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all_countries.json
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[
{
"togo": [
"<p>Togo, officially called the Togolese Republic, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by",
"Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. The country extends south to the Gulf of Guinea",
", where its capital and largest city Lomé is located. Togo covers 57,000 square kilometres (22,008 square miles)",
", making it one of the smallest countries in Africa, with a population of approximately 8 million, as well as one",
" of the narrowest countries in the world with a width of less than 115 km (71 miles) between Ghana and its eastern neighbor",
"Benin, which is also quite narrow, except for its northern parts.</p>",
"<p>From the 11th to the 16th century, various tribes entered the region from all directions. From the 16th century to the",
"18th century, the coastal region was a major trading center for Europeans to purchase slaves, earning Togo and the ",
"surrounding region the name 'The Slave Coast'. In 1884, Germany declared a region including present-day Togo as a ",
"protectorate called Togoland.</p>",
"<p>After World War I, rule over Togo was transferred to France. Togo gained its independence from France in 1960. In 1967, ",
"Gnassingbé Eyadéma led a successful military coup d'état after which he became president of an anti-communist, ",
"single-party state. Eventually, in 1993, Eyadéma faced multiparty elections, which were marred by irregularities, ",
"and he won the presidency three times. At the time of his death, Eyadéma was the longest-serving leader in modern",
"African history, having been president for 38 years. In 2005, his son Faure Gnassingbé was elected president.",
"He continues to hold the office as of 2022.</p>",
"<p>Togo is a tropical, sub-Saharan nation, whose economy depends highly on agriculture, with a climate that ",
"provides good growing seasons. While the official language is French, many other languages are spoken, particularly ",
"those of the Gbe family. The largest religious group consists of those with indigenous beliefs, and there are significant ",
"Christian and Muslim minorities. Togo is a member of the United Nations, African Union, Organisation of Islamic ",
"Cooperation, South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone, Francophonie, and Economic Community of West African States.",
"Togo has an area equal to 56,785 km2 (21,925 square miles) and is one of the smallest countries in Africa. It borders the Bight",
"of Benin in the south; Ghana lies to the west; Benin to the east; and to the north, Togo is bound by Burkina Faso. Togo ",
" lies mostly between latitudes 6° and 11°N, and longitudes 0° and 2°E.</p>",
"<p>The coast of Togo in the Gulf of Guinea is 56 km (35 miles) long and consists of lagoons with sandy beaches. In the north, ",
"the land is characterized by a gently rolling savanna in contrast to the center of the country, which is characterized by ",
"hills. The south of Togo is characterized by a savanna and woodland plateau which reaches a coastal plain with extensive ",
"lagoons and marshes.</p>",
"<p>The highest mountain of the country is the Mont Agou at 986 metres (3235') above sea level. The longest river is the Mono ",
"River with a length of 400 km (250 miles). It runs from north to south.",
"Togo is a very nice country one would like to pay a visit.</p>"
],
"gambia": [
"<p>The Gambia officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. It is the smallest country within mainland ",
"Africa and is surrounded by Senegal, except for its western coast on the Atlantic Ocean. The Gambia is situated on both ",
"sides of the lower reaches of the Gambia River, the nation's namesake, which flows through the centre of the Gambia and empties",
"into the Atlantic Ocean. It has an area of 10,689 square kilometres (4,127 square miles) with a population of about 1,857,181 as of the ",
"April 2013 census. Banjul is the Gambian capital and the country's largest metropolitan area. The largest cities are",
" Serekunda and Brikama.</p>",
"<p>The Portuguese in 1455 entered the Gambian region, the first Europeans to do so, but never established important trade",
"there. In 1765, The Gambia was made a part of the British Empire by establishment of the Gambia Colony and Protectorate.",
"In 1965, the Gambia gained independence under the leadership of Dawda Jawara, who ruled until Yahya Jammeh seized power",
"in a bloodless 1994 coup. Adama Barrow became the Gambia's third president in January 2017, after defeating Jammeh in the",
"December 2016 elections. Jammeh initially accepted the results, then refused to accept them, which triggered a constitutional",
"crisis and military intervention by the Economic Community of West African States, resulting in his exile.</p>",
"<p>The Gambia's economy is dominated by farming, fishing, and especially, tourism. In 2015, 48.6% of the population lived in poverty.",
"In rural areas, poverty is even more widespread, at almost 70%.",
"They welcome you to pay a visit to one of their towns!</p>"
],
"senegal": [
"<p>Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is a country in West Africa. Senegal is bordered ",
"by Mauritania in the north, Mali to the east, Guinea to the southeast, and Guinea-Bissau to the ",
"southwest. Senegal nearly surrounds The Gambia, a country occupying a narrow sliver of land along ",
"the banks of the Gambia River, which separates Senegal's southern region of Casamance from the rest ",
"of the country. Senegal also shares a maritime border with Cape Verde. Senegal's economic and ",
"political capital is Dakar.</p>",
"<p>It is a unitary presidential republic and is the westernmost country in the mainland of the Old World,",
"or Afro-Eurasia. It owes its name to the Senegal River, which borders it to the east and north. Senegal ",
"a land area of almost 197,000 square kilometres (76,000 square miles) and has a population of around 16 million.",
"The state was formed as part of the independence of French West Africa from French colonial rule. Because",
"of this history, the official language is French. Like other post-colonial African states, the country ",
"includes a wide mix of ethnic and linguistic communities, with the largest being the Wolof, Fula, and ",
"Serer people, and the Wolof and French languages acting as lingua francas. Senegal is classified as a ",
"heavily indebted poor country, with a relatively low Human Development Index. Most of the population is ",
"on the coast and works in agriculture or other food industries. Other major industries include mining, ",
"tourism and services. The climate is typically Sahelian, though there is a rainy season.</p>",
"<p>Senegal is a member state of the African Union, the United Nations, the Economic Community of West African ",
"States (ECOWAS), and the Community of Sahel-Saharan States.</p>"
],
"burkina": [
"<p>Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of 274,200 square kilometres (105,900 square miles),",
" bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, ",
" and the Ivory Coast to the southwest. It has a population of 20,321,378. Previously called Republic of Upper",
" Volta (1958-1984), it was renamed Burkina Faso by President Thomas Sankara. Its citizens are known as Burkinabè , ",
"and its capital and largest city is Ouagadougou.</p>",
"<p>The largest ethnic group in Burkina Faso is the Mossi people, who settled the area in the 11th and 13th centuries. ",
"They established powerful kingdoms such as the Ouagadougou, Tenkodogo, and Yatenga. In 1896, it was colonized by the ",
"French as part of French West Africa; in 1958, Upper Volta became a self-governing colony within the French Community. ",
"In 1960, it gained full independence with Maurice Yaméogo as President. In its early years, the country was subject to ",
"instability, droughts, famines and corruption. Various coups have also taken place in the country, in 1966, 1980, 1982, ",
"1983, 1987, an attempt in 1989, 2015, and 2022. Thomas Sankara ruled the country from 1982 until he was killed in the 1987 ",
"coup led by Blaise Compaoré who became president and ruled the country until his removal on 31 October 2014. Sankara ",
"launched an ambitious socioeconomic programme which included a nationwide literacy campaign, land redistribution to peasants, ",
"railway and road construction, and the outlawing of female genital mutilation, forced marriages, and polygamy.</p>",
"<p>Burkina Faso has been severely affected by the rise of Islamist terror in the Sahel since the mid-2010s. ",
"Several militias, partly allied with Islamic State (IS) or al-Qaeda, operate across the borders to Mali and Niger. ",
"More than one million of the country's 21 million inhabitants are internally displaced persons. On 24 January 2022, ",
"the military and its 'Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration' (MPSR) declared itself to be in power. Previously",
" the military had executed a coup against President Roch Marc Kaboré. On 31 January, the military junta restored the ",
" constitution and appointed Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba as interim president.</p>",
"<p>Burkina Faso is a least developed country with a GDP of $16.226 billion. 63% of its population practices Islam and ",
"22% practice Christianity. Due to French colonialism, the country's official language of government and business is French. ",
"There are 59 native languages spoken in Burkina, with the most common language, Mooré, spoken by roughly 50% of Burkinabè.",
" The country is governed as a semi-presidential republic with executive, legislative and judicial powers. Burkina Faso is ",
"a member of the United Nations, La Francophonie and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. It is currently suspended from ",
"ECOWAS and the African Union.</p>"
],
"guinea": [
"<p>Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country in West Africa. Guinea borders the Atlantic",
" Ocean to the west, Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the north, Mali to the northeast, Cote ",
"d'Ivoire to the southeast, and Sierra Leone and Liberia to the south. Formerly known as French Guinea",
", the modern country is sometimes referred to as Guinea-Conakry after its capital Conakry, to distinguish ",
"it from other territories in the eponymous region such as Guinea-Bissau and Equatorial Guinea. Guinea has a ",
"population of 12.4 million and an area of 245,857 square kilometres (94,926 square miles).</p>",
