Map courtesy of www.theodora.com/maps used with permission

RMA has considerable experience and knowledge of HR practices in the Middle East, the Levant, the Indian sub-continent, Africa, Asia- Pacific and the Far East. Summary statistics from The Times World Atlas (1997) for a sample of these countries can be found below. Population estimates for mid-2000 are from the Population Reference Bureau.

A-F G-L M-R S-Z

Bahrain
Status: Monarchy
Area: 691 sq. km
Population: 691,000
Capital: Manama
Language: Arabic, English
Religion: Shi'a Muslim, Sunni Muslim, Christian
Currency: Dinar

Bangladesh
Status: Republic
Area: 143,998 sq. km
Population: 128,133,000
Capital: Dhaka
Language: Bengali, Bihari, Hindi, English, Local languages.
Religion: Sunni Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Christian
Currency: Taka

Botswana
Status: Republic
Area: 581,370 sq. km
Population: 1,576,000
Capital: Gaborone
Language: English (official), Setswana, Shona, Local languages
Religion: Trad. Beliefs, Protestant, R.Catholic
Currency: Pula

Brunei
Status: Monarchy
Area: 5,765 sq. km
Population: 331,000
Capital: Bandar, Seri Begawan
Language: Malay, English, Chinese
Religion: Sunni Muslim, Buddhist, Christian
Currency: Dollar (Ringgit)

Egypt
Status: Republic
Area: 1,000,250 sq. km
Population: 68,344,000
Capital: Cairo
Language: Arabic, French
Religion: Sunni Muslim, Coptic Christian
Currency: Pound

The Gambia
Status: Republic
Area: 11,295 sq. km
Population: 1,305,000
Capital: Banjul
Language: English (official), Malinke, Fulani, Wolof
Religion: Sunni Muslim, Protestant
Currency: Dalasi

Ghana
Status: Republic
Area: 238,537 sq. km
Population: 19,534,000
Capital: Accra
Language: English (official), Hausa, Akan, Local languages
Religion: Protestant, R.Catholic, Sunni Muslim, Trad. Beliefs
Currency: Cedi

Hong Kong
Status: Special Administrative Region
Area: 1,075 sq. km
Population: 7,002,000
Capital: Hong Kong
Language: Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin), English
Religion: Buddhist, Taoist, Protestant
Currency: Dollar

India
Status: Republic
Area: 3,287,263 sq. km
Population: 1,002,142,000
Capital: New Delhi
Language: Hindi, English (official), many Regional Languages.
Religion: Hindu, Sunni Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Jain.
Currency: Rupee.

Indonesia
Status: Republic
Area: 1,919,445 sq. km
Population: 212,207,000
Capital: Jakarta
Language: Indonesian (official), Many local languages
Religion: Sunni Muslim, Protestant, R.Catholic, Hindu, Buddhist
Currency: Rupiah

Iran
Status: Republic
Area: 1,648,000 sq. km
Population: 67,411,000
Capital: Tehran
Language: Farsi (Persian), Azeri, Kurdish, Regional Languages.
Religion: Shi'a Muslim, Sunni Muslim, Baha'i, Christian, Zoroastrian
Currency: Rial.

Jordan
Status: Monarchy
Area: 89,206 sq. km
Population: 5,083,000
Capital: Amman
Language: Arabic
Religion: Sunni Muslim, Christian, Shi'a Muslim.
Currency: Dinar

Kenya
Status: Republic
Area: 582,646 sq. km
Population: 30,340,000
Capital: Nairobi
Language: Swahili (official), English, Many local languages
Religion: R.Catholic, Protestant, Trad. Beliefs
Currency: Shilling

Kuwait
Status: Monarchy
Area: 17,818 sq. km
Population: 2,190,000
Capital: Kuwait City
Language: Arabic
Religion: Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, Other Muslim, Christian, Hindu.
Currency: Dinar.

Lebanon
Status: Republic
Area: 10,452 sq. km
Population: 4,202,000
Capital: Beirut
Language: Arabic, French, Armenian.
Religion: Shi'a Muslim, Sunni and Other Muslim, Protestant, R.Catholic.
Currency: Pound.

Malaysia
Status: Federation
Area: 332,665 sq. km
Population: 23,253,000
Capital: Kuala Lumpar
Language: Malay, English, Chinese, Tamil, local languages
Religion: Sunni Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, Trad, beliefs
Currency: Dollar (Ringgit)

Nepal
Status: Monarchy
Area: 147,181 sq. km
Population: 23,930,000
Capital: Kathmandu
Language: Nepali, Maithili, Bhojpuri, English, Many local languages.
Religion: Hindu, Buddhist, Sunni Muslim.
Currency: UN.

