Chilelow coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes ineast
Chinamostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains,deltas, and hills in east
Christmas Islandsteep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to centralplateau
Clipperton Islandcoral atoll
Cocos (Keeling) Islandsflat, low-lying coral atolls
Colombiaflat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high AndesMountains, eastern lowland plains
Comorosvolcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to lowhills
Congo, Democratic Republic of thevast central basin is a low-lyingplateau; mountains in east
Congo, Republic of thecoastal plain, southern basin, centralplateau, northern basin
Cook Islandslow coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands insouth
Coral Sea Islandssand and coral reefs and islands (or cays)
Costa Ricacoastal plains separated by rugged mountains includingover 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes
Cote d'Ivoiremostly flat to undulating plains; mountains innorthwest
Croatiageographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian border,low mountains and highlands near Adriatic coastline and islands
Cubamostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountainsin the southeast
Cypruscentral plain with mountains to north and south; scatteredbut significant plains along southern coast
Czech RepublicBohemia in the west consists of rolling plains,hills, and plateaus surrounded by low mountains; Moravia in the eastconsists of very hilly country
Denmarklow and flat to gently rolling plains
Djibouticoastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains
Dominicarugged mountains of volcanic origin
Dominican Republic rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed
East Timormountainous
Ecuadorcoastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands(sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente)
Egyptvast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta
El Salvadormostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and centralplateau
Equatorial Guineacoastal plains rise to interior hills; islands arevolcanic
Eritreadominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trendinghighlands, descending on the east to a coastal desert plain, on thenorthwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rollingplains
Estoniamarshy, lowlands; flat in the north, hilly in the south
Ethiopiahigh plateau with central mountain range divided by GreatRift Valley
Europa Islandlow and flat
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)rocky, hilly, mountainous withsome boggy, undulating plains
Faroe Islandsrugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most ofcoast
Fijimostly mountains of volcanic origin
Finlandmostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakesand low hills
Francemostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west;remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east
French Guianalow-lying coastal plains rising to hills and smallmountains
French Polynesiamixture of rugged high islands and low islands withreefs
French Southern and Antarctic Landsvolcanic
Gabonnarrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south
Gambia, Theflood plain of the Gambia River flanked by some low hills
Gaza Stripflat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain
Georgialargely mountainous with Great Caucasus Mountains in thenorth and Lesser Caucasus Mountains in the south; Kolkhet'is Dablobi(Kolkhida Lowland) opens to the Black Sea in the west; Mtkvari RiverBasin in the east; good soils in river valley flood plains,foothills of Kolkhida Lowland
Germanylowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south
Ghanamostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area
Gibraltara narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar
Glorioso Islandslow and flat
Greecemostly mountains with ranges extending into the sea aspeninsulas or chains of islands
Greenlandflat to gradually sloping icecap covers all but a narrow,mountainous, barren, rocky coast
Grenadavolcanic in origin with central mountains
GuadeloupeBasse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interiormountains; Grande-Terre is low limestone formation; most of theseven other islands are volcanic in origin
Guamvolcanic origin, surrounded by coral reefs; relatively flatcoralline limestone plateau (source of most fresh water), with steepcoastal cliffs and narrow coastal plains in north, low hills incenter, mountains in south
Guatemalamostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rollinglimestone plateau (Peten)
Guernseymostly level with low hills in southwest
Guineagenerally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior
Guinea-Bissaumostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east
Guyanamostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south
Haitimostly rough and mountainous
Heard Island and McDonald Islands Heard Island - 80% ice-covered, bleak and mountainous, dominated by a large massif (Big Ben) and an active volcano (Mawson Peak); McDonald Islands - small and rocky
Holy See (Vatican City)low hill
Hondurasmostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains
Hong Konghilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north
Howland Islandlow-lying, nearly level, sandy, coral islandsurrounded by a narrow fringing reef; depressed central area
Hungarymostly flat to rolling plains; hills and low mountains onthe Slovakian border
Icelandmostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields;coast deeply indented by bays and fiords
Indiaupland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plainalong the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north
Indian Oceansurface dominated by counterclockwise gyre (broad,circular system of currents) in the southern Indian Ocean; uniquereversal of surface currents in the northern Indian Ocean; lowatmospheric pressure over southwest Asia from hot, rising, summerair results in the southwest monsoon and southwest-to-northeastwinds and currents, while high pressure over northern Asia fromcold, falling, winter air results in the northeast monsoon andnortheast-to-southwest winds and currents; ocean floor is dominatedby the Mid-Indian Ocean Ridge and subdivided by the Southeast IndianOcean Ridge, Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge, and Ninetyeast Ridge
Indonesiamostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interiormountains
Iranrugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts,mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts
Iraqmostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border insouth with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iranand Turkey
Irelandmostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by ruggedhills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast
IsraelNegev desert in the south; low coastal plain; centralmountains; Jordan Rift Valley
Italymostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands
Jamaicamostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
Jan Mayenvolcanic island, partly covered by glaciers
Japanmostly rugged and mountainous
Jarvis Islandsandy, coral island surrounded by a narrow fringingreef
Jerseygently rolling plain with low, rugged hills along north coast
Johnston Atollmostly flat
Jordanmostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; GreatRift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River
Juan de Nova Islandlow and flat
Kazakhstanextends from the Volga to the Altai Mountains and fromthe plains in western Siberia to oases and desert in Central Asia
Kenyalow plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great RiftValley; fertile plateau in west
Kingman Reeflow and nearly level
Kiribatimostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs
Korea, Northmostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrowvalleys; coastal plains wide in west, discontinuous in east
Korea, Southmostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in westand south
Kuwaitflat to slightly undulating desert plain
Kyrgyzstanpeaks of Tien Shan and associated valleys and basinsencompass entire nation
Laosmostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
Latvialow plain
Lebanonnarrow coastal plain; El Beqaa (Bekaa Valley) separatesLebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains
Lesothomostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains
Liberiamostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rollingplateau and low mountains in northeast
Libyamostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions
Liechtensteinmostly mountainous (Alps) with Rhine Valley in westernthird
Lithuanialowland, many scattered small lakes, fertile soil
Luxembourgmostly gently rolling uplands with broad, shallowvalleys; uplands to slightly mountainous in the north; steep slopedown to Moselle flood plain in the southeast
Macaugenerally flat
Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of mountainous territory covered with deep basins and valleys; three large lakes, each divided by a frontier line; country bisected by the Vardar River
Madagascarnarrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center
Malawinarrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills,some mountains
Malaysiacoastal plains rising to hills and mountains
Maldivesflat, with white sandy beaches
Malimostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savannain south, rugged hills in northeast
Maltamostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains; many coastalcliffs
Man, Isle ofhills in north and south bisected by central valley
Marshall Islandslow coral limestone and sand islands
Martiniquemountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano
Mauritaniamostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some centralhills
Mauritiussmall coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountainsencircling central plateau
Mayottegenerally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanicpeaks
Mexicohigh, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus;desert
Micronesia, Federated States of islands vary geologically from high mountainous islands to low, coral atolls; volcanic outcroppings on Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Chuuk
Midway Islandslow, nearly level
Moldovarolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea
Monacohilly, rugged, rocky
Mongoliavast semidesert and desert plains, grassy steppe, mountainsin west and southwest; Gobi Desert in south-central
Montserratvolcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastallowland
Morocconorthern coast and interior are mountainous with large areasof bordering plateaus, intermontane valleys, and rich coastal plains
Mozambiquemostly coastal lowlands, uplands in center, high plateausin northwest, mountains in west
Namibiamostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; KalahariDesert in east
Naurusandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefswith phosphate plateau in center
Navassa Islandraised coral and limestone plateau, flat toundulating; ringed by vertical white cliffs (9 to 15 m high)
NepalTerai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hillregion, rugged Himalayas in north
Netherlandsmostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders);some hills in southeast
Netherlands Antillesgenerally hilly, volcanic interiors
New Caledoniacoastal plains with interior mountains
New Zealandpredominately mountainous with some large coastal plains
Nicaraguaextensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to centralinterior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted byvolcanoes
Nigerpredominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rollingplains in south; hills in north
Nigeriasouthern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus;mountains in southeast, plains in north
Niuesteep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau
Norfolk Islandvolcanic formation with mostly rolling plains
Northern Mariana Islandssouthern islands are limestone with levelterraces and fringing coral reefs; northern islands are volcanic
Norwayglaciated; mostly high plateaus and rugged mountains brokenby fertile valleys; small, scattered plains; coastline deeplyindented by fjords; arctic tundra in north
Omancentral desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south
