Bouvet Islandcovered by glacial ice; declared a nature reserve
Brazillargest country in South America; shares common boundarieswith every South American country except Chile and Ecuador
British Indian Ocean Territory archipelago of 2,300 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 Islandsstrong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands andPuerto Rico
Bruneiclose to vital sea lanes through South China Sea linkingIndian and Pacific Oceans; two parts physically separated byMalaysia; almost an enclave of Malaysia
Bulgariastrategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key landroutes from Europe to Middle East and Asia
Burkina Fasolandlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers ofthe Black, Red, and White Voltas
Burmastrategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes
Burundilandlocked; straddles crest of the Nile-Congo watershed; theKagera, which drains into Lake Victoria, is the most remoteheadstream of the White Nile
Cambodiaa land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong Riverand Tonle Sap
Cameroonsometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa; throughoutthe country there are areas of thermal springs and indications ofcurrent or prior volcanic activity; Mount Cameroon, the highestmountain in Sub-Saharan west Africa, is an active volcano
Canadasecond-largest country in world (after Russia); strategiclocation between Russia and US via north polar route; approximately90% of the population is concentrated within 160 km of the US border
Cape Verdestrategic location 500 km from west coast of Africa nearmajor north-south sea routes; important communications station;important sea and air refueling site
Cayman Islandsimportant location between Cuba and Central America
Central African Republiclandlocked; almost the precise center ofAfrica
Chadlandlocked; Lake Chad is the most significant water body in theSahel
Chilestrategic location relative to sea lanes between Atlantic andPacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage);Atacama Desert is one of world's driest regions
Chinaworld's fourth largest country (after Russia, Canada, and US);Mount Everest on the border with Nepal is the world's tallest peak;
Christmas Islandlocated along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean
Clipperton Islandreef 12 km in circumference
Cocos (Keeling) Islandsislands are thickly covered with coconutpalms and other vegetation
Colombiaonly South American country with coastlines on both NorthPacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea
Comorosimportant location at northern end of Mozambique Channel
Congo, Democratic Republic of the straddles equator; has very 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 theabout 70% of the population lives inBrazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or along the railroad between them
Cook Islandsthe northern Cook Islands are seven low-lying, sparselypopulated, coral atolls; the southern Cook Islands consist of eightelevated, fertile, volcanic isles where most of the populace lives
Coral Sea Islandsimportant nesting area for birds and turtles
Costa Ricafour volcanoes, two of them active, rise near the capitalof San Jose in the center of the country; one of the volcanoes,Irazu, erupted destructively in 1963-65
Cote d'Ivoiremost of the inhabitants live along the sandy coastalregion; apart from the capital area, the forested interior issparsely populated
Croatiacontrols most land routes from Western Europe to Aegean Seaand Turkish Straits
Cubalargest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of theGreater Antilles
Cyprusthe third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (afterSicily and Sardinia)
Czech Republiclandlocked; strategically located astride some ofoldest and most significant land routes in Europe; Moravian Gate isa traditional military corridor between the North European Plain andthe Danube in central Europe
Denmarkcontrols Danish Straits (Skagerrak and Kattegat) linkingBaltic and North Seas; about one-quarter of the population lives ingreater Copenhagen
DhekeliaBritish extraterritorial rights also extended to severalsmall off-post sites scattered across Cyprus
Djiboutistrategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes andclose to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia;mostly wasteland; Lac Assal (Lake Assal) is the lowest point inAfrica
Dominicaknown as "The Nature Island of the Caribbean" due to itsspectacular, lush, and varied flora and fauna, which are protectedby an extensive natural park system; the most mountainous of theLesser Antilles, its volcanic peaks are cones of lava craters andinclude Boiling Lake, the second-largest, thermally active lake inthe world
Dominican Republicshares island of Hispaniola with Haiti
East TimorTimor comes from the Malay word for "East;" the island ofTimor is part of the Malay Archipelago and is the largest andeasternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands
EcuadorCotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world
Egyptcontrols Sinai Peninsula, only land bridge between Africa andremainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal, a sea linkbetween Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea; size, and juxtapositionto Israel, establish its major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics;dependence on upstream neighbors; dominance of Nile basin issues;prone to influxes of refugees
El Salvadorsmallest Central American country and only one without acoastline on Caribbean Sea
Equatorial Guineainsular and continental regions rather widelyseparated
Eritreastrategic geopolitical position along world's busiestshipping lanes; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopiaalong the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 24 May1993
Estoniathe mainland terrain is flat, boggy, and partly wooded;offshore lie more than 1,500 islands
Ethiopialandlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was lostwith the de jure independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993; the BlueNile, the chief headstream of the Nile by water volume, rises inT'ana Hayk (Lake Tana) in northwest Ethiopia; three major crops arebelieved to have originated in Ethiopia: coffee, grain sorghum, andcastor bean
Europa Islandwildlife sanctuary
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)deeply indented coast providesgood natural harbors; short growing season
Faroe Islandsarchipelago of 17 inhabited islands and oneuninhabited island, and a few uninhabited islets; strategicallylocated along important sea lanes in northeastern Atlantic;precipitous terrain limits habitation to small coastal lowlands
Fijiincludes 332 islands of which approximately 110 are inhabited
Finlandlong boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost nationalcapital on European continent; population concentrated on smallsouthwestern coastal plain
Francelargest West European nation
French Guianamostly an unsettled wilderness; the onlynon-independent portion of the South American continent
French Polynesiaincludes five archipelagoes (4 volcanic, 1 coral);Makatea in French Polynesia is one of the three great phosphate rockislands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island)in Kiribati and Nauru
French Southern and Antarctic Landsislands component is widelyscattered across remote locations in the southern Indian Ocean
Gabona small population and oil and mineral reserves have helpedGabon become one of Africa's wealthier countries; in general, thesecircumstances have allowed the country to maintain and conserve itspristine rain forest and rich biodiversity
Gambia, Thealmost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country on thecontinent of Africa
Gaza Stripthere are 25 Israeli settlements and civilian land usesites in the Gaza Strip (February 2002 est.)
