S A U D I IRAQ IRAN Lake
A R A B I A KUWAIT Balkhash
Iranian
BAHRAIN KYRGYZSTAN

A r a b i a n QATAR Plateau AFGHANISTAN TAJIKISTAN

Peninsula U.A.E. Kunlun Mountains

YEMEN OMAN Gulf of Oman PAKISTAN Plateau
of Tibet
Gulf of Aden Indus H
IM
Socotra Thar Desert A Mount Everest
(to Yemen) NEPAL L8,84A8 m (29,029 ft)
INDIA
Arabian Ganges YA S
Sea
BHUTAN

Laccadive Islands Decc a n BANGLADESH
(to India) MYANMAR
(BURMA)

MALDIVES SRI Bay Andaman Islands
LANKA of (to India)
Bengal

N Nicobar Islands Andaman
(to India) Sea

0 750 km

0 750 miles
(approximate scale)
INDIAN
OCEAN MALAYSIA

SINGAPORE
Sumatra

ASIA I

Kara Laptev Wrangel NORTH
Sea Sea AMERICA
E a s t Island
Siberian Bering
Sea
Sea

Central

Ob’ Siberian Lena a

Plateau i b e Isla n d sri

S
Kamchatka
akhalin

Al
RUSSIA

tai M o MO N G O L IA Sea of
S Okhotsk
u n t ains G ob
Kuril
i Mongolia
JAPAN
Inner NORTH Honshu

C H I N A Yellow River KOREA PACIFIC
SOUTH OCEAN
KOREA
Yellow
Sea
Yangtze

East
China
S e a
Islands
LAOS TAIWAN Ryukyu

THAILAND Hainan
Dao

CAMBODIA NAM South Luzon
VIET China
Philippine
Sea Sea

PHILIPPINES

BRUNEI SSu leua Mindanao

MALAYSIA Celebes
Sea
Borneo

NDO NE SI A
Celebes
Java Sea Moluccas
Java

F l o r e s Sea Banda New Guinea
Sea
Flores EAST

TIMOR Arafura
Sea
T iSmeoar

Turkey Patara beach
One of Turkey’s beauty spots is
the 11-mile (18 km) long Patara
Beach, south of Mugla. It lies close

to the ruins of an ancient city.

Tasty pastry BULGARIA
Among the sweetest treats
Edirne Kirklareli
in Central Asia is baklava, GREECE İstanbul Bosporus Black Sea Sinop
a popular honey and
nut pastry dessert. Tekirdağ Zonguldak

Sea of İzmit Küre Dağları Bafra
Marmara Kastamonu
Çanakkale Adapazarı

Suleiman Aegean Balıkesir Bursa Bilecik Bolu Samsun
Sea Manisa Kütahya Eskişehir Çankırı Canik
the Magnificent
Turkey was the heartland ANKARA Çorum Amasya
of the Ottoman Empire.
Kırıkkale
During the reign of
Kızıl Irmak
sultan Suleiman I İzmir Uşak Afyon
(1520–1566), the Selçuk
Lake Tuz Kirşehir

empire expanded all the Söke Aydın Denizili Eğirdir (Tuz Gölu) Nevşehir Kayseri
way into Europe, northern Burdur Gölu
Muğla İsparta A n a to
Africa, and western Asia.
Beyşehir Konya
Gölu
Nigde

Antalya T a u Karaman ntai n s
(
Majestic Mosque T r u sM o u Tarsus Osmaniye
The spectacular 17th-century o s Dağlar
Sultan Ahmed Mosque dominates or ı)
the Istanbul skyline. Also known
as the Blue Mosque, it has Mersin Adana
patterned blue tiles on its
inside walls. Mediterranean (İçel) İskenderun
One of six towering
S e a Antakya

minarets from which CYPRUS

worshippers are
called to prayer.

Turkey stretches from eastern Europe to western 302,535 sq miles
Asia. Straddling both continents, this country has a (783,562 sq km)
mix of Islamic and Western traditions. Turkey’s 82 million
largest city, Istanbul, was once the center of the Ankara
Byzantine Empire, before the region was taken Turkish, other
over by the Ottomans, who ruled Turkey for languages (+7)
more than 600 years.

132

Hot-air balloons carry tourists over Asia
the Cappadocia rock formations
so they can get a bird’s-eye view. IRAN

N

0 125 km Fairy chimneys
Otherworldly rocky spires jut out from the arid
0 125 miles landscape of Cappadocia. These boulders were
(approximate scale) formed over millions of years by volcanic eruptions.

Dağları Ordu Trabzon GEORGIA
Sivas
Doğu Karadeniz Dağları Artvin

Kars The patterns, colors, and
Aras ARMENIA symbols of the rugs reflect
local traditions and cultures.
Euphrates Erzurum Ağri Mount Ararat
5,137 m (16,854 ft)

li a Hand-woven carpets

Elazig Bingöl Beautiful rugs and carpets called
kilims have been made in Turkey
Malatya D ağları Lake Van
(Van Gölu) for centuries.
G üney Tigris Batman
Van
Diyarbakır
Adıyaman

Kahramanmaraş Atatürk i s t an
Baraji Hakkâri
u r d

Gaziantep Şanlıurfa Mardin K

SYRIA IRAQ Library of Celsus
The ancient site of Ephesus is located
Grand Bazaar near Selçuk. Once a prosperous Roman
Istanbul’s famous bazaar is city, its well-preserved ruins include this
among the world’s oldest covered
markets. Its stalls sell everything impressive 2nd-century library.

from spices to jewelry.

Whirling dervishes

In Turkey, there are
Muslim worshippers
called dervishes who
perform whirling dances,
songs, and prayers to
express their faith.

History: After the defeat Natural wonders: Grand sites 133
of the Ottoman Empire in include the clear green waters of the
World War I, the Republic of Turquoise Coast around Mugla and
Turkey formed in 1923. Antalya and the rare spires of Cappadocia.
Food and drink: From kebabs
Culture: The country’s and kofte to meze mixes, Turkish
art and architecture dishes use ingredients from Arab, Greek,
reflect a unique mix of Eastern and Western cuisine.
and Western influences.

