second-rate companies

  • 111Venezuela — Venezuelan, adj., n. /ven euh zway leuh, zwee /; Sp. /be ne swe lah/, n. a republic in N South America. 22,396,407; 352,143 sq. mi. (912,050 sq. km). Cap.: Caracas. * * * Venezuela Introduction Venezuela Background: Venezuela was one of the three …

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  • 112Industrial Review — ▪ 1994 Introduction       The period since 1990 was proving a difficult time for the older industrialized economies, which had suffered from prolonged recession at home, and also for the previously centrally planned economies of Eastern Europe… …

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  • 113Social Protection — ▪ 2006 Introduction With medical costs skyrocketing and government programs scaled back, citizens bore more responsibility for their health care costs; irregular migration, human trafficking, and migrant smuggling posed challenges for… …

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  • 114Argentina — /ahr jeuhn tee neuh/; Sp. /ahrdd hen tee nah/, n. a republic in S South America. 35,797,536; 1,084,120 sq. mi. (2,807,870 sq. km). Cap.: Buenos Aires. Also called the Argentine. Official name, Argentine Republic. * * * Argentina Introduction… …

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  • 115Austria — Austrian, adj., n. /aw stree euh/, n. a republic in central Europe. 8,054,078; 32,381 sq. mi. (83,865 sq. km). Cap.: Vienna. German, Österreich. * * * Austria Introduction Austria Background: Once the center of power for the large Austro… …

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  • 116brazil — /breuh zil /, n. brazilwood. [1350 1400; ME brasile < ML < It < Sp brasil, deriv. of brasa live coal (the wood being red in color) < Gmc; see BRAISE] * * * Brazil Introduction Brazil Background: Following three centuries under the rule of&#8230; …

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  • 117Brazil — Brazilian /breuh zil yeuhn/, adj., n. /breuh zil /, n. a republic in South America. 164,511,366; 3,286,170 sq. mi. (8,511,180 sq. km). Cap.: Brasília. Portuguese and Spanish, Brasil. Official name, Federative Republic of Brazil. * * * Brazil&#8230; …

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  • 118environment — environmental, adj. environmentally, adv. /en vuy reuhn meuhnt, vuy euhrn /, n. 1. the aggregate of surrounding things, conditions, or influences; surroundings; milieu. 2. Ecol. the air, water, minerals, organisms, and all other external factors&#8230; …

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  • 119Indonesia — /in deuh nee zheuh, sheuh, zee euh, doh /, n. 1. See East Indies (def. 1). 2. Republic of. Formerly, Netherlands East Indies, Dutch East Indies. a republic in the Malay Archipelago consisting of 13,677 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi,&#8230; …

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  • 120Switzerland — /swit seuhr leuhnd/, n. a republic in central Europe. 7,248,984; 15,944 sq. mi. (41,294 sq. km). Cap.: Bern. French, Suisse. German, Schweiz. Italian, Svizzera. Latin, Helvetia. * * * Switzerland Introduction Switzerland Background: Switzerland s …

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