Argentina

Official name: Republic of Argentina
Area: 2 766 800km²
Capital: Buenos Aires
Principal cities: Cordoba, Rosario, La Plata, Mendoza
Population: 36 123 000
Population growth rate: 1,1%
Life expectancy: 68,6 (men) 75,7 (women)
Distribution: 86,9% urban
Religion: Roman Catholic (93%)
Illiteracy: 3,8%
Official language: Spanish
Currency: 1 peso argentino = 100 cents
Exchange rate: 1 peso = $US1,00 (1999)
National day: 25 May (First Republican Government)
Time: South African time minus 5 hours

Bolivia

Official name: Republic of Bolivia
Area: 1 098 521km²
Capital: La Paz
Principal cities: Santa Cruz, Cochabamba, Potosí
Population: 6 957 000
Population growth rate: 1,82%
Life expectancy: 57,7 (men) 61,0 (women)
Distribution: 57,7% urban
Religion: Roman Catholic
Illiteracy: 8,9%
Official languages: Spanish, Quechua, Aymara
Currency: 1 boliviano = 100 cents
Exchange rate: 5,7 bolivianos = $US1,00 (1999)
National day: 6 August (Independence Day)
Time: South African time minus 6 hours

Chile

Official name: Republic of Chile
Area: 756 945 km2
Capital: Santiago )
Principal cities: Viña del Mar, Valparaíso, Concepción
Population: 13 528 000 (1992)
Population growth rate: 1,7%
Life expectancy: 71 (men) 77 (women)
Distribution: 86,6% urban
Religion: Roman Catholic (89%)
Illiteracy: 4,8%
Official language: Spanish
Currency: 1 peso chileno = 100 cents
Exchange rate: 4,90 pesos = $US1,00 (1999)
National day: 18 September
(Independence Day)
Time: South African time minus 6 hours (5 hours in summer)

Colombia

Official name: Republic of Colombia
Area: 1 138 914km²
Capital: Bogotá
Principal cities: Medellín, Cali
Population: 40 803 000
Population growth rate: 1,66%
Life expectancy: 66,4 (men) 72,3 (women)
Distribution: 67,2% urban
Religion: Roman Catholic (95%)
Illiteracy: 8,7%
Official language: Spanish (several indigenous languages are spoken)
Currency: 1 peso colombiano = 100 cents
Exchange rate: 1,5 pesos = $US1,00 (1999)
National day: 20 July (Independence Day)
Time: South African time minus 7 hours

Costa Rica

Official name: Republic of Costa Rica
Area: 51 100km²
Capital: San José
Principal cities: Alajuela, Limón
Population: 3 841 000
Population growth rate: 2,06%
Life expectancy: 72,8 (men) 77,6 (women)
Distribution: 50% urban
Religion: Roman Catholic, with Protestant and Jewish minorities
Illiteracy: 5,2%
Official language: Spanish (a Jamaican dialect is also spoken)
Currency: 1 colón = 100 cents
Exchange rate: 278,3 colones =$US1,00 (1999)
National day: 15 September (Independence Day)
Time: South African time minus 8 hours

Cuba

Official name: Republic of Cuba
Area: 114 524km²
Capital: Havana
Principal cities: Santiago de Cuba, Camagüey, Guantánamo
Population: 11 116 000
Population growth rate: 0,4%
Life expectancy: 73,5 (men) 77,3 (women)
Distribution: 76% urban
Religions: Roman Catholic (39%), Protestant (3,3%), Afro-Caribbean (2,6%), non-religious (48,7%)
Illiteracy: 4,8%
Official language: Spanish
Currency: 1 peso cubano = 100 cents
Exchange rate: 23 pesos =$US1,00 (1999)
National day: 1 January (Cuban Revolution Day)
Time: South African time minus 6 hours (winter); 7 hours (summer)

Dominican Republic

Official name: Dominican Republic
Area: 48 734km²
Capital: Santo Domingo
Principal cities: Santiago, La Romana
Population: 8 232 000
Population growth rate: 1,7%
Life expectancy: 69,6 (men) 71,7 (women)
Distribution: 63% urban
Religion: Roman Catholic (95%)
Illiteracy: 17,9%
Official language: Spanish
Currency: 1 peso = 100 cents
Exchange rate: 15,7 pesos = $US1,00 (1999)
National day: 27 February (Independence Day)
Time: South African time minus 6 hours

