South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands no indigenous inhabitants note: the small military garrison on South Georgia withdrew in March 2001 replaced by a permanent group of scientists of the British Antarctic Survey, which also has a biological station on Bird Island; the South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited
Spain40,525,002 (July 2009 est.)
Spratly Islandsno indigenous inhabitantsnote: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of severalclaimant states
Sri Lanka21,324,791note: since the outbreak of hostilities between the government andarmed Tamil separatists in the mid-1980s, several hundred thousandTamil civilians have fled the island and more than 200,000 Tamilshave sought refuge in the West (July 2009 est.)
Sudan41,087,825 (July 2009 est.)
Suriname481,267 (July 2009 est.)
Svalbard2,116 (July 2009 est.)
Swaziland1,123,913note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account theeffects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lowerlife expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lowerpopulation growth rates, and changes in the distribution ofpopulation by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July2009 est.)
Sweden9,059,651 (July 2009 est.)
Switzerland7,604,467 (July 2009 est.)
Syria20,178,485note: in addition, about 40,000 people live in the Israeli-occupiedGolan Heights - 20,000 Arabs (18,000 Druze and 2,000 Alawites) andabout 20,000 Israeli settlers (July 2009 est.)
Taiwan22,974,347 (July 2009 est.)
Tajikistan7,349,145 (July 2009 est.)
Tanzania41,048,532note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account theeffects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lowerlife expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lowerpopulation growth rates, and changes in the distribution ofpopulation by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July2009 est.)
Thailand65,905,410note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account theeffects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lowerlife expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lowerpopulation growth rates, and changes in the distribution ofpopulation by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July2009 est.)
Timor-Leste1,131,612note: other estimates range as low as 800,000 (July 2009 est.)
Togo6,019,877note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account theeffects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lowerlife expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lowerpopulation growth rates, and changes in the distribution ofpopulation by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July2009 est.)
Tokelau1,416 (July 2009 est.)
Tonga120,898 (July 2009 est.)
Trinidad and Tobago1,229,953 (July 2009 est.)
Tunisia10,486,339 (July 2009 est.)
Turkey76,805,524 (July 2009 est.)
Turkmenistan4,884,887 (July 2009 est.)
Turks and Caicos Islands22,942 (July 2009 est.)
Tuvalu12,373 (July 2009 est.)
Uganda32,369,558note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account theeffects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lowerlife expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lowerpopulation growth rates, and changes in the distribution ofpopulation by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July2009 est.)
Ukraine45,700,395 (July 2009 est.)
United Arab Emirates4,798,491note: estimate is based on the results of the 2005 census thatincluded a significantly higher estimate of net inmigration ofnon-citizens than previous estimates (July 2009 est.)
United Kingdom61,113,205 (July 2009 est.)
United States307,212,123 (July 2009 est.)
United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refugesno indigenousinhabitantsnote: public entry is by special-use permit from US Fish andWildlife Service only and generally restricted to scientists andeducators; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife ServiceJohnston Atoll: in previous years, an average of 1,100 US militaryand civilian contractor personnel were present; as of May 2005, allUS government personnel had left the islandMidway Islands: approximately 40 people make up the staff of US Fishand Wildlife Service and their services contractor living at theatollPalmyra Atoll: four to 20 Nature Conservancy, US Fish and Wildlifestaff, and researchers
Uruguay3,494,382 (July 2009 est.)
Uzbekistan27,606,007 (July 2009 est.)
Vanuatu218,519 (July 2009 est.)
Venezuela26,814,843 (July 2009 est.)
Vietnam86,967,524 (July 2009 est.)
Virgin Islands109,825 (July 2009 est.)
Wake Islandno indigenous inhabitantsnote: since super typhoon IOKE, a small military contingent alongwith 75 contractor personnel have returned to the island to conductclean-up and restore basic operations on the island (July 2008 est.)
Wallis and Futuna15,289 (July 2009 est.)
West Bank2,461,267note: in addition, there are about 187,000 Israeli settlers in theWest Bank and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2009 est.)
Western Sahara405,210note: estimate is based on projections by age, sex, fertility,mortality, and migration; fertility and mortality are based on datafrom neighboring countries (July 2009 est.)
World6,790,062,216 (July 2009 est.)
Yemen23,822,783 (July 2009 est.)
Zambia11,862,740note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account theeffects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lowerlife expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lowerpopulation growth rates, and changes in the distribution ofpopulation by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July2009 est.)
Zimbabwe11,392,629note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account theeffects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lowerlife expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lowerpopulation growth rates, and changes in the distribution ofpopulation by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July2009 est.)
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@2120
Field Listing :: Ports and terminals
This entry lists major ports and terminals primarily on the basis of the amount of cargo tonnage shipped through the facilities on an annual basis. In some instances, the number of containers handled or ship visits were also considered. Country
Ports and terminals
AfghanistanKheyrabad, Shir Khan
AlbaniaDurres, Sarande, Shengjin, Vlore
AlgeriaAlgiers, Annaba, Arzew, Bejaia, Djendjene, Jijel,Mostaganem, Oran, Skikda
