Venezuelasubject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts
Vietnamoccasional typhoons (May to January) with extensiveflooding, especially in the Mekong River delta
Virgin Islandsseveral hurricanes in recent years; frequent andsevere droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes
Wake Islandoccasional typhoons
Wallis and FutunaNA
West Bankdroughts
Western Saharahot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occurduring winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% oftime, often severely restricting visibility
Worldlarge areas subject to severe weather (tropical cyclones);natural disasters (earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, volcaniceruptions)volcanism: the world is home to more than 1,500 potentially activevolcanoes, with over 500 of these having erupted in historicaltimes; an estimated 500 million people live near these volcanoes;associated dangers include lava flows, lahars (mudflows),pyroclastic flows, ash clouds, ash fall, ballistic projectiles, gasemissions, landslides, earthquakes, and tsunamis; in the 1990s, theInternational Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of theEarth's Interior, created a list of 16 volcanoes worthy of specialstudy because of their great potential for destruction:Avachinsky-Koryaksky (Russia), Colima (Mexico), Etna (Italy),Galeras (Colombia), Mauna Loa (United States), Merapi (Indonesia),Nyiragongo (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Rainier (UnitedStates), Sakurajima (Japan), Santa Maria (Guatemala), Santorini(Greece), Taal (Philippines), Teide (Spain), Ulawun (Papua NewGuinea), Unzen (Japan), Vesuvius (Italy)
Yemensandstorms and dust storms in summervolcanism: Yemen experiences limited volcanic activity; Jebel atTair (Jabal al-Tair, Jebel Teir, Jabal al-Tayr, Jazirat at-Tair)(elev. 244 m, 801 ft), which forms an island in the Red Sea, eruptedin 2007 after awakening from dormancy; other historically activevolcanoes include Harra of Arhab, Harras of Dhamar, Harra es-Sawad,and Jebel Zubair, although many of these have not erupted in over acentury
Zambiaperiodic drought; tropical storms (November to April)
Zimbabwerecurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare
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@2022
Field Listing :: People - note
This entry includes miscellaneous demographic information of significance not included elsewhere. Country
People - note
Cook Islands2001 census counted a resident population of 15,017
Cubaillicit emigration is a continuing problem; Cubans attempt todepart the island and enter the US using homemade rafts, aliensmugglers, direct flights, or falsified visas; Cubans also usenon-maritime routes to enter the US including direct flights toMiami and over-land via the southwest border
Germanysecond most populous country in Europe after Russia
Papua New Guineathe indigenous population of Papua New Guinea isone of the most heterogeneous in the world; PNG has several thousandseparate communities, most with only a few hundred people; dividedby language, customs, and tradition, some of these communities haveengaged in low-scale tribal conflict with their neighbors formillennia; the advent of modern weapons and modern migrants intourban areas has greatly magnified the impact of this lawlessness
RwandaRwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa
Trinidad and Tobagoin 2007, the government of Trinidad and Tobagoestimated the population to be 1.3 million
Turks and Caicos Islandsdestination and transit point for illegalHaitian immigrants bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands, TheBahamas, and the US
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@2023
Field Listing :: Area - comparative
This entry provides an area comparison based on total area equivalents. Most entities are compared with the entire US or one of the 50 states based on area measurements (1990 revised) provided by the US Bureau of the Census. The smaller entities are compared with Washington, DC (178 sq km, 69 sq mi) or The Mall in Washington, DC (0.59 sq km, 0.23 sq mi, 146 acres). Country
Area - comparative(sq km)
Afghanistanslightly smaller than Texas
Akrotiriabout 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC
Albaniaslightly smaller than Maryland
Algeriaslightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas
American Samoaslightly larger than Washington, DC
Andorra2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Angolaslightly less than twice the size of Texas
Anguillaabout one-half the size of Washington, DC
Antarcticaslightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US
Antigua and Barbuda2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Arctic Oceanslightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US
Argentinaslightly less than three-tenths the size of the US
Armeniaslightly smaller than Maryland
Arubaslightly larger than Washington, DC