"<p>Guinea achieved independence from France in 1958.[15] It has a long history of military coups d'état.",
" In 2010, after decades of authoritarian rule, Guinea held its first democratic election. Although Guinea",
" continued to hold multi-party elections, the country continued to face ethnic conflicts, widespread corruption,",
" and abuses by military and police.[20][21] Human rights in Guinea remain a controversial issue. In 2011, the",
" United States government claimed that torture by security forces and abuse of women and children (including",
" female genital mutilation) were ongoing human rights issues. In 2021, a military faction overthrew ",
" president Alpha Condé and suspended the constitution.</p>",
"<p>Guinea is a predominantly Islamic country, with Muslims representing 85 per cent of the population. Guinea's",
" people belong to twenty-four ethnic groups. The country is divided into four geographic regions: Maritime Guinea ",
"on the low-lying Atlantic coast, the Fouta Djallon or Middle Guinea highlands, the Upper Guinea savanna region ",
"in the northeast, and the Guinée forestière region of tropical forests. French, the official language of Guinea, ",
"is the main language of communication in schools, in government administration, and the media, but more than ",
"twenty-four indigenous languages are also spoken. The largest are by far Susu, Pular, and Maninka, which dominate ",
"respectively in Maritime Guinea, Fouta Djallon, and Upper Guinea, while Guinée forestière is ethnolinguistically diverse.</p>",
"<p>Guinea's economy is largely dependent on agriculture and mineral production. It is the world's second largest ",
"producer of bauxite, and has rich deposits of diamonds and gold.</p>"
],
"mauritania": [
"<p>Mauritania is a sovereign state in Northwest Africa. It is ",
"bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to the north and northwest, Algeria to the northeast, ",
"Mali to the east and southeast, and Senegal to the southwest. Mauritania is the eleventh largest country in ",
"Africa, and 90 percent of its territory is situated in the Sahara. Most of its population of 4.4 million lives ",
"in the temperate south of the country, with roughly one third concentrated in the capital and largest city, ",
"Nouakchott, located on the Atlantic coast.</p>",
"<p>The country's name derives from the ancient Berber kingdom of Mauretania, located in present-day Morocco ",
"and Algeria. Berbers occupied what is now Mauritania beginning in the third century AD. Arabs conquered the ",
"area in the eighth century, bringing Islam, Arab culture, and the Arabic language. In the early 20th century, ",
"Mauritania was colonized by France as part of French West Africa. It achieved independence in 1960, but has ",
"since experienced recurrent coups and periods of military dictatorship. The most recent coup, in 2008, was ",
"led by General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who won subsequent presidential elections in 2009 and 2014. He was ",
"succeeded by Mohamed Ould Ghazouani following the 2019 elections, which were considered Mauritania's first ",
"peaceful transition of power since independence.</p>",
"<p>Mauritania is culturally and politically part of the Arab world: it is a member of the Arab League and Arabic ",
"is the sole official language. Reflecting its colonial heritage, French is widely spoken and serves as a lingua ",
"franca. The official religion is Islam, and almost all inhabitants are Sunni Muslims. Despite its prevailing ",
"Arab identity, Mauritanian society is multiethnic: the Bidhan, or so-called 'white moors', make up 30 percent ",
"of the population, while the Haratin, or so-called 'black moors', comprise 40 percent. Both groups reflect a ",
"fusion of Arab-Berber ethnicity, language, and culture. The remaining 30 percent of the population is made up ",
"of various sub-Saharan ethnic groups.</p>",
"<p>Despite an abundance of natural resources, including iron ore and petroleum, Mauritania remains poor; its economy ",
"is based primarily on agriculture, livestock, and fishing. Mauritania is known for its poor human rights record, ",
"most notably the continued practice of slavery, a result of a historical caste system between the Bidhan and Haratin. ",
"It was the last country in the world to abolish slavery, in 1981, and criminalized it only in 2007.</p>"
],
"ghana": [
"<p>Ghana, officially called the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It spans the Gulf of Guinea and the ",
"Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with the Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and Togo",
"in the east. Ghana covers an area of 238,535 km2 (92,099 square miles), spanning diverse biomes that range from coastal ",
"savannas to tropical rain forests. With over <b>31 million</b> people, Ghana is the second-most populous country in West ",
"Africa, after Nigeria. The capital and largest city is Accra; other major cities are Kumasi, Tamale, and Sekondi-Takoradi.</p>",
"<p>Ghana was the first sub-saharan state to gain independence. This happened on 6th March, 1957.",
"The first permanent state in present-day Ghana was the Bono state of the 11th century. Numerous kingdoms and ",
"empires emerged over the centuries, of which the most powerful were the Kingdom of Dagbon in the north and the ",
"Ashanti Empire in the south. Beginning in the 15th century, the Portuguese Empire, followed by numerous other ",
"European powers, contested the area for trading rights, until the British ultimately established control of the coast ",
"by the late 19th century. Following over a century of colonization, Ghana's current borders took shape, encompassing ",
"four separate British colonial territories: Gold Coast, Ashanti, the Northern Territories and British Togoland. These ",
"were unified as an independent dominion within the Commonwealth of Nations on 6 March 1957, becoming the first colony ",
"in sub-Saharan Africa to achieve sovereignty. Ghana subsequently became influential in decolonisation ",
"efforts and the Pan-African movement.</p>",
"<p>Ghana is a multinational state, home to a variety of ethnic, linguistic and religious groups; while the Akan are the ",
"largest ethnic group, they constitute only a plurality. The vast majority of Ghanaians are Christians (71.3%), with ",
"close to a fifth being Muslim and a tenth practicing traditional faiths or reporting no religion. Ghana is a unitary ",
"constitutional democracy led by a president who is both head of state and head of government. Since 1993, it has ",
"maintained one of the freest and most stable governments on the continent, and performs relatively well in metrics ",
"of healthcare, economic growth, and human development. Ghana consequently enjoys significant influence in West Africa",
", and is highly integrated in international affairs, being a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, the African Union",
", the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Group of 24 (G24) and the Commonwealth of Nations.",
"Interested in visiting Ghana? They are waiting for your visit. Check out for some of their vast tourist places.</p>"
],
"mali": [
"<p>Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali is the eighth-largest country ",
"in Africa, with an area of over 1,240,000 square kilometres (480,000 square miles). The population of Mali is ",
"19.1 million. 67% of its population was estimated to be under the age of 25 in 2017. Its capital and largest ",
"city is Bamako. The sovereign state of Mali consists of eight regions and its borders on the north reach deep ",
"into the middle of the Sahara Desert. The country's southern part is in the Sudanian savanna, where the majority ",
"of inhabitants live, and both the Niger and Senegal rivers pass through. The country's economy centres on ",
"agriculture and mining. One of Mali's most prominent natural resources is gold, and the country is the third ",
"largest producer of gold on the African continent. It also exports salt.</p>",
"<p>Present-day Mali was once part of three extremely powerful and wealthy West African empires that controlled ",
"trans-Saharan trade: the Ghana Empire (for which Ghana is named), the Mali Empire (for which Mali is named), ",
"and the Songhai Empire. At its peak in 1300, the Mali Empire was the wealthiest country in Africa, covering ",
"an area about twice the size of modern-day France and stretched to the west coast of the continent. Mali ",
"was also one of the wealthiest countries on earth, and its emperor at its zenith, Mansa Musa, is believed ",
"to be possibly the wealthiest individual in history. Besides being an economic powerhouse, medieval Mali ",
"was a centre of Islam, culture and knowledge, with Timbuktu becoming a renowned place of learning with its ",
"university, one of the oldest in the world still active. The expanding Songhai Empire absorbed the empire ",
"in 1468, followed by a Moroccan army which defeated the Songhai in 1591. The Moroccan colonists established ",
"a new ruling class, the Arma, who after 1612 became virtually independent of Morocco. In the late 19th century, ",
"during the Scramble for Africa, France seized control of Mali, making it a part of French Sudan. French ",
"Sudan (then known as the Sudanese Republic) joined with Senegal in 1959, achieving independence in 1960 as ",
"the Mali Federation. Shortly thereafter, following Senegal's withdrawal from the federation, the Sudanese ",
"Republic declared itself the independent Republic of Mali. After a long period of one-party rule, a coup in ",
"1991 led to the writing of a new constitution and the establishment of Mali as a democratic, multi-party state.</p>",
"<p>In January 2012, an armed conflict broke out in northern Mali, in which Tuareg rebels took control of a ",
"territory in the north, and in April declared the secession of a new state, Azawad. The conflict was complicated ",
"by a military coup that took place in March and later fighting between Tuareg and other rebel factions. ",
"In response to territorial gains, the French military launched Opération Serval in January 2013. A month later, ",
"Malian and French forces recaptured most of the north. Presidential elections were held on 28 July 2013, with ",
"a second-round run-off held on 11 August, and legislative elections were held on 24 November and 15 December 2013.</p>"
],
"sierra": [
"<p>Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. ",
"It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Sierra ",