Azerbaijan Mud volcanoes
In Gobustan National Park, southwest of
Asia Mugham music N Baku, there are almost 300 mud volcanoes.
These are not true volcanoes (made of lava)
These musicians and poets have gathered but formed by eruptions of mud and gas.
together to make improvised traditional
Azerbaijani folk music called mugham. G E O RZaGqIaGAtäanlacŞääkRiGUrSeaStIeAr C Mount Bazardüzü
Mingäçevir 4,466 m (14,652 ft)

Lesser Caucasu Xaçmaz 0 100 km

ARMENIA aQu cuabsau s Siyäzän 0 100 miles
Sumqayıt (approximate scale)

Xänkändi Kura BAKU
Imişli Hacıqabul (BAKI)

s n City landmark

Naxcivan a

Biläsuvar pi The Heydar Aliyev Center in
a

s Baku is a hub for Azerbaijani
e

IRAN Ca
S

Länkärän culture. It is famous for its

wavelike design.

33,436 sq miles Azerbaijan is rich in petroleum
(86,600 sq km) and natural gas reserves. In
10.2 million some places, burning gas seeps
Baku out of the ground and stays
Azeri, Russian ablaze for years on end. For this
reason, Azerbaijan has been
called “the land of fire.”

Syria TURKEY 0 75 km

0 75 miles
(approximate scale)

Raising water Aleppo Manbij Al Qamishli N
Giant waterwheels called norias (Halab) Lake
were once used to raise water in Assad Al Hasakah
irrigation systems around the city Idlib Raqqa
of Hama. The wheels (below) Latakia Ath Thawrah (Ar Raqqah) Al Jazirah
date from the 14th century.
Sea Euphr
The waterwheels are
turned by the flow of Hama (Hamah) ates Dayr az
the Orontes River. Zawr
n Homs IRAQ
ISRAEL
a N (Himş)
eban Al
e DAMASCUS Palmyra

n (DIMASHQ) Bustling bazaar
The Al-Hamidiyah souk in Damascus
ra Mount Hermonon (Tadmur) r t Abu Kamal
O is Syria’s biggest market. It sells
handicrafts, clothes, and groceries.
LAMnEtei-dBLi tAeNr Qaryatayn Des e
Syria has a rich history—its
Syrian capital, Damascus, has been
inhabited since 8000 bce.
2,814 m (9,232 ft)JORDAN The country has experienced
turbulence in recent years
Dar‘a due to a civil war that
began in 2011, which has
72,370 sq miles forced millions of people
(187,437 sq km) to flee their homeland.
19.4 million
Damascus
Arabic, other
languages (7+)

N Georgia

A b R U S S I

Gagra k h a zia A Land of mountains

Shkhara Asia
C 5,193 m (17,037 ft)
Chidaoba wrestlingSokhumi au The spectacular Caucasus Mountains
Ochamchire c sweep through Georgia. The remote
These boys are taking Kutaisi asu village of Ushguli (pictured below)
part in chidaoba, an Black Poti s sits at the foot of Mount Shkhara,
ancient form of one-on- Sea Tskhinvali the country’s highest peak.
one martial arts. Each
Batumi Akhaltsikhe TBILISI
Rustavi
five-minute match is TURKEY Lesser Caucasus
accompanied by folk
ARMENIA IJAN
music and dance. AZERBA

0 75 km

Sitting at the crossroads 0 75 miles
of Asia and Europe, (approximate scale)
Georgia is a small nation
on the eastern shore of 26,911 sq miles
the Black Sea. Its colorful (69,700 sq km)
capital, Tbilisi, has many 4 million
historic sites as well as Tbilisi
modern architecture. Georgian, other
languages (+6)

Etchmiadzin Cathedral Armenia
Located west of Yerevan, this
cathedral is the heart of the GEORGIA
Armenian Christian Church.
Floral and geometric patterns

decorate its interiors. L e ss er A
Gyumri Caucasu
Z

E

Mount Aragats R

4,090 m Vanadzor B
(13,420 ft) Ashtarak Sevan Lake
s

A

IJ

TUR YEREVAN Sevan A

N

KEY Artashat

Jermuk

Golden fruit AZERBAIJAN Goris
The national fruit of Armenia is
the apricot, which has grown in Yerevan is Meghri
this country for at least 3,000 years. located in IRAN
the Armenian
Armenia’s mountainous
terrain has many fast- highlands.
flowing rivers, canyons,
and extinct volcanoes. 0 50 km N
Many people in this
landlocked country are 0 50 miles
farmers, but mining (approximate scale)
and tourism are growing
11,484 sq miles industries in Armenia. Symphony of stones
(29,743 sq km) A rock formation in Garni
3 million Canyon, southeast of Yerevan, 135
Yerevan is called the Symphony of
Armenian, Stones. Its tall basalt columns
Azeri, Russian resemble the pipes of an organ.

Lebanon SYRIA Pigeon Rocks
This pair of giant
The cedar tree is the national Qurnat al-Sawda limestone rocks stands
Asia Tripoli 3,087 m (10,128 ft) in the sea off the coast
symbol of Lebanon. Beirut is one of Bsharri anatainVasBllaeaHy lebremkel of Beirut, where they are
M e d i tSeerar a n e a n(Bcharre) a popular landmark
Lebanonthe busiest ports on the N for locals and visitors.
Beq Mou
Mediterranean coastline.
I
AAncient wine

Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley is one BEIRUT
(BEYROUTH)
of the world’s oldest wine-making Sidon R
regions. Its wine has been famous Y
since biblical times, almost 3,000 Nabatieh S
years ago, and has enjoyed a Tyre (Nabatîye)
4,015 sq miles
revival in recent years. ISRAEL 0 40 km (10,400 sq km)
5.5 million
0 40 miles Beirut
(approximate scale) Arabic, French,
Armenian, Assyrian
A farmer holds a
freshly harvested
basket of grapes.

