2004 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
Team results -- Men 's
Table:
Rank
Country
Team
Time

Kenya
Paul Kirui
John Cheruiyot Korir
Wilson Kiprotich Kebenei
3:07:55

Ethiopia
Solomon Tsige
Alene Emere
Berhanu Addane
3:08:37

Uganda
Wilson Busienei
Martin Toroitich
Joseph Nsubuga
3:13:48

4
Eritrea
Yonas Kifle
Samson Kiflemariam
Tesfayohannes Mesfen
3:15:04

5
Japan
Yukinobu Nakazaki
Yoshinori Oda
Terumasa Okamura
3:15:10

6
Qatar
Ahmed Hassan Abdullah
Jumah Al-Noor
Foaad Abubaker
3:17:31

7
Tanzania
Fabiano Joseph
Stephen Rogart
Dhako Naftali
3:17:53

8
France
Moulay Ali Ouadih
Larbi Zéroual
Mohamed Serbouti
3:19:24

9
Russia
Yevgeniy Rybakov
Leonid Shvetsov
Aleksandr Vasilyev
3:20:05

10
United States
Justin Young
Josh Cox
Teddy Mitchell
3:22:50

11
Botswana
Gabalebe Moloko
Kabo Gabaseme
Kaelo Mosalagae
3:25:14

12
India
Ram Bahadur Subha
Muresh Kumar Yadav
Ajith Singh
3:34:31

13
Nepal
Uttam Khatri
Arjun Prasad Dhakal
Nara Bahadur Khatri
3:51:17

—
Morocco
Aziz Driouche
Rachid El-Ghanmouni
Abdelhadi Habassa
DNF

—
Spain
Fernando Rey
Víctor Morente
Javier Cortés
DNF

With reference to the provided table together with the supplementary paragraphs below.

Respond to the question below: What mountains are in the south of the country that fininshed 9th at the 2004 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships ? Output only the correct answer as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Use only the information given.

