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; site of a World War I naval battle inNovember 1914 between the Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney andthe German raider SMS Emden; after being heavily damaged in theengagement, the Emden was beached by her captain on North KeelingIsland
Colombiaonly South American country with coastlines on both theNorth Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea
Comorosimportant location at northern end of Mozambique Channel
Congo, Democratic Republic of the straddles equator; has narrow strip of land that controls the lower Congo River and is only outlet to South Atlantic Ocean; dense tropical rain forest in central river basin and eastern highlands
Congo, Republic of 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, where most ofthe population lives, consist of eight elevated, fertile, volcanicisles, including the largest, Rarotonga, at 67 sq km
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; most Adriatic Sea islands lie off the coast ofCroatia - some 1,200 islands, islets, ridges, and rocks
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; of the Sovereign BaseArea land 60% is privately owned and farmed, 20% is owned by theMinistry of Defense, and 20% is SBA Crown land
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
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 widely separated
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
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; 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 Polynesiaincludes five archipelagoes (four volcanic, onecoral); Makatea in French Polynesia is one of the three greatphosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba(Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Nauru
French Southern and Antarctic Lands islands component is widely scattered across remote locations in the southern Indian Ocean Bassas da India (Iles Eparses): the atoll is a circular reef that sits atop a long-extinct, submerged volcano Europa Island and Juan de Nova Island (Iles Eparses): wildlife sanctuary for seabirds and sea turtles Glorioso Island (Iles Eparses): the islands and rocks are surrounded by an extensive reef system Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses): climatologically important location for forecasting cyclones in the western Indian Ocean; wildlife sanctuary (seabirds, tortoises)
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 Stripstrategic strip of land along Mideast-North African traderoutes has experienced an incredibly turbulent history; the town ofGaza itself has been besieged countless times in its history
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
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;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
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 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)
Heard Island and McDonald Islands Mawson Peak on Heard Island is the highest Australian mountain (at 2,745 meters, it is taller than Mt. Kosciuszko in Australia proper), and one of only two active volcanoes located in Australian territory, the other being McDonald Island; in 1992, McDonald Island broke its dormancy and began erupting; it has erupted several times since, the most recent being in 2005
Holy See (Vatican City)landlocked; enclave in Rome, Italy; world'ssmallest state; beyond the territorial boundary of Vatican City, theLateran Treaty of 1929 grants the Holy See extraterritorialauthority over 23 sites in Rome and five outside of Rome, includingthe Pontifical Palace at Castel Gandolfo (the Pope's summerresidence)
Hondurashas only a short Pacific coast but a long Caribbeanshoreline, including the virtually uninhabited eastern Mosquito Coast
Hong Kongmore than 200 islands
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; Kanchenjunga, third tallest mountain in theworld, lies on the border with Nepal
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 100 km of Dublin
Isle of Manone small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the southwestand is a bird sanctuary
Israelthere are about 340 Israeli civilian sites - including 100small outpost communities in the West Bank - as well as 42 sites inthe Golan Heights, 0 in the Gaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem(July 2008 est.); Lake Tiberias (Sea of Galilee) is an importantfreshwater 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
Jerseylargest and southernmost of Channel Islands; about 30% ofpopulation concentrated in Saint Helier
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
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