Meaty treat This Mediterranean country has
The national dish is kibbeh— been a trading center for thousands
a mix of meat, onions, spices, of years. Lebanon’s population is unique
herbs, and bulgur wheat that in the Middle East for its almost even
mix of Muslim and non-Muslim
is fried until crispy. faith groups, including Maronite
Christians, and Druze.

Israel More than 5 million LEBANON Mount Hermon
Palestinians live in the 2,814 m
West Bank and Gaza. (9,232 ft)

Haifa Tiberias HeGioglhatns
(Hefa) Lake
SYRIA
Tree-planting festival NazarethTiberias
ditSeer raanean
The Jewish “New Year for Jordan 0 40 km

Trees” is when fruit trees Tel Aviv-Yafo 0 40 miles
(approximate scale)
are planted and Me Holon WEST
Jews eat the fruit BANK Ancient Jerusalem
Dating back to 2000 bce, the Old
JERUSALEM
(not internationally
of Israel, such as GAZA recognized)

grapes, figs, dates, Be'er ‘Arad Dead City is considered holy in Judaism,
and pomegranates. Sheva Sea Christianity, and Islam. Its sacred sites
include the Jewish Western Wall and
EGYPT Negev Currently, the United
JORDAN Nations does not the Islamic Dome of the Rock shrine.
recognize Jerusalem
Mitspe
Ramon as the capital of Israel.

8,470 sq miles Vibrant Tel Aviv
(21,937 sq km)
A lively city on the Mediterranean Sea,

8.7 million N Tel Aviv has engulfed the old port of Yafo.
Elat It is known for its modern buildings
Jerusalem and popular beaches.
Hebrew, Arabic,
other languages (+6)

Israel was created in 1948 as a homeland
for the Jewish people. The state has
been in conflict with the displaced
Palestinians, now living in the West
136 Bank and Gaza, ever since.

More than 20 muscles move Wild hunter Jordan
each ear, helping the caracal A wildcat found in the
semideserts of Jordan, the Red and white
hear the quietest of sounds. caracal is an agile predator are two of the
that uses its powerful hind legs national colors
and keen sense of hearing of Jordan.
to catch prey such as
birds and rodents.

Traditional headdress SYRIA Syrian IRAQ
The kaffiyeh is a patterned Desert
Arab headdress, often worn
by men in the Middle East.

Irbid

Jarash Al Mafraq

Jordan Az Zarqa’

AMMAN

Dead Madaba Al ‘Umarí
Sea

ISRAEL Al Karak N Lost city
The ancient city of Petra was at its peak
Bedouin feast Ard as Saw
Derived from Bedouin cuisine and At-Tafilah 2,000 years ago. Among its buildings were
popular in Jordan, mansaf is a
dish of lamb cooked with yogurt temples and tombs carved into sandstone cliffs.

and accompanied by rice. Wadi Musa‘ Bayir wan Ruins at the site include the Ad Deir Monastery,
(Petra)
0 50 km Al ‘Aqabah which has huge chambers cut out of the rock.
Ma‘an Jabal al Adhriyat
0 50 miles
(approximate scale) Jebel Umm El Dami A RABIA 34,495 sq miles
1,854 m (6,083 ft) (89,342 sq km)
10.8 million
Al Mudawwarah Amman
Arabic
SA UDI
The modern-day nation of Jordan
Historic Amman was founded in 1921. Vast areas of
Originally built on seven hills, Amman the country are desert land, where
is one of the Arab world’s largest cities. At Bedouin people follow a nomadic
its heart, the ruins of the ancient Amman lifestyle. Millions of Jordanians also
Citadel (fort), including a Roman temple, live in modern cities such as Amman.
sit on a hill overlooking the Old City.

Dead Sea
This famous lake is one of the saltiest

bodies of water in the world, almost
10 times saltier than the oceans. This
makes the water so dense that people

can float without swimming.

Iraq

The land of rivers

The Euphrates and Tigris rivers, TURKEY
and their branches, form a large
river system. These waterways

irrigate the land, enriching Cheekha Dar
3,611 m (11,847 ft)
the soil and making it
Mosul Life on the water
easy to grow crops. Arbil/Hewlêr The Marsh Arabs of the southeastern
Al Jazirah
wetlands of Iraq use local reeds to
JORDAN SYRI Kirkuk make their houses and boats. This

A Al ‘Ubaydi Tigris community has lived in the Iraqi

Buhayrat ath Samarra’ marshes for 5,000 years.

One Thousand Syrian Tharthar Ba’qubah IRAN 0 150 km
Desert Ar-Rutbah BuhaAyrraRt aHmababdani iyahEuphr BAGHDAD
ates
and One Nights 0 150 miles
This is a classic Buhayrat ar Razazah Al Hillah (approximate scale)
collection of Arab Karbala’
and Persian folk tales. Al Kut
Many of its stories An Najaf
are set in Baghdad. SAUDI Ancient entrance
Al Barit Al ‘Amarah The Ishtar Gate, built
The minaret
spirals 171 ft As Samawah in 575 bce, was one
(52 m) like a of the entrances to the
snail’s shell. ARABIA An Nasiriyah Hawr al Mesopotamian city of
As Salman Hammar Babylon. This smaller

Basra replica stands in the

N KUWAIT Persian ancient city’s ruins,
Gulf just east of Karbala.

Religious relics 169,235 sq miles
The ancient (438,317 sq km)
Mesopotamians 38.9 million
were skilled artisans, Baghdad
making jewelry and Arabic, other
statues, such as this languages (4+)
figurine of a worshipper
from about 2500 bce.

Great Mosque of Samarra
A stone minaret is all that remains of
what was once the largest mosque in
the world, built in the 9th century ce

in the city of Samarra.

The modern nation of Iraq in
southwestern Asia lies in a region that
was once called Mesopotamia. Here, the

world’s first civilizations blossomed
in the fertile valleys of the Tigris
and Euphrates rivers, developing
agriculture and writing. Today, Iraq is
known for its large reserves of oil,
which it exports to many countries.

