Azerbaijan country profile

24 May 2013 Last updated at 09:29 GMT Oil-rich Azerbaijan gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 amid political turmoil and against a backdrop of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh.

It has been famed for its oil springs and natural gas sources since ancient times, when Zoroastrians, for whom fire is an important symbol, erected temples around burning gas vents in the ground.

In the 19th century this part of the Russian empire experienced an unprecedented oil boom which attracted international investment. By the beginning of the 20th century Azerbaijan was supplying almost half of the world's oil.

In 1994 Azerbaijan signed an oil contract worth $7.4bn with a Western consortium. Since then Western companies have invested millions in the development of the country's oil and gas reserves. However, the economy as a whole has not benefited as much as it might have done.

Continue reading the main story Politics: President Ilham Aliyev came to power in 2003, succeeding his father Heydar, and was re-elected in 2008. A two-term presidential limit was abolished in 2009. Critics accuse Mr Aliyev of heading an authoritarian regime which suppresses oppositionEconomy: Huge oil export revenues have funded infrastructure projects and boosted living standardsInternational: Azerbaijan and Armenia fought in the 1990s over disputed Nagorno-Karabakh; a fragile ceasefire is in place. Azerbaijan is a key transit route to Afghanistan. Relations with Iran are fractious

Country profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring

Caspian oil is now flowing through a pipeline running from Baku through Georgia to the Turkish port of Ceyhan, providing western countries with ready access to a vast new source of supply. Environmental groups have protested that the cost of this benefit is unacceptable.

Azerbaijan has large gas reserves too.

Azerbaijan became a member of the Council of Europe in 2001. Often accused of rampant corruption and election-rigging, ruling circles walk a tightrope between Russian and Western regional geo-strategic interests.

As the Soviet Union collapsed, the predominantly Armenian population of the Nagorno-Karabakh region stated their intention to secede from Azerbaijan. War broke out. Backed by troops and resources from Armenia proper, the Armenians of Karabakh took control of the region and surrounding territory.

In 1994 a ceasefire was signed. About one-seventh of Azerbaijan's territory remains occupied, while 800,000 refugees and internally displaced persons are scattered around the country.

Azerbaijan was in the media spotlight in June 2007 when Russian President Vladimir Putin offered the US the use of the Gabala radar station for missile defence as an alternative to using bases in Poland and the Czech Republic.

At one time Azerbaijan supplied almost half of the world's oil, pumped up by oil derricks such as these in Baku on the Caspian Sea

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Denmark country profile

3 July 2013 Last updated at 08:10 GMT The kingdom of Denmark has, despite its relatively small size, often punched above its weight internationally.

Vikings raiding from Denmark and the other Nordic nations changed the course of 9th- and 10th-century European history; in the Middle Ages, the Union of Kalmar united all of Scandinavia under Danish leadership.

In recent times, Denmark has been known for its modern economy and extensive welfare system, while enjoying an often difficult relationship with the European Union.

The Danes rejected the euro as the national currency in a referendum in September 2000. Analysts believe that Danish fears of loss of political independence and national sovereignty outweighed any economic arguments about the benefits of joining the eurozone.

Denmark's euroscepticism put it at odds with many of its European partners seven years previously when Danish voters rejected the Maastricht Treaty which proposed monetary union and a common European defence force. Denmark had to be granted opt-outs from these provisions before the treaty was approved in 1993.

The Oresund Bridge is Europe's longest road and rail bridge. It connects the Danish capital Copenhagen with Sweden Continue reading the main story Politics: Social Democrat Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Denmark's first female PM, took office after 2011 elections ended a decade of centre-right ruleEconomy: Denmark, an EU member, has rejected the euro but pegs the krone to the single currency. The economy is services-basedInternational: Denmark has backed key international peacekeeping efforts. Danish soldiers are deployed in Afghanistan

Country profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring

The Social Democrats led a string of coalition governments for most of the second half of the last century in a country generally known for its liberal traditions.

Poul Schluter then became the first Danish prime minister from the Conservative People's Party in 1982, leading a centre-right coalition until 1993, when he was succeeded by the Social Democrat Poul Nyrup Rasmussen.

A new centre-right coalition headed by Anders Fogh Rasmussen came to power in November 2001 promising tighter immigration controls.

