Country Profile: Iraq Straddling the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and stretching from the Gulf to the Anti-Taurus Mountains, modern Iraq occupies roughly what was once ancient Mesopotamia, one of the cradles of human civilization.

Country Profile: United States of America The US is the world's foremost economic and military power. It is also a major source of entertainment: American TV, Hollywood films, jazz, blues, rock and rap music are primary ingredients in global popular culture.

Country Profile: Turkey Once the centre of the Ottoman Empire, the modern republic was established in the 1920s by nationalist leader Kemal Ataturk. Straddling the continents of Europe and Asia, Turkey's strategic location has given it major influence in the region.

Chechnya Rich in oil, its economy and infrastructure are now in ruins after years of war between local separatists and Russian forces, combined with armed banditry and organised crime.

Venezuela Historically one of South America's more stable democracies, Venezuela has one of the largest known oil deposits in the world as well as huge quantities of coal, iron ore, bauxite and gold.

Bosnia-Herzegovina The Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina is still struggling to recover from three years of bloody inter-ethnic war during 1992-95.

Sudan Sudan is the largest and one of the most diverse countries in Africa, home to deserts, mountain ranges, swamps and rain forests.

Tajikistan An independent state in Central Asia as of December 1991, Tajikistan was formerly a constituent republic of the Soviet Union.

Niger More than 90 percent of the 7,469,000 people of the Republic of Niger are Muslim. Niger is located in the Sahel region of Africa; its northern half is covered by the Sahara desert.

Bangladesh India became independent in 1947 after a bitter and divisive struggle, especially in the Bengal, after which, the British partitioned the subcontinent, with East Bengal becoming the state of East Pakistan.

Algeria Located in North Africa, Algeria is often described as a gateway between Africa and Europe.

Bahrain Bahrain has for centuries been an important trading post in the Arabian Peninsula and Persian Gulf region, and is referenced in Persian, Greek, and Roman historical accounts.

Profile: Albania The Albanians are descendants of the Illyrians, an ancient Indo-European people who had lived in central Europe and migrated south at the beginning of the Iron Age.

Profile: Afghanistan Landlocked and mountainous...Sandwiched between the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent, Afghanistan has long been fought over by competing powers.