Georgiastrategically located east of the Black Sea; Georgiacontrols much of the Caucasus Mountains and the routes through them
Germanystrategic location on North European Plain and along theentrance to the Baltic Sea
GhanaLake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake
Gibraltarstrategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links theNorth Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea
Glorioso Islandsthe islands and rocks are surrounded by anextensive reef system
Greecestrategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southernapproach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing anarchipelago of about 2,000 islands
Greenlanddominates North Atlantic Ocean between North America andEurope; sparse population confined to small settlements along coast,but close to one-quarter of the population lives in the capital,Nuuk; world's second largest ice cap
Grenadathe administration of the islands of the Grenadines group isdivided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada
Guadeloupea narrow channel, the Riviere Salee, divides Guadeloupeproper into two islands: the larger, western Basse-Terre and thesmaller, eastern Grande-Terre
Guamlargest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islandsarchipelago; strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean
Guatemalano natural harbors on west coast
Guernseylarge, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port
Guineathe Niger and its important tributary the Milo have theirsources in the Guinean highlands
Guinea-Bissauthis small country is swampy along its western coastand low-lying further inland
Guyanathe third-smallest country in South America after Surinameand Uruguay; substantial portions of its western and easternterritories are claimed by Venezuela and Suriname respectively
Haitishares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (westernone-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)
Holy See (Vatican City)urban; landlocked; enclave in Rome, Italy;world's smallest state; outside the Vatican City, 13 buildings inRome and Castel Gandolfo (the pope's summer residence) enjoyextraterritorial rights
Hondurashas only a short Pacific coast but a long Caribbeanshoreline, including the virtually uninhabited eastern Mosquito Coast
Hong Kongmore than 200 islands
Howland Islandalmost totally covered with grasses, prostrate vines,and low-growing shrubs; small area of trees in the center; primarilya nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds,and marine wildlife
Hungarylandlocked; strategic location astride main land routesbetween Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as betweenUkraine and Mediterranean basin; the north-south flowing Duna(Danube) and Tisza Rivers divide the country into three large regions
Icelandstrategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmostEuropean country; Reykjavik is the northernmost national capital inthe world; more land covered by glaciers than in all of continentalEurope
Indiadominates South Asian subcontinent; near important IndianOcean trade routes
Indian Oceanmajor chokepoints include Bab el Mandeb, Strait ofHormuz, Strait of Malacca, southern access to the Suez Canal, andthe Lombok Strait
Indonesiaarchipelago of 17,508 islands (6,000 inhabited); straddlesequator; strategic location astride or along major sea lanes fromIndian Ocean to Pacific Ocean
Iranstrategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz,which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport
Iraqstrategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head ofthe Persian Gulf
Irelandstrategic location on major air and sea routes between NorthAmerica and northern Europe; over 40% of the population resideswithin 97 km of Dublin
Israelthere are 242 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sitesin the West Bank, 42 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 25 inthe Gaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem (February 2002 est.); Seaof Galilee is an important freshwater source
Italystrategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well assouthern sea and air approaches to Western Europe
Jamaicastrategic location between Cayman Trench and JamaicaChannel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal
Jan Mayenbarren volcanic island with some moss and grass
Japanstrategic location in northeast Asia
Jarvis Islandsparse bunch grass, prostrate vines, and low-growingshrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat forseabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife
Jerseylargest and southernmost of Channel Islands; about 30% ofpopulation concentrated in Saint Helier
Johnston Atollstrategic location in the North Pacific Ocean;Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands, which have beenexpanded by coral dredging; North Island (Akau) and East Island(Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral dredging; theegg-shaped reef is 34 km in circumference; closed to the public; aformer US nuclear weapons test site; site of now-closed JohnstonAtoll Chemical Agent Disposal System (JACADS); most facilitiesdismantled and cleanup complete in 2004; some low-growing vegetation
Jordanstrategic location at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and asthe Arab country that shares the longest border with Israel and theoccupied West Bank
Juan de Nova Islandwildlife sanctuary
Kazakhstanlandlocked; Russia leases approximately 6,000 sq km ofterritory enclosing the Baykonur Cosmodrome; in January 2004,Kazakhstan and Russia extended the lease to 2050
Kenyathe Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successfulagricultural production regions in Africa; glaciers are found onMount Kenya, Africa's second highest peak; unique physiographysupports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economicvalue
Kingman Reefbarren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; closed tothe public
Kiribati21 of the 33 islands are inhabited; Banaba (Ocean Island)in Kiribati is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in thePacific Ocean - the others are Makatea in French Polynesia, and Nauru
Korea, Northstrategic location bordering China, South Korea, andRussia; mountainous interior is isolated and sparsely populated
Korea, Southstrategic location on Korea Strait
Kuwaitstrategic location at head of Persian Gulf
Kyrgyzstanlandlocked; entirely mountainous, dominated by the TienShan range; many tall peaks, glaciers, and high-altitude lakes
Laoslandlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thicklyforested; the Mekong River forms a large part of the westernboundary with Thailand
Latviamost of the country is composed of fertile, low-lying plains,with some hills in the east
LebanonNahr el Litani only major river in Near East not crossing aninternational boundary; rugged terrain historically helped isolate,protect, and develop numerous factional groups based on religion,clan, and ethnicity
