The World in Focus.

FAST FACTS ON 192 COUNTRIES

Statistics look like a series of cold, hard facts. But every number tells a story. A 38 under the "Life Expectancy" column in Malawi, for instance, means that people in that African nation are dying young. The $700 per capita GDP for Cambodia tells you that nation is extremely poor. (Compare it with the U.S. and see.)

The tables describe each of the world's 192 countries with 13 kinds of data. Once you know how to interpret them, they can offer great insight into a nation and its challenges. The chart will help you figure out how.

Russia 6,592,819 73 145,200,000 -0.6 Moscow Russian, other Presidential-parliamentary democracy; languages President Vladimir Putin Moscow 1991 99/99 $4,000 19 61/73 0.771 Area and Population: Taken together, these figures allow you to calculate population density (population divided by area), an important indicator of a country's potential problems.

Urban Population: The percentage of a country's total population living in urban areas. Urbanization has skyrocketed in developing countries, as people move to cities in search of work.

Population Growth: The high rate of population growth in some poor countries has prompted fears of overcrowding, and complicated the struggle to feed the people and combat disease.

Major Languages Spoken: There are some 6,000 languages in the world, not counting local dialects. Some 975 million people speak Mandarin Chinese--500 million more than speak English.

Form of Government and Head: Governments are classified according to who holds power. In democracies, people elect their leaders; dictatorships keep power away from the people.

Literacy Rate: The percentage of people who can read and write (male/female).

Date of Origin: The year a nation was formed, gained independence, or established its present form of government.

Per Capita GDP: The value of all goods and services produced within a country in one year (its gross domestic product), divided by its population. It's one way to gauge a nation's wealth.

Percent of Population Under Age 15: Developing countries with a high percentage of young people may have trouble providing jobs, schools, and food--and risk overpopulation.

Life Expectancy: The age to which a newborn can expect to live. Improvements in medicine have helped people live longer. The first number is for males; the second, for females.

HDI (Human Development Index): This number measures economic and human well-being on a scale of 0 to 1. It combines life expectancy, literacy, and purchasing power into one number.