Kenya ( /ˈkɛnjə/ ( listen ) ) , officially the Republic of Kenya ( Swahili : Jamhuri ya Kenya ) , is a country in Africa with 47 semiautonomous counties governed by elected governors . At 580,367 square kilometres ( 224,081 sq mi ) , Kenya is the world 's 48th largest country by total area . With a population of more than 47.6 million people , Kenya is the 29th most populous country . Kenya 's capital and largest city is Nairobi , while its oldest city and first capital is the coastal city of Mombasa . Kisumu City is the third largest city and also an inland port on Lake Victoria . Other important urban centres include Nakuru and Eldoret . Kenya is bordered by South Sudan to the northwest , Ethiopia to the north , Somalia to the east , Uganda to the west , Tanzania to the south , and the Indian Ocean to the southeast . According to archaeological dating of associated artifacts and skeletal material , the Cushites first settled in the lowlands of Kenya between 3,200 and 1,300 BC , a phase referred to as the Lowland Savanna Pastoral Neolithic . Nilotic-speaking pastoralists ( ancestral to Kenya 's Nilotic speakers ) started migrating from present-day southern Sudan into Kenya around 500 BC . European colonisation of Kenya began in the 19th century during the European exploration of the interior . Modern-day Kenya emerged from a protectorate established by the British Empire in 1895 and the subsequent Kenya Colony , which began in 1920 . Numerous disputes between the UK and the colony led to the Mau Mau revolution , which began in 1952 , and the subsequent declaration of independence in 1963 .
Paul Kiprop Kirui ( born February 5 , 1980 ) is a Kenyan distance and marathon runner . He participated at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in 2004 and finished first place . He had participated the World Half Marathon Championships twice before ; in 2002 he finished 10th , but the next year he did not finish . His marathon personal best is 2:06:44 , set in 2006 Rotterdam Marathon , when he finished 2nd behind compatriot Sammy Korir . Kirui reached the podium at the 2010 Seoul International Marathon , taking third in 2:07:35 - his quickest time in three years .
John Cheruiyot Korir ( born 13 December 1981 ) is a Kenyan athlete who specializes in long-distance running . He is known to be an athlete who often shines at trials but fails to win big competitions .
Wilson Kiprotich Kebenei ( born 20 July 1980 ) is a Kenyan long-distance runner . He is a Nandi by ethnicity . He finished eighth at the 2004 World Half Marathon Championships . At the 2006 World Road Running Championships he finished third in the individual competition . This was good enough to help Kenya win a gold medal in the team competition . Among his victories on the circuit are the Stramilano Half Marathon and Giro di Castelbuono in 2005 , and victories at the World 's Best 10K in Puerto Rico and Philadelphia Half Marathon in 2006 . He was also fourth at the Beijing Marathon that year .
Ethiopia ( /ˌiːθiˈoʊpiə/ ; Amharic : ኢትዮጵያ , ʾĪtyōṗṗyā , listen ( help·info ) , Tigrinya : ኢትዮጵያ , Oromo : Itiyoophiyaa , Somali : Itoobiya , Afar : Itiyoophiyaa ) , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia , is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa . It shares borders with Eritrea to the north , Djibouti to the northeast , Somalia , and the de facto state of Somaliland to the east , Kenya to the south , South Sudan to the west and Sudan to the northwest . With over 109 million inhabitants , Ethiopia is the most populous landlocked country in the world and the second-most populous nation on the African continent with a total area of 1,100,000 square kilometres ( 420,000 sq mi ) . Its capital and largest city is Addis Ababa , which lies a few miles west of the East African Rift that splits the country into the Nubian and Somali tectonic plates . Some of the oldest skeletal evidence for anatomically modern humans has been found in Ethiopia . It is widely considered as the region from which modern humans first set out for the Middle East and places beyond . According to linguists , the first Afroasiatic-speaking populations settled in the Horn region during the ensuing Neolithic era . Tracing its roots to the 2nd millennium BCE , Ethiopia 's governmental system was a monarchy for most of its history . Oral literature tells that the monarchy was founded by the Solomonic dynasty of the Queen of Sheba , under its first king , Menelik I . In the first centuries , the Kingdom of Aksum maintained a unified civilization in the region , followed by the Ethiopian Empire circa 1137 . During the late 19th-century Scramble for Africa , Ethiopia and Liberia were two nations that preserved their sovereignty from long-term colonisation by a European colonial power and many newly-independent nations on the continent subsequently adopted its flag colours . However , the country was later occupied by Italy in 1936 and became Italian Ethiopia ( part of Italian East Africa ) until it was liberated during World War II .
