governors and national senators in January 2007.

Congo, Republic of the
Upon independence in 1960, the former French
region of Middle Congo became the Republic of the Congo. A quarter
century of experimentation with Marxism was abandoned in 1990 and a
democratically elected government took office in 1992. A brief civil
war in 1997 restored former Marxist President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO,
and ushered in a period of ethnic and political unrest.
Southern-based rebel groups agreed to a final peace accord in March
2003, but the calm is tenuous and refugees continue to present a
humanitarian crisis. The Republic of Congo was once one of Africa's
largest petroleum producers, but with declining production it will
need new offshore oil finds to sustain its oil earnings over the
long term.

Cook Islands
Named after Captain COOK, who sighted them in 1770, the
islands became a British protectorate in 1888. By 1900,
administrative control was transferred to New Zealand; in 1965,
residents chose self-government in free association with New
Zealand. The emigration of skilled workers to New Zealand and
government deficits are continuing problems.

Coral Sea Islands
Scattered over more than three-quarters of a
million square kilometers of ocean, the Coral Sea Islands were
declared a territory of Australia in 1969. They are uninhabited
except for a small meteorological staff on the Willis Islets.
Automated weather stations, beacons, and a lighthouse occupy many
other islands and reefs.

Costa Rica
Although explored by the Spanish early in the 16th
century, initial attempts at colonizing Costa Rica proved
unsuccessful due to a combination of factors, including: disease
from mosquito-infested swamps, brutal heat, resistance by natives,
and pirate raids. It was not until 1563 that a permanent settlement
of Cartago was established in the cooler, fertile central highlands.
The area remained a colony for some two and a half centuries. In
1821, Costa Rica became one of several Central American provinces
that jointly declared their independence from Spain. Two years later
it joined the United Provinces of Central America, but this
federation disintegrated in 1838, at which time Costa Rica
proclaimed its sovereignty and independence. Since the late 19th
century, only two brief periods of violence have marred the
country's democratic development. Although it still