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; 94% of the country is 1,000 m above sea level, with anaverage elevation of 2,750 m; many tall peaks, glaciers, andhigh-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 is the only major river in Near East notcrossing an international boundary; rugged terrain historicallyhelped isolate, protect, and develop numerous factional groups basedon religion, clan, and ethnicity
Lesotholandlocked, completely surrounded by South Africa;mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 m above sea level
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; an area of land reclaimed from the seameasuring 5.2 sq km and known as Cotai now connects the islands ofColoane and Taipa; the island area is connected to the mainlandpeninsula by three bridges
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
Marshall Islandsthe islands of Bikini and Enewetak are former USnuclear test sites; Kwajalein atoll, famous as a World War IIbattleground, surrounds the world's largest lagoon and is used as aUS missile test range; the island city of Ebeye is the secondlargest settlement in the Marshall Islands, after the capital ofMajuro, and one of the most densely populated locations in thePacific
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; home of the dodo, a large flightless bird related to pigeons,driven to extinction by the end of the 17th century through acombination of hunting and the introduction of predatory species
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
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
Montenegrostrategic location along the Adriatic coast
Montserratthe island is entirely volcanic in origin and comprisedof three major volcanic centers of differing ages
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 with numerous solutionholes but with enough grassland to support goat herds; dense standsof fig trees, scattered cactus
Nepallandlocked; strategic location between China and India;contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everestand Kanchenjunga - the world's tallest and third tallest - on theborders with China and India respectively
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); the island of Saint Martinis the smallest landmass in the world shared by two independentstates, the French territory of Saint Martin and the Dutch territoryof Sint Maarten
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 Zealandalmost 90% 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 itsmuch-indented coastline; strategic location adjacent to sea lanesand air routes in North Atlantic; one of the most rugged and longestcoastlines in the 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
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
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 HelenaSaint Helena harbors at least 40 species of plantsunknown anywhere else in the world; Ascension is a breeding groundfor sea turtles and sooty terns; Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan daCunha is the highest island mountain in the South Atlantic and aprominent landmark on the sea lanes around southern Africa
Saint Kitts and Neviswith coastlines in the shape of a baseball batand ball, the two volcanic islands are separated by a 3-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 Martinthe island of Saint Martin is the smallest landmass inthe world shared by two independent states, the French territory ofSaint Martin and the Dutch territory of Sint Maarten
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 aremountainous
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
Serbiacontrols one of the major land routes from Western Europe toTurkey and the Near East
Seychelles41 granitic and about 75 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; on 2 April 2007an undersea earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale occurred345 km WNW of the capital Honiara; the resulting tsunami devastatedcoastal areas of Western and Choiseul provinces with dozens ofdeaths and thousands dislocated; the provincial capital of Gizo wasespecially hard hit
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 South Sandwich Islandsthe north coast of SouthGeorgia 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 cold polar surfacewaters to the south from the warmer waters to the north; the Frontand the Current extend entirely around Antarctica, reaching south of60 degrees south near New Zealand and near 48 degrees south in thefar South Atlantic coinciding with the path of the maximum westerlywinds
Spainstrategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar;Spain controls a number of territories in northern Morocco includingthe enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, and the islands of Penon de Velezde la Gomera, Penon de Alhucemas, and Islas Chafarinas
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; Spitsbergen Island is the site of the Svalbard Global SeedVault, a seed repository established by the Global Crop DiversityTrust and the Norwegian Government
