Chapter LXIII: Front Matter (63)

Hungary:
temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers

Iceland:
temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy
winters; damp, cool summers

India:
varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north

Indian Ocean:
northeast monsoon (December to April), southwest
monsoon (June to October); tropical cyclones occur during May/June
and October/November in the northern Indian Ocean and
January/February in the southern Indian Ocean

Indonesia:
tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

Iran:
mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast

Iraq:
mostly desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless
summers; northern mountainous regions along Iranian and Turkish
borders experience cold winters with occasionally heavy snows that
melt in early spring, sometimes causing extensive flooding in
central and southern Iraq

Ireland:
temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current;
mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half
the time

Israel:
temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas

Italy:
predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in
south

Jamaica:
tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior

Jan Mayen:
arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog

Japan:
varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north

Jarvis Island:
tropical; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun

Jersey:
temperate; mild winters and cool summers

Johnston Atoll:
tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast
trade winds with little seasonal temperature variation

Jordan:
mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)

Juan de Nova Island:
tropical

Kazakhstan:
continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and
semiarid

Kenya:
varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior

Kingman Reef:
tropical, but moderated by prevailing winds

Kiribati:
tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds

Korea, North:
temperate with rainfall concentrated in summer

Korea, South:
temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter

Kuwait:
dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters

Kyrgyzstan:
dry continental to polar in high Tien Shan; subtropical
in southwest (Fergana Valley); temperate in northern foothill zone

Laos:
tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season
(December to April)

Latvia:
maritime; wet, moderate winters

Lebanon:
Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry
summers; Lebanon mountains experience heavy winter snows

Lesotho:
temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers

Liberia:
tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to
cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers

Libya:
Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior

Liechtenstein:
continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow
or rain; cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers

Lithuania:
transitional, between maritime and continental; wet,
moderate winters and summers

Luxembourg:
modified continental with mild winters, cool summers

Macau:
subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers

Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of:
warm, dry summers and
autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall

Madagascar:
tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south

Malawi:
sub-tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season
(May to November)

Malaysia:
tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and
northeast (October to February) monsoons

Maldives:
tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to
March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)

Mali:
subtropical to arid; hot and dry February to June; rainy,
humid, and mild June to November; cool and dry November to February

Malta:
Mediterranean with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers

Man, Isle of:
cool summers and mild winters; temperate; overcast
about one-third of the time

Marshall Islands:
wet season from May to November; hot and humid;
islands border typhoon belt

Martinique:
tropical; moderated by trade winds; rainy season (June
to October); vulnerable to devastating cyclones (hurricanes) every
eight years on average; average temperature 17.3 degrees C; humid

Mauritania:
desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty

Mauritius:
tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry
winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May)

Mayotte:
tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during
northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to
November)

Mexico:
varies from tropical to desert

Micronesia, Federated States of:
tropical; heavy year-round
rainfall, especially in the eastern islands; located on southern
edge of the typhoon belt with occasionally severe damage

Midway Islands:
subtropical, but moderated by prevailing easterly
winds

Moldova:
moderate winters, warm summers

Monaco:
Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers

Mongolia:
desert; continental (large daily and seasonal temperature
ranges)

Montserrat:
tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation

Morocco:
Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior

Mozambique:
tropical to subtropical

Namibia:
desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic

Nauru:
tropical; monsoonal; rainy season (November to February)

Navassa Island:
marine, tropical

Nepal:
varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to
subtropical summers and mild winters in south

Netherlands:
temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters

Netherlands Antilles:
tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds

New Caledonia:
tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot,
humid

New Zealand:
temperate with sharp regional contrasts

Nicaragua:
tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands

Niger:
desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south

Nigeria:
varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in
north

Niue:
tropical; modified by southeast trade winds

Norfolk Island:
subtropical, mild, little seasonal temperature
variation

Northern Mariana Islands:
tropical marine; moderated by northeast
trade winds, little seasonal temperature variation; dry season
December to June, rainy season July to October