American SamoaPago Pago
AngolaCabinda, Lobito, Luanda, Namibe
AnguillaBlowing Point, Road Bay
Antarcticathere are no developed ports and harbors in Antarctica;most coastal stations have sparse and intermittent offshoreanchorages; a few stations have basic wharf facilities
Antigua and BarbudaSaint John's
Arctic OceanChurchill (Canada), Murmansk (Russia), Prudhoe Bay (US)
ArgentinaArroyo Seco, Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, La Plata, PuntaColorada, Rosario, San Lorenzo-San Martin
ArubaBarcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas
Ashmore and Cartier Islandsnone; offshore anchorage only
Atlantic OceanAlexandria (Egypt), Algiers (Algeria), Antwerp(Belgium), Barcelona (Spain), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Casablanca(Morocco), Colon (Panama), Copenhagen (Denmark), Dakar (Senegal),Gdansk (Poland), Hamburg (Germany), Helsinki (Finland), Las Palmas(Canary Islands, Spain), Le Havre (France), Lisbon (Portugal),London (UK), Marseille (France), Montevideo (Uruguay), Montreal(Canada), Naples (Italy), New Orleans (US), New York (US), Oran(Algeria), Oslo (Norway), Peiraiefs or Piraeus (Greece), Rio deJaneiro (Brazil), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Saint Petersburg(Russia), Stockholm (Sweden)
AustraliaBrisbane, Dampier, Fremantle, Gladstone, Hay Point,Melbourne, Newcastle, Port Hedland, Port Kembla, Port Walcott, Sydney
AustriaEnns, Krems, Linz, Vienna
AzerbaijanBaku (Baki)
Bahamas, TheFreeport, Nassau, South Riding Point
BahrainMina' Salman, Sitrah
BangladeshChittagong, Mongla Port
BarbadosBridgetown
BelarusMazyr
BelgiumAntwerp, Gent, Liege, Zeebrugge
BelizeBelize City, Big Creek
BeninCotonou
BermudaHamilton, Saint George
BoliviaPuerto Aguirre (inland port on the Paraguay/Parana waterwayat the Bolivia/Brazil border); Bolivia has free port privileges inmaritime ports in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay
Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosanska Gradiska, Bosanski Brod, BosanskiSamac, and Brcko (all inland waterway ports on the Sava River),Orasje
Bouvet Islandnone; offshore anchorage only
BrazilGuaiba, Ilha Grande, Paranagua, Rio Grande, Santos, SaoSebastiao, Tubarao
British Indian Ocean TerritoryDiego Garcia
British Virgin IslandsRoad Town
BruneiLumut, Muara, Seria
BulgariaBurgas, Varna
BurmaMoulmein, Rangoon, Sittwe
BurundiBujumbura
CambodiaPhnom Penh, Kampong Saom (Sihanoukville)
CameroonDouala, Limboh Terminal
CanadaFraser River Port, Halifax, Hamilton, Montreal, Port-Cartier,Quebec City, Saint John (New Brunswick), Sept-Isles, Vancouver
Cape VerdePorto Grande
Cayman IslandsCayman Brac, George Town
Central African RepublicBangui, Nola, Salo, Nzinga
ChileCoronel, Huasco, Lirquen, Puerto Ventanas, San Antonio, SanVicente, Valparaiso
ChinaDalian, Guangzhou, Ningbo, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai,Shenzhen, Tianjin
Christmas IslandFlying Fish Cove
Clipperton Islandnone; offshore anchorage only
Cocos (Keeling) IslandsPort Refuge
ColombiaBarranquilla, Buenaventura, Cartagena, Santa Marta, Turbo
ComorosMayotte, Mutsamudu
Congo, Democratic Republic of theBanana, Boma, Bukavu, Bumba, Goma,Kalemie, Kindu, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Matadi, Mbandaka
Congo, Republic of theBrazzaville, Djeno, Impfondo, Ouesso, Oyo,Pointe-Noire
Cook IslandsAvatiu
Coral Sea Islandsnone; offshore anchorage only
Costa RicaCaldera, Puerto Limon
Cote d'IvoireAbidjan, Espoir, San-Pedro
CroatiaOmisalj, Ploce, Rijeka, Sibenik, Vukovar (on Danube River)
CubaCienfuegos, Havana, Matanzas
Cyprusarea under government control: Larnaca, Limassol, Vasilikos;;area administered by Turkish Cypriots: Famagusta, Kyrenia
Czech RepublicDecin, Prague, Usti nad Labem
DenmarkAalborg, Aarhus, Copenhagen, Ensted, Esbjerg, Fredericia,Kalundborg
DjiboutiDjibouti
DominicaPortsmouth, Roseau
Dominican RepublicBoca Chica, Caucedo, Puerto Plata, Rio Haina,Santo Domingo
EcuadorEsmeraldas, Guayaquil, Manta, Puerto Bolivar
EgyptAyn Sukhnah, Alexandria, Damietta, El Dekheila, Sidi Kurayr,Suez
El SalvadorAcajutla, Puerto Cutuco
Equatorial GuineaBata, Malabo
EritreaAssab, Massawa
EstoniaKuivastu, Kunda, Muuga, Tallinn, Virtsu
EthiopiaEthiopia is landlocked and uses ports of Djibouti inDjibouti and Berbera in Somalia
European UnionAntwerp (Belgium), Barcelona (Spain), Braila(Romania), Bremen (Germany), Burgas (Bulgaria), Constanta (Romania),Copenhagen (Denmark), Galati (Romania), Gdansk (Poland), Hamburg(Germany), Helsinki (Finland), Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain),Le Havre (France), Lisbon (Portugal), London (UK), Marseille(France), Naples (Italy), Peiraiefs or Piraeus (Greece), Riga(Latvia), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Stockholm (Sweden), Talinn(Estonia), Tulcea (Romania), Varna (Bulgaria)
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)Stanley
Faroe IslandsTorshavn, Vagur
FijiLautoka, Suva
FinlandHamina, Helsinki, Kokkola, Kotka, Naantali, Pori, Raahe,Rauma, Turku
FranceBordeaux, Calais, Dunkerque, Le Havre, Marseille, Nantes,Paris, Rouen, Strasbourg
French PolynesiaPapeete
French Southern and Antarctic Landsnone; offshore anchorage only
GabonGamba, Libreville, Lucinda, Port-Gentil
Gambia, TheBanjul
Gaza StripGaza
GeorgiaBat'umi, P'ot'i
GermanyBremen, Bremerhaven, Duisburg, Hamburg, Karlsruhe, Lubeck,Rostock, Wilhemshaven
GhanaTema
GibraltarGibraltar
GreeceAgioitheodoroi, Aspropyrgos, Pachi, Piraeus, Thessaloniki
GreenlandSisimiut
GrenadaSaint George's
GuamApra Harbor
GuatemalaPuerto Quetzal, Santo Tomas de Castilla
GuernseySaint Peter Port, Saint Sampson
GuineaConakry, Kamsar
Guinea-BissauBissau, Buba, Cacheu, Farim
GuyanaGeorgetown
HaitiCap-Haitien
Heard Island and McDonald Islandsnone; offshore anchorage only
HondurasLa Ceiba, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo, Tela
Hong KongHong Kong
HungaryBudapest, Dunaujvaros, Gyor-Gonyu, Csepel, Baja, Mohacs
IcelandGrundartangi, Hafnarfjordur, Reykjavik
IndiaChennai, Haldia, Jawaharal Nehru, Kandla, Kolkata (Calcutta),Mormugao, Mumbai (Bombay), New Mangalore, Vishakhapatnam
Indian OceanChennai (Madras; India), Colombo (Sri Lanka), Durban(South Africa), Jakarta (Indonesia), Kolkata (Calcutta; India)Melbourne (Australia), Mumbai (Bombay; India), Richards Bay (SouthAfrica)
IndonesiaBanjarmasin, Belawan, Ciwandan, Kotabaru, Krueg Geukueh,Palembang, Panjang, Sungai Pakning, Tanjung Perak, Tanjung Priok
IranAssaluyeh, Bandar Abbas, Bandar-e-Eman Khomeyni