A third successive centre-right Rasmussen, Lars Lokke, took over as prime minister in April 2009. His government, dependent as it is on the right-wing populist People's Party to push through legislation, has witnessed immigration and integration emerge as major issues of public debate.

Denmark's progressive tightening of its immigration laws has led to charges that its strict rules violate European norms.

The country has won plaudits for its healthy economy. Its employment levels are the envy of many industrialised countries and it accommodates a competitive economic edge as well as a generous social security system.

Danish television and cinema have won international recognition, not least for their willingness to experiment. Through the late 1990s and early 2000s the Dogme movement directors often used hand-held cameras to dynamic effect in a conscious reaction against high-tech, big-budget cinema.

Greenland and the Faroe Islands are self-governing territories of Denmark.

Seafarers from Denmark have spread the country's influence throughout the world

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Estonia country profile

5 February 2013 Last updated at 16:59 GMT A small and heavily forested country, Estonia is the most northerly of the three former Soviet Baltic republics.

Not much more than a decade after it regained its independence following the collapse of the USSR, the republic was welcomed as an EU member in May 2004. The move came just weeks after it joined Nato.

These historic developments would have been extremely hard to imagine in not-so-distant Soviet times.

Estonia was part of the Russian empire until 1918 when it proclaimed its independence. Russia recognised it as an independent state under the 1920 Treaty of Tartu.

During the two decades that followed it tried to assert its identity as a nation squeezed between the rise of Nazism in Germany and the dominion of Stalin in the USSR.

Tallinn: The capital's long history is evident in its old town Continue reading the main story Politics: PM Andrus Ansip heads a centre-right coalition which was re-elected in 2011Economy: Estonia has experienced rapid growth. Key sectors include manufacturing and IT. Estonia joined the eurozone in 2011International: Estonia joined Nato and the EU in 2004. It has a troop contingent in Afghanistan

Country profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring

After a pact between Hitler and Stalin, Soviet troops arrived in 1940 and Estonia was absorbed into the Soviet Union. Nazi forces pushed the Soviets out in 1941 but the Red Army returned in 1944 and remained for half a century.

The rapidly expanding Soviet planned economy brought hundreds of thousands of Soviet immigrants to Estonia, causing widespread fear among Estonians that their national identity would eventually vanish.

Russians account for up to a third of the population.

The legacy of the Soviet years has left a mark which the country carries with it into its EU era: Many Russian-speakers complain of discrimination, saying strict language laws make it hard to get jobs or citizenship without proficiency in Estonian. Some Russian-speakers who were born in Estonia are either unable or unwilling to become citizens because of the language requirements.

After a decade of negotiations, Estonia and Russia signed a treaty defining the border between the two countries in May 2005. The Estonian parliament ratified it soon afterwards but only after it had introduced reference to Soviet occupation. Moscow reacted by pulling out. It took until 2012 for talks to start afresh.

The Estonian language is closely related to Finnish but not to the languages of either of the other Baltic republics, Latvia and Lithuania, or to Russian. The country has unique traditions in folk song and verse, traditions which have had to be strong to survive the many centuries of domination by foreign countries.

Estonia enjoyed an investment boom following EU accession, but in 2008 its economy was badly hit by the global financial crisis.

The government adopted tough austerity measures and won plaudits for getting the economy back into shape ahead of entry to the European single currency in January 2011.

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Spain country profile

16 July 2013 Last updated at 11:44 GMT Located at the crossroads of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, Europe and Africa, Spain's history and culture are made up of a rich mix of diverse elements.

Through exploration and conquest, Spain became a world power in the 16th century, and it maintained a vast overseas empire until the early 19th century.

Spain's modern history is marked by the bitterly fought Spanish Civil War of 1936-39, and the ensuing 36-year dictatorship of General Francisco Franco.

After Franco's death in 1975, Spain made the transition to a democratic state and built a successful economy, with King Juan Carlos as head of state.

The constitution of 1978 enshrines respect for linguistic and cultural diversity within a united Spain. The country is divided into 17 regions which all have their own directly elected authorities. The level of autonomy afforded to each region is far from uniform. For example, Catalonia, the Basque Country and Galicia have special status with their own language and other rights.

