Saudi Arabiafrequent sand and dust storms
Senegallowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts
Serbiadestructive earthquakes
Seychelleslies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare;short droughts possible
Sierra Leonedry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara(December to February); sandstorms, dust storms
SingaporeNA
SlovakiaNA
Sloveniaflooding and earthquakes
Solomon Islandstyphoons, but rarely destructive; geologicallyactive region with frequent earthquakes, tremors, and volcanicactivity; tsunamis
Somaliarecurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plainsin summer; floods during rainy season
South Africaprolonged droughts
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islandsthe South SandwichIslands have prevailing weather conditions that generally make themdifficult to approach by ship; they are also subject to activevolcanism
Southern Oceanhuge icebergs with drafts up to several hundredmeters; smaller bergs and iceberg fragments; sea ice (generally 0.5to 1 m thick) with sometimes dynamic short-term variations and withlarge annual and interannual variations; deep continental shelffloored by glacial deposits varying widely over short distances;high winds and large waves much of the year; ship icing, especiallyMay-October; most of region is remote from sources of search andrescue
Spainperiodic droughts
Spratly Islandstyphoons; numerous reefs and shoals pose a seriousmaritime hazard
Sri Lankaoccasional cyclones and tornadoes
Sudandust storms and periodic persistent droughts
SurinameNA
Svalbardice floes often block the entrance to Bellsund (a transitpoint for coal export) on the west coast and occasionally make partsof the northeastern coast inaccessible to maritime traffic
Swazilanddrought
Swedenice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulfof Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic
Switzerlandavalanches, landslides, flash floods
Syriadust storms, sandstorms
Taiwanearthquakes and typhoons
Tajikistanearthquakes and floods
Tanzaniaflooding on the central plateau during the rainy season;drought
Thailandland subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from thedepletion of the water table; droughts
Timor-Lestefloods and landslides are common; earthquakes, tsunamis,tropical cyclones
Togohot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north duringwinter; periodic droughts
Tokelaulies in Pacific typhoon belt
Tongacyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activityon Fonuafo'ou
Trinidad and Tobagooutside usual path of hurricanes and othertropical storms
TunisiaNA
Turkeysevere earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, along anarc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van
TurkmenistanNA
Turks and Caicos Islandsfrequent hurricanes
Tuvalusevere tropical storms are usually rare, but, in 1997, therewere three cyclones; low level of islands make them sensitive tochanges in sea level
UgandaNA
UkraineNA
United Arab Emiratesfrequent sand and dust storms
United Kingdomwinter windstorms; floods
United Statestsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquake activity aroundPacific Basin; hurricanes along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexicocoasts; tornadoes in the midwest and southeast; mud slides inCalifornia; forest fires in the west; flooding; permafrost innorthern Alaska, a major impediment to development
United States Pacific Island Wildlife RefugesBaker, Howland, andJarvis Islands: the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island canbe a maritime hazardKingman Reef: wet or awash most of the time, maximum elevation ofless than 2 m makes Kingman Reef a maritime hazardMidway Islands, Johnston, and Palmyra Atolls: NA
Uruguayseasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly andoccasional violent wind that blows north from the Argentine pampas),droughts, floods; because of the absence of mountains, which act asweather barriers, all locations are particularly vulnerable to rapidchanges from weather fronts
UzbekistanNA
Vanuatutropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcaniceruption on Aoba (Ambae) island began 27 November 2005, volcanismalso causes minor earthquakes; tsunamis
Venezuelasubject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts
Vietnamoccasional typhoons (May to January) with extensiveflooding, especially in the Mekong River delta
Virgin Islandsseveral hurricanes in recent years; frequent andsevere droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes
Wake Islandoccasional typhoons
Wallis and FutunaNA
West Bankdroughts
Western Saharahot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occurduring winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% oftime, often severely restricting visibility
Worldlarge areas subject to severe weather (tropical cyclones),natural disasters (earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, volcaniceruptions)
Yemensandstorms and dust storms in summer
Zambiaperiodic drought, tropical storms (November to April)
Zimbabwerecurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare
This page was last updated on 18 December 2008
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@2022 People - note
Cook Islands2001 census counted a resident population of 15,017