Lesotholandlocked, completely surrounded by South Africa;mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 meters above sealevel
Liberiafacing the Atlantic Ocean, the coastline is characterized bylagoons, mangrove swamps, and river-deposited sandbars; the inlandgrassy plateau supports limited agriculture
Libyamore than 90% of the country is desert or semidesert
Liechtensteinalong with Uzbekistan, one of only two doublylandlocked countries in the world; variety of microclimaticvariations based on elevation
Lithuaniafertile central plains are separated by hilly uplands thatare ancient glacial deposits
Luxembourglandlocked; the only Grand Duchy in the world
Macauessentially urban; one causeway and two bridges connect thetwo islands of Coloane and Taipa to the peninsula on mainland
Macedonialandlocked; major transportation corridor from Western andCentral Europe to Aegean Sea and Southern Europe to Western Europe
Madagascarworld's fourth-largest island; strategic location alongMozambique Channel
Malawilandlocked; Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country'smost prominent physical feature
Malaysiastrategic location along Strait of Malacca and southernSouth China Sea
Maldives1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls (200 inhabitedislands, plus 80 islands with tourist resorts); archipelago withstrategic location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean
Malilandlocked; divided into three natural zones: the southern,cultivated Sudanese; the central, semiarid Sahelian; and thenorthern, arid Saharan
Maltathe country comprises an archipelago, with only the threelargest islands (Malta, Ghawdex or Gozo, and Kemmuna or Comino)being inhabited; numerous bays provide good harbors; Malta andTunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of thecontinental shelf between their countries, particularly for oilexploration
Man, Isle ofone small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to thesouthwest, and is a bird sanctuary
Marshall Islandstwo archipelagic island chains of 30 atolls and1,152 islands; Bikini and Enewetak are former US nuclear test sites;Kwajalein, the famous World War II battleground, is now used as a USmissile test range
Martiniquethe island is dominated by Mount Pelee, which on 8 May1902 erupted and completely destroyed the city of Saint Pierre,killing 30,000 inhabitants
Mauritaniamost of the population concentrated in the cities ofNouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in thesouthern part of the country
Mauritiusthe main island, from which the country derives its name,is of volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coralreefs
Mayottepart of Comoro Archipelago; 18 islands
Mexicostrategic location on southern border of US; corn (maize),one of the world's major grain crops, is thought to have originatedin Mexico
Micronesia, Federated States offour major island groups totaling607 islands
Midway Islandsa coral atoll managed as a national wildlife refugeand open to the public for wildlife-related recreation in the formof wildlife observation and photography, sport fishing, snorkeling,and scuba diving; the refuge is temporarily closed forreorganization at present (2004)
Moldovalandlocked; well endowed with various sedimentary rocks andminerals including sand, gravel, gypsum, and limestone
Monacosecond-smallest independent state in the world (after HolySee); almost entirely urban
Mongolialandlocked; strategic location between China and Russia
Montserratthe island is entirely volcanic in origin and containsseven active volcanoes
Moroccostrategic location along Strait of Gibraltar
Mozambiquethe Zambezi flows through the north-central and mostfertile part of the country
Namibiafirst country in the world to incorporate the protection ofthe environment into its constitution; some 14% of the land isprotected, including virtually the entire Namib Desert coastal strip
NauruNauru is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in thePacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati andMakatea in French Polynesia; only 53 km south of Equator
Navassa Islandstrategic location 160 km south of the US Naval Baseat Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; mostly exposed rock but with enoughgrassland to support goat herds; dense stands of fig-like trees,scattered cactus
Nepallandlocked; strategic location between China and India;contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest- the world's tallest - on the border with China
Netherlandslocated at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine,Maas or Meuse, and Schelde)
Netherlands Antillesthe five islands of the Netherlands Antillesare divided geographically into the Leeward Islands (northern) group(Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten) and the Windward Islands(southern) group (Bonaire and Curacao)
New Caledoniaconsists of the main island of New Caledonia (one ofthe largest in the Pacific Ocean), the archipelago of Iles Loyaute,and numerous small, sparsely populated islands and atolls
New Zealandabout 80% of the population lives in cities; Wellingtonis the southernmost national capital in the world
Nicaragualargest country in Central America; contains the largestfreshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua
Nigerlandlocked; one of the hottest countries in the world:northern four-fifths is desert, southern one-fifth is savanna,suitable for livestock and limited agriculture
Nigeriathe Niger enters the country in the northwest and flowssouthward through tropical rain forests and swamps to its delta inthe Gulf of Guinea
Niueone of world's largest coral islands
Norfolk Islandmost of the 32-km coastline consists of almostinaccessible cliffs, but the land slopes down to the sea in onesmall southern area on Sydney Bay, where the capital of Kingston issituated
Northern Mariana Islandsstrategic location in the North PacificOcean
Norwayabout two-thirds mountains; some 50,000 islands off its muchindented coastline; strategic location adjacent to sea lanes and airroutes in North Atlantic; one of most rugged and longest coastlinesin world
Omanstrategic location on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait ofHormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil
Pacific Oceanthe major chokepoints are the Bering Strait, PanamaCanal, Luzon Strait, and the Singapore Strait; the Equator dividesthe Pacific Ocean into the North Pacific Ocean and the South PacificOcean; dotted with low coral islands and rugged volcanic islands inthe southwestern Pacific Ocean
Pakistancontrols Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasionroutes between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent
Palauwesternmost archipelago in the Caroline chain, consists of sixisland groups totaling more than 300 islands; includes World War IIbattleground of Beliliou (Peleliu) and world-famous rock islands
Palmyra Atollabout 50 islets covered with dense vegetation, coconuttrees, and balsa-like trees up to 30 meters tall
Panamastrategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming landbridge connecting North and South America; controls Panama Canalthat links North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North PacificOcean
Papua New Guineashares island of New Guinea with Indonesia; one ofworld's largest swamps along southwest coast
Paracel Islandscomposed of 130 small coral islands and reefsdivided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western CrescentGroup
Paraguaylandlocked; lies between Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil;population concentrated in southern part of country
Perushares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigablelake, with Bolivia; a remote slope of Nevado Mismi, a 5,316 m peak,is the ultimate source of the Amazon River
Philippinesthe Philippine archipelago is made up of 7,107 islands;favorably located in relation to many of Southeast Asia's main waterbodies: the South China Sea, Philippine Sea, Sulu Sea, Celebes Sea,and Luzon Strait
Pitcairn IslandsBritain's most isolated dependency; only the largerisland of Pitcairn is inhabited but it has no port or naturalharbor; supplies must be transported by rowed longboat from largerships stationed offshore
Polandhistorically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain andthe lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain
PortugalAzores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations alongwestern sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar
Puerto Ricoimportant location along the Mona Passage - a keyshipping lane to the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggestand best natural harbors in the Caribbean; many small rivers andhigh central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coastrelatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north
Qatarstrategic location in central Persian Gulf near majorpetroleum deposits
Reunionthis mountainous, volcanic island has an active volcano,Piton de la Fournaise; there is a tropical cyclone center atSaint-Denis, which is the monitoring station for the whole of theIndian Ocean
Romaniacontrols most easily traversable land route between theBalkans, Moldova, and Ukraine
Russialargest country in the world in terms of area but unfavorablylocated in relation to major sea lanes of the world; despite itssize, much of the country lacks proper soils and climates (eithertoo cold or too dry) for agriculture; Mount El'brus is Europe'stallest peak
Rwandalandlocked; most of the country is savanna grassland with thepopulation predominantly rural
Saint Helenaharbors at least 40 species of plants unknown anywhereelse in the world; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtlesand sooty terns
Saint Kitts and Neviswith coastlines in the shape of a baseball batand ball, the two volcanic islands are separated by a three-km-widechannel called The Narrows; on the southern tip of long, baseballbat-shaped Saint Kitts lies the Great Salt Pond; Nevis Peak sits inthe center of its almost circular namesake island and its ball shapecomplements that of its sister island
Saint Luciathe twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), strikingcone-shaped peaks south of Soufriere, are one of the scenic naturalhighlights of the Caribbean
Saint Pierre and Miquelonvegetation 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
Samoaoccupies an almost central position within Polynesia
San Marinolandlocked; smallest independent state in Europe afterthe Holy See and Monaco; dominated by the Apennines
Sao Tome and Principethe smallest country in Africa; the two mainislands form part of a chain of extinct volcanoes and both arefairly mountainous
Saudi Arabiaextensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Seaprovide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) throughPersian Gulf and Suez Canal
Senegalwesternmost country on the African continent; The Gambia isalmost an enclave within Senegal
Serbia and Montenegrocontrols one of the major land routes fromWestern Europe to Turkey and the Near East; strategic location alongthe Adriatic coast
Seychelles40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands
Sierra Leonerainfall along the coast can reach 495 cm (195 inches)a year, making it one of the wettest places along coastal, westernAfrica
Singaporefocal point for Southeast Asian sea routes
Slovakialandlocked; most of the country is rugged and mountainous;the Tatra Mountains in the north are interspersed with many sceniclakes and valleys
Sloveniadespite its small size, this eastern Alpine countrycontrols some of Europe's major transit routes
Solomon Islandsstrategic location on sea routes between the SouthPacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea
Somaliastrategic location on Horn of Africa along southernapproaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal
South AfricaSouth Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almostcompletely surrounds Swaziland
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islandsthe north coast ofSouth Georgia has several large bays, which provide good anchorage;reindeer, introduced early in the 20th century, live on South Georgia
Southern Oceanthe major chokepoint is the Drake Passage betweenSouth America and Antarctica; the Polar Front (AntarcticConvergence) is the best natural definition of the northern extentof the Southern Ocean; it is a distinct region at the middle of theAntarctic Circumpolar Current that separates the very cold polarsurface waters to the south from the warmer waters to the north; theFront and the Current extend entirely around Antarctica, reachingsouth of 60 degrees south near New Zealand and near 48 degrees southin the far South Atlantic coinciding with the path of the maximumwesterly winds
Spainstrategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar
Spratly Islandsstrategically located near several primary shippinglanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous smallislands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs
Sri Lankastrategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes
Sudanlargest country in Africa; dominated by the Nile and itstributaries
Surinamesmallest independent country on South American continent;mostly tropical rain forest; great diversity of flora and faunathat, for the most part, is increasingly threatened by newdevelopment; relatively small population, mostly along the coast
Svalbardnorthernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists ofnine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the totalarea
Swazilandlandlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa
Swedenstrategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic andNorth Seas
Switzerlandlandlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe;along with southeastern France, northern Italy, and southwesternAustria, has the highest elevations in the Alps
Syriathere are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sitesin the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (February 2002 est.)