Spain's economy was one of the most dynamic in the European Union until the economic crisis hit in 2008 Continue reading the main story Politics: PM Mariano Rajoy from the conservative Popular Party took office in late 2011. The recession is spurring secessionist sentiment in CataloniaEconomy: Spain was hit hard in the 2008-9 global economic crisis, and has undertaken painful austerity measures. More than 27% of Spaniards are unemployedInternational: Spanish forces have taken part in multilateral missions and peacekeeping, including in Afghanistan. Spain claims sovereignty over the British overseas territory of Gibraltar

Country profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring

Andalucia, Navarre, Valencia and the Canaries in turn have more extensive powers than some other regions. Asturias and Aragon have taken steps to consolidate language rights.

In 2006 a Catalan referendum backed by the central government gave the region greater autonomy.

The Catalans won nation status within Spain and the region's parliament gained extra powers in taxation and judicial matters, although the deepening recession and Catalonia's high indebtedness has spurred calls for independence from Spain. The country's regional picture is a complex and evolving one.

One of Spain's most serious domestic issues has been tension in the northern Basque region. A violent campaign by the Basque separatist group Eta has led to nearly 850 deaths over the past four decades.

Tentative moves to negotiate a lasting peace were dealt a blow when Eta carried out a deadly bomb attack at Madrid's international airport in 2006, but, after several stalled cease-fires, in 2012 it announced that it was ready to disband.

Until 2008, the Spanish economy was regarded as one of the most dynamic within the EU. However, the mainstays of the economy were tourism and a booming housing market and construction industry, and so the global economic crisis of 2008-9 hit the country hard.

The bursting of the housing bubble tipped Spain into a severe recession and by the end of 2011 the country had an unemployment rate of nearly 23% - then the highest jobless rate in Europe. By the spring of 2013 this had risen still further, to 27.2%.

Austerity measures imposed by the government in an effort to reduce the level of public debt sparked a wave of protests and gave rise to the "Indignados" (the indignant ones) movement.

Spain consists of most of the Iberian peninsula, plus the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands and two North African exclaves.

From Velazquez in the seventeenth century, through Goya straddling the eighteenth and nineteenth, to Picasso in the twentieth, Spain has the proudest of traditions in art.

Flamenco music and dance are widely admired around the world while Cervantes' novel Don Quixote is one of the most popular ever written.

Cinema is much loved and the films of directors such as Pedro Almodovar attract huge audiences.

Spain made the transition to a democratic state after the death of the long-term dictator General Franco

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Croatia country profile

28 June 2013 Last updated at 15:02 GMT Croatia's declaration of independence in 1991 was followed by four years of war and the best part of a decade of authoritarian nationalism under President Franjo Tudjman.

By early 2003 it had made enough progress in shaking off the legacy of those years to apply for EU membership, becoming the second former Yugoslav republic after Slovenia to do so.

A country of striking natural beauty with a stunning Adriatic coastline, Croatia is again very popular as a tourist destination.

Croatia's EU accession talks were held up because the country's most prominent war crimes suspect, Gen Ante Gotovina, remained at large until 2005.

Croatia's Adriatic coastline draws big numbers of tourists Continue reading the main story Politics: The centre-left government of PM Zoran Milanovic took over in December 2011, riding a tide of anger over corruption and economic stagnationEconomy: Service industries predominate. Shipbuilding is a mainstay of manufacturingInternational: Croatia is set to become the 28th member of the EU on 1 July 2013

Country profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring

Gen Gotovina was finally convicted by the UN War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague in April 2011, and shortly after this, Croatia successfully completed its EU accession negotiations. It is due to become the EU's 28th member state in 2013.

In 2012, Gen Gotovina's conviction was overturned after an appeals court judge in The Hague decided there had been no conspiracy to eliminate the Serb civilian population from the Croatian region of Krajina.

At the time of President Tudjman's death in December 1999, the country was still in a parlous state.

Its citizens suffered from government-backed attacks on their civil and political rights. The governing party, the HDZ, was mired in corruption and the economy was in severe difficulties.

Presidential and parliamentary elections at the beginning of 2000 ushered in politicians who pledged commitment to Croatia's integration into the European mainstream.

The constitution was changed to shift power away from the president to parliament. Croatia joined the World Trade Organisation and pledged to open up its economy.

However, organised crime and associated violence continued to be a major concern, and the government had to demonstrate that it was serious about tackling the problem so as not to jeopardise its EU membership bid.

