Around the World in the Hetzel Kitchen

Photo courtesy of --Tico-- on Flick History : After much expanding and collapsing, underwent the "velvet divorce" in 1993, splitting into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Location : Central Europe Area : Almost 80,000 sq km; 116th largest in the world.  Slightly smaller than South Carolina Borders :  Austria , Germany, Poland, Slovakia Geography : Landlocked Nationality : Czech Population : Over 10 million; 84th largest in the world Capital : Prague Source:  CIA Factbook And you thought CY would end the C countries. The Czech Republic is exciting in that the country as it exists today was formed in my lifetime.  Also, because I have heard some interesting stories from Prague.  For the sake of those involved, I won't go into them here.  Just learn from their lesson: don't go onstage in a foreign country. I found a recipe that I was pretty excited about, because it was "the dish" to make almost everywhere I read about Czech food. ...

History : Gained independence from Britain in 1960.  Continued division between the Greek Cypriot areas and the Turkish Cypriot areas. Capital : Nicosia Location : Island in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Turkey Area : Little over 9250 sq km; 171st largest in the world (Note: these rankings go up to 251 because they include autonomous regions like Bermuda)          About 60% the size of Connecticut Highest point : Mount Olympus Geography : Third-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea Nationality : Cypriot Ethnic Groups : 77% Greek, 18% Turkish, 5% Other Population : Over 1.1 million; 160th largest in the world Government : Greek Cypriots control the only internationally recognized government; There is a Turkish Cypriot president and a "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" that is only recognized by Turkey Source:  CIA Factbook As another note, Cyprus is considered to be in Asia, not Europe.  I had always assumed it the other way, pr...