"Leone has a tropical climate with a diverse environment ranging from savanna to rainforests, a total area of ",
"71,740 km2 (27,699 square miles) and a population of 7,092,113 as of the 2015 census. The capital and largest ",
"city is Freetown. The country is divided into five administrative regions which are subdivided into sixteen ",
"districts. Sierra Leone is a constitutional republic with a unicameral parliament and a directly elected ",
"president serving a five-year term with a maximum of two terms. The current president is Julius Maada Bio. ",
"Sierra Leone is a secular nation with the constitution providing for the separation of state and religion and ",
"freedom of conscience (which includes freedom of thoughts and religion). Muslims make up about three-quarters ",
"of the population, though with an influential Christian minority. Religious tolerance in the West African ",
"nation is very high and is generally considered a norm and part of Sierra Leone's cultural identity.</p>",
"<p>Although inhabited for millennia, Sierra Leone, as the country and its borders are known today, was founded ",
"by the British Crown in two phases: first, the coastal Sierra Leone Colony in 1808 (for returning Africans ",
"after the abolition of slavery); second, the inland Protectorate in 1896 (as the Crown needed to establish ",
"more dominion inland following the outcome of the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885). Hence, the country formally ",
"became known as the 'Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate' or simply British Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone gained ",
"independence from the United Kingdom on 27 April 1961, and became a Commonwealth realm on the same day; the ",
"country's name changed to the Dominion of Sierra Leone. Sir Milton Margai became Sierra Leone's first prime minister.</p>",
"<p>During the few decades following independence, Sierra Leone witnessed an increase in political activities, ",
"transformations, turmoil, humanitarian and socio-economic crises. The country had its first general elections as ",
"an independent nation on 27 May 1961. Margai's Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) won a plurality of parliamentary ",
"seats and he was re-elected Prime Minister. A new constitution was adopted in 1971, paving the way for Sierra ",
"Leone becoming a republic, and Siaka Stevens, leader of the All People's Congress (APC), becoming the first ",
"executive president of the Republic of Sierra Leone.</p>"
],
"benin": [
"<p>Benin, officially the Republic of Benin and formerly known as Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is ",
"bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the ",
"north-east. The majority of its population lives on the small southern coastline of the Bight of Benin, ",
"part of the Gulf of Guinea in the northernmost tropical portion of the Atlantic Ocean. The capital of ",
"Benin is Porto-Novo, but the seat of government is in Cotonou, the country's largest city and economic capital. ",
"Benin covers an area of 114,763 square kilometres (44,310 sq mi) and its population in 2018 was estimated ",
"to be approximately 11.49 million. Benin is a tropical nation, highly dependent on agriculture, and ",
"is a large exporter of palm oil and cotton. Substantial employment and income arise from subsistence farming.</p>",
"<p>The official language of Benin is French, with several indigenous languages such as Fon, Bariba, Yoruba and ",
"Dendi also being commonly spoken. The largest religious group in Benin is Roman Catholicism, followed closely ",
"by Islam, Vodun (commonly referred to as Voodoo outside the country) and Protestantism. Benin is a member of ",
"the United Nations, the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States, the Organisation of ",
"Islamic Cooperation, the South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone, La Francophonie, the Community of ",
"Sahel–Saharan States, the African Petroleum Producers Association and the Niger Basin Authority.</p>",
"<p>From the 17th to the 19th century, the main political entities in the area were the Kingdom of Dahomey, along ",
"with the city-state of Porto-Novo, and a large area with many different nations to the north. This region was ",
"referred to as the Slave Coast from as early as the 17th century due to the large number of people who were ",
"kidnapped and trafficked to the New World during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. After slavery was abolished, ",
"France took over the country and renamed it French Dahomey. In 1960, Dahomey gained full independence from ",
"France. The sovereign state has had a tumultuous history since then, with many different democratic governments, ",
"military coups, and military governments. A self-described Marxist–Leninist state called the People's Republic ",
"of Benin existed between 1975 and 1990. In 1991, it was replaced by the current multi-party Republic of Benin.</p>"
],
"niger": [
"<p>Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa named after the ",
"Niger River. Niger is a unitary state bordered by Libya to the northeast, Chad to the east, Nigeria to",
"the south, Benin and Burkina Faso to the southwest, Mali to the west, and Algeria to the northwest. ",
"Niger covers a land area of almost 1,270,000 km2 (490,000 square miles), making it the second-largest ",
"landlocked country in West Africa, after Chad. Over 80% of its land area lies in the Sahara Desert. The ",
"country's predominantly Muslim population of about 22 million live mostly in clusters in the far south ",
"and west of the country. The capital and largest city is Niamey, located in Niger's southwest corner.</p>",
"<p>Niger is a least developed country, which consistently ranks near the bottom in the United Nations' Human ",
"Development Index (HDI); it was ranked 187th of 188 countries for 2015 and 189th out of 189 countries in ",
"the 2018 and 2019 reports. Many of the non-desert portions of the country are threatened by periodic ",
"drought and desertification. The economy is concentrated around subsistence agriculture, with some export ",
"agriculture in the more fertile south, and export of raw materials, especially uranium ore. Niger faces ",
"serious challenges to development due to its landlocked position, desert terrain, inefficient agriculture, ",
"high fertility rates without birth control and resulting overpopulation, the poor educational level and ",
"poverty of its people, lack of infrastructure, poor healthcare, and environmental degradation.</p>",
"<p>Nigerien society reflects a diversity drawn from the long independent histories of its several ethnic groups ",
"and regions and their relatively short period living in a single state. Historically, what is now Niger ",
"has been on the fringes of several large states. Since independence, Nigeriens have lived under five ",
"constitutions and three periods of military rule. After the military coup in 2010, Niger became a democratic, ",
"-party state. A majority of the population lives in rural areas and has little access to advanced education.</p>"
],
"guinea-bissau": [
"<p>Guinea-Bissau, officially the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, is a country in West Africa that covers 36,125 ",
"square kilometres (13,948 square miles) with an estimated population of 1,726,000. It borders Senegal ",
"to the north and Guinea to the south-east.</p>",
"<p>Guinea-Bissau was once part of the kingdom of Kaabu, as well as part of the Mali Empire. Parts of ",
"this kingdom persisted until the 18th century, while a few others were under some rule by the ",
"Portuguese Empire since the 16th century. In the 19th century, it was colonised as Portuguese Guinea. ",
"Upon independence, declared in 1973 and recognised in 1974, the name of its capital, Bissau, was ",
"added to the country's name to prevent confusion with Guinea (formerly French Guinea). Guinea-Bissau ",
"has a history of political instability since independence, and only one elected president (José ",
"Mário Vaz) has successfully served a full five-year term. The current president is Umaro Sissoco ",
"Embaló, who was elected on 29 December 2019.</p>",
"<p>Only about 2% of the population speaks Portuguese, the official language, as a first language, ",
"and 33% speak it as a second language. However, Guinea-Bissau Creole, a Portuguese-based creole, ",
"is the national language and also considered the language of unity. According to a 2012 study, 54% ",
"of the population speak Creole as a first language and about 40% speak it as a second language.",
"The remainder speak a variety of native African languages. There are diverse religions in Guinea-Bissau. ",
"Christianity and Islam are the main religions practised in the country. The country's per-capita ",
"gross domestic product is one of the lowest in the world.</p>",
"<p>Guinea-Bissau is a member of the United Nations, African Union, Economic Community of West African ",
"States, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Community of Portuguese Language Countries, Organisation ",
"internationale de la Francophonie, and the South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone, and was a member ",
"of the now-defunct Latin Union.</p>"
],
"nigeria": [
"<p>Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is the most ",
"populous country in Africa. It is geographically situated between the Sahel to the north and the ",
"Gulf of Guinea to the south in the Atlantic Ocean. It covers an area of 923,769 square kilometres ",
"(356,669 square miles), with a population of over <b>211 million</b>. Nigeria borders Niger in the ",
"north, Chad in the northeast, Cameroon in the east, and Benin in the west. Nigeria is a federal ",
"republic comprising 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, where the capital, Abuja, is located. The ",
"largest city in Nigeria is Lagos, one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world and the second-largest in Africa.</p>",
"<p>Nigeria has been home to several indigenous pre-colonial states and kingdoms since the second ",
"millennium BC, with the Nok civilization in the 15th century BC marking the first internal unification ",
"in the country. The modern state originated with British colonialization in the 19th century, taking ",
"its present territorial shape with the merging of the Southern Nigeria Protectorate and Northern Nigeria ",
"Protectorate in 1914 by Lord Lugard. The British set up administrative and legal structures while practising ",