A dispute with Slovenia over sea and land borders dating back to the break-up of Yugoslavia also threatened to derail Croatia's journey to EU membership until June 2010, when a Slovene referendum cleared this outstanding obstacle to Croatia's EU accession.

The country's EU accession treaty was finally signed in December 2011, after years of tortuous negotiations, and endorsed at a referendum the following month.

Croatia was badly affected by the global financial crisis of 2008-9, which hit its tourism-oriented economy hard, and the country has mostly been in recession since 2009.

Domestic economic woes have dampened enthusiasm for the crisis-plagued EU, and elections in April 2013 to choose Croatia's first European Parliament deputies attracted a turnout of under 21%.

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Armenia country profile

27 February 2013 Last updated at 10:29 GMT A landlocked country with Turkey to the west and Georgia to the north, Armenia boasts a history longer than most other European countries.

Situated along the route of the Great Silk Road, it has fallen within the orbit of a number of cultural influences and empires.

After independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Armenia quickly became drawn into a bloody conflict with Azerbaijan over the mostly Armenian-speaking region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

One of the earliest Christian civilisations, its first churches were founded in the fourth century. In later centuries, it frequently oscillated between Byzantine, Persian, Mongol or Turkish control, as well as periods of independence.

Its rich cultural and architectural heritage combines elements from different traditions. The Armenian language is part of the Indo-European family, but its alphabet is unique.

Mount Ararat is an Armenian national symbol. It lies tantalizingly close but cruelly distant, just beyond the country's borders

Divided between the Persians and Ottomans in the 16th century, eastern Armenian territories became part of the Russian Empire in the early 19th century, while the rest stayed within the Ottoman Empire.

Between 1915 and 1917, hundreds of thousands of ethnic Armenians died at the hands of government troops in the Ottoman Empire.

Yerevan wants Turkey, and the world, to recognize the deaths as genocide, and some countries have done so.

However, Turkey says that there was no genocide and that the dead were victims of World War I, and that ethnic Turks also suffered in the conflict.

Continue reading the main story Politics: Serge Sarkasian's re-election in 2013 was disputed by the opposition International: Fraught ties with Turkey over the mass killings of Armenians under the Ottomans. A fragile ceasefire is in place with Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh regionEconomy: Closed borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan have produced economic isolation. Poverty and unemployment are persistent

Country profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring

The governments of the two countries agreed to normalise relations in October 2009, although Turkey has said opening the border will depend on progress on the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute.

An independent Republic of Armenia was proclaimed at the end of the first world war but was short-lived, lasting only until the beginning of the 1920s when the Bolsheviks incorporated it into the Soviet Union.

When Soviet rule collapsed in 1991, Armenia regained independence but retained a Russian military base at Gyumri.

Territorial dispute

In the mid-1990s the government embarked on an economic reform programme which brought some stability and growth. The country became a member of the Council of Europe in 2001.

Unemployment and poverty remain widespread. Armenia's economic problems are aggravated by a trade blockade imposed by neighbouring Turkey and Azerbaijan since the dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Despite these problems, Armenia's economy experienced several years of double-digit growth before a sharp downturn set in in 2008. Though the economy grew by about 7% in 2012, by the beginning of 2013 more than 30% of the population were still living below the poverty line.

The conflict over the predominantly Armenian-populated region in Azerbaijan overshadowed Armenia's return to independence.

Full-scale war broke out the same year as ethnic Armenians in Karabakh fought for independence, supported by troops and resources from Armenia proper. A ceasefire in place since 1994 has failed to deliver any lasting solution.

Armenia receives most of its gas supply from Russia and, like some other republics of the former Soviet Union, has had to face sharp price rises. Russian gas arrives via a pipeline running through Georgia.

Armenia has a huge diaspora and has always experienced waves of emigration, but the exodus of recent years has caused real alarm. It is estimated that Armenia has lost up to a quarter of its population since independence, as young families seek what they hope will be a better life abroad.

Armenia became the first country to adopt Christianity in about 300 AD

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Vatican country profile

26 June 2013 Last updated at 14:46 GMT The Vatican is the smallest independent state in the world and residence of the spiritual leadership of the Roman Catholic Church.

Its territory is surrounded by the Italian capital city Rome, and priests and nuns of many nationalities make up almost all of the population.

