1.
Afghanistan: Buffer state between former Russia and British colonies.
Taliban stronghold.
Currently a failed state
2.
Algeria: Ended its disastrous war with its French colonizers in 1962.
Current political and economic turmoil.
Frequent border skirmishes with neighboring Morocco
3.
Botswana: Significant diamond resources.
Situated within the Kalahari Desert.
Highest AIDS infection rate in tropical Afric
4.
Burundi: Hutu and Tutsi ethnic problems.
One of Africa's most densely populated countries.
South of Rwanda.
5.
Egypt: Home of the ancient Pharaonic dynasties.
Ninety-five percent of population lives within 12 miles of the Nile River.
Site of Aswan High Dam and Lake Nasser.
6.
Gabon: Equatorial Africa's only middle-income country.
Libreville is the only coastal capital in the region.
Substantial oil and mineral reserves.
7.
Ghana: Formerly known as the Gold Coast.
First west African state to gain independence.
Democratically stable government.
8.
Iran: Cut relations with the US after 1979 fundamentalist revolution.
Formerly known as Persia.
Shi'ite Muslim controlled government.
9.
Iraq: Location of Mesopotamia.
Torn by war and Sunni-Shi'ite religious tensions.
Nearly a failed-state without US military support.
10.
Israel: Site of the Gaza and West Bank Palestinian territories.
Home to 3 major religions (Judaism, Islam, Christianity).
Fought numerous wars with Arabic neighbors
11.
Jordan: Territorial boundaries a result of the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.
Lost West Bank territory to Israel in 1967.
Palestinians outnumber Jordanians 2 to 1.
12.
Kazakhstan: Shares Aral Sea with Uzbekistan to the south.
Significant Caspian Sea oil reserves.
Thirty percent of the population are ethnic Russians.
13.
Kenya: Heavily reliant on ecotourism.
Pursued capitalism development strategy.
Alignment with the west.
14.
Lebanon: Fought a war with Israel in 2006.
Nearly became a failed state following its 1975 civil war.
Former French colony.
15.
Liberia: Founded in 1822 by freed American slaves.
Helped by American colonization societies.
1989 civil war killed ΒΌ of the population.
16.
Libya: Former sponsor of terrorist groups.
Significant oil resources, no water resources.
Recent realignment with the west.
17.
Madagascar: Fourth largest island in the world.
Newly discovered precious gem resources.
Unique flora and fauna due to isolation is currently threatened.
18.
Morocco: Attempted to annex Western Sahara Spanish colony.
Agriculturally self-sufficient.
Two Spanish exclaves on north coast (Cueta and Melilla).
19.
Namibia: Site of the Caprivi Strip linkage to the Zambezi River.
Coastal desert environment.
Former German colony.
20.
Nigeria: Most populous country in Africa.
Oil rich Niger delta region.
Islamic north and Christian south lead to devolutionary pressures.
21.
Saudi Arabia: Largest oil exporter in the world.
Site of the holy Islamic cities of Mecca and Medina.
Conservative monarchy.
22.
Somalia: Located on the Horn of Africa.
A failed state.
Ethnic problems destabilizing the entire region.
23.
South Africa: Noted for its former apartheid social system.
Former Dutch colony.
Sub-Saharan Africa's wealthiest country.
24.
Sudan: Muslim janjaweed militiamen attacked southern farmers in Darfur.
Significant desert oil reserves.
Arab-Muslim north, African-Christian south.
25.
United Arab Emirates: Federation of 7 emirates.
Home of the wealthy Abu Dhabi and Dubai regions.
Regional center for tourism, trade, and banking.