Ecuador

Official name: Republic of Ecuador
Area: 283 561 km² (including Galapagos Islands)
Capital: Quito
Principal cities: Guayaquil, Cuenca
Population: 12 175 000
Population growth rate: 1,9%
Life expectancy: 66,4 (men) 71,4 (women)
Distribution: 55,4% urban
Religion: Roman Catholic (85%)
Illiteracy: 9,9%
Official language: Spanish (Quecha- speaking communities)
Currency: 1 sucre = 100 cents
Exchange rate: 11,500 sucres = $US1,00 (1999)
National day: 10 August
(Independence Day)
Time: South African time minus 7 hours

El Salvador

Official name: Republic of El Salvador
Area: 21 041 km²
Capital: San Salvador
Principal cities: San Miguel, Santa Ana
Population: 6 032 000
Population growth rate: 1,8%
Life expectancy: 50,7 (men) 63,9 (women)
Distribution: 45% urban
Religion: Roman Catholic (75%)
Illiteracy: 8,9%
Official language: Spanish (small number of Nahuatl speakers)
Currency: 1 colón = 100 cents
Exchange rate: 8,8 colones = $US1,00 (1999)
National day: 15 September (Independence Day)
Time: South African time minus 8 hours

Equatorial Guinea

Official name: Republic of Equatorial Guinea
Area: 28 050km2
Capital: Malabo
Principal cities: Bata, Acalayong, Luba
Population: 465 746
Population growth rate: 2,55%
Life expectancy: 52 (men) 56 (women)
Distribution: ... % urban
Religion: Roman Catholic, other Christian practices and indigenous cults
Illiteracy: 21,5%
Official languages: Spanish and French
Currency: 1 franc (CFRAF) = 100 cents
Exchange rate:560,01 = $US1,00 (1999)
National day: 12 October (Independence Day)
Time: South African time minus 2 hours

Guatemala

Official name: Republic of Guatemala
Area:  108 890km2
Capital: Guatemala City
Principal cities: Quetzaltenango, Escuintia, Antigua
Population: 10 801 000
Population growth rate: 2,91%
Life expectancy: 63,4 (men) 68,8 (women)
Distribution: 39% urban
Religion: Roman Catholic (89%)
Illiteracy: 44,4%
Official language: Spanish
Currency: 1 quetzal = 100 cents
Exchange rate: 7,0 quetzales = $US1,00 (1999)
National day: 15 September (Independence Day)
Time: South African time minus 8 hours; 7 hours (May-August)

Honduras

Official name: Republic of Honduras
Area: 112 088 km2
Capital: Tegucigalpa
Principal cities: San Pedro Sula, La Cieba, Choluteca
Population: 6 147 000
Population growth rate: 2,48%
Life expectancy: 63,3 (men) 66,8 (women)
Distribution: 44% urban
Religion: Roman Catholic (95%)
Illiteracy: 27,3%
Official language: Spanish
Currency: 1 lempira = 100 cents
Exchange rate: 14,1lempiras = $US1,00 (1999)
National day: 15 September (Independence Day)
Time: South African time minus 8 hours

Mexico

Official name: United States of Mexico
Area: 1 958 201 km2
Capital: Mexico City
Principal cities: Nezahualcóyotl, Guadalajara, Monterrey
Population: 95 831 000
Population growth rate: 2,06%
Life expectancy: 68,6 (men) 74,8 (women)
Distribution: 74% urban
Religion: Roman Catholic (94%)
Illiteracy: 10,4%
Official language: Spanish (main indigenous languages: Nahuatl and Maya)
Currency: 1 nuevo peso = 100 cents
Exchange rate: 9,7 pesos = $US1,00 (1999)
National day: 16 September
(Independence Day)
Time: South African time minus 6, 7 and 8 hours

Nicaragua

Official name: Republic of Nicaragua
Area: 120 254 km2
Capital: Managua
Principal cities: León, Granada
Population: 4 807 000
Population growth rate: 3,02%
Life expectancy: 64,3 (men) 69,1 (women)
Distribution: 63% urban
Religion: Roman Catholic (95%)
Illiteracy: 34,3%
Official language: Spanish (many indigenous languages)
Currency: 1 córdoba = 100 cents
Exchange rate: 11,5 córdobas = $US1,00 (1999)
National day: 15 September (Independence Day)
Time: South African time minus 8 hours