IraqAl Basrah, Khawr az Zubayr, Umm Qasr
IrelandCork, Dublin, Shannon Foynes
Isle of ManDouglas, Ramsey
IsraelAshdod, Elat (Eilat), Hadera, Haifa
ItalyAugusta, Genoa, Livorno, Ravenna, Sarroch, Taranto, Trieste,Venice
JamaicaKingston, Port Esquivel, Port Kaiser, Port Rhoades, RockyPoint
Jan Mayennone; offshore anchorage only
JapanChiba, Kawasaki, Kobe, Mizushima, Moji, Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo,Tomakomai, Yohohama
JerseyGorey, Saint Aubin, Saint Helier
JordanAl 'Aqabah
KazakhstanAqtau (Shevchenko), Atyrau (Gur'yev), Oskemen(Ust-Kamenogorsk), Pavlodar, Semey (Semipalatinsk)
KenyaMombasa
KiribatiBetio
Korea, NorthCh'ongjin, Haeju, Hungnam (Hamhung), Kimch'aek, Kosong,Najin, Namp'o, Sinuiju, Songnim, Sonbong (formerly Unggi), Ungsang,Wonsan
Korea, SouthInch'on, P'ohang, Pusan, Ulsan
KuwaitAsh Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Az Zawr (Mina' Sa'ud), Mina''Abd Allah, Mina' al Ahmadi
KyrgyzstanBalykchy (Ysyk-Kol or Rybach'ye)
LatviaRiga, Ventspils
LebanonBeirut, Tripoli
LiberiaBuchanan, Monrovia
LibyaAs Sidrah, Az Zuwaytinah, Marsa al Burayqah, Ra's Lanuf,Tripoli, Zawiyah
LithuaniaKlaipeda
LuxembourgMertert
MacauMacau
MadagascarAntsiranana, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara
MalawiChipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Chilumba
MalaysiaBintulu, Johor Bahru, Kuantan, Labuan, George Town(Penang), Port Kelang, Tanjung Pelepas
MaldivesMale
MaliKoulikoro
MaltaMarsaxlokk (Malta Freeport), Valletta
Marshall IslandsMajuro
MauritaniaNouadhibou, Nouakchott
MauritiusPort Louis
MayotteDzaoudzi
MexicoAltamira, Coatzacoalcos, Manzanillo, Morro Redondo, SalinaCruz, Tampico, Veracruz
Micronesia, Federated States ofTomil Harbor
MonacoMonaco
MontenegroBar
MontserratLittle Bay, Plymouth
MoroccoAgadir, Casablanca, Mohammedia, Safi
MozambiqueBeira, Maputo, Nacala
NamibiaLuderitz, Walvis Bay
NauruNauru
Navassa Islandnone; offshore anchorage only
NetherlandsAmsterdam, IJmuiden, Rotterdam, Terneuzen, Vlissingen
Netherlands AntillesBopec Terminal, Willemstad
New CaledoniaNoumea
New ZealandAuckland, Lyttelton, Marsden Point, Tauranga,Wellington, Whangarei
NicaraguaBluefields, Corinto, El Bluff
NigeriaBonny Inshore Terminal, Calabar, Lagos
Niuenone; offshore anchorage only
Norfolk Islandnone; loading jetties at Kingston and Cascade
Northern Mariana IslandsSaipan, Tinian
NorwayBergen, Borg Havn, Haugesund, Maaloy, Mongstad, Narvik, Oslo,Sture
OmanMina' Qabus, Salalah
Pacific OceanBangkok (Thailand), Hong Kong (China), Kao-hsiung(Taiwan), Los Angeles (US), Manila (Philippines), Pusan (SouthKorea), San Francisco (US), Seattle (US), Shanghai (China),Singapore, Sydney (Australia), Vladivostok (Russia), Wellington(NZ), Yokohama (Japan)
PakistanKarachi, Port Muhammad Bin Qasim
PalauKoror
PanamaBalboa, Colon, Cristobal
Papua New GuineaKimbe, Lae, Madang, Rabaul, Wewak
Paracel Islandssmall Chinese port facilities on Woody Island andDuncan Island being expanded
ParaguayAsuncion, Villeta, San Antonio, Encarnacion
PeruCallao, Iquitos, Matarani, Paita, Pucallpa, Yurimaguas; note -Iquitos, Pucallpa, and Yurimaguas are on the upper reaches of theAmazon and its tributaries
PhilippinesCagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Liman, Manila, NasipitHarbor
Pitcairn IslandsAdamstown (on Bounty Bay)
PolandGdansk, Gdynia, Swinoujscie, Szczecin
PortugalLeixoes, Lisbon, Setubal, Sines
Puerto RicoGuayanilla, Mayaguez, San Juan
QatarDoha, Ra's Laffan
RomaniaBraila, Constanta, Galati, Tulcea
RussiaAzov, Kaliningrad, Kavkaz, Nakhodka, Novorossiysk, Primorsk,Saint Petersburg, Vostochnyy
RwandaCyangugu, Gisenyi, Kibuye
Saint HelenaSaint Helena: JamestownAscension Island: GeorgetownTristan da Cunha: Calshot Harbor
Saint Kitts and NevisBasseterre
Saint LuciaCastries, Cul-de-Sac, Vieux-Fort
Saint Pierre and MiquelonSaint-Pierre
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesKingstown
SamoaApia
Sao Tome and PrincipeSao Tome
Saudi ArabiaAd Dammam, Al Jubayl, Jiddah, Yanbu' al Sinaiyah
SenegalDakar
SeychellesVictoria
Sierra LeoneFreetown, Pepel, Sherbro Islands
SingaporeSingapore
SlovakiaBratislava, Komarno
SloveniaKoper
Solomon IslandsHoniara, Malloco Bay, Viru Harbor
SomaliaBerbera, Kismaayo
South AfricaCape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay,Saldanha Bay
South Georgia and South Sandwich IslandsGrytviken
Southern OceanMcMurdo, Palmer, and offshore anchorages in Antarcticanote: few ports or harbors exist on southern side of Southern Ocean;ice conditions limit use of most to short periods in midsummer; eventhen some cannot be entered without icebreaker escort; mostAntarctic ports are operated by government research stations and,except in an emergency, are not open to commercial or privatevessels (2007)
SpainAlgeciras, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cartagena, Huelva, Tarragona,Valencia
Spratly Islandsnone; offshore anchorage only
Sri LankaColombo
SudanPort Sudan
SurinameParamaribo, Wageningen
SvalbardBarentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny-Alesund, Pyramiden
SwedenBrofjorden, Goteborg, Helsingborg, Lulea, Malmo, Stenungsund,Stockholm, Trelleborg, Visby
SwitzerlandBasel
SyriaLatakia, Tartus
TaiwanChilung (Keelung), Kaohsiung, Taichung
TanzaniaDar es Salaam
ThailandBangkok, Laem Chabang, Prachuap Port, Si Racha
Timor-LesteDili
TogoKpeme, Lome
Tokelaunone; offshore anchorage only
TongaNuku'alofa
Trinidad and TobagoPoint Fortin, Point Lisas, Port-of-Spain
TunisiaBizerte, Gabes, La Goulette, Rades, Sfax, Skhira
TurkeyAliaga, Diliskelesi, Izmir, Kocaeli (Izmit), Mercin Limani,Nemrut Limani
TurkmenistanTurkmenbasy
Turks and Caicos IslandsGrand Turk, Providenciales
TuvaluFunafuti
UgandaEntebbe, Jinja, Port Bell
UkraineFeodosiya, Kerch, Kherson, Mariupol', Mykolayiv, Odesa,Yuzhnyy
United Arab EmiratesMina' Zayid (Abu Dhabi), Al Fujayrah, Mina'Jabal 'Ali (Dubai), Mina' Rashid (Dubai), Mina' Saqr (Ra's alKhaymah), Khawr Fakkan (Sharjah)
United KingdomDover, Felixstowe, Immingham, Liverpool, London,Southampton, Teesport (England); Forth Ports, Hound Point(Scotland); Milford Haven (Wales)
United StatesCorpus Christi, Duluth, Hampton Roads, Houston, LongBeach, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Tampa, Texas City
United States Pacific Island Wildlife RefugesBaker, Howland, andJarvis Islands, and Kingman Reef: none; offshore anchorage onlyJohnston Atoll: Johnston IslandMidway Islands: Sand IslandPalmyra Atoll: West Lagoon
UruguayMontevideo