Cubaillicit emigration is a continuing problem; Cubans attempt todepart the island and enter the US using homemade rafts, aliensmugglers, direct flights, or falsified visas; Cubans also usenon-maritime routes to enter the US including direct flights toMiami and over-land via the southwest border
Germanysecond most populous country in Europe after Russia
RwandaRwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa
Trinidad and Tobagoin 2007, the government of Trinidad and Tobagoestimated the population to be 1.3 million
Turks and Caicos Islandsdestination and transit point for illegalHaitian immigrants bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands, TheBahamas, and the US
This page was last updated on 18 December 2008
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@2023 Area - comparative
Afghanistanslightly smaller than Texas
Akrotiriabout 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC
Albaniaslightly smaller than Maryland
Algeriaslightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas
American Samoaslightly larger than Washington, DC
Andorra2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Angolaslightly less than twice the size of Texas
Anguillaabout half the size of Washington, DC
Antarcticaslightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US
Antigua and Barbuda2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Arctic Oceanslightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US
Argentinaslightly less than three-tenths the size of the US
Armeniaslightly smaller than Maryland
Arubaslightly larger than Washington, DC
Ashmore and Cartier Islands about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Atlantic Oceanslightly less than 6.5 times the size of the US
Australiaslightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states
Austriaslightly smaller than Maine
Azerbaijanslightly smaller than Maine
Bahamas, Theslightly smaller than Connecticut
Bahrain3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Bangladeshslightly smaller than Iowa
Barbados2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Belarusslightly smaller than Kansas
Belgiumabout the size of Maryland
Belizeslightly smaller than Massachusetts
Beninslightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Bermudaabout one-third the size of Washington, DC
Bhutanabout one-half the size of Indiana
Boliviaslightly less than three times the size of Montana
Bosnia and Herzegovinaslightly smaller than West Virginia
Botswanaslightly smaller than Texas
Bouvet Islandabout 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Brazilslightly smaller than the US
British Indian Ocean Territory land area is about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
British Virgin Islandsabout 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
Bruneislightly smaller than Delaware
Bulgariaslightly larger than Tennessee
Burkina Fasoslightly larger than Colorado
Burmaslightly smaller than Texas
Burundislightly smaller than Maryland
Cambodiaslightly smaller than Oklahoma
Cameroonslightly larger than California
Canadasomewhat larger than the US
Cape Verdeslightly larger than Rhode Island
Cayman Islands1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Central African Republicslightly smaller than Texas
Chadslightly more than three times the size of California
Chileslightly smaller than twice the size of Montana
Chinaslightly smaller than the US
Christmas Islandabout three-quarters the size of Washington, DC
Clipperton Islandabout 12 times the size of The Mall in Washington,DC
Cocos (Keeling) Islandsabout 24 times the size of The Mall inWashington, DC
Colombiaslightly less than twice the size of Texas
Comorosslightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC
Congo, Democratic Republic of the slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US
Congo, Republic of theslightly smaller than Montana
Cook Islands1.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Coral Sea IslandsNA
Costa Ricaslightly smaller than West Virginia
Cote d'Ivoireslightly larger than New Mexico
Croatiaslightly smaller than West Virginia
Cubaslightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Cyprusabout 0.6 times the size of Connecticut
Czech Republicslightly smaller than South Carolina
Denmarkslightly less than twice the size of Massachusetts
Dhekeliaabout three-quarters the size of Washington, DC
Djiboutislightly smaller than Massachusetts
Dominicaslightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC
Dominican Republicslightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire
Ecuadorslightly smaller than Nevada
Egyptslightly more than three times the size of New Mexico
El Salvadorslightly smaller than Massachusetts
Equatorial Guineaslightly smaller than Maryland
Eritreaslightly larger than Pennsylvania
Estoniaslightly smaller than New Hampshire and Vermont combined
Ethiopiaslightly less than twice the size of Texas
European Unionless than one-half the size of the US
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)slightly smaller than Connecticut
Faroe Islandseight times the size of Washington, DC
Fijislightly smaller than New Jersey
Finlandslightly smaller than Montana
Franceslightly less than the size of Texas
French Polynesiaslightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut
French Southern and Antarctic LandsIle Amsterdam (Ile Amsterdam etIle Saint-Paul): less than one-half the size of Washington, DCIle Saint-Paul (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul): more than 10 timesthe size of The Mall in Washington, DCIles Crozet: about twice the size of Washington, DCIles Kerguelen: a little larger than DelawareBassas da India (Iles Eparses): land area about one-third the sizeof The Mall in Washington, DCEuropa Island (Iles Eparses): about one-sixth the size ofWashington, DCGlorioso Islands (Iles Eparses): about eight times the size of TheMall in Washington, DCJuan de Nova Island (Iles Eparses): about seven times the size ofThe Mall in Washington, DCTromelin Island (Iles Eparses): about 1.7 times the size of The Mallin Washington, DC
Gabonslightly smaller than Colorado
Gambia, Theslightly less than twice the size of Delaware
Gaza Stripslightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Georgiaslightly smaller than South Carolina
Germanyslightly smaller than Montana
Ghanaslightly smaller than Oregon
Gibraltara little less than one half the size of Rhode Island
Greeceslightly smaller than Alabama
Greenlandslightly more than three times the size of Texas
Grenadatwice the size of Washington, DC
Guamthree times the size of Washington, DC
Guatemalaslightly smaller than Tennessee
Guernseyabout one-half the size of Washington, DC
Guineaslightly smaller than Oregon
Guinea-Bissauslightly less than three times the size of Connecticut
Guyanaslightly smaller than Idaho
Haitislightly smaller than Maryland
Heard Island and McDonald Islandsslightly more than two times thesize of Washington, DC
Holy See (Vatican City)about 0.7 times the size of The Mall inWashington, DC
Hondurasslightly larger than Tennessee
Hong Kongsix times the size of Washington, DC
Hungaryslightly smaller than Indiana
Icelandslightly smaller than Kentucky
Indiaslightly more than one-third the size of the US
Indian Oceanabout 5.5 times the size of the US
Indonesiaslightly less than three times the size of Texas
Iranslightly larger than Alaska
Iraqslightly more than twice the size of Idaho
Irelandslightly larger than West Virginia
Isle of Manslightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC
Israelslightly smaller than New Jersey
Italyslightly larger than Arizona
Jamaicaslightly smaller than Connecticut
Jan Mayenslightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Japanslightly smaller than California
Jerseyabout two-thirds the size of Washington, DC
Jordanslightly smaller than Indiana
Kazakhstanslightly less than four times the size of Texas
Kenyaslightly more than twice the size of Nevada
Kiribatifour times the size of Washington, DC
Korea, Northslightly smaller than Mississippi
Korea, Southslightly larger than Indiana
Kosovoslightly larger than Delaware
Kuwaitslightly smaller than New Jersey
Kyrgyzstanslightly smaller than South Dakota
Laosslightly larger than Utah
Latviaslightly larger than West Virginia
Lebanonabout 0.7 times the size of Connecticut
Lesothoslightly smaller than Maryland
Liberiaslightly larger than Tennessee
Libyaslightly larger than Alaska
Liechtensteinabout 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
Lithuaniaslightly larger than West Virginia
Luxembourgslightly smaller than Rhode Island
Macauless than one-sixth the size of Washington, DC
Macedoniaslightly larger than Vermont
Madagascarslightly less than twice the size of Arizona
Malawislightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Malaysiaslightly larger than New Mexico
Maldivesabout 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC
Malislightly less than twice the size of Texas
Maltaslightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC
Marshall Islandsabout the size of Washington, DC
Mauritaniaslightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico
Mauritiusalmost 11 times the size of Washington, DC
Mayotteslightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Mexicoslightly less than three times the size of Texas
Micronesia, Federated States offour times the size of Washington,DC (land area only)
Moldovaslightly larger than Maryland
Monacoabout three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Mongoliaslightly smaller than Alaska
Montenegroslightly smaller than Connecticut
Montserratabout 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC
Moroccoslightly larger than California
Mozambiqueslightly less than twice the size of California
Namibiaslightly more than half the size of Alaska
Nauruabout 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Navassa Islandabout nine times the size of The Mall in Washington,DC
Nepalslightly larger than Arkansas
Netherlandsslightly less than twice the size of New Jersey
Netherlands Antillesmore than five times the size of Washington, DC
New Caledoniaslightly smaller than New Jersey
New Zealandabout the size of Colorado
Nicaraguaslightly smaller than the state of New York
Nigerslightly less than twice the size of Texas
Nigeriaslightly more than twice the size of California
Niue1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Norfolk Islandabout 0.2 times the size of Washington, DC
Northern Mariana Islands2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Norwayslightly larger than New Mexico
Omanslightly smaller than Kansas
Pacific Oceanabout 15 times the size of the US; covers about 28% ofthe global surface; larger than the total land area of the world
Pakistanslightly less than twice the size of California
Palauslightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Panamaslightly smaller than South Carolina
Papua New Guineaslightly larger than California
