This file was last updated on 10 February, 2005
======================================================================
Rank code: @2187
Rank Country Current account balance Date of Information
1 Japan $ 135,900,000,000 2003 2 Germany $ 57,240,000,000 2003 3 Switzerland $ 36,000,000,000 2003 4 Russia $ 35,910,000,000 2003 5 China $ 31,170,000,000 2003 6 Norway $ 29,340,000,000 2003 7 Taiwan $ 28,570,000,000 2003 8 Singapore $ 26,150,000,000 2003 9 Saudi Arabia $ 22,270,000,000 2003 10 Sweden $ 19,560,000,000 2003 11 Canada $ 18,630,000,000 2003 12 Hong Kong $ 17,420,000,000 2003 13 France $ 13,800,000,000 2003 14 Malaysia $ 13,380,000,000 2003 15 United Arab Emirates $ 12,470,000,000 2003 16 Korea, South $ 12,320,000,000 2003 17 Netherlands $ 12,090,000,000 2003 18 Belgium $ 10,690,000,000 2003 19 Finland $ 10,300,000,000 2003 20 Venezuela $ 9,659,000,000 2003 21 Thailand $ 9,440,000,000 2003 22 Kuwait $ 8,652,000,000 2003 23 Argentina $ 7,855,000,000 2003 24 Algeria $ 7,836,000,000 2003 25 Indonesia $ 7,336,000,000 2003 26 Libya $ 6,641,000,000 2003 27 Denmark $ 6,397,000,000 2003 28 Qatar $ 4,149,000,000 2003 29 Iran $ 3,935,000,000 2003 30 Egypt $ 3,874,000,000 2003 31 Brazil $ 3,520,000,000 2003 32 India $ 3,410,000,000 2003 33 Pakistan $ 3,358,000,000 2003 34 Philippines $ 3,349,000,000 2003 35 Ukraine $ 2,891,000,000 2003 36 Oman $ 2,173,000,000 2003 37 Nigeria $ 1,439,000,000 2003 38 Iraq $ 1,136,000,000 2003 39 Morocco $ 963,000,000 2003 40 Turkmenistan $ 957,000,000 2003 41 Trinidad and Tobago $ 954,000,000 2003 42 Jordan $ 903,000,000 2003 43 Dominican Republic $ 867,000,000 2003 44 Botswana $ 539,000,000 2003 45 Cote d'Ivoire $ 501,000,000 2003 46 Uzbekistan $ 462,000,000 2003 47 Bangladesh $ 393,000,000 2003 48 Mauritius $ 289,000,000 2003 49 Yemen $ 157,000,000 2003 50 Paraguay $ 146,000,000 2003 51 Congo, Republic of the $ 139,200,000 2003 52 Namibia $ 123,000,000 2003 53 Ghana $ 110,000,000 2003 54 Uruguay $ 76,000,000 2003 55 Bahrain $ 53,000,000 2003 56 Bolivia $ 50,000,000 2003 57 Slovenia $ 15,100,000 2003 58 Papua New Guinea $ 12,000,000 2003 59 Sao Tome and Principe $ -8,000,000 2003 60 Burma $ -35,000,000 2003 61 Burundi $ -35,000,000 2003 62 Gambia, The $ -42,000,000 2003 63 Haiti $ -48,000,000 2003 64 Tajikistan $ -50,000,000 2003 65 Laos $ -58,000,000 2003 66 Malawi $ -58,000,000 2003 67 Kazakhstan $ -68,800,000 2003 68 Syria $ -72,000,000 2003 69 Swaziland $ -72,690,000 2003 70 Seychelles $ -73,000,000 2003 71 Gabon $ -101,000,000 2003 72 Cape Verde $ -106,300,000 2003 73 Kyrgyzstan $ -108,000,000 2003 74 Benin $ -112,000,000 2003 75 Lesotho $ -112,000,000 2003 76 Ecuador $ -117,000,000 2003 77 Moldova $ -135,000,000 2003 78 Togo $ -140,000,000 2003 79 Belize $ -142,000,000 2003 80 Guyana $ -158,000,000 2003 81 Eritrea $ -159,000,000 2003 82 Rwanda $ -163,000,000 2003 83 Israel $ -174,000,000 2003 84 Armenia $ -210,000,000 2003 85 Cambodia $ -218,100,000 2003 86 Uganda $ -237,000,000 2003 87 Malta $ -250,000,000 2003 88 Guinea $ -252,000,000 2003 89 Cuba $ -273,000,000 2003 90 Slovakia $ -277,400,000 2003 91 Sri Lanka $ -278,000,000 2003 92 Macedonia $ -278,000,000 2003 93 Honduras $ -279,600,000 2003 94 Kenya $ -306,000,000 2003 95 Zambia $ -340,000,000 2003 96 Burkina Faso $ -341,000,000 2003 97 Zimbabwe $ -346,000,000 2003 98 Georgia $ -365,000,000 2003 99 Senegal $ -389,000,000 2003 100 Madagascar $ -398,000,000 2003 101 Albania $ -407,000,000 2003 102 Ethiopia $ -408,000,000 2003 103 Panama $ -408,000,000 2003 104 Chad $ -474,000,000 2003 105 Angola $ -475,000,000 2003 106 Cyprus $ -545,000,000 2003 107 Cameroon $ -564,000,000 2003 108 Mozambique $ -566,000,000 2003 109 Iceland $ -574,000,000 2003 110 Chile $ -594,000,000 2003 111 Tanzania $ -617,000,000 2003 112 Sudan $ -718,000,000 2003 113 El Salvador $ -734,000,000 2003 114 Tunisia $ -738,600,000 2003 115 Jamaica $ -842,000,000 2003 116 Nicaragua $ -859,000,000 2003 117 Belarus $ -945,000,000 2003 118 Latvia $ -955,900,000 2003 119 Costa Rica $ -970,000,000 2003 120 Guatemala $ -1,106,000,000 2003 121 Peru $ -1,116,000,000 2003 122 Estonia $ -1,150,000,000 2003 123 Equatorial Guinea $ -1,168,000,000 2003 124 Lithuania $ -1,218,000,000 2003 125 South Africa $ -1,234,000,000 2003 126 Austria $ -1,353,000,000 2003 127 Colombia $ -1,417,000,000 2003 128 Bulgaria $ -1,666,000,000 2003 129 Vietnam $ -1,781,000,000 2003 130 Azerbaijan $ -2,021,000,000 2003 131 Croatia $ -2,039,000,000 2003 132 Bosnia and Herzegovina $ -2,195,000,000 2003 133 Serbia and Montenegro $ -2,416,000,000 2003 134 Lebanon $ -2,865,000,000 2003 135 Ireland $ -2,994,000,000 2003 136 Romania $ -3,368,000,000 2003 137 New Zealand $ -3,446,000,000 2003 138 Poland $ -4,085,000,000 2003 139 Czech Republic $ -5,570,000,000 2003 140 Turkey $ -6,806,000,000 2003 141 Hungary $ -7,347,000,000 2003 142 United Kingdom $ -7,556,000,000 2003 143 Portugal $ -7,592,000,000 2003 144 Mexico $ -9,150,000,000 2003 145 Greece $ -11,330,000,000 2003 146 Italy $ -22,280,000,000 2003 147 Spain $ -23,770,000,000 2003 148 Australia $ -30,140,000,000 2003 149 United States $ -541,800,000,000 2003
This file was last updated on 10 February, 2005
======================================================================
Rank code: @2188
Rank Country Reserves of foreign exchange & gold Date of Information