"indirect rule through traditional chiefdoms in the Nigeria region. Nigeria became a formally independent ",
"federation on October 1, 1960. It experienced a civil war from 1967 to 1970, followed by a succession of ",
"democratically elected civilian governments and military dictatorships, until achieving a stable ",
"democracy in the 1999 presidential election; the 2015 election was the first time an incumbent president had lost re-election.</p>",
"<p>Nigeria is a multinational state inhabited by more than 250 ethnic groups speaking 500 distinct languages, ",
"all identifying with a wide variety of cultures. The three largest ethnic groups are the Hausa in the north, ",
"Yoruba in the west, and Igbo in the east, together comprising over 60% of the total population. The official ",
"language is English, chosen to facilitate linguistic unity at the national level. Nigeria's constitution ",
"ensures freedom of religion and it is home to some of the world's largest Muslim and Christian populations, ",
"simultaneously. Nigeria is divided roughly in half between Muslims, who live mostly in the north, and ",
"Christians, who live mostly in the south; indigenous religions, such as those native to the Igbo and Yoruba",
"ethnicities, are in the minority.</p>",
"<p>Nigeria is a regional power in Africa, a middle power in international affairs, and is an emerging ",
"global power. Nigeria's economy is the largest in Africa, the 25th-largest in the world by nominal GDP, ",
"and 25th-largest by PPP. Nigeria is often referred to as the Giant of Africa owing to its large population ",
"and economy and is considered to be an emerging market by the World Bank. Nigeria ",
"is a founding member of the African Union and a member of many international organizations, including the ",
"United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, NAM, the Economic Community of West African States, and ",
"OPEC. It is also a member of the informal MINT group of countries and is one of the Next Eleven economies.",
"Visit Nigeria, and you will meet people from your origin. Take a break in the country and visit places ",
"like Abuja, Lagos, etc. and see it for yourself</p>"
],
"liberia": [
"<p>Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by ",
"Sierra Leone to its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ",
"to its south and southwest. It has a population of around 5 million and covers an area of 111,369 square ",
"kilometers (43,000 square miles). English is the official language, but over 20 indigenous languages ",
"are spoken, reflecting the country's ethnic and cultural diversity. The country's capital and largest is Monrovia.</p>",
"<p>Liberia began in the early 19th century as a project of the American Colonization Society (ACS), which ",
"believed black people would face better chances for freedom and prosperity in Africa than in the United States. ",
"Between 1822 and the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, more than 15,000 freed and free-born black ",
"people who faced social and legal oppression in the U.S., along with 3,198 Afro-Caribbeans, relocated to Liberia. ",
"Gradually developing an 'Americo-Liberian' identity, the settlers carried their culture and tradition with them; ",
"Liberian constitution and flag were modeled after those of the U.S., while its capital was named after ACS ",
"supporter and U.S. President James Monroe. Liberia declared independence on July 26, 1847, which the U.S. did ",
"not recognize until February 5, 1862. On January 3, 1848, Joseph Jenkins Roberts, a wealthy, free-born African ",
"American from the U.S. state of Virginia who settled in Liberia, was elected Liberia's first president after ",
"the people proclaimed independence.</p>",
"<p>Liberia was the first African republic to proclaim its independence and is Africa's first and oldest modern ",
"republic. It was among the few countries to maintain its sovereignty during the Scramble for Africa. During ",
"World War II, Liberia supported the United States war effort against Germany, and in turn received considerable ",
"American investment in infrastructure, which aided the country's wealth and development. President William ",
"Tubman encouraged economic and political changes that heightened the country's prosperity and international ",
"profile; Liberia was a founding member of the League of Nations, United Nations, and the Organisation of African Unity.</p>",
"<p>The Americo-Liberian settlers did not relate well to the indigenous peoples they encountered, especially those ",
"living in the more isolated interior. Colonial settlements were raided by the Kru and Grebo from their inland ",
"chiefdoms. Americo-Liberians promoted religious organizations to set up missions and schools to educate the ",
"native populace. Americo-Liberians formed into a small elite that held disproportionate political power; ",
"indigenous Africans were excluded from birthright citizenship in their own land until 1904.</p>"
],
"ivory": [
"<p>Ivory Coast, also known as <em>Côte d'Ivoire</em>, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country ",
"on the southern coast of West Africa. Its political capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of ",
"the country; while its largest city and economic centre is the port city of Abidjan. It borders ",
"Guinea to the northwest, Liberia to the west, Mali to the northwest, Burkina Faso to the northeast, ",
"Ghana to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea (Atlantic Ocean) to the south. Its official language is ",
"French, and indigenous languages are also widely used, including Bété, Baoulé, Dioula, Dan, Anyin, ",
"and Cebaara Senufo. In total, there are around 78 different languages spoken in Ivory Coast. The ",
"country has a religiously diverse population, including numerous followers of Christianity, Islam ",
"and indigenous faiths.</p>",
"<p>Before its colonization by Europeans, Ivory Coast was home to several states, including Gyaaman, ",
"the Kong Empire and Baoulé. The area became a protectorate of France in 1843 and was consolidated ",
"as a French colony in 1893 amid the European scramble for Africa. It achieved independence in 1960, ",
"led by Félix Houphouët-Boigny, who ruled the country until 1993. Relatively stable by regional ",
"standards, Ivory Coast established close political economic ties with its West African neighbours ",
"while maintaining close relations with the West, especially France. Its stability was diminished ",
"by a coup d'état in 1999, then two civil wars—first between 2002 and 2007 and again during ",
"2010–2011. It adopted a new constitution in 2000.</p>",
"<p>Ivory Coast is a republic with strong executive power vested in its president. Through the production ",
"of coffee and cocoa, it was an economic powerhouse in West Africa during the 1960s and 1970s, then ",
"experienced an economic crisis in the 1980s, contributing to a period of political and social turmoil. ",
"It was not until around 2014 that its gross domestic product again reached the level of its peak in ",
"the 1970s. In 2020, Ivory Coast was the world's largest exporter of cocoa beans and had high levels ",
"of income for its region. In the 21st century, the Ivorian economy has been largely market-based; ",
"it still relies heavily on agriculture, with smallholder cash-crop production predominating.</p>"
],
"WEST AFRICA": "COMPLETED. SOUTHERN AFRICA BELOW..............................................",
"namibia": [
"<p>Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border ",
"is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana ",
"to the east and South Africa to the south and east. Although it does not border Zimbabwe, ",
"less than 200 metres (660 feet) of the Botswanan right bank of the Zambezi River separates ",
"the two countries. Namibia gained independence from South Africa on 21 March 1990, following ",
"the Namibian War of Independence. Its capital and largest city is Windhoek. Namibia is a ",
"member state of the United Nations (UN), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), ",
"the African Union (AU) and the Commonwealth of Nations.</p>",
"<p>The driest country in sub-Saharan Africa, Namibia has been inhabited since pre-historic ",
"times by the San, Damara and Nama people. Around the 14th century, immigrating Bantu peoples ",
"arrived as part of the Bantu expansion. Since then, the Bantu groups, the largest being the ",
"Ovambo, have dominated the population of the country; since the late 19th century, they have ",
"constituted a majority.</p>",
"<p>In 1878, the Cape of Good Hope, then a British colony, annexed the port of Walvis Bay and the ",
"offshore Penguin Islands; these became an integral part of the new Union of South Africa at its ",
"creation in 1910. In 1884, the German Empire established rule over most of the territory, forming ",
"a colony known as German South West Africa. It developed farming and infrastructure. Between ",
"1904 and 1908, it perpetrated a genocide against the Herero and Nama people. German rule ended ",
"in 1915 with a defeat by South African forces. In 1920, after the end of World War I, the League ",
"of Nations mandated administration of the colony to South Africa. As Mandatory power, South ",
"Africa imposed its laws, including racial classifications and rules. From 1948, with the National ",
"Party elected to power, this included South Africa applying apartheid to what was then known as ",
"South West Africa.</p>",
"<p>In the later 20th century, uprisings and demands for political representation by native African ",
"political activists seeking independence resulted in the UN assuming direct responsibility over ",
"the territory in 1966, but South Africa maintained de facto rule. In 1973, the UN recognised the ",
"South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO) as the official representative of the Namibian ",
"people; the party is dominated by the Ovambo, who are a large plurality in the territory. ",
"Following continued guerrilla warfare, South Africa installed an interim administration in ",
"Namibia in 1985. Namibia obtained full independence from South Africa in 1990. However, ",
"Walvis Bay and the Penguin Islands remained under South African control until 1994.</p>",
"<p>Namibia has a population of 2.55 million people and is a stable multi-party parliamentary ",
"democracy. Agriculture, tourism and the mining industry – including mining for gem diamonds, ",