Ashmore and Cartier Islands about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Atlantic Oceanslightly less than 6.5 times the size of the US
Australiaslightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states
Austriaslightly smaller than Maine
Azerbaijanslightly smaller than Maine
Bahamas, Theslightly smaller than Connecticut
Bahrain3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Bangladeshslightly smaller than Iowa
Barbados2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Belarusslightly smaller than Kansas
Belgiumabout the size of Maryland
Belizeslightly smaller than Massachusetts
Beninslightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Bermudaabout one-third the size of Washington, DC
Bhutanabout one-half the size of Indiana
Boliviaslightly less than three times the size of Montana
Bosnia and Herzegovinaslightly smaller than West Virginia
Botswanaslightly smaller than Texas
Bouvet Islandabout 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Brazilslightly smaller than the US
British Indian Ocean Territory land area is about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
British Virgin Islandsabout 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
Bruneislightly smaller than Delaware
Bulgariaslightly larger than Tennessee
Burkina Fasoslightly larger than Colorado
Burmaslightly smaller than Texas
Burundislightly smaller than Maryland
Cambodiaslightly smaller than Oklahoma
Cameroonslightly larger than California
Canadaslightly larger than the US
Cape Verdeslightly larger than Rhode Island
Cayman Islands1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Central African Republicslightly smaller than Texas
Chadslightly more than three times the size of California
Chileslightly smaller than twice the size of Montana
Chinaslightly smaller than the US
Christmas Islandabout three-quarters the size of Washington, DC
Clipperton Islandabout 12 times the size of The Mall in Washington,DC
Cocos (Keeling) Islandsabout 24 times the size of The Mall inWashington, DC
Colombiaslightly less than twice the size of Texas
Comorosslightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC
Congo, Democratic Republic of the slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US
Congo, Republic of theslightly smaller than Montana
Cook Islands1.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Coral Sea IslandsNA
Costa Ricaslightly smaller than West Virginia
Cote d'Ivoireslightly larger than New Mexico
Croatiaslightly smaller than West Virginia
Cubaslightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Curacaomore than two times the size of Washington, DC
Cyprusabout 0.6 times the size of Connecticut
Czech Republicslightly smaller than South Carolina
Denmarkslightly less than twice the size of Massachusetts
Dhekeliaabout three-quarters the size of Washington, DC
Djiboutislightly smaller than Massachusetts
Dominicaslightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC
Dominican Republicslightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire
Ecuadorslightly smaller than Nevada
Egyptslightly more than three times the size of New Mexico
El Salvadorslightly smaller than Massachusetts
Equatorial Guineaslightly smaller than Maryland
Eritreaslightly larger than Pennsylvania
Estoniaslightly smaller than New Hampshire and Vermont combined
Ethiopiaslightly less than twice the size of Texas
European Unionless than one-half the size of the US
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)slightly smaller than Connecticut
Faroe Islandseight times the size of Washington, DC
Fijislightly smaller than New Jersey
Finlandslightly smaller than Montana
Franceslightly less than the size of Texas
French Polynesiaslightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut
French Southern and Antarctic LandsIle Amsterdam (Ile Amsterdam etIle Saint-Paul): less than one-half the size of Washington, DCIle Saint-Paul (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul): more than 10 timesthe size of The Mall in Washington, DCIles Crozet: about twice the size of Washington, DCIles Kerguelen: slightly larger than DelawareBassas da India (Iles Eparses): land area about one-third the sizeof The Mall in Washington, DCEuropa Island (Iles Eparses): about one-sixth the size ofWashington, DCGlorioso Islands (Iles Eparses): about eight times the size of TheMall in Washington, DCJuan de Nova Island (Iles Eparses): about seven times the size ofThe Mall in Washington, DCTromelin Island (Iles Eparses): about 1.7 times the size of The Mallin Washington, DC
Gabonslightly smaller than Colorado
Gambia, Theslightly less than twice the size of Delaware
Gaza Stripslightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Georgiaslightly smaller than South Carolina
Germanyslightly smaller than Montana
Ghanaslightly smaller than Oregon
Gibraltarmore than 10 times the size of The National Mall inWashington, D.C.