Norway:
temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current;
colder interior with increased precipitation and colder summers
causing glaciers to grow; rainy year-round on west coast

Oman:
dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong
southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south

Pacific Ocean:
planetary air pressure systems and resultant wind
patterns exhibit remarkable uniformity in the south and east; trade
winds and westerly winds are well-developed patterns, modified by
seasonal fluctuations; tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south
of Mexico from June to October and affect Mexico and Central
America; continental influences cause climatic uniformity to be much
less pronounced in the eastern and western regions at the same
latitude in the North Pacific Ocean; the western Pacific is
monsoonal - a rainy season occurs during the summer months, when
moisture-laden winds blow from the ocean over the land, and a dry
season during the winter months, when dry winds blow from the Asian
landmass back to the ocean; tropical cyclones (typhoons) may strike
southeast and east Asia from May to December

Pakistan:
mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in
north

Palau:
wet season May to November; hot and humid

Palmyra Atoll:
equatorial, hot, and very rainy

Panama:
tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy
season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)

Papua New Guinea:
tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March),
southeast monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature
variation

Paracel Islands:
tropical

Paraguay:
subtropical to temperate; substantial rainfall in the
eastern portions, becoming semiarid in the far west

Peru:
varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate
to frigid in Andes

Philippines:
tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April);
southwest monsoon (May to October)

Pitcairn Islands:
tropical, hot, humid; modified by southeast trade
winds; rainy season (November to March)

Poland:
temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with
frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and
thundershowers

Portugal:
maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and
drier in south

Puerto Rico:
tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature
variation

Qatar:
desert; hot, dry; humid and sultry in summer

Reunion:
tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool
and dry from May to November, hot and rainy from November to April

Romania:
temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog;
sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms

Russia:
ranges from steppes in the south through humid continental
in much of European Russia; subarctic in Siberia to tundra climate
in the polar north; winters vary from cool along Black Sea coast to
frigid in Siberia; summers vary from warm in the steppes to cool
along Arctic coast

Rwanda:
temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to
January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible

Saint Helena:
Saint Helena - tropical; marine; mild, tempered by
trade winds; Tristan da Cunha - temperate; marine, mild, tempered by
trade winds (tends to be cooler than Saint Helena)

Saint Kitts and Nevis:
tropical tempered by constant sea breezes;
little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)

Saint Lucia:
tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry
season from January to April, rainy season from May to August

Saint Pierre and Miquelon:
cold and wet, with much mist and fog;
spring and autumn are windy

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:
tropical; little seasonal
temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)

Samoa:
tropical; rainy season (October to March), dry season (May to
October)

San Marino:
Mediterranean; mild to cool winters; warm, sunny summers

Sao Tome and Principe:
tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season
(October to May)

Saudi Arabia:
harsh, dry desert with great extremes of temperature

Senegal:
tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has
strong southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by
hot, dry, harmattan wind

Seychelles:
tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast
monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest
monsoon (March to May)

Sierra Leone:
tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to
December); winter dry season (December to April)

Singapore:
tropical; hot, humid, rainy; two distinct monsoon seasons
- Northeastern monsoon from December to March and Southwestern
monsoon from June to September; inter-monsoon - frequent afternoon
and early evening thunderstorms

Slovakia:
temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters

Slovenia:
Mediterranean climate on the coast, continental climate
with mild to hot summers and cold winters in the plateaus and
valleys to the east

Solomon Islands:
tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and
weather

Somalia:
principally desert; December to February - northeast
monsoon, moderate temperatures in north and very hot in south; May
to October - southwest monsoon, torrid in the north and hot in the
south, irregular rainfall, hot and humid periods (tangambili)
between monsoons

South Africa:
mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny
days, cool nights

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands:
variable, with mostly
westerly winds throughout the year interspersed with periods of
calm; nearly all precipitation falls as snow