"uranium, gold, silver and base metals – form the basis of its economy, while the manufacturing ",
"sector is comparatively small. The large, arid Namib Desert from which the country derived its ",
"name has resulted in Namibia being overall one of the least densely populated countries in the world.</p>"
],
"eswatini": [
"<p>Eswatini, officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and formerly named in English as Swaziland, a ",
"landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South ",
"Africa to its north, west, south, and southeast. At no more than 200 kilometres (120 miles) north ",
"to south and 130 kilometres (81 miles) east to west, Eswatini is one of the smallest countries in ",
"Africa; despite this, its climate and topography are diverse, ranging from a cool and mountainous ",
"highveld to a hot and dry lowveld.</p>",
"<p>The population is composed primarily of ethnic Swazis. The prevalent language is Swazi. The ",
"Swazis established their kingdom in the mid-18th century under the leadership of Ngwane III. ",
"The country and the Swazi take their names from Mswati II, the 19th-century king under whose ",
"rule Swazi territory was expanded and unified; the present boundaries were drawn up in 1881 ",
"in the midst of the Scramble for Africa. After the Second Boer War, the kingdom, under the name ",
"of Swaziland, was a British protectorate from 1903 until it regained its independence on 6 ",
"September 1968. In April 2018, the official name was changed from Kingdom of Swaziland to Kingdom",
"of Eswatini, mirroring the name commonly used in Swazi.</p>",
"<p> government is an absolute monarchy, the last of its kind in Africa, and has been ruled by ",
"King Mswati III since 1986. Elections are held every five years to determine the House of Assembly ",
"and the Senate majority. The current constitution was adopted in 2005. Umhlanga, the reed dance ",
"held in August/September, and incwala, the kingship dance held in December/January, are the nation's ",
"most important events.</p>",
"<p>Eswatini is a developing country and is classified as a lower-middle income economy. As a member ",
"of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa ",
"(COMESA), its main local trading partner is South Africa; to ensure economic stability, Eswatini's ",
"currency, the lilangeni, is pegged to the South African rand. Eswatini's major overseas trading partners ",
"are the United States and the European Union. The majority of the country's employment is provided by ",
"its agricultural and manufacturing sectors. Eswatini is a member of the Southern African Development ",
"Community (SADC), the African Union, the Commonwealth of Nations, and the United Nations.</p>"
],
"zimbabwe": [
"<p>Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, ",
"between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the ",
"south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozambique to the east. The capital and largest city is Harare. ",
"The second largest city is Bulawayo. A country of roughly 15 million people, Zimbabwe has 16 official ",
"languages, with English, Shona, and Ndebele the most common. It was once known as the 'Jewel of Africa' ",
"for its great prosperity.</p>",
"<p>Zimbabwe has one of the richest histories of any nation in southern Africa, and first became a ",
"major trade route in the 11th century. During its late iron age, the Gokomere, the Bantu people ",
"who would become the ethnic Shona, built the vast city-state of Great Zimbabwe. Built on a wealth ",
"of natural resources, Great Zimbabwe flourished financially and culturally from the 14th to 15th ",
"centuries, becoming a mercantile powerhouse that controlled the gold, ivory and copper trades with ",
"the Swahili coast and various Arab and Indian states. From there, the powerful Kingdom of Zimbabwe ",
"was established, followed by the Rozvi, Mutapa and Mthwakazi empires. The Shona and Ndebele peoples, ",
"among others, had shaped Zimbabwe into a prosperous and strategically important region when Europeans ",
"began to colonise the area in the 1800s.</p>",
"<p>The British South Africa Company of Cecil Rhodes first demarcated the present territory during 1890 ",
"when they conquered Mashonaland and later in 1893 Matabeleland after a fierce resistance by Matabele ",
"people known as the First Matabele War. Company rule ended in 1923 with the establishment of Southern ",
"Rhodesia as a self-governing British colony. In 1965, the conservative white minority government ",
"unilaterally declared independence as Rhodesia. The state endured international isolation and a ",
"15-year guerrilla war with black nationalist forces; this culminated in a peace agreement that ",
"established universal enfranchisement and de jure sovereignty as Zimbabwe in April 1980. Zimbabwe ",
"then joined the Commonwealth of Nations, from which it was suspended in 2002 for breaches of ",
"international law by its then-government under Robert Mugabe, and from which it withdrew in December 2003.",
"Zimbabwe is a member of the United Nations, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), ",
"the African Union (AU), and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).</p>"
],
"lesotho": [
"<p>Lesotho, officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is an enclaved country surrounded entirely ",
"by South Africa. It is a mountainous country situated in the Maloti Mountains, and contains ",
"the highest mountains in Southern Africa. Lesotho has an area of just over 30,000 km2 (11,",
"600 square miles) and has a population of about 2 million. Its capital and largest city is ",
"Maseru. The official languages are Sesotho and English.</p>",
"<p>Lesotho was previously the British Crown Colony of Basutoland, but it declared independence ",
"from the United Kingdom on 4 October 1966. It is now a fully sovereign state and is a member ",
"of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the African Union, and the Southern African ",
"Development Community (SADC). The name Lesotho roughly translates to 'land of the Sotho'. By ",
"2021, Lesotho has a 22.8% HIV prevalence rate among people between 15 and 49 years of age, ",
"one of the highest worldwide.</p>",
"<p>Because of its elevation, Lesotho remains cooler throughout the year than other regions ",
"at the same latitude. Most of the rain falls as summer thunderstorms. Maseru and surrounding ",
"lowlands often reach 30 °C (86 °F) in summer. Winters can be cold with the lowlands getting ",
"down to −7 °C (19 °F) and the highlands to −18 °C (0 °F) at times. Snow is common in the ",
"highlands between May and September; the higher peaks can experience snowfalls year-round. ",
"Rainfall in Lesotho is highly variable regarding both when and where precipitation occurs. ",
"Despite Lesotho's small size, annual precipitation can vary from 500mm annual in one area ",
"to 1200mm in another because of elevation. The summer season that stretches from October ",
"to April sees the most rainfall, and from December to February, the majority of the country ",
"receives over 100mm of rain a month. The least monthly rainfall in Lesotho occurs in June ",
"when most regions receive less than 15mm a month.</p>"
],
"south africa": [
"<p>South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country ",
"in Africa. With over 60 million people, the country is the world's 23rd-most populous ",
"nation and covers an area of 1,221,037 square kilometres (471,445 square miles). South ",
"Africa has three capital cities, with the executive, judicial and legislative branches ",
"of government based in Pretoria, Bloemfontein and Cape Town respectively. The largest ",
"city is Johannesburg. About 80% of South Africans are of indigenous Black African (including ",
"Khoisan - though sometimes considered Coloured) ancestry, divided among a variety of ethnic ",
"groups speaking different African languages. The remaining population consists of Africa's ",
"largest communities of European (White South Africans), Asian (Indian South Africans and ",
"Chinese South Africans), and Multiracial (Coloured South Africans) ancestry.</p>",
"<p>South Africa is bounded to the south by 2,798 kilometres (1,739 miles) of coastline that ",
"stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring ",
"countries of Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe; and to the east and northeast by Mozambique ",
"and Eswatini and it surrounds the enclaved country of Lesotho. It is the southernmost ",
"country on the mainland of the Old World, and the most populous country located entirely ",
"south of the equator. South Africa is a biodiversity hotspot, with a diversity of unique ",
"biomes and plant and animal life.</p>",
"<p>South Africa is a multiethnic society encompassing a wide variety of cultures, languages, ",
"and religions. Its pluralistic makeup is reflected in the constitution's recognition of ",
"11 official languages, the fourth-highest number in the world. According to the 2011 ",
"census, the two most spoken first languages are Zulu (22.7%) and Xhosa (16.0%). The ",
"two next ones are of European origin: Afrikaans (13.5%) developed from Dutch and serves ",
"as the first language of most Coloured and White South Africans; English (9.6%) reflects ",
"the legacy of British colonialism, and is commonly used in public and commercial life. ",
"The country is one of the few in Africa never to have had a coup d'état, and regular ",
"elections have been held for almost a century. However, the vast majority of black ",
"South Africans were not enfranchised until 1994.</p>",
"<p>During the 20th century, the black majority sought to claim more rights from the ",
"dominant white minority, which played a large role in the country's recent history ",
"and politics. The National Party imposed apartheid in 1948, institutionalising previous ",
"racial segregation. After a long and sometimes violent struggle by the African National ",
"Congress (ANC) and other anti-apartheid activists both inside and outside the country, ",
"the repeal of discriminatory laws began in the mid-1980s. Since 1994, all ethnic and ",
"linguistic groups have held political representation in the country's liberal democracy, ",
"which comprises a parliamentary republic and nine provinces. South Africa is often ",
"referred to as the 'rainbow nation' to describe the country's multicultural diversity, ",
"especially in the wake of apartheid.</p>"
],
"botswana": [
"<p>Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. ",
"Botswana is topographically flat, with up to 70 percent of its territory being the ",