Greeceslightly smaller than Alabama
Greenlandslightly more than three times the size of Texas
Grenadatwice the size of Washington, DC
Guamthree times the size of Washington, DC
Guatemalaslightly smaller than Tennessee
Guernseyabout one-half the size of Washington, DC
Guineaslightly smaller than Oregon
Guinea-Bissauslightly less than three times the size of Connecticut
Guyanaslightly smaller than Idaho
Haitislightly smaller than Maryland
Heard Island and McDonald Islandsslightly more than two times thesize of Washington, DC
Holy See (Vatican City)about 0.7 times the size of The NationalMall in Washington, DC
Hondurasslightly larger than Tennessee
Hong Kongsix times the size of Washington, DC
Hungaryslightly smaller than Indiana
Icelandslightly smaller than Kentucky
Indiaslightly more than one-third the size of the US
Indian Oceanabout 5.5 times the size of the US
Indonesiaslightly less than three times the size of Texas
Iranslightly smaller than Alaska
Iraqslightly more than twice the size of Idaho
Irelandslightly larger than West Virginia
Isle of Manslightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC
Israelslightly smaller than New Jersey
Italyslightly larger than Arizona
Jamaicaslightly smaller than Connecticut
Jan Mayenslightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Japanslightly smaller than California
Jerseyabout two-thirds the size of Washington, DC
Jordanslightly smaller than Indiana
Kazakhstanslightly less than four times the size of Texas
Kenyaslightly more than twice the size of Nevada
Kiribatifour times the size of Washington, DC
Korea, Northslightly smaller than Mississippi
Korea, Southslightly larger than Indiana
Kosovoslightly larger than Delaware
Kuwaitslightly smaller than New Jersey
Kyrgyzstanslightly smaller than South Dakota
Laosslightly larger than Utah
Latviaslightly larger than West Virginia
Lebanonabout 0.7 times the size of Connecticut
Lesothoslightly smaller than Maryland
Liberiaslightly larger than Tennessee
Libyaslightly larger than Alaska
Liechtensteinabout 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
Lithuaniaslightly larger than West Virginia
Luxembourgslightly smaller than Rhode Island
Macauless than one-sixth the size of Washington, DC
Macedoniaslightly larger than Vermont
Madagascarslightly less than twice the size of Arizona
Malawislightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Malaysiaslightly larger than New Mexico
Maldivesabout 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC
Malislightly less than twice the size of Texas
Maltaslightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC
Marshall Islandsabout the size of Washington, DC
Mauritaniaslightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico
Mauritiusalmost 11 times the size of Washington, DC
Mayotteslightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Mexicoslightly less than three times the size of Texas
Micronesia, Federated States offour times the size of Washington,DC (land area only)
Moldovaslightly larger than Maryland
Monacoabout three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Mongoliaslightly smaller than Alaska
Montenegroslightly smaller than Connecticut
Montserratabout 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC
Moroccoslightly larger than California
Mozambiqueslightly less than twice the size of California
Namibiaslightly more than half the size of Alaska
Nauruabout 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Navassa Islandabout nine times the size of The Mall in Washington,DC
Nepalslightly larger than Arkansas
Netherlandsslightly less than twice the size of New Jersey
New Caledoniaslightly smaller than New Jersey
New Zealandabout the size of Colorado
Nicaraguaslightly smaller than New York state
Nigerslightly less than twice the size of Texas
Nigeriaslightly more than twice the size of California
Niue1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Norfolk Islandabout 0.2 times the size of Washington, DC
Northern Mariana Islands2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Norwayslightly larger than New Mexico
Omanslightly smaller than Kansas
Pacific Oceanabout 15 times the size of the US; covers about 28% ofthe global surface; almost equal to the total land area of the world
Pakistanslightly less than twice the size of California
Palauslightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Panamaslightly smaller than South Carolina
Papua New Guineaslightly larger than California
Paracel IslandsNA
Paraguayslightly smaller than California
Peruslightly smaller than Alaska
Philippinesslightly larger than Arizona
Pitcairn Islandsabout 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Polandslightly smaller than New Mexico
Portugalslightly smaller than Indiana
Puerto Ricoslightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island
Qatarslightly smaller than Connecticut
Romaniaslightly smaller than Oregon
Russiaapproximately 1.8 times the size of the US
Rwandaslightly smaller than Maryland
Saint Barthelemyless than an eighth of the size of Washington, DC
Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Saint Kitts and Nevis1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Saint Lucia3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Saint Martinmore than one-third the size of Washington, DC
Saint Pierre and Miquelon1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Saint Vincent and the Grenadinestwice the size of Washington, DC
Samoaslightly smaller than Rhode Island
San Marinoabout one third times the size of Washington, DC
Sao Tome and Principemore than five times the size of Washington, DC
Saudi Arabiaslightly more than one-fifth the size of the US
Senegalslightly smaller than South Dakota
Serbiaslightly smaller than South Carolina
Seychelles2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Sierra Leoneslightly smaller than South Carolina