Southern Ocean:
sea temperatures vary from about 10 degrees Celsius
to -2 degrees Celsius; cyclonic storms travel eastward around the
continent and frequently are intense because of the temperature
contrast between ice and open ocean; the ocean area from about
latitude 40 south to the Antarctic Circle has the strongest average
winds found anywhere on Earth; in winter the ocean freezes outward
to 65 degrees south latitude in the Pacific sector and 55 degrees
south latitude in the Atlantic sector, lowering surface temperatures
well below 0 degrees Celsius; at some coastal points intense
persistent drainage winds from the interior keep the shoreline
ice-free throughout the winter

Spain:
temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and
cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy
and cool along coast

Spratly Islands:
tropical

Sri Lanka:
tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March);
southwest monsoon (June to October)

Sudan:
tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season (April
to October)

Suriname:
tropical; moderated by trade winds

Svalbard:
arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current; cool
summers, cold winters; North Atlantic Current flows along west and
north coasts of Spitsbergen, keeping water open and navigable most
of the year

Swaziland:
varies from tropical to near temperate

Sweden:
temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool,
partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north

Switzerland:
temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy,
rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with
occasional showers

Syria:
mostly desert; hot, dry, sunny summers (June to August) and
mild, rainy winters (December to February) along coast; cold weather
with snow or sleet periodically hitting Damascus

Tajikistan:
midlatitude continental, hot summers, mild winters;
semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains

Tanzania:
varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands

Thailand:
tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May
to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March);
southern isthmus always hot and humid

Togo:
tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north

Tokelau:
tropical; moderated by trade winds (April to November)

Tonga:
tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to
May), cool season (May to December)

Trinidad and Tobago:
tropical; rainy season (June to December)

Tromelin Island:
tropical

Tunisia:
temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry
summers; desert in south

Turkey:
temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher
in interior

Turkmenistan:
subtropical desert

Turks and Caicos Islands:
tropical; marine; moderated by trade
winds; sunny and relatively dry

Tuvalu:
tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to
November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)

Uganda:
tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to
February, June to August); semiarid in northeast

Ukraine:
temperate continental; Mediterranean only on the southern
Crimean coast; precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest
in west and north, lesser in east and southeast; winters vary from
cool along the Black Sea to cold farther inland; summers are warm
across the greater part of the country, hot in the south

United Arab Emirates:
desert; cooler in eastern mountains

United Kingdom:
temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds
over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are
overcast

United States:
mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida,
arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the
Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low
winter temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in
January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes
of the Rocky Mountains

Uruguay:
warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown

Uzbekistan:
mostly midlatitude desert, long, hot summers, mild
winters; semiarid grassland in east

Vanuatu:
tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds

Venezuela:
tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

Vietnam:
tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy
season (mid-May to mid-September) and warm, dry season (mid-October
to mid-March)

Virgin Islands:
subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds,
relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation;
rainy season May to November

Wake Island:
tropical

Wallis and Futuna:
tropical; hot, rainy season (November to April);
cool, dry season (May to October); rains 2,500-3,000 mm per year
(80% humidity); average temperature 26.6 degrees C

West Bank:
temperate, temperature and precipitation vary with
altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters

Western Sahara:
hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air
currents produce fog and heavy dew

World:
two large areas of polar climates separated by two rather
narrow temperate zones from a wide equatorial band of tropical to
subtropical climates

Yemen:
mostly desert; hot and humid along west coast; temperate in
western mountains affected by seasonal monsoon; extraordinarily hot,
dry, harsh desert in east

Yugoslavia:
in the north, continental climate (cold winters and hot,
humid summers with well distributed rainfall); central portion,
continental and Mediterranean climate; to the south, Adriatic
climate along the coast, hot, dry summers and autumns and relatively
cold winters with heavy snowfall inland

Zambia:
tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to
April)

Zimbabwe:
tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to
March)

Taiwan:
tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon
(June to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year