Paracel IslandsNA
Paraguayslightly smaller than California
Peruslightly smaller than Alaska
Philippinesslightly larger than Arizona
Pitcairn Islandsabout 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Polandslightly smaller than New Mexico
Portugalslightly smaller than Indiana
Puerto Ricoslightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island
Qatarslightly smaller than Connecticut
Romaniaslightly smaller than Oregon
Russiaapproximately 1.8 times the size of the US
Rwandaslightly smaller than Maryland
Saint Barthelemyless than an eighth of the size of Washington, DC
Saint Helenaslightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Saint Kitts and Nevis1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Saint Lucia3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Saint Martinmore than one-third the size of Washington, DC
Saint Pierre and Miquelon1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Saint Vincent and the Grenadinestwice the size of Washington, DC
Samoaslightly smaller than Rhode Island
San Marinoabout one third times the size of Washington, DC
Sao Tome and Principemore than five times the size of Washington, DC
Saudi Arabiaslightly more than one-fifth the size of the US
Senegalslightly smaller than South Dakota
Serbiaslightly smaller than South Carolina
Seychelles2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Sierra Leoneslightly smaller than South Carolina
Singaporeslightly more than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Slovakiaabout twice the size of New Hampshire
Sloveniaslightly smaller than New Jersey
Solomon Islandsslightly smaller than Maryland
Somaliaslightly smaller than Texas
South Africaslightly less than twice the size of Texas
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islandsslightly larger thanRhode Island
Southern Oceanslightly more than twice the size of the US
Spainslightly more than twice the size of Oregon
Spratly IslandsNA
Sri Lankaslightly larger than West Virginia
Sudanslightly more than one-quarter the size of the US
Surinameslightly larger than Georgia
Svalbardslightly smaller than West Virginia
Swazilandslightly smaller than New Jersey
Swedenslightly larger than California
Switzerlandslightly less than twice the size of New Jersey
Syriaslightly larger than North Dakota
Taiwanslightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined
Tajikistanslightly smaller than Wisconsin
Tanzaniaslightly larger than twice the size of California
Thailandslightly more than twice the size of Wyoming
Timor-Lesteslightly larger than Connecticut
Togoslightly smaller than West Virginia
Tokelauabout 17 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Tongafour times the size of Washington, DC
Trinidad and Tobagoslightly smaller than Delaware
Tunisiaslightly larger than Georgia
Turkeyslightly larger than Texas
Turkmenistanslightly larger than California
Turks and Caicos Islands2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Tuvalu0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Ugandaslightly smaller than Oregon
Ukraineslightly smaller than Texas
United Arab Emiratesslightly smaller than Maine
United Kingdomslightly smaller than Oregon
United Statesabout half the size of Russia; about three-tenths thesize of Africa; about half the size of South America (or slightlylarger than Brazil); slightly larger than China; more than twice thesize of the European Union
United States Pacific Island Wildlife RefugesBaker Island: abouttwo and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DCHowland Island: about three times the size of The Mall inWashington, DCJarvis Island: about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington,DCJohnston Atoll: about four and a half times the size of The Mall inWashington, DCKingman Reef: a little more than one and a half times the size ofThe Mall in Washington, DCMidway Islands: about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington,DCPalmyra Atoll: about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Uruguayslightly smaller than the state of Washington
Uzbekistanslightly larger than California
Vanuatuslightly larger than Connecticut
Venezuelaslightly more than twice the size of California
Vietnamslightly larger than New Mexico
Virgin Islandstwice the size of Washington, DC
Wake Islandabout 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Wallis and Futuna1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
West Bankslightly smaller than Delaware
Western Saharaabout the size of Colorado
Worldland area about 16 times the size of the US
Yemenslightly larger than twice the size of Wyoming
Zambiaslightly larger than Texas
Zimbabweslightly larger than Montana
This page was last updated on 18 December 2008
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@2024 Military service age and obligation (years of age)
Afghanistan22 years of age; inductees are contracted into servicefor a 4-year term (2005)
Albania19 years of age (2004)
Algeria19-30 years of age for compulsory military service;conscript service obligation - 18 months (6 months basic training,12 months civil projects) (2006)
Angola17 years of age for compulsory military service; conscriptservice obligation - 2 years plus time for training (2001)
Antigua and Barbuda18 years of age for voluntary military service;no conscription (2008)
Argentina18-24 years of age for voluntary military service (18-21requires parental permission); no conscription (2001)