Singaporeslightly more than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Sint Maartenone-fifth the size of Washington, DC
Slovakiaabout twice the size of New Hampshire
Sloveniaslightly smaller than New Jersey
Solomon Islandsslightly smaller than Maryland
Somaliaslightly smaller than Texas
South Africaslightly less than twice the size of Texas
South Georgia and South Sandwich Islandsslightly larger than RhodeIsland
Southern Oceanslightly more than twice the size of the US
Spainslightly more than twice the size of Oregon
Spratly IslandsNA
Sri Lankaslightly larger than West Virginia
Sudanslightly more than one-quarter the size of the US
Surinameslightly larger than Georgia
Svalbardslightly smaller than West Virginia
Swazilandslightly smaller than New Jersey
Swedenslightly larger than California
Switzerlandslightly less than twice the size of New Jersey
Syriaslightly larger than North Dakota
Taiwanslightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined
Tajikistanslightly smaller than Wisconsin
Tanzaniaslightly larger than twice the size of California
Thailandslightly more than twice the size of Wyoming
Timor-Lesteslightly larger than Connecticut
Togoslightly smaller than West Virginia
Tokelauabout 17 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Tongafour times the size of Washington, DC
Trinidad and Tobagoslightly smaller than Delaware
Tunisiaslightly larger than Georgia
Turkeyslightly larger than Texas
Turkmenistanslightly larger than California
Turks and Caicos Islands2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Tuvalu0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Ugandaslightly smaller than Oregon
Ukraineslightly smaller than Texas
United Arab Emiratesslightly smaller than Maine
United Kingdomslightly smaller than Oregon
United Statesabout half the size of Russia; about three-tenths thesize of Africa; about half the size of South America (or slightlylarger than Brazil); slightly larger than China; more than twice thesize of the European Union
United States Pacific Island Wildlife RefugesBaker Island: abouttwo and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DCHowland Island: about three times the size of The Mall inWashington, DCJarvis Island: about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington,DCJohnston Atoll: about four and a half times the size of The Mall inWashington, DCKingman Reef: a little more than one and a half times the size ofThe Mall in Washington, DCMidway Islands: about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington,DCPalmyra Atoll: about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Uruguayslightly smaller than the state of Washington
Uzbekistanslightly larger than California
Vanuatuslightly larger than Connecticut
Venezuelaslightly more than twice the size of California
Vietnamslightly larger than New Mexico
Virgin Islandstwice the size of Washington, DC
Wake Islandabout 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Wallis and Futuna1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
West Bankslightly smaller than Delaware
Western Saharaabout the size of Colorado
Worldland area about 16 times the size of the UStop fifteen World Factbook entities ranked by size: Pacific Ocean155.557 million sq km; Atlantic Ocean 76.762 million sq km; IndianOcean 68.556 million sq km; Southern Ocean 20.327 million sq km;Russia 17,098,242 sq km; Arctic Ocean 14.056 million sq km;Antarctica 14 million sq km; Canada 9,984,670 sq km; United States9,826,675 sq km; China 9,596,961 sq km; Brazil 8,514,877 sq km;Australia 7,741,220 sq km; European Union 4,324,782 sq km; India3,287,263 sq km; Argentina 2,780,400 sq kmtop ten largest islands: Greenland 2,166,086 sq km; New Guinea(Indonesia, Papua New Guinea) 785,753 sq km; Borneo (Brunei,Indonesia, Malaysia) 751,929 sq km; Madagascar 587,713 sq km; BaffinIsland (Canada) 507,451 sq km; Sumatra (Indonesia) 472,784 sq km;Honshu (Japan) 227,963 sq km; Victoria Island (Canada) 217,291 sqkm; Great Britain (United Kingdom) 209,331 sq km; Ellesmere Island(Canada) 196,236 sq km
Yemenslightly larger than twice the size of Wyoming
Zambiaslightly larger than Texas
Zimbabweslightly larger than Montana
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@2024
Field Listing :: Military service age and obligation
This entry gives the required ages for voluntary or conscript military service and the length of service obligation. Country
Military service age and obligation(years of age)
Afghanistan22 years of age; inductees are contracted into servicefor a 4-year term (2005)
Albania19 years of age (2004)
Algeria19-30 years of age for compulsory military service;conscript service obligation - 18 months (6 months basic training,12 months civil projects) (2006)
Angola20-45 years of age for compulsory and 18-45 years forvoluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years;Angolan citizenship required; minimum age for women volunteers is20; the MGA is entirely staffed with volunteers (2010)
Antigua and Barbuda18 years of age for voluntary military service;no conscription (2010)
Argentina18-24 years of age for voluntary military service (18-21requires parental permission); no conscription (2001)
Armenia18-27 years of age for voluntary or compulsory militaryservice; 2-year conscript service obligation (2010)
Australia17 years of age for voluntary military service (withparental consent); no conscription; women allowed to serve in Armycombat units in non-combat support roles (2010)
Austria18-35 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 yearsof age for male or female voluntary service; service obligation 6months of training, followed by an 8-year reserve obligation;conscripts cannot be deployed in military operations outside Austria(2009)