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda ( Swahili : Jamhuri ya Uganda ; Luganda : Eggwanga Yuganda ) is a landlocked country in East-Central Africa . It is bordered to the east by Kenya , to the north by South Sudan , to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo , to the south-west by Rwanda , and to the south by Tanzania . The southern part of the country includes a substantial portion of Lake Victoria , shared with Kenya and Tanzania . Uganda is in the African Great Lakes region . Uganda also lies within the Nile basin , and has a varied but generally a modified equatorial climate . Uganda takes its name from the Buganda kingdom , which encompasses a large portion of the south of the country , including the capital Kampala . The people of Uganda were hunter-gatherers until 1,700 to 2,300 years ago , when Bantu-speaking populations migrated to the southern parts of the country . Beginning in 1894 , the area was ruled as a protectorate by the UK , who established administrative law across the territory . Uganda gained independence from the UK on 9 October 1962 . The period since then has been marked by violent conflicts , including an 8-year-long far right military dictatorship led by Idi Amin . Additionally , a lengthy civil war against the Lord 's Resistance Army in the Northern Region led by Joseph Kony , has caused hundreds of thousands of casualties . The official languages are English and Swahili , although any other language may be used as a medium of instruction in schools or other educational institutions or for legislative , administrative or judicial purposes as may be prescribed by law .
Wilson Kipkemei Busienei ( born 18 August 1981 in Nakasongola ) is an Ugandan long-distance runner . He is best known for winning three gold medals at the 2005 Summer Universiade . He has represented his country at the World Championship level in cross country running and road running and on the track . He took part in the 2004 Summer Olympics , finishing eleventh in the 10,000 metres . Busienei has also competed at the Commonwealth Games , having taken fifth in the 10,000 m in 2006 . He ran at the 2010 Giro al Sas 10,000 m race in Italy in October and crossed the line after Edwin Soi to finish as runner-up .
Martin Kitiyo Toroitich ( born 10 August 1983 in Kurongur ) is a Ugandan long-distance runner who specializes in the half marathon . His younger brother Boniface Kiprop Toroitich is a successful Ugandan runner .
Eritrea ( /ˌɛrɪˈtreɪə , ˌɛrɪˈtriːə/ ( listen ) officially the State of Eritrea ) , is a country in the Horn of Africa in East Africa , with its capital at Asmara . It is bordered by Sudan in the west , Ethiopia in the south , and Djibouti in the southeast . The northeastern and eastern parts of Eritrea have an extensive coastline along the Red Sea . The nation has a total area of approximately 117,600 km2 ( 45,406 sq mi ) , and includes the Dahlak Archipelago and several of the Hanish Islands . Eritrea is a multi-ethnic country , with nine recognized ethnic groups in its population of around 3 million . Eritrea has nine national languages which are Tigrinya language , Tigre , Afar , Beja , Bilen , Kunama , Nara , Saho . Tigrinya , Arabic , and English serve as the three working languages . Most residents speak languages from the Afroasiatic family , either of the Ethiopian Semitic languages or Cushitic branches . Among these communities , the Tigrinyas make up about 55% of the population , with the Tigre people constituting around 30% of inhabitants . In addition , there are a number of Nilo-Saharan-speaking Nilotic ethnic minorities . Most people in the territory adhere to Islam or Christianity . The Kingdom of Aksum , covering much of modern-day Eritrea and northern Ethiopia , was established during the first or second centuries AD .
Yonas Andebrhan Kifle ( born 5 November 1977 ) is an Eritrean runner who specializes in the 10,000 metres , the marathon and cross-country running . He has represented Eritrea at the Olympics on four occasions ; in 2000 , 2004 , 2008 and 2012 . He has also competed at World Championship-level in cross country , road running , and on the track indoors and outdoors . He was the bronze medallist in the half marathon at the 2007 All-Africa Games and the 2005 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships . His personal bests include 59:30 minutes for the half marathon and 2:07:34 hours for the marathon ( an Eritrean record ) .
Samson Kiflemariam Gashazghi ( born 23 January 1984 ) is an Eritrean long-distance runner who specializes in the 5000 metres , cross-country running , but as mountain runner he won 2010 World Mountain Running Championships .
Tesfayohannes Mesfin ( born November 24 , 1974 ) is an Eritrean runner who specializes in the half marathon and cross-country running . He has several top-25 placements in global competitions . At the 2004 World Cross Country Championships he finished 22nd in the long race and also won a bronze medal with the Eritrean team . He followed up with a 20th place at the 2005 World Cross Country Championships and a ninth place at the 2006 World Cross Country Championships . He finished 21st at the 2004 World Half Marathon Championships , 12th at the 2005 World Half Marathon Championships ( team silver medal ) and 21st at the 2006 World Road Running Championships ( team silver medal ) . In track competitions he has a sixth place from the 10,000 metres at the 2006 African Championships . He also placed more lowly at the 2002 World Cross Country Championships , the 2003 World Cross Country Championships , the 2003 World Half Marathon Championships , the 2009 World Championships and the 2010 World Cross Country Championships . He competed but did not finish the 2008 Olympic maraton . His personal best times are 13:27.06 minutes in the 5000 metres ( Seville , 2006 ) ; 28:19.88 minutes in the 10,000 metres ( Bambous , 2006 ) ; 1:03:08 hours in the half marathon ( Edmonton , 2005 ) and 2:12:17 hours in the marathon ( Hamburg Marathon , 2008 ) . He was born in Eritrea ኤርትራ , Seraye ሰራየ , Tekhela፣ ተኸላ in the village Dibezana ፣ ድበዛና and now lives in Bodø , Norway .
