Introductory material (continued 64)

Virgin Islands sun, sand, sea, surf

Wake Island none

Wallis and Futuna NEGL

West Bank arable land

Western Sahara phosphates, iron ore

World the rapid depletion of nonrenewable mineral resources, the depletion of forest areas and wetlands, the extinction of animal and plant species, and the deterioration in air and water quality (especially in Eastern Europe, the former USSR, and China) pose serious long-term problems that governments and peoples are only beginning to address

Yemen petroleum, fish, rock salt, marble; small deposits of coal, gold, lead, nickel, and copper; fertile soil in west

Zambia copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium, hydropower

Zimbabwe coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore, vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals

This page was last updated on 18 December 2008

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@2112 Net migration rate (migrant(s)/1,000 population)

Afghanistan 21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Albania -4.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Algeria -0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

American Samoa -7.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Andorra 13.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Angola 1.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Anguilla 14.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Antigua and Barbuda 2.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Argentina 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Armenia -4.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Aruba 9.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Australia 6.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Austria 1.88 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Azerbaijan -1.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Bahamas, The -2.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Bahrain 0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Bangladesh -0.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Barbados -0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Belarus 0.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Belgium 1.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Belize NA (2008 est.)

Benin 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Bermuda 2.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Bhutan NA (2008 est.)

Bolivia -1.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Bosnia and Herzegovina 6.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Botswana 5.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2008 est.)

Brazil -0.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

British Virgin Islands 8.44 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Brunei 2.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Bulgaria -3.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Burkina Faso NA (2008 est.)

Burma NA (2008 est.)

Burundi 5.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Cambodia NA (2008 est.)

Cameroon NA (2008 est.)

Canada 5.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Cape Verde -11.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Cayman Islands 16.88 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: major destination for Cubans trying to migrate to the US (2008 est.)

Central African Republic NA (2008 est.)

Chad -3.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Chile NA (2008 est.)

China -0.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Christmas Island NA (2008 est.)

Cocos (Keeling) Islands NA (2008 est.)

Colombia -0.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Comoros NA (2008 est.)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Congo, Republic of the -2.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Costa Rica 0.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Cote d'Ivoire NA (2008 est.)

Croatia 1.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Cuba -1.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Cyprus 0.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Czech Republic 0.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Denmark 2.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Djibouti NA (2008 est.)

Dominica -5.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Dominican Republic -2.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Ecuador -7.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Egypt -0.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

El Salvador -3.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Equatorial Guinea NA (2008 est.)

Eritrea NA (2008 est.)

Estonia -3.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Ethiopia NA note: repatriation of Ethiopian refugees residing in Sudan is expected to continue for several years; some Sudanese, Somali, and Eritrean refugees, who fled to Ethiopia from the fighting or famine in their own countries, continue to return to their homes (2008 est.)

European Union 1.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) NA (2008 est.)

Faroe Islands -0.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Fiji -2.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Finland 0.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

France 1.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

French Polynesia 2.77 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Gabon -3.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Gambia, The 0.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Gaza Strip 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Georgia -4.36 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Germany 2.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Ghana -0.55 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Gibraltar 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Greece 2.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Greenland -5.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Grenada -11.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Guam NA (2008 est.)

Guatemala -2.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Guernsey 3.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Guinea -1.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Guinea-Bissau 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Guyana -7.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Haiti -0.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Honduras -1.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Hong Kong 4.55 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Hungary 0.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Iceland 1.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

India -0.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Indonesia -1.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Iran -3.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Iraq NA (2008 est.)

Ireland 4.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Isle of Man 5.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Israel 2.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Italy 2.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Jamaica -5.88 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Japan NA (2008 est.)

Jersey 2.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Jordan 5.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Kazakhstan -3.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Kenya 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Kiribati NA (2008 est.)

Korea, North NA (2008 est.)

Korea, South NA (2008 est.)

Kuwait 16.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Kyrgyzstan -2.55 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Laos NA (2008 est.)

Latvia -2.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Lebanon NA (2008 est.)

Lesotho -0.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Liberia 15.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Libya NA (2008 est.)

Liechtenstein 4.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Lithuania -0.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Luxembourg 8.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Macau 26.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Macedonia -0.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Madagascar NA (2008 est.)

Malawi NA (2008 est.)

Malaysia NA note: does not reflect net flow of an unknown number of illegal immigrants from other countries in the region (2008 est.)

Maldives NA (2008 est.)

Mali -5.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Malta 2.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Marshall Islands -5.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Mauritania NA (2008 est.)

Mauritius -0.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Mayotte 2.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Mexico -3.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Micronesia, Federated States of -21.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Moldova -1.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Monaco 7.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Mongolia NA (2008 est.)

Montserrat NA (2008 est.)

Morocco -0.77 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Mozambique NA (2008 est.)

Namibia 0.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Nauru NA (2008 est.)

Nepal NA (2008 est.)

Netherlands 2.55 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Netherlands Antilles -0.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

New Caledonia NA note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2008 est.)

New Zealand 2.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Nicaragua -1.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Niger -0.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Nigeria -0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Niue NA (2008 est.)

Norfolk Island NA (2008 est.)

Northern Mariana Islands 7.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Norway 1.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Oman 0.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Pakistan -0.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Palau 0.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Panama -0.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Papua New Guinea NA (2008 est.)

Paraguay -0.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Peru -0.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Philippines -1.36 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Pitcairn Islands NA (2008 est.)

Poland -0.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Portugal 3.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Puerto Rico -1.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Qatar -2.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Romania -0.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Russia 0.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Rwanda 2.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Saint Helena NA (2008 est.)

Saint Kitts and Nevis -2.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Saint Lucia -4.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon -4.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines -7.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Samoa -9.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

San Marino 10.44 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sao Tome and Principe -1.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Saudi Arabia -6.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Senegal 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Seychelles -5.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sierra Leone 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: refugees currently in surrounding countries are slowly returning (2008 est.)

Singapore 6.88 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Slovakia 0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Slovenia 0.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Solomon Islands NA (2008 est.)

Somalia 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

South Africa 4.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2008 est.)

Spain 0.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sri Lanka -1.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sudan 0.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Suriname -0.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Svalbard NA (2008 est.)

Swaziland NA (2008 est.)

Sweden 1.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Switzerland 2.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Syria NA (2008 est.)

Taiwan 0.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Tajikistan -1.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Tanzania -1.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Thailand NA (2008 est.)

Timor-Leste NA (2008 est.)

Togo NA (2008 est.)

Tokelau NA (2008 est.)

Tonga NA (2008 est.)

Trinidad and Tobago -11.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Tunisia -0.44 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Turkey 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Turkmenistan -3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Turks and Caicos Islands 9.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Tuvalu NA (2008 est.)

Uganda 0.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Ukraine -0.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

United Arab Emirates 24.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

United Kingdom 2.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

United States 2.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Uruguay -0.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Uzbekistan -3.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Vanuatu NA (2008 est.)

Venezuela -0.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Vietnam -0.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Virgin Islands -5.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Wallis and Futuna NA note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2008 est.)

West Bank 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Yemen NA (2008 est.)

Zambia -2.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Zimbabwe NA note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2008 est.)

This page was last updated on 18 December 2008

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@2113 Geography - note

Afghanistan landlocked; the Hindu Kush mountains that run northeast to southwest divide the northern provinces from the rest of the country; the highest peaks are in the northern Vakhan (Wakhan Corridor)

Akrotiri British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus; of the Sovereign Base Area land, 60% is privately owned and farmed, 20% is owned by the Ministry of Defense, and 20% is SBA Crown land

Albania strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)

Algeria second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan)

American Samoa Pago Pago has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the South Pacific Ocean, sheltered by shape from rough seas and protected by peripheral mountains from high winds; strategic location in the South Pacific Ocean

Andorra landlocked; straddles a number of important crossroads in the Pyrenees

Angola the province of Cabinda is an exclave, separated from the rest of the country by the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Anguilla the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles

Antarctica the coldest, windiest, highest (on average), and driest continent; during summer, more solar radiation reaches the surface at the South Pole than is received at the Equator in an equivalent period; mostly uninhabitable

Antigua and Barbuda Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a large western harbor

Arctic Ocean major chokepoint is the southern Chukchi Sea (northern access to the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait); strategic location between North America and Russia; shortest marine link between the extremes of eastern and western Russia; floating research stations operated by the US and Russia; maximum snow cover in March or April about 20 to 50 centimeters over the frozen ocean; snow cover lasts about 10 months

Argentina second-largest country in South America (after Brazil); strategic location relative to sea lanes between the South Atlantic and the South Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage); diverse geophysical landscapes range from tropical climates in the north to tundra in the far south; Cerro Aconcagua is the Western Hemisphere's tallest mountain, while Laguna del Carbon is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere

Armenia landlocked in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains; Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan) is the largest lake in this mountain range

Aruba a flat, riverless island renowned for its white sand beaches; its tropical climate is moderated by constant trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean; the temperature is almost constant at about 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit)

Ashmore and Cartier Islands Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in August 1983; Cartier Island Marine Reserve established in 2000

Atlantic Ocean major chokepoints include the Dardanelles, Strait of Gibraltar, access to the Panama and Suez Canals; strategic straits include the Strait of Dover, Straits of Florida, Mona Passage, The Sound (Oresund), and Windward Passage; the Equator divides the Atlantic Ocean into the North Atlantic Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean

Australia world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country; population concentrated along the eastern and southeastern coasts; the invigorating sea breeze known as the "Fremantle Doctor" affects the city of Perth on the west coast, and is one of the most consistent winds in the world

Austria landlocked; strategic location at the crossroads of central Europe with many easily traversable Alpine passes and valleys; major river is the Danube; population is concentrated on eastern lowlands because of steep slopes, poor soils, and low temperatures elsewhere

Azerbaijan both the main area of the country and the Naxcivan exclave are landlocked

Bahamas, The strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited

Bahrain close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic location in Persian Gulf, through which much of the Western world's petroleum must transit to reach open ocean

Bangladesh most of the country is situated on deltas of large rivers flowing from the Himalayas: the Ganges unites with the Jamuna (main channel of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna to eventually empty into the Bay of Bengal

Barbados easternmost Caribbean island

Belarus landlocked; glacial scouring accounts for the flatness of Belarusian terrain and for its 11,000 lakes

Belgium crossroads of Western Europe; most West European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels, the seat of both the European Union and NATO

Belize only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean

Benin sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands

Bermuda consists of about 138 coral islands and islets with ample rainfall, but no rivers or freshwater lakes; some land was leased by US Government from 1941 to 1995

Bhutan landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes

Bolivia landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru

Bosnia and Herzegovina within Bosnia and Herzegovina's recognized borders, the country is divided into a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation (about 51% of the territory) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska or RS (about 49% of the territory); the region called Herzegovina is contiguous to Croatia and Montenegro, and traditionally has been settled by an ethnic Croat majority in the west and an ethnic Serb majority in the east

Botswana landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the country

Bouvet Island covered by glacial ice; declared a nature reserve Norway

Brazil largest country in South America; shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador

British Indian Ocean Territory archipelago of 55 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility

British Virgin Islands strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico

Brunei close to vital sea lanes through South China Sea linking Indian and Pacific Oceans; two parts physically separated by Malaysia; almost an enclave within Malaysia

Bulgaria strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia

Burkina Faso landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers of the Black, Red, and White Voltas

Burma strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes

Burundi landlocked; straddles crest of the Nile-Congo watershed; the Kagera, which drains into Lake Victoria, is the most remote headstream of the White Nile

Cambodia a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and Tonle Sap

Cameroon sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa; throughout the country there are areas of thermal springs and indications of current or prior volcanic activity; Mount Cameroon, the highest mountain in Sub-Saharan west Africa, is an active volcano

Canada second-largest country in world (after Russia); strategic location between Russia and US via north polar route; approximately 90% of the population is concentrated within 160 km of the US border

Cape Verde strategic location 500 km from west coast of Africa near major north-south sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air refueling site

Cayman Islands important location between Cuba and Central America

Central African Republic landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa

Chad landlocked; Lake Chad is the most significant water body in the Sahel

Chile strategic location relative to sea lanes between Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage); Atacama Desert is one of world's driest regions

China world's fourth largest country (after Russia, Canada, and US); Mount Everest on the border with Nepal is the world's tallest peak

Christmas Island located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean

Clipperton Island reef 12 km in circumference

Cocos (Keeling) Islands islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation; site of a World War I naval battle in November 1914 between the Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney and the German raider SMS Emden; after being heavily damaged in the engagement, the Emden was beached by her captain on North Keeling Island

Colombia only South American country with coastlines on both the North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea

Comoros important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel

Congo, Democratic Republic of the straddles equator; has narrow strip of land that controls the lower Congo River and is only outlet to South Atlantic Ocean; dense tropical rain forest in central river basin and eastern highlands

Congo, Republic of the about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or along the railroad between them

Cook Islands the northern Cook Islands are seven low-lying, sparsely populated, coral atolls; the southern Cook Islands, where most of the population lives, consist of eight elevated, fertile, volcanic isles, including the largest, Rarotonga, at 67 sq km

Coral Sea Islands important nesting area for birds and turtles

Costa Rica four volcanoes, two of them active, rise near the capital of San Jose in the center of the country; one of the volcanoes, Irazu, erupted destructively in 1963-65

Cote d'Ivoire most of the inhabitants live along the sandy coastal region; apart from the capital area, the forested interior is sparsely populated

Croatia controls most land routes from Western Europe to Aegean Sea and Turkish Straits; most Adriatic Sea islands lie off the coast of Croatia - some 1,200 islands, islets, ridges, and rocks

Cuba largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles

Cyprus the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily and Sardinia)

Czech Republic landlocked; strategically located astride some of oldest and most significant land routes in Europe; Moravian Gate is a traditional military corridor between the North European Plain and the Danube in central Europe

Denmark controls Danish Straits (Skagerrak and Kattegat) linking Baltic and North Seas; about one-quarter of the population lives in greater Copenhagen

Dhekelia British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus; of the Sovereign Base Area land 60% is privately owned and farmed, 20% is owned by the Ministry of Defense, and 20% is SBA Crown land

Djibouti strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia; mostly wasteland; Lac Assal (Lake Assal) is the lowest point in Africa

Dominica known as "The Nature Island of the Caribbean" due to its spectacular, lush, and varied flora and fauna, which are protected by an extensive natural park system; the most mountainous of the Lesser Antilles, its volcanic peaks are cones of lava craters and include Boiling Lake, the second-largest, thermally active lake in the world

Dominican Republic shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti

Ecuador Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world

Egypt controls Sinai Peninsula, only land bridge between Africa and remainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal, a sea link between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea; size, and juxtaposition to Israel, establish its major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics; dependence on upstream neighbors; dominance of Nile basin issues; prone to influxes of refugees

El Salvador smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on Caribbean Sea

Equatorial Guinea insular and continental regions widely separated

Eritrea strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia along the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993

Estonia the mainland terrain is flat, boggy, and partly wooded; offshore lie more than 1,500 islands

Ethiopia landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993; the Blue Nile, the chief headstream of the Nile by water volume, rises in T'ana Hayk (Lake Tana) in northwest Ethiopia; three major crops are believed to have originated in Ethiopia: coffee, grain sorghum, and castor bean

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors; short growing season

Faroe Islands archipelago of 17 inhabited islands and one uninhabited island, and a few uninhabited islets; strategically located along important sea lanes in northeastern Atlantic; precipitous terrain limits habitation to small coastal lowlands

Fiji includes 332 islands; approximately 110 are inhabited

Finland long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain

France largest West European nation

French Polynesia includes five archipelagoes (four volcanic, one coral); Makatea in French Polynesia is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Nauru

French Southern and Antarctic Lands islands component is widely scattered across remote locations in the southern Indian Ocean Bassas da India (Iles Eparses): the atoll is a circular reef that sits atop a long-extinct, submerged volcano Europa Island and Juan de Nova Island (Iles Eparses): wildlife sanctuary for seabirds and sea turtles Glorioso Island (Iles Eparses): the islands and rocks are surrounded by an extensive reef system Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses): climatologically important location for forecasting cyclones in the western Indian Ocean; wildlife sanctuary (seabirds, tortoises)

Gabon a small population and oil and mineral reserves have helped Gabon become one of Africa's wealthier countries; in general, these circumstances have allowed the country to maintain and conserve its pristine rain forest and rich biodiversity

Gambia, The almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country on the continent of Africa

Gaza Strip strategic strip of land along Mideast-North African trade routes has experienced an incredibly turbulent history; the town of Gaza itself has been besieged countless times in its history

Georgia strategically located east of the Black Sea; Georgia controls much of the Caucasus Mountains and the routes through them

Germany strategic location on North European Plain and along the entrance to the Baltic Sea

Ghana Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake

Gibraltar strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea

Greece strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing an archipelago of about 2,000 islands

Greenland dominates North Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe; sparse population confined to small settlements along coast; close to one-quarter of the population lives in the capital, Nuuk; world's second largest ice cap

Grenada the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada

Guam largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands archipelago; strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean

Guatemala no natural harbors on west coast

Guernsey large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port

Guinea the Niger and its important tributary the Milo have their sources in the Guinean highlands

Guinea-Bissau this small country is swampy along its western coast and low-lying inland

Guyana the third-smallest country in South America after Suriname and Uruguay; substantial portions of its western and eastern territories are claimed by Venezuela and Suriname respectively

Haiti shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)

Heard Island and McDonald Islands Mawson Peak on Heard Island is the highest Australian mountain (at 2,745 meters, it is taller than Mt. Kosciuszko in Australia proper), and one of only two active volcanoes located in Australian territory, the other being McDonald Island; in 1992, McDonald Island broke its dormancy and began erupting; it has erupted several times since, the most recent being in 2005

Holy See (Vatican City) landlocked; enclave in Rome, Italy; world's smallest state; beyond the territorial boundary of Vatican City, the Lateran Treaty of 1929 grants the Holy See extraterritorial authority over 23 sites in Rome and five outside of Rome, including the Pontifical Palace at Castel Gandolfo (the Pope's summer residence)

Honduras has only a short Pacific coast but a long Caribbean shoreline, including the virtually uninhabited eastern Mosquito Coast

Hong Kong more than 200 islands

Hungary landlocked; strategic location astride main land routes between Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between Ukraine and Mediterranean basin; the north-south flowing Duna (Danube) and Tisza Rivers divide the country into three large regions

Iceland strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost European country; Reykjavik is the northernmost national capital in the world; more land covered by glaciers than in all of continental Europe

India dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean trade routes; Kanchenjunga, third tallest mountain in the world, lies on the border with Nepal

Indian Ocean major chokepoints include Bab el Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz, Strait of Malacca, southern access to the Suez Canal, and the Lombok Strait

Indonesia archipelago of 17,508 islands (6,000 inhabited); straddles equator; strategic location astride or along major sea lanes from Indian Ocean to Pacific Ocean

Iran strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport

Iraq strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the Persian Gulf

Ireland strategic location on major air and sea routes between North America and northern Europe; over 40% of the population resides within 100 km of Dublin

Isle of Man one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the southwest and is a bird sanctuary

Israel there are about 340 Israeli civilian sites - including 100 small outpost communities in the West Bank - as well as 42 sites in the Golan Heights, 0 in the Gaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem (July 2008 est.); Lake Tiberias (Sea of Galilee) is an important freshwater source

Italy strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe

Jamaica strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal

Jan Mayen barren volcanic island with some moss and grass

Japan strategic location in northeast Asia

Jersey largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; about 30% of population concentrated in Saint Helier

Jordan strategic location at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and as the Arab country that shares the longest border with Israel and the occupied West Bank

Kazakhstan landlocked; Russia leases approximately 6,000 sq km of territory enclosing the Baykonur Cosmodrome; in January 2004, Kazakhstan and Russia extended the lease to 2050

Kenya the Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful agricultural production regions in Africa; glaciers are found on Mount Kenya, Africa's second highest peak; unique physiography supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic value

Kiribati 21 of the 33 islands are inhabited; Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Makatea in French Polynesia, and Nauru

Korea, North strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and Russia; mountainous interior is isolated and sparsely populated

Korea, South strategic location on Korea Strait

Kuwait strategic location at head of Persian Gulf

Kyrgyzstan landlocked; entirely mountainous, dominated by the Tien Shan range; many tall peaks, glaciers, and high-altitude lakes

Laos landlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thickly forested; the Mekong River forms a large part of the western boundary with Thailand

Latvia most of the country is composed of fertile, low-lying plains, with some hills in the east

Lebanon Nahr el Litani is the only major river in Near East not crossing an international boundary; rugged terrain historically helped isolate, protect, and develop numerous factional groups based on religion, clan, and ethnicity

Lesotho landlocked, completely surrounded by South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 m above sea level

Liberia facing the Atlantic Ocean, the coastline is characterized by lagoons, mangrove swamps, and river-deposited sandbars; the inland grassy plateau supports limited agriculture

Libya more than 90% of the country is desert or semidesert

Liechtenstein along with Uzbekistan, one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world; variety of microclimatic variations based on elevation

Lithuania fertile central plains are separated by hilly uplands that are ancient glacial deposits

Luxembourg landlocked; the only Grand Duchy in the world

Macau essentially urban; an area of land reclaimed from the sea measuring 5.2 sq km and known as Cotai now connects the islands of Coloane and Taipa; the island area is connected to the mainland peninsula by three bridges

Macedonia landlocked; major transportation corridor from Western and Central Europe to Aegean Sea and Southern Europe to Western Europe

Madagascar world's fourth-largest island; strategic location along Mozambique Channel

Malawi landlocked; Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's most prominent physical feature

Malaysia strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea

Maldives 1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls (200 inhabited islands, plus 80 islands with tourist resorts); archipelago with strategic location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean

Mali landlocked; divided into three natural zones: the southern, cultivated Sudanese; the central, semiarid Sahelian; and the northern, arid Saharan

Malta the country comprises an archipelago, with only the three largest islands (Malta, Ghawdex or Gozo, and Kemmuna or Comino) being inhabited; numerous bays provide good harbors; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration

Marshall Islands the Marshall Islands Bikini and Enewetak are former US nuclear test sites; Kwajalein atoll, famous as a World War II battleground, surrounds the world's largest lagoon and is used as a US missile test range; the island city of Ebeye is the second largest settlement in the Marshall Islands, after the capital of Majuro, and one of the most densely populated locations in the Pacific

Mauritania most of the population concentrated in the cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the southern part of the country

Mauritius the main island, from which the country derives its name, is of volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs; home of the dodo, a large flightless bird related to pigeons, driven to extinction by the end of the 17th century through a combination of hunting and the introduction of predatory species

Mayotte part of Comoro Archipelago (18 islands)

Mexico strategic location on southern border of US; corn (maize), one of the world's major grain crops, is thought to have originated in Mexico

Micronesia, Federated States of four major island groups totaling 607 islands

Moldova landlocked; well endowed with various sedimentary rocks and minerals including sand, gravel, gypsum, and limestone

Monaco second-smallest independent state in the world (after Holy See); almost entirely urban

Mongolia landlocked; strategic location between China and Russia

Montenegro strategic location along the Adriatic coast

Montserrat the island is entirely volcanic in origin and comprised of three major volcanic centers of differing ages

Morocco strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar

Mozambique the Zambezi flows through the north-central and most fertile part of the country

Namibia first country in the world to incorporate the protection of the environment into its constitution; some 14% of the land is protected, including virtually the entire Namib Desert coastal strip

Nauru Nauru is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Makatea in French Polynesia; only 53 km south of Equator

Navassa Island strategic location 160 km south of the US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; mostly exposed rock with numerous solution holes but with enough grassland to support goat herds; dense stands of fig trees, scattered cactus

Nepal landlocked; strategic location between China and India; contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest and Kanchenjunga - the world's tallest and third tallest - on the borders with China and India respectively

Netherlands located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse, and Schelde)

Netherlands Antilles the five islands of the Netherlands Antilles are divided geographically into the Leeward Islands (northern) group (Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten) and the Windward Islands (southern) group (Bonaire and Curacao); the island of Saint Martin is the smallest landmass in the world shared by two independent states, the French territory of Saint Martin and the Dutch territory of Sint Maarten

New Caledonia consists of the main island of New Caledonia (one of the largest in the Pacific Ocean), the archipelago of Iles Loyaute, and numerous small, sparsely populated islands and atolls

New Zealand about 80% of the population lives in cities; Wellington is the southernmost national capital in the world

Nicaragua largest country in Central America; contains the largest freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua

Niger landlocked; one of the hottest countries in the world; northern four-fifths is desert, southern one-fifth is savanna, suitable for livestock and limited agriculture

Nigeria the Niger enters the country in the northwest and flows southward through tropical rain forests and swamps to its delta in the Gulf of Guinea

Niue one of world's largest coral islands

Norfolk Island most of the 32 km coastline consists of almost inaccessible cliffs, but the land slopes down to the sea in one small southern area on Sydney Bay, where the capital of Kingston is situated

Northern Mariana Islands strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean

Norway about two-thirds mountains; some 50,000 islands off its much indented coastline; strategic location adjacent to sea lanes and air routes in North Atlantic; one of most rugged and longest coastlines in the world

Oman strategic location on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil

Pacific Ocean the major chokepoints are the Bering Strait, Panama Canal, Luzon Strait, and the Singapore Strait; the Equator divides the Pacific Ocean into the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean; dotted with low coral islands and rugged volcanic islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean

Pakistan controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion routes between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent

Palau westernmost archipelago in the Caroline chain, consists of six island groups totaling more than 300 islands; includes World War II battleground of Beliliou (Peleliu) and world-famous rock islands

Panama strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming land bridge connecting North and South America; controls Panama Canal that links North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean

Papua New Guinea shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia; one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast

Paracel Islands composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group

Paraguay landlocked; lies between Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil; population concentrated in southern part of country

Peru shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake, with Bolivia; a remote slope of Nevado Mismi, a 5,316 m peak, is the ultimate source of the Amazon River

Philippines the Philippine archipelago is made up of 7,107 islands; favorably located in relation to many of Southeast Asia's main water bodies: the South China Sea, Philippine Sea, Sulu Sea, Celebes Sea, and Luzon Strait

Pitcairn Islands Britain's most isolated dependency; only the larger island of Pitcairn is inhabited but it has no port or natural harbor; supplies must be transported by rowed longboat from larger ships stationed offshore

Poland historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain

Portugal Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations along western sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar

Puerto Rico important location along the Mona Passage - a key shipping lane to the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural harbors in the Caribbean; many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north

Qatar strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits

Romania controls most easily traversable land route between the Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine

Russia largest country in the world in terms of area but unfavorably located in relation to major sea lanes of the world; despite its size, much of the country lacks proper soils and climates (either too cold or too dry) for agriculture; Mount El'brus is Europe's tallest peak

Rwanda landlocked; most of the country is savanna grassland with the population predominantly rural

Saint Helena Saint Helena harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown anywhere else in the world; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles and sooty terns; Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha is the highest island mountain in the South Atlantic and a prominent landmark on the sea lanes around southern Africa

Saint Kitts and Nevis with coastlines in the shape of a baseball bat and ball, the two volcanic islands are separated by a 3-km-wide channel called The Narrows; on the southern tip of long, baseball bat-shaped Saint Kitts lies the Great Salt Pond; Nevis Peak sits in the center of its almost circular namesake island and its ball shape complements that of its sister island

Saint Lucia the twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), striking cone-shaped peaks south of Soufriere, are one of the scenic natural highlights of the Caribbean

Saint Martin the island of Saint Martin is the smallest landmass in the world shared by two independent states, the French territory of Saint Martin and the Dutch territory of Sint Maarten

Saint Pierre and Miquelon vegetation scanty

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is comprised of 32 islands and cays

Samoa occupies an almost central position within Polynesia

San Marino landlocked; smallest independent state in Europe after the Holy See and Monaco; dominated by the Apennines

Sao Tome and Principe the smallest country in Africa; the two main islands form part of a chain of extinct volcanoes and both are mountainous

Saudi Arabia extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal

Senegal westernmost country on the African continent; The Gambia is almost an enclave within Senegal

Serbia controls one of the major land routes from Western Europe to Turkey and the Near East

Seychelles 41 granitic and about 75 coralline islands

Sierra Leone rainfall along the coast can reach 495 cm (195 inches) a year, making it one of the wettest places along coastal, western Africa

Singapore focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes

Slovakia landlocked; most of the country is rugged and mountainous; the Tatra Mountains in the north are interspersed with many scenic lakes and valleys

Slovenia despite its small size, this eastern Alpine country controls some of Europe's major transit routes

Solomon Islands strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea; on 2 April 2007 an undersea earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale occurred 345 km WNW of the capital Honiara, the resulting tsunami devastated coastal areas of Western and Choiseul provinces with dozens of deaths and thousands dislocated; the provincial capital of Gizo was especially hard hit

Somalia strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal

South Africa South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Swaziland

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which provide good anchorage; reindeer, introduced early in the 20th century, live on South Georgia

Southern Ocean the major chokepoint is the Drake Passage between South America and Antarctica; the Polar Front (Antarctic Convergence) is the best natural definition of the northern extent of the Southern Ocean; it is a distinct region at the middle of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current that separates the cold polar surface waters to the south from the warmer waters to the north; the Front and the Current extend entirely around Antarctica, reaching south of 60 degrees south near New Zealand and near 48 degrees south in the far South Atlantic coinciding with the path of the maximum westerly winds

Spain strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar

Spratly Islands strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs

Sri Lanka strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes

Sudan largest country in Africa; dominated by the Nile and its tributaries

Suriname smallest independent country on South American continent; mostly tropical rain forest; great diversity of flora and fauna that, for the most part, is increasingly threatened by new development; relatively small population, mostly along the coast

Svalbard northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area; Spitsbergen Island is the site of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a seed repository established by the Global Crop Diversity Trust and the Norwegian Government

Swaziland landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa

Sweden strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas

Switzerland landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe; along with southeastern France, northern Italy, and southwestern Austria, has the highest elevations in the Alps

Syria there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (August 2005 est.)

Taiwan strategic location adjacent to both the Taiwan Strait and the Luzon Strait

Tajikistan landlocked; mountainous region dominated by the Trans-Alay Range in the north and the Pamirs in the southeast; highest point, Qullai Ismoili Somoni (formerly Communism Peak), was the tallest mountain in the former USSR

Tanzania Kilimanjaro is highest point in Africa; bordered by three of the largest lakes on the continent: Lake Victoria (the world's second-largest freshwater lake) in the north, Lake Tanganyika (the world's second deepest) in the west, and Lake Nyasa in the southwest

Thailand controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore

Timor-Leste Timor comes from the Malay word for "East"; the island of Timor is part of the Malay Archipelago and is the largest and easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands

Togo the country's length allows it to stretch through six distinct geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna

Tokelau consists of three atolls (Atafu, Fakaofo, Nukunonu), each with a lagoon surrounded by a number of reef-bound islets of varying length and rising to over 3 m above sea level

Tonga archipelago of 169 islands (36 inhabited)

Trinidad and Tobago Pitch Lake, on Trinidad's southwestern coast, is the world's largest natural reservoir of asphalt

Tunisia strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration

Turkey strategic location controlling the Turkish Straits (Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link Black and Aegean Seas; Mount Ararat, the legendary landing place of Noah's ark, is in the far eastern portion of the country

Turkmenistan landlocked; the western and central low-lying desolate portions of the country make up the great Garagum (Kara-Kum) desert, which occupies over 80% of the country; eastern part is plateau

Turks and Caicos Islands about 40 islands (eight inhabited)

Tuvalu one of the smallest and most remote countries on Earth; six of the nine coral atolls - Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti, and Nukulaelae - have lagoons open to the ocean; Nanumaya and Niutao have landlocked lagoons; Niulakita does not have a lagoon

Uganda landlocked; fertile, well-watered country with many lakes and rivers

Ukraine strategic position at the crossroads between Europe and Asia; second-largest country in Europe

United Arab Emirates strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil

United Kingdom lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km from France and linked by tunnel under the English Channel; because of heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters

United States world's third-largest country by size (after Russia and Canada) and by population (after China and India); Mt. McKinley is highest point in North America and Death Valley the lowest point on the continent

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: scattered vegetation consisting of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife; closed to the public Johnston Atoll: Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands, which have been expanded by coral dredging; North Island (Akau) and East Island (Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral dredging; the egg-shaped reef is 34 km in circumference; closed to the public Kingman Reef: barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; closed to the public Midway Islands: a coral atoll managed as a national wildlife refuge and open to the public for wildlife-related recreation in the form of wildlife observation and photography Palmyra Atoll: the high rainfall and resulting lush vegetation make the environment of this atoll unique among the US Pacific Island territories; supports a large undisturbed stand of Pisonia beach forest

Uruguay second-smallest South American country (after Suriname); most of the low-lying landscape (three-quarters of the country) is grassland, ideal for cattle and sheep raising

Uzbekistan along with Liechtenstein, one of the only two doubly landlocked countries in the world

Vanuatu a Y-shaped chain of four main islands and 80 smaller islands; several of the islands have active volcanoes

Venezuela on major sea and air routes linking North and South America; Angel Falls in the Guiana Highlands is the world's highest waterfall

Vietnam extending 1,650 km north to south, the country is only 50 km across at its narrowest point

Virgin Islands important location along the Anegada Passage - a key shipping lane for the Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the Caribbean

Wake Island strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; emergency landing location for transpacific flights

Wallis and Futuna both island groups have fringing reefs

West Bank landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are about 340 Israeli civilian sites—including 100 small outpost communities in the West Bank and 29 sites in East Jerusalem (July 2008 est.)