Azerbaijanmen between 18 and 35 are liable for military service; 18years of age for voluntary military service; length of militaryservice is 18 months and 12 months for university graduates (2006)
Bahamas, The18 years of age; no conscription (2010)
Bahrain17 years of age for voluntary military service; 15 years ofage for NCOs, technicians, and cadets; no conscription (2010)
Bangladesh16 years of age for voluntary enlisted military service(Air Force); 17 years of age (Army and Navy); conscription is by lawpossible in times of emergency, but has never been implemented (2010)
Barbados18 years of age for voluntary military service (youngervolunteers require parental consent); no conscription (2009)
Belarus18-27 years of age for compulsory military service;conscript service obligation - 12-18 months, depending on academicqualifications (2010)
Belgium18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscriptionsuspended (2010)
Belize18 years of age for voluntary military service; laws allowfor conscription only if volunteers are insufficient; conscriptionhas never been implemented; volunteers typically outnumber availablepositions by 3:1 (2008)
Benin21 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;in practice, volunteers may be taken at the age of 18; both sexesare eligible for military service; conscript tour of duty - 18months (2006)
Bermuda18-30 years of age for voluntary or compulsory enlistment inthe Bermuda Regiment; males must register at age 18; term of serviceis 38 months (2009)
Bhutan18 years of age for voluntary military service; noconscription (2010)
Bolivia18-49 years of age for 12-month compulsory military service;when annual number of volunteers falls short of goal, compulsoryrecruitment is effected, including conscription of boys as young as14; 15-19 years of age for voluntary premilitary service, providesexemption from further military service (2009)
Bosnia and Herzegovina18 years of age for voluntary militaryservice; conscription abolished in January 2006; 4-month serviceobligation; mandatory retirement at age 35 or after 15 years ofservice (2010)
Botswana18 is the apparent age of voluntary military service;official minimum age is unknown (2001)
Brazil21-45 years of age for compulsory military service; conscriptservice obligation - 9 to 12 months; 17-45 years of age forvoluntary service; an increasing percentage of the ranks are"long-service" volunteer professionals; women were allowed to servein the armed forces beginning in early 1980s when the Brazilian Armybecame the first army in South America to accept women into careerranks; women serve in Navy and Air Force only in Women's ReserveCorps (2001)
Brunei18 years of age (est.) for voluntary military service;non-Malays are ineligible to serve (2007)
Bulgaria18-27 years of age for voluntary military service;conscription ended in January 2008; service obligation 6-9 months(2010)
Burkina Faso18 years of age for voluntary military service; womenmay serve in supporting roles (2009)
Burma18-35 years of age (men) and 18-27 years of age (women) forcompulsory military service; service obligation 2 years; male (ages18-45) and female (ages 18-35) professionals (including doctors,engineers, mechanics) serve up to 3 years; service terms may bestreched to 5 years in an officially declared emergency; forcedconscription of children, although officially prohibited, reportedlycontinues (2011)
Burundimilitary service is voluntary; the armed forces law of 31December 2004 did not specify a minimum age for enlistment, but thegovernment had previously said each recruit must have a primaryschool-leaving certificate; mandatory retirement age 45 (enlisted),50 (NCOs), and 55 (officers) (2010)
Cambodiaconscription law of October 2006 requires all males between18-30 to register for military service; 18-month service obligation(2006)
Cameroon18-23 years of age for male and female voluntary militaryservice; no conscription; high school graduation required; serviceobligation 4 years; the government makes periodic calls forvolunteers (2010)
Canada17 years of age for male and female voluntary militaryservice (with parental consent); 16 years of age for reserve andmilitary college applicants; Canadian citizenship or permanentresidence status required; maximum 34 years of age; serviceobligation 3-9 years (2008)
Cape Verde18 years of age (est.) for selective compulsory militaryservice; 14-month conscript service obligation (2006)
Central African Republic18 years of age for selective militaryservice; 2-year conscript service obligation (2010)
Chad20 years of age for conscripts, with 3-year service obligation;18 years of age for volunteers; no minimum age restriction forvolunteers with consent from a guardian; women are subject to 1 yearof compulsory military or civic service at age of 21 (2004)
Chile18-45 years of age for voluntary male and female militaryservice, although the right to compulsory recruitment is retained;service obligation - 12 months for Army, 22 months for Navy and AirForce (2008)
China18-22 years of age for selective compulsory military service,with 24-month service obligation; no minimum age for voluntaryservice (all officers are volunteers); 18-19 years of age for womenhigh school graduates who meet requirements for specific militaryjobs; in 2010, a decision was made to allow women in combat roles(2010)
Colombia18-24 years of age for compulsory and voluntary militaryservice; service obligation - 18 months (2004)
Comoros18 years of age for 2-year voluntary military service; noconscription; women first inducted into the Army in 2004 (2010)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the18-45 years of age for voluntarymilitary service (2009)
Congo, Republic of the18 years of age for voluntary militaryservice; women allowed to serve (2007)
Cote d'Ivoire18-25 years of age for compulsory and voluntary maleand female military service; voluntary recruitment of former rebelsinto the new national army is restricted to ages 22-29 (2010)