Iran

Gardens of paradise

The ancient Persians were the

first to design landscaped

gardens, which became common

in Islamic architecture. Eram

Grand Bazaar of Tehran Garden, in the city of Shiraz,
Ornate arches top the busy walkways in this ranks among the finest in Iran.

historic market in Tehran where people have

come to shop for goods for centuries. Tehran is sheltered by

AIJAN the snowcapped Elburz
ARME Mountains in the north.
TURKEY NIAAZERB 200 km
Khvoy 0

ULrMamkaeiarK(BaeSagZrakhmahnTentaaahajbnanrrdnasinhaz)jaAhQrdaTazEbvHiilnRACENalbSsue5Mpr,zo6aiu7aMn1tnomDuaS(n1met8aam,6vina0nsn6adfGtn) o0(raTgpapUnroRximKateMsBcEoajlnNeu)2rI0d0SmTilAes N

IRAQ Z a gKarkrheho s N AFGHANISTAN

Arak Qom Sabzevar Mashhad Zereshk polo
This Iranian steamed rice
Kashan Dasht-e Kavir dish is flavored with aromatic
Kashmar saffron and zesty barberries and
is usually served with chicken.
Dezful Isfahan
Elite fighters
Guided by the stars Ahvaz ounta Yazd I r a n i a n This mosaic from the ancient city
Brass astrolabes helped M
Birjand of Susa depicts the first Persian
the ancient Persians Empire’s most elite warriors. This
measure the positions of Yasuj Plateau Dasht-e Lut force was called the “Immortals”
the sun and stars and because whenever a soldier died,
find the direction of the Shiraz ins Kerman Zabol they were replaced by another so the
Bushire Sirjan unit always had 10,000 members.
holy city of Mecca. Persian Gul Fasa
Bam
Zahedan P

f Gavbandi Bandar-e ’Abbas AKISTAN

The ancient city Strait of Hormu z Bampur
of Susa is located

at the foot of the U.A.E.
Zagros Mountains.
Chabahar
Harvesting by hand Gulf
of Oman
Most of the world’s saffron spice

comes from Iran. It is obtained

from the delicate purple flowers

of the saffron crocus, which

are picked by hand.

636,372 sq miles Iran, formerly called Persia,
(1,648,195 sq km) is home to a civilization
84.9 million dating back to the 6th century
Tehran BCE, known for poetry, rug
Farsi, Azeri, other weaving, and metalwork.
languages (+7) Iran’s rich cultural heritage
is seen in its mix of ethnic
groups, architectural
styles, and local customs.

Saudi Arabia
Cultural festival
Asia Oryx horns can 0 150 km Saudi Arabia enjoys an
be up to 30 in 0 150 miles annual two-week cultural
JOR(76 cm) long. (approximate scale) celebration at Al-Janadriyah,
near Riyadh. Thousands
DAN Turayf I RAQ gather here to enjoy dances
‘Ar‘ar A
and feasts.
Sakaka
KUWAIT
Jabal ash ShifaTabuk Rafhah This oil refinery stands in the city
of Ad Dammām, one of the most
An Nafud lf
Persian G oil-rich locations in the world.

Al Wajh Ha’il Al Wari’ah Dahna’ u

H Ad

(

Red e Buraydah Ad Dammām

Al

j Medina Dhahran BAHRAIN
(Al Madinah)
H

a

ij

z r Al-Janadriyah (Az Zahran)
Al Hufuf
az RIYADH
(AR RIYAD)
)
Yanbu‘ al Bahr n
S a QATAR
b
e a i UAE

Jedda a
Jabal Tuwayq
Arabian oryx (Jiddah) Mecca Pe n i n s Exporting oil
This desert antelope had (Makkah) One-fifth of the
At Ta’if Layla u l world’s known oil
reserves is found
become extinct in the wild by a in the oil fields of
Saudi Arabia. The
1972 but was reintroduced AsirAl Bahah As Sulayyil rt e r country is a leading
during the 1980s. Today, more hal i) global oil exporter.
than a thousand white oryx Jabal Sawda p t y Qu a
roam the sandy desert of the 3,133 m (10,279 ft) E m r R ub ‘al K
Empty Quarter. Abha (A
OMAN
N
Najran

Jizan Y E M E N Wuday ’ah
(Jazan)

Seasonal waterways 8,300,000 sq miles Located in the Arabian
(2,149,690 sq km) Peninsula, Saudi Arabia is
Saudi Arabia has no permanent 34.2 million the center of the Islamic faith
rivers due to low annual rainfall. Riyadh and home to the holy sites
However, dry riverbeds, called Arabic of Mecca and Medina. Its
wadis, fill up during brief large reserves of oil and
rainy periods. gas make this country one
of the world’s wealthiest.
Sacred city Muslims pray in the
direction of the Kaaba, Islam’s
The Prophet Muhammad, founder of most sacred shrine, at the center
Islam, was born in the city of Mecca.
Millions of Muslims make the Hajj, of Mecca’s Great Mosque.
or pilgrimage, to this sacred city.

140

Bahrain
Persian Gulf
AsiaBahraini pearls
Busiteen Arad Bahrain is known for its high-
Gulf of BahrainBarbar quality natural pearls, collected
from oysters on the sea bed of
MANAMA the Persian Gulf. The harvested
pearls are checked for quality
Saar Sitrah
Ri a and size before
Tree of Life Hamala being sold.
Against all odds, a single tree—aptly named the Tree of Life—
has flourished in Bahrain’s southern desert for four centuries, Um al
Naasan Sadad Awali
in a barren area 25 miles (40 km) south of Manama. Gulf of Bahrain
Jabal ad Dukhan
134 m
(440 ft)

Al Dur

Bahrain is a tiny island nation Durrat
in the Gulf of Qatar, made al Bahrain
up of more than 30 natural
and artificial islands. It is N Ra's al
mostly flat, low-lying desert. Barr
The country’s economy
293 sq miles depends on its vast oil and Hawar
(760 sq km) gas reserves, as well as on 0 10 km Islands
1.5 million banking and tourism.
Manama 0 10 miles
Arabic (approximate scale)

