Countries - They're Coming
The following countries have indicated that they will be interested in participating in the 2008 PSG.
Brunei
| Capital: | Bandar Seri Begawan |
| Population: | 374,577 |
| Geographic Location: | South-eastern Asia |
| Interesting Facts: |
The country of Brunei is separated into two unconnected parts with a massive 97% of the population on the western part. Brunei hosts one of the richest marathons in Asia, offering over $500,000 in prize money!
First Year of Competition: 2008
Canada
Capital: |
Ottawa |
Population: |
33,212,696 |
Geographic Location: |
Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the north, north of the conterminous US |
Interesting Facts: |
Canada is the US's largest foreign supplier of energy, including oil, gas, uranium, and electric power |
First Year of Competition: 1988
China
| Capital: | Beijing |
| Population: | 1,321,851,888 |
| Geographic Location: | Eastern Asia |
| Interesting Facts: |
China has finished first in the medal counts in each of the Asian Games since 1982.
Some of the scientific accomplishments in China include paper, matches, wheelbarrows and parachutes.
First Year of Competition: 1988
Cook Islands
| Capital: | Avarua |
| Population: | 21,750 |
| Geographic Location: | Oceania, South Pacific Ocean |
| Interesting Facts: |
There are 15 main islands that make up the Cook Islands; they are spread over a total of 2.2 million square kilometres of ocean. There was a Survivor series shot on the Cook Islands in 2006 called Survivor: Cook Islands.
First Year of Competition: 1988
Ecuador
| Capital: | Quito |
| Population: | 13,755,680 |
| Geographic Location: | Western South America |
| Interesting Facts: |
Ecuador has approximately 1600 different bird species; this is around 15% of the worlds known bird species. The Galápagos Islands in Ecuador are well known as the birth place of Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution.
First Year of Competition: 2008
Fiji
| Capital: | Suva |
| Population: | 918,675 |
| Geographic Location: | Oceania, South Pacific Ocean |
| Interesting Facts: |
Vijay Singh, one of the best golfers in the world, was born in Lautoka, the second largest city of Fiji. Suva was the host of the 2003 South Pacific Games, this was the third time Fiji had hosted the event.
First Year of Competition: 1982
French Polynesia
| Capital: | Papeete |
| Population: | 278,963 |
| Geographic Location: | Oceania, South Pacific Ocean |
| Interesting Facts: |
The Motto of French Polynesia is "Tahiti Nui Mare'are'a" which means "Liberty, equality, fraternity (brotherhood)". Between the years of 1946 and 2003 French Polynesia was recognised as an overseas territory, in 2003 it became an overseas collectivity.
First Year of Competition: 1988Guam
| Capital: | Hagatna (Agana) |
| Population: | 173,456 |
| Geographic Location: | Oceania, North Pacific Ocean |
| Interesting Facts: |
Guam is often referred to as the “America in Asia” due to their amount of large hotels and other exciting attractions. In 1521 Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, sailing for the King of Spain, reached the island during his circumnavigation of the globe.
First year of competition: 1992
Hawaii
| Capital: | Honolulu |
| Population: | 1,275,194 |
| Geographic Location: | It's located in the North Pacific Ocean just a few degrees south of the Tropic of Cancer, approximately 2,550 miles southwest of Los Angeles and about 3,900 miles southeast of Tokyo. |
| Interesting Facts: |
Hawaii includes some of the Earth's largest mountains, rising from oceanic depths of greater than 18,000 feet to a height above sea level of nearly 14,000 feet.
First year of competition: 2008
Hong Kong
| Population: | 6,980,412 |
| Geographic Location: | Eastern Asia |
| Interesting Facts: |
Four of the top 15 tallest skyscrapers in the world are located in Hong Kong.
The name Hong Kong translates to mean “fragrant harbour”, this is derived from the fragrant wood products and fragrant incense that were once traded from Aberdeen.
First Year of Competition: 1988
India
Capital: |
New Delhi |
Population: |
|
Geographic Location: |
Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan |
Interesting Facts: |
India is currently the fourth largest producer of coal in the world |
First Year of Competition: 2008
Japan
Capital: |
Tokyo |
Population: |
|
Geographic Location: |
Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula |
Interesting Facts: |
Japan maintains one of the world's largest fishing fleets and accounts for nearly 15% of the global catch |
First Year of Competition: 1988
South Korea
Capital: |
Seoul |
Population: |
|
Geographic Location: |
Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea |
Interesting Facts: |
An independent Korean state or collection of states has existed almost continuously for several millennia |
First Year of Competition: 2008
Macau
| Population: | 456,989 |
| Geographic Location: | Eastern Asia |
| Interesting Facts: |
In 2006 Macau received over 21 million visitors, that is more that the population of Australia. On the Macau Sky Tower there is a tethered “sky jump” and bungee jump from the towers outer rim, at 233 metres it is the highest bungee jump in the world.