UzbekistanTermiz (Amu Darya)
VanuatuForari, Port-Vila, Santo (Espiritu Santo)
VenezuelaLa Guaira, Maracaibo, Puerto Cabello, Punta Cardon
VietnamDa Nang, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City
Virgin IslandsCharlotte Amalie, Limetree Bay
Wake Islandnone; two offshore anchorages for large ships
Wallis and FutunaLeava, Mata-Utu
Western SaharaAd Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun)
Worldtop ten container ports as measured by Twenty-Foot EquivalentUnits (TEUs): Singapore - 27,935,500; Shanghai - 26,150,000; HongKong - 23,999,000; Shenzhen (China) - 21,099,100; Pusan (SouthKorea) - 13,254,703; - Rotterdam - 10,790,604; Dubai (UAE) -10,650,000; Kaohsiung (Taiwan) - 10,256,829; Hamburg - 9,917,180;Qingdao (China) - 9,462,000 (2007)
YemenAden, Al Hudaydah, Al Mukalla
ZambiaMpulungu
ZimbabweBinga, Kariba
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@2121
Field Listing :: Railways
This entry states the total route length of the railway network andof its component parts by gauge: broad, standard, narrow, and dual.Other gauges are listed under note.Country Comparison to the WorldCountry
Railways(km)
Albania total: 896 km standard gauge: 896 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Algeriatotal: 3,973 kmstandard gauge: 2,888 km 1.435-m gauge (283 km electrified)narrow gauge: 1,085 km 1.055-m gauge (2008)
Angolatotal: 2,764 kmnarrow gauge: 2,641 km 1.067-m gauge; 123 km 0.600-m gauge (2008)
Argentinatotal: 31,409 kmbroad gauge: 27,301 km 1.676-m gauge (94 km electrified)standard gauge: 2,780 km 1.435-m gauge (26 km electrified)narrow gauge: 1,328 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Armeniatotal: 845 kmbroad gauge: 845 km 1.520-m gauge (818 km electrified)note: some lines are out of service (2008)
Australiatotal: 37,855 kmbroad gauge: 142 km 1.600-m gaugestandard gauge: 24,409 km 1.435-m gauge (1,094 km electrified)narrow gauge: 13,304 km 1.067-m gauge (1,193 km electrified) (2008)
Austriatotal: 6,399 kmstandard gauge: 5,927 km 1.435-m gauge (3,688 km electrified)narrow gauge: 384 km 1.000-m gauge (15 km electrified); 88 km0.760-m gauge (10 km electrified) (2008)
Azerbaijantotal: 2,122 kmbroad gauge: 2,122 km 1.520-m gauge (1,278 km electrified) (2008)
Bangladeshtotal: 2,768 kmbroad gauge: 946 km 1.676-m gaugenarrow gauge: 1,822 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Belarustotal: 5,538 kmbroad gauge: 5,512 km 1.520-m gauge (874 km electrified)standard gauge: 25 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Belgiumtotal: 3,233 kmstandard gauge: 3,233 km 1.435-m gauge (2,950 km electrified) (2008)
Benintotal: 578 kmnarrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Boliviatotal: 3,504 kmnarrow gauge: 3,504 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Bosnia and Herzegovinatotal: 1,000 kmstandard gauge: 1,000 km 1.435-m gauge (590 km electrified) (2008)
Botswanatotal: 888 kmnarrow gauge: 888 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)
Braziltotal: 28,857 kmbroad gauge: 5,709 km 1.600-m gauge (459 km electrified)standard gauge: 194 km 1.440-m gaugenarrow gauge: 22,954 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Bulgariatotal: 4,294 kmstandard gauge: 4,049 km 1.435-m gauge (2,880 km electrified)narrow gauge: 245 km 0.760-m gauge (2008)
Burkina Fasototal: 622 kmnarrow gauge: 622 km 1.000-m gaugenote: another 660 km of this railway extends into Cote d'Ivoire(2008)
Burmatotal: 3,955 kmnarrow gauge: 3,955 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Cambodiatotal: 602 kmnarrow gauge: 602 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Cameroontotal: 987 kmnarrow gauge: 987 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Canadatotal: 46,688 kmstandard gauge: 46,688 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Chiletotal: 5,481 kmbroad gauge: 1,706 km 1.676-m gauge (850 km electrified)narrow gauge: 3,777 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Chinatotal: 77,834 kmstandard gauge: 77,084 km 1.435-m gauge (24,433 km electrified)narrow gauge: 750 km 0.750-m gauge (2008)
Colombiatotal: 3,802 kmstandard gauge: 150 km 1.435-m gaugenarrow gauge: 3,652 km 0.914-m gauge (2008)
Congo, Democratic Republic of thetotal: 4,007 kmnarrow gauge: 3,882 km 1.067-m gauge (858 km electrified); 125 km1.000-m gauge (2008)
Congo, Republic of thetotal: 795 kmnarrow gauge: 795 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)
Costa Ricatotal: 278 kmnarrow gauge: 278 km 1.067-m gaugenote: none of the railway network is in use (2008)
Cote d'Ivoiretotal: 660 kmnarrow gauge: 660 km 1.000 meter gaugenote: an additional 622 km of this railroad extends into BurkinaFaso (2008)
Croatiatotal: 2,722 kmstandard gauge: 2,722 km 1.435-m gauge (980 km electrified) (2008)
Cubatotal: 8,598 kmstandard gauge: 8,322 km 1.435-m gauge (176 km electrified)narrow gauge: 276 km 1.000-gaugenote: 4,533 km of the track is used by sugar plantations; 4,257 kmis standard gauge; 276 km is narrow gauge (2006)
Czech Republictotal: 9,620 kmstandard gauge: 9,521 km 1.435-m gauge (3,013 km electrified)narrow gauge: 99 km 0.750-m gauge (2008)
Denmarktotal: 2,667 kmstandard gauge: 2,667 km 1.435-m gauge (640 km electrified) (2008)
Djiboutitotal: 100 km (Djibouti segment of the 781 km AddisAbaba-Djibouti railway)narrow gauge: 100 km 1.000-m gaugenote: railway is under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia but islargely inoperable (2008)
Dominican Republictotal: 1,784 kmstandard gauge: 375 km 1.435-m gaugenarrow gauge: 1,368 km 1.076-m, 0.889-m, and 0.762-m gaugesnote: 1,226 km operated by sugar companies in 1.076 m, 0.889 m, and0.762-m gauges (2008)
Ecuadortotal: 965 kmnarrow gauge: 965 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)
Egypttotal: 5,063 kmstandard gauge: 5,063 km 1.435-m gauge (62 km electrified) (2008)
El Salvadortotal: 283 kmnarrow gauge: 283 km 0.914-m gaugenote: railways have been inoperable since 2005 because of disuse andhigh costs that led to a lack of maintenance (2008)
Eritreatotal: 306 kmnarrow gauge: 306 km 0.950-m gauge (2008)
Estoniatotal: 919 kmbroad gauge: 919 km 1.520 m/1.524-m gauge (131 km electrified) (2008)
Ethiopiatotal: 681 km (Ethiopian segment of the 781 km AddisAbaba-Djibouti railroad)narrow gauge: 681 km 1.000-m gaugenote: railway is under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia but islargely inoperable (2008)
European Uniontotal: 229,450 km (2008)