Kuwait Towers The Arabian Desert Abdali Kuwait
These landmark towers
have stood by the makes up most of the
shore of Kuwait City country’s landscape.
since 1979. They are
just some of the 34 IR al Bubiyan Crab hunters
water towers dotted A Island Thousands of
around the city. Q Mutla Ridge crab plovers inhabit
306 m (1,004 ft) Kuwait’s coastline where
Qalib they wade in shallow
Shiqqat KUWAIT CITY Failaka waters hunting crabs.
(AL KUWAYT) Island
Al Jahra HawalliKuwait Bay 6,880 sq miles
(17,818 sq km)
Al Salmi 3 million
Kuwait City
SAUDI ARABIA Ash Shuqayq Mangaf Persian
N Al Ahmadi
Gulf
0 20 km

0 20 miles Al Khiran
(approximate scale) Al Wafra

Al Nuwaisib

The lower half of this Arabic, English
sphere is a water reservoir,
while the upper half Despite being a small country, oil-rich
houses a restaurant. Kuwait is one of the richest in the
world. Most of its population lives in
Kuwait City, a sprawling capital of
modern skyscrapers. Camel racing
is a popular pastime.

141

Asia The four colors of The United Vertical city
the UAE flag Arab Emirates At 2,716.5 ft (828 m), the Burj Khalifa
represent different in Dubai is the tallest building in the
Arab dynasties. world, with the tallest service elevator.

Jebel Jais
1,934 m (6,345 ft)

Ras al-Khaymah OMAN
Gulf of Oman
Umm al-Qaiwain
SAU Ajman
0 50 km Persian Gulf Dubai Sharjah

0 50 miles Al Fujayrah
ABU DHABI
(approximate scale) Ghuwayfat
(ABU ZABY)
Jabal az Zannah
Ad D Tru Tarif as t Al-Ayn
afra cial C o Ma
h l N
IA nad ir
Aradah A
Touching noses D M
A traditional greeting I AR A
N
O
A B
among Emirati men is the

khushmak in which the noses The building has more
are touched gently. than 160 stories.

32,278 sq miles The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a collection
(83,600 sq km) of seven emirates (regions ruled by Arab
10 million rulers called emirs). They are Abu Dhabi,
Abu Dhabi Dubai, Ajman, Ras al-Khaymah,
Arabic, other Umm al-Qaiwain, Sharjah,
languages (7+) and Fujairah.

Qatar BAHRAIN Coastal capital
Doha is Qatar’s busiest city.

Its business district on the
Persian Gulf has striking

0 40 km Ar-Ruwais waterfront skyscrapers.
Al Ghuwayriyah
0 40 miles Ad-Dahirah
(approximate scale)
Al-Jumayliyah Al-Khawr
Bedouin people Dukhan Ash-Shahaniyah
Many Qatari traditions,
such as playing music and Umm Bab Ar Rayyan DOHA
singing songs in a camplike (AD DAWHAH)
environment, come from the Qurayn Abu 4,473 sq miles
S al-Bawl Al-Wakrah (11,586 sq km)
A 2.4 million
103 m (338 ft) Doha
A n Arabic
R

Bedouin people, who are UADBII a N
nomadic desert herders. Abu Samra
i
A f

s
l

r
u

The rababa is Pe
a traditional one- G
stringed fiddle.

The country of Qatar occupies a
small peninsula in the Persian
Gulf. It has large reserves of
natural gas and oil, which have
helped it become a wealthy
nation. Most of its landscape
is sandy desert and dunes.

Oman

IRAN Omani tunic Asia

Mountain village The dishdasha is a
The village of Balad Sayat on the slopes of the Al-Hajar
Mountains is known for its fertile agricultural terraces. long-sleeved, ankle-length
JabBIabl raNisGhihzHaSarwbjhGaSiaaruumhlRfaurosftaOqM(mMUAaSSSnQCuArATT)
Many people live on Oman’s mountains, where the UENMIITREADTEASRA Aal-l- tunic. For ceremonial
climate is cooler. occasions, it is worn
ABIA
with a dagger called
a khanjar.

3,009 m (9,872 ft) Wahibah
Sands
Irrigation system SAUDI AR Hayma N
Al-Ghabah Dawwah

The aflaj are ancient YEMEN Zufar Duqm EA

Omani irrigation Thamarit Sawqirah N S
channels that carry
water from wells on high Jabal al Qamar A RABIA 0 100 km
ground down to farms
and villages below. Salalah 0 100 miles
(approximate scale)

119,499 sq miles Oman has one of the most diverse landscapes
(309,500 sq km) on the Arabian Peninsula, with rolling sand dunes,
4.7 million soaring mountains, lush oases, and a rugged
Muscat coastline. Its capital, Muscat, is nestled in a
Arabic, other fertile zone between the Al-Hajar Mountains
languages (+4) and the Gulf of Oman.

Desert defenses Jabal An-Nabi Shu'ayb ARABIA Yemen

3,666 m (12,028 ft) S A U D I
Al-Hajjarah is a OMAN
12th-century village. Sanaw
Built on a steep cliff face, Red Sea
its towering, fortified Sa’dah Minwakh
houses helped ward Al Mahrah
off invaders in the past. SANAA Say’un
Al-Hajjarah Al-Ghaydah
Hodeida (ŞAN‘A’) Hadhramaut
Marib
Sayhut
Dhamar

Shuqrah Al-Mukalla
Aden
Taizz (Adan) de n
Socotra
Gulf of A N Hadiboh

0 100 km

0 100 miles
(approximate scale)

Dragon’s blood tree
Growing only on the islands of the Socotra
archipelago, this unusual tree gets its name
from the red resin that oozes from its bark.

203,850 sq miles Yemen is a mostly mountainous country. In
(527,968 sq km) ancient times, its position on the Red Sea
29.9 million made it an important trading nation, especially
Sanaa for coffee, frankincense, and myrrh. Since
Arabic 2015, Yemen has been devastated by civil war.