Japan ( Japanese : 日本 , Nippon [ ɲippoꜜɴ ] ( listen ) or Nihon [ ɲihoꜜɴ ] ( listen ) ) is an island country located in East Asia . It is bordered by the Sea of Japan to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east , and spans more than 3,000 kilometers ( 1,900 mi ) along the coast of the continent from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Philippine Sea in the south . Part of the Pacific Ring of Fire , Japan encompasses a stratovolcanic archipelago of about 6,852 islands , with five main islands ( Hokkaido , Honshu , Kyushu , Shikoku , and Okinawa ) comprising 97% of the country 's total area of 377,975 square kilometers ( 145,937 sq mi ) . Japan is officially divided into 47 prefectures and traditionally into eight regions . Approximately two-thirds of the country 's terrain is mountainous and heavily forested , and less than one-eighth of land is suitable for agriculture . Consequently , Japan is among the most densely populated and urbanized countries in the world , with over 90% of its population living in urban areas . The largest of these is the metropolitan area centered on the capital city of Tokyo , which is the most populous in the world and home to more than 38 million people . Japan itself is the world 's eleventh most populous country with a population of 126.2 million , of which 97.8% are ethnically Japanese . The kanji ( or Chinese characters ) that make up the name of Japan in the Japanese language mean sun origin ; in the Western world , the country is often known by the sobriquet Land of the Rising Sun . Periods of influence from other regions , primarily China , followed by periods of isolation , particularly from Western Europe , have characterized the history of Japan . While archaeological evidence indicates that Japan was inhabited as early as the Upper Paleolithic period , the first written mention of the archipelago appears in Chinese texts from the first century AD . Between the fourth and ninth centuries , the kingdoms of Japan became gradually unified under an Emperor and imperial court based in Heian-kyō ( modern Kyoto ) .
Qatar ( /ˈkætɑːr/ , /ˈkɑːtɑːr/ ( listen ) , /ˈkɑːtər/ or /kəˈtɑːr/ ( listen ) ; Arabic : قطر Qaṭar [ ˈqɑtˤɑr ] ; local vernacular pronunciation : [ ˈɡɪtˤɑr ] ) , officially the State of Qatar ( Arabic : دولة قطر Dawlat Qaṭar ) , is a country located in Western Asia , occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula . Whether the sovereign state should be regarded as a constitutional monarchy or an absolute monarchy is disputed . Its sole land border is with neighbouring Gulf Cooperation Council ( GCC ) monarchy Saudi Arabia to the south , with the rest of its territory surrounded by the Persian Gulf . The Gulf of Bahrain , an inlet of the Persian Gulf , separates Qatar from nearby Bahrain . In early 2017 , Qatar 's total population was 2.6 million : 313,000 Qatari citizens and 2.3 million expatriates . Islam is the official religion of Qatar . The country has the highest per capita income in the world . Qatar is classified by the UN as a country of very high human development and is widely regarded as the most advanced Arab state for human development . Qatar is a high-income economy , backed by the world 's third-largest natural gas reserves and oil reserves . Qatar has been ruled by the House of Thani since Mohammed bin Thani signed a treaty with the British in 1868 that recognised its separate status . Following Ottoman rule , Qatar became a British protectorate in the early 20th century until gaining independence in 1971 . In 2003 , the constitution was overwhelmingly approved in a referendum , with almost 98% in favour .
Ahmad Hassan Abdullah ( Arabic : عبد الله أحمد حسن , born Albert Chepkurui on July 29 , 1981 in Kaptarakwa , Kenya ) is a long-distance and cross country runner , now representing Qatar after his switch from Kenya in 2003 . Other runners who have made the same switch include Saif Saeed Shaheen . Abdullah has won bronze medals at the 2005 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and the 2004 and 2008 editions of the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships . He represented Qatar over 10,000 metres at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and three times at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics . He is a two-time Asian champion in the 10,000 m ( 2003 and 2007 ) and holds the Asian record with his personal best time of 26:38.76 minutes .