Fijitotal: 597 kmnarrow gauge: 597 km 0.600-m gaugenote: belongs to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation; usedto haul sugarcane during the harvest season, which runs from May toDecember (2008)
Finlandtotal: 5,794 kmbroad gauge: 5,794 km 1.524-m gauge (3,047 km electrified) (2008)
Francetotal: 29,213 kmstandard gauge: 29,046 km 1.435-m gauge (15,164 km electrified)narrow gauge: 167 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Gabontotal: 814 kmstandard gauge: 814 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Georgiatotal: 1,612 kmbroad gauge: 1,575 km 1.520-m gauge (1,575 electrified)narrow gauge: 37 km 0.912-m gauge (37 electrified) (2008)
Germanytotal: 41,896 kmstandard gauge: 41,641 km 1.435-m gauge (20,053 km electrified)narrow gauge: 75 km 1.000-m gauge (75 km electrified); 24 km 0.750-mgauge (24 km electrified) (2008)
Ghanatotal: 947 kmnarrow gauge: 947 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)
Greecetotal: 2,548 kmstandard gauge: 1,565 km 1.435-m gauge (764 km electrified)narrow gauge: 961 km 1.000-m gauge; 22 km 0.750-m gauge (2008)
Guatemalatotal: 332 kmnarrow gauge: 332 km 0.914-m gauge (2008)
Guineatotal: 1,185 kmstandard gauge: 238 km 1.435-m gaugenarrow gauge: 947 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Hondurastotal: 699 kmnarrow gauge: 279 km 1.067-m gauge; 420 km 0.914-m gauge (2008)
Hungarytotal: 8,057 kmbroad gauge: 36 km 1.524-m gaugestandard gauge: 7,802 km 1.435-m gauge (2,628 km electrified)narrow gauge: 219 km 0.760-m gauge (2008)
Indiatotal: 63,327 kmbroad gauge: 49,820 km 1.676-m gauge (17,786 km electrified)narrow gauge: 10,621 km 1.000-m gauge (135 km electrified); 2,886 km0.762-m gauge and 0.610-m gauge (2007)
Indonesiatotal: 8,529 kmnarrow gauge: 8,529 km 1.067-m gauge (565 km electrified) (2008)
Irantotal: 8,442 kmbroad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gaugestandard gauge: 8,348 km 1.435-m gauge (148 km electrified) (2008)
Iraqtotal: 2,272 kmstandard gauge: 2,272 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Irelandtotal: 3,237 kmbroad gauge: 1,872 km 1.600-m gauge (37 km electrified)narrow gauge: 1,365 km 0.914-m gauge (operated by the Irish PeatBoard to transport peat to power stations and briquetting plants)(2008)
Isle of Mantotal: 63 kmnarrow gauge: 6 km 1.076-m gauge (6 km electrified); 57 km 0.914-mgauge (29 km electrified)note: primarily summer tourist attractions (2008)
Israeltotal: 913 kmstandard gauge: 913 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Italytotal: 19,729 kmstandard gauge: 18,317 km 1.435-m gauge (12,458 km electrified)narrow gauge: 123 km 1.000-m gauge (123 km electrified); 1,058 km0.950-m gauge (151 km electrified); 231 km 0.850-m gauge (2008)
Japantotal: 23,506 kmstandard gauge: 3,437 km 1.435-m gauge (3,319 km electrified)narrow gauge: 20,059 km 1.067-m gauge (11,842 km electrified); 11 km0.762-m gauge (11 km electrified) (2008)
Jordantotal: 507 kmnarrow gauge: 507 km 1.050-m gauge (2008)
Kazakhstantotal: 13,700 kmbroad gauge: 13,700 km 1.520-m gauge (3,700 km electrified) (2008)
Kenyatotal: 2,778 kmnarrow gauge: 2,778 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Korea, Northtotal: 5,235 kmstandard gauge: 5,235 km 1.435-m gauge (3,500 km electrified) (2006)
Korea, Southtotal: 3,381 kmstandard gauge: 3,381 km 1.435-m gauge (1,843 km electrified) (2008)
Kosovototal: 430 kmstandard gauge: 430 km 1.435-m gauge (2007)
Kyrgyzstantotal: 470 kmbroad gauge: 470 km 1.520-m gauge (2008)
Latviatotal: 2,298 kmbroad gauge: 2,265 km 1.520-m gaugenarrow gauge: 33 km 0.750-m gauge (2008)
Lebanontotal: 401 kmstandard gauge: 319 km 1.435 mnarrow gauge: 82 km 1.050 mnote: rail system unusable because of the damage done duringfighting in the 1980s and in 2006 (2008)
Liberiatotal: 429 kmstandard gauge: 345 km 1.435-m gaugenarrow gauge: 84 km 1.067-m gaugenote: most sections of the railway are inoperable because of damagesuffered during the civil wars from 1980 to 2003 (2008)
Liechtenstein9 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified)note: belongs to the Austrian Railway System connecting Austria andSwitzerland (2008)
Lithuaniatotal: 1,765 kmbroad gauge: 1,743 km 1.524-m gauge (122 km electrified)standard gauge: 22 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Luxembourgtotal: 275 kmstandard gauge: 275 km 1.435-m gauge (243 km electrified) (2008)
Macedoniatotal: 699 kmstandard gauge: 699 km 1.435-m gauge (223 km electrified) (2008)
Madagascartotal: 854 kmnarrow gauge: 854 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Malawitotal: 797 kmnarrow gauge: 797 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)
Malaysiatotal: 1,849 kmstandard gauge: 57 km 1.435-m gauge (57 km electrified)narrow gauge: 1,792 km 1.000-m gauge (150 km electrified) (2008)
Malitotal: 593 kmnarrow gauge: 593 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Mauritania728 kmstandard gauge: 728 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Mexicototal: 17,516 kmstandard gauge: 17,516 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Moldovatotal: 1,138 kmbroad gauge: 1,124 km 1.520-m gaugestandard gauge: 14 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Mongoliatotal: 1,810 kmbroad gauge: 1,810 km 1.520-m gauge (2008)
Montenegrototal: 250 kmstandard gauge: 250 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified 169 km) (2007)
Moroccototal: 1,907 kmstandard gauge: 1,907 km 1.435-m gauge (1,022 km electrified) (2008)
Mozambiquetotal: 4,787 kmnarrow gauge: 4,787 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)
Namibiatotal: 2,629 kmnarrow gauge: 2,629 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)
Nepaltotal: 59 kmnarrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2008)
Netherlandstotal: 2,811 kmstandard gauge: 2,811 km 1.435-m gauge (2,064 km electrified) (2008)
New Zealandtotal: 4,128 kmnarrow gauge: 4,128 km 1.067-m gauge (506 km electrified) (2008)
Nigeriatotal: 3,505 kmnarrow gauge: 3,505 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)
Norwaytotal: 4,114 kmstandard gauge: 4,114 km 1.435-m gauge (2,552 km electrified) (2009)
Pakistantotal: 7,791 kmbroad gauge: 7,479 km 1.676-m gauge (293 km electrified)narrow gauge: 312 km 1.000-m gauge (2007)
Panamatotal: 76 kmstandard gauge: 76 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Paraguaytotal: 36 kmstandard gauge: 36 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Perutotal: 1,989 kmstandard gauge: 1,726 km 1.435-m gaugenarrow gauge: 263 km 0.914-m gauge (2008)