"Kalahari Desert. It is bordered by South Africa to the south and southeast, Namibia ",
"to the west and north, and Zimbabwe to the north-east. It is connected to Zambia across ",
"the short Zambezi River border by the Kazungula Bridge.</p>",
"<p>A country of slightly over 2.3 million people, Botswana is one of the most sparsely ",
"populated countries in the world. About 11.6 percent of the population lives in the ",
"capital and largest city, Gaborone. Formerly one of the world's poorest countries—with a ",
"GDP per capita of about US$70 per year in the late 1960s—it has since transformed itself ",
"into an upper-middle-income country, with one of the world's fastest-growing economies.</p>",
"<p>Homo sapiens first inhabited the country over 200,000 years ago. The Tswana ethnic group ",
"were descended mainly from Bantu-speaking tribes who migrated southward of Africa to ",
"modern Botswana around 600 AD, living in tribal enclaves as farmers and herders. In 1885, ",
"the British colonised the area and declared a protectorate under the name of Bechuanaland. ",
"As decolonisation occurred, Bechuanaland became an independent Commonwealth republic under ",
"its current name on 30 September 1966. Since then, it has been a representative republic, ",
"with a consistent record of uninterrupted democratic elections and the lowest perceived ",
"corruption ranking in Africa since at least 1998.</p>",
"<p>The economy is dominated by mining, cattle, and tourism. Botswana has a GDP (purchasing power ",
"parity) per capita of about $18,113 as of 2021, one of the highest in Africa. Its relatively ",
"high gross national income per capita (by some estimates the fourth-largest in Africa) gives the ",
"country a relatively high standard of living and the highest Human Development Index of continental",
"Sub-Saharan Africa.</p>",
"<p>Botswana is a member of the African Union, the Southern African Customs Union, the Southern ",
"African Development Community, the Commonwealth of Nations, and the United Nations.</p>"
],
"SOUTHERN AFRICA": "Completed. North Africa Below...........................................",
"morocco": [
"<p>Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the northwesternmost country in the Maghreb ",
"region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic ",
"Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to the east, and the disputed territory ",
"of Western Sahara to the south. Morocco also claims the Spanish exclaves of Ceuta, Melilla ",
"and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera, and several small Spanish-controlled islands off its coast. ",
"It spans an area of 446,300 km2 (172,300 sq mi) or 710,850 km2 (274,460 square miles), with a population ",
"of roughly 37 million. Its official and predominant religion is Islam, and the official languages ",
"are Arabic and Berber; the Moroccan dialect of Arabic and French are also widely spoken. Moroccan ",
"identity and culture is a vibrant mix of Berber, Arab, and European cultures. Its capital is Rabat, ",
"while its largest city is Casablanca.</p>",
"<p>Inhabited since the Paleolithic Era over 90,000 years ago, the first Moroccan state was established ",
"by Idris I in 788. It was subsequently ruled by a series of independent dynasties, reaching its ",
"zenith as a regional power in the 11th and 12th centuries, under the Almoravid and Almohad ",
"dynasties, when it controlled most of the Iberian Peninsula and the Maghreb. In the 15th and 16th ",
"centuries, Morocco faced external threats to its sovereignty, with Portugal seizing some ",
"territory and the Ottoman Empire encroaching from the east. The Marinid and Saadi dynasties ",
"otherwise resisted foreign domination, and Morocco was the only North African nation to escape ",
"Ottoman dominion. The Alaouite dynasty, which rules the country to this day, seized power in 1631,",
"over the next two centuries expanded diplomatic and commercial relations with the Western world. ",
"Morocco's strategic location near the mouth of the Mediterranean drew renewed European interest; ",
"in 1912, France and Spain divided the country into respective protectorates, reserving an international ",
"zone in Tangier. Following intermittent riots and revolts against colonial rule, in 1956 Morocco regained ",
"its independence and reunified.</p>",
"<p>Since independence, Morocco has remained relatively stable. It has the fifth-largest economy in Africa ",
"and wields significant influence in both Africa and the Arab world; it is considered a middle power in ",
"global affairs and holds membership in the Arab League, the Union for the Mediterranean, and the African ",
"Union. Morocco is a unitary semi-constitutional monarchy with an elected parliament. The executive branch ",
"is led by the King of Morocco and the prime minister, while legislative power is vested in the two chambers ",
"of parliament: the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. Judicial power rests with the ",
"Court, which may review the validity of laws, elections, and referenda. The king holds vast executive and ",
"legislative powers, especially over the military, foreign policy and religious affairs; he can issue decrees ",
"called dahirs, which have the force of law, and can also dissolve the parliament after consulting the ",
"prime minister and the president of the constitutional court.</p>",
"<p>Morocco claims ownership of the non-self-governing territory of Western Sahara, which it has designated ",
"its Southern Provinces. In 1975, after Spain agreed to decolonise the territory and cede its control to",
"Morocco and Mauritania, a guerrilla war broke out between those powers and some of the local inhabitants. ",
"In 1979, Mauritania relinquished its claim to the area, but the war continued to rage. In 1991, a ceasefire ",
"agreement was reached, but the issue of sovereignty remained unresolved. Today, Morocco occupies two-thirds ",
"of the territory, and efforts to resolve the dispute have thus far failed to break the political deadlock.</p>"
],
"libya": [
"<p>Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is ",
"bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad ",
"to the south, Niger to the southwest, Algeria to the west, and Tunisia to the northwest. Libya ",
"is made of three historical regions: Tripolitania, Fezzan, and Cyrenaica. With an area of ",
"almost 700,000 square miles (1.8 million km2), it is the fourth-largest country in Africa and ",
"Arab world, and the 16th-largest in the world. Libya has the 10th-largest proven oil reserves ",
"in the world. The largest city and capital, Tripoli, is located in western Libya and contains ",
"over three million of Libya's seven million people.</p>",
"<p>Libya has been inhabited by Berbers since the late Bronze Age as descendants from Iberomaurusian ",
"and Capsian cultures. In ancient times the Phoenicians established city-states and trading posts ",
"in western Libya while more recently the Ottoman Empire controlled the northern coastline of ",
"Libya. Parts of Libya were variously ruled by Carthaginians, Persians, Egyptians and Macedonians ",
"before the entire region becoming a part of the Roman Empire. Libya was an early center of ",
"Christianity. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the area of Libya was mostly occupied ",
"by the Vandals until the 7th century when invasions brought Islam to the region. In the 16th ",
"century, the Spanish Empire and the Knights of St John occupied Tripoli until Ottoman rule began ",
"in 1551. Libya was involved in the Barbary Wars of the 18th and 19th centuries. Ottoman rule ",
"continued until the Italo-Turkish War which resulted in the Italian occupation of Libya and ",
"the establishment of two colonies, Italian Tripolitania and Italian Cyrenaica (1911–1934), ",
"later unified in the Italian Libya colony from 1934 to 1947.</p>",
"<p>During the Second World War, Libya was an area of warfare in the North African Campaign. The ",
"Italian population then went into decline. Libya became independent as a kingdom in 1951. A ",
"bloodless military coup in 1969, initiated by a coalition led by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, ",
"overthrew King Idris I and created a republic. Gaddafi was often described by critics as a ",
"dictator, and was one of the world's longest serving non-royal leaders, ruling for 42 years. ",
"He ruled until being overthrown and killed in the 2011 Libyan Civil War, with authority ",
"transferred to the General National Congress. By 2014 two rival authorities claimed to ",
"govern Libya, destabilizing the country and leading to a second civil war, with parts of Libya ",
"split between the Tobruk and Tripoli-based governments as well as various tribal and Islamist ",
"militias. The two main warring sides signed a permanent ceasefire on 23 October 2020 and a ",
"unity government took authority.</p>",
"<p>Libya is a member of the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, the African Union, the ",
"Arab League, the OIC and OPEC. The country's official religion is Islam, with 96.6% of the ",
"Libyan population being Sunni Muslims.</p>"
],
"egypt": [
"<p>Egypt, officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the ",
"northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia by a land bridge formed by the Sinai ",
"Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gaza Strip (Palestine) ",
"and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south, and Libya to the ",
"west. The Gulf of Aqaba in the northeast, whose maximum width is 24 km (15 miles), separates ",
"Egypt from Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Cairo is the country's capital and largest city.</p>",
"<p>Egypt has one of the longest histories of any country, tracing its heritage along the Nile ",
"Delta back to the 6th-4th millennia BCE. Considered a cradle of civilisation, Ancient Egypt ",
"saw some of the earliest developments of writing, agriculture, urbanisation, organised religion ",
"and central government. Iconic monuments such as the Giza Necropolis and its Great Sphinx, ",
"as well the ruins of Memphis, Thebes, Karnak, and the Valley of the Kings, reflect this legacy ",
"and remain a significant focus of scientific and popular interest. Egypt's long and rich cultural ",
"heritage is an integral part of its national identity, which reflects its unique transcontinental ",
"location being simultaneously Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and North African. Egypt was an early ",
