About 9 percent of Finland is covered by water. There are around 55,000 lakes that fill hollows created by glaciers during the ice age. The far north forms part of Lapland the home of the nomadic Lapp people, and lies within the Arctic Circle. Winters are long and severe. Sweden conquered Finland in the 1200's. Russia fought Sweden for control of ( Read more... )

ICELAND

In environmental terms, Iceland is unique.

The interior of the country contains stunning contrasts. It is largely an arctic desert, punctuated with mountains, glaciers, volcanoes and waterfalls.

When a Westerner hears "Siberia", images of frozen tundra and prison camps come to mind.

These islands in the West Indies form the southern part of the Antilles chain. St Lucia is volcanic in origin. It is mountainous and thickly forested, with a tropical climate. Barbados, the most easterly island in the West Indies, is flat with a mild climate. It is devastated by hurricanes from time to time. The coral rock of which it formed makes ( Read more... )

This island country is separated from the African mainland by the Mozambique Channel. More than two thirds of Madagascar is a high plateau, with volcanic peaks such as the Tsaratanana Massif rising above it. In the east is a narrow coastal plane, and there are broader lowlands in the west. The forested east coast is hot and humid. The grassy and ( Read more... )

One of three main german land regions, Germany's mountainous south includes the Bavarian Alps and endures harsher winters than the northern regions.

This mountainous country is landlocked and entirely surrounded by South Africa.

Honduras has a coastline on the Caribbean Sea and an outlet to the Pacific Ocean through the Gulf of Fonseca.

The country in northern South America has, in Lake Maricaibo a freshwater lake open to the sea which contains the continent's largest oil deposits.

The Third Largest Ocean
The third largest of the world's oceans, the Indian Ocean washes the continents of Africa, Asia, Australia, and Antarctica.