Taiwanstrategic location adjacent to both the Taiwan Strait and theLuzon Strait
Tajikistanlandlocked; mountainous region dominated by theTrans-Alay Range in the north and the Pamirs in the southeast;highest point, Qullai Ismoili Somoni (formerly Communism Peak), wasthe tallest mountain in the former USSR
TanzaniaKilimanjaro is highest point in Africa; bordered by threeof the largest lakes on the continent: Lake Victoria (the world'ssecond-largest freshwater lake) in the north, Lake Tanganyika (theworld's second deepest) in the west, and Lake Nyasa in the southwest
Thailandcontrols only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore
Togothe country's length allows it to stretch through six distinctgeographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna
Tokelauconsists of three atolls, each with a lagoon surrounded by anumber of reef-bound islets of varying length and rising to overthree meters above sea level
Tongaarchipelago of 169 islands (36 inhabited)
Trinidad and TobagoPitch Lake, on Trinidad's southwestern coast, isthe world's largest natural reservoir of asphalt
Tromelin Islandclimatologically important location for forecastingcyclones; wildlife sanctuary (seabirds, tortoises)
Tunisiastrategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta andTunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of thecontinental shelf between their countries, particularly for oilexploration
Turkeystrategic location controlling the Turkish Straits (Bosporus,Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link Black and Aegean Seas; MountArarat, the legendary landing place of Noah's Ark, is in the fareastern portion of the country
Turkmenistanlandlocked; the western and central low-lying, desolateportions 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 Islandsabout 40 islands (eight inhabited)
Tuvaluone of the smallest and most remote countries on Earth; sixof the coral atolls - Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti,and Nukulaelae - have lagoons open to the ocean; Nanumaya and Niutaohave landlocked lagoons; Niulakita does not have a lagoon
Ugandalandlocked; fertile, well-watered country with many lakes andrivers
Ukrainestrategic position at the crossroads between Europe andAsia; second-largest country in Europe
United Arab Emiratesstrategic location along southern approaches toStrait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil
United Kingdomlies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 kmfrom France and now linked by tunnel under the English Channel;because of heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125km from tidal waters
United Statesworld's third-largest country by size (after Russiaand Canada) and by population (after China and India); Mt. McKinleyis highest point in North America and Death Valley the lowest pointon the continent
Uruguaysecond-smallest South American country (after Suriname);most of the low-lying landscape (three-quarters of the country) isgrassland, ideal for cattle and sheep raising
Uzbekistanalong with Liechtenstein, one of the only two doublylandlocked countries in the world
Vanuatua Y-shaped chain of four main islands and 80 smallerislands; several of the islands have active volcanoes
Venezuelaon major sea and air routes linking North and SouthAmerica; Angel Falls in the Guiana Highlands is the world's highestwaterfall
Vietnamextending 1,650 km north to south, the country is only 50 kmacross at its narrowest point
Virgin Islandsimportant location along the Anegada Passage - a keyshipping lane for the Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the bestnatural deepwater harbors in the Caribbean
Wake Islandstrategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; emergencylanding location for transpacific flights
Wallis and Futunaboth island groups have fringing reefs
West Banklandlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel'scoastal aquifers; there are 244 West Bank settlements and 29 EastJerusalem settlements in addition to at least 20 occupiedoutposts(August 2003 est.)