Uzbekistan Farming cotton

KAZA Cotton production is

0 100 km K H S TA big business, with more
0 100 miles
(approximate scale)

N
Asia Aral N NamAanKngYgrReaGnnYZSATAnNdijon than 1 million people
Ustyurt Sea Far’g ona working to harvest it.
gearChirchiq
TASHKENT
N(TOSHKENT)
Plateau TAJIKISTANMo‘ynoqKyzylKum
Amu Dary Dese rt
a Nukus Tura n
Zarafshon
Olmaliq Qo‘qon
Urganch
TUR Jizzax
K M E Bukhara Samarqand Khazret Sultan
Local flatbreads (Buxoro) Navoiy 4,643 m (15,233 ft)
A disc-shaped flatbread
N I STAN Qarshi GisRsan Kalyan minaret
This 12th-century
called obi non is traditionally Termiz minaret in the ancient
city of Bukhara was
baked inside a tandyr, Samarkand was A F G H A N I S TA used as a center for
or clay oven. once an important stop prayer and a lookout

on the Silk Road. for invaders.

172,742 sq miles Desert covers most of Uzbekistan.
(447,400 sq km) Even the once-large Aral Sea has
30.6 million nearly dried up. Its bustling, ancient
Tashkent trade-route cities, such as
Uzbek, Russian, Samarkand and Bukhara, are home
Tajik, Kazakh to many mosques and mosaics.

Turkmenistan Traditional dwellings
N In the past, most people

in Turkmenistan followed
a nomadic lifestyle and

Darvaza crater KAZAKHS lived in traditional
Burning since 1971, tents called yurts.
AmuKöneürgenç

this gas crater is a Garabogazköl UDaşoguz
natural gas field that Aylagy
TAN Sarygamyş
Köli

collapsed to form Türkmenbaşy Üngüz The Karakum Desert covers
a crater 66 ft Angyrsyndaky
(20 m) deep. Hazar more than two-thirds of the
Balkanabat Garagum
Z country’s total area.
Gumdag Bereket B E KISTAN
Serdar Gara Türkmenabat Aýrybaba
Abadan m 3,138 m (10,295
Caspian Köpetdag Gershi g u
Sea
Darya ft)
S TAN Atamyrat
I R ASHGABAT
(AŞGABAT)
A Tejen Mary
KNaka

Turkmenistan borders the Sarahs Garabil
Caspian Sea but is mostly Belentligi
sun-baked desert terrain. 0 100 km
The country has plentiful A FGHA N I
0 100 miles
(approximate scale)

188,456 sq miles petroleum and gas reserves, Turkmen jewelry
(488,100 sq km) and its main export is Handcrafted by native artisans,
5.5 million natural gas. The two oasis
cities of Mary and Tejen are
Ashgabat big cotton-growing centers. ornate jewelry with precious
Turkmen, other stones—like the headdress and
144 languages (+4) necklace shown here—was a

traditional symbol of wealth.

Kazakhstan

In 2013, this Soyuz spacecraft Fluffy fox
launched on a Soyuz-FG rocket In Kazakhstan and other
from the cosmodrome. Central Asian countries, the
Asia
Corsac fox roams across
I
yaPioneering spaceport the flat, arid region known
TURKMEThe world’s first and largest as steppe. Its thick fur allows
launch site for spacecraft is it to endure the harsh climate.
Caspian Sea
the Baikonur Cosmodrome,

near the city of Baikonur 0 200 km

in Kazakhstan. It has been SSI

leased to Russia until 2050. 0 200 miles
U A (approximate scale)
Petropavlovsk

R Kostanay Kokshetau rtysh Nur-Sultan, the capital
Rudnyy city of Kazakhstan, sits on
Ural’sk
Ural
La

IN A
Dzhanibek Pavlodar the banks of the Ishim River.

Caspian Aktobe NUR-SULTAN Ust’S-KeammeeynogRoridsdkerZyArlytaainMoovusnktains
Depression Kirghiz Steppe
Temirtau
Atyrau
Karagandy

Shalkar Zhezkazgan Kazakh Ayagoz
Uplands
Baikonur
Aral’sk

Fort-Shevchenko U Aral Syr Dar Balkhash ke Balkhash
Aktau U s t y u r t Sea
Plateau Z Kyzylorda Betpakdala
Taldykorgan H
NISTAN NB C
E
K Turkestan Kentau Almaty Khan Tengri
Taraz (Alma-Ata) 6,995 m
I S Shymkent (22,949 ft)
Eagle hunters T KYRGYZSTAN
A
The ancient tradition of hunting with golden N Wild apples

eagles dates back 4,000 years. Kazakh hunters The apples we eat today around the

holding golden eagles still head out on world originate from ancestor apple

horseback to look for foxes and hares. trees found on the slopes of

the Altai Mountains.

Trained to recognize only the 1,052,089 sq miles
hunter’s voice, a golden eagle (2,724,900 sq km)
is fiercely loyal and always 19.1 million
returns after a kill. Nur-Sultan
Kazakh, other
languages (+6)

The world’s largest landlocked
country, Kazakhstan sprawls from
the Caspian Sea to China. With
its booming oil and gas industry,
Kazakhstan is the dominant
economy in Central Asia.

145

Afghanistan

Great Mosque of Herat This goblet-shaped drum is made

Decorated with ornate of bone, leather, metal, and wood.

patterned tiles, the Great

Mosque has stood in Kabul is a city of palaces, parks, Traditional drum
the city of Herat for and markets, located in a valley The beat of this zerbaghali drum
800 years. is still heard in folk music played
of the Hindu Kush Mountains.