Pacific Oceansurface currents in the northern Pacific are dominatedby a clockwise, warm-water gyre (broad circular system of currents)and in the southern Pacific by a counterclockwise, cool-water gyre;in the northern Pacific, sea ice forms in the Bering Sea and Sea ofOkhotsk in winter; in the southern Pacific, sea ice from Antarcticareaches its northernmost extent in October; the ocean floor in theeastern Pacific is dominated by the East Pacific Rise, while thewestern Pacific is dissected by deep trenches, including the MarianaTrench, which is the world's deepest
Pakistanflat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest;Balochistan plateau in west
Palauvarying geologically from the high, mountainous main island ofBabelthuap to low, coral islands usually fringed by large barrierreefs
Palmyra Atollvery low
Panamainterior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, uplandplains; coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills
Papua New Guineamostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rollingfoothills
Paracel Islandsmostly low and flat
Paraguaygrassy plains and wooded hills east of Rio Paraguay; GranChaco region west of Rio Paraguay mostly low, marshy plain near theriver, and dry forest and thorny scrub elsewhere
Peruwestern coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center(sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva)
Philippinesmostly mountains with narrow to extensive coastallowlands
Pitcairn Islandsrugged volcanic formation; rocky coastline withcliffs
Polandmostly flat plain; mountains along southern border
Portugalmountainous north of the Tagus River, rolling plains insouth
Puerto Ricomostly mountains, with coastal plain belt in north;mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along mostcoastal areas
Qatarmostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand andgravel
Reunionmostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast
Romaniacentral Transylvanian Basin is separated from the Plain ofMoldavia on the east by the Carpathian Mountains and separated fromthe Walachian Plain on the south by the Transylvanian Alps
Russiabroad plain with low hills west of Urals; vast coniferousforest and tundra in Siberia; uplands and mountains along southernborder regions
Rwandamostly grassy uplands and hills; relief is mountainous withaltitude declining from west to east
Saint HelenaSaint Helena - rugged, volcanic; small scatteredplateaus and plainsnote: the other islands of the group have a volcanic origin
Saint Kitts and Nevisvolcanic with mountainous interiors
Saint Luciavolcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys
Saint Pierre and Miquelonmostly barren rock
Saint Vincent and the Grenadinesvolcanic, mountainous
Samoanarrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains ininterior
San Marinorugged mountains
Sao Tome and Principevolcanic, mountainous
Saudi Arabiamostly uninhabited, sandy desert
Senegalgenerally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills insoutheast
Serbia and Montenegroextremely varied; to the north, rich fertileplains; to the east, limestone ranges and basins; to the southeast,ancient mountains and hills; to the southwest, extremely highshoreline with no islands off the coast
SeychellesMahe Group is granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky,hilly; others are coral, flat, elevated reefs
Sierra Leonecoastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country,upland plateau, mountains in east
Singaporelowland; gently undulating central plateau contains watercatchment area and nature preserve
Slovakiarugged mountains in the central and northern part andlowlands in the south
Sloveniaa short coastal strip on the Adriatic, an alpine mountainregion adjacent to Italy and Austria, mixed mountains and valleyswith numerous rivers to the east
Solomon Islandsmostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
Somaliamostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north
South Africavast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrowcoastal plain
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islandsmost of the islands,rising steeply from the sea, are rugged and mountainous; SouthGeorgia is largely barren and has steep, glacier-covered mountains;the South Sandwich Islands are of volcanic origin with some activevolcanoes
Southern Oceanthe Southern Ocean is deep, 4,000 to 5,000 metersover most of its extent with only limited areas of shallow water;the Antarctic continental shelf is generally narrow and unusuallydeep, its edge lying at depths of 400 to 800 meters (the global meanis 133 meters); the Antarctic icepack grows from an average minimumof 2.6 million square kilometers in March to about 18.8 millionsquare kilometers in September, better than a sixfold increase inarea; the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (21,000 km in length) movesperpetually eastward; it is the world's largest ocean current,transporting 130 million cubic meters of water per second - 100times the flow of all the world's rivers
Spainlarge, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills;Pyrenees in north
Spratly Islandsflat
Sri Lankamostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains insouth-central interior
Sudangenerally flat, featureless plain; mountains in far south,northeast and west; desert dominates the north
Surinamemostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps
Svalbardwild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; westcoast clear of ice about one-half of the year; fjords along west andnorth coasts
Swazilandmostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains
Swedenmostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west
Switzerlandmostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) witha central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes
Syriaprimarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain;mountains in west
Taiwaneastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gentlyrolling plains in west
TajikistanPamir and Alay Mountains dominate landscape; westernFergana Valley in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest
Tanzaniaplains along coast; central plateau; highlands in north,south
Thailandcentral plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountainselsewhere
Togogently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southernplateau; low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes
Tokelaulow-lying coral atolls enclosing large lagoons
Tongamost islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coralformation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base
Trinidad and Tobagomostly plains with some hills and low mountains
Tromelin Islandlow, flat, and sandy; likely volcanic
Tunisiamountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid southmerges into the Sahara
Turkeyhigh central plateau (Anatolia); narrow coastal plain;several mountain ranges
Turkmenistanflat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising tomountains in the south; low mountains along border with Iran;borders Caspian Sea in west
Turks and Caicos Islands low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps
Tuvaluvery low-lying and narrow coral atolls
Ugandamostly plateau with rim of mountains
Ukrainemost of Ukraine consists of fertile plains (steppes) andplateaus, mountains being found only in the west (the Carpathians),and in the Crimean Peninsula in the extreme south
United Arab Emiratesflat, barren coastal plain merging into rollingsand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east
United Kingdommostly rugged hills and low mountains; level torolling plains in east and southeast
United Statesvast central plain, mountains in west, hills and lowmountains in east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys inAlaska; rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii
Uruguaymostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland
Uzbekistanmostly flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes; broad,flat intensely irrigated river valleys along course of Amu Darya,Syr Darya (Sirdaryo), and Zarafshon; Fergana Valley in eastsurrounded by mountainous Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan; shrinking AralSea in west
Vanuatumostly mountains of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains
VenezuelaAndes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest;central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast
Vietnamlow, flat delta in south and north; central highlands;hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest
Virgin Islandsmostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with littlelevel land
Wake Islandatoll of three coral islands built up on an underwatervolcano; central lagoon is former crater, islands are part of the rim
Wallis and Futunavolcanic origin; low hills
West Bankmostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west,but barren in east
Western Saharamostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky orsandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast
Worldthe greatest ocean depth is the Mariana Trench at 10,924 m inthe Pacific Ocean
Yemennarrow coastal plain backed by flat-topped hills and ruggedmountains; dissected upland desert plains in center slope into thedesert interior of the Arabian Peninsula
Zambiamostly high plateau with some hills and mountains
Zimbabwemostly high plateau with higher central plateau (highveld); mountains in east
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
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@2127 Total fertility rate (children born/woman)
Afghanistan5.64 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Albania2.22 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Algeria2.55 children born/woman (2003 est.)
American Samoa3.3 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Andorra1.27 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Angola6.38 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Anguilla1.76 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Antigua and Barbuda2.28 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Argentina2.28 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Armenia1.56 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Aruba1.79 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Australia1.76 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Austria1.41 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Azerbaijan2.34 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Bahamas, The2.25 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Bahrain2.71 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Bangladesh3.17 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Barbados1.65 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Belarus1.34 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Belgium1.62 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Belize3.86 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Benin6.04 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Bermuda1.9 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Bhutan4.94 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Bolivia3.23 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Bosnia and Herzegovina1.71 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Botswana3.27 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Brazil2.01 children born/woman (2003 est.)
British Virgin Islands1.72 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Brunei2.37 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Bulgaria1.13 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Burkina Faso6.34 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Burma2.15 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Burundi5.99 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Cambodia3.58 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Cameroon4.63 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Canada1.61 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Cape Verde3.77 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Cayman Islands1.91 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Central African Republic4.68 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Chad6.44 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Chile2.09 children born/woman (2003 est.)
