Europe¶
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Malta¶- Coins
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The Republic of Malta is an archipelego in the Mediterranean 93 km south of Sicily, and was first settled by stone age people around 5,200 BCE. Due to its strategic location, Malta has a long and rich history with various groups and governments ruling the islands, starting with the Greeks in 700 BCE and ending with the British Empire in 1814. Independence was achived in 1964, and the Republic was formed ten years later. Malta has three World Heritage sites, most notably the Megalithic Temples which are the oldest free-standing structures in Europe.
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Monaco¶- Coins
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Monaco is an interesting city-state on the shore of the Mediterranean, surrounded by its neighbour France, who takes responsibility for its defence. A constitutional monarchy with just over 30,000 inhabitants, Monaco has been ruled by the House of Grimaldi since 1297. Today the country is known for tourism and its casino. The citizens are not allowed to gamble at the casino themselves, but they also do not have to pay any income tax. Combine the nice climate and scenery with the tax haven and you end up with a playground for the wealthy.
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Norway¶- Coins
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Norway is a country of incredible beauty and biological diversity, with its famous fjords along its huge North Atlantic coastline and 60,000 or more animal species in its large number of different habitats. The area has been inhabited for at least 12,000 years. The Viking age lasted from the 8th to 11th centuries, and sometime around the end of the 9th century the land was first united under one Viking king.Norway's economy underwent rapid expansion after World War II, first due mainly to shipping and later (1970s onward) due to oil and natural gas development. Today, Norway is the wealthiest country in the world with the largest capital reserve per capita of any nation on earth. In August 2009 Norway's Government Pension Fund announced that it owned 1% of all the stocks in the world.
The people of Norway have twice rejected membership in the European Union. They are a founding member of NATO and the UN, to whom they are one of the largest financial contributors. Norway was an early adopter of women's rights, minority rights, and LGBT rights. They placed second in the 2008 Environmental Performance Index and first in the 2009 Worldwide Press Freedom Index. (Along with Denmark, Finland, Ireland, and Sweden. By comparison, Canada ranks #19 and USA is #20.) The death penalty was abolished in 1902, and Norway has the lowest homicide rate in the world. A recent Gallup poll reveals that for 80% of Norway's citizens religion does not occupy an important place in their life, making Norway one of the most secular countries in the world.
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Poland¶- Coins
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Poland has a long history, so here are some basics: Polish state founded c. 966 with territory similar to present-day Poland; Kingdom of Poland formed in 1025; Polish-Lithuanian Commonwalth founded in 1569; Commonwalth collapses in 1795 and Poland is divided up between the Kingdom of Prussia, the Russian Empire, and Austria; Indepdendence regained in 1918 (Second Polish Republic); Occupied by Nazi Germany and Soviet Union during World War II, Poland loses over six million citizens during the war; People's Republic of Poland emerges after WWII under Soviet influence; Communist rule overthrown during 1989 revolution and Third Polish Republic begins.Over one-quarter of Poland's land area is covered by forest, and many animals that have died out in other parts of Europe survive in Poland. The country is also the most important breeding ground in Europe for migratory birds, with one-quarter of them getting it on in Poland.
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Russia¶- Coins
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With over 17 million square kilometers of territory, the Russian Federation is the largest country on earth by a wide margin. (Canada, the second largest country, has just under 10 million square kilometers.) And with over 142 million people (2010 est.), it is in the top ten countries for population.Russia's history starts between the 3rd to 8th centuries with the Vikings and charts a colourful course to the Russian Empire of the 18th century -- the third largest empire in history. Russia was the main member of the USSR (Soviet Union) until its collapse in 1991. Lots of problems, including numerous armed conflicts, plagued Russia in the final years of the 20th century, but the start of the 21st century saw a return to stability and renewed progress. Russia has an extremely strong history of excellence in arts and the sciences, as well as technology.
Is Russia in Europe or Asia? Well, both. Sort of. Most of its landmass is east of the Ural mountains, which would be considered Northern Asia. But most of its population, and capital city Moscow, are in Europe. And culturally, Russia is European rather than Asian. Therefore, it is listed under Europe.