Tanzania ( /ˌtænzəˈniːə/ , [ note 2 ] Swahili : [ tanzaˈni.a ] ) , officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( Swahili : Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania ) , is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region . It borders Uganda to the north ; Kenya to the northeast ; Comoro Islands and the Indian Ocean to the east ; Mozambique and Malawi to the south ; Zambia to the southwest ; and Rwanda , Burundi , and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west . Mount Kilimanjaro , Africa 's highest mountain , is in northeastern Tanzania . Many important hominid fossils have been found in Tanzania , such as 6-million-year-old Pliocene hominid fossils . The genus Australopithecus ranged all over Africa 4 to 2 million years ago ; and the oldest remains of the genus Homo are found near Lake Olduvai . Following the rise of Homo erectus 1.8 million years ago , humanity spread all over the Old World , and later in the New World and Australia under the species Homo sapiens . Homo sapiens also overtook Africa and absorbed the older archaic species and subspecies of humanity . One of the oldest known ethnic groups still existing , the Hadzabe , appears to have originated in Tanzania , and their oral history recalls ancestors who were tall and were the first to use fire , medicine , and lived in caves , much like Homo erectus or Homo heidelbergensis who lived in the same region before them . Later in the Stone and Bronze Age , prehistoric migrations into Tanzania included Southern Cushitic speakers who moved south from present-day Ethiopia ; Eastern Cushitic people who moved into Tanzania from north of Lake Turkana about 2,000 and 4,000 years ago ; and the Southern Nilotes , including the Datoog , who originated from the present-day South Sudan-Ethiopia border region between 2,900 and 2,400 years ago . : page 18 These movements took place at about the same time as the settlement of the Mashariki Bantu from West Africa in the Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika areas . They subsequently migrated across the rest of Tanzania between 2,300 and 1,700 years ago . German rule began in mainland Tanzania during the late 19th century when Germany formed German East Africa .
Fabiano Joseph Naasi ( born December 24 , 1985 , in Babati , Manyara ) is a Tanzanian long-distance runner .
France ( French : [ fʁɑ̃s ] ( listen ) ) , officially the French Republic ( French : République française , pronounced [ ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛːz ] ( listen ) ) , is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories . [ XIII ] The metropolitan area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea , and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean . It is bordered by Belgium , Luxembourg and Germany to the northeast , Switzerland and Italy to the east , and Andorra and Spain to the south . The overseas territories include French Guiana in South America and several islands in the Atlantic , Pacific and Indian oceans . The country 's 18 integral regions ( five of which are situated overseas ) span a combined area of 643,801 square kilometres ( 248,573 sq mi ) and a total population of 67.02 million ( as of July 2019 [ update ] ) . France is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris , the country 's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre . Other major urban areas include Lyon , Marseille , Toulouse , Bordeaux , Lille and Nice . France , including its overseas territories , has the most number of time zones of any country , with a total of 12 . During the Iron Age , what is now metropolitan France was inhabited by the Gauls , a Celtic people . Rome annexed the area in 51 BC , holding it until the arrival of Germanic Franks in 476 , who formed the Kingdom of Francia . The Treaty of Verdun of 843 partitioned Francia into East Francia , Middle Francia and West Francia . West Francia , which became the Kingdom of France in 987 , emerged as a major European power in the Late Middle Ages , following its victory in the Hundred Years ' War ( 1337-1453 ) .
Larbi Zéroual ( born 14 January 1971 ) is a Moroccan long-distance runner . He competed in the men 's 10,000 metres at the 1996 Summer Olympics .
Russia ( Russian : Росси́я , tr . Rossiya , IPA : [ rɐˈsʲijə ] ) , or the Russian Federation , [ e ] is a European country located in Eastern Europe with a vast expanse of territory that stretches across Northern Asia . At 17,125,200 square kilometres ( 6,612,100 sq mi ) , it is by far the largest country in the world by area , covering more than one-eighth of the Earth 's inhabited land area , spanning eleven time zones , and bordering 16 sovereign nations . The territory of Russia extends from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east , and from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Black Sea and the Caucasus in the south . With 146.7 million inhabitants living in the country 's 85 federal subjects as of 2020 , Russia is the most populous nation in Europe and the ninth-most populous nation in the world . Russia 's capital and largest city is Moscow ; other major urban areas include Saint Petersburg , Novosibirsk , Yekaterinburg , Nizhny Novgorod , Kazan and Chelyabinsk . The East Slavs emerged as a recognizable group in Europe between the 3rd and 8th centuries AD . Founded and ruled by a Varangian warrior elite and their descendants , the medieval state of Rus arose in the 9th century . In 988 it adopted Orthodox Christianity from the Byzantine Empire , beginning the synthesis of Byzantine and Slavic cultures that defined Russian culture for the next millennium . Rus ultimately disintegrated into a number of smaller states , until it was finally reunified by the Grand Duchy of Moscow in the 15th century . By the 18th century , the nation had greatly expanded through conquest , annexation , and exploration to become the Russian Empire , which was the third largest empire in history , stretching from Poland on the west to Alaska on the east . Following the Russian Revolution , the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic ( Russian SFSR ) became the largest and leading constituent of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ( USSR/Soviet Union ) , the world 's first constitutionally socialist state .