The Vatican City is a tiny fragment when compared with the extensive Papal States of central Italy, which were conquered by the forces of Italian unification in the mid-19th century. The popes then became "prisoners in the Vatican", unwilling to leave the confines of the Apostolic Palace until 1929, when Italy's Fascist government negotiated the Lateran Treaty that created the current mini-state.

The current pope is Francis, the first Latin American to be elected to the post. He succeeded Pope Benedict XVI, who reigned from 2005 until 2013, when he announced his resignation on grounds of old age.

Pope Benedict had continued the conservative clerical policies of his predecessor, John Paul II.

Pope John Paul's 26-year reign saw tremendous upheaval in Eastern Europe, including his homeland Poland.

He preached dialogue and reconciliation between former political opponents and religions. During a visit to Israel - the first by a Pope - John Paul expressed sorrow for the history of anti-Semitism in the Catholic Church.

He also sought to heal rifts with other Christian churches. Some of these moves were successful, others less so.

Critics within and without the Catholic Church said Vatican social policy was out-of-step with modern reality.

Swiss Guards, dressed in traditional ceremonial dress, are responsible for the security of the Pope

They said Pope John Paul's strict teaching against abortion and contraception failed the majority of Catholics, and disqualified the church from any role in solving the social problems facing hundreds of millions of believers.

These issues will return to dominate the agenda of the next pope.

The Vatican City packs imposing buildings into its small area. These include St Peter's Basilica. Completed in the early 17th century, the domed edifice is a pilgrimage site. The Vatican Museums and Art Galleries house the priceless art collections of the popes.

On a more profane level, the Vatican has moved to meet international demands for more financial transparency following an investigation in 2010 into the Vatican Bank over violations of money-laundering rules.

It put in place laws that aimed to bring the Vatican Bank into line with international standards on transparency, prevention of terrorism, counterfeiting and fraud, but Bank chief Ettore Gotti Tedeschi nonetheless had to step down in 2012 for dereliction of duty. In 2013 Pope Francis ordered a new commission of inquiry into the Bank.

Pilgrims travel from all over the world to gather in St Peter's Square for various ceremonies, such as this beatification of Pope John Paul II in May 2011

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Greece country profile

16 July 2013 Last updated at 15:18 GMT

The historical and cultural heritage of Greece continues to resonate throughout the modern Western world - in its literature, art, philosophy and politics.

Situated in the far south of the Balkan peninsula, Greece combines the towering mountains of the mainland with over 1,400 islands, the largest of which is Crete.

Post-World War II Greece saw rapid economic and social change, with tourism and shipping becoming major contributors to the economy.

The financial crisis of the late 2000s hit Greece particularly hard, as the legacy of high public spending and widespread tax evasion combined with the credit crunch and the resulting recession to leave the country with a crippling debt burden.

Greece has more than 1,400 islands Continue reading the main story Politics: After inconclusive elections in May 2012, a further round of voting in June restored a shaky coalition of the advocates of austerity measuresEconomy: Enormous debts have sent Greece into deep recession. Multi-billion-euro bailouts from the EU and IMF are conditional on tough austerity measuresInternational: Greece calls for the restoration of a unified state in Cyprus. It is involved in a naming dispute with Macedonia

Country profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring

In the spring of 2010, amid fears of an imminent default on debt payments and of the debt contagion spreading to other countries, Greece's fellow eurozone countries agreed an unprecedented 110bn euro package to rescue its teetering economy. The main condition attached to the loan - drastic cuts in public spending and tax hikes - prompted protracted social unrest.

The 2010 rescue package soon proved to be unequal to the task of plugging the hole in Greece's finances, and the following year an even bigger bailout of 130bn euros was required to stave off the imminent danger of the country defaulting on its debts.

At the prompting of the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund, Greece has been striving to reduce its debt burden from 160% of GDP to a target figure of 120%. It has also embarked on recapitalising its banks so as to put them on a sounder footing.

International relations

Greece has long been at odds with its close neighbour, Turkey, over territorial disputes in the Aegean and the divided island of Cyprus.

Relations warmed after both countries suffered earthquakes in 1999 and offered each other practical help.

Although the disputes remain unresolved, the Greek government gives strong backing to Turkey's EU bid. It sees dividends to be gained from the increased regional stability that it believes membership would bring.

