Country Name: AFGHANISTAN Official Name: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Capital: Kabul Afghanistan, located in south Asia (west of Pakistan and east of Iran), is an Islamic Republic, independent since 1919 (current Constitution established in 2004). Its population of 31 million includes numerous ethnic groups such as Pashtun (42%), Tajik (27%), Hazara (9%), and Uzbek (9%) with 99% Muslim. Both Dari and Pashtu are official languages with more than 30 other dialects spoken. The president is Hamid Karzai. Country Name: ALGERIA Official Name: People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria Capital: Algiers Algeria is a republic on the northern coast of Africa, independent since 1962. Its population of nearly 33 million is 99% Arab-Berber and 99% Muslim. The official language is Arabic and the national language is Berber although French is also widely spoken. The President is Abdelaziz Bouteflika. Country Name: BAHRAIN Official Name: Kingdom of Bahrain Capital: Manama Bahrain, an archipelago of 36 islands located in the Arabian Gulf, is a constitutional hereditary monarchy independent since 1971. Its population of nearly 700,000 is 63% Bahraini with the remainder being Asian, other Arabs, and Iranian. Arabic is the official language with English, Farsi, and Urdu also widely spoken. The chief of state is His Majesty Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Country Name: BANGLADESH Official Name: People’s Republic of Bangladesh Capital: Dhaka Bangladesh, located on the northern end of the Bay of Bengal, is a parliamentary democracy, independent since 1971. Its population of more than 147 million is ethnically 98% Bengali with 88% Muslim and 11% Hindu. The official language is Bangla (also known as Bengali) with English also widely spoken. Since January 2007, the President of the caretaker government has been Iajuddin Ahmed. Elections have been announced for 2008. Country Name: EGYPT Official Name: Arab Republic of Egypt Capital: Cairo Egypt is a republic located on the northeastern coast of Africa, independent since 1922. Its population of nearly 79 million is 98% Egyptian, including 90% Muslim and 9% Coptic. The official language is Arabic, although both English and French are also spoken. The President is Mohamed Hosni Mubarak. Country Name: INDIA Official Name: Republic of India Capital: New Delhi India, located in south Asia to the east of the Arabian Sea, is a federal republic, independent since 1947. With more than 1.1 billion people, it is often referred to as the “world’s largest democracy.” The population consists of 82% Hindu, 12% Muslim, and other groups such as Christians and Buddhists. India’s official languages include Hindi, English, and 16 other languages. The Prime Minister is Dr. Manmohan Singh. Country Name: IRAQ Official Name: Republic of Iraq Capital: Baghdad Iraq, located at the northern end of the Arabian Gulf, is a republic, independent since 1932. Its population of more than 26 million is 75%-80% Arab and 15%-20% Kurd with 97% Muslim. Both Arabic and Kurdish are official languages. The President is Jalal Talabani and the Prime Minister is Nuri al-Maliki. Country Name: IRAN Official Name: Islamic Republic of Iran Capital: Tehran Iran, located on the eastern coast of the Arabian Gulf, is an Islamic Republic (1979 Constitution). Its population of 69 million includes Persians (51%) and Azeris (24%), with 98% Muslim. The languages spoken include Persian and Persian dialects (58%), Turkic languages, and Kurdish. The head of government is President Mahmud Ahmadinejad. Iran is not currently eligible for NESA Center programs. Country Name: ISRAEL Official Name: State of Israel Capital: Jerusalem Israel, located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, is a parliamentary democracy, independent since 1948. Its population includes two main ethnic groups -- Jews (76%) and Arabs (19.5%) – including the religions of Judaism, Islam, Christianity, and Druze. Both Hebrew and Arabic are official languages. The Prime Minister is Ehud-Olmert. Country Name: JORDAN Official Name: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Capital: Amman Jordan, located on the northern coast of the Red Sea, is a constitutional monarchy, independent since 1946. Its population of nearly 6 million is mostly Arab with 95% Muslim. Arabic is the official language with English also widely spoken. The head of state is His Majesty Abdullah bin al-Hussein II. Country Name: KUWAIT Official Name: State of Kuwait Capital: Kuwait City Kuwait, located at the northwest end of the Arabian Gulf, is a constitutional hereditary emirate, independent since 1961. Its population of more than 3 million consists of 35% Kuwaiti, 22% other Arab, and 39% non-Arab (primarily Asian) with 85% Muslim. Arabic is the official language although English is widely spoken. The head of state is the Amir, His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Country Name: LEBANON Official Name: Lebanese Republic Capital: Beirut Lebanon, located on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea, is a parliamentary republic, independent since 1943. Its population is 95% Arab with a mix of Christians, Muslims, and Druze. Arabic is the official language with French, English, and Armenian also widely spoken. The President is Emile Lahoud (Maronite Christian), the Prime Minister is Fouad Seniora (Sunni Muslim), and the Speaker of Parliament is Nabih Berri (Shi’ite Muslim). Country Name: LIBYA Official Name: Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Capital: Tripoli Libya, located on the northeastern coast of Africa, is a Jamahiriya (“a state of the masses”), independent since 1951. Its population of more than 5.6 million is 97% Berbers and Arabs with 97% Muslim. Arabic is the primary language with English, French, and Italian also widely spoken. Colonel Muammar Abu Minyar al-Qadhafi is the Revolutionary Leader and de facto head of state, but holds no official title. Country Name: MALDIVES Official Name: Republic of Maldives Capital: Male The Maldives, a collection of more than 1,100 islands located in the Indian Ocean, is a republic, independent since 1962. Its ethnic groups include south Indians, Sinhalese, and Arabs with Islam as the primary religion. The official language is Dhivehi with English also widely spoken. The President is Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Country Name: MAURITANIA Official Name: Islamic Republic of Mauritania Capital: Nouakchott Mauritania, located on the northwest coast of Africa, is a republic, independent since 1960 (there has been a