Yevgeny Rybakov ( Russian : Евгений Николаевич Рыбаков ; born 27 February 1985 ) is a Russian long-distance runner who competes in the long-distance track and road events . His twin brother , Anatoly , is also a long-distance runner .
Leonid Shvetsov ( born 28 March 1969 ) is a Russian long-distance runner . He competed in the men 's marathon at the 1996 Summer Olympics and the 2004 Summer Olympics . He also held the record for the fastest time at Walt Disney World Marathon since 1995 at a time of 2:11:50 .
The United States of America ( USA ) , commonly known as the United States ( U.S. or US ) or America , is a country consisting of 50 states , a federal district , five major self-governing territories , and various possessions . [ g ] At 3.8 million square miles ( 9.8 million km2 ) , it is the world 's third or fourth-largest country by total area [ b ] and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe . Most of the country is located in central North America between Canada and Mexico . With an estimated population of over 328 million , the U.S. is the third most populous country in the world . The capital is Washington , D.C. , and the most populous city is New York City . Paleo-Indians migrated from Siberia to the North American mainland at least 12,000 years ago . European colonization began in the 16th century . The United States emerged from the thirteen British colonies established along the East Coast . Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the colonies led to the American Revolutionary War lasting between 1775 and 1783 , leading to independence . The United States embarked on a vigorous expansion across North America throughout the 19th century - gradually acquiring new territories , displacing Native Americans , and admitting new states - until by 1848 it spanned the continent . During the second half of the 19th century , the American Civil War led to the abolition of slavery in the United States . The Spanish-American War and World War I confirmed the country 's status as a global military power .
Josh Cox ( August 9 , 1975 ) is an American former long-distance runner . He is the American record holder in the 50k . Cox , a four-time US Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier and three-time U.S. National Team member , has been the top American marathon finisher at the World Track & Field Championships . Cox was named the USA Track & Field Athlete of the Week in January 2009 for breaking the 50k record by four minutes at Arizonas Rock n Roll Marathon , and again in January 2011 for winning the P.F.Changs Rock n Roll Arizona Marathon , en route to breaking his own 50k American Record by three and a half minutes , running the second fastest time in history , and missing the world record by 7 seconds . In 2009 and 2011 , Coxs 50k time was the fastest in the world . Cox set a course record at the 1997 Mountain Masochist 50-mile trail run in Virginia at the age of 22 ; at 23 , he ran his first marathon ( 2:19 ) , making him the youngest qualifier for the 2000 Olympic Marathon Trials . In his 4th Olympic Marathon Trials in 2012 Cox finished in 14th place with a time of 2:13:50 , a new personal best by one second . His other running accomplishments include a course record at the 2007 Air Force Marathon , winning the 2008 Rocket City Marathon , and a runner up finish at the 2009 California International Marathon , ( 2:13 ) . In April 2010 , the day before the Boston Marathon , Cox won the Boston Athletic Association 5k . A week later he won the Rock n Roll Half Marathon in Nashville , Tennessee . In December 2010 Cox won the Zappos.com Rock n Roll Las Vegas Marathon . Outside of his 140-mile week training regimen , Cox has starred on ABC 's Bachelorette show , and , for the past four years , has offered his perspective for NBC Universal Sports .