Greece has been in dispute since the early 1990s with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Greece contends that the use of the name Macedonia by the neighbouring country implies a territorial claim over Greece's own region of the same name. The UN is involved in continuing mediation efforts.

Athens stepped into the global spotlight when the Olympic Games returned home in 2004. The games were hailed as a success, despite widely publicised fears that the infrastructure would not be complete in time.

Ancient Greek culture, symbolised by the Parthenon in Athens, continues to influence Western thought

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Ireland country profile

28 June 2013 Last updated at 09:54 GMT Ireland emerged from the conflict that marked its birth as an independent state to become one of Europe's economic success stories in the final decade of the twentieth century.

Long under English or British rule, Ireland lost half its population in the decades following the Great Famine of the 1840s to death and emigration.

After World War I, independence from the United Kingdom was only achieved at the price of civil war and partition. Northern Ireland remains part of Britain.

After the country joined the European Community in 1973, it was transformed from a largely agricultural society into a modern, high-technology economy.

For centuries British dominion in Ireland gave rise to unrest which finally erupted into violence with the Easter Rising of 1916, when independence was proclaimed. The rising was crushed and many of its leaders executed, but the campaign for independence carried on through a bloody Anglo-Irish War of 1919-1921.

A booming economy transformed Dublin in the 1990s Continue reading the main story Politics: Prime Minister Enda Kenny from Fine Gael leads a coalition that ousted Fianna Fail, traditionally the main force in parliament, in 2011Economy: Ireland sought a rescue package from the EU and IMF in 2010 after debt and deficit problems left the economy close to collapseInternational: Ireland is active in international peacekeeping. It pursues military neutrality and is not a member of Nato. Ireland is an EU member and eurozone country

Country profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring

It was in 1922 that 26 counties of Ireland gained independence from London following negotiations which led to the other six counties, part of the province of Ulster, remaining in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Partition was followed by a year of civil war.

Relations between Dublin and London remained strained for many years afterwards. Northern Ireland saw decades of violent conflict between those campaigning for a united Ireland and those wishing to stay in the United Kingdom.

In an unprecedented and concerted effort to resolve the situation, the Irish and UK governments worked closely together in negotiations which led to the Good Friday Agreement on the future of Northern Ireland in 1998.

Boom to bust

Ireland's economy began to grow rapidly in the 1990s, fuelled by foreign investment. This attracted a wave of incomers to a country where, traditionally, mass emigration had been the norm.

The boom that earned Ireland the nickname of "Celtic Tiger" faltered when the country fell into recession in the wake of the global financial crisis of 2008.

The property boom had been fuelled by massive lending from the banks, and when this collapsed - and lenders were unable to repay - the Irish banking system was plunged into crisis.

The Irish economy underwent one of the deepest recessions in the eurozone, with its economy shrinking by 10% in 2009.

In November 2010, Ireland and the EU agreed a financial rescue package worth 85bn euros, ending weeks of speculation about a bail-out.

And in February 2013, Ireland struck a deal with the European Central Bank (ECB) to ease the debt burden caused by arrangements made to underwrite the country's "zombie banks" - bankrupt institutions such as the Anglo Irish Bank.

The swing bridge over the River Liffey in Dublin was inaugurated in 2009

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Finland country profile

3 July 2013 Last updated at 12:27 GMT Finland is a country in the far north of Europe, bordered by Norway, Sweden and Russia. Unlike their fellow-Scandinavian neighbours to the west, the Finns are not a Germanic people but rather speak a language related to Estonian, some languages of Siberia and, more distantly, Hungarian.

Despite its substantial size, Finland is relatively thinly-populated. Around two-thirds of its territory is covered by forest and about a tenth by lakes.

Hundreds of years of Swedish rule were followed by a further century of Russian control before independence in 1917. This failed to stem the demands of Finland's giant Soviet neighbour, and World War II saw fierce fighting along Finland's eastern border.

Helsinki Cathedral is one of the city's best known landmarks Continue reading the main story Politics: PM Jyrki Katainen's conservative National Coalition Party is the largest single group in parliament. Conservative President Sauli Niinisto is head of stateEconomy: A eurozone member since 2002, Finland has an export-driven economy. Phone maker Nokia is its biggest company International: Finland is one of four EU countries not in Nato. Its military is active in peacekeeping operations

Country profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring

Finnish troops mounted a vigorous response to Soviet forces and stalled their advance, but the country was eventually forced to cede 10% of its territory and pay extensive war reparations to Moscow.