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 (August 2005 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
Timor-LesteTimor comes from the Malay word for "East"; the islandof Timor is part of the Malay Archipelago and is the largest andeasternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands
Togothe country's length allows it to stretch through six distinctgeographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna
Tokelauconsists of three atolls (Atafu, Fakaofo, Nukunonu), eachwith a lagoon surrounded by a number of reef-bound islets of varyinglength and rising to over 3 m 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
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 nine coral atolls - Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau,Funafuti, and Nukulaelae - have lagoons open to the ocean; Nanumayaand Niutao have 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 linked by tunnel under the English Channel; becauseof heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km fromtidal 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
United States Pacific Island Wildlife RefugesBaker, Howland, andJarvis Islands: scattered vegetation consisting of grasses,prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a nesting,roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marinewildlife; closed to the publicJohnston Atoll: Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands,which have been expanded by coral dredging; North Island (Akau) andEast Island (Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral dredging;the egg-shaped reef is 34 km in circumference; closed to the publicKingman Reef: barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; closedto the publicMidway Islands: a coral atoll managed as a NWR and open to thepublic for wildlife-related recreation in the form of wildlifeobservation and photographyPalmyra Atoll: the high rainfall and resulting lush vegetation makethe environment of this atoll unique among the US Pacific Islandterritories; supports a large undisturbed stand of Pisonia beachforest
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 about 340 Israeli civilian sites -including 100 small outpost communities in the West Bank and 29sites in East Jerusalem (July 2008 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 13.7-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
======================================================================
@2115
Field Listing :: Political pressure groups and leaders
This entry includes a listing of a country's political, social,labor, or religious organizations that are involved in politics, orthat exert political pressure, but whose leaders do not stand forlegislative election. International movements or organizations aregenerally not listed.Country
Political pressure groups and leaders
Afghanistanother: religious groups; tribal leaders; ethnicallybased groups
AlbaniaCitizens Advocacy Office [Kreshnik SPAHIU]; Confederation ofTrade Unions of Albania or KSSH [Kastriot MUCO]; Front for AlbanianNational Unification or FBKSH [Gafur ADILI]; Mjaft Movement; Omonia[Jani JANI]; Union of Independent Trade Unions of Albania or BSPSH[Gezim KALAJA]
AlgeriaThe Algerian Human Rights League or LADDH [Hocine ZEHOUANE];SOS Disparus [Nacera DUTOUR]
American SamoaPopulation Pressure LAS (addresses the growingpopulation pressures)
AndorraNA
AngolaFront for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda or FLEC[N'zita Henriques TIAGO, Antonio Bento BEMBE]note: FLEC's small-scale armed struggle for the independence ofCabinda Province persists despite the signing of a peace accord withthe government in August 2006
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 Confederation or CRA (small to medium landowners'association); Argentine Rural Society (large landowners'association); Central of Argentine Workers or CTA (a radical unionfor employed and unemployed workers); General Confederation of Laboror CGT (Peronist-leaning umbrella labor organization); White andBlue CGT (dissident CGT labor confederation); Roman Catholic Churchother: business organizations; Peronist-dominated labor movement;Piquetero groups (popular protest organizations that can be eitherpro or anti-government); students
ArmeniaAylentrank (Impeachment) [Nikol PASHINIAN]; Yerkrapah Union[Manvel GRIGORIAN]
Arubaother: environmental groups
Australiaother: business groups; environmental groups; socialgroups; trade unions
AustriaAustrian Trade Union Federation or OeGB (nominallyindependent but primarily Social Democratic); Federal EconomicChamber; OeVP-oriented Association of Austrian Industrialists or IV;Roman Catholic Church, including its chief lay organization,Catholic Actionother: three composite leagues of the Austrian People's Party orOeVP representing business, labor, farmers, and other nongovernmentorganizations in the areas of environment and human rights