Western Sahara the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas

World the world is now thought to be about 4.55 billion years old, just about one-third of the 13.7-billion-year age estimated for the universe

Yemen strategic location on Bab el Mandeb, the strait linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, one of world's most active shipping lanes

Zambia landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary with Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary with Zambia; in full flood (February-April) the massive Victoria Falls on the river forms the world's largest curtain of falling water

This page was last updated on 18 December 2008

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@2115 Political pressure groups and leaders

Afghanistan other: religious groups; tribal leaders

Albania Citizens Advocacy Office [Kreshnik SPAHIU]; Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania or KSSH [Kastriot MUCO]; Front for Albanian National Unification or FBKSH [Gafur ADILI]; Mjaft Movement; Omonia [Jani JANI]; Union of Independent Trade Unions of Albania or BSPSH [Gezim KALAJA]

Algeria The Algerian Human Rights League or LADDH [Hocine ZEHOUANE]; SOS Disparus [Nacera DUTOUR]; Somoud [Ali MERABET]

American Samoa Population Pressure LAS (addresses the growing population pressures)

Andorra NA

Angola Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda or FLEC [N'zita Henriques TIAGO, Antonio Bento BEMBE]

Anguilla NA

Antigua and Barbuda Antigua Trades and Labor Union or ATLU [William ROBINSON]; People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Hugh MARSHALL]

Argentina Argentine Association of Pharmaceutical Labs (CILFA); Argentine Industrial Union (manufacturers' association); Argentine Rural Confederation or CRA (small to medium landowners' association); Argentine Rural Society (large landowners' association); Central of Argentine Workers or CTA (a radical union for employed and unemployed workers); General Confederation of Labor or CGT (Peronist-leaning umbrella labor organization); Roman Catholic Church other: business organizations; Peronist-dominated labor movement; Piquetero groups (popular protest organizations that can be either pro or anti-government); students

Armenia Aylentrank (Impeachment) [Nikol PASHINYAN]; Yerkrapah Union [Manvel GRIGORIAN]

Aruba other: environmental groups

Australia other: business groups; environmental groups; social groups; trade unions

Austria Austrian Trade Union Federation or OeGB (nominally independent but primarily Social Democratic); Federal Economic Chamber; OeVP-oriented Association of Austrian Industrialists or IV; Roman Catholic Church, including its chief lay organization, Catholic Action other: three composite leagues of the Austrian People's Party or OeVP representing business, labor, farmers, and other nongovernment organizations in the areas of environment and human rights

Azerbaijan Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (self-proclaimed); Karabakh Liberation Organization; Sadval, Lezgin movement; Talysh independence movement; Union of Pro-Azerbaijani Forces or UPAF

Bahamas, The Friends of the Environment other: trade unions

Bahrain Shia activists; Sunni Islamist legislators other: several small leftist and other groups are active

Bangladesh Advocacy to End Gender-based Violence through the MoWCA (Ministry of Women's and Children's Affairs) other: environmentalists; Islamist groups; religious leaders; teachers; union leaders

Barbados Barbados Secondary Teachers' Union or BSTU [Patrick FROST]; Barbados Union of Teachers or BUT [Herbert GITTENS]; Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados or CTUSAB, (includes the BWU, NUPW, BUT, and BSTU) [Leroy TROTMAN]; Barbados Workers Union or BWU [Leroy TROTMAN]; Clement Payne Labor Union [David COMISSIONG]; National Union of Public Workers [Joseph GODDARD]

Belarus Assembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs [Sergey MATSKEVICH]; Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions [Aleksandr YAROSHUK]; Belarusian Helsinki Committee [Tatiana PROTKO]; Belarusian Organization of Working Women [Irina ZHIKHAR]; Charter 97 [Andrey SANNIKOV]; For Freedom (unregistered) [Aleksandr MILINKEVICH]; Lenin Communist Union of Youth (youth wing of the Belarusian Party of Communists or PKB); National Strike Committee of Entrepreneurs [Aleksandr VASILYEV, Valery LEVONEVSKY]; Partnership NGO [Nikolay ASTREYKA]; Perspektiva kiosk watchdog NGO [Anatol SHUMCHENKO]; Vyasna [Ales BYALATSKY]; Women's Independent Democratic Movement [Ludmila PETINA]; Youth Front (Malady Front) [Dmitriy DASHKEVICH, Sergey BAKHUN]; Zubr youth group [Vladimir KOBETS]

Belgium Christian, Socialist, and Liberal Trade Unions; Federation of Belgian Industries other: numerous other associations representing bankers, manufacturers, middle-class artisans, and the legal and medical professions; various organizations represent the cultural interests of Flanders and Wallonia; various peace groups such as Pax Christi and groups representing immigrants

Belize Society for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR [Gustavo PERERA]; Association of Concerned Belizeans or ACB [David VASQUEZ]; National Trade Union Congress of Belize or NTUC/B [Rene GOMEZ]

Benin other: economic groups; environmentalists; political groups; teachers' unions and other educational groups

Bermuda Bermuda Employer's Union [Eddie SAINTS]; Bermuda Industrial Union or BIU [Derrick BURGESS]; Bermuda Public Services Union or BPSU [Ed BALL]; Bermuda Union of Teachers [Michael CHARLES]

Bhutan United Front for Democracy (exiled) other: Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant antigovernment campaign; Indian merchant community

Bolivia Sole Confederation of Campesino Workers of Bolivia or CSUTCB other: Cocalero groups; indigenous organizations; labor unions

Bosnia and Herzegovina other: displaced persons associations; student councils; war veterans

Botswana First People of the Kalahari (Bushman organization); Pitso Ya Ba Tswana; Society for the Promotion of Ikalanga Language (Kalanga elites) other: diamond mining companies

Brazil Landless Workers' Movement or MST other: labor unions and federations; large farmers' associations; religious groups including evangelical Christian churches and the Catholic Church

British Virgin Islands The Family Support Network; The Women's Desk other: environmentalists

Brunei NA

Bulgaria Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria or CITUB; Podkrepa Labor Confederation other: numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups with various agendas

Burkina Faso Burkinabe General Confederation of Labor or CGTB [Tole SAGNON]; Burkinabe Movement for Human Rights or MBDHP [Chrysigone ZOUGMORE]; Group of 14 February [Benewende STANISLAS]; National Confederation of Burkinabe Workers or CNTB [Laurent OUEDRAOGO]; National Organization of Free Unions or ONSL [Paul KABORE] other: watchdog/political action groups throughout the country in both organizations and communities

Burma Ethnic Nationalities Council or ENC (based in Thailand); Federation of Trade Unions-Burma or FTUB (exile trade union and labor advocates); National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma or NCGUB (self-proclaimed government in exile) ["Prime Minister" Dr. SEIN WIN] consists of individuals, some legitimately elected to the People's Assembly in 1990 (the group fled to a border area and joined insurgents in December 1990 to form parallel government in exile); Kachin Independence Organization or KIO; Karen National Union or KNU; Karenni National People's Party or KNPP; National Council-Union of Burma or NCUB (exile coalition of opposition groups); United Wa State Army or UWSA; Union Solidarity and Development Association or USDA (pro-regime, a social and political mass-member organization) [HTAY OO, general secretary]; 88 Generation Students (pro-democracy movement) [MIN KO NAING] other: several Shan factions

Burundi Observatoire de lutte contre la corruption et les malversations economiques or OLUCOME [Gabriel RUFYIRI] (anti-corruption pressure group) other: Hutu and Tutsi militias (loosely organized)

Cambodia Cambodian Freedom Fighters or CFF; Partnership for Transparency Fund or PTF (anti-corruption organization); Students Movement for Democracy; The Committee for Free and Fair Elections or Comfrel other: human rights organizations; vendors

Cameroon Human Rights Defense Group [Albert MUKONG, president]; Southern Cameroon National Council [Ayamba Ette OTUN]

Canada other: agricultural sector; automobile industry; business groups; chemical industry; commercial banks; communications sector; energy industry; environmentalists; public administration groups; steel industry; trade unions

Cape Verde other: environmentalists; political pressure groups

Cayman Islands National Trust other: environmentalists

Central African Republic Monam (combating gender-base violence)

Chad rebel groups

Chile Roman Catholic Church; United Labor Central or CUT includes trade unionists from the country's five largest labor confederations other: revitalized university student federations at all major universities

China the China Democracy Party; the Falungong spiritual movement note: no substantial political opposition groups exist, although the government has identified the organizations listed above as subversive groups

Christmas Island none

Cocos (Keeling) Islands The Cocos Islands Youth Support Centre

Colombia National Liberation Army or ELN; Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia or FARC note: two largest insurgent groups active in Colombia

Comoros other: environmentalists

Congo, Democratic Republic of the MONUC - UN organization working with the government; FARDC (Forces Armees de la Republique du Congo) - Army of the Democratic Republic of the Congo which commits atrocities on citizens; FDLA (Forces Democratiques de Liberation du Rwanda) - Rwandan militia group

Congo, Republic of the Congolese Trade Union Congress or CSC; General Union of Congolese Pupils and Students or UGEEC; Revolutionary Union of Congolese Women or URFC; Union of Congolese Socialist Youth or UJSC

Cook Islands Reform Conference (lobby for political system changes) other: various groups lobbying for political change

Costa Rica Authentic Confederation of Democratic Workers or CATD (Communist Party affiliate); Chamber of Coffee Growers; Confederated Union of Workers or CUT (Communist Party affiliate); Costa Rican Confederation of Democratic Workers or CCTD (Liberation Party affiliate); Costa Rican Exporter's Chamber or CADEXCO; Costa Rican Solidarity Movement; Costa Rican Union of Private Sector Enterprises or UCCAEP [Rafael CARRILLO]; Federation of Public Service Workers or FTSP; National Association for Economic Development or ANFE; National Association of Educators or ANDE; National Association of Public and Private Employees or ANEP [Albino VARGAS]; Rerum Novarum or CTRN (PLN affiliate) [Gilbert BROWN]

Cote d'Ivoire Federation of University and High School Students of Cote d'Ivoire or FESCI [Serges KOFFI]; Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace or RHDP [Alphonse DJEDJE MADY]; Young Patriots [Charles BLE GOUDE]

Croatia other: human rights groups

Cuba Human Rights Watch; National Association of Small Farmers

Cyprus Confederation of Cypriot Workers or SEK (pro-West); Confederation of Revolutionary Labor Unions or Dev-Is; Federation of Turkish Cypriot Labor Unions or Turk-Sen; Pan-Cyprian Labor Federation or PEO (Communist controlled)

Czech Republic Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions or CMKOS [Milan STECH]