First Year of Competition: 2000
Malaysia
| Capital: | Kuala Lumpur |
| Population: | 24,821,286 |
| Geographic Location: | South-eastern Asia |
| Interesting Facts: |
The motto of Malaysia is “Bersekutu Bertambah Mutu” which means “Unity is strength”. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital, hosts the tallest twin buildings in the world, the Petronas Twin Towers.
First Year of Competition: 1984
Nauru
| Population: | 13,770 |
| Geographic Location: | Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands |
| Interesting Facts: |
The exact origins of the Nauruans are unclear, since their language does not resemble any other in the Pacific. The island was annexed by Germany in 1888 and its phosphate deposits began to be mined early in the 20th century by a German-British consortium. Nauru was occupied by Australian forces in World War I and subsequently became a League of Nations mandate. After the Second World War - and a brutal occupation by Japan - Nauru became a UN trust territory. It achieved its independence in 1968 and joined the UN in 1999 as the world's smallest independent republic.
First Year of Competition: 1988
New Caledonia
| Capital: | Nouméa |
| Population: | 221,943 |
| Geographic Location: | Oceania, South Pacific Ocean |
| Interesting Facts: |
Nouméa is considered to have the best climate in the South Pacific because it has more sunshine days than any other Pacific Island capital.
New Caledonia is divided into 3 provinces, the South Province, the North Province and the Loyalty Islands Province. This is then further subdivided into 33 communes.
First Year of Competition: 1988
New Zealand
| Capital: | Wellington |
| Population: | 4,115,771 |
| Geographic Location: | Oceania, South Pacific Ocean |
| Interesting Facts: |
Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu, a hill in New Zealand is credited by The Guinness Book of World Records with having the longest place name in the world. New Zealand hosted the inaugural Rugby Union World cup in 1987 and won it, they will be hosting the next one in 2011.
First Year of Competition: 1982
Niue
| Capital: | Alofi |
| Population: | 1,492 |
| Geographic Location: | Oceania, South Pacific Ocean |
| Interesting Facts: |
Niue was first sighted in 1774 by Captain James Cook; he made three attempts to land but was denied by the local inhabitants of the time. The currency used in Niue is the New Zealand dollar.
First Year of Competition: 2000
Pakistan
| Capital: | Islamabad |
| Population: | 164,741,924 |
| Geographic Location: | Southern Asia |
| Interesting Facts: |
The official and national sport of Pakistan is Field Hocky; the national team has won 3 gold medals at the Olympics and won the Hocky World Cup a record 4 times.
The Highest official temperature ever recorded in Pakistan is 52.8 °C.
First Year of Competition: 2008
Palau
| Capital: | Melekeok |
| Population: | 20,842 |
| Geographic Location: | Oceania, North Pacific Ocean |
| Interesting Facts: |
There are four major islands within Palau, the island Koror hosts approximately two thirds of the population.
Palau is recognised as one of the world’s smallest and youngest nations.
First Year of Competition: 2008
Papua New Guinea
| Capital: | Port Moresby |
| Population: | 5,795,887 |
| Geographic Location: | Oceania, between the Coral Sea and the South Pacific Ocean |
| Interesting Facts: |
Papua New Guinea has a total of 582 airports. There are 3 official languages in Papua New Guinea, and 820 indigenous languages, this is a total of 12 percent of the world’s languages.
First Year of Competition: 1982
Philippines
| Capital: | Manila |
| Population: | 91,077,287 |
| Geographic Location: | South-eastern Asia |
| Interesting Facts: |
The Philippines is the world's 12th most populous country. In war time the Philippines flag was flown upside down with the red band at the top, the flags creation dates back to 1897.
First Year of Competition: 1988
Samoa
| Capital: | Apia |
| Population: | 214,265 |
| Geographic Location: | Oceania, South Pacific Ocean |
| Interesting Facts: |
Samoa is located approximately in the central point between New Zealand and Hawai’i. The Traditional dance in Samoa is the Siva; this is very similar to the Hawaiian dance called the Hula, with gentle movement of the hands and body in time to their music.
First Year of Competition: 1988
Singapore
| Capital: | Singapore |
| Population: | 4,553,009 |
| Geographic Location: | South-eastern Asia |
| Interesting Facts: |
The origin of Singapore came from Singapura which was derived from the Malay words singa (lion) and pura (city).
The most popular sports in Singapore include football, swimming, badminton, basketball and table tennis.
First Year of Competition: 1984
Solomon Islands
| Capital: | Honiara |
| Population: | 566,842 |
| Geographic Location: | Oceania, South Pacific Ocean |
| Interesting Facts: |
The official language of the Solomon Islands is English yet only 1 to 2 percent of the population actually speak it. The Solomon Islands main export commodities are timber, fish, copra, palm oil and cocoa.