Armenia18-27 years of age for voluntary or compulsory militaryservice; 2-year conscript service obligation (2007)
Australia17 years of age for voluntary military service (withparental consent); no conscription; women allowed to serve in Armycombat units in non-combat support roles (2008)
Austria18-35 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 yearsof age for male or female voluntary service; service obligation 7months of training, followed by an 8-year reserve obligation (2006)
Azerbaijanmen between 18 and 35 are liable for military service; 18years of age for voluntary military service; length of militaryservice is 18 months and 12 months for university graduates (2006)
Bahamas, The18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2008)
Bahrain17 years of age for voluntary military service; 15 years ofage for NCOs, technicians, and cadets; no conscription (2008)
Bangladesh16 years of age for voluntary military service; 17 yearsof age for officers (both with parental consent); conscriptionlegally possible in emergency, but has never been implemented (2008)
Barbados18 years of age for voluntary military service (youngerrequires parental consent); no conscription (2008)
Belarus18-27 years of age for compulsory military service;conscript service obligation - 18 months (2005)
Belgium18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscriptionsuspended (2008)
Belize18 years of age for voluntary military service; laws allowfor conscription only if volunteers are insufficient; conscriptionhas never been implemented; volunteers typically outnumber availablepositions by 3:1 (2008)
Benin21 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;in practice, volunteers may be taken at the age of 18; both sexesare eligible for military service; conscript tour of duty - 18months (2006)
Bermuda18-23 years of age; eligible men required to register forconscription as needed into the Bermuda Regiment, which is largelyvoluntary; term of service 39 months (2007)
Bhutan18 years of age for voluntary military service; noconscription (2008)
Bolivia18 years of age for 12-month compulsory military service;when annual number of volunteers falls short of goal, compulsoryrecruitment is effected, including conscription of boys as young as14; 15-19 years of age for voluntary premilitary service, providesexemption from further military service (2008)
Bosnia and Herzegovina17 years of age for voluntary militaryservice in the Federation and in the Republika Srpska; conscriptionabolished January 2006; 4-month service obligation (2006)
Botswana18 is the apparent age of voluntary military service; theofficial qualifications for determining minimum age are unknown(2001)
Brazil21-45 years of age for compulsory military service; conscriptservice obligation - 9 to 12 months; 17-45 years of age forvoluntary service; an increasing percentage of the ranks are"long-service" volunteer professionals; women were allowed to servein the armed forces beginning in early 1980s when the Brazilian Armybecame the first army in South America to accept women into careerranks; women serve in Navy and Air Force only in Women's ReserveCorps (2001)
Brunei18 years of age (est.) for voluntary military service;non-Malays are ineligible to serve (2007)
Bulgaria18-27 years of age for voluntary military service;conscript service obligation - 9 months; as of May 2006, 67% of theBulgarian Army comprised of professional soldiers; conscriptionended as of 1 January 2008; Air and Air Defense Forces and NavalForces became fully professional at the end of 2006 (2008)
Burkina Faso18 years of age for compulsory military service; 20years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
Burma18 years of age for voluntary military service for both sexes;forced conscription of children, although officially prohibited,reportedly continues (2007)
Burundi16 years of age for compulsory and voluntary militaryservice; children as young as 10 years of age have been conscriptedinto the armed forces; the enrollment of children is still notprohibited (2007)
Cambodiaconscription law of October 2006 requires all males between18-30 to register for military service; 18-month service obligation(2006)
Cameroon18 years of age for voluntary military service; noconscription; the government makes periodic calls for volunteers(2006)
Canada17 years of age for male and female voluntary militaryservice (with parental consent); 16 years of age for reserve andmilitary college applicants; Canadian citizenship or permanentresidence status required; maximum 34 years of age; serviceobligation 3-9 years (2008)
Cape Verde18 years of age (est.) for selective compulsory militaryservice; 14-month conscript service obligation (2006)
Central African Republic18 years of age for compulsory andvoluntary military service; 2-year conscript service obligation(2006)
Chad20 years of age for conscripts, with 3-year service obligation;18 years of age for volunteers; no minimum age restriction forvolunteers with consent from a guardian; women are subject to 1 yearof compulsory military or civic service at age of 21 (2004)
Chile18-45 years of age for voluntary male and female militaryservice, although the right to compulsory recruitment is retained;service obligation - 12 months for Army, 22 months for Navy and AirForce (2008)