1 Japan $ 664,600,000,000 2003 2 China $ 412,700,000,000 2003 3 Taiwan $ 207,100,000,000 2003 4 Korea, South $ 155,400,000,000 2003 5 Hong Kong $ 118,400,000,000 2003 6 India $ 102,300,000,000 2003 7 Germany $ 96,840,000,000 2003 8 Singapore $ 95,750,000,000 2003 9 United States $ 85,940,000,000 2003 10 Russia $ 76,940,000,000 2003 11 France $ 70,760,000,000 2003 12 Switzerland $ 69,580,000,000 2003 13 Italy $ 63,260,000,000 2003 14 Mexico $ 59,020,000,000 2003 15 Brazil $ 49,300,000,000 2003 16 United Kingdom $ 46,050,000,000 2003 17 Malaysia $ 44,580,000,000 2003 18 Thailand $ 42,150,000,000 2003 19 Denmark $ 37,980,000,000 2003 20 Canada $ 36,270,000,000 2003 21 Indonesia $ 36,250,000,000 2003 22 Turkey $ 35,550,000,000 2003 23 Poland $ 33,960,000,000 2003 24 Algeria $ 33,420,000,000 2003 25 Australia $ 33,260,000,000 2003 26 Spain $ 26,810,000,000 2003 27 Czech Republic $ 26,800,000,000 2003 28 Israel $ 26,320,000,000 2003 29 Iran $ 25,130,000,000 2003 30 Saudi Arabia $ 22,860,000,000 2003 31 Netherlands $ 21,440,000,000 2003 32 Venezuela $ 20,670,000,000 2003 33 Sweden $ 19,990,000,000 2003 34 Libya $ 19,780,000,000 2003 35 Philippines $ 16,870,000,000 2003 36 Lebanon $ 16,350,000,000 2003 37 Chile $ 15,840,000,000 2003 38 United Arab Emirates $ 15,790,000,000 2003 39 Belgium $ 14,450,000,000 2003 40 Egypt $ 14,220,000,000 2003 41 Argentina $ 14,160,000,000 2003 42 Morocco $ 14,080,000,000 2003 43 Portugal $ 12,810,000,000 2003 44 Hungary $ 12,780,000,000 2003 45 Austria $ 12,730,000,000 2003 46 Slovakia $ 11,740,000,000 2003 47 Pakistan $ 11,670,000,000 2003 48 Finland $ 11,170,000,000 2003 49 Colombia $ 10,920,000,000 2003 50 Romania $ 10,370,000,000 2003 51 Peru $ 10,240,000,000 2003 52 Slovenia $ 8,598,000,000 2003 53 Croatia $ 8,191,000,000 2003 54 South Africa $ 7,972,000,000 2003 55 Kuwait $ 7,685,000,000 2003 56 Nigeria $ 7,128,000,000 2003 57 Ukraine $ 6,937,000,000 2003 58 Bulgaria $ 6,705,000,000 2003 59 Vietnam $ 6,357,000,000 2003 60 Greece $ 5,802,000,000 2003 61 Jordan $ 5,364,000,000 2003 62 Botswana $ 5,250,000,000 2003 63 New Zealand $ 5,083,000,000 2003 64 Yemen $ 5,009,000,000 2003 65 Kazakhstan $ 4,962,000,000 2003 66 Ireland $ 4,152,000,000 2003 67 Serbia and Montenegro $ 3,700,000,000 2003 68 Oman $ 3,594,000,000 2003 69 Cyprus $ 3,453,000,000 2003 70 Lithuania $ 3,450,000,000 2003 71 Syria $ 3,329,000,000 2003 72 Qatar $ 2,952,000,000 2003 73 Tunisia $ 2,949,000,000 2003 74 Guatemala $ 2,843,000,000 2003 75 Turkmenistan $ 2,696,000,000 2003 76 Bangladesh $ 2,624,000,000 2003 77 Trinidad and Tobago $ 2,477,000,000 2003 78 Malta $ 2,429,000,000 2003 79 Sri Lanka $ 2,273,000,000 2003 80 Uruguay $ 2,087,000,000 2003 81 Tanzania $ 2,064,000,000 2003 82 El Salvador $ 2,061,000,000 2003 83 Cote d'Ivoire $ 2,005,000,000 2003 84 Costa Rica $ 1,836,000,000 2003 85 Bosnia and Herzegovina $ 1,796,000,000 2003 86 Bahrain $ 1,785,000,000 2003 87 Mauritius $ 1,598,000,000 2003 88 Latvia $ 1,535,000,000 2003 89 Ghana $ 1,469,000,000 2003 90 Kenya $ 1,455,000,000 2003 91 Honduras $ 1,439,000,000 2003 92 Estonia $ 1,377,000,000 2003 93 Uzbekistan $ 1,286,000,000 2003 94 Jamaica $ 1,195,000,000 2003 95 Ecuador $ 1,161,000,000 2003 96 Bolivia $ 1,096,000,000 2003 97 Uganda $ 1,080,000,000 2003 98 Albania $ 1,038,000,000 2003 99 Panama $ 1,011,000,000 2003 100 Mozambique $ 990,000,000 2003 101 Paraguay $ 982,000,000 2003 102 Ethiopia $ 956,000,000 2003 103 Macedonia $ 935,100,000 2003 104 Cambodia $ 861,400,000 2003 105 Sudan $ 847,200,000 2003 106 Azerbaijan $ 820,900,000 2003 107 Iceland $ 818,700,000 2003 108 Senegal $ 780,000,000 2003 109 Angola $ 638,400,000 2003 110 Belarus $ 637,000,000 2003 111 Benin $ 636,000,000 2003 112 Cameroon $ 634,000,000 2003 113 Cuba $ 582,000,000 2003 114 Burma $ 562,000,000 2003 115 Papua New Guinea $ 510,500,000 2003 116 Armenia $ 509,400,000 2003 117 Nicaragua $ 502,000,000 2003 118 Lesotho $ 460,000,000 2003 119 Madagascar $ 423,000,000 2003 120 Kyrgyzstan $ 399,300,000 2003 121 Burkina Faso $ 379,000,000 2003 122 Namibia $ 325,200,000 2003 123 Moldova $ 302,300,000 2003 124 Swaziland $ 277,500,000 2003 125 Dominican Republic $ 261,000,000 2003 126 Guyana $ 257,000,000 2003 127 Togo $ 257,000,000 2003 128 Zambia $ 247,700,000 2003 129 Rwanda $ 215,000,000 2003 130 Equatorial Guinea $ 206,000,000 2003 131 Gabon $ 201,900,000 2003 132 Laos $ 201,000,000 2003 133 Chad $ 191,800,000 2003 134 Guinea $ 191,000,000 2003 135 Georgia $ 190,700,000 2003 136 Malawi $ 132,000,000 2003 137 Gambia, The $ 118,000,000 2003 138 Tajikistan $ 117,600,000 2003 139 Cape Verde $ 88,020,000 2003 140 Belize $ 84,700,000 2003 141 Zimbabwe $ 78,000,000 2003 142 Haiti $ 73,000,000 2003 143 Burundi $ 67,400,000 2003 144 Seychelles $ 66,000,000 2003 145 Congo, Republic of the $ 44,530,000 2003 146 Eritrea $ 28,000,000 2003 147 Sao Tome and Principe $ 18,000,000 2003
This file was last updated on 10 February, 2005
======================================================================
Appendix A - Abbreviations
ABEDA: Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa
ACC: Arab Cooperation Council
ACCT: Agency for the French-Speaking Community
ACP Group: African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of States
AfDB: African Development Bank
AFESD: Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development
Air Pollution: Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution
Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides: Protocol to the 1979 Convention onLong-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Concerning the Control ofEmissions of Nitrogen Oxides or Their Transboundary Fluxes
Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants: Protocol to the 1979Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on PersistentOrganic Pollutants
Air Pollution-Sulphur 85: Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long- Range Transboundary Air Pollution on the Reduction of Sulphur Emissions or Their Transboundary Fluxes by at Least 30%
Air Pollution-Sulphur 94: Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on Further Reduction of SulphurEmissions
Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds: Protocol to the 1979Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Concerning theControl of Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds or TheirTransboundary Fluxes
AMF: Arab Monetary Fund
AMU: Arab Maghreb Union
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol: Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty
Antarctic-Marine Living Resources: Convention on the Conservation ofAntarctic Marine Living Resources
Antarctic Seals: Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals
ANZUS: Australia-New Zealand-United States Security Treaty
APEC: Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
Arabsat: Arab Satellite Communications Organization
ARF: ASEAN Regional Forum
AsDB: Asian Development Bank
ASEAN: Association of Southeast Asian Nations
AU: African Union
Autodin: Automatic Digital Network
bbl/day: barrels per day
BCIE: Central American Bank for Economic Integration
BDEAC: Central African States Development Bank
Benelux: Benelux Economic Union
BGN: United States Board on Geographic Names
Biodiversity: Convention on Biological Diversity
BIS: Bank for International Settlements
BSEC: Black Sea Economic Cooperation Zone
C: Commonwealth
CACM: Central American Common Market
CAEU: Council of Arab Economic Unity
CAN: Andean Community of Nations
Caricom: Caribbean Community and Common Market
CB: citizen's band mobile radio communications
CBSS: Council of the Baltic Sea States
CCC: Customs Cooperation Council
CDB: Caribbean Development Bank
CE: Council of Europe
CEI: Central European Initiative
CEMA: Council for Mutual Economic Assistance; also known as CMEA orComecon
CEMAC: Monetary and Economic Community of Central Africa
CEPGL: Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries
CEPT: Conference Europeanne des Postes et Telecommunications
CERN: European Organization for Nuclear Research
c.i.f.: cost, insurance, and freight
CIS: Commonwealth of Independent States
CITES: see Endangered Species
Climate Change: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol: Kyoto Protocol to the United NationsFramework Convention on Climate Change
COCOM: Coordinating Committee on Export Controls
COMESA: Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa
Comsat: Communications Satellite Corporation
CP: Colombo Plan
CY: calendar year
DC: developed country
DDT: dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro-ethane
Desertification: United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa
DIA: United States Defense Intelligence Agency
DSN: Defense Switched Network
DWT: deadweight ton
EADB: East African Development Bank
EAPC: Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council
EBRD: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
EC: European Community
ECA: Economic Commission for Africa
ECE: Economic Commission for Europe
ECLAC: Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
ECO: Economic Cooperation Organization
ECOSOC: Economic and Social Council
ECOWAS: Economic Community of West African States
ECS: European Coal and Steel Community
EEC: European Economic Community
EEZ: exclusive economic zone
EFTA: European Free Trade Association
EIB: European Investment Bank
EMU: Economic and Monetary Union
Endangered Species: Convention on the International Trade inEndangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES)
Entente: Council of the Entente
Environmental Modification: Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques
ESA: European Space Agency
ESCAP: Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
ESCWA: Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
est.: estimate
EU: European Union
Euratom: European Atomic Energy Community
Eutelsat: European Telecommunications Satellite Organization
Ex-Im: Export-Import Bank of the United States
FAO: Food and Agriculture Organization
FAX: facsimile
f.o.b.: free on board
FOC: flags of convenience
FLS: Front Line States
FRG: Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany); used for information dated before 3 October 1990 or CY91
FSU: former Soviet Union
FY: fiscal year
F.Y.R.O.M.: The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
FZ: Franc Zone
G-2: Group of 2
G-3: Group of 3
G-5: Group of 5
G-6: Group of 6
G-7: Group of 7
G-8: Group of 8
G-9: Group of 9
G-10: Group of 10
G-15: Group of 15
G-24: Group of 24
G-77: Group of 77
GATT: General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade; now WTrO
GCC: Gulf Cooperation Council
GDP: gross domestic product
GDR: German Democratic Republic (East Germany); used for information dated before 3 October 1990 or CY91
GNP: gross national product
GRT: gross register ton
GSM: global system for mobile cellular communications
