the last bend

Netherlands vs Brazil – 2nd July, 10pm
Uruguay vs Ghana – 3rd July, 2.30am
Argentina vs Germany – 3rd July, 10pm
Paraguay vs Spain – 4th July, 2.30am

I would like to see Brazil, Ghana, Germany and Spain in the semi-finals. One each from Latin America and Africa and two from Europe - one west and one ‘east’. Asia has still to find it’s way in, though.

Let’s have a look at each quarter-finalist countries - their facts and figures, as it is:

Netherlands
a. Area: 41,526 km square (135th)
b. Population: 16,620,900 (61st)
c. Density: 400.3/km square (28th)
d. GDP (Nominal): $794,777 billion
e. Per capita: $48,233
f. Government: Parliamentary/Constitutional Monarchy
g. Language: Dutch
h. Currency: Euro
i. Ethnic groups: Dutch (80%), Others (20%)
j. Capital: Amsterdam
k. Anthem: Het Withelmus/The William
l. Motto: Ik zal handhaven/I will endure
m. Human Development Index: 0.964 (6th)

Brazil
a. Area: 8,514,877 (5th)
b. Population: 192,272,890 (5th)
c. Density: 22/km square (182nd)
d. GDP (Nominal): $1.574 trillion
e. Per capita: $8,220
f. Government: Presidential Federal Republic
g. Language: Portugese
h. Currency: Real
i. Ethnic groups: (n.a)
j. Capital: Brasilia
k. Anthem: Hino Nacional Brasileira
l. Motto: Ordem e Progresso/Order and Progress
m. Human Development Index: 0.813 (75th)

Ghana
a. Area: 238,535 km square (81st)
b. Population: 23,837,000 (48rd)
c. Density: 99.9/km square (103rd)
d. GDP (Nominal): $18 billion
e. Per capita: $755
f. Government: Constitutional Democracy
g. Language: English, Akan
h. Currency: Ghanaian Cedi
i. Ethnic groups: (n.a)
j. Capital: Accra
k. Anthem: God Bless our Homeland Ghana
l. Motto: Freedom and Justice
m. Human Development Index: 0.553 (136th)

Uruguay
a. Area: 176,215 km square (90th)
b. Population: 3,494,382 (131st)
c. Density: 19.8/km square (195th)
d. GDP (Nominal): $31,528 billion
e. Per capita: $9,425
f. Government: Presidential Republic
g. Language: Spanish
h. Currency: Uruguayan Peso
i. Ethnic groups: White (88%), Mestizo (8%), Black (4%)
j. Capital: Montivideo
k. Anthem: Himno Nacional Uruguayo
l. Motto: Libertad o muerte/Freedom or Death
m. Human Development Index: 0.865 (50th)

Germany
a. Area: 357,021 km square (63rd)
b. Population: 81,757,600 (14th)
c. Density: 229/km square (55th)
d. GDP (Nominal): $3.352 trillion
e. Per capita: $40,874
f. Government: Federal Parliamentary Republic
g. Language: German
h. Currency: Euro
i. Ethnic groups: German (91.5%), Turkish (2.4%), Others (6.1%)
j. Capital: Berlin
k. Anthem: Das Lied der Deutschen/The Song of Germany
l. Motto: (n.a)
m. Human Development Index: 0.947 (22nd)

Argentina
a. Area: 2,766,890 km square (8th)
b. Population: 40,134,425 (31st)
c. Density: 15/km square ((168th)
d. GDP (Nominal): $310,065 billion
e. Per capita: $7,725
f. Government: Federal Presidential Republic
g. Language: Spanish
h. Currency: Peso
i. Ethnic groups: European (86.4%), Arab and East Asian (4%), Amerindian (1.6%)
j. Capital: Buenos Aires
k. Anthem: Himno Nacional Argentino
l. Motto: En union y libertad/In Unity and Freedom
m. Human Development Index: 0.866 (49th)

Spain
a. Area: 504,030 km square (51st)
b. Population: 45,989,016 (27th)
c. Density: 91/km square (106th)
d. GDP (Nominal): $1.464 trillion
e. Per capita: $31,964
f. Government: Parliamentary Democracy/Constitutional Monarchy
g. Language: Spanish, Aranese, Basque
h. Currency: Euro
i. Ethnic groups: Spanish (87.8%), Romanian, Moroccan, Ecuadorian and British (12.2%)
j. Capital: Madrid
k. Anthem: Marcha Real/Royal March
l. Motto: Plus Ultra/Further Beyond
m. Human Development Index: 0.955 (15th)

Paraguay
a. Area: 406,752 km square (59th)
b. Population: 6,349,000 (101st)
c. Density: 15.6/km square (203rd)
d. GDP (Nominal): $28,452 billion
e. Per capita: $4,700
f. Government: Constitutional Presidential Republic
g. Language: Spanish, Guarani
h. Currency: Guarani
i. Ethnic groups: Mestizo (95%), Others (5%)
j. Capital: Asuncion
k. Anthem: Paraguayos, Republica o Muerte/Paraguay, Republic of Death
l. Motto: Paz u Justicia/Peace and Justice
m. Human Development Index: 0.761 (n.a)

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Malaysia
a. Area: 329,845 km square (66th)
b. Population: 28,310,000 (43rd)
c. Density: 85.8/km square (114th)
d. GDP (Nominal): $191,463 billion
e. Per capita: $6,896
f. Government: Federal Constitutional Elective Monarchy/Parliamentary Democracy
g. Language: Malay
h. Currency: Ringgit
i. Ethnic groups: Malay (54%), Chinese (25%), Indians (7.5%), Other Bumiputera (11.8%), Others (1.7%)
j. Capital: Kuala Lumpur
k. Anthem: Negaraku/My Country
l. Motto: Bersekutu Bertambah Mutu/Unity is Strength
m. Human Development Index: 0.829 (66th).

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Source: Wikipedia, respective countries.
Note: Malaysia is not a party to WC 2010 quarter finalists (@#!!%$&%$#@!!!), but included still to make the comparison between countries more real and closer to the heart and imagination.