Western Saharathe waters off the coast are particularly richfishing areas
Worldthe world is now thought to be about 4.55 billion years old,just about one-third of the 13-billion-year age estimated for theuniverse
Yemenstrategic location on Bab el Mandeb, the strait linking theRed Sea and the Gulf of Aden, one of world's most active shippinglanes
Zambialandlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundarywith Zimbabwe
Zimbabwelandlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundarywith Zambia; in full flood (February-April) the massive VictoriaFalls on the river forms the world's largest curtain of falling water
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
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@2115 Political pressure groups and leaders
AfghanistanJamiat-e Islami (Society of Islam), [former PresidentBurhanuddin RABBANI]; Ittihad-e Islami (Islamic Union for theLiberation of Afghanistan), [Abdul Rasul SAYYAF]; there are alsosmall monarchist, communist, and democratic groups
AlbaniaConfederation of Trade Unions of Albania or KSSH [KastriotMUCO]; Front for Albanian National Unification or FBKSH [GafurADILI]; Omonia [Jani JANI]; Union of Independent Trade Unions ofAlbania or BSPSH [Gezim KALAJA]
AlgeriaThe Algerian Human Rights League or LADH or LADDH [Yahia AliABDENOUR]; SOS Disparus [Nacera DUTOUR]; Somoud [Ali MERABET]
American SamoaNA
AndorraNA
AngolaFront for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda or FLEC[N'zita Henriques TIAGO; Antonio Bento BEMBE]note: FLEC is waging a small-scale, highly factionalized, armedstruggle for the independence of Cabinda Province
AnguillaNA
Antigua and BarbudaAntigua Trades and Labor Union or ATLU [WilliamROBINSON]; People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Hugh MARSHALL]
ArgentinaArgentine Association of Pharmaceutical Labs (CILFA);Argentine Industrial Union (manufacturers' association); ArgentineRural Society (large landowners' association); businessorganizations; General Confederation of Labor or CGT(Peronist-leaning umbrella labor organization); Central of ArgentineWorkers or CTA (a radical union for employed and unemployedworkers); Peronist-dominated labor movement; Roman Catholic Church;students
ArmeniaYerkrapah Union [Manvel GRIGORIAN]
ArubaNA
AustraliaAustralian Monarchist League [leader NA]; AustralianRepublican Movement [leader NA]
AustriaAustrian Trade Union Federation (nominally independent butprimarily Socialist) or OeGB; Federal Economic Chamber;OeVP-oriented League of Austrian Industrialists or VOeI; RomanCatholic Church, including its chief lay organization, CatholicAction; three composite leagues of the Austrian People's Party orOeVP representing business, labor, and farmers and othernon-government organizations in the areas of environment and humanrights
AzerbaijanSadval, Lezgin movement; self-proclaimed ArmenianNagorno-Karabakh Republic; Talysh independence movement; Union ofPro-Azerbaijani Forces (UPAF)
Bahamas, TheNA
BahrainShi'a activists fomented unrest sporadically in 1994-97,demanding the return of an elected National Assembly and an end tounemployment; several small, clandestine leftist and Islamicfundamentalist groups are active
BangladeshNA
BarbadosBarbados Workers Union [Leroy TROTMAN]; Clement Payne LaborUnion [David COMMISSIONG]; People's Progressive Movement [EricSEALY]; Worker's Party of Barbados [Dr. George BELLE]
BelarusNA
BelgiumChristian, Socialist, and Liberal Trade Unions; Federationof Belgian Industries; numerous other associations representingbankers, manufacturers, middle-class artisans, and the legal andmedical professions; various organizations represent the culturalinterests of Flanders and Wallonia; various peace groups such as PaxChristi and groups representing immigrants
BelizeSociety for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR[Adele CATZIM]
BeninNA
BermudaBermuda Employer's Union [Eddie SAINTS]; Bermuda IndustrialUnion or BIU [Derrick BURGESS]; Bermuda Public Services Union orBPSU [Ed BALL]; Bermuda Union of Teachers [Michael CHARLES]
BhutanBuddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leadingmilitant antigovernment campaign; Indian merchant community; UnitedFront for Democracy (exiled)
BoliviaCocalero Groups; indigenous organizations; labor unions;Sole Confederation of Campesino Workers of Bolivia or CSUTCB [RomanLOAYZA]
Bosnia and HerzegovinaNA
BotswanaNA
BrazilLandless Worker's Movement; large farmers' associations;labor unions and federations; religious groups including evangelicalchristian churches and the Catholic Church
British Virgin IslandsNA
BruneiNA
BulgariaConfederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria orCITUB; Podkrepa Labor Confederation; numerous regional, ethnic, andnational interest groups with various agendas
Burkina FasoBurkinabe General Confederation of Labor or CGTB;Burkinabe Movement for Human Rights or MBDHP; Group of 14 February;National Confederation of Burkinabe Workers or CNTB; NationalOrganization of Free Unions or ONSL; watchdog/political actiongroups throughout the country in both organizations and communities
BurmaNational Coalition Government of the Union of Burma or NCGUB(self-proclaimed government in exile) ["Prime Minister" Dr. SEINWIN] consists of individuals, some legitimately elected to thePeople's Assembly in 1990 (the group fled to a border area andjoined insurgents in December 1990 to form parallel government inexile); Kachin Independence Army or KIA; Karen National Union orKNU; several Shan factions; United Wa State Army or UWSA; UnionSolidarity and Development Association or USDA (progovernment, asocial and political organization) [THAN AUNG, general secretary]
Burundiloosely organized Hutu and Tutsi militias, often affiliatedwith Hutu and Tutsi extremist parties or subordinate to governmentsecurity forces
