[1. Australia: dual identity of the continent and the country]
Australia is unique in that it is both the master of the entire continent and the country of the land. Unlike other continents, Australia is the only country that monopolizes the entire continent and at the same time the only one that is called a continent. It ranks sixth in the world by area, with a total area of 7686850 square kilometres (2967909 square miles), slightly smaller than the United States, with its 48 states, but 31.5 times the size of the United Kingdom.
[2. Canada: The Land of Lakes]
Canada is known for its numerous lakes. More than 60% of the world's lakes are located in Canada, thanks to its longitude and latitude drainage system. The number of lakes in Canada is huge (the exact total number cannot be counted). One important reason for this is that Canada has at least 3 million lakes, with as many as 30 lakes per 100 square kilometres (39 square miles) in some areas.
[3. Mongolia: the most sparsely populated country]
Mongolia has the lowest population density in the world, with only about 4.4 people per square mile (1.7 people per square kilometer). Of the more than 600,000 square miles (about 1,560,000 square kilometers), only 2.5 million people live. Most of the population is concentrated in urban areas, and drought and sandstorms have left Mongolia's vast deserts and pastures almost still inhospitable from the time of Genghis Khan.
[4, Libya: Kingdom of the Desert]
Libya has the highest percentage of deserts, with a staggering 99%. This desert covers most of Libya and is one of the driest regions on Earth. In some places, not a drop of rain may go for decades, and even in the highlands, precipitation is extremely rare, occurring only once every 5-10 years on average.
[5, Suriname: The World of the Jungle]
Suriname has extremely high forest cover, with an estimated forest area of 14.8 million hectares (57,000 square miles), accounting for 91% of the total land area (16.3 million hectares, or 63,000 square miles). Suriname's abundant forest resources and low population density (about 400,000 people, mainly in the capital and coastal cities) make for a very low rate of deforestation. Only 5% of the population lives in the rainforest, including indigenous people and the descendants of six tribes of fugitive slaves, who rebuilt the forest community centuries ago and still retains the traditional West African style.
[6. Ukraine: the country with the most serious population loss]
Ukraine is the country with the fastest rate of decline in the natural birth rate, with a natural rate of 0.8% per year. Ukraine is expected to lose 28% of its population by 2050, down from 46.8 million today to 33.4 million.
[7. The Netherlands: a country below sea level]
More than half of the Netherlands lies below sea level, and Rotterdam will be flooded in a short period of time if a huge storm breaks through the dunes. Today, about 27% of the Netherlands actually lies below sea level, and more than 60% of the country's 15.8 million people live in this area. The Netherlands is the size of the U.S. states of Connecticut and Massachusetts combined, with an average elevation of about 11 meters (36 feet). The Netherlands is connected to the Danish Lyme Strait and claims the lowest point in Western Europe, Prince Alexander's Ridge, which is 23 feet (7 m) above sea level.
[8. Tuvalu: a country rarely visited by tourists]
Tuvalu is one of the smallest countries in the world, coming in fourth. Located between Australia and Hawaii, it is expected to be the first country to disappear beneath the waves as global warming causes sea levels to rise. Due to its remote location, it is difficult to get to Tuvalu, and tourists rely on expensive and scarce flights from Fiji. In total, Tuvalu receives about 1,100 visitors each year.
[9. Indonesia: The Land of a Thousand Islands]
Indonesia consists of more than 17,500 islands with a total coastline of 81,350 kilometers (50,549 miles), of which about 6,000 islands are inhabited. The largest islands include Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi, Bali, Lombok, and Flores. Indonesia's coral reefs account for 10-15% of the world's coral reefs.
[10. India: a country of geographical diversity]
The uniqueness of Indian culture stems from its diverse geography, abundant natural resources, large population, and unique attitudes of the people. Few countries have comparable climatic conditions to India, which are among the most extreme in the world.