China1.7 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Christmas IslandNA children born/woman (2003 est.)
Cocos (Keeling) IslandsNA children born/woman (2003 est.)
Colombia2.61 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Comoros5.21 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the 6.69 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Congo, Republic of the3.65 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Cook IslandsNA children born/woman (2003 est.)
Costa Rica2.38 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Cote d'Ivoire5.51 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Croatia1.93 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Cuba1.61 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Cyprus1.88 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Czech Republic1.18 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Denmark1.73 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Djibouti5.56 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Dominica1.99 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Dominican Republic2.92 children born/woman (2003 est.)
East Timor3.79 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Ecuador2.99 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Egypt3.02 children born/woman (2003 est.)
El Salvador3.25 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Equatorial Guinea4.75 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Eritrea5.74 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Estonia1.27 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Ethiopia5.55 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)NA children born/woman
Faroe Islands2.24 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Fiji2.81 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Finland1.7 children born/woman (2003 est.)
France1.85 children born/woman (2003 est.)
French Guiana3.09 children born/woman (2003 est.)
French Polynesia2.14 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Gabon4.83 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Gambia, The5.53 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Gaza Strip6.17 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Georgia1.51 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Germany1.37 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Ghana3.32 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Gibraltar1.65 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Greece1.35 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Greenland2.43 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Grenada2.45 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Guadeloupe1.92 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Guam3.62 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Guatemala4.67 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Guernsey1.37 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Guinea5.9 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Guinea-Bissau5.07 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Guyana2.07 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Haiti4.86 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Honduras4.07 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Hong Kong1.32 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Hungary1.25 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Iceland1.98 children born/woman (2003 est.)
India2.91 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Indonesia2.5 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Iran1.99 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Iraq4.52 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Ireland1.89 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Israel2.5 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Italy1.26 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Jamaica2.01 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Japan1.38 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Jersey1.57 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Jordan3 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Kazakhstan2.16 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Kenya3.47 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Kiribati4.28 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Korea, North2.25 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Korea, South1.56 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Kuwait3.08 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Kyrgyzstan3.12 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Laos4.94 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Latvia1.2 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Lebanon1.98 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Lesotho3.52 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Liberia6.23 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Libya3.49 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Liechtenstein1.5 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Lithuania1.43 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Luxembourg1.7 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Macau1.32 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of 1.75 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Madagascar5.73 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Malawi6.1 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Malaysia3.13 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Maldives5.26 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Mali6.66 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Malta1.91 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Man, Isle of1.65 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Marshall Islands4.12 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Martinique1.79 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Mauritania6.08 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Mauritius1.98 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Mayotte6.07 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Mexico2.53 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Micronesia, Federated States of3.5 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Moldova1.74 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Monaco1.76 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Mongolia2.28 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Montserrat1.8 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Morocco2.89 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Mozambique4.87 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Namibia4.71 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Nauru3.4 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Nepal4.39 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Netherlands1.65 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Netherlands Antilles2.04 children born/woman (2003 est.)
New Caledonia2.39 children born/woman (2003 est.)
New Zealand1.79 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Nicaragua3 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Niger6.91 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Nigeria5.4 children born/woman (2003 est.)
NiueNA children born/woman (2003 est.)
Norfolk IslandNA children born/woman (2003 est.)
Northern Mariana Islands1.75 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Norway1.8 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Oman5.94 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Pakistan4.1 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Palau2.47 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Panama2.53 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Papua New Guinea4.13 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Paraguay4.02 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Peru2.81 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Philippines3.29 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Pitcairn IslandsNA children born/woman (2003 est.)
Poland1.37 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Portugal1.49 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Puerto Rico2.02 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Qatar3.02 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Reunion2.53 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Romania1.36 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Russia1.33 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Rwanda5.6 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Saint Helena1.54 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Saint Kitts and Nevis2.37 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Saint Lucia2.29 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Saint Pierre and Miquelon2.07 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines1.95 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Samoa3.21 children born/woman (2003 est.)