CambodiaNA
CameroonSouthern Cameroon National Council [Ayamba Ette OTUN];Human Rights Defense Group [Albert MUKONG, president]
CanadaNA
Cape VerdeNA
Cayman IslandsNA
Central African RepublicNA
ChadNA
Chilerevitalized university student federations at all majoruniversities; Roman Catholic Church; United Labor Central or CUTincludes trade unionists from the country's five largest laborconfederations
Chinano substantial political opposition groups exist, although thegovernment has identified the Falungong spiritual movement and theChina Democracy Party as subversive groups
Christmas Islandnone
Cocos (Keeling) Islandsnone
Colombiatwo largest insurgent groups active in Colombia -Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia or FARC and NationalLiberation Army or ELN; largest anti-insurgent paramilitary group isUnited Self-Defense Groups of Colombia or AUC
ComorosNA
Congo, Democratic Republic of theNA
Congo, Republic of theCongolese Trade Union Congress or CSC;General Union of Congolese Pupils and Students or UGEEC;Revolutionary Union of Congolese Women or URFC; Union of CongoleseSocialist Youth or UJSC
Cook IslandsNA
Costa RicaAuthentic Confederation of Democratic Workers or CATD(Communist Party affiliate); Chamber of Coffee Growers; ConfederatedUnion of Workers or CUT (Communist Party affiliate); Costa RicanConfederation of Democratic Workers or CCTD (Liberation Partyaffiliate); Federation of Public Service Workers or FTSP; NationalAssociation for Economic Development or ANFE; National Associationof Educators or ANDE; Rerum Novarum or CTRN (PLN affiliate) [GilbertBrown]
Cote d'IvoireNA
CroatiaNA
CubaNA
CyprusConfederation of Cypriot Workers or SEK (pro-West);Confederation of Revolutionary Labor Unions or Dev-Is; Federation ofTurkish Cypriot Labor Unions or Turk-Sen; Pan-Cyprian LaborFederation or PEO (Communist controlled)
Czech RepublicBohemian and Moravian Trade Union Confederation[Milan STECH]
DenmarkNA
DjiboutiUnion for Presidential Majority UMP (coalition includesRPP, FRUD, PPSD and PND); Union for Democratic Changeover or UAD(opposition coalition includes ARD, MRDD, UDJ, and PDD) [Ahmed DiniAHMED]
DominicaDominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist party)
Dominican RepublicCollective of Popular Organizations or COP;Citizen Participation Group (Participacion Ciudadania); Foundationfor Institution-Building (FINJUS)
East TimorPopular Council for the Defense of the DemocraticRepublic of East Timor or CPD-RDTL [leader Antonio-Aitahan MATAK] islargest political pressure group; it rejects current government andclaims to be rightful government; Kolimau 2000 [leader Dr. BrunoMAGALHAES] is another opposition group; dissatisfied veterans ofstruggle against Indonesia, led by one-time government advisorCornelio GAMA (also known as L-7), also play an important role inpressuring government
EcuadorConfederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador orCONAIE [Luis MACAS, president]; Coordinator of Social Movements orCMS [F. Napoleon SANTOS]; Federation of Indigenous Evangelists ofEcuador or FEINE [Marco MURILLO, president]; National Federation ofIndigenous Afro-Ecuatorianos and Peasants or FENOCIN [Pedro DE LACRUZ, president]; Popular Front or FP [Luis VILLACIS]
Egyptdespite a constitutional ban against religious-based parties,the technically illegal Muslim Brotherhood constitutes MUBARAK'spotentially most significant political opposition; MUBARAK toleratedlimited political activity by the Brotherhood for his first twoterms, but moved more aggressively since then to block itsinfluence; civic society groups are sanctioned, but constrained inpractical terms; trade unions and professional associations areofficially sanctioned
El Salvadorlabor organizations - Electrical Industry Union of ElSalvador or SIES; Federation of the Construction Industry, SimilarTransport and other activities, or FESINCONTRANS; NationalConfederation of Salvadoran Workers or CNTS; National Union ofSalvadoran Workers or UNTS; Port Industry Union of El Salvador orSIPES; Salvadoran Union of Ex-Petrolleros and Peasant Workers orUSEPOC; Salvadoran Workers Central or CTS; Workers Union ofElectrical Corporation or STCEL; business organizations - NationalAssociation of Small Enterprise or ANEP; Salvadoran AssemblyIndustry Association or ASIC; Salvadoran Industrial Association orASI
Equatorial GuineaNA
EritreaEritrean Islamic Jihad or EIJ [leader NA] (also includingEritrean Islamic Jihad Movement or EIJM (also known as the Abu SihelMovement) [leader NA]); Eritrean Islamic Salvation or EIS (alsoknown as the Arafa Movement) [leader NA]; Eritrean Liberation Frontor ELF [ABDULLAH Muhammed]; Eritrean National Alliance or ENA (acoalition including EIJ, EIS, ELF, and a number of ELF factions)[HERUY Tedla Biru]; Eritrean Public Forum or EPF [ARADOM Iyob]
EstoniaNA
EthiopiaAfar Revolutionary Democratic Union Front or ARDUF [leaderNA]; Council of Alternative Forces for Peace and Democracy inEthiopia or CAFPDE [BEYANE Petros]; Southern Ethiopia People'sDemocratic Coalition or SEPDC [BEYANE Petros]
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)none
Faroe IslandsNA
FijiNA
Francehistorically-Communist labor union (Confederation Generale duTravail) or CGT, approximately 700,000 members (claimed);left-leaning labor union (Confederation Francaise Democratique duTravail) or CFDT, approximately 889,000 members (claimed);independent labor union (Confederation Generale du Travail - ForceOuvriere) or FO, 300,000 members (est.); independent white-collarunion (Confederation Generale des Cadres) or CGC, 196,000 members(claimed); employers' union (Mouvement des Entreprises de France) orMEDEF, 750,000 companies as members (claimed)
French GuianaNA
French PolynesiaNA
GabonNA
Gambia, TheNA