"and important centre of Christianity, but was largely Islamised in the seventh century and remains ",
"a predominantly Muslim country, albeit with a significant Christian minority.</p>",
"<p>Modern Egypt dates back to 1922, when it gained independence from the British Empire as a monarchy",
". Following the 1952 revolution, Egypt declared itself a republic, and in 1958 it merged with Syria ",
"to form the United Arab Republic, which dissolved in 1961. Throughout the second half of the 20th ",
"century, Egypt endured social and religious strife and political instability, fighting several ",
"armed conflicts with Israel in 1948, 1956, 1967 and 1973, and occupying the Gaza Strip intermittently ",
"until 1967. In 1978, Egypt signed the Camp David Accords, officially withdrawing from the Gaza Strip ",
"and recognising Israel. The country continues to face challenges, from political unrest, including ",
"the recent 2011 revolution and its aftermath, to terrorism and economic underdevelopment. Egypt's ",
"current government, a semi-presidential republic led by Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, has been described by ",
"a number of watchdogs as authoritarian or heading an authoritarian regime, responsible for perpetuating ",
"the country's problematic human rights record.</p>",
"<p>Islam is the official religion of Egypt and Arabic is its official language. With over 100 million ",
"inhabitants, Egypt is the most populous country in North Africa, the Middle East, and the Arab world, ",
"the third-most populous in Africa (after Nigeria and Ethiopia), and the fourteenth-most populous in ",
"the world. The great majority of its people live near the banks of the Nile River, an area of about ",
"40,000 square kilometres (15,000 square miles), where the only arable land is found. The large regions ",
"of the Sahara desert, which constitute most of Egypt's territory, are sparsely inhabited. About half ",
"of Egypt's residents live in urban areas, with most spread across the densely populated centres of ",
"greater Cairo, Alexandria and other major cities in the Nile Delta.</p>",
"<p>Egypt is considered to be a regional power in North Africa, the Middle East and the Muslim world",
", and a middle power worldwide. It is a developing country, ranking 116th on the Human Development ",
"Index. It has a diversified economy, which is the second-largest in Africa, the 33rd-largest economy ",
"by nominal GDP, and the 20th-largest globally by PPP. Egypt is a founding member of the United Nations",
", the Non-Aligned Movement, the Arab League, the African Union, Organisation of Islamic ",
"Cooperation and the World Youth Forum.</p>"
],
"algeria": [
"<p>Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region ",
"of North Africa. The country is the largest country by total area in Africa and in the Arab world",
", and is bordered to the northeast by Tunisia; to the east by Libya; to the southeast by Niger; to ",
"the southwest by Mali, Mauritania, and Western Sahara; to the west by Morocco; and to the north by ",
"the Mediterranean Sea. It has a semi-arid geography, with most of the population living in the fertile ",
"north and the Sahara dominating the geography of the south. Algeria covers an area of 2,381,741 square ",
"kilometres (919,595 square miles), making it the world's tenth largest nation by area, and the largest ",
"nation in Africa. With a population of 44 million, Algeria is the ninth-most populous country in Africa",
", and the 32nd-most populous country in the world. The capital and largest city is Algiers, located in ",
"the far north on the Mediterranean coast.</p>",
"<p>Pre-1962 Algeria has seen many empires and dynasties, including ancient Numidians, Phoenicians, Cartha",
"ginians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Umayyads, Abbasids, Rustamids, Idrisids, Aghlabids, Fatimids, ",
"Zirids, Hammadids, Almoravids, Almohads, Zayyanids, Spaniards, Ottomans and finally, the French coloni",
"al empire. The vast majority of Algeria's population is Arab-Berber, practicing Islam, and using the ",
"official languages of Arabic and Berber. However, French serves as an administrative and educational ",
"language in some contexts. The main spoken language is Algerian Arabic.</p>",
"<p>Algeria is a semi-presidential republic, with local constituencies consisting of 58 provinces and 1,541 ",
"communes. Algeria is a regional power in North Africa, and a middle power in global affairs. It has the ",
"highest Human Development Index of all non-island African countries and one of the largest economies on ",
"the continent, based largely on energy exports. Algeria has the world's sixteenth-largest oil reserves ",
"and the ninth-largest reserves of natural gas. Sonatrach, the national oil company, is the largest company ",
"in Africa, supplying large amounts of natural gas to Europe. Algeria's military is one of the largest in ",
"Africa, and has the largest defence budget on the continent. It is a member of the African Union, the Arab ",
"League, the OIC, OPEC, the United Nations, and the Arab Maghreb Union, of which it is a founding member.</p>"
],
"tunisia": [
"<p>Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a part ",
"of the Maghreb region of North Africa, and is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, ",
"Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east; covering 163,610 km2 (6",
"3,170 square miles), with a population of 11 million. It contains the eastern end of the Atlas ",
"Mountains and the northern reaches of the Sahara desert, with much of its remaining territory ",
"arable land. Its 1,300 km (810 miles) of coastline include the African conjunction of the western ",
"and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Basin. Tunisia is home to Africa's northernmost point, ",
"Cape Angela; and its capital and largest city is Tunis, located on its northeastern coast, which ",
"lends the country its name.</p>",
"<p>From early antiquity, Tunisia was inhabited by the indigenous Berbers. Phoenicians began to ",
"arrive in the 12th century BC, establishing several settlements, of which Carthage emerged as ",
"the most powerful by the 7th century BC. A major mercantile empire and a military rival of ",
"the Roman Republic, Carthage was defeated by the Romans in 146 BC, who occupied Tunisia for ",
"most of the next 800 years, introducing Christianity and leaving architectural legacies like ",
"the amphitheatre of El Jem. After several attempts starting in 647, Muslims conquered all of ",
"Tunisia by 697, bringing Islam and Arab culture to the local inhabitants. The Ottoman Empire ",
"established control in 1574 and held sway for over 300 years, until the French conquered Tuni",
"sia in 1881. Tunisia gained independence under the leadership of Habib Bourguiba, who declared ",
"the Tunisian Republic in 1957. Today, Tunisia is the smallest nation in North Africa, and its cul",
"ture and identity are rooted in this centuries-long intersection of different cultures and ethnicities.</p>",
"<p>In 2011, the Tunisian Revolution, triggered by the lack of freedom and democracy under the 24-",
"year rule of president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, overthrew his regime and catalyzed the broader ",
"Arab Spring across the region. Free multiparty parliamentary elections were held shortly after",
"; the country again voted for parliament on 26 October 2014,[20] and for president on 23 Novem",
"ber 2014. Tunisia remains a unitary semi-presidential representative democratic republic; ",
"and is the only North African country classified as 'Free' by Freedom House. From 2014 to ",
"2020, it was considered the only democratic state in the Arab World, according to the Econom",
"ist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index, and was rated a hybrid regime in the 2021 Index. It ",
"is one of the few countries in Africa ranking high in the Human Development Index, with one ",
"of the highest per capita incomes in the continent.</p>",
"<p>Tunisia is well integrated into the international community. It is a member of the United ",
", La Francophonie, the Arab League, the OIC, the African Union, the Non-Aligned Movement, ",
"the International Criminal Court, and the Group of 77, among others. It maintains close ",
"economic and political relations with some European countries, particularly with France, ",
"and Italy, which geographically lie very close to it. Tunisia also has an association ",
"agreement with the European Union, and has also attained the status of a major non-NATO ",
"ally of the United States.</p>"
],
"sudan": [
"<p>Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan and simply known as North Sudan, is a country in ",
"Northeast Africa. It borders the countries of Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea",
", Ethiopia, Libya, South Sudan, and the Red Sea. It has a population of 44.91 million people ",
"as of 2021 and occupies 1,886,068 square kilometres (728,215 square miles), making it Africa'",
"s third-largest country by area, and the third-largest by area in the Arab League. It was the ",
"largest country by area in Africa and the Arab League until the secession of South Sudan in 2011",
", since which both titles have been held by Algeria. Its capital is Khartoum and its most ",
"populated city is Omdurman (part of metro Khartoum).</p>",
"<p>During the Mamluk and Ottoman periods, slave trade played a big role and was demanded from the ",
"Sudanese Kashif than the regular remittance of tribute. In 1811, these Mamluks established a ",
"state at Dunqulah as a base for their slave trading. Under Turco-Egyptian rule of Sudan begi",
"nning in the 1820s, slave trading practice was entrenched along a north-south axis, with sla",
"ve raids taking place in southern part of the country and slaves were transported to Egypt ",
"and the Ottoman empire.</p>",
"<p>Ottoman Turks controlled some of its territory for a short period of time. After Sudan became ",
"independent, the Jaafar Nimeiry regime began Islamist rule. This exacerbated the rift between ",
"the Islamic north, the seat of the government, and the Animists and Christians in the south.</p>",
"<p>Sudan's history goes back to the Pharaonic period, witnessing the Kingdom of Kerma (c. 2500–",
"1500 BC), the subsequent rule of the Egyptian New Kingdom (c. 1500 BC–1070 BC) and the ri",
"se of the Kingdom of Kush (c. 785 BC-350 AD), which would in turn control Egypt itself for ",