Croatia18-27 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 yearsof age with consent for voluntary service; 6-month conscript serviceobligation; full conversion to voluntary military service by 2010(2006)
Cuba17-28 years of age for compulsory military service; 2-yearservice obligation; both sexes subject to military service (2006)
Curacaono conscription (2010)
CyprusGreek Cypriot National Guard (GCNG): 18-50 years of age forcompulsory military service for all Greek Cypriot males; 17 years ofage for voluntary service; women may volunteer for a 3-year term;length of normal service is 25 months (2009)
Czech Republic18-28 years of age for male and female voluntarymilitary service; no conscription (2010)
Denmark18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary militaryservice; conscripts serve an initial training period that variesfrom 4 to 12 months according to specialization; reservists areassigned to mobilization units following completion of theirconscript service; women eligible to volunteer for military service(2004)
Djibouti18 years of age for voluntary military service; 16-25 yearsof age for voluntary military training; no conscription (2008)
Dominican Republic16-21 years of age for compulsory militaryservice; recruits must be Dominican Republic citizens; women mayvolunteer (2010)
Ecuador20 years of age for selective conscript military service;12-month service obligation (2008)
Egypt18-30 years of age for male conscript military service;service obligation 12-36 months, followed by a 9-year reserveobligation (2008)
El Salvador18 years of age for selective compulsory militaryservice; 16-22 years of age for voluntary male or female service;service obligation - 12 months, with 11 months for officers and NCOs(2009)
Equatorial Guinea18 years of age for selective compulsory militaryservice; service obligation 2 years; women hold only administrativepositions in the Coast Guard (2011)
Eritrea18-40 years of age for male and female voluntary andcompulsory military service; 16-month conscript service obligation(2006)
Estoniaobligation for compulsory service ages 16-60, withconscription "likely" ages 18-27; service requirement 8-11 months(2009)
Ethiopia18 years of age for voluntary military service; nocompulsory military service, but the military can conduct call-upswhen necessary and compliance is compulsory (2009)
Fiji18 years of age for voluntary military service (2010)
Finland18 years of age for male voluntary and compulsory - andfemale voluntary - national military and nonmilitary service;service obligation 6-12 months; mandatory retirement at age 60 (2010)
France17-40 years of age for male or female voluntary militaryservice (with parental consent); no conscription; 12-month serviceobligation; women serve in noncombat military posts (2010)
Gabon20 years of age for voluntary military service; there is noconscription (2009)
Gambia, The18 years of age for male and female voluntary militaryservice; no conscription (2010)
Georgia18 to 34 years of age for compulsory and voluntary activeduty military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months(2005)
Germany18 years of age (conscripts serve a 9-month tour ofcompulsory military service) (2004)
Ghana18 years of age for voluntary military service, with basiceducation certificate; no conscription (2010)
Greece19-45 years of age for compulsory military service; duringwartime the law allows for recruitment beginning January of the yearof inductee's 18th birthday, thus including 17 year olds; 17 yearsof age for volunteers; conscript service obligation - 1 year for allservices; women are eligible for voluntary military service (2008)
Guatemalaall male citizens between the ages of 18 and 50 are liablefor military service; conscript service obligation varies from 12 to24 months; women can serve as officers (2009)
Guinea18-25 years of age for compulsory or voluntary militaryservice; 18-month conscript service obligation (2009)
Guinea-Bissau18-25 years of age for selective compulsory militaryservice (Air Force service is voluntary); 16 years of age or youngerwith parental consent, for voluntary service (2010)
Guyana18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; noconscription (2008)
Honduras18 years of age for voluntary 2 to 3-year military service(2004)
Hungary18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; noconscription; 6-month service obligation (2010)
India17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service; noconscription; women may join as officers, but for noncombat rolesonly (2010)
Indonesia18 years of age for selective compulsory and voluntarymilitary service; 2-year conscript service obligation, with reserveobligation to age 45 (officers); Indonesian citizens only (2008)
Iran19 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years ofage for volunteers; 17 years of age for Law Enforcement Forces; 15years of age for Basij Forces (Popular Mobilization Army); conscriptmilitary service obligation - 18 months; women exempt from militaryservice (2008)
Iraq18-40 years of age for voluntary military service (2010)
Ireland17-25 years of age for male or female voluntary militaryservice (17-27 years of age for the Naval Service); enlistees 16years of age can be recruited for apprentice specialist positions;17-35 years of age for the Reserve Defense Forces (RDF); maximumobligation 12 years (5 years IDF, 7 years RDF); EU citizenship or5-year residence in Ireland required (2010)
Israel18 years of age for compulsory (Jews, Druzes) and voluntary(Christians, Muslims, Circassians) military service; both sexes areobligated to military service; conscript service obligation - 36months for enlisted men, 21 months for enlisted women, 48 months forofficers; pilots commit to 9 years service; reserve obligation toage 41-51 (men), 24 (women) (2010)