China18-22 years of age for selective compulsory military service,with 24-month service obligation; no minimum age for voluntaryservice (all officers are volunteers); 18-19 years of age for womenhigh school graduates who meet requirements for specific militaryjobs (2007)
Colombia18-24 years of age for compulsory and voluntary militaryservice; service obligation - 18 months (2004)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the18-45 years of age for militaryservice
Congo, Republic of the18 years of age for voluntary militaryservice; women allowed to serve (2007)
Cote d'Ivoire18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary militaryservice (2008)
Croatia18-27 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 yearsof age with consent for voluntary service; 6-month conscript serviceobligation; full conversion to professional military service by 2010(2006)
Cuba17-28 years of age for compulsory military service; 2-yearservice obligation; both sexes subject to military service (2006)
CyprusGreek Cypriot National Guard (GCNG): 18-50 years of age forcompulsory military service for all Greek Cypriot males; 17 years ofage for voluntary service; females are not conscripted; age ofmilitary eligibility 17 to 50; length of normal service is 25 monthswith a minimum of 3 months (2006)
Czech Republic18-28 years of age for voluntary and 19-28 forcompulsory military service (2008)
Denmark18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary militaryservice; conscripts serve an initial training period that variesfrom 4 to 12 months according to specialization; reservists areassigned to mobilization units following completion of theirconscript service; women eligible to volunteer for military service(2004)
Djibouti18 years of age for voluntary military service; 16-25 yearsof age for voluntary military training; no conscription (2008)
Dominican Republic18 years of age for voluntary military service(2007)
Ecuador20 years of age for selective conscript military service;12-month service obligation (2008)
Egypt18-30 years of age for male conscript military service;service obligation 12-36 months, followed by a 9-year reserveobligation (2008)
El Salvador18 years of age for selective compulsory militaryservice; 16 years of age for voluntary service; service obligation -8 months, but 11 months for officers and NCOs (2008)
Equatorial Guinea18 years of age (est.) for compulsory militaryservice (2008)
Eritrea18-40 years of age for male and female voluntary andcompulsory military service; 16-month conscript service obligation(2006)
Estoniacompulsory military service for men between 19 and 28;conscription lasts 11 months for junior NCOs and reserve platoonleaders; reserve officers and designated specialists have adifferent conscript service obligation; Estonia has committed toretaining conscription for men up to 2010 and, unlike Latvia andLithuania, has no plan to transition to a contract armed forces; 17years of age for volunteers; reserve commitment up to the age of 60(2006)
Ethiopia18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary militaryservice; theoretically, no compulsory military service, but themilitary can conduct call-ups when necessary and compliance iscompulsory (2008)
Fiji18 years of age for voluntary military service; reserveobligation to age 45 (2006)
Finland18 years of age for male voluntary and compulsory nationalmilitary and nonmilitary service; service obligation 6-12 months(2008)
France17-40 years of age for male or female voluntary militaryservice); no conscription; 12-month service obligation; women servein noncombat military posts (2005)
Gabon20 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service(2007)
Gambia, The18 years of age for voluntary military service; noconscription (2008)
Georgia18 to 34 years of age for compulsory and voluntary activeduty military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months(2005)
Germany18 years of age (conscripts serve a 9-month tour ofcompulsory military service) (2004)
Ghana18 years of age for voluntary military service; noconscription (2008)
Greece19-45 years of age for compulsory military service; duringwartime the law allows for recruitment beginning January of the yearof inductee's 18th birthday, thus including 17 year olds; 17 yearsof age for volunteers; conscript service obligation - 1 year for allservices; women are eligible for voluntary military service (2008)
Guatemalaall male citizens between the ages of 18 and 50 are liablefor military service; conscript service obligation varies from 12 to24 months; women can serve as officers (2007)
Guinea18 years of age for compulsory military service; 2-yearconscript service obligation (2006)
Guinea-Bissau18 years of age for selective compulsory militaryservice (2006)
Guyana18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; noconscription (2008)
Honduras18 years of age for voluntary 2 to 3-year military service(2004)
Hungary18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscriptionabolished in June 2004; 6-month service obligation, with reserveobligation to age 50 (2006)
India16 years of age for voluntary military service; noconscription; women officers allowed in noncombat roles only (2008)
Indonesia18 years of age for selective compulsory and voluntarymilitary service; 2-year conscript service obligation, with reserveobligation to age 45 (officers); Indonesian citizens only (2008)