"nearly a century. After the fall of Kush, the Nubians formed the three Christian kingdoms of ",
"Nobatia, Makuria, and Alodia, with the latter two lasting until around 1500. Between the ",
"14th and 15th centuries, most of Sudan was settled by Arab nomads. From the 16th–19th cent",
"uries, central and eastern Sudan were dominated by the Funj sultanate, while Darfur ruled ",
"the west and the Ottomans the east. From the 19th century, the entirety of Sudan was conq",
"uered by Egypt under the Muhammad Ali dynasty. It was under Egyptian rule that Sudan acqui",
"red its modern borders, and began the process of political, agricultural, and economic deve",
"lopment. In 1881, nationalist sentiment in Egypt led to the Orabi Revolt, 'weakening' the ",
"power of the Egyptian monarchy, and eventually leading to the occupation of Egypt by the ",
"United Kingdom. At the same time, religious-nationalist fervour in Sudan erupted in the ",
"Mahdist Revolt led by the self-proclaimed Mahdi Muhammad Ahmad, resulting in the establi",
"shment of the rebel Caliphate of Omdurman. The Mahdist forces were eventually defeated by ",
"a joint Egyptian-British military force, restoring the authority of the Egyptian monarch. ",
"However, Egyptian sovereignty in Sudan would henceforth be somewhat nominal, as the true ",
"power in both Egypt and Sudan was now the United Kingdom. In 1899, under British pressure, ",
"Egypt agreed to share sovereignty over Sudan with the United Kingdom as a condominium. In ",
"effect, Sudan was governed as a British possession. The 20th century saw the growth of bo",
"th Egyptian and Sudanese nationalism focusing on ending the United Kingdom's occupation. ",
"The Egyptian Revolution of 1952 toppled the monarchy, and demanded the withdrawal of Bri",
"tish forces from all of Egypt and Sudan. Muhammad Naguib, one of the two co-leaders of ",
"the revolution, and Egypt's first President, who was half-Sudanese and raised in Sudan, made ",
"securing Sudanese independence a priority of the revolutionary government. The following year, ",
"under Egyptian and Sudanese pressure, the United Kingdom agreed to Egypt's demand for both ",
"governments to terminate their shared sovereignty over Sudan, and to grant Sudan independence",
". On 1 January 1956, Sudan was duly declared an independent state.</p>"
],
"NORTHERN AFRICA": "Completed... CENTRAL AFRICA Begins.........................................",
"gabon": [
"<p>Gabon, officially the Gabonese Republic, is a country on the west coast of Central Africa",
". Located on the equator, Gabon is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Camero",
"on to the north, the Republic of the Congo on the east and south, and the Gulf of Guinea ",
"to the west. It has an area of nearly 270,000 square kilometres (100,000 square miles) and ",
"its population is estimated at 2.1 million people. There are three distinct regions: the ",
"coastal plains, the mountains (the Cristal Mountains and the Chaillu Massif in the centre)",
", and the savanna in the east. Gabon's capital and largest city is Libreville. The official ",
"language is <em>French</em>.</p>",
"<p>Originally settled by Pygmy peoples, they were largely replaced and absorbed by Bantu tribes ",
"as they migrated. By the 18th century, a Myeni-speaking kingdom known as the Kingdom of Orungu ",
"formed in Gabon. It was able to become a powerful trading center mainly due to its ability ",
"to purchase and sell slaves. The kingdom fell with the demise of the slave trade in the 187",
"0s. Since its independence from France in 1960, the sovereign state of Gabon has had three ",
"presidents. In the early 1990s, Gabon introduced a multi-party system and a new democratic ",
"constitution that allowed for a more transparent electoral process and reformed many govern",
"mental institutions.</p>",
"<p>Abundant petroleum and foreign private investment have helped make Gabon one of the most ",
"prosperous countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, with the fifth highest HDI in the region (af",
"ter Mauritius, Seychelles, Botswana and South Africa) and the fifth highest GDP per cap",
"ita (PPP) in all of Africa (after Seychelles, Mauritius, Equatorial Guinea and Botswana)",
". Its GDP grew by more than 6% per year from 2010 to 2012. However, because of inequality ",
"in income distribution, a significant proportion of the population remains poor.</p>",
"<p>Gabon is rich in folklore and mythology. 'Raconteurs' keep traditions alive such as the mv",
"ett among the Fangs and the ingwala among the Nzebis. Gabon is also known for its masks, ",
"such as the n'goltang (Fang) and the reliquary figures of the Kota.</p>"
],
"dr": [
"<p>The Democratic Republic of the Congo, also known as Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, ",
"the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly Zaire, is a country in Central Africa. It is, by ",
"area, the second largest country in Africa (after Algeria), and the 11th-largest in ",
"the world. With a population of around 92 million, the Democratic Republic of the Congo ",
"is the most populous officially Francophone country in the world. It is a member of the ",
"United Nations, Non-Aligned Movement, African Union, and COMESA. Since 2015, the Eastern ",
"DR Congo has been the site of an ongoing military conflict in Kivu. The capital and lar",
"gest city is Kinshasa, which is also the world's most populous Francophone city.</p>",
"<p>Centered on the Congo Basin, the territory of the DRC was first inhabited by Central Afr",
"ican foragers around 90,000 years ago and was reached by the Bantu expansion about 3,000 ",
"years ago. In the west, the Kingdom of Kongo ruled around the mouth of the Congo River ",
"from the 14th to 19th centuries. In the northeast, center and east, the kingdoms of Azande, ",
"Luba and Lunda ruled from the 16th and 17th centuries to the 19th century.</p>",
"<p>In the 1870s, just before the onset of the Scramble for Africa, European exploration of ",
"the Congo Basin was carried out, first led by Henry Morton Stanley under the sponsorship ",
"of Leopold II of Belgium. Leopold formally acquired rights to the Congo territory at the ",
"Berlin Conference in 1885 and declared the land his private property, naming it the Congo ",
"Free State. During the Free State, his colonial military unit, the Force Publique, forced ",
"the local population to produce rubber. In 1908, Leopold, despite his initial ",
"reluctance, ceded to Belgium the so-called Free State, which thus became known as the Belgian Congo.</p>",
"<p>The Democratic Republic of the Congo is extremely rich in natural resources but ",
"has suffered from political instability, a lack of infrastructure, and centuries of both ",
"commercial and colonial extraction and exploitation with little widespread development. ",
"Besides the capital Kinshasa, the two next largest cities, Lubumbashi and Mbuji-Mayi, ",
"are both mining communities. The DRC's largest export is raw minerals, with China accep",
"ting over 50% of its exports in 2019.</p>"
],
"south sudan": [
"<p> South Sudan, officially known as the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country in east",
"/central Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, ",
"Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Kenya. Its population was estimated as 12",
",778,250 in 2019. Juba is the capital and largest city. The nation is sometimes infor",
"mally referred to as the Nilotic Republic (as the supposed place of origin of the Nilotic peoples).</p>",
"<p>It gained independence from Sudan in 2011, making it the most recent sovereign state ",
"or country with widespread recognition as of 2022. It includes the vast swamp region ",
"of the Sudd, formed by the White Nile and known locally as the Bahr al Jabal meaning ",
"'Mountain River'. Sudan was occupied by Egypt under the Muhammad Ali dynasty and was ",
"governed as an Anglo-Egyptian condominium until Sudanese independence in 1956. Follo",
"wing the First Sudanese Civil War, the Southern Sudan Autonomous Region was formed in ",
"1972 and lasted until 1983. A second Sudanese civil war soon broke out in 1983 and ending ",
"in 2005 with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Later that year, southern autonomy was ",
"restored when an Autonomous Government of Southern Sudan was formed. South Sudan ",
"became an independent state on 9 July 2011, following 98.83% support for independence ",
"in a January 2011 referendum. ",
"February 2020, when competing combat leaders Salva Kiir Mayardit and Riek Machar struck ",
"a unity deal and formed a coalition government, paving the way for refugees to return home.</p>",
"<p>The South Sudanese population is composed mostly of Nilotic peoples, and it is demogra",
"phically among the youngest nations in the world, with roughly half under 18 years old. ",
"The majority of inhabitants adhere to Christianity or various Indigenous faiths. The ",
"country is a member of the United Nations, the African Union, the East African Community ",
"the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and is a party to the Geneva Conventions. ",
"As of 2019, South Sudan ranks third-lowest in the latest UN World Happiness Report, third ",
"lowest on the Global Peace Index, and has the fourth-highest score on the American Fund ",
"for Peace's Fragile States Index.</p>"
],
"republic": [
"<p>The Republic of the Congo, simply known as <em>The Congo</em>, is a country located ",
"in the western coast of Central Africa. <em>Please don't confuse with its neighbour: DR Congo</em>. ",
"The country is bordered to the west by Gabon, ",
"to its northwest by Cameroon and its northeast by the Central African Republic, to th",
"e southeast by the DR Congo, to its south by the Angolan exclave of Cabinda and to it",
"s southwest by the Atlantic Ocean. French is the official language of the Republic of the Congo.</p>",
"<p>The region was dominated by Bantu-speaking tribes at least 3,000 years ago, who built trade l",
"inks leading into the Congo River basin. Congo was formerly part of the French colony of Eq",
"uatorial Africa. The Republic of the Congo was established on 28 November 1958 and gained in",
"dependence from France in 1960. It was a Marxist-Leninist state from 1969 to 1992, under the ",
"name People's Republic of the Congo. The sovereign state has had multi-party elections since ",
"1992, although a democratically elected government was ousted in the 1997 Republic of the C",
"ongo Civil War, and President Denis Sassou Nguesso, who first came to power in 1979, has no",