Philippinestotal: 897 kmnarrow gauge: 897 km 1.067-m gauge (492 km are in operation) (2008)
Polandtotal: 22,314 kmbroad gauge: 633 km 1.524-m gaugestandard gauge: 21,681 km 1.435-m gauge (11,769 km electrified)(2007)
Portugaltotal: 2,786 kmbroad gauge: 2,603 km 1.668-m gauge (1,351 km electrified)narrow gauge: 183 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Romaniatotal: 10,788 kmbroad gauge: 57 km 1.524-m gaugestandard gauge: 10,731 km 1.435-m gauge (3,965 km electrified) (2008)
Russiatotal: 87,157 kmbroad gauge: 86,200 km 1.520-m gauge (40,300 km electrified)narrow gauge: 957 km 1.067-m gauge (on Sakhalin Island)note: an additional 30,000 km of non-common carrier lines serveindustries (2006)
Saint Kitts and Nevistotal: 50 kmnarrow gauge: 50 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts for tourists (2008)
Saudi Arabiatotal: 1,392 kmstandard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines andsidings) (2008)
Senegaltotal: 906 kmnarrow gauge: 906 km 1.000 meter gauge (2008)
Serbiatotal: 3,379 kmstandard gauge: 3,379 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified 1,254 km) (2006)
Slovakiatotal: 3,622 kmbroad gauge: 99 km 1.520-m gaugestandard gauge: 3,473 km 1.435-m gauge (1,577 km electrified)narrow gauge: 50 km (1.000-m or 0.750-m gauge) (2008)
Sloveniatotal: 1,228 kmstandard gauge: 1,228 km 1.435-m gauge (503 km electrified) (2007)
South Africatotal: 20,872 kmnarrow gauge: 20,436 km 1.065-m gauge (8,271 km electrified); 436 km0.610-m gauge (2008)
Spaintotal: 15,288 kmbroad gauge: 11,919 km 1.668-m gauge (6,950 km electrified)standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (1,054 km electrified)narrow gauge: 1,949 km 1.000-m gauge (815 km electrified); 28 km0.914-m gauge (28 km electrified) (2008)
Sri Lankatotal: 1,449 kmbroad gauge: 1,449 km 1.676-m gauge (2007)
Sudantotal: 5,978 kmnarrow gauge: 4,578 km 1.067-m gauge; 1,400 km 0.600-m gauge forcotton plantations (2008)
Swazilandtotal: 301 kmnarrow gauge: 301 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)
Swedentotal: 11,633 kmstandard gauge: 11,528 km 1.435-m gauge (7,531 km electrified)narrow gauge: 65 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified) (2008)
Switzerlandtotal: 4,888 kmstandard gauge: 3,397 km 1.435-m gauge (3,142 km electrified)narrow gauge: 1,481 km 1.000-m gauge (1,378 km electrified); 10 km0.800-m gauge (10 km electrified) (2008)
Syriatotal: 2,052 kmstandard gauge: 1,801 km 1.435-m gaugenarrow gauge: 251 km 1.050-m gauge (2008)
Taiwantotal: 1,588 kmstandard gauge: 345 km 1.435-m gaugenarrow gauge: 1,093 km 1.067-m gauge; 150 km .762-m gaugenote: the 150 km of .762 gauge track belongs primarily to TaiwanSugar Corporation and Taiwan Forestry Bureau; some to other entities(2007)
Tajikistantotal: 680 kmbroad gauge: 680 km 1.520-m gauge (2008)
Tanzaniatotal: 3,689 kmnarrow gauge: 969 km 1.067-m gauge; 2,720 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Thailandtotal: 4,071 kmstandard gauge: 29 km 1.435-m gaugenarrow gauge: 4,042 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Togototal: 532 kmnarrow gauge: 532 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Tunisiatotal: 2,159 kmstandard gauge: 471 km 1.435-m gaugenarrow gauge: 1,688 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified) (2008)
Turkeytotal: 8,697 kmstandard gauge: 8,697 km 1.435-m gauge (1,920 km electrified) (2008)
Turkmenistantotal: 2,980 kmbroad gauge: 2,980 km 1.520-m gauge (2008)
Ugandatotal: 1,244 kmnarrow gauge: 1,244 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Ukrainetotal: 21,655 kmbroad gauge: 21,655 km 1.524-m gauge (9,729 km electrified) (2008)
United Kingdomtotal: 16,454 kmbroad gauge: 303 km 1.600-m gauge (in Northern Ireland)standard gauge: 16,151 km 1.435-m gauge (5,248 km electrified) (2008)
United Statestotal: 226,427 kmstandard gauge: 226,427 km 1.435-m gauge (2007)
Uruguaytotal: 1,641 kmstandard gauge: 1,641 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Uzbekistantotal: 3,645 kmbroad gauge: 3,645 km 1.520-m gauge (620 km electrified) (2008)
Venezuelatotal: 806 kmstandard gauge: 806 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Vietnamtotal: 2,347 kmstandard gauge: 178 km 1.435-m gaugenarrow gauge: 2,169 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Worldtotal: 1,134,429 km (2008)
Zambiatotal: 2,157 kmnarrow gauge: 2,157 km 1.067-m gaugenote: includes 891 km of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority(TAZARA) (2008)
Zimbabwe total: 3,077 km narrow gauge: 3,077 km 1.067-m gauge (313 km electrified) (2008)
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Field Listing :: Religions
This entry is an ordered listing of religions by adherents starting with the largest group and sometimes includes the percent of total population. The core characteristics and beliefs of the world's major religions are described below. Baha'i - Founded by Mirza Husayn-Ali (known as Baha'u'llah) in Iran in 1852, Baha'i faith emphasizes monotheism and believes in one eternal transcendent God. Its guiding focus is to encourage the unity of all peoples on the earth so that justice and peace may be achieved on earth. Baha'i revelation contends the prophets of major world religions reflect some truth or element of the divine, believes all were manifestations of God given to specific communities in specific times, and that Baha'u'llah is an additional prophet meant to call all humankind. Bahais are an open community, located worldwide, with the greatest concentration of believers in South Asia. Buddhism - Religion or philosophy inspired by the 5th century B.C. teachings of Siddhartha Gautama (also known as Gautama Buddha "the enlightened one"). Buddhism focuses on the goal of spiritual enlightenment centered on an understanding of Gautama Buddha's Four Noble Truths on the nature of suffering, and on the Eightfold Path of spiritual and moral practice, to break the cycle of suffering of which we are a part. Buddhism ascribes to a karmic system of rebirth. Several schools and sects of Buddhism exist, differing often on the nature of the Buddha, the extent to which enlightenment can be achieved - for one or for all, and by whom - religious orders or laity. Basic Groupings Theravada Buddhism: The oldest Buddhist school, Theravada is practiced mostly in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Burma, and Thailand, with minority representation elsewhere in Asia and the West. Theravadans follow the Pali Canon of Buddha's teachings, and