Denmark Danish Free Press Society (freedom of speech); Danish National Socialist Movement or DNSB [Jonni HANSEN] (neo-Nazi organization) other: human rights groups

Djibouti Union for Presidential Majority UMP (coalition includes RPP, FRUD, PPSD and PND); Union for Democratic Changeover or UAD (opposition coalition includes ARD, MRDD, and UDJ)

Dominica Dominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist party)

Dominican Republic Citizen Participation Group (Participacion Ciudadania); Collective of Popular Organizations or COP; Foundation for Institution-Building and Justice (FINJUS)

Ecuador Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador or CONAIE [Marlon SANTI, president]; Coordinator of Social Movements or CMS [F. Napoleon SANTOS]; Federation of Indigenous Evangelists of Ecuador or FEINE [Marco MURILLO, president]; National Federation of Indigenous Afro-Ecuatorianos and Peasants or FENOCIN [Pedro DE LA CRUZ, president]

Egypt Muslim Brotherhood (technically illegal) note: despite a constitutional ban against religious-based parties and political activity, the technically illegal Muslim Brotherhood constitutes Hosni MUBARAK's potentially most significant political opposition

El Salvador labor organizations - Electrical Industry Union of El Salvador or SIES; Federation of the Construction Industry, Similar Transport and other activities, or FESINCONTRANS; National Confederation of Salvadoran Workers or CNTS; National Union of Salvadoran Workers or UNTS; Port Industry Union of El Salvador or SIPES; Salvadoran Union of Ex-Petrolleros and Peasant Workers or USEPOC; Salvadoran Workers Central or CTS; Workers Union of Electrical Corporation or STCEL; business organizations - National Association of Small Enterprise or ANEP; Salvadoran Assembly Industry Association or ASIC; Salvadoran Industrial Association or ASI

Equatorial Guinea ASODEGUE (Madrid-based pressure group for democratic reform); Global Witness (anti-corruption)

Eritrea Eritrean Democratic Party (EDP) [HAGOS, Mesfin]; Eritrean Islamic Jihad or EIJ (includes Eritrean Islamic Jihad Movement or EIJM also known as the Abu Sihel Movement); Eritrean Islamic Salvation or EIS (also known as the Arafa Movement); Eritrean Liberation Front or ELF [ABDULLAH Muhammed]; Eritrean National Alliance or ENA (a coalition including EIJ, EIS, ELF, and a number of ELF factions) [HERUY Tedla Biru]; Eritrean Public Forum or EPF [ARADOM Iyob]

Estonia Nochnoy Dozor/Night Watch anti-fascist movement (leader Alexander KOROBOV)

Ethiopia Ethiopian People's Patriotic Front or EPPF; Ogaden National Liberation Front or ONLF; Oromo Liberation Front or OLF [DAOUD Ibsa]

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) Falkland Islands Association (supports freedom of the people from external causes)

Faroe Islands Sea Shepard [Paul WATSON] (preservation of small whales) other: conservationists

Fiji Group Against Racial Discrimination or GARD [Dr. Anirudk SINGH] (for restoration of a democratic government); Viti Landowners Association

France Confederation Francaise Democratique du Travail or CFDT, left-leaning labor union with approximately 803,000 members; Confederation Generale des Cadres or CGC, independent white-collar union with 196,000 members; Confederation Generale du Travail or CGT, historically communist labor union with approximately 700,000 members; Confederation Generale du Travail - Force Ouvriere or FO, independent labor union with an estimated 300,000 members; Mouvement des Entreprises de France or MEDEF, employers' union with 750,000 companies as members (claimed) French Guiana: conservationists; gold mining pressure groups; hunting pressure groups Guadeloupe: Christian Movement for the Liberation of Guadeloupe or KLPG; General Federation of Guadeloupe Workers or CGT-G; General Union of Guadeloupe Workers or UGTG; Movement for an Independent Guadeloupe or MPGI; The Socialist Renewal Movement Martinique: Caribbean Revolutionary Alliance or ARC; Central Union for Martinique Workers or CSTM; Frantz Fanon Circle; League of Workers and Peasants; Proletarian Action Group or GAP Reunion: NA

French Polynesia NA

Gabon NA

Gambia, The National Environment Agency or NEA; West African Peace Building Network-Gambian Chapter or WANEB-GAMBIA; Youth Employment Network Gambia or YENGambia other: special needs group advocates; teachers and principals

Georgia other: Georgian independent deputies from Abkhaz government in exile; separatists in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia

Germany other: business associations and employers' organizations; religious, trade unions, immigrant, expellee, and veterans groups

Ghana Christian Aid (water rights); Committee for Joint Action or CJA (education reform); National Coalition Against the Privatization of Water or CAP (water rights); Oxfam (water rights); Public Citizen (water rights); Students Coalition Against EPA [Kwabena Ososukene OKAI] (education reform); Third World Network (education reform)

Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce; Gibraltar Representatives Organization; Women's Association

Greece Civil Servants Confederation or ADEDY [Spyros PAPASPYROS]; Federation of Greek Industries or SEV [Dimitris DASKALOPOULOS]; General Confederation of Greek Workers or GSEE [Ioannis PANAGOPOULOS]

Greenland other: conservationists; environmentalists

Grenada Committee for Human Rights in Grenada or CHRG; New Jewel Movement Support Group; The British Grenada Friendship Society; The New Jewel 19 Committee

Guam Guam Federation of Teachers' Union; Guam Waterworks Authority Workers other: activists; indigenous groups

Guatemala Agrarian Owners Group or UNAGRO; Alliance Against Impunity or AAI; Committee for Campesino Unity or CUC; Coordinating Committee of Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial, and Financial Associations or CACIF; Mutual Support Group or GAM

Guernsey Stop Traffic Endangering Pedestrian Safety or STEPS; No More Masts [Colin FALLAIZE]

Guinea National Confederation of Guinean Workers-Labor Union of Guinean Workers or CNTG-USTG Alliance (includes National Confederation of Guinean Workers or CNTG [Rabiatou Sarah DIALLO] and Labor Union of Guinean Workers or USTG [Dr. Ibrahima FOFANA]); National Council of Civil Society Organizations of Guinea or CNOSCG [Ben Sekou SYLLA]; Syndicate of Guinean Teachers and Researchers or SLECG [Dr. Louis M'Bemba SOUMAH]

Guinea-Bissau NA

Guyana Amerindian People's Association; Guyana Bar Association; Guyana Citizens Initiative; Guyana Human Rights Association; Guyana Public Service Union or GPSU; Private Sector Commission; Trades Union Congress

Haiti Autonomous Organizations of Haitian Workers or CATH [Fignole ST-CYR]; Confederation of Haitian Workers or CTH; Federation of Workers Trade Unions or FOS; General Organization of Independent Haitian Workers [Patrick NUMAS]; Grand-Anse Resistance Committee, or KOREGA; National Popular Assembly or APN; Papaye Peasants Movement or MPP [Chavannes JEAN-BAPTISTE]; Popular Organizations Gathering Power or PROP; Protestant Federation of Haiti; Roman Catholic Church

Holy See (Vatican City) none (exclusive of influence exercised by church officers)

Honduras Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras or CODEH; Confederation of Honduran Workers or CTH; Coordinating Committee of Popular Organizations or CCOP; General Workers Confederation or CGT; Honduran Council of Private Enterprise or COHEP; National Association of Honduran Campesinos or ANACH; National Union of Campesinos or UNC; Popular Bloc or BP; United Confederation of Honduran Workers or CUTH

Hong Kong Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China); Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong; Confederation of Trade Unions or CTU (pro-democracy) [LAU Chin-shek, president; LEE Cheuk-yan, general secretary]; Federation of Hong Kong Industries; Federation of Trade Unions or FTU (pro-China) [CHENG Yiu-tong, executive councilor]; Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China [Szeto WAH, chairman]; Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council (pro-Taiwan); Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce; Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union [CHEUNG Man-kwong, president]; Neighborhood and Workers' Service Center or NWSC (pro-democracy); The Alliance [Bernard CHARNWUT, executive committee member]

Hungary Air Work Group (works to reduce air pollution in towns and cities); Company For Freedom Rights (Tarsasag a Szabadsagjogokert) or TASZ (personal data protection); Danube Circle (protests the building of the Gabchikovo-Nagymaros dam); Green Future (protests the impact of lead contamination of local factory on health of the people); environmentalists: Hungarian Ornithological and Nature Conservation Society (Magyar Madartani Egyesulet)or MME; Green Alternative (Zold Alternativa)

Iceland Icelandic Psychiatric Human Rights Group

India All Parties Hurriyat Conference in the Kashmir Valley (separatist group); Bajrang Dal (religious organization); National Socialist Council of Nagaland in the northeast (separatist group); Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (religious organization); Vishwa Hindu Parishad (religious organization other: numerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations; various separatist groups seeking greater communal and/or regional autonomy

Indonesia Indonesian Women's Coalition (Koalisi Perempuan - human rights group); Islamic Defenders Front or FPI; National Alliance for Freedom of Religion and Faith; Oil Palm Watch (environmental)

Iran groups that generally support the Islamic Republic: Ansar-e Hizballah-Islamic Coalition Party (Motalefeh); Followers of the Line of the Imam and the Leader; Islamic Engineers Society; Tehran Militant Clergy Association (Ruhaniyat); active pro-reform student group: Office of Strengthening Unity (OSU); opposition groups: Baluchistan People's Party (BPP); Freedom Movement of Iran; Marz-e Por Gohar; National Front; and various ethnic and Monarchist organizations; armed political groups that have been repressed by the government: Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDPI); Jundallah; Komala; Mujahidin-e Khalq Organization (MEK or MKO); People's Fedayeen; People's Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK)

Iraq Sunni militias; Shia militias, some associated with political parties

Ireland Families Acting for Innocent Relatives or FAIR [Brian McCONNELL] (seek compensation for victims of violence); Families Against Intimidation and Terror or FAIT (oppose terrorism); Gaeltacht Civil Rights Campaign (Coiste Cearta Sibhialta na Gaeilge) or CCSG (encourages the use of the Irish language and campaigns for greater civil rights in Irish speaking areas); Irish Republican Army or IRA (terrorist group); Keep Ireland Open (environmental group); Midland Railway Action Group or MRAG [Willie ALLEN] (transportation promoters); Rail Users Ireland (formerly the Platform 11 - transportation promoters); 32 Country Sovereignty Movement or 32CSM (supports a fully sovereign Ireland); Ulster Defence Association or UDA (terrorist group)

Isle of Man Alliance for Progressive Government or APG (a government watchdog); Mec Vannin (political party advocating a sovereign state and environment policies); note - has only had one member elected to the Tynwald

Israel B'Tselem [Jessica MONTELL, Executive Director] monitors human rights abuses; Peace Now [Yariv OPPENHEIMER, Secretary General] supports territorial concessions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; YESHA Council of Settlements [Danny DAYAN, Chairman] promotes settler interests and opposes territorial compromise

Italy manufacturers and merchants associations - Confcommercio; Confindustria; organized farm groups - Confcoltivatori; Confagricoltura; Roman Catholic Church; three major trade union confederations - Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro or CGIL [Guglielmo EPIFANI] which is left wing; Confederazione Italiana dei Sindacati Lavoratori or CISL [Raffaele BONANNO], which is Roman Catholic centrist; Unione Italiana del Lavoro or UIL [Luigi ANGELETTI] which is lay centrist)