AzerbaijanArmenian Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (self-proclaimed);Karabakh Liberation Organization; Sadval, Lezgin movement; Talyshindependence movement; Union of Pro-Azerbaijani Forces or UPAF
Bahamas, TheFriends of the Environmentother: trade unions
BahrainShia activists; Sunni Islamist legislatorsother: several small leftist and other groups are active
BangladeshAdvocacy to End Gender-based Violence through the MoWCA(Ministry of Women's and Children's Affairs)other: environmentalists; Islamist groups; religious leaders;teachers; union leaders
BarbadosBarbados Secondary Teachers' Union or BSTU [Patrick FROST];Barbados Union of Teachers or BUT [Herbert GITTENS]; Congress ofTrade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados or CTUSAB, (includesthe BWU, NUPW, BUT, and BSTU) [Leroy TROTMAN]; Barbados WorkersUnion or BWU [Leroy TROTMAN]; Clement Payne Labor Union [DavidCOMISSIONG]; National Union of Public Workers [Joseph GODDARD]
BelarusAssembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs [Sergey MATSKEVICH];Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions [Aleksandr YAROSHUK];Belarusian Helsinki Committee [Tatiana PROTKO]; BelarusianOrganization of Working Women [Irina ZHIKHAR]; BPF-Youth [FranakVYACHORKA]; Charter 97 [Andrey SANNIKOV]; For Freedom [AleksandrMILINKEVICH]; Lenin Communist Union of Youth (youth wing of theBelarusian Party of Communists or PKB); National Strike Committee ofEntrepreneurs [Aleksandr VASILYEV, Valery LEVONEVSKY]; PartnershipNGO [Nikolay ASTREYKA]; Perspektiva kiosk watchdog NGO [AnatolSHUMCHENKO]; Vyasna [Ales BYALATSKY]; Women's Independent DemocraticMovement [Ludmila PETINA]; Young Belarus (Malady Belarus) [ArturFINKEVICH]; Youth Front (Malady Front) [Dmitriy DASHKEVICH]; Zubryouth group [Vladimir KOBETS]
BelgiumChristian, Socialist, and Liberal Trade Unions; Federationof Belgian Industriesother: numerous other associations representing bankers,manufacturers, middle-class artisans, and the legal and medicalprofessions; various organizations represent the cultural interestsof Flanders and Wallonia; various peace groups such as Pax Christiand groups representing immigrants
BelizeSociety for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR[Gustavo PERERA]; Association of Concerned Belizeans or ACB [DavidVASQUEZ]; National Trade Union Congress of Belize or NTUC/B [ReneGOMEZ]
Beninother: economic groups; environmentalists; political groups;teachers' unions and other educational groups
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]
BhutanUnited Front for Democracy (exiled); Druk National Congress(exiled)other: Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leadingmilitant antigovernment campaign; Indian merchant community
BoliviaSole Confederation of Campesino Workers of Bolivia or CSUTCBother: Cocalero groups; indigenous organizations; labor unions
Bosnia and Herzegovinaother: displaced persons associations;student councils; war veterans
BotswanaFirst People of the Kalahari (Bushman organization); PitsoYa Ba Tswana; Society for the Promotion of Ikalanga Language(Kalanga elites)other: diamond mining companies
BrazilLandless Workers' Movement or MSTother: labor unions and federations; large farmers' associations;religious groups including evangelical Christian churches and theCatholic Church
British Virgin IslandsThe Family Support Network; The Women's Deskother: environmentalists
BruneiNA
BulgariaConfederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria orCITUB; Podkrepa Labor Confederationother: numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups withvarious agendas
Burkina FasoBurkinabe General Confederation of Labor or CGTB [ToleSAGNON]; Burkinabe Movement for Human Rights or MBDHP [ChrysigoneZOUGMORE]; Group of 14 February [Benewende STANISLAS]; NationalConfederation of Burkinabe Workers or CNTB [Laurent OUEDRAOGO];National Organization of Free Unions or ONSL [Paul KABORE]other: watchdog/political action groups throughout the country inboth organizations and communities
BurmaEthnic Nationalities Council or ENC (based in Thailand);Federation of Trade Unions-Burma or FTUB (exile trade union andlabor advocates); National Coalition Government of the Union ofBurma or NCGUB (self-proclaimed government in exile) ["PrimeMinister" Dr. SEIN WIN] consists of individuals, some legitimatelyelected to the People's Assembly in 1990 (the group fled to a borderarea and joined insurgents in December 1990 to form parallelgovernment in exile); Kachin Independence Organization or KIO; KarenNational Union or KNU; Karenni National People's Party or KNPP;National Council-Union of Burma or NCUB (exile coalition ofopposition groups); United Wa State Army or UWSA; Union Solidarityand Development Association or USDA (pro-regime, a social andpolitical mass-member organization) [HTAY OO, general secretary]; 88Generation Students (pro-democracy movement) [TOE KYAW HLAING]other: several Shan factions