GUUAM: acronym for member states - Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan,Azerbaijan, Moldova
GWP: gross world product
Habitat: United Nations Center for Human Settlements
Hazardous Wastes: Basel Convention on the Control of TransboundaryMovements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal
HF: high-frequency
HIV/AIDS: human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome
IADB: Inter-American Development Bank
IAEA: International Atomic Energy Agency
IANA: Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
IBEC: International Bank for Economic Cooperation
IBRD: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (WorldBank)
ICAO: International Civil Aviation Organization
ICC: International Chamber of Commerce orInuit Circumpolar Conference
ICCt: International Criminal Court
ICFTU: International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
ICJ: International Court of Justice (World Court)
ICRC: International Committee of the Red Cross
ICRM: International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
ICSID: International Center for Secretariat of Investment Disputes
ICTR: International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
ICTY: International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
IDA: International Development Association
IDB: Islamic Development Bank
IEA: International Energy Agency
IFAD: International Fund for Agricultural Development
IFC: International Finance Corporation
IFCTU: International Federation of Christian Trade Unions
IFRCS: International Federation of Red Cross and Red CrescentSocieties
IGAD: Inter-Governmental Authority on Development
IGADD: Inter-Governmental Authority on Drought and Development
IHO: International Hydrographic Organization
IIB: International Investment Bank
ILO: International Labor Organization
IMF: International Monetary Fund
IMO: International Maritime Organization
Inmarsat: International Maritime Satellite Organization
InOC: Indian Ocean Commission
INSTRAW: International Research and Training Institute for theAdvancement of Women
Intelsat: International Telecommunications Satellite Organization
Interpol: International Criminal Police Organization
Intersputnik: International Organization of Space Communications
IOC: International Olympic Committee
IOM: International Organization for Migration
ISO: International Organization for Standardization
ISP: Internet Service Provider
ITU: International Telecommunication Union
kHz: kilohertz
km: kilometer
kW: kilowatt
kWh: kilowatt-hour
LAES: Latin American Economic System
LAIA: Latin American Integration Association
LAS: League of Arab States
Law of the Sea: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOS), also know as UNCLOS
LDC: less developed country
LLDC: least developed country
London Convention: see Marine Dumping
LOS: see Law of the Sea
m: meter
Marecs: Maritime European Communications Satellite
Marine Dumping: Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution byDumping Wastes and Other Matter
Marine Life Conservation: Convention on Fishing and Conservation ofLiving Resources of the High Seas
MARPOL: see Ship Pollution
Medarabtel: Middle East Telecommunications Project of theInternational Telecommunications Union
Mercosur: Southern Cone Common Market
MHz: megahertz
MICAH: International Civilian Support Mission in Haiti
MIGA: Multilateral Investment Geographic Agency
MINURSO: United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara
MONUC: United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
NA: not available
NAFTA: North American Free Trade Agreement
NAM: Nonaligned Movement
NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NC: Nordic Council
NEA: Nuclear Energy Agency
NEGL: negligible
NGA: National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
NIB: Nordic Investment Bank
NIC: newly industrializing country
NIE: newly industrializing economy
NIS: new independent states
NM: nautical mile
NMT: Nordic Mobile Telephone
NSG: Nuclear Suppliers Group
Nuclear Test Ban: Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapons Tests in theAtmosphere, in Outer Space, and Under Water
NZ: New Zealand
OAPEC: Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries
OAS: Organization of American States
ODA: official development assistance
ODF: Official Development Finance
OECD: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
OECS: Organization of Eastern Caribbean States
OIC: Organization of the Islamic Conference
OOF: other official flows
OPANAL: Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean
OPCW: Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
OPEC: Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
OSCE: Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
Ozone Layer Protection: Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer
PCA: Permanent Court of Arbitration
PDRY: People's Democratic Republic of Yemen [Yemen (Aden) or SouthYemen]; used for information dated before 22 May 1990 or CY91
PFP: Partnership for Peace
PIF: Pacific Islands Forum
PPP: purchasing power parity
Ramsar: see Wetlands
RG: Rio Group
SAARC: South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
SACU: Southern African Customs Union
SADC: Southern African Development Community
SAFE: South African Far East Cable
SCO: Shanghai Cooperative Organization
SFRY: Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
SHF: super-high-frequency