Throughout the Cold War Finland's neutrality depended on a de-facto Soviet veto on its foreign and defence policy, a status dubbed "Finlandisation".

The collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s allowed Finland to step out of the Cold War shadow. It applied for membership of the EU soon after its friendship treaty with the Soviet Union became void in 1991, becoming a full member in 1995.

Finland is the only Nordic EU member to use the euro as the national currency.

The country spends heavily on education, training and research - investment which pays dividends by delivering one of the best-qualified workforces in the world.

This has been a key factor in the development of a modern, competitive economy in which an advanced telecommunications sector has been added to the traditional timber and metals industries.

In terms of culture, Finland has made a particular mark in the fields of architecture and music, with the buildings of Alvar Aalto and the symphonies and tone poems of Jean Sibelius enjoying worldwide reknown.

The capital Helsinki lies on the shores of the Baltic Sea

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Switzerland country profile

19 June 2013 Last updated at 10:15 GMT A landlocked, mountainous country, Switzerland's geographical position in central Europe and studious neutrality have given it the access and political stability to become one of the world's wealthiest countries, largely through its banking industry.

Formally neutral since just after the Napoleonic wars of the early 19th century and informally for about 300 years before that, Switzerland joined the United Nations only in September 2002. Surrounded by the European Union, it is gradually engaging more closely with its powerful neighbour and other international organisations.

Although it lies close to the geographical centre of Europe, and most of its trade is with its European neighbours, it is not an EU member. A referendum in 2001 went against opening talks on joining.

Membership of the European Economic Area was also rejected by referendum in 1992 and Swiss-EU relations are now based on an extensive range of bilateral agreements.

Much of Switzerland's wealth is based on it's banking sector Continue reading the main story Politics: Switzerland has a collective head of state, the Federal Council. Each year, a council member is chosen to fill the post of Federal President. Referendums are central to the political system of direct democracyEconomy: Switzerland is a centre of global wealth. Investors use its banks as a safe haven from world financial turmoil. Banking secrecy is a cornerstone of the industry, but has come under fire outside SwitzerlandInternational: Formally-neutral Switzerland joined the UN in 2002. It remains outside the EU, but is in the passport-free Schengen zone. Immigration is becoming an area of dispute with the EU

Country profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring

Ties became closer in 2005 when a referendum backed membership of the EU Schengen and Dublin agreements, bringing Switzerland into Europe's passport-free zone and increasing cooperation on crime and asylum issues. A further referendum the same year opened the job market to workers from the 10 newest EU member countries.

At the same time Switzerland has been gradually acceding to international pressure to allow greater scrutiny of its famously secretive banking sector, amid growing concerns about money-laundering and the financing of terrorist groups.

The country forms a European cultural and linguistic crossroads, with about two-thirds of the population speaking German, around one-fifth French and about 7% Italian. Romansch, the fourth national language, is spoken by less than 1% of the population.

The people are given a direct say in their own affairs under Switzerland's system of direct democracy, which has no parallel in any other country.

They are invited to the polls several times a year to vote in national or regional referendums and people's initiatives. Constitutional proposals and major international treaties must be put to the vote, and parliamentary decisions can be subjected to a vote by collecting 50,000 signatures.

The question of immigration has risen sharply in public life in the early 21st century, as foreign nationals - overwhelmingly from the rest of Europe, including Turkey - rose to number 20% of the population. The anti-immigration Swiss People's Party became the largest party in parliament in 2009, and minarets on mosques were banned in a referendum in 2009. The government has taken steps to cut immigration from eastern Europe.

The tradition of a citizen army, seen as an essential part of Swiss neutrality, runs deep. During the Cold War the Swiss maintained one of Europe's largest land-based armies. The extremely costly militia system, under which every adult male was conscripted and remained in the reserves until middle age, has been slowly streamlined.

The government expressed its regrets over the country's behaviour in World War II following a report by an independent panel of historians on Swiss relations with the Nazis. The report found that the authorities had known what lay in store for the Jewish refugees to whom they closed their borders in 1942, and had assisted the economy of Nazi Germany, although not to a degree that prolonged the war.

Swiss scenery includes fertile meadows, spectacular Alpine peaks as well as mountain lakes

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