BurundiObservatoire de lutte contre la corruption et lesmalversations economiques or OLUCOME [Gabriel RUFYIRI](anti-corruption pressure group)other: Hutu and Tutsi militias (loosely organized)
CambodiaCambodian Freedom Fighters or CFF; Partnership forTransparency Fund or PTF (anti-corruption organization); StudentsMovement for Democracy; The Committee for Free and Fair Elections orComfrelother: human rights organizations; vendors
CameroonHuman Rights Defense Group [Albert MUKONG, president];Southern Cameroon National Council [Ayamba Ette OTUN]
Canadaother: agricultural sector; automobile industry; businessgroups; chemical industry; commercial banks; communications sector;energy industry; environmentalists; public administration groups;steel industry; trade unions
Cape Verdeother: environmentalists; political pressure groups
Cayman IslandsNational Trustother: environmentalists
Central African RepublicMonam (combating gender-base violence)
Chadrebel groups
ChileRoman Catholic Church, particularly conservative groups suchas Opus Dei; United Labor Central or CUT includes trade unionistsfrom the country's five largest labor confederationsother: revitalized university student federations at all majoruniversities
Chinathe China Democracy Party; the Falungong spiritual movementnote: no substantial political opposition groups exist, although thegovernment has identified the organizations listed above assubversive groups
Christmas Islandnone
Cocos (Keeling) IslandsThe Cocos Islands Youth Support Centre
ColombiaNational Liberation Army or ELN; Revolutionary Armed Forcesof Colombia or FARCnote: two largest insurgent groups active in Colombia
Comorosother: environmentalists
Congo, Democratic Republic of theMONUC - UN organization workingwith the government; FARDC (Forces Armees de la RepubliqueDemocratique du Congo) - Army of the Democratic Republic of theCongo which commits atrocities on citizens; FDLA (ForcesDemocratiques de Liberation du Rwanda) - Rwandan militia group
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 IslandsReform Conference (lobby for political system changes)other: various groups lobbying for political change
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); Costa Rican Exporter's Chamber or CADEXCO; Costa RicanSolidarity Movement; Costa Rican Union of Private Sector Enterprisesor UCCAEP [Rafael CARRILLO]; Federation of Public Service Workers orFTSP; National Association for Economic Development or ANFE;National Association of Educators or ANDE; National Association ofPublic and Private Employees or ANEP [Albino VARGAS]; Rerum Novarumor CTRN (PLN affiliate) [Gilbert BROWN]
Cote d'IvoireFederation of University and High School Students ofCote d'Ivoire or FESCI [Serges KOFFI]; Rally of Houphouetists forDemocracy and Peace or RHDP [Alphonse DJEDJE MADY]; Young Patriots[Charles BLE GOUDE]
Croatiaother: human rights groups
CubaHuman Rights Watch; National Association of Small Farmers
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 RepublicCzech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions or CMKOS[Milan STECH]
DenmarkDanish Free Press Society (freedom of speech); DanishNational Socialist Movement or DNSB [Jonni HANSEN] (neo-Naziorganization)other: human rights groups
DjiboutiUnion for Presidential Majority UMP (coalition includesRPP, FRUD, PPSD and PND); Union for Democratic Changeover or UAD(opposition coalition includes ARD, MRDD, and UDJ)
DominicaDominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist party)
Dominican RepublicCitizen Participation Group (ParticipacionCiudadania); Collective of Popular Organizations or COP; Foundationfor Institution-Building and Justice (FINJUS)
EcuadorConfederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador orCONAIE [Marlon SANTI, 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]
EgyptMuslim Brotherhood (technically illegal)note: despite a constitutional ban against religious-based partiesand political activity, the technically illegal Muslim Brotherhoodconstitutes Hosni MUBARAK's potentially most significant politicalopposition; MUBARAK has alternated between tolerating limitedpolitical activity by the Brotherhood (its members, who ran asindependents, hold 88 seats in the People's Assembly) and blockingits influence; civic society groups are sanctioned, but constrainedin practical terms; only trade unions and professional associationsaffiliated with the government are officially sanctioned; Internetsocial networking groups and bloggers
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 GuineaASODEGUE (Madrid-based pressure group fordemocratic reform); Global Witness (anti-corruption)