Panama

Official name: Republic of Panama
Area: 77 082 km2
Capital: Panama City
Principal cities: Colón, David
Population: 2 767 000
Population growth rate: 1,69%
Life expectancy: 71,7 (men) 77,3 (women)
Distribution: 56% urban
Religion: Roman Catholic (93%)
Illiteracy:9,2%
Official language: Spanish
Currency: 1 balboa = 100 cents
Exchange rate: 1 balboa = $US1,00 (1999)
National day: 3 November (Independence Day)
Time: South African time minus 7 hours

Paraguay

Official name: Republic of Paraguay
Area: 406 700 km2
Capital: Asunción
Principal cities: San Lorenzo, Ciudad del Este
Population: 5 222 000
Population growth rate: 2,69%
Life expectancy: 70,3 (men) 74,3 (women)
Distribution: 53% urban
Religion: Roman Catholic (97%)
Illiteracy: 7,9%
Official languages: Spanish and Guaraní
Currency: 1 guaraní = 100 cents
Exchange rate: 2,9 guaraníes = $US1,00 (1999)
National day: 14 May (Independence Day)
Time: South African time minus 6 hours

Peru

Official name: Republic of Peru
Area: 1 284 600 km2
Capital: Lima
Principal cities: Arequipa, Callao, Trujillo
Population: 24 797 000
Population growth rate: 2,09%
Life expectancy: 67,8 (men) 72,3 (women)
Distribution: 72% urban
Religion: Roman Catholic (95%)
Illiteracy: 11,3%
Official languages: Spanish and Quechua
Currency: 1 nuevo sol = 100 cents
Exchange rate: 3,4 soles = $US1,00 (1999)
National day: 28 July (Independence Day)
Time: South African time minus 7 hours

Puerto Rico

Official name: Free State of Puerto Rico
Area: 8 897 km2
Capital: San Juan
Principal cities: Bayamón, Ponce
Population: 3 810 000
Population growth rate: 0,18%
Life expectancy: 71,3 (men) 79,89 (women)
Distribution: 67% urban
Religion: Roman Catholic (89%)
Illiteracy: 11% (1980)
Official languages: Spanish and English
Currency: 1 US$ = 100 cents
National day: 4 July (USA Independence Day)
Time: South African time minus 6 hours

Spain

Official name: Kingdom of Spain
Area: 504 750 km2
Capital: Madrid
Principal cities: Barcelona, Seville, Bilbao, Alicante
Population: 39 628 000
Population growth rate: 0,01%
Life expectancy: 73,8 (men) 81,6 (women)
Distribution: 77% urban
Religion: Roman Catholic (95%)
Illiteracy: 2,9%
Official languages: Spanish, Catalan, Galician, Basque, Valencian
Currency: 1 peseta = 100 cents
Exchange rate: 130,1 pesetas = $US1,00 (1999)
National day: 12 October (Hispanic Day)
Time: South African time minus 1 hour

Uruguay

Official name: Republic of Uruguay
Area: 176 215 km2
Capital: Montevideo
Principal cities: Salto, Paysandú, Rivera
Population: 3 298 000
Population growth rate: 0,80%
Life expectancy: 72,4 (men) 78,8 (women)
Distribution: 91% urban
Religion: Roman Catholic (89%)
Illiteracy: 2,7%
Official language: Spanish
Currency: 1 nuevo peso = 100 cents
Exchange rate: 11,1 pesos = $US1,00 (1999)
National day: 25 August
(Independence Day)
Time: South African time minus 5 hours

Venezuela

Official name: Republic of Venezuela
Area: 912 050 km2
Capital: Caracas
Principal cities: Maracaibo, Valencia
Population: 23 242 000
Population growth rate: 1,8%
Life expectancy: 69,7 (men) 75,9 (women)
Distribution: 86% urban
Religion: Roman Catholic (96%)
Illiteracy: 8,9%
Official language: Spanish
Currency: 1 bolívar = 100 cents
Exchange rate: 585,5 bolívares = $US1,00
National day: 5 July (Independence Day)
Time: South African time minus 6 hours