believe that one may escape the cycle of rebirth, worldly attachment, and suffering for oneself; this process may take one or several lifetimes. Mahayana Buddhism, including subsets Zen and Tibetan Buddhism: Forms of Mahayana Buddhism are common in East Asia and Tibet, and parts of the West. Mahayanas have additional scriptures beyond the Pali Canon and believe the Buddha is eternal and still teaching. Unlike Theravada Buddhism, Mahayana schools maintain the Buddha-nature is present in all beings and all will ultimately achieve enlightenment. Christianity - Descending from Judaism, Christianity's central belief maintains Jesus of Nazareth is the promised messiah of the Hebrew Scriptures, and that his life, death, and resurrection are salvific for the world. Christianity is one of the three monotheistic Abrahamic faiths, along with Islam and Judaism, which traces its spiritual lineage to Abraham of the Hebrew Scriptures. Its sacred texts include the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament (or the Christian Gospels). Basic Groupings Catholicism (or Roman Catholicism): This is the oldest established western Christian church and the world's largest single religious body. It is supranational, and recognizes a hierarchical structure with the Pope, or Bishop of Rome, as its head, located at the Vatican. Catholics believe the Pope is the divinely ordered head of the Church from a direct spiritual legacy of Jesus' apostle Peter. Catholicism is comprised of 23 particular Churches, or Rites - one Western (Latin-Rite) and 22 Eastern. The Latin Rite is by far the largest, making up about 98% of Catholic membership. Eastern-Rite Churches, such as the Maronite Church and the Ukrainian Catholic Church, are in communion with Rome although they preserve their own worship traditions and their immediate hierarchy consists of clergy within their own rite. The Catholic Church has a comprehensive theological and moral doctrine specified for believers in its catechism, which makes it unique among most forms of Christianity. Mormonism (including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints): Originating in 1830 in the United States under Joseph Smith, Mormonism is not characterized as a form of Protestant Christianity because it claims additional revealed Christian scriptures after the Hebrew Bible and New Testament. The Book of Mormon maintains there was an appearance of Jesus in the New World following the Christian account of his resurrection, and that the Americas are uniquely blessed continents. Mormonism believes earlier Christian traditions, such as the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant reform faiths, are apostasies and that Joseph Smith's revelation of the Book of Mormon is a restoration of true Christianity. Mormons have a hierarchical religious leadership structure, and actively proselytize their faith; they are located primarily in the Americas and in a number of other Western countries. Orthodox Christianity: The oldest established eastern form of Christianity, the Holy Orthodox Church, has a ceremonial head in the Bishop of Constantinople (Istanbul), also known as a Patriarch, but its various regional forms (e.g., Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Serbian Orthodox, Ukrainian Orthodox) are autocephalous (independent of Constantinople's authority, and have their own Patriarchs). Orthodox churches are highly nationalist and ethnic. The Orthodox Christian faith shares many theological tenets with the Roman Catholic Church, but diverges on some key premises and does not recognize the governing authority of the Pope. Protestant Christianity: Protestant Christianity originated in the 16th century as an attempt to reform Roman Catholicism's practices, dogma, and theology. It encompasses several forms or denominations which are extremely varied in structure, beliefs, relationship to state, clergy, and governance. Many protestant theologies emphasize the primary role of scripture in their faith, advocating individual interpretation of Christian texts without the mediation of a final religious authority such as the Roman Pope. The oldest Protestant Christianities include Lutheranism, Calvinism (Presbyterians), and Anglican Christianity (Episcopalians), which have established liturgies, governing structure, and formal clergy. Other variants on Protestant Christianity, including Pentecostal movements and independent churches, may lack one or more of these elements, and their leadership and beliefs are individualized and dynamic. Hinduism - Originating in the Vedic civilization of India (second and first millennium B.C.), Hinduism is an extremely diverse set of beliefs and practices with no single founder or religious authority. Hinduism has many scriptures; the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Bhagavad-Gita are among some of the most important. Hindus may worship one or many deities, usually with prayer rituals within their own home. The most common figures of devotion are the gods Vishnu, Shiva, and a mother goddess, Devi. Most Hindus believe the soul, or atman, is eternal, and goes through a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth (samsara) determined by one's positive or negative karma, or the consequences of one's actions. The goal of religious life is to learn to act so as to finally achieve liberation (moksha) of one's soul, escaping the rebirth cycle. Islam - The third of the monotheistic Abrahamic faiths, Islam originated with the teachings of Muhammad in the 7th century. Muslims believe Muhammad is the final of all religious prophets (beginning with Abraham) and that the Qu'ran, which is the Islamic scripture, was revealed to him by God. Islam derives from the word submission, and obedience to God is a primary theme in this religion. In order to live an Islamic life, believers must follow the five pillars, or tenets, of Islam, which are the testimony of faith (shahada), daily prayer (salah), giving alms (zakah), fasting during Ramadan (sawm), and the pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj). Basic Groupings The two primary branches of Islam are Sunni and Shia, which split from each other over a religio-political leadership dispute about the rightful successor to Muhammad. The Shia believe Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, Ali, was the only divinely ordained Imam (religious leader), while the Sunni maintain the first three caliphs after