EritreaEritrean Democratic Party (EDP) [HAGOS, Mesfin]; EritreanIslamic Jihad or EIJ (includes Eritrean Islamic Jihad Movement orEIJM also known as the Abu Sihel Movement); Eritrean IslamicSalvation or EIS (also known as the Arafa Movement); EritreanLiberation Front or ELF [ABDULLAH Muhammed]; Eritrean NationalAlliance or ENA (a coalition including EIJ, EIS, ELF, and a numberof ELF factions) [HERUY Tedla Biru]; Eritrean Public Forum or EPF[ARADOM Iyob]
EstoniaNochnoy Dozor/Night Watch anti-fascist movement (leaderAlexander KOROBOV)
EthiopiaEthiopian People's Patriotic Front or EPPF; Ogaden NationalLiberation Front or ONLF; Oromo Liberation Front or OLF [DAOUD Ibsa]
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)Falkland Islands Association(supports freedom of the people from external causes)
Faroe IslandsSea Shepard [Paul WATSON] (preservation of smallwhales)other: conservationists
FijiGroup Against Racial Discrimination or GARD [Dr. Anirudk SINGH](for restoration of a democratic government); Viti LandownersAssociation
FranceConfederation Francaise Democratique du Travail or CFDT,left-leaning labor union with approximately 803,000 members;Confederation Generale des Cadres or CGC, independent white-collarunion with 196,000 members; Confederation Generale du Travail orCGT, historically communist labor union with approximately 700,000members; Confederation Generale du Travail - Force Ouvriere or FO,independent labor union with an estimated 300,000 members; Mouvementdes Entreprises de France or MEDEF, employers' union with 750,000companies as members (claimed)French Guiana: conservationists; gold mining pressure groups;hunting pressure groupsGuadeloupe: Christian Movement for the Liberation of Guadeloupe orKLPG; General Federation of Guadeloupe Workers or CGT-G; GeneralUnion of Guadeloupe Workers or UGTG; Movement for an IndependentGuadeloupe or MPGI; The Socialist Renewal MovementMartinique: Caribbean Revolutionary Alliance or ARC; Central Unionfor Martinique Workers or CSTM; Frantz Fanon Circle; League ofWorkers and Peasants; Proletarian Action Group or GAPReunion: NA
French PolynesiaNA
GabonNA
Gambia, TheNational Environment Agency or NEA; West African PeaceBuilding Network-Gambian Chapter or WANEB-GAMBIA; Youth EmploymentNetwork Gambia or YENGambiaother: special needs group advocates; teachers and principals
Georgiaseparatists in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and SouthOssetia
Germanyother: business associations and employers' organizations;religious, trade unions, immigrant, expellee, and veterans groups
GhanaChristian Aid (water rights); Committee for Joint Action orCJA (education reform); National Coalition Against the Privatizationof Water or CAP (water rights); Oxfam (water rights); Public Citizen(water rights); Students Coalition Against EPA [Kwabena OsosukeneOKAI] (education reform); Third World Network (education reform)
GibraltarChamber of Commerce; Gibraltar RepresentativesOrganization; Women's Association
GreeceCivil Servants Confederation or ADEDY [Spyros PAPASPYROS];Federation of Greek Industries or SEV [Dimitris DASKALOPOULOS];General Confederation of Greek Workers or GSEE [Ioannis PANAGOPOULOS]
Greenlandother: conservationists; environmentalists
GrenadaCommittee for Human Rights in Grenada or CHRG; New JewelMovement Support Group; The British Grenada Friendship Society; TheNew Jewel 19 Committee
GuamGuam Federation of Teachers' Union; Guam Waterworks AuthorityWorkersother: activists; indigenous groups
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
GuernseyStop Traffic Endangering Pedestrian Safety or STEPS; NoMore Masts [Colin FALLAIZE]
GuineaNational Confederation of Guinean Workers-Labor Union ofGuinean Workers or CNTG-USTG Alliance (includes NationalConfederation of Guinean Workers or CNTG [Rabiatou Sarah DIALLO] andLabor Union of Guinean Workers or USTG [Dr. Ibrahima FOFANA]);National Council of Civil Society Organizations of Guinea or CNOSCG[Ben Sekou SYLLA]; Syndicate of Guinean Teachers and Researchers orSLECG [Dr. Louis M'Bemba SOUMAH]
Guinea-BissauNA
GuyanaAmerindian People's Association; Guyana Bar Association;Guyana Citizens Initiative; Guyana Human Rights Association; GuyanaPublic Service Union or GPSU; Private Sector Commission; TradesUnion Congress
HaitiAutonomous Organizations of Haitian Workers or CATH [FignoleST-CYR]; Confederation of Haitian Workers or CTH; Federation ofWorkers Trade Unions or FOS; General Organization of IndependentHaitian Workers [Patrick NUMAS]; Grand-Anse Resistance Committee, orKOREGA; National Popular Assembly or APN; Papaye Peasants Movementor MPP [Chavannes JEAN-BAPTISTE]; Popular Organizations GatheringPower or PROP; Protestant Federation of Haiti; 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; UnitedConfederation of Honduran Workers or CUTH