======================================================================

@Coastline

Afghanistan:
0 km (landlocked)

Albania:
362 km

Algeria:
998 km

American Samoa:
116 km

Andorra:
0 km (landlocked)

Angola:
1,600 km

Anguilla:
61 km

Antarctica:
17,968 km

Antigua and Barbuda:
153 km

Arctic Ocean:
45,389 km

Argentina:
4,989 km

Armenia:
0 km (landlocked)

Aruba:
68.5 km

Ashmore and Cartier Islands:
74.1 km

Atlantic Ocean:
111,866 km

Australia:
25,760 km

Austria:
0 km (landlocked)

Azerbaijan:
0 km (landlocked); note - Azerbaijan borders the Caspian
Sea (800 km, est.)

Bahamas, The:
3,542 km

Bahrain:
161 km

Baker Island:
4.8 km

Bangladesh:
580 km

Barbados:
97 km

Bassas da India:
35.2 km

Belarus:
0 km (landlocked)

Belgium:
66 km

Belize:
386 km

Benin:
121 km

Bermuda:
103 km

Bhutan:
0 km (landlocked)

Bolivia:
0 km (landlocked)

Bosnia and Herzegovina:
20 km

Botswana:
0 km (landlocked)

Bouvet Island:
29.6 km

Brazil:
7,491 km

British Indian Ocean Territory:
698 km

British Virgin Islands:
80 km

Brunei:
161 km

Bulgaria:
354 km

Burkina Faso:
0 km (landlocked)

Burma:
1,930 km

Burundi:
0 km (landlocked)

Cambodia:
443 km

Cameroon:
402 km

Canada:
243,791 km

Cape Verde:
965 km

Cayman Islands:
160 km

Central African Republic:
0 km (landlocked)

Chad:
0 km (landlocked)

Chile:
6,435 km

China:
14,500 km

Christmas Island:
138.9 km

Clipperton Island:
11.1 km

Cocos (Keeling) Islands:
2.6 km

Colombia:
3,208 km (Caribbean Sea 1,760 km, North Pacific Ocean
1,448 km)

Comoros:
340 km

Congo, Democratic Republic of the:
37 km

Congo, Republic of the:
169 km

Cook Islands:
120 km

Coral Sea Islands:
3,095 km

Costa Rica:
1,290 km

Cote d'Ivoire:
515 km

Croatia:
5,835 km (mainland 1,777 km, islands 4,058 km)

Cuba:
3,735 km

Cyprus:
648 km

Czech Republic:
0 km (landlocked)

Denmark:
7,314 km

Djibouti:
314 km

Dominica:
148 km

Dominican Republic:
1,288 km

Ecuador:
2,237 km

Egypt:
2,450 km

El Salvador:
307 km

Equatorial Guinea:
296 km

Eritrea:
2,234 km total; mainland on Red Sea 1,151 km, islands in
Red Sea 1,083 km

Estonia:
3,794 km

Ethiopia:
0 km (landlocked)

Europa Island:
22.2 km

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas):
1,288 km

Faroe Islands:
1,117 km

Fiji:
1,129 km

Finland:
1,126 km (excludes islands and coastal indentations)

France:
3,427 km

French Guiana:
378 km

French Polynesia:
2,525 km

French Southern and Antarctic Lands:
1,232 km

Gabon:
885 km

Gambia, The:
80 km

Gaza Strip:
40 km

Georgia:
310 km

Germany:
2,389 km

Ghana:
539 km

Gibraltar:
12 km

Glorioso Islands:
35.2 km

Greece:
13,676 km

Greenland:
44,087 km

Grenada:
121 km

Guadeloupe:
306 km

Guam:
125.5 km

Guatemala:
400 km

Guernsey:
50 km

Guinea:
320 km

Guinea-Bissau:
350 km

Guyana:
459 km

Haiti:
1,771 km

Heard Island and McDonald Islands:
101.9 km

Holy See (Vatican City):
0 km (landlocked)