URBAN POP. (%)(1) AREA (SQ MI)(1) POP. ANNUAL COUNTRY POPULATION(1) RISE(%)(1) NORTH AMERICA Antigua 170 37 and Barbuda 100,00 1.6 Bahamas 5,359 84 300,00 1.5 Barbados 166 38 300,00 0.5 Belize 8,865 50 300,000 2.7 Canada 3,849,670 78 30,800,000 0.4 Costa Rica 19,730 45 3,600,000 1.8 Cuba 42,803 75 11,100,00 0.7 Dominica 290 NA 100,000 0.8 Dominican 18,815 62 Republic 8,400,000 2.2 El Salvador 8,124 58 6,300,000 2.4 Grenada 131 34 100,000 2.3 Guatemala 42,042 39 12,700,000 2.9 Haiti 10,714 34 6,400,000 1.7 Honduras 43,278 45 6,100,000 2.8 Jamaica 4,243 50 2,600,000 1.6 Mexico 756,062 74 99,600,000 2.0 Nicaragua 50,193 63 5,100,000 3.0 Panama 29,158 56 2,900,000 1.7 Saint Kitts 139 43 and Nevis 40,000 0.9 Saint Lucia 239 48 200,000 1.2 Saint Vincent 151 44 and the 100,000 1.2 Grenadines Trinidad 1,981 72 and Tobago 1,300,000 0.7 United States 3,717,796 75 275,600,000 0.6 SOUTH AMERICA Argentina 1,073,514 90 37,000,000 1.1 Bolivia 424,162 62 8,300,000 2.0 Brazil 3,300,154 78 170,100,000 1.5 Chile 292,135 85 15,200,000 1.3 Colombia 439,734 71 40,000,000 2.0 Ecuador 109,483 63 12,600,000 2.1 Guyana 83,000 36 700,000 1.7 Paraguay 157,046 52 5,500,000 2.7 Peru 496,224 72 27,100,000 2.1 Suriname 63,039 69 400,000 1.9 Uruguay 68,498 92 3,300,000 0.7 Venezuela 352,143 86 24,200,000 2.0 AFRICA Algeria 919,591 49 31,500,000 2.4 Angola 481,351 32 12,900,000 3.0 Benin 43,483 38 6,400,000 2.8 Botswana 224,606 49 1,600,000 1.6 Burkina Faso 105,792 15 11,900,000 2.9 Burundi 10,745 8 6,100,000 2.5 Cameroon 183,568 44 15,400,000 2.6 Cape Verde 1,556 44 400,000 2.8 Central African 240,533 39 Republic 3,500,000 2.0 Chad 495,753 22 8,000,000 3.3 Comoros 861 29 600,000 2.8 Congo 905,351 29 (formerly Zaire) 52,000,000 3.2 Congo 132,046 41 Republic 2,800,000 2.4 Cote d'Ivoire 124,502 46 16,000,000 2.2 Djibouti 8,958 83 600,000 2.3 Egypt 386,660 44 68,300,000 2.0 Equatorial 10,830 37 Guinea 500,000 2.5 Eritrea 45,405 16 4,100,000 3.0 Ethiopia 426,371 15 64,100,000 2.4 Gabon 103,347 73 1,200,000 2.2 Gambia 4,363 37 1,300,000 2.4 Ghana 92,100 37 19,500,000 2.4 Guinea 94,927 26 7,500,000 2.4 Guinea-Bissau 13,946 22 1,200,000 2.2 Kenya 224,081 20 30,300,000 2.1 Lesotho 11,718 16 2,100,000 2.1 Liberia 43,000 45 3,200,000 3.2 Libya 679,359 86 5,100,000 2.5 Madagascar 226,656 22 14,900,000 2.9 Malawi 45,745 20 10,400,000 1.9 Mali 478,838 26 11,200,000 3.1 Mauritania 395,954 54 2,700,000 2.7 Mauritius 788 43 1,200,000 1.1 Morocco 172,413 54 28,800,000 1.7 Mozambique 309,494 28 19,100,000 2.2 Namibia 318,259 27 1,800,000 1.7 Niger 489,189 17 10,100,000 3.0 Nigeria 356,668 36 123,300,000 2.8 Rwanda 10,170 5 7,200,000 2.3 Sao Tome 371 44 and Principe 200,000 3.4 Senegal 75,954 41 9,500,000 2.8 Seychelles 174 59 100,000 1.1 Sierra Leone 27,699 37 5,200,000 2.6 Somalia 246,201 24 7,300,000 2.9 South Africa 471,444 45 43,400,000 1.3 Sudan 967,494 27 29,500,000 2.2 Swaziland 6,703 22 1,000,000 1.9 Tanzania 364,900 20 35,300,000 2.9 Togo 21,927 31 5,000,000 3.1 Tunisia 63,170 61 9,600,000 1.6 Uganda 93,066 15 23,300,000 2.9 Zambia 290,583 38 9,600,000 2.0 Zimbabwe 150,873 32 11,300,000 1.0 EUROPE Albania 11,100 46 3,400,000 1.3 Andorra 174 95 100,000 0.8 Austria 32,378 65 8,100,000 0.0 Belarus 80,154 70.0 10,000,000 -0.5 Belgium 11,787 97 10,200,000 0.1 Bosnia and 19,741 40 Herzegovina 3,800,000 0.5 Bulgaria 42,822 68 8,200,000 -0.6 Croatia 21,830 54 4,600,000 -0.1 Czech Republic 30,448 77 10,300,000 -0.2 Denmark 16,637 85 5,300,000 0.1 Estonia 17,413 69 1,400,000 -0.5 Finland 130,560 60 5,200,000 0.2 France 212,934 74 59,400,000 0.3 Germany 137,830 86 82,100,000 -0.1 Greece 50,950 59 10,600,000 0.0 Hungary 35,919 64 10,000,000 -0.5 Iceland 39,768 92 300,000 0.9 Ireland 27,135 58 3,800,000 0.6 Italy 116,320 90 57,800,000 -0.1 Latvia 24,942 69 2,400,000 -0.6 Liechtenstein 62 NA 30,000 0.7 Lithunia 25,174 68 3,700,000 -0.1 Luxembourg 999 88 400,000 0.4 Macedonia 9,927 59 2,000,000 0.6 Malta 124 89 400,000 0.4 Moldova 13,012 46 4,300,000 0.0 Monaco 1 100 30,000 0.3 Netherlands 15,768 61 15,900,000 0.4 Norway 125,050 74 4,500,000 0.3 Poland 124,807 62 38,600,000 0.0 Portugal 35,514 48 10,000,000 0.1 Romania 92,042 55 22,400,000 -0.2 Russia 6,592,819 73 145,200,000 -0.6 San Marino 23 88 30,000 0.4 Slovakia 18,923 57 5,400,000 0.1 Slovenia 7,819 50 2,000,000 -0.1 Spain 195,363 64 39,500,000 0.0 Sweden 173,730 84 8,900,000 -0.1 Switzerland 15,942 68 7,100,000 0.2 Ukraine 233,089 68 49,500,000 -0.6 United Kingdom 94,548 89 (Great 59,800,000 0.1 Britain) Vatican City 109 acres NA 870 1.2 Yugoslavia(3) 39,448 52 (Serbia and 10,700,000 0.1 Montenegro) ASIA Afghanistan 251,772 20 26,700,000 2.5 Armenia 11,506 67 3,800,000 0.4 Azerbaijan 33,436 52 7,700,000 0.9 Bahrain 266 88 700,000 1.9 Bangladesh 55,598 20 128,100,000 1.8 Bhutan 18,147 15 900,000 3.1 Brunei 2,228 67 300,000 2.2 Cambodia 69,900 16 12,100,000 2.6 China 3,696,100 31 1,264,500,000 0.9 Cyprus 3,571 64 900,000 0.6 Georgia 26,911 56 5,500,000 0.2 India 1,269,340 28 1,002,100,000(4) 1.8 Indonesia 735,355 39 212,200,000 1.6 Iran 630,575 63 67,400,000 1.4 Iraq 169,236 68 23,100,000 2.8 Israel(5) 8,131 90 6,200,000 1.5 Japan 145,869 78 126,900,000 0.2 Jordan 34,444 78 5,100,000 2.9 Kazakhstan 1,049,151 56 14,900,000 0.4 Korea, North 46,541 59 21,700,000 1.5 Korea, South 38,324 79 47,300,000 0.9 Kuwait 6,880 100 2,200,000 2.2 Kyrgystan 76,641 34 4,900,000 1.5 Laos 91,249 17 5,200,000 2.6 Lebanon 4,015 88 4,200,000 1.6 Malaysia 127,317 57 23,300,000 2.1 Maldives 116 25 300,000 3.0 Mongolia 604,826 52 2,500,000 1.4 Myanmar 261,228 26 (Burma) 48,900,000 2.0 Nepal 56,826 11 23,900,000 2.5 Oman 82,031 72 2,400,000 3.9 Pakistan 307,375 33 150,600,000 2.8 Philippines 115,830 47 80,300,000 2.3 Qatar 4,247 91 600,000 1.8 Saudi Arabia 829,996 83 21,600,000 3.0...