Jamaica New Beginnings Movement or NBM; Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists)

Japan other: business groups; trade unions

Jersey Institute of Directors, Jersey branch (provides business support); Jersey Hospitality Association [Robert JONES] (trade association); Jersey Rights Association [David ROTHERHAM] (human rights); La Societe Jersiaise (education and conservation group); Progress Jersey [Darius J. PEARCE, Daren O'TOOLE, Gino RISOLI] (human rights); Royal Jersey Agriculture and Horticultural Society or RJA&HS (development and management of the Jersey breed of cattle); Save Jersey's Heritage (protects heritage through building preservation)

Jordan Anti-Normalization Committee [Ali Abu SUKKAR, president vice chairman]; Jordan Bar Association [Hussein Mujalli, chairman]; Jordanian Press Association [Sayf al-SHARIF, president]; Muslim Brotherhood [Salem AL-FALAHAT, controller general]

Kazakhstan Adil-Soz [Tamara KALEYEVA]; Almaty Helsinki Group [Ninel FOKINA]; Confederation of Free Trade Unions [Sergei BELKIN]; For a Just Kazakhstan [Bolat ABILOV]; For Fair Elections [Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS, Sabit ZHUSUPOV, Sergey DUVANOV, Ibrash NUSUPBAYEV]; Kazakhstan International Bureau on Human Rights [Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS, executive director]; Pan-National Social Democratic Party of Kazakhstan [Zharmakhan TUYAKBAI]; Pensioners Movement or Pokoleniye [Irina SAVOSTINA, chairwoman]; Republican Network of International Monitors [Dos KUSHIM]; Transparency International [Sergei ZLOTNIKOV]

Kenya Council of Islamic Preachers of Kenya or CIPK [Sheikh Idris MOHAMMED]; Kenya Human Rights Commission [L. Muthoni WANYEKI]; Muslim Human Rights Forum [Ali-Amin KIMATHI]; National Convention Executive Council or NCEC, a proreform coalition of political parties and nongovernment organizations [Ndung'u WAINANA]; Protestant National Council of Churches of Kenya or NCCK [Canon Peter Karanja MWANGI]; Roman Catholic and other Christian churches; Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims or SUPKEM [Shaykh Abdul Gafur al-BUSAIDY] other: labor unions

Kiribati NA

Korea, North none

Korea, South Federation of Korean Industries; Federation of Korean Trade Unions; Korean Confederation of Trade Unions; Korean National Council of Churches; Korean Traders Association; Korean Veterans' Association; National Council of Labor Unions; National Democratic Alliance of Korea; National Federation of Farmers' Associations; National Federation of Student Associations

Kosovo Council for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedom (human rights); Humanitarian Law Centre (human rights); Movement for Self-Determination; Serb National Council (SNV)

Kuwait other: Islamists; merchants; political groups; secular liberals and pro-governmental deputies; Shia activists; tribal groups

Kyrgyzstan Adilet Legal Clinic [Cholpon JAKUPOVA]; Coalition for Democracy and Civil Society [Dinara OSHURAKHUNOVA]; Interbilim [Asiya SASYKBAYEVA]

Laos NA

Latvia Headquarters for the Protection of Russian Schools (SHTAB) [Aleksandr KAZAKOV]

Lebanon Hizballah military wing other: Palestinian militias; Maronite Christians; Sunnis and their militias; Shi'as and their militias

Lesotho Media Institute of Southern Africa, Lesotho chapter [Thabang MATJAMA] (pushes for media freedom)

Liberia other: demobilized former military officers

Libya other: Arab nationalist movements; anti-QADHAFI Libyan exile Movement; Islamic elements

Liechtenstein NA

Lithuania Europe House (promotes the EU); European Movement (promotes the EU); Lithuanian Future Forum (promotes the EU)

Luxembourg ABBL (bankers' association); ALEBA (financial sector trade union); Centrale Paysanne (federation of agricultural producers); CEP (professional sector chamber); CGFP (trade union representing civil service); Chambre de Commerce (Chamber of Commerce); Chambre des Metiers (Chamber of Artisans); FEDIL (federation of industrialists); Greenpeace (environment protection); LCGP (center-right trade union); Mouvement Ecologique (protection of ecology); OGBL (center-left trade union)

Macau Macau Society of Tourism and Entertainment or STDM [Stanley HO]; Roman Catholic Church; Union for Democracy Development [Antonio NG Kuok-cheong]

Macedonia Federation of Free Trade Unions [Svetlana PETROVIC]; Federation of Trade Unions [Vanco MURATOVSKI]; Trade Union of Education, Science and Culture [Dojcin CVETANOSKI]; World Macedonian Congress [Todor PETROV]

Madagascar Committee for the Defense of Truth and Justice or KMMR; Committee for National Reconciliation or CRN [Albert Zafy]; National Council of Christian Churches or FFKM

Malawi Agri-Ecology Media (agriculture and environmental group); Malawi Law Society (human rights); Malawi Movement for the Restoration of Democracy or MMRD (acts to restore and maintain democracy); National Democratic Alliance or NDA (acts to restore democracy; Public Affairs Committee or PAC (promotes democracy, development, peace and unity)

Malaysia Bersih (electoral reform); Sharia High Court other: religious groups; women's groups; youth groups

Maldives other: various unregistered political parties

Mali other: the army; Islamic authorities; rebels in the northern region; state-run cotton company CMDT; tuaregs

Malta Alleanza Liberal-Demokratika Maltra ro ALDM (against illegal immigration); Alleanza Nazzionali Repubblikana or ANR (encourages tourism); Alternattiva Demokratika (campaign to reform rent law, and other campaigns); Azzjoni Nazzjonali or AN (freedom to participate in democratic government); Ghazdatal-Konsumaturi (consumer rights); Nazi Watch Malta (exposing Nazis) other: environmentalists

Marshall Islands NA

Mauritania General Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CGTM [Abdallahi Ould MOHAMED, secretary general]; Independent Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CLTM [Samory Ould BEYE]; Mauritanian Workers Union or UTM [Mohamed Ely Ould BRAHIM, secretary general] other: Arab nationalists; Ba'thists; Islamists

Mauritius other: various labor unions

Mayotte NA

Mexico Broad Progressive Front or FAP; Businessmen's Coordinating Council or CCE; Confederation of Employers of the Mexican Republic or COPARMEX; Confederation of Industrial Chambers or CONCAMIN; Confederation of Mexican Workers or CTM; Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce or CONCANACO; Coordinator for Foreign Trade Business Organizations or COECE; Federation of Unions Providing Goods and Services or FESEBES; National Chamber of Transformation Industries or CANACINTRA; National Peasant Confederation or CNC; National Small Business Chamber or CANACOPE; National Syndicate of Education Workers or SNTE; National Union of Workers or UNT; Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca or APPO; Roman Catholic Church

Micronesia, Federated States of NA

Moldova NA

Monaco NA

Mongolia other: human rights groups; women's groups

Montenegro Sandzak People's Movement [Cemal SULFEJIC]

Montserrat NA

Morocco Democratic Confederation of Labor or CDT [Noubir AMAOUI]; General Union of Moroccan Workers or UGTM [Abderrazzak AFILAL]; Moroccan Employers Association or CGEM [Hassan CHAMI]; National Labor Union of Morocco or UNMT [Abdelslam MAATI]; Union of Moroccan Workers or UMT [Mahjoub BENSEDDIK]

Mozambique Etica [Abdul CARIMO Issa, chairman]; Human Rights and Development (Direitos Humanos e Desenvolvimento) or DHD [Artemisia FRANCO, secretary general]; Institute for Peace and Democracy (Instituto para Paz e Democracia) or IPADE [Raul DOMINGOS, president]; Movement for Peace and Citizenship (Movimento para Paz e Cidadania); Mozambican League of Human Rights (Liga Mocambicana dos Direitos Humanos) or LDH [Alice MABOTE, president]

Namibia Earthlife Namibia [Berthchen KOHRS] (environmentalist group); National Society for Human Rights or NSHR; The World Information Services of Energy or WISE (group against nuclear power)

Nauru Woman Information and News Agency (women's issues)

Nepal other: several small armed Madhesi groups along the southern border with India; a variety of groups advocating regional autonomy for individual ethnic groups

Netherlands Christian Trade Union Federation or CNV [Rene PAAS]; Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers or VNO-NCW [Bernard WIENTJES]; Federation for Small and Medium-sized businesses or MKB [Loek HERMANS]; Netherlands Trade Union Federation or FNV [Agnes JONGERIUS]; Social Economic Council or SER [Alexander RINNOOY Kan]; Trade Union Federation of Middle and High Personnel or MHP [Ad VERHOEVEN]

Netherlands Antilles Employers Association (VBC); Unions (AVBO)

New Caledonia NA

New Zealand Women's Electoral Lobby or WEL other: apartheid groups; civil rights groups; farmers groups; Maori; nuclear weapons groups; women's rights groups

Nicaragua National Workers Front or FNT (a Sandinista umbrella group of eight labor unions including: Farm Workers Association or ATC, Health Workers Federation or FETASALUD, Heroes and Martyrs Confederation of Professional Associations or CONAPRO, National Association of Educators of Nicaragua or ANDEN, National Union of Employees or UNE, National Union of Farmers and Ranchers or UNAG, Sandinista Workers Central or CST, and Union of Journalists of Nicaragua or UPN); Permanent Congress of Workers or CPT (an umbrella group of four non-Sandinista labor unions including: Autonomous Nicaraguan Workers Central or CTN-A, Confederation of Labor Unification or CUS, Independent General Confederation of Labor or CGT-I, and Labor Action and Unity Central or CAUS); Nicaraguan Workers' Central or CTN (an independent labor union); Superior Council of Private Enterprise or COSEP (a confederation of business groups)

Niger The Nigerien Movement for Justice or MNJ, a predominantly Tuareg rebel group

Nigeria Academic Staff Union for Universities or ASUU; Campaign for Democracy or CD; Civil Liberties Organization or CLO; Committee for the Defense of Human Rights or CDHR; Constitutional Right Project or CRP; Human Right Africa; National Association of Democratic Lawyers or NADL; National Association of Nigerian Students or NANS; Nigerian Bar Association or NBA; Nigerian Labor Congress or NLC; Nigerian Medical Association or NMA; the Press; Universal Defenders of Democracy or UDD

Niue NA

Norfolk Island none

Northern Mariana Islands NA

Norway Norwegian Aid Committee or NORWAC; Norwegian Association of the Disabled; Pure Salmon Campaign; The Consumer Council (consumer advocacy group) other: environmental groups; media; reform movements

Oman none

Pakistan other: military (most important political force); ulema (clergy); landowners; industrialists; small merchants

Palau NA

Panama Chamber of Commerce; National Civic Crusade; National Council of Organized Workers or CONATO; National Council of Private Enterprise or CONEP; National Union of Construction and Similar Workers (SUNTRACS); Panamanian Association of Business Executives or APEDE; Panamanian Industrialists Society or SIP; Workers Confederation of the Republic of Panama or CTRP