Iran19 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years ofage for volunteers; 17 years of age for Law Enforcement Forces; 15years of age for Basij Forces (Popular Mobilization Army); conscriptmilitary service obligation - 18 months; women exempt from militaryservice (2008)
Iraq18-49 years of age for voluntary military service (2008)
Ireland17-25 years of age for male or female voluntary militaryservice (17-27 years of age for the Naval Service); enlistees 16years of age can be recruited for apprentice specialist positions;maximum obligation 12 years; 17-35 years of age for the ReserveDefense Forces; EU citizenship or 5-year residence in Irelandrequired (2008)
Israel18 years of age for compulsory (Jews, Druzes) and voluntary(Christians, Muslims, Circassians) military service; both sexes areobligated to military service; conscript service obligation - 36months for enlisted men, 21 months for enlisted women, 48 months forofficers; reserve obligation to age 41-51 (men), 24 (women) (2008)
Italy18-27 year of age for voluntary military service; conscriptionabolished January 2005; women may serve in any military branch;10-month service obligation, with a reserve obligation to age 45(Army and Air Force) or 39 (Navy) (2006)
Jamaica18 years of age for voluntary military service; youngerrecruits may be conscripted with parental consent (2001)
Japan18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
Jordan17 years of age for voluntary military service; conscriptionat age 18 was suspended in 1999, although all males under age 37 arerequired to register; women not subject to conscription, but canvolunteer to serve in non-combat military positions (2004)
Kazakhstan18 years of age for compulsory military service;conscript service obligation - 2 years; minimum age for volunteersNA (2004)
Kenya18 years of age (est.) for voluntary service, with a 9-yearobligation (2007)
Korea, North17 years of age (2004)
Korea, South20-30 years of age for compulsory military service,with middle school education required; conscript service obligation- 24-28 months, depending on the military branch involved (to bereduced to 18 months beginning 2016); 18-26 years of age forvoluntary military service; women, in service since 1950, admittedto 7 service branches, including infantry, but excluded fromartillery, armor, anti-air, and chaplaincy corps; some 4,000 womenserve as commissioned and noncommissioned officers, approx. 2.3% ofall officers (2008)
Kuwait18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary militaryservice; reserve obligation to age 40 with 1 month annual training;women have served in police forces since 1999 (2006)
Kyrgyzstan18 years of age for compulsory military service (2001)
Laos15 years of age for compulsory military service; minimum18-month conscript service obligation (2006)
Latvia18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscriptionabolished January 2007; under current law, every citizen is entitledto serve in the armed forces for life (2006)
Lebanon18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; noconscription (2007)
Lesotho18 years of age for voluntary military service; noconscription (2008)
Liberia16 years of age for voluntary military service; noconscription (2008)
Libya17 years of age (2004)
Lithuania19-45 years of age for compulsory military service; 18years of age for volunteers; 12-month conscript service obligation(2006)
Luxembourg17-25 years of age for male and female voluntary militaryservice; soldiers under 18 are not deployed into combat or withpeacekeeping missions; no conscription; Luxembourg citizen or EUcitizen with 3-year residence in Luxembourg (2008)
Macedonia18 years of age for voluntary military service (2007)
Madagascar18-25 years of age for male-only compulsory militaryservice; 18-month conscript service obligation (either military orequivalent civil service); 20-30 years of age for NationalGendarmerie recruits (35 years of age for those with militaryexperience) (2008)
Malawi18 years of age for voluntary military service; standardobligation is 2 years of active duty and 5 years of reserve service(2007)
Malaysia18 years of age for voluntary military service (2005)
Maldives18 years of age for voluntary military service; noconscription (2008)
Mali18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;conscript service obligation - 2 years (2008)
Malta17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service; noconscription (2008)
Mauritania18 years of age (est.); conscript service obligation - 2years; majority of servicemen believed to be volunteers; service inAir Force and Navy is voluntary (2006)
Mexico18 years of age for compulsory military service, conscriptservice obligation - 12 months; 16 years of age with consent forvoluntary enlistment; conscripts serve only in the Army; Navy andAir Force service is all voluntary; women are eligible for voluntarymilitary service (2007)
Moldova18 years of age for compulsory military service; 12-monthservice obligation (2006)
Mongolia18-25 years of age for compulsory military service;conscript service obligation - 12 months in land or air defenseforces or police; a small portion of Mongolian land forces (2.5percent) is comprised of contract soldiers; women cannot be deployedoverseas for military operations (2006)
Montenegrocompulsory national military service abolished August 2006
Morocco18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary militaryservice; conscript service obligation - 18 months (2004)