Ship Pollution: Protocol of 1978 Relating to the InternationalConvention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships, 1973 (MARPOL)
Sparteca: South Pacific Regional Trade and Economic CooperationAgreement
SPC: South Pacific Commission
SPF: South Pacific Forum
sq km: square kilometer
sq mi: square mile
TAT: Trans-Atlantic Telephone
Tropical Timber 83: International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1983
Tropical Timber 94: International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994
UAE: United Arab Emirates
UDEAC: Central African Customs and Economic Union
UHF: ultra-high-frequency
UK: United Kingdom
UN: United Nations
UNAMSIL: United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone
UNCLOS: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, also known asLOS
UNCTAD: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
UNDCP: United Nations Drug Control Program
UNDOF: United Nations Disengagement Observer Force
UNDP: United Nations Development Program
UNEP: United Nations Environment Program
UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific, and CulturalOrganization
UNFICYP: United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus
UNFPA: United Nations Population Fund
UNHCR: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
UNHCRHR: United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
UNICEF: United Nations Children's Fund
UNICEP: United Nations International Comparison Program
UNICRI: United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice ResearchInstitute
UNIDIR: United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research
UNIDO: United Nations Industrial Development Organization
UNIFIL: United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
UNIKOM: United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission
UNITAR: United Nations Institute for Training and Research
UNMEE: United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea
UNMIBH: United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina
UNMIK: United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo
UNMIL: United Nations Mission in Liberia
UNMISET: United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor
UNMOGIP: United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan
UNMOP: United Nations Mission of Observers in Prevlaka
UNMOT: United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan
UNMOVIC: United Nations Monitoring, Verification, and InspectionCommission
UNOMIG: United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia
UNOPS: United Nations Office of Project Services
UNRISD: United Nations Research Institute for Social Development
UNRWA: United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
UNSC: United Nations Security Council
UNSSC: United Nations System Staff College
UNTAET: United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor
UNTSO: United Nations Truce Supervision Organization
UNU: United Nations University
UPU: Universal Postal Union
US: United States
USSR: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (Soviet Union); used for information dated before 25 December 1991
USSR/EE: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics/Eastern Europe
UV: ultra violet
VHF: very-high-frequency
VSAT: very small aperture terminal
WADB: West African Development Bank
WAEMU: West African Economic and Monetary Union
WCL: World Confederation of Labor
WCO: World Customs Organization
Wetlands: Convention on Wetlands of International ImportanceEspecially As Waterfowl Habitat
WEU: Western European Union
WFC: World Food Council
WFP: World Food Program
WFTU: World Federation of Trade Unions
Whaling: International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling
WHO: World Health Organization
WIPO: World Intellectual Property Organization
WMO: World Meteorological Organization
WP: Warsaw Pact
WTO: see WToO for World Tourism Organization or WTrO for World TradeOrganization
WToO: World Tourism Organization
WTrO: World Trade Organization
YAR: Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen]; used for information dated before 22 May 1990 or CY91
ZC: Zangger Committee
This page was last updated on 9 December, 2004
=====================================================================
Appendix B - International Organizations and Groups
advanced developing countries: another term for those less developed countries (LDCs) with particularly rapid industrial development; see newly industrializing economies (NIEs)
advanced economies: a term used by the International Monetary FUND (IMF) for the top group in its hierarchy of advanced economies, countries in transition, and developing countries; it includes the following 28 advanced economies: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK, US; note - this group would presumably also cover the following seven smaller countries of Andorra, Bermuda, Faroe Islands, Holy See, Liechtenstein, Monaco, and San Marino that are included in the more comprehensive group of "developed countries"
African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of States (ACP Group): established - 6 June 1975
aim - to manage their preferential economic and aid relationship with the EU