T U R K M E N ISTA N UZBEKISTAN TAJ IKI S by Afghan musicians.
TAN

Balkh Kunduz Faizabad Khandud K u s h CHINA
Taloqan u
Mazar-e d
Sharif Hin Noshaq
7,492 m (24,580 ft)
HeraStilsilah-yeQSaal’faehd-yKeoNhow Pul-e Khumri

0 100 km Bamyan Charikar Asmar
Chaghcharan Asadabad
0 100 miles KABUL
(approximate scale)IRAN Shahrak
N
Koh-e Sangan Jalalabad

Anah Darah Gardez

Baghran Ghazni Lapis lazuli
Uruzgan This semiprecious stone has been
Farah Tarin Kot mined in Afghanistan for more than
Qalat 6,000 years. It was traded along the
Lashkar Gah Silk Road and is still exported today.
P A K I S TA
Chakhansur Kandahar

Deh-e Shu
Helmand Rod
Chagai Hills

N

Pickers inspect and
pack the fruit, which is
sold whole and as juice.

Crimson fruit

Play and learn Afghanistan grows more varieties of
Set up in 2007 in Kabul, pomegranates than any other country. It exports
Skateistan is an organization
the fruit to South Asia and other regions.

that helps children receive

a good education while Afghanistan sits at the
learning to skateboard. crossroads of ancient trade

routes, known as the Silk
Road, which connected Asia
and Europe. Silk, precious
251,827 sq miles stones, and metals passed
(652,230 sq km)

36.6 million through Afghan cities,
bringing great wealth.
Kabul
Pashtu, Tajik, other Today, the country is known
languages (+4) for fruits and rugs.
146

World Nomad Games Kyrgyzstan
To celebrate the ethnic sports of Central
Asia, Kyrgyzstan has hosted the World Bishkek is one of the greenest This crisscross pattern shows the knot
cities in Central Asia with found at the center of every yurt roof.
Nomad Games every other year since many trees and parks.
2014. Competitions include those
in acrobatic archery.

ZA K H S Jengish Chokusu
7,439 m (24,406 ft)
A K Kara-
K Talas i Balta TA
r g h i z Ran BISHKEK N
g e Tokmok
Toktogul
Tash- Balykchy Karakol
UZBEKISTAN Kumyr s Issyk-Kul’
Ter key Alata u Mtns.
Sulyukta Batken
Alai Dzhalal-Abad Naryn Sha n

TA J I K I S T Osh Tien N CHIN A
Range

Sary-Tash Lake Ala-Kul

AN 0 100 km This blue-green lake lies at a height of
0 100 miles 11,580 ft (3,530 m) in the Terskey Alatau

(approximate scale) Mountains in eastern Kyrgyzstan.

Less than 8 percent of this mountainous 77,201 sq miles
country can be farmed. Many Kyrgyz (199,951 sq km)
people are horse and cattle herders, and 5.9 million
they move the animals up to mountain Bishkek
pastures in summer, where they live in Kyrgyz, Russian,
round tents called yurts. other languages (+3)

A statue of Rudaki stands Tajikistan

in the middle of the park. STAN N
Khujand
U Z B EKI Pamiri people
Nov The Pamiri people are an ethnic
Istaravshan group, most of whom live high in the
Rudaki Park Panjakent Turkestan Isfara Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan, which
A large, landscaped garden in the heart of are known as the “roof of the world.”
Fann Mtns. Range K Y RGYZSTAN

Dushanbe, this park is named after the 9th-century a Ismoil Somoni Peak
Persian poet Rudaki, who was born in Tajikistan. 7,495 m C
Tursunzoda DUSHANBE P (24,590 ftS)ar
Kulob
Bokhtar m H
Kolkhozobod
irs I

ikol

Aluminum nugget A F G Farkhar Khorugh NA
Tajikistan has the largest aluminum
HANI S TAN Range

manufacturing plant in Central Asia, but as it 0 100 km

has no natural aluminum, it imports the raw 0 100 miles
ore. This metal is used in cans, foils, and utensils. (approximate scale)

55,637 sq miles Many customs have been preserved
(144,100 sq km) in this mountainous country, such as
8.9 million festivals to celebrate the first flowers
Dushanbe of spring. Tajikistan’s Ismoil Somoni
Tajik, Uzbek, Peak is one of the highest peaks in
Russian Central Asia.

Pakistan Malala became
the youngest person

to win the Nobel
Prize in 2014.

Asia Pa m i r s H C H
sh
IR Shandur H i n d u K u IM AL I
A Pass n gkeo ram
N Islamabad replaced the Gilgit K a rRaa A N A
coastal city of Karachi as Swat
Valley YA S
the capital in 1967.

0 100 km Mingora

0 100 miles Parachinar Peshawar ISLAMABAD K2
8,611 m
(approximate scale) T A N Rawalpindi (28,251 ft)

AFGHANI S Gujrat
Gujranwala
Sulaiman Range KIDsehmraaanil

Shandur festival Chaman Kakar R a n g e Indus Faisalabad Lahore N
At this annual polo Quetta Ravi
festival, teams play Toba
a match on the
world’s highest polo CentrRaalngBerahui Multan Sutlej
ground, at Shandur
Pass, at a height of Balochistan Plateau Indus Bahawalpur IN
12,139 ft (3,700 m). sert D
Sukkur IA Malala Yousafzai
The global activist Malala has
Central Makran Range De campaigned for girls’ education
Mohenjo-daro since being shot by militants in
The Indus River has a total the Swat Valley who wanted to
Gwadar Thar length of 1,990 miles (3,200 km).
It is Pakistan’s longest river

and flows across the eastern prevent girls from going to school.
part of the country.
Arabian Sea Karachi Hyderabad
dus Rann of
In

Artisans from the MotheInudthuss of Kachchh
valley sculpted animals

from clay and stone.

Indus Valley Civilization
This ancient civilization
grew up along
the Indus River

5,000 years ago.

Mount K2
The mountain known as K2
in the Karakoram Range is the
world’s second-highest peak.

307,374 sq miles Truck art
(796,095 sq km) Colorful trucks brighten up the
234 million roads of Pakistan. Designs made on
Islamabad the trucks showcase religious symbols,
Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtu, famous people, and poems.
other languages (+3)

Pakistan has a diverse landscape of fertile
plains, deserts, and mountains, such as
the Karakoram Range and the Pamirs.
It became an independent nation in
1947 when the formerly British India was
148 partitioned (split).