San Marino1.31 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Sao Tome and Principe5.88 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Saudi Arabia6.15 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Senegal4.93 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Serbia and Montenegro1.77 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Seychelles1.79 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Sierra Leone5.86 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Singapore1.24 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Slovakia1.25 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Slovenia1.27 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Solomon Islands4.34 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Somalia6.98 children born/woman (2003 est.)
South Africa2.24 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Spain1.26 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Sri Lanka1.9 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Sudan5.1 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Suriname2.4 children born/woman (2003 est.)
SvalbardNA children born/woman (2003 est.)
Swaziland3.92 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Sweden1.54 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Switzerland1.48 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Syria3.72 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Taiwan1.57 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Tajikistan4.17 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Tanzania5.24 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Thailand1.91 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Togo4.97 children born/woman (2003 est.)
TokelauNA children born/woman (2003 est.)
Tonga3 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Trinidad and Tobago1.78 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Tunisia1.9 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Turkey2.03 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Turkmenistan3.5 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Turks and Caicos Islands3.15 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Tuvalu3.05 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Uganda6.72 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Ukraine1.34 children born/woman (2003 est.)
United Arab Emirates3.09 children born/woman (2003 est.)
United Kingdom1.66 children born/woman (2003 est.)
United States2.07 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Uruguay2.35 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Uzbekistan3 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Vanuatu2.98 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Venezuela2.36 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Vietnam2.24 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Virgin Islands2.22 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Wallis and FutunaNA children born/woman (2003 est.)
West Bank4.65 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Western SaharaNA children born/woman (2003 est.)
World2.65 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Yemen6.82 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Zambia5.25 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Zimbabwe3.66 children born/woman (2003 est.)
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
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@2128 Government type
Afghanistantransitional
Albaniaemerging democracy
Algeriarepublic
American SamoaNA
Andorraparliamentary democracy (since March 1993) that retains asits heads of state a coprincipality; the two princes are thepresident of France and bishop of Seo de Urgel, Spain, who arerepresented locally by coprinces' representatives
Angolarepublic, nominally a multiparty democracy with a strongpresidential system
AnguillaNA
Antarctica Antarctic Treaty Summary - the Antarctic Treaty, signed on 1 December 1959 and entered into force on 23 June 1961, establishes the legal framework for the management of Antarctica. The 24th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting was held in Russia in July 2001. At the end of 2001, there were 45 treaty member nations: 27 consultative and 18 non-consultative. Consultative (voting) members include the seven nations that claim portions of Antarctica as national territory (some claims overlap) and 20 nonclaimant nations. The US and Russia have reserved the right to make claims. The US does not recognize the claims of others. Antarctica is administered through meetings of the consultative member nations. Decisions from these meetings are carried out by these member nations (within their areas) in accordance with their own national laws. The year in parentheses indicates when an acceding nation was voted to full consultative (voting) status, while no date indicates the country was an original 1959 treaty signatory. Claimant nations are - Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, and the UK. Nonclaimant consultative nations are - Belgium, Brazil (1983), Bulgaria (1998) China (1985), Ecuador (1990), Finland (1989), Germany (1981), India (1983), Italy (1987), Japan, South Korea (1989), Netherlands (1990), Peru (1989), Poland (1977), Russia, South Africa, Spain (1988), Sweden (1988), Uruguay (1985), and the US. Non-consultative (nonvoting) members, with year of accession in parentheses, are - Austria (1987), Canada (1988), Colombia (1989), Cuba (1984), Czech Republic (1993), Denmark (1965), Estonia (2001), Greece (1987), Guatemala (1991), Hungary (1984), North Korea (1987), Papua New Guinea (1981), Romania (1971), Slovakia (1993), Switzerland (1990), Turkey (1995), Ukraine (1992), and Venezuela (1999). Article 1 - area to be used for peaceful purposes only; military activity, such as weapons testing, is prohibited, but military personnel and equipment may be used for scientific research or any other peaceful purpose; Article 2 - freedom of scientific investigation and cooperation shall continue; Article 3 - free exchange of information and personnel, cooperation with the UN and other international agencies; Article 4 - does not recognize, dispute, or establish territorial claims and no new claims shall be asserted while the treaty is in force; Article 5 - prohibits nuclear explosions or disposal of radioactive wastes; Article 6 - includes under the treaty all land and ice shelves south of 60 degrees 00 minutes south and reserves high seas rights; Article 7 - treaty-state observers have free access, including aerial observation, to any area and may inspect all stations, installations, and equipment; advance notice of all expeditions and of the introduction of military personnel must be given; Article 8 - allows for jurisdiction over observers and scientists by their own states; Article 9 - frequent consultative meetings take place among member nations; Article 10 - treaty states will discourage activities by any country in Antarctica that are contrary to the treaty; Article 11 - disputes to be settled peacefully by the parties concerned or, ultimately, by the ICJ; Articles 12, 13, 14 - deal with upholding, interpreting, and amending the treaty among involved nations. Other agreements - some 200 recommendations adopted at treaty consultative meetings and ratified by governments include - Agreed Measures for Fauna and Flora (1964) which were later incorporated into the Environmental Protocol; Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (1972); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (1980); a mineral resources agreement was signed in 1988 but remains unratified; the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was signed 4 October 1991 and entered into force 14 January 1998; this agreement provides for the protection of the Antarctic environment through five specific annexes: 1) marine pollution, 2) fauna and flora, 3) environmental impact assessments, 4) waste management, and 5) protected area management; it prohibits all activities relating to mineral resources except scientific research.