Nigeria
Status: Republic
Area: 923,768 sq. km
Population: 123,338,000
Capital: Abuja
Language: English, Creole, Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo, Fulani
Religion: Sunni Muslim, Protestant, R.Catholic, Trad. Beliefs
Currency: Naira

Oman
Status: Monarchy
Area: 309,500 sq. km
Population: 2,353, 000
Capital: Muscat
Language: Arabic, Baluchi, Farsi, Swahili, Indian Languages.
Religion: Ibadhi Muslim, Sunni Muslim.
Currency: Rial.

Pakistan
Status: Republic
Area: 803,940 sq. km
Population: 150,648,000
Capital: Islamabad
Language: Urdu (official), Punjabi, Sindhi, Pushtu, English.
Religion: Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, Christian, Hindu.
Currency: Rupee.

Philippines
Status: Republic
Area: 300,000 sq. km
Population: 80,298,000
Capital: Manila
Language: English, Filipino (Tagalog), Cebuano
Religion: R.Catholic, Agilipayan, Sunni Muslim, Protestant
Currency: Peso

Qatar
Status: Monarchy
Area: 11,437 sq. km
Population: 591,000
Capital: Doha
Language: Arabic, Indian Languages.
Religion: Sunni Muslim, Christian, Hindu.
Currency: Riyal.

Saudi Arabia
Status: Monarchy
Area: 2,200,000 sq. km
Population: 21,607,000
Capital: Riyadh
Language: Arabic.
Religion: Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim
Currency: Riyal.

Singapore
Status: Republic
Area: 639 sq. km
Population: 4,001,000
Capital: Singapore
Language: Chinese, English, Malay, Tamil
Religion: Buddhist, Taoist, Sunni Muslim, Christian, Hindu
Currency: Dollar

South Africa
Status: Republic
Area: 1,219,080 sq. km
Population: 43,421,000
Capital: Pretoria/Cape Town
Language: Afrikaans, English, nine Local languages (all official)
Religion: Protestant, R.Catholic, Sunni Muslim, Hindu
Currency: Rand

Sri Lanka
Status: Republic
Area: 65,610 sq. km
Population: 19,169,000
Capital: Colombo
Language: Sinhalese, Tamil, English,
Religion: Buddhist, Hindu, Sunni Muslim, R.Catholic
Currency: Ruppee.

Syria
Status: Republic
Area: 185,180 sq. km
Population: 16,482,000
Capital: Damascus
Language: Arabic, Kurdish, Armenian
Religion: Sunni Muslim, Other Muslim, Christian
Currency: Pound

Taiwan
Status: Republic
Area: 36,179 sq. km
Population: 22,256,000
Capital: Taipei
Language: Chinese (mandarin official, Fukein, Hakka), Local languages
Religion: Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian, Christian
Currency: Dollar

Tanzania
Status: Republic
Area: 945,087 sq. km
Population: 35,306,000
Capital: Dodoma
Language: Swahili, English, Nyamwezi, many Local languages
Religion: R.Catholic, Sunni Muslim, Trad. Beliefs, Protestant
Currency: Shilling

Thailand
Status: Monarchy
Area: 513,115 sq. km
Population: 62,043,000
Capital: Bangkok
Language: Thai, Lao, Chinese, Malay, Mon-Khmer Languages
Religion: Buddhist, Sunni Muslim
Currency: Baht

Uganda
Status: Republic
Area: 241,038 sq. km
Population: 23,318,000
Capital: Kampala
Language: English, Swahili (official), Luganda, many Local languages
Religion: R.Catholic, Protestant, Sunni Muslim, Trad. Beliefs
Currency: Shilling

United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Status: Federation
Area: 77,700 sq. km
Population: 2,835,000, including 1,576,472 non-nationals (July 2000 estimate)
Capital: Abu Dhabi
Language: Arabic (official), English, Hindi, Urdu, Farsi.
Religion: Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, Christian
Currency: Dirham

Yemen
Status: Republic
Area: 527,968 sq. km
Population: 17,030,000
Capital: Sana
Language: Arabic
Religion: Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim
Currency: Dinar, Rial.

Zambia
Status: Republic
Area: 752,614 sq. km
Population: 9,582,000
Capital: Lusaka
Language: English, Bemba, Nyanja, Tonga, many Local languages
Religion: Protestant, R.Catholic, Trad. Beliefs, Sunni Muslim
Currency: Kwacha

Zimbabwe
Status: Republic
Area: 390,759 sq. km
Population: 11,343,000
Capital: Harare
Language: English (official), Shona, Ndebele
Religion: Protestant, R.Catholic, Trad. Beliefs
Currency: Dollar

 

Top of Page