Muhammad were also legitimate authorities. In modern Islam, Sunnis and Shia continue to have different views of acceptable schools of Islamic jurisprudence, and who is a proper Islamic religious authority. Islam also has an active mystical branch, Sufism, with various Sunni and Shia subsets. Sunni Islam accounts for over 75% of the world's Muslim population. It recognizes the Abu Bakr as the first caliph after Muhammad. Sunni has four schools of Islamic doctrine and law - Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali - which uniquely interpret the Hadith, or recorded oral traditions of Muhammad. A Sunni Muslim may elect to follow any one of these schools, as all are considered equally valid. Shia Islam represents 10-20% of Muslims worldwide, and its distinguishing feature is its reverence for Ali as an infallible, divinely inspired leader, and as the first Imam of the Muslim community after Muhammad. A majority of Shia are known as "Twelvers," because they believe that the 11 familial successor imams after Muhammad culminate in a 12th Imam (al-Mahdi) who is hidden in the world and will reappear at its end to redeem the righteous. Variants Ismaili faith: A sect of Shia Islam, its adherents are also known as "Seveners," because they believe that the rightful seventh Imam in Islamic leadership was Isma'il, the elder son of Imam Jafar al-Sadiq. Ismaili tradition awaits the return of the seventh Imam as the Mahdi, or Islamic messianic figure. Ismailis are located in various parts of the world, particularly South Asia and the Levant. Alawi faith: Another Shia sect of Islam, the name reflects followers' devotion to the religious authority of Ali. Alawites are a closed, secretive religious group who assert they are Shia Muslims, although outside scholars speculate their beliefs may have a syncretic mix with other faiths originating in the Middle East. Alawis live mostly in Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey. Druze faith: A highly secretive tradition and a closed community that derives from the Ismaili sect of Islam; its core beliefs are thought to emphasize a combination of Gnostic principles believing that the Fatimid caliph, al-Hakin, is the one who embodies the key aspects of goodness of the universe, which are, the intellect, the word, the soul, the preceder, and the follower. The Druze have a key presence in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. Jainism - Originating in India, Jain spiritual philosophy believes in an eternal human soul, the eternal universe, and a principle of "the own nature of things." It emphasizes compassion for all living things, seeks liberation of the human soul from reincarnation through enlightenment, and values personal responsibility due to the belief in the immediate consequences of one's behavior. Jain philosophy teaches non-violence and prescribes vegetarianism for monks and laity alike; its adherents are a highly influential religious minority in Indian society. Judaism - One of the first known monotheistic religions, likely dating to between 2000-1500 B.C., Judaism is the native faith of the Jewish people, based upon the belief in a covenant of responsibility between a sole omnipotent creator God and Abraham, the patriarch of Judaism's Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh. Divine revelation of principles and prohibitions in the Hebrew Scriptures form the basis of Jewish law, or halakhah, which is a key component of the faith. While there are extensive traditions of Jewish halakhic and theological discourse, there is no final dogmatic authority in the tradition. Local communities have their own religious leadership. Modern Judaism has three basic categories of faith: Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform/Liberal. These differ in their views and observance of Jewish law, with the Orthodox representing the most traditional practice, and Reform/Liberal communities the most accommodating of individualized interpretations of Jewish identity and faith. Shintoism - A native animist tradition of Japan, Shinto practice is based upon the premise that every being and object has its own spirit or kami. Shinto practitioners worship several particular kamis, including the kamis of nature, and families often have shrines to their ancestors' kamis. Shintoism has no fixed tradition of prayers or prescribed dogma, but is characterized by individual ritual. Respect for the kamis in nature is a key Shinto value. Prior to the end of World War II, Shinto was the state religion of Japan, and bolstered the cult of the Japanese emperor. Sikhism - Founded by the Guru Nanak (born 1469), Sikhism believes in a non-anthropomorphic, supreme, eternal, creator God; centering one's devotion to God is seen as a means of escaping the cycle of rebirth. Sikhs follow the teachings of Nanak and nine subsequent gurus. Their scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib - also known as the Adi Granth - is considered the living Guru, or final authority of Sikh faith and theology. Sikhism emphasizes equality of humankind and disavows caste, class, or gender discrimination. Taoism - Chinese philosophy or religion based upon Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching, which centers on belief in the Tao, or the way, as the flow of the universe and the nature of things. Taoism encourages a principle of non-force, or wu-wei, as the means to live harmoniously with the Tao. Taoists believe the esoteric world is made up of a perfect harmonious balance and nature, while in the manifest world - particularly in the body - balance is distorted. The Three Jewels of the Tao - compassion, simplicity, and humility - serve as the basis for Taoist ethics. Zoroastrianism - Originating from the teachings of Zoroaster in about the 9th or 10th century B.C., Zoroastrianism may be the oldest continuing creedal religion. Its key beliefs center on a transcendent creator God, Ahura Mazda, and the concept of free will. The key ethical tenets of Zoroastrianism expressed in its scripture, the Avesta, are based on a dualistic worldview where one may prevent chaos if one chooses to serve God and exercises good thoughts, good words, and good deeds. Zoroastrianism is generally a closed religion and members are almost always born to Zoroastrian parents. Prior to the spread of Islam, Zoroastrianism dominated greater Iran. Today, though a minority, Zoroastrians remain primarily in Iran, India, and Pakistan. Country