Papua New Guinea Ahora [Andrew MAMOKO] (represents local tribes); Centre for Environment Law and Community Rights or Celcor [Damien ASE]; Community Coalition Against Corruption

Paraguay Ahorristas Estafados or AE; National Coordinating Board of Campesino Organizations or MCNOC [Luis AGUAYO]; National Federation of Campesinos or FNC [Odilon ESPINOLA]; National Workers Central or CNT [Secretary General Juan TORRALES]; Paraguayan Workers Confederation or CPT; Roman Catholic Church; Unitary Workers Central or CUT [Jorge Guzman ALVARENGA Malgarejo]

Peru Shining Path [Abimael GUZMAN Reynoso (imprisoned), Gabriel MACARIO (top leader at-large)] (leftist guerrilla group); Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement or MRTA [Victor POLAY (imprisoned), Hugo AVALLENEDA Valdez (top leader at-large)] (leftist guerrilla group)

Philippines AKBAYAN [Etta ROSALES, Mario AGUJA, and Risa HONTIVEROS-BARAQUIEL]; ALAGAD [Rodante MARROLITA]; ALIF [Acmad TOMAWIS]; An Waray [Horencio NOEL]; Anak Mindanao [Mujiv HATAMIN]; ANAKPAWIS [Crispin BELTRAN and Rafael MARIANO]; Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives (APEC) [Sunny Rose MADAMBA, Ernesto PABLO, and Edgar VALDEZ]; AVE [Eulogio MAGSAYSAY]; Bayan Muna [Satur OCAMPO, Joel VIRADOR, and Teodoro CASINO, Jr.]; BUHAY [Rene VELARDE and Hans Christian SENERES]; BUTIL [Benjamin CRUZ]; CIBAC [Emmanuel Joel VILLANUEVA]; COOP-NATCO [Guillermo CUA]; GABRIELA [Liza MAZA]; Partido Ng Manggagawa [Renato MAGTUBO]; Veterans Federation of the Philippines [Ernesto GIDAYA]

Pitcairn Islands none

Poland All Poland Trade Union Alliance or OPZZ (trade union) [Jan GUZ]; Roman Catholic Church [Cardinal Stanislaw DZIWISZ, Archbishop Jozef MICHALIK]; Solidarity Trade Union [Janusz SNIADEK]

Portugal the media

Puerto Rico Boricua Popular Army or EPB (a revolutionary group also known as Los Macheteros); note - the following radical groups are considered dormant by Federal law enforcement: Armed Forces for National Liberation or FALN, Armed Forces of Popular Resistance, Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolution

Qatar none

Romania other: various human rights and professional associations

Russia Levada Center (conducts polls); Memorial (human rights group; Movement Against Illegal Migration; Pamjat (preservation of historical monuments and recording of history); Russian Orthodox Church; Russian-Chechen Friendship Society other: ecology groups; human rights groups; nationalist pragmatists (no foreign influence over Central Eurasia); neo-Eurasianists (against Western influence for the area); religious groups; westernizers (lean towards the West)

Rwanda IBUKA (association of genocide survivors)

Saint Barthelemy The Marine Reserve (protection of fish); Rotary Club

Saint Helena other: private sector; unions

Saint Kitts and Nevis NA

Saint Lucia NA

Saint Martin NA

Saint Pierre and Miquelon NA

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines NA

Samoa NA

San Marino NA

Sao Tome and Principe Association of Sao Tome and Principe NGOs or FONG other: the media

Saudi Arabia Ansar Al Marah (supports women's rights) other: gas companies; religious groups

Senegal other: labor; students; Sufi brotherhoods, including the Mourides and Tidjanes; teachers

Serbia NA

Seychelles Roman Catholic Church other: trade unions

Sierra Leone other: student unions; trade unions

Singapore UNFEM [Saleeman ISMAIL] other: investment companies; news organizations

Slovakia Association of Towns and Villages or ZMOS; Confederation of Trade Unions or KOZ; Entrepreneurs Association of Slovakia or ZPS; Federation of Employers' Associations of the Slovak Republic; National Union of Employers or RUZ; Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry or SOPK; The Business Alliance of Slovakia or PAS

Slovenia Democratic Party of Slovenian Pensioners or DeSUS (protecting the rights of the older generation); Slovenian Roma Association [Jozek Horvat MUC] other: Catholic Church

Solomon Islands Isatabu Freedom Movement (IFM); Malaita Eagle Force (MEF); note - these rival armed ethnic factions crippled the Solomon Islands in a wave of violence from 1999 to 2003

Somalia other: numerous clan and sub-clan factions exist both in support and in opposition to the transitional government

South Africa Congress of South African Trade Unions or COSATU [Zwelinzima VAVI, general secretary]; South African Communist Party or SACP [Blade NZIMANDE, general secretary]; South African National Civics Organization or SANCO [Mlungisi HLONGWANE, national president] note: note - COSATU and SACP are in a formal alliance with the ANC

Spain Association for Victims of Terrorism or AVT (grassroots organization devoted primarily to opposing ETA terrorist attacks and supporting its victims); Basta Ya (Spanish for "Enough is Enough"; grassroots organization devoted primarily to opposing ETA terrorist attacks and supporting its victims); Nunca Mais (Galician for "Never Again"; formed in response to the oil Tanker Prestige oil spill); Socialist General Union of Workers or UGT and the smaller independent Workers Syndical Union or USO; Trade Union Confederation of Workers' Commissions or CC.OO. other: business and landowning interests; Catholic Church; free labor unions (authorized in April 1977); university students

Sri Lanka Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam or LTTE [Velupillai PRABHAKARAN](insurgent group fighting for a separate state); Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) or Karuna Faction [Vinayagamurthi MURALITHARAN] (paramilitary breakaway from LTTE and fighting LTTE) other: Buddhist clergy; labor unions; radical chauvinist Sinhalese groups such as the National Movement Against Terrorism; Sinhalese Buddhist lay groups

Sudan Umma Party [Sadiq al-MAHDI]; Popular Congress Party or PCP [Hassan al-TURABI]

Suriname Association of Indigenous Village Chiefs [Ricardo PANE]; Association of Saramaccan Authorities or Maroon [Head Captain WASE]; Women's Parliament Forum or PVF [Iris GILLIAD]

Svalbard NA

Swaziland Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions; Swaziland and Solidarity Network or SSN

Sweden Children's Rights in Society; Central Association of Salarited Emplyees or TCO; Swedish Federation of Trade Unions or LO other: media

Switzerland NA

Syria Damascus Declaration National Council [Riyad SEIF, secretary general] (a broad alliance of opposition groups and individuals including: Committee for Revival of Civil Society [Michel KILO, Riyad SEIF], Communist Action Party [Fateh JAMOUS], Kurdish Democratic Alliance, Kurdish Democratic Front, Liberal Nationalists' Movement, National Democratic Front, National Democratic Rally, and Syrian Human Rights Society or HRAS [Fawed FAWUZ]); National Salvation Front (alliance between former Vice President Abd al-Halim KHADDAM, the SMB, and other small opposition groups); Syrian Muslim Brotherhood or SMB [Sadr al-Din al-BAYANUNI] (operates in exile in London; endorsed the Damascus Declaration, but is not an official member)

Taiwan Organization for Taiwan Nation Building; World United Formosans for Independence other: environmental groups; independence movement; various business groups note: debate on Taiwan independence has become acceptable within the mainstream of domestic politics on Taiwan; political liberalization and the increased representation of opposition parties in Taiwan's legislature have opened public debate on the island's national identity; a broad popular consensus has developed that the island currently enjoys sovereign independence and - whatever the ultimate outcome regarding reunification or independence - that Taiwan's people must have the deciding voice; public opinion polls consistently show a substantial majority of Taiwan people supports maintaining Taiwan's status quo for the foreseeable future; advocates of Taiwan independence oppose the stand that the island will eventually unify with mainland China; goals of the Taiwan independence movement include establishing a sovereign nation on Taiwan and entering the UN

Tajikistan Agrarian Party [Hikmatullo NASREDDINOV] (unregistered political party); Democratic Party or DPT [Masud SOBIROV] (splintered from Iskanderov's DPT); Progressive Party [Sulton QUVVATOV]; Socialist Party or SPT [Abdualim GHAFFOROV] (splintered from Narziyev's SPT); Unity Party [Hikmatullo SAIDOV] other: splinter parties recognized by the government but not by the base of the party; unregistered political parties

Tanzania Economic and Social Research Foundation or ESRF; Free Zanzibar; Tanzania Media Women's Association or TAMWA

Thailand People's Alliance for Democracy; Campaign for Democracy [Pibob THONGCHAI]

Timor-Leste NA

Togo NA

Tokelau none

Tonga Human Rights and Democracy Movement Tonga or HRDMT [Rev. Simote VEA, chairman]; Public Servant's Association [Finau TUTONE]

Trinidad and Tobago Jamaat-al Muslimeen [Yasin BAKR]

Tunisia 18 October Group [collective leadership]; Tunisian League for Human Rights or LTDH [Mokhtar TRIFI]

Turkey Confederation of Public Sector Unions or KESK [Ismail Hakki TOMBUL]; Confederation of Revolutionary Workers Unions or DISK [Suleyman CELEBI]; Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association or MUSIAD [Omer BOLAT]; Moral Rights Workers Union or Hak-Is [Salim USLU]; Turkish Confederation of Employers' Unions or TISK [Tugurl KUDATGOBILIK]; Turkish Confederation of Labor or Turk-Is [Salih KILIC]; Turkish Confederation of Tradesmen and Craftsmen or TESK [Dervis GUNDAY]; Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association or TUSIAD [Omer SABANCI]; Turkish Union of Chambers of Commerce and Commodity Exchanges or TOBB [M. Rifat HISARCIKLIOGLU]

Turkmenistan NA

Turks and Caicos Islands NA

Tuvalu none

Uganda Lord's Resistence Group or LRA [Joseph KONY]; Young Parliamentary Association [Henry BANYENZAKI]; Parliamentary Advocacy Forum or PAFO; National Association of Women Organizations in Uganda or NAWOU [Florence NEKYON]; The Ugandan Coalition for Political Accountability to Wormen or COPAW

Ukraine Committee of Voters of Ukraine [Ihor POPOV]; Peoples' Self-Defense [Yuriy LUTSENKO]

United Arab Emirates NA

United Kingdom Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament; Confederation of British Industry; National Farmers' Union; Trades Union Congress

United States environmentalists; business groups; labor unions; churches; ethnic groups; political action committees or PAC; health groups; education groups; cuvuc griyos; youth groups; transportation groups; agricultural groups; veterans groups; women's groups; reform lobbies

Uruguay Architect's Society of Uruguay (professional organization); Chamber of Uruguayan Industries (manufacturer's association); Chemist and Pharmaceutical Association (professional organization); PIT/CNT (powerful federation of Uruguayan Unions - umbrella labor organization); Rural Association of Uruguay (rancher's association); Uruguayan Construction League; Uruguayan Network of Political Women other: Catholic Church; students