Antigua and Barbudaconstitutional monarchy with UK-style parliament
Argentinarepublic
Armeniarepublic
Arubaparliamentary democracy
Australiademocratic, federal-state system recognizing the Britishmonarch as sovereign
Austriafederal republic
Azerbaijanrepublic
Bahamas, Theconstitutional parliamentary democracy
Bahrainconstitutional hereditary monarchy
Bangladeshparliamentary democracy
Barbadosparliamentary democracy; independent sovereign state withinthe Commonwealth
Belarusrepublic
Belgiumfederal parliamentary democracy under a constitutionalmonarch
Belizeparliamentary democracy
Beninrepublic under multiparty democratic rule; droppedMarxism-Leninism December 1989; democratic reforms adopted February1990; transition to multiparty system completed 4 April 1991
Bermudaparliamentary British overseas territory with internalself-government
Bhutanmonarchy; special treaty relationship with India
Boliviarepublic
Bosnia and Herzegovinaemerging federal democratic republic
Botswanaparliamentary republic
Brazilfederative republic
British Virgin IslandsNA
Bruneiconstitutional sultanate
Bulgariaparliamentary democracy
Burkina Fasoparliamentary republic
Burmamilitary regime
Burundirepublic
Cambodiamultiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchyestablished in September 1993
Cameroonunitary republic; multiparty presidential regime(opposition parties legalized in 1990)note: preponderance of power remains with the president
Canadaconfederation with parliamentary democracy
Cape Verderepublic
Cayman IslandsBritish crown colony
Central African Republicrepublic
Chadrepublic
Chilerepublic
ChinaCommunist state
Christmas IslandNA
Cocos (Keeling) IslandsNA
Colombiarepublic; executive branch dominates government structure
Comorosindependent republic
Congo, Democratic Republic of the dictatorship; presumably undergoing a transition to representative government
Congo, Republic of therepublic
Cook Islandsself-governing parliamentary democracy
Costa Ricademocratic republic
Cote d'Ivoirerepublic; multiparty presidential regime established1960
Croatiapresidential/parliamentary democracy
CubaCommunist state
Cyprusrepublicnote: a disaggregation of the two ethnic communities inhabiting theisland began following the outbreak of communal strife in 1963; thisseparation was further solidified after the Turkish intervention inJuly 1974 after a Greek junta-based coup attempt gave the TurkishCypriots de facto control in the north; Greek Cypriots control theonly internationally recognized government; on 15 November 1983Turkish Cypriot "President" Rauf DENKTASH declared independence andthe formation of a "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" (TRNC),recognized only by Turkey; both sides publicly support a settlementbased on a federation (Greek Cypriot position) or confederation(Turkish Cypriot position)
Czech Republicparliamentary democracy
Denmarkconstitutional monarchy
Djiboutirepublic
Dominicaparliamentary democracy; republic within the Commonwealth
Dominican Republicrepresentative democracy
East Timorrepublic
Ecuadorrepublic