members - (77) Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados,Belize, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde,Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of theCongo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti,Dominica, Dominican Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia,Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana,Haiti, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi,Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Federated States ofMicronesia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Palau,Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, SaintVincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal,Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa,Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago,Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia, Zimbabwe
African Development Bank (AfDB): note - its predecessor wasOrganization of African Unity (OAU)
established - 9 September 1999
aim - to promote economic and social development
regional members - (53) Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, BurkinaFaso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad,Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Coted'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon,The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia,Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco,Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe,Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan,Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
nonregional members - (24) Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada,China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, SouthKorea, Kuwait, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Spain,Sweden, Switzerland, UK, US
African Union (AU): note - replaces Organization of African Unity(OAU)
established - 8 July 2001
aim - to achieve greater unity among African States; to defend states' integrity and independence; to accelerate political, social, and economic integration; to encourage international cooperation; to promote democratic principles and institutions
members - (52) Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi,Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros,Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire,Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, TheGambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar,Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger,Nigeria, Rwanda, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Sao Tome andPrincipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa,Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Agency for the French-Speaking Community (ACCT): note - formerly Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation established - 20 March 1970; name changed 1996
aim - to promote cultural and technical cooperation among French- speaking countries
members - (51) Albania, Belgium, Benin, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso,Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central AfricanRepublic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic ofthe Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Dominica, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea,France, French Community of Belgium, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau,Haiti, Laos, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Former Yugoslav Republic ofMacedonia, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Moldova, Monaco,Morocco, New Brunswick (Canada), Niger, Quebec (Canada), Romania,Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles,Switzerland, Togo, Tunisia, Vanuatu, Vietnam
observers - (5) Czech Republic, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia
Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL): note - acronym from Organismo para la Proscripcion de las Armas Nucleares en la America Latina y el Caribe (OPANAL)
established - 14 February 1967 under the Treaty of Tlatelolco; effective - 25 April 1969 on the 11th ratification of the treaty
aim - to encourage the peaceful uses of atomic energy and prohibit nuclear weapons
members - (33) Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, The Bahamas, Barbados,Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica,Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana,Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru,Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela
Andean Community of Nations (CAN): note - formerly known as the AndeanGroup (AG), the Andean Parliament, and most recently as the AndeanCommon Market (Ancom)
established - 26 May 1969; present name established 1 October 1992; effective - 16 October 1969
aim - to promote harmonious development through economic integration
members - (5) Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (ABEDA): note - also known as Banque Arabe de Developpement Economique en Afrique (BADEA)
established - 18 February 1974; effective - 16 September 1974
aim - to promote economic development
members - (17 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, Palestine Liberation Organization; note - these are all the members of the Arab League excluding Comoros, Djibouti, Somalia, Yemen
Arab Cooperation Council (ACC): established - 16 February 1989
aim - to promote economic cooperation and integration, possibly leading to an Arab Common Market
members - (4) Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Yemen; note - the ACC has remained inactive since the Gulf crisis
Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD): established - 16 May 1968
aim - to promote economic and social development
members - (20 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq (suspended 1993), Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia (suspended 1993), Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, Yemen, Palestine Liberation Organization
Arab Maghreb Union (AMU): established - 17 February 1989
aim - to promote cooperation and integration among the Arab states of northern Africa
members - (5) Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia
Arab Monetary Fund (AMF): established - 27 April 1976; effective - 2February 1977
aim - to promote Arab cooperation, development, and integration in monetary and economic affairs
members - (21 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Algeria,Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon,Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan,Syria, Tunisia, UAE, Yemen, Palestine Liberation Organization
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC): established - 7 November 1989
aim - to promote trade and investment in the Pacific basin
members - (21) Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, NZ, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, US, Vietnam
observers - (3) Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Pacific Economic Cooperation Council, Pacific Islands Forum
Asian Development Bank (AsDB): established - 19 December 1966
aim - to promote regional economic cooperation
regional members - (44) Afghanistan, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh,Bhutan, Burma, Cambodia, China, Cook Islands, East Timor, Fiji, HongKong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, South Korea,Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, FederatedStates of Micronesia, Mongolia, Nauru, Nepal, NZ, Pakistan, Papua NewGuinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka,Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uzbekistan,Vanuatu, Vietnam
nonregional members - (18) Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN): established - 8 August 1967
aim - to encourage regional economic, social, and cultural cooperation among the countries of Southeast Asia
members - (10) Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
dialogue partners - (11) Australia, Canada, China, EU, India, Japan, South Korea, NZ, Russia, US, UNDP
ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF): established - NA 1994
aim - to foster constructive dialogue and consultation on political and security issues of common interest and concern
members - (23) Australia, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Canada, China, EU,India, Indonesia, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia,Mongolia, NZ, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Russia, Singapore,Thailand, US, Vietnam
Australia Group: established - NA June 1985
aim - to consult on and coordinate export controls related to chemical and biological weapons
members - (34) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, European Commission, Finland,France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, SouthKorea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania,Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US
Australia-New Zealand-United States Security Treaty (ANZUS): established - 1 September 1951; effective - 29 April 1952
aim - to implement a trilateral mutual security agreement, although the US suspended security obligations to NZ on 11 August 1986; Australia and the US continue to hold annual meetings
members - (3) Australia, NZ, US
Bank for International Settlements (BIS): established - 20 January 1930; effective - 17 March 1930
aim - to promote cooperation among central banks in international financial settlements
members - (55) Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, European Central Bank, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia and Montenegro, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, UK, US; note - Serbia and Montenegro have separate central banks; their links with BIS are currently under review
Benelux Economic Union (Benelux): note - acronym from Belgium,Netherlands, and Luxembourg
established - 3 February 1958; effective - 1 November 1960
aim - to develop closer economic cooperation and integration
members - (3) Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands
Big Seven: note - membership is the same as the Group of 7
established - NA 1975
aim - to discuss and coordinate major economic policies
members - (7) Big Six (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK) plus the US
Big Six: note - not to be confused with the Group of 6
established - NA 1967 aim - to foster economic cooperation
members - (6) Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK
Black Sea Economic Cooperation Zone (BSEC): established - 25 June 1992
aim - to enhance regional stability through economic cooperation
members - (11) Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine
observers - (9) Austria, Egypt, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Tunisia
Caribbean Community and Common Market (Caricom): established - 4 July 1973; effective - 1 August 1973
aim - to promote economic integration and development, especially among the less developed countries