First Year of Competition: 1982
South Africa
Capital: |
Pretoria |
Population: |
|
Geographic Location: |
Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa. |
Interesting Facts: |
The first multi-racial elections in 1994 brought an end to apartheid and ushered in black majority rule |
First Year of Competition: 1996
Thailand
Capital: |
Bangkok |
Population: |
|
Geographic Location: |
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma |
Interesting Facts: |
Known as Siam until 1939, Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country never to have been taken over by a European power. |
First Year of Competition: 1992
Tonga
| Capital: | Nuku'alofa |
| Population: | 116,921 |
| Geographic Location: | Oceania, South Pacific Ocean |
| Interesting Facts: |
In either 1773 or 1777 Captain Cook visited Tonga and presented the king with a tortoise. This Tortoise lived to be over 185 years old and is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest animal on record. The Late king of Tonga (Tupou IV) had, for a long time, been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the heaviest monarch on record in the world.
First Year of Competition: 1996
Tuvalu
| Capital: | Funafuti |
| Population: | 11,992 |
| Geographic Location: | Oceania, South Pacific Ocean |
| Interesting Facts: |
Tuvalu is made up of four reef islands and five true atolls with a total land area of only 26 square kilometres. Tuvalu is the fourth smallest country in the world
First Year of Competition: 2005
United States of America
Capital: |
Washington |
Population: |
|
Geographic Location: |
North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico |
Interesting Facts: |
world's third-largest country by size (after Russia and Canada) |
First Year of Competition: 2008
Vanuatu
| Capital: | Port-Vila |
| Population: | 211,971 |
| Geographic Location: | Oceania, South Pacific Ocean |
| Interesting Facts: |
"Yumi, Yumi, Yumi” is the national anthem of Vanuatu. In the Triangle on the left of the national flag of Vanuatu is a boar's tusk encircling two crossed Namele leaves.
First Year of Competition: 1988
Vietnam
| Capital: | Hanoi |
| Population: | 85,262,356 |
| Geographic Location: | South-eastern Asia |
| Interesting Facts: |
There are more than 17,000 navigable waterways in Vietnam that are mostly used in the rural areas of the country and are a large asset. The narrowest point of Vietnam is only 40km wide; this point is close to the centre of the country.
First Year of Competition: 2008
AUSTRALIAN STATES AND TERRITORIES
Australia’s Capital Territory (ACT)
| Capital: | Canberra |
| Population: | 332,056 |
| Geographic Location: | South-east in Australia, surrounded by NSW |
| Interesting Facts: |
The ACT is home to the AIS (Australian Institute of Sport). The name “Canberra” was derived from the Ngunnawal word Kanbarra which means “meeting place”.
First Year of Competition: 1982
New South Wales (NSW)
| Capital: | Sydney |
| Population: | 6,817,100 |
| Geographic Location: | Eastern Australia, Boarders Queensland, Victoria and South Australia |
| Interesting Facts: |
NSW is Australia’s most populous state. The highest temperature ever reached in NSW was 50.0°C back in 1939
First Year of Competition: 1982
Northern Territory (NT)
| Capital: | Darwin |
| Population: | 207,700 |
| Geographic Location: | Northern central part of Australia, between Western Australia and Queensland |
| Interesting Facts: |
The Northern Territory is home to Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, the large sandstone rock which is one of Australia’s most recognised icons. Residents of the Northern Territory are often known as, and referred to as 'Territorians'.
First Year of Competition: 1982
Queensland (QLD)
| Capital: | Brisbane |
| Population: | 4,164,590 |
| Geographic Location: | The north-eastern part of Australia |
| Interesting Facts: |
The Q1 is the tallest residential building in the world; it was completed in 2005 and is located on the Gold Coast in Queensland. Queensland was named in honour of Queen Victoria, who signed the proclamation separating Queensland from New South Wales.
First Year of Competition: 1982
South Australia (SA)
| Capital: | Adelaide |
| Population: | 1,558,200 |
| Geographic Location: | Southern Central part of Australia |
| Interesting Facts: |
More than half of Australia’s wine that is produced is produced in South Australia.
59 percent of children in South Australia participate in organised sports, with a massive 16 percent of boys and girls participate in swimming.
First Year of Competition: 1982
Tasmania (TAS)
| Capital: | Hobart |
| Population: | 489,600 |
| Geographic Location: | Island located at the most southern part of Australia |
| Interesting Facts: |
It is believed that Tasmania was attached to mainland Australia until the end of the most recent ice age. Tasmania is the finish of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, which starts in Sydney on Boxing Day and finishes in Hobart two to five days later.
First Year of Competition: 1982
Victoria (VIC)
| Capital: | Melbourne |
| Population: | 5,110,500 |
| Geographic Location: | South-east in Australia, below New South Wales |
| Interesting Facts: |
From the period of 1901 until 1927 Melbourne was the capital of Australia while Canberra was under construction. More than 70 percent of Victorians live in the capital, Melbourne.
First Year of Competition: 1982
Western Australia (WA)
| Capital: | Perth |
| Population: | 2,050,900 |
| Geographic Location: | West Australia, west of the Northern Territory and South Australia |
| Interesting Facts: |
The capital city Perth is closer to Jakarta, Indonesia than it is to Sydney, Australia.
Western Australia takes up just under one third of the total area of Australia.
First Year of Competition: 1982
Note:
All sources from:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook
Last updated on: 17 May 2008
