Karl Hopkins

Dubai is the second largest of the seven Arab emirates that comprise the United Arab Emirates - the others are Abu Dhabi, the capital city, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.

Facing the Persian Gulf, the city of Dubai straddles the Dubai Creek, a natural inlet which divides the city into the Deira and Bur Dubai districts.

Formerly part of Yugoslavia, Croatia declared its independence in 1991, sparking a war with Serbia that lasted for over four years. Following elections in 2000 which brought defeat of the former right wing nationalist government, the country has undergone democratic reform. It currently has EU candidate status and is next in line to join after Romania and Bulgaria.

Brazil comprises 8.5m square km, roughly 35 times the area of the UK. The largest country in South America and the fifth largest country in the world, it comprises a federation of 26 states, each having considerable autonomy.

Brazil has borders with Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

Canada is one of the largest countries in the world, whose territory stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans and from its border of over five thousand miles with America to the Arctic Circle. Three quarters of the population lives within 200 miles of the US border.

Much influenced by its economic ties with America, Canada also has historical links to the United Kingdon and to France (French is the official language of the province of Quebec, which is three times the area of France).

Cyprus, the third largest Mediterranean island, is a former British colony which gained independence in 1960.

Differences between its ethnic Greek and Turkish communities subsequently led to the separation of the island between the Turkish north and Southern Greek. A UN buffer zone now separates the two halves of the island.

A UN attempt to rejoin the island was rejected by Greek Cypriots (who make up seventy seven per cent of the population) in a 2004 referendum.

Part of the Balkan Peninsular, Bulgaria lies at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. It is a small country, and has a varied and picturesque landscape that embraces ski resorts and a Black sea coastline stretching approximately two hundred miles between Romania and Turkey.

Bulgaria has land borders with Greece, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, Romania, and Turkey.

Egypt, land of Pyramids and Pharos, lays across the Mediterranean and Red Seas, linking Africa, the Middle East, south Asia and Europe. Four times the size of the United Kingdom, it has borders with Libya, Sudan, the Gaza Strip, Israel and Jordan, and faces Saudi Arabia across the Gulf of Aqaba.

The strategically important Suez Canal is to the north, running between Suez and Port Said, while the Red Sea tourist resort of Sharm al-Skeikh is found in the south.

A founder member of the EU, France is the UK's nearest European neighbour and a popular holiday destination and place for investment.

It's coastline borders the English Channel, Bay of Biscay and Mediterranean while it has land borders with Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, Luxemburg, Germany, and Spain.

The country is divided into twenty two regions and ninety six departments.

At the heart of the EU, Germany is a federal republic comprising sixteen 'Bundeslander' (states). Re-united in 1990 after forty five years of separation into the Soviet controlled East Germany and West Germany, the country has borders with France, Luxembourg, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Poland.

It also has a North Sea coastline to the north west, and Baltic Sea coastlines to the north east.

India is a vast country with a vast population, two thirds of which lines in rural locations. Bounded by the Himalayas to the north, it occupies a natural subcontinent.

India shares common borders with China, Bhutan and Nepal to the north, Pakistan to the north-west, and Burma to the north east. To the east, almost surrounded by India, is Bangladesh.