Federal Research Division

Formal Name: Republic of Bolivia (Republica de Bolivia). Short Form: Bolivia. Term for Citizen(s): Bolivian(s). Capitals: La Paz (executive) and Sucre (judicial). Major Cities: Santa Cruz (1.3 million inhabitants), Cochabamba (900,000), El Alto (830,000), La Paz (810,000), and Sucre (225,000), according to 2005 projections. Independence: Led by "El Libertador," Simon Bolivar Palacios, Bolivia gained complete independence from Spanish and Peruvian control in 1825. Despite nearly 200 coups and counter-coups, Bolivia has maintained its autonomy since independence. Public Holidays: The following are Bolivia's federal holidays: New Year's Day (January 1), Carnival (two days, variable dates in February or March), Good Friday (variable date in March or April), Labor Day (May 1), Corpus Christi (variable date in May or June), Independence Day (August 6), All Saints' Day (November 1), Christmas (December 25). Each of Bolivia's nine departments also has a holiday celebrating its inception.

Formal Name: Commonwealth of Australia. Short Form: Australia. Term for Citizen(s): Australian(s). Capital: Canberra. Major Cities: In order of size, the largest cities in Australia are Sydney (4.2 million), Melbourne (3.6 million), Brisbane (1.7 million), Perth (1.4 million), and Canberra (323,000). Independence: The British colonies of Australia were federated and the Commonwealth of Australia established on January 1, 1901.

Formal Name: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (Dowlate EslamiyeAfghanestan). Short Form: Afghanistan. Term for Citizen(s): Afghan(s). Capital: Kabul. Major Cities: Herat (Hirat), Jalalabad, Kandahar (Qandahar), Kondoz (Kunduz), and Mazare Sharif. Independence: Afghanistan recognizes its independence day as August 19, the date in 1919 when the country became fully independent of British rule.