Botswana ( /bɒtˈswɑːnə/ ( listen ) , also UK : /bʊt- , bʊˈtʃw-/ ) , officially the Republic of Botswana ( Setswana : Lefatshe la Botswana ) , is a landlocked country in Southern Africa . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland , Botswana adopted its name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966 . Since then , it has been a representative republic , with a consistent record of uninterrupted democratic elections and the lowest perceived corruption ranking in Africa since at least 1998 . It is currently Africa 's oldest continuous democracy. , Botswana is topographically flat , with up to 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahari Desert . It is bordered by South Africa to the south and southeast , Namibia to the west and north , and Zimbabwe to the northeast . Its border with Zambia to the north near Kazungula is poorly defined but is , at most , a few hundred metres long . A mid-sized country of just over 2.3 million people , Botswana is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world . Around 10 percent of the population lives in the capital and largest city , Gaborone . Formerly one of the poorest countries in the world - with a GDP per capita of about US $ 70 per year in the late 1960s - Botswana has since transformed itself into one of the world 's fastest-growing economies . The economy is dominated by mining , cattle , and tourism . Botswana boasts a GDP ( purchasing power parity ) per capita of about $ 18,825 per year as of 2015 [ update ] , which is one of the highest in Africa . Its high gross national income ( by some estimates the fourth-largest in Africa ) gives the country a relatively high standard of living and one of the highest Human Development Index of continental Sub-Saharan Africa .
India ( Hindi : Bhārat ) , officially the Republic of India ( Hindi : Bhārat Gaṇarājya ) , is a country in South Asia . It is the seventh-largest country by area , the second-most populous country , and the most populous democracy in the world . Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south , the Arabian Sea on the southwest , and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast , it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west ; [ e ] China , Nepal , and Bhutan to the north ; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east . In the Indian Ocean , India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives ; its Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia . Modern humans arrived on the Indian subcontinent from Africa no later than 55,000 years ago . Their long occupation , initially in varying forms of isolation as hunter-gatherers , has made the region highly diverse , second only to Africa in human genetic diversity . Settled life emerged on the subcontinent in the western margins of the Indus river basin 9,000 years ago , evolving gradually into the Indus Valley Civilisation of the third millennium BCE . By 1200 BCE , an archaic form of Sanskrit , an Indo-European language , had diffused into India from the northwest , unfolding as the language of the Rigveda , and recording the dawning of Hinduism in India . The Dravidian languages of India were supplanted in the northern regions . By 400 BCE , stratification and exclusion by caste had emerged within Hinduism , and Buddhism and Jainism had arisen , proclaiming social orders unlinked to heredity . Early political consolidations gave rise to the loose-knit Maurya and Gupta Empires based in the Ganges Basin . Their collective era was suffused with wide-ranging creativity , but also marked by the declining status of women , and the incorporation of untouchability into an organised system of belief .
Nepal ( Nepali : नेपाल [ neˈpal ] ) , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal , is a landlocked country in South Asia . It is located mainly in the Himalayas , but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain . With an estimated population of 26.4 million , it is 48th largest country by population and 93rd largest country by area . It borders China in the north and India in the south , east and west while Bangladesh is located within only 27 km ( 17 mi ) of its southeastern tip and Bhutan is separated from it by the Indian state of Sikkim . Nepal has a diverse geography , including fertile plains , subalpine forested hills , and eight of the world 's ten tallest mountains , including Mount Everest , the highest point on Earth . Kathmandu is the capital and the largest city . Nepal is a multiethnic country with Nepali as the official language . The name Nepal is first recorded in texts from the Vedic period of the Indian subcontinent , the era in ancient India when Hinduism was founded , the predominant religion of the country . In the middle of the first millennium BCE , Gautama Buddha , the founder of Buddhism , was born in Lumbini in southern Nepal . Parts of northern Nepal were intertwined with the culture of Tibet . The centrally located Kathmandu Valley is intertwined with the culture of Indo-Aryans , and was the seat of the prosperous Newar confederacy known as Nepal Mandala . The Himalayan branch of the ancient Silk Road was dominated by the valley 's traders .