GeorgiaGeorgian independent deputies from Abkhaz government inexile; separatists in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and SouthOssetia; supporters of the late ousted President Zviad GAMSAKHURDYA
Germanybusiness associations, employers' organizations; expellee,refugee, trade unions, and veterans groups
GhanaNA
GibraltarChamber of Commerce; Gibraltar RepresentativesOrganization; Women's Association
GreeceGeneral Confederation of Greek Workers or GSEE [KhristosPOLYZOGOPOLOS]; Federation of Greek Industries or SEV [OdysseasKYRIAKOPOULOS]; Civil Servants Confederation or ADEDY [SpyrosPAPASPYROS]
GreenlandNA
GrenadaNA
GuadeloupeChristian Movement for the Liberation of Guadeloupe orKLPG; General Federation of Guadeloupe Workers or CGT-G; GeneralUnion of Guadeloupe Workers or UGTG; Movement for IndependentGuadeloupe or MPGI; The Socialist Renewal Movement
GuamNA
GuatemalaAgrarian Owners Group or UNAGRO; Alliance Against Impunityor AAI; Committee for Campesino Unity or CUC; Coordinating Committeeof Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial, and Financial Associationsor CACIF; Mutual Support Group or GAM
Guernseynone
GuineaNA
Guinea-BissauNA
GuyanaCivil Liberties Action Committee or CLAC; Guyana Council ofIndian Organizations or GCIO; Trades Union Congress or TUCnote: the GCIO and the CLAC are small and active but not wellorganized
HaitiAutonomous Organizations of Haitian Workers or CATH [FignoleST-CYR]; Confederation of Haitian Workers or CTH; Federation ofWorkers Trade Unions or FOS; Group of 184 Civil SocietyOrganization, or G-184 [Andy APAID]; National Popular Assembly orAPN; Papaye Peasants Movement or MPP [Chavannes JEAN-BAPTISTE];Popular Organizations Gathering Power or PROP; Roman Catholic Church
Holy See (Vatican City)none (exclusive of influence exercised bychurch officers)
HondurasCommittee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras orCODEH; Confederation of Honduran Workers or CTH; CoordinatingCommittee of Popular Organizations or CCOP; General WorkersConfederation or CGT; Honduran Council of Private Enterprise orCOHEP; National Association of Honduran Campesinos or ANACH;National Union of Campesinos or UNC; Popular Bloc or BP; UnitedFederation of Honduran Workers or FUTH
Hong KongChinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China); ChineseManufacturers' Association of Hong Kong; Confederation of TradeUnions (pro-democracy) [LAU Chin-shek, president; LEE Cheuk-yan,general secretary]; Federation of Hong Kong Industries; Federationof Trade Unions (pro-China) [CHENG Yiu-tong, executive councilor];Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movementin China [Szeto WAH, chairman]; Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade UnionCouncil (pro-Taiwan); Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce; HongKong Professional Teachers' Union [CHEUNG Man-kwong, president]; TheAlliance [Bernard CHAN, exco member]
HungaryNA
IcelandNA
Indianumerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations,including Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, and RashtriyaSwayamsevak Sangh; various separatist groups seeking greatercommunal and/or regional autonomy, including the All PartiesHurriyat Conference
IndonesiaNA
Iranpolitical pressure groups conduct most of Iran's politicalactivities; groups that generally support the Islamic Republicinclude Ansar-e Hizballah, Muslim Students Following the Line of theImam, Tehran Militant Clergy Association (Ruhaniyat), IslamicCoalition Party (Motalefeh), and Islamic Engineers Society; activepro-reform student groups include the Organization for StrengtheningUnity; opposition groups include Freedom Movement of Iran, theNational Front, Marz-e Por Gohar, and various ethnic and Monarchistorganizations; armed political groups that have been almostcompletely repressed by the government include Mujahidin-e KhalqOrganization (MEK), People's Fedayeen, Democratic Party of IranianKurdistan, and Komala
Iraqan insurgency against the Iraqi Interim Government andCoalition forces is primarily concentrated in Baghdad and in areaswest and north of the capital; the diverse, multigroup insurgency isled principally by Sunni Arabs whose only common denominator is ashared desire to oust the Coalition and end US influence in Iraq
IrelandNA
IsraelIsraeli nationalists advocating Jewish settlement on the WestBank and Gaza Strip; Peace Now supports territorial concessions inthe West Bank and Gaza Strip; Yesha (settler) Council promotessettler interests and opposes territorial compromise; B'Tselemmonitors human rights abuses
ItalyItalian manufacturers and merchants associations(Confindustria, Confcommercio); organized farm groups(Confcoltivatori, Confagricoltura); Roman Catholic Church; threemajor trade union confederations (Confederazione Generale Italianadel Lavoro or CGIL [Guglielmo EPIFANI] which is left wing,Confederazione Italiana dei Sindacati Lavoratori or CISL [SavinoPEZZOTTA], which is Roman Catholic centrist, and Unione Italiana delLavoro or UIL [Luigi ANGELETTI] which is lay centrist)
JamaicaNew Beginnings Movement or NBM; Rastafarians (blackreligious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists)
JapanNA
Jerseynone
JordanAnti-Normalization Committee [Ali Abu SUKKAR, president vicechairman]; Jordanian Bar Association [Saleh ARMOUTI, president];Jordanian Press Association [Sayf al-SHARIF, president]; MuslimBrotherhood [Abd-al-Majid DHUNAYBAT, secretary general]
KazakhstanAdil-Soz [Tamara KALEYEVA]; Almaty Helsinki Group [NinelFOKINA]; Confederation of Free Trade Unions [Sergei BELKIN];Kazakhstan International Bureau on Human Rights [Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS,executive director]; Pensioners Movement or Pokoleniye [IrinaSAVOSTINA, chairwoman]; Republican Network of International Monitors[Dos KUSHIM]; Transparency International [Sergei ZLOTNIKOV]