Honduras:
820 km

Hong Kong:
733 km

Howland Island:
6.4 km

Hungary:
0 km (landlocked)

Iceland:
4,988 km

India:
7,000 km

Indian Ocean:
66,526 km

Indonesia:
54,716 km

Iran:
2,440 km; note - Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km)

Iraq:
58 km

Ireland:
1,448 km

Israel:
273 km

Italy:
7,600 km

Jamaica:
1,022 km

Jan Mayen:
124.1 km

Japan:
29,751 km

Jarvis Island:
8 km

Jersey:
70 km

Johnston Atoll:
10 km

Jordan:
26 km

Juan de Nova Island:
24.1 km

Kazakhstan:
0 km (landlocked); note - Kazakhstan borders the Aral
Sea, now split into two bodies of water (1,070 km), and the Caspian
Sea (1,894 km)

Kenya:
536 km

Kingman Reef:
3 km

Kiribati:
1,143 km

Korea, North:
2,495 km

Korea, South:
2,413 km

Kuwait:
499 km

Kyrgyzstan:
0 km (landlocked)

Laos:
0 km (landlocked)

Latvia:
531 km

Lebanon:
225 km

Lesotho:
0 km (landlocked)

Liberia:
579 km

Libya:
1,770 km

Liechtenstein:
0 km (landlocked)

Lithuania:
99 km

Luxembourg:
0 km (landlocked)

Macau:
40 km

Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of:
0 km (landlocked)

Madagascar:
4,828 km

Malawi:
0 km (landlocked)

Malaysia:
4,675 km (Peninsular Malaysia 2,068 km, East Malaysia
2,607 km)

Maldives:
644 km

Mali:
0 km (landlocked)

Malta:
196.8 km (does not include 56.01 km for the island of Gozo)

Man, Isle of:
160 km

Marshall Islands:
370.4 km

Martinique:
350 km

Mauritania:
754 km

Mauritius:
177 km

Mayotte:
185.2 km

Mexico:
9,330 km

Micronesia, Federated States of:
6,112 km

Midway Islands:
15 km

Moldova:
0 km (landlocked)

Monaco:
4.1 km

Mongolia:
0 km (landlocked)

Montserrat:
40 km

Morocco:
1,835 km

Mozambique:
2,470 km

Namibia:
1,572 km

Nauru:
30 km

Navassa Island:
8 km

Nepal:
0 km (landlocked)

Netherlands:
451 km

Netherlands Antilles:
364 km

New Caledonia:
2,254 km

New Zealand:
15,134 km

Nicaragua:
910 km

Niger:
0 km (landlocked)

Nigeria:
853 km

Niue:
64 km

Norfolk Island:
32 km

Northern Mariana Islands:
1,482 km

Norway:
21,925 km (includes mainland 3,419 km, large islands 2,413
km, long fjords, numerous small islands, and minor indentations
16,093 km)

Oman:
2,092 km

Pacific Ocean:
135,663 km

Pakistan:
1,046 km

Palau:
1,519 km

Palmyra Atoll:
14.5 km

Panama:
2,490 km

Papua New Guinea:
5,152 km

Paracel Islands:
518 km

Paraguay:
0 km (landlocked)

Peru:
2,414 km

Philippines:
36,289 km

Pitcairn Islands:
51 km

Poland:
491 km

Portugal:
1,793 km

Puerto Rico:
501 km

Qatar:
563 km

Reunion:
207 km

Romania:
225 km

Russia:
37,653 km

Rwanda:
0 km (landlocked)

Saint Helena:
60 km

Saint Kitts and Nevis:
135 km

Saint Lucia:
158 km

Saint Pierre and Miquelon:
120 km

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:
84 km

Samoa:
403 km

San Marino:
0 km (landlocked)

Sao Tome and Principe:
209 km

Saudi Arabia:
2,640 km

Senegal:
531 km

Seychelles:
491 km

Sierra Leone:
402 km

Singapore:
193 km

Slovakia:
0 km (landlocked)