transitional government since 2005 after a military-led coup). Its population of nearly 3 million includes Arab-Berber, Arab-Berber-Negroid, and others with Islam the predominant religion and Arabic the official language with French spoken as well. The head of government is Prime Minister Sidi Mohamed Ould Boubakar. Country Name: MOROCCO Official Name: Kingdom of Morocco Capital: Rabat Morocco, located on the northern coast of Africa, is a constitutional monarchy independent since 1956. Its population of 31.5 million is 99% Arab-Berber and 99.9% Muslim. Arabic is the official language, although French functions as the language of business, government, and diplomacy. The head of state is King Mohammed VI. Country Name: Nepal Official Name: Nepal Capital: Kathmandu Nepal, located in the Himalayas on the northern border of India, has an interim government formed in 2007. Its population of more than 27 million is ethnically diverse, including Chettri (15.5%) and Brahman-Hill (12.5%), with 81% Hindu and 11% Buddhist. Numerous languages are widely spoken including Nepali (48% of the country), Maithali (12%), and others. H.E. Girija Prasad Koirala is the Prime Minister and Defense Minister. Country Name: OMAN Official Name: Sultanate of Oman Capital: Muscat Oman is a monarchy located on the southeast corner of the Arabian Peninsula. Its population of 2.5 million includes ethnic groups such as Arabs, Baluchis, East Africans, and South Asians, with religions encompassing Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity. Arabic is the official language. H.E. Qaboos bin Sa’id Al Said is the Sultan, Prime Minister, and Minister of Defense, Foreign Affairs, and Finance. Country Name: PAKISTAN Official Name: Islamic Republic of Pakistan Capital: Islamabad Pakistan, located on the northeast coast of the Arabian Sea, is a parliamentary democracy, independent since 1947. Its population of 165 million includes numerous ethnic groups such as Punjabi, Sindhi, Pushtun, Baloch, and Muhajir with 97% Muslim. Urdu is the national and official language, although English, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pushto, and Baloch (among others) are widely spoken. The chief of state is President Pervez Musharraf. Country Name: QATAR Official Name: State of Qatar Capital: Doha Qatar, located on the western coast of the Arabian Gulf, is a constitutional emirate, independent since 1971. Its population of nearly 900,000 consists of Arabs (40%), Pakistanis (18%), Indians(18%), and Iranians (10%) with Islam as the state religion and Arabic as the official language. His Royal Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani is the Emir, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and the Minister of Defense. Country Name: SAUDI ARABIA Official Name: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Capital: Riyadh Saudi Arabia, comprising most of the Arabian Peninsula, is a monarchy with a Council of Ministers and Consultative Council, established in 1932. Its population of 27 million is 90% Arab and 10% Afro-Asian with Islam as the religion and Arabic the official language. King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud is the King, Prime Minister, and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. Country Name: SRI LANKA Official Name: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Capital: Colombo Sri Lanka, located in the Indian Ocean, is a republic, independent since 1948. Its population of more than 20 million includes Sinhalese (74%), Tamils (18%), and Muslims (7%), comprised of religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity. Sinhala and Tamil are the official languages with English also widely spoken. The President (chief of state and head of government) is Mahinda Rajapaksa. Country Name: SYRIA Official Name: Syrian Arab Republic Capital: Damascus Syria, located at the eastern end of the Mediterranean, is a republic, independent since 1946. Its population of nearly 19 million is 90% Arab and 9% Kurds, with 74% Sunni Muslim, 16% other Muslim sects, and 10% Christian. Arabic is the official language, with English and French widely spoken as well as Kurdish and Armenian. The head of state is President Bashar Al-Asad. Syria is not currently eligible for NESA Center programs. Country Name: TUNISIA Official Name: Tunisian Republic Capital: Tunis Tunisia, located on the northern coast of Africa, is a republic, independent since 1956. Its population of 10 million is 98% Arab-Berber and 98% Muslim. The official language is Arabic with French also widely spoken. The President is Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Country Name: TURKEY Official Name: Republic of Turkey Capital: Ankara Turkey, located at the northeastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, is a republic, independent since 1923. Its population of nearly 72 million includes Turkish and Kurdish ethnic groups with 99% Muslim. The official language is Turkish, although Kurdish, Zaza, Arabic, Armenian, and Greek are also spoken. The Prime Minister is Recep Tayyip Erdo?an. Country Name: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Official Name: United Arab Emirates Capital: Abu Dhabi The UAE, located on the west coast of the Arabian Gulf, is a federation of seven emirates, independent since 1971. The population of 2.6 million is made up of Emiratis (19%), other Arabs and Iranians (23%), and South Asians (50%) with 96% Muslim and Arabic as the official language. The UAE President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi is Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the UAE Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai is Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Country Name: WESTERN SAHARA Official Name: Western Sahara Capital: None The Western Sahara is a disputed territory on the northwest coast of Africa. The legal status and the issue of sovereignty are unresolved with the territory contested by Morocco and the Polisario Front. The mostly Muslim population of nearly 400,000 is composed of Arabs and Berbers, speaking both Hassaniya Arabic and Moroccan Arabic. Morocco claims and administers the territory, although the Polisario set up a government-in-exile in 1976. Country Name: YEMEN Official Name: Republic of Yemen Capital: Sanaa Yemen, located on the southwest coast of the Arabian Peninsula, is a republic with the current nation formed in 1990 by the unification of the former north and south Yemen. Its population of 19.8 million is predominantly Arab and Muslim with Arabic as the official language. The President is Ali Abdullah Saleh.