Sri LankaI N D I A
Palk Strait Bay of N 0 50 km
Ja na Bengal
The lion represents the Asia
Delft Kilinochchi 0 50 miles
(approximate scale) strength of the nation.

Gulf of Vavuniya Stilt fishing
These Sri Lankan fishermen
M a n n a r Anuradhapura Trincomalee perch on wooden stilts high over
shallow waters to catch fish.
Puttalam G Mahawaneglia Generations of families have

Kurunegala Pidurutalagala Batticaloa used this technique.

Kandy Esala Perahera Negombo Kandy 2,524 m (8,281 ft)
Also known as the “Festival of the Tooth,” COLOMBO
Moratuwa SRI JAYEWARDENEPURA KOTTE
this annual event in the city of Kandy pays Ratnapura

tribute to a relic said to be the Buddha’s

tooth. Decorated elephants join dancers Galle Matara Hambantota
and acrobats in processions.

INDIAN OCEAN

25,332 sq miles The island country of Sri Lanka lies
(65,610 sq km) off the southern tip of India. Its
22.9 million location in the Indian Ocean has
Sri Jayewardenepura attracted traders since ancient times.
Kotte, Colombo Today, the country is known for its
Sinhala, Tamil, tea plantations and wildlife.
Sinhala-Tamil, English

0 100 km

0 100 miles Maldives
(approximate scale)

INDIAN

OCEAN

Eight Degree Channel Malé

Ihavandippolhu Thiladhunmathi One-third of the
Atoll Atoll population inhabits

Makunudhoo North the capital city of
Atoll Miladummadulu Atoll

North South Malé, taking up
Maalhosmadulu Miladummadulu a whole island in
Atoll
Atoll

South Faadhippolhu the Malé atoll.
Maalhosmadulu Atoll
N
Atoll
A
N
Male’
Rasdu Atoll Atoll OICNED IA
Ari Atoll
MALE Famous for their picture-
North (MAALE) perfect tropical beaches
Nilandhe Atoll and clear waters, the
Felidhu flat, low-lying Maldives
South Atoll risk being submerged by
Nilandhe Atoll rising sea levels. This
Mulaku Atoll archipelago consists of
more than 1,000 coral
Kolhumadulu islands, grouped into
Atoll 26 atolls.

Hadhdhunmathi 115 sq miles
Atoll (298 sq km)
392,000
One and Half Degree Channel Malé
Dhivehi, other
Underwater cabinet meeting South North Huvadhu languages (+3)
In 2009, the Maldives government Huvadhu Atoll
made history by holding the world’s
first underwater cabinet meeting to Atoll N
promote action against rising water
levels and climate change. Equatorial Channel
Villingili Island
2 m (7 ft) Fuammulah

Gan Addu Atoll 149

India 0 150 km N

0 150 miles

Indian movies (approximate scale)

The Chakra (wheel) India produces more than 1,500
is a symbol of the movies a year, in nearly 25 languages.
Buddhist faith. Hindi movies are made in Bollywood

and range from comedies (such as
3 Idiots) to musicals and dramas.
Asia H I M Indus C H INA
D
Srinagar ALA Y A The Ganges River
e Amritsar (Ganga) flows over
c S
Sutlej Shimla a length of 1,616
E aster
Symbolic hand PAKISTAN Chandigarh miles (2,601 km).

movements, known as Desert Bikaner Rohtak Bareilly NE PAL
mudras, help tell the NEW DELHI AgraYamGuannages
Jodhpur Patna
story of the dance. Thar Ajmer JaipuCrGhawmablailor Lucknow

Varanasi
Ostudynliesifq.ostTiurr—mTeahChdiscals,eioatndreeisseoaataasunacsninmathcrcecelaeeriweInrsmlnn,iidtIdsatmhnaindpadutnyahenisraceniGfcdi.ecora,earnoamnfdPwnrchoiodennirmdgbRhaaanmndanGruBolhff(aoBMvfKoRunKmamaahcbgajkbKamhaoayorbct)ilhhhaaNht pausrhSiukAUrPhadVumtanaiaSpdedauoTanrdabgapalAtriidahSmaVSaAdRoinulaKtaraniagopcpndathuagrNurhaIurinzbydaaromdaraeabRada RBnGhogodacpaHevaynalrdaNieagrrKSmarenbaiNasCgadhaWaadhngaraaprnuadnrnJrAgaaaplblluaaGrlhpauhbMraaadBchitlRialRsaispaippajuautVnrhNriCamsamahugkonhpBdtRaurarpaayrauhtrmnkRaeaamlpanucrhi
Western
Panaji Hubballi Nandyal

Arabian Shivamogga Proddatur Nellore
Sea Bengaluru Chennai
Ghats (Bangalore) (Madras)
Mangaluru Vellore
(Mangalore)

Mysuru Puducherry
(Mysore) (Pondicherry)

Kozhikode Salem Kaveri
(Calicut)
Arabian Kochi Coimbatore Tiruchchirappalli
Sea (Cochin)
Lakshadweep Islands Cardamom Hills Madurai Palk Strait

Located off India’s Agatti Kollam Tuticorin LASNRKI A
southwestern coast is Island (Quilon) Nagercoil G u l f o f
this group of 36 coral Thiruvananthapuram
Kadamatt Mannar
Island (Trivandrum)
Kavaratti

islands, of which only

10 are inhabited. Lakshadweep

0 100 km (Laccadive Islands) INDIAN Bengal tiger
OCEAN India’s national animal is the
0 100 miles Minicoy endangered Bengal tiger, now
(approximate scale) Island

protected in nature reserves.

Home to more than 1 billion people, India 1,269,219 sq miles
is the world’s seventh-largest country by area. (3,287,263 sq km)
India ranges from the Himalayas in the north, 1.3 billion
to fertile river and coastal plains, where most New Delhi
people live. A rich variety of cultures, faiths, Hindi, English, other
and languages makes India one of the most languages (12+)
diverse nations on Earth.

150