Italy18-27 year of age for voluntary military service; conscriptionabolished January 2005; women may serve in any military branch;10-month service obligation, with a reserve obligation to age 45(Army and Air Force) or 39 (Navy) (2006)
Jamaica18 years of age for voluntary military service; youngerrecruits may be conscripted with parental consent (2001)
Japan18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
Jordan17 years of age for voluntary military service; conscriptionat age 18 was suspended in 1999, although all males under age 37 arerequired to register; women not subject to conscription, but canvolunteer to serve in non-combat military positions in the RoyalJordanian Arab Army Women's Corps; conscription for males onlyresurrected in July 2007 in order to provide youth trainingnecessary for job market needs (2010)
Kazakhstan18 years of age for compulsory military service;conscript service obligation - 2 years; minimum age for volunteersNA (2004)
Kenya18-26 years of age for voluntary service (less than 18 withparental consent), with a 9-year obligation (7 years for KenyanNavy); applicants must be Kenyan citizens and provide a nationalidentity card (obtained at age 18) and a school-leaving certificate(2010)
Korea, North17 years of age (2004)
Korea, South20-30 years of age for compulsory military service,with middle school education required; conscript service obligation- 21 months (Army, Marines), 23 months (Navy), 24 months (AirForce); 18-26 years of age for voluntary military service; women, inservice since 1950, admitted to 7 service branches, includinginfantry, but excluded from artillery, armor, anti-air, andchaplaincy corps; some 4,000 women serve as commissioned andnoncommissioned officers, approx. 2.3% of all officers; HIV-positiveindividuals are exempt from military service (2010)
Kuwait18-30 years of age for compulsory and 18-25 years of age forvoluntary military service; women age 18-30 may be subject tocompulsory military service; conscription suspended in 2001 (2009)
Kyrgyzstan18 years of age for compulsory male military service inthe armed forces or Interior Ministry; service obligation 1 year;women may volunteer at age 19; 16-17 years of age for militarycadets, who cannot take part in military operations (2010)
Laos18 years of age for compulsory military service; minimum18-month conscript service obligation (2010)
Latvia18 years of age for voluntary male and female militaryservice; conscription abolished January 2007; under current law,every citizen is entitled to serve in the armed forces for life(2009)
Lebanon18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; noconscription (2007)
Lesotho18-24 years of age for voluntary military service; noconscription; women serve as commissioned officers (2009)
Liberia18 years of age for voluntary military service; noconscription (2010)
Libya17 years of age (2004)
Lithuania19-26 years of age for compulsory military service; 18years of age for volunteers; 12-month conscript service obligation;male registration required at age 16 (2009)
Luxembourg17-25 years of age for male and female voluntary militaryservice; soldiers under 18 are not deployed into combat or withpeacekeeping missions; no conscription; Luxembourg citizen or EUcitizen with 3-year residence in Luxembourg (2010)
Macedonia18 years of age for voluntary military service; noconscription (2010)
Madagascar18-25 years of age for male-only voluntary militaryservice; no conscription; service obligation - 18 months (eithermilitary or equivalent civil service); 20-30 years of age forNational Gendarmerie recruits (35 years of age for those withmilitary experience) (2010)
Malawi18 years of age for voluntary military service; standardobligation is 2 years of active duty and 5 years of reserve service(2007)
Malaysia18 years of age for voluntary military service (2005)
Maldives18-28 years of age for voluntary military service; noconscription (2010)
Mali18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;conscript service obligation - 2 years (2010)
Malta17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service; noconscription (2010)
Mauritania18 years of age (est.); conscript service obligation - 2years; majority of servicemen believed to be volunteers; service inAir Force and Navy is voluntary (2006)
Mexico18 years of age for compulsory military service, conscriptservice obligation - 12 months; 16 years of age with consent forvoluntary enlistment; conscripts serve only in the Army; Navy andAir Force service is all voluntary; women are eligible for voluntarymilitary service (2007)
Moldova18 years of age for compulsory military service; 17 years ofage for voluntary service; male registration required at age 16;12-month service obligation (2009)
Mongolia18-25 years of age for compulsory military service;conscript service obligation - 12 months in land or air defenseforces or police; a small portion of Mongolian land forces (2.5percent) is comprised of contract soldiers; women cannot be deployedoverseas for military operations (2006)
Montenegrocompulsory national military service abolished August 2006
Morocco18 years of age for voluntary military service; serviceobligation - 18 months (2010)
Mozambiqueregistration for military service is mandatory for allmales and females at 18 years of age; 18-35 years of age forselective compulsory military service; 18 years of age for voluntaryservice; 2-year service obligation; women may serve as officers orenlisted (2010)
Namibia18 years of age for voluntary military service; noconscription (2010)
Nepal18 years of age for voluntary military service; 15 years ofage for military training; no conscription (2010)
Netherlands20 years of age for an all-volunteer force (2004)
New Zealand17 years of age for voluntary military service; soldierscannot be deployed until the age of 18; no conscription (2010)