Uzbekistan Agrarian and Entrepreneurs' Party [Marat ZAHIDOV]; Birlik (Unity) Movement [Abdurakhim POLAT, chairman]; Committee for the Protection of Human Rights [Marat ZAHIDOV]; Erk (Freedom) Democratic Party [Muhammad SOLIH, chairman] (was banned 9 December 1992); Ezgulik Human Rights Society [Vasila INOYATOVA]; Free Farmers' Party or Ozod Dehqonlar [Nigora KHIDOYATOVA]; Human Rights Society of Uzbekistan [Talib YAKUBOV, chairman]; Independent Human Rights Organization of Uzbekistan [Mikhail ARDZINOV, chairman]; Mazlum; Sunshine Coalition [Sanjar UMAROV, chairman]

Vanuatu NA

Venezuela FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; VECINOS groups; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers or CTV (labor organization dominated by the Democratic Action)

Vietnam 8406 Bloc; Democratic Party of Vietnam or DPV; People's Democratic Party Vietnam or PDP-VN; Alliance for Democracy note: these groups advocate democracy but are not recognized by the government

Virgin Islands NA

Wallis and Futuna NA

Western Sahara none

Yemen Muslim Brotherhood; Women National Committee other: conservative tribal groups

Zambia NA

Zimbabwe Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition [Xolani ZITHA]; National Constitutional Assembly or NCA [Lovemore MADHUKU]; Women of Zimbabwe Arise or WOZA [Jenny WILLIAMS]; Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions or ZCTU [Wellington CHIBEBE]

This page was last updated on 18 December 2008

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@2116 Economy - overview

Afghanistan Afghanistan's economy is recovering from decades of conflict. The economy has improved significantly since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001 largely because of the infusion of international assistance, the recovery of the agricultural sector, and service sector growth. Real GDP growth exceeded 7% in 2007. Despite the progress of the past few years, Afghanistan is extremely poor, landlocked, and highly dependent on foreign aid, agriculture, and trade with neighboring countries. Much of the population continues to suffer from shortages of housing, clean water, electricity, medical care, and jobs. Criminality, insecurity, and the Afghan Government's inability to extend rule of law to all parts of the country pose challenges to future economic growth. It will probably take the remainder of the decade and continuing donor aid and attention to significantly raise Afghanistan's living standards from its current level, among the lowest in the world. International pledges made by more than 60 countries and international financial institutions at the Berlin Donors Conference for Afghan reconstruction in March 2004 reached $8.9 billion for 2004-09. While the international community remains committed to Afghanistan's development, pledging over $24 billion at three donors' conferences since 2002, Kabul will need to overcome a number of challenges. Expanding poppy cultivation and a growing opium trade generate roughly $4 billion in illicit economic activity and looms as one of Kabul's most serious policy concerns. Other long-term challenges include: budget sustainability, job creation, corruption, government capacity, and rebuilding war torn infrastructure.

Akrotiri Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military and their families located in Akrotiri. All food and manufactured goods must be imported.

Albania Lagging behind its Balkan neighbors, Albania is making the difficult transition to a more modern open-market economy. The government has taken measures to curb violent crime, and recently adopted a fiscal reform package aimed at reducing the large gray economy and attracting foreign investment. The economy is bolstered by annual remittances from abroad of $600-$800 million, mostly from Albanians residing in Greece and Italy; this helps offset the towering trade deficit. Agriculture, which accounts for more than one-fifth of GDP, is held back because of lack of modern equipment, unclear property rights, and the prevalence of small, inefficient plots of land. Energy shortages and antiquated and inadequate infrastructure contribute to Albania's poor business environment, which make it difficult to attract and sustain foreign investment. The completion of a new thermal power plant near Vlore and improved transmission line between Albania and Montenegro will help relieve the energy shortages. Also, the government is moving slowly to improve the poor national road and rail network, a long-standing barrier to sustained economic growth. On the positive side, macroeconomic growth was strong in 2003-07 and inflation is low and stable.

Algeria The hydrocarbons sector is the backbone of the economy, accounting for roughly 60% of budget revenues, 30% of GDP, and over 95% of export earnings. Algeria has the eighth-largest reserves of natural gas in the world and is the fourth-largest gas exporter; it ranks 14th in oil reserves. Sustained high oil prices in recent years have helped improve Algeria's financial and macroeconomic indicators. Algeria is running substantial trade surpluses and building up record foreign exchange reserves. Algeria has decreased its external debt to less than 10% of GDP after repaying its Paris Club and London Club debt in 2006. Real GDP has risen due to higher oil output and increased government spending. The government's continued efforts to diversify the economy by attracting foreign and domestic investment outside the energy sector, however, has had little success in reducing high unemployment and improving living standards. Structural reform within the economy, such as development of the banking sector and the construction of infrastructure, moves ahead slowly hampered by corruption and bureaucratic resistance.

American Samoa American Samoa has a traditional Polynesian economy in which more than 90% of the land is communally owned. Economic activity is strongly linked to the US with which American Samoa conducts most of its commerce. Tuna fishing and tuna processing plants are the backbone of the private sector, with canned tuna the primary export. Transfers from the US Government add substantially to American Samoa's economic well being. Attempts by the government to develop a larger and broader economy are restrained by Samoa's remote location, its limited transportation, and its devastating hurricanes. Tourism is a promising developing sector. note: as a territory of the US, American Samoa does not treat the US as an external trade partner

Andorra Tourism, the mainstay of Andorra's tiny, well-to-do economy, accounts for more than 80% of GDP. An estimated 11.6 million tourists visit annually, attracted by Andorra's duty-free status and by its summer and winter resorts. Andorra's comparative advantage has recently eroded as the economies of neighboring France and Spain have been opened up, providing broader availability of goods and lower tariffs. The banking sector, with its partial "tax haven" status, also contributes substantially to the economy. Agricultural production is limited - only 2% of the land is arable - and most food has to be imported. The principal livestock activity is sheep raising. Manufacturing output consists mainly of cigarettes, cigars, and furniture. Andorra is a member of the EU Customs Union and is treated as an EU member for trade in manufactured goods (no tariffs) and as a non-EU member for agricultural products.

Angola Angola's high growth rate is driven by its oil sector, with record oil prices and rising petroleum production. Oil production and its supporting activities contribute about 85% of GDP. Increased oil production supported growth averaging more than 15% per year from 2004 to 2007. A postwar reconstruction boom and resettlement of displaced persons has led to high rates of growth in construction and agriculture as well. Much of the country's infrastructure is still damaged or undeveloped from the 27-year-long civil war. Remnants of the conflict such as widespread land mines still mar the countryside even though an apparently durable peace was established after the death of rebel leader Jonas SAVIMBI in February 2002. Subsistence agriculture provides the main livelihood for most of the people, but half of the country's food must still be imported. In 2005, the government started using a $2 billion line of credit, since increased to $7 billion, from China to rebuild Angola's public infrastructure, and several large-scale projects were completed in 2006. Angola also has large credit lines from Brazil, Portugal, Germany, Spain, and the EU. The central bank in 2003 implemented an exchange rate stabilization program using foreign exchange reserves to buy kwanzas out of circulation. This policy became more sustainable in 2005 because of strong oil export earnings; it has significantly reduced inflation. Although consumer inflation declined from 325% in 2000 to under 13% in 2007, the stabilization policy has put pressure on international net liquidity. Angola became a member of OPEC in late 2006 and in late 2007 was assigned a production quota of 1.9 million barrels a day, somewhat less than the 2-2.5 million bbl Angola's government had wanted. To fully take advantage of its rich national resources - gold, diamonds, extensive forests, Atlantic fisheries, and large oil deposits - Angola will need to implement government reforms, increase transparency, and reduce corruption. The government has rejected a formal IMF monitored program, although it continues Article IV consultations and ad hoc cooperation. Corruption, especially in the extractive sectors, and the negative effects of large inflows of foreign exchange, are major challenges facing Angola.

Anguilla Anguilla has few natural resources, and the economy depends heavily on luxury tourism, offshore banking, lobster fishing, and remittances from emigrants. Increased activity in the tourism industry has spurred the growth of the construction sector, contributing to economic growth. Anguillan officials have put substantial effort into developing the offshore financial sector, which is small, but growing. In the medium term, prospects for the economy will depend largely on the tourism sector and, therefore, on revived income growth in the industrialized nations as well as on favorable weather conditions.

Antarctica Fishing off the coast and tourism, both based abroad, account for Antarctica's limited economic activity. Antarctic fisheries in 2005-06 (1 July-30 June) reported landing 128,081 metric tons (estimated fishing from the area covered by the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), which extends slightly beyond the Antarctic Treaty area). Unregulated fishing, particularly of Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides), is a serious problem. The CCAMLR determines the recommended catch limits for marine species. A total of 36,460 tourists visited the Antarctic Treaty area in the 2006-07 Antarctic summer, up from the 30,877 visitors the previous year (estimates provided to the Antarctic Treaty by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO); this does not include passengers on overflights). Nearly all of them were passengers on commercial (nongovernmental) ships and several yachts that make trips during the summer. Most tourist trips last approximately two weeks.

Antigua and Barbuda Antigua has a relatively high GDP per capita in comparison to most other Caribbean nations. It has experienced solid growth since 2003, driven by a construction boom in hotels and housing that which should wind down in 2008. Tourism continues to dominate the economy, accounting for more than half of GDP. The dual-island nation's agricultural production is focused on the domestic market and constrained by a limited water supply and a labor shortage stemming from the lure of higher wages in tourism and construction. Manufacturing comprises enclave-type assembly for export with major products being bedding, handicrafts, and electronic components. Prospects for economic growth in the medium term will continue to depend on income growth in the industrialized world, especially in the US, which accounts for slightly more than one-third of tourist arrivals. Since taking office in 2004, the SPENCER government has adopted an ambitious fiscal reform program, but will continue to be saddled by its debt burden with a debt-to-GDP ratio exceeding 100%.

Arctic Ocean Economic activity is limited to the exploitation of natural resources, including petroleum, natural gas, fish, and seals.

Argentina Argentina benefits from rich natural resources, a highly literate population, an export-oriented agricultural sector, and a diversified industrial base. Although one of the world's wealthiest countries 100 years ago, Argentina suffered during most of the 20th century from recurring economic crises, persistent fiscal and current account deficits, high inflation, mounting external debt, and capital flight. A severe depression, growing public and external indebtedness, and a bank run culminated in 2001 in the most serious economic, social, and political crisis in the country's turbulent history. Interim President Adolfo RODRIGUEZ SAA declared a default - the largest in history - on the government's foreign debt in December of that year, and abruptly resigned only a few days after taking office. His successor, Eduardo DUHALDE, announced an end to the peso's decade-long 1-to-1 peg to the US dollar in early 2002. The economy bottomed out that year, with real GDP 18% smaller than in 1998 and almost 60% of Argentines under the poverty line. Real GDP rebounded to grow by an average 9% annually over the subsequent five years, taking advantage of previously idled industrial capacity and labor, an audacious debt restructuring and reduced debt burden, excellent international financial conditions, and expansionary monetary and fiscal policies. Inflation, however, reached double-digit levels in 2006 and the government of President Nestor KIRCHNER responded with "voluntary" price agreements with businesses, as well as export taxes and restraints. Multi-year price freezes on electricity and natural gas rates for residential users stoked consumption and kept private investment away, leading to restrictions on industrial use and blackouts in 2007.