members - (15) Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize,Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts andNevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname,Trinidad and Tobago
associate members - (4) Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands
observers - (8) Aruba, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico, Venezuela
Caribbean Development Bank (CDB): established - 18 October 1969; effective - 26 January 1970
aim - to promote economic development and cooperation
regional members - (20) Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas,Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Colombia,Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico, Montserrat, Saint Kitts andNevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad andTobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Venezuela
nonregional members - (5) Canada, China, Germany, Italy, UK
Central African Customs and Economic Union (UDEAC): see Monetary andEconomic Community of Central Africa (CEMAC)
Central African States Development Bank (BDEAC): note - acronym fromBanque de Developpement des Etats de l'Afrique Centrale
established - 3 December 1975
aim - to provide loans for economic development
members - (11) African Development Bank (AfDB), Cameroon, Central African States Bank (BEAC), Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gabon, Germany, Kuwait
Central American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE): note - acronym from Banco Centroamericano de Integracion Economico
established - 13 December 1960 signature of Articles of Agreement; 31 May 1961 began operations
aim - to promote economic integration and development members - (5) Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua
nonregional members - (4) Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Taiwan
Central American Common Market (CACM): established - 13 December 1960, collapsed in 1969, reinstated in 1991
aim - to promote establishment of a Central American Common Market
members - (5) Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua; note - Panama, although not a member, pursues full regional cooperation
Central European Initiative (CEI): note - evolved from theQuadrilateral Initiative and the Hexagonal Initiative
established - 11 November 1989 as the Quadrilateral Initiative, 27 July 1991 became the Hexagonal Initiative, NA July 1992 its present name was adopted
aim - to form an economic and political cooperation group for the region between the Adriatic and the Baltic Seas
members - (17) Albania, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina,Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, The Former YugoslavRepublic of Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro,Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine
centrally planned economies : a term applied mainly to the traditionally Communist states that looked to the former USSR for leadership; most are now evolving toward more democratic and market- oriented systems; also known formerly as the Second World or as the Communist countries; through the 1980s, this group included Albania, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, GDR, Hungary, North Korea, Laos, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, USSR, Vietnam
Colombo Plan (CP): established - NA May 1950 proposal was adopted; 1July 1951 commenced full operations
aim - to promote economic and social development in Asia and the Pacific
members - (25) Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma,Cambodia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Laos,Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, NZ, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea,Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, US, Vietnam
Commonwealth (C): note - also known as Commonwealth of Nations
established - 31 December 1931
aim - to foster multinational cooperation and assistance, as a voluntary association that evolved from the British Empire
members - (53) Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei, Cameroon, Canada, Cyprus, Dominica, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, NZ, Nigeria, Pakistan (suspended), Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, UK, Vanuatu, Zambia; note - on 7 December 2003 Zimbabwe withdrew its membership from the Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS): established - 8 December 1991; effective - 21 December 1991
aim - to coordinate intercommonwealth relations and to provide a mechanism for the orderly dissolution of the USSR
members - (12) Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan
Communist countries: traditionally the Marxist-Leninist states with authoritarian governments and command economies based on the Soviet model; most of the original and the successor states are no longer Communist; see centrally planned economies
Coordinating Committee on Export Controls (COCOM): established in 1949 to control the export of strategic products and technical data from member countries to proscribed destinations; members were Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, UK, US; abolished 31 March 1994; COCOM members established a new organization, the Wassenaar Arrangement, with expanded membership on 12 July 1996 that focuses on nonproliferation export controls as opposed to East- West control of advanced technology