Nicaragua17 years of age for voluntary military service; tour ofduty 18-36 months (2008)
Niger17-21 years of age for selective compulsory or voluntarymilitary service; enlistees must be Nigerien citizens and unmarried;2-year service term; women may serve in health care (2009)
Nigeria18 years of age for voluntary military service (2007)
Norway18-44 years of age for male compulsory military service; 16years of age in wartime; 17 years of age for male volunteers; 18years of age for women; 12-month service obligation, in practiceshortened to 8 to 9 months; although all males between ages of 18and 44 are liable for service, in practice they are seldom called toduty after age 30; reserve obligation to age 35-60; 16 years of agefor volunteers to the Home Guard, who serve 6-month duty tours (2009)
Oman18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; noconscription (2010)
Pakistan17-23 years of age for voluntary military service; soldierscannot be deployed for combat until age 18; the Pakistani Air Forceand Pakistani Navy have inducted their first female pilots andsailors (2009)
Papua New Guinea16 years of age for voluntary military service(with parental consent); no conscription (2010)
Paraguay18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary militaryservice; conscript service obligation - 12 months for Army, 24months for Navy; volunteers for the Air Force must be younger than22 years of age with a secondary school diploma (2010)
Peru18-30 years of age for voluntary male and female militaryservice; no conscription (2008)
Philippines18-25 years of age (officers 21-29) for compulsory andvoluntary military service; applicants must be single male or femalePhilippine citizens (2010)
Poland18-28 years of age for male voluntary or compulsory militaryservice; service obligation shortened from 12 to 9 months in 2005;conscription is to end in 2012; only soldiers who have completedtheir conscript service are allowed to volunteer for professionalservice; as of April 2004, women are only allowed to serve asofficers and noncommissioned officers; reserve obligation to age 50(2009)
Portugal18 years of age for voluntary military service; nocompulsory military service; women serve in the armed forces, onnaval ships since 1993, but are prohibited from serving in somecombatant specialties; reserve obligation to age 35 (2010)
Qatar18 years of age for voluntary military service; noconscription (2010)
Romania18-35 years of age for male and female voluntary militaryservice; conscription officially ended October 2006; all militaryinductees (including women) contract for an initial 5-year term ofservice, with subsequent successive contracts for 3-year terms untilage 36 (2009)
Russia18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary militaryservice; males are registered for the draft at 17 years of age;service obligation - 1 year (conscripts can only be sent to combatzones after 6 months training); reserve obligation to age 50note: over 60% of draft-age Russian males receive some type ofdeferment - generally health related - each draft cycle (2009)
Rwanda18 years of age for voluntary military service; noconscription (2010)
Saint Kitts and Nevis18 years of age for voluntary militaryservice; no conscription (2010)
San Marino16-55 for voluntary service in Voluntary Military Force(2006)
Sao Tome and Principe18 years of age (est.) (2004)
Saudi Arabia18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2004)
Senegal18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary militaryservice; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)
Serbia17 years of age for male compulsory military service; 18years of age for voluntary service; conscription to be abolishedeffective 2011; 6-month service obligation, with a reserveobligation to age 60 for men and 50 for women (2010)
Seychelles18 years of age for voluntary military service (youngerwith parental consent); no conscription (2010)
Sierra Leone17 years 6 months of age for male and female voluntarymilitary service (younger with parental consent); no conscription;candidates must be HIV negative (2009)
Singapore18-21 years of age for male compulsory military service;16 years of age for volunteers; 2-year conscript service obligation,with a reserve obligation to age 40 (enlisted) or age 50 (officers)(2008)
Sint Maartenno conscription (2010)
Slovakia18-30 years of age for voluntary military service;conscription abolished in 2006; women are eligible to serve (2010)
Slovenia18-25 years of age for voluntary military service;conscription abolished in 2003 (2010)
Somalianote: since 2005, the UN has listed the Transitional FederalGovernment and its allied militias as persistent violators inrecruiting child soldiers (2010)
South Africa18 years of age for voluntary military service; womenare eligible to serve in noncombat roles; 2-year service obligation(2007)
Spain20 years of age (2004)
Sri Lanka18 years of age for voluntary military service; 5-yearservice obligation (2010)
Sudan18-33 years of age for male and female compulsory andvoluntary military service; 12-24 month service obligation (2009)
Suriname18 years of age (est.); recruitment is voluntary, withpersonnel drawn almost exclusively from the Creole community (2007)
Swaziland18-30 years of age for male and female voluntary militaryservice; no conscription; only HIV-negative applicants accepted;compulsory HIV testing required (2010)
Sweden18-47 years of age for male and female voluntary militaryservice; service obligation: 7.5 months (Army), 7-15 months (Navy),8-12 months (Air Force); the Swedish Parliament has abolishedcompulsory military service, with exclusively voluntary recruitmentas of July 2010; conscription remains an option in emergencies;after completing initial service, soldiers have a reserve commitmentuntil age 47 (2010)