Located on the western shores of Central Africa — bounded by the Atlantic Ocean, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and the Republic of Congo — is the Gabonese Republic. France colonized the country late in the 19th century, and it was decolonized after World War II, with independence taking place in 1960. Its population of just under […]
The Kingdom of Tonga, a constitutional monarchy, is a 171-island archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean. Its estimated population of almost 105,000 occupies 45 of the islands, with over two-thirds living on the island of Tongaatapu. Over 75% of Tonga’s population is rural, although less than 28% of the land is arable. Tonga is an […]
Cyprus, the third‑largest island in the eastern Mediterranean, has long viewed education as a critical driver of socioeconomic growth. The Republic of Cyprus (recognized by the EU) and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (recognized only by Turkey) operate separate systems, making accurate, island‑wide educational figures hard to obtain. Yet, within the Republic of Cyprus, […]
Vanuatu is a lower-middle-income South Pacific Ocean archipelago between Hawaii and Australia, comprising more than 80 islands and extending over 800 miles. About two-thirds of the islands are inhabited, with over half of the population of 318,007 living on the three largest islands. The islands are primarily mountainous, with less than 2% arable land, and […]
Cape Verde, an island nation in the North Atlantic, has made incredible progress in education since gaining independence in 1975. Back then, less than 40% of adults could read and write; by 2022–23, that figure had risen to almost 91%. Among young people aged 15–24, literacy rates now reach approximately 98%, placing Cape Verde among the […]
The Republic of Uruguay is the second-smallest South American country. It is bordered by Argentina and Brazil, with a 410-mile coastline on the South Atlantic Ocean. Its 3.4 million population is 96% urban, with almost half living in or around the capital of Montevideo on the country’s southern coast. Uruguay is a high-income country and […]
The Principality of Andorra is a tiny, landlocked state in southwestern Europe, between France and Spain in the Pyrenees mountains. Its population of 85,370 is a third Spanish, a third Andorran, 10% Portuguese, 5.6% French and 18% other. The population is unevenly distributed over seven urbanized valleys (87.8%). Andorra is a high-GDP state, ranking 23rd […]
Portugal is widely recognized for its high quality of life, ranking 19th globally according to U.S. News. The country has universal access to clean drinking water, near-universal sanitation, a literacy rate of 97% as of 2021 and a life expectancy nearing 83 years, according to the World Bank. As a member of the European Union […]
The Republic of Suriname is a small northern South American country on the South Atlantic Ocean. The country is bordered by Guyana, French Guiana and Brazil. Explored by Spain, settled by the English and then became a Dutch colony, the country gained its independence in 1975. Its population of 646,758 is primarily settled along its […]