Mozambique18-30 years of age for compulsory military service;2-year service obligation (2006)
Namibia18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; noconscription (2008)
Nepal18 years of age for voluntary military service; 15 years ofage for military training; no conscription (2008)
Netherlands20 years of age for an all-volunteer force (2004)
Netherlands Antilles16 years of age for National Guard recruitment;no conscription (2004)
New Zealand17 years of age for voluntary military service; soldierscannot be deployed until the age of 18; no conscription (2008)
Nicaragua17 years of age for voluntary military service; tour ofduty 18-36 months (2008)
Niger17-21 years of age for voluntary military service; 2-yearservice term; women may serve in health care (2008)
Nigeria18 years of age for voluntary military service (2007)
Norway18-44 years of age for male compulsory military service; 16years of age in wartime; 17 years of age for male volunteers; 18years of age for women; 12-month service obligation, in practiceshortened to 8 to 9 months; although all males between ages of 18and 44 are liable for service, in practice they are seldom called toduty after age 30; reserve obligation to age 35-60; 16 years of agefor volunteers to the Home Guard, who serve 6-month duty tours (2006)
Oman18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; noconscription (2008)
Pakistan16 years of age for voluntary military service; soldierscannot be deployed for combat until age of 18; the Pakistani AirForce and Pakistani Navy have inducted their first female pilots andsailors (2006)
Papua New Guinea16 years of age for voluntary military service; noconscription (2008)
Paraguay18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary militaryservice; conscript service obligation - 12 months for Army, 24months for Navy (2006)
Peru18-30 years of age for voluntary male and female militaryservice; no conscription (2008)
Philippines18-25 years of age (officers 21-29) for compulsory andvoluntary military service; applicants must be single male or femalePhilippine citizens (2007)
Poland17 years of age for male compulsory military service afterJanuary 1st of the year of 18th birthday; 17 years of age forvoluntary military service; conscript service obligation shortenedfrom 12 to 9 months in 2005; by 2008, plans call for at least 60% ofmilitary personnel to be volunteers; only soldiers who havecompleted their conscript service are allowed to volunteer forprofessional service; as of April 2004, women are only allowed toserve as officers and noncommissioned officers (2006)
Portugal18 years of age for voluntary military service; compulsorymilitary service ended in 2004; women serve in the armed forces, onnaval ships since 1993, but are prohibited from serving in somecombatant specialties; reserve obligation to age 35 (2007)
Qatar18 years of age for voluntary military service; noconscription (2008)
Romania18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscriptionofficially ended October 2006; all military inductees (includingwomen) contract for an initial 5-year term of service; subsequentvoluntary service contracts are for successive 3-year terms untilthe age of 36 (2006)
Russia18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary militaryservice; males are registered for the draft at 17 years of age;service obligation - 1 year; reserve obligation to age 50; as ofJuly 2008, a draft military strategy called for the draft tocontinue up to the year 2030 (2008)
Rwanda18 years of age for voluntary military service; noconscription (2008)
Saint Kitts and Nevis18 years of age for voluntary militaryservice; no conscription (2008)
San Marino16-55 for voluntary service in Voluntary Military Force(2006)
Sao Tome and Principe18 years of age (est.) (2004)
Saudi Arabia18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2004)
Senegal18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary militaryservice; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)
Serbia19-35 years of age for compulsory military service; under astate of war or impending war, conscription can begin at age 16;conscription is to be abolished in 2010; 9-month service obligation,with a reserve obligation to age 60 for men and 50 for women (2007)
Seychelles18 years of age for voluntary military service (youngerwith parental consent); no conscription (2008)
Sierra Leone17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service(younger with parental consent); no conscription (2008)
Singapore18-21 years of age for male compulsory military service;16 years of age for volunteers; 2-year conscript service obligation,with a reserve obligation to age 40 (enlisted) or age 50 (officers)(2008)
Slovakia17-30 years of age for voluntary military service;conscription abolished in 2006; women are eligible to serve (2007)
Slovenia17 years of age for voluntary military service;conscription abolished in 2003 (2007)
South Africa18 years of age for voluntary military service; womenhave a long history of military service in noncombat roles datingback to World War I (2004)
Spain20 years of age (2004)
Sri Lanka18 years of age for voluntary military service (2007)
Sudan18-30 years of age for compulsory military service; 2-yearservice obligation (2006)
Suriname18 years of age (est.); recruitment is voluntary, withpersonnel drawn almost exclusively from the Creole community (2007)