Morocco ( /məˈrɒkoʊ/ ( listen ) ; Arabic : المغرب , romanized : al-maġhrib , lit . 'place the sun sets ; the west ' ; Standard Moroccan Tamazight : ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ , romanized : lmeɣrib ; French : Maroc ) , officially the Kingdom of Morocco ( Arabic : المملكة المغربية , romanized : al-mamlakah al-maghribiyah , lit . 'The Western Kingdom ' ; Standard Moroccan Tamazight : ⵜⴰⴳⵍⴷⵉⵜ ⵏ ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ , romanized : tageldit n lmaɣrib ; French : Royaume du Maroc ) , is a country located in the Maghreb region of North Africa . It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west , with land border with Algeria to the east and Western Sahara to the south ( status disputed ) . Morocco also claims the exclaves of Ceuta , Melilla and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera , all of them under Spanish jurisdiction , as well as several small Spanish-controlled islands of its coast . The capital is Rabat and the largest city is Casablanca . Morocco spans an area of 710,850 km2 ( 274,460 sq mi ) and has a population of over 36 million . Since the foundation of the first Moroccan state by Idris I in 788 AD , the country has been ruled by a series of independent dynasties , reaching its zenith under Almoravid and Almohad rule , when it spanned parts of Iberia and northwestern Africa . The Marinid and Saadi dynasties resisted foreign domination into the 17th century , allowing Morocco to remain the only northwest African country to avoid Ottoman occupation . The Alaouite dynasty , which rules to this day , seized power in 1631 . The country 's strategic location near the mouth of the Mediterranean attracted the interest of Europe , and in 1912 , Morocco was divided into French and Spanish protectorates , with an international zone in Tangier . It regained its independence in 1956 , and has since remained comparatively stable and prosperous by regional standards , with the fifth largest economy in Africa .
Aziz Driouche ( born 13 November 1977 in Boujad ) is a Moroccan long-distance runner . At the 2000 World Cross Country Championships he finished eighteenth in the short race , while the Moroccan team of which he was a part took a bronze medal in the team competition . Competing in the 3000 metres steeplechase during track season , he finished fifth at the 1999 Summer Universiade and fourth at the 2001 Summer Universiade , the latter in a personal best time of 8:25.69 minutes . He has a degree in mechanical engineering from Kagos Kashima University , Japan .
Rachid Ghanmouni ( born 10 April 1978 ) is a Moroccan long-distance runner . He was born in Rich , Rachidia . He finished thirteenth in the marathon race at the 2003 World Championships in a personal best time of 2:10:56 hours . He also competed at the 2004 Olympic Games , but did not finish . He finished 27th at the 2003 World Half Marathon Championships and 34th at the 2004 World Half Marathon Championships . His personal best times are 2:09:11 in the marathon , achieved in April 2006 in the Paris Marathon ; and 1:01:36 hours in the half marathon , achieved in April 2003 in Safi . In October 2006 he was to be tested for doping in Formiguères , but fled from the site . He was subject to a two-year suspension in January 2008 , and after he lost a legal battle the suspension was upheld . The suspension expired in March 2010 .
Abdelhadi Habassa ( born 13 January 1976 ) is a Moroccan long-distance runner . He finished eighteenth at the 2001 World Half Marathon Championships . His personal best time in the 10,000 metres was 28:16.28 minutes , achieved in July 2001 in Ottawa . His personal best time in the half marathon was 1:01:21 hours , achieved in April 2003 in Safi . In 2008 Habassa was found guilty of norandrosterone doping . The sample was delivered on 3 February 2008 in an in-competition test in Valladolid , Spain . He received an IAAF suspension from May 2008 to May 2010 .
Spain ( Spanish : España [ esˈpaɲa ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Kingdom of Spain ( Spanish : Reino de España ) , [ a ] [ b ] is a country in Southwestern Europe with some pockets of Spanish territory across the Strait of Gibraltar and the Atlantic Ocean . Its continental European territory is situated on the Iberian Peninsula . Its territory also includes two archipelagoes : the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa , and the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea . The African enclaves of Ceuta , Melilla , and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera make Spain the only European country to have a physical border with an African country ( Morocco ) . [ h ] Several small islands in the Alboran Sea are also part of Spanish territory . The country 's mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar ; to the north and northeast by France , Andorra , and the Bay of Biscay ; and to the west and northwest by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean . With an area of 505,990 km2 ( 195,360 sq mi ) , Spain is the largest country in Southern Europe , the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union , and the fourth largest country in the European continent . By population ( about 47 million ) , Spain is the sixth largest in Europe and the fifth in the European Union . Spain 's capital and largest city is Madrid ; other major urban areas include Barcelona , Valencia , Seville , Zaragoza , Málaga and Bilbao . Modern humans first arrived in the Iberian Peninsula around 35,000 years ago . Iberian cultures along with ancient Phoenician , Greek , Celtic and Carthaginian settlements developed on the peninsula until it came under Roman rule around 200 BCE , after which the region was named Hispania , based on the earlier Phoenician name Sp ( a ) n or Spania . At the end of the Western Roman Empire the Germanic tribal confederations migrated from Central Europe , invaded the Iberian peninsula and established relatively independent realms in its western provinces , including the Suebi , Alans and Vandals .