Slovenia:
46.6 km

Solomon Islands:
5,313 km

Somalia:
3,025 km

South Africa:
2,798 km

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands:
NA km

Southern Ocean:
17,968 km

Spain:
4,964 km

Spratly Islands:
926 km

Sri Lanka:
1,340 km

Sudan:
853 km

Suriname:
386 km

Svalbard:
3,587 km

Swaziland:
0 km (landlocked)

Sweden:
3,218 km

Switzerland:
0 km (landlocked)

Syria:
193 km

Tajikistan:
0 km (landlocked)

Tanzania:
1,424 km

Thailand:
3,219 km

Togo:
56 km

Tokelau:
101 km

Tonga:
419 km

Trinidad and Tobago:
362 km

Tromelin Island:
3.7 km

Tunisia:
1,148 km

Turkey:
7,200 km

Turkmenistan:
0 km; note - Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea
(1,768 km)

Turks and Caicos Islands:
389 km

Tuvalu:
24 km

Uganda:
0 km (landlocked)

Ukraine:
2,782 km

United Arab Emirates:
1,318 km

United Kingdom:
12,429 km

United States:
19,924 km

Uruguay:
660 km

Uzbekistan:
0 km; note - Uzbekistan includes the southern portion of
the Aral Sea with a 420 km shoreline

Vanuatu:
2,528 km

Venezuela:
2,800 km

Vietnam:
3,444 km (excludes islands)

Virgin Islands:
188 km

Wake Island:
19.3 km

Wallis and Futuna:
129 km

West Bank:
0 km (landlocked)

Western Sahara:
1,110 km

World:
356,000 km

Yemen:
1,906 km

Yugoslavia:
199 km

Zambia:
0 km (landlocked)

Zimbabwe:
0 km (landlocked)

Taiwan:
1,566.3 km

======================================================================

@Communications - note

Bouvet Island:
automatic meteorological station

Coral Sea Islands:
there are automatic weather stations on many of
the isles and reefs relaying data to the mainland

Europa Island:
1 meteorological station

Glorioso Islands:
1 meteorological station

Juan de Nova Island:
1 meteorological station

Saint Helena:
Gough Island has a meteorological station

Tromelin Island:
important meteorological station

======================================================================

@Constitution

Afghanistan:
none

Albania:
a new constitution was adopted by popular referendum on 28
November 1998; note - the opposition Democratic Party boycotted the
vote

Algeria:
19 November 1976, effective 22 November 1976; revised 3
November 1988, 23 February 1989, and 28 November 1996; note -
referendum approving the revisions of 28 November 1996 was signed
into law 7 December 1996

American Samoa:
ratified 1966, in effect 1967

Andorra:
Andorra's first written constitution was drafted in 1991;
approved by referendum 14 March 1993; came into force 4 May 1993

Angola:
11 November 1975; revised 7 January 1978, 11 August 1980, 6
March 1991, and 26 August 1992

Anguilla:
Anguilla Constitutional Order 1 April 1982; amended 1990

Antigua and Barbuda:
1 November 1981

Argentina:
1 May 1853; revised August 1994

Armenia:
adopted by nationwide referendum 5 July 1995

Aruba:
1 January 1986

Australia:
9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901

Austria:
1920; revised 1929 (reinstated 1 May 1945)

Azerbaijan:
adopted 12 November 1995

Bahamas, The:
10 July 1973

Bahrain:
adopted late December 2000 (new constitution calls for a
partially elected legislature, a constitutional monarchy, and an
independent judiciary)

Bangladesh:
4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972, suspended
following coup of 24 March 1982, restored 10 November 1986, amended
many times

Barbados:
30 November 1966

Belarus:
30 March 1994; revised by national referendum of 24
November 1996 giving the presidency greatly expanded powers and
became effective 27 November 1996

Belgium:
7 February 1831, last revised 14 July 1993; parliament
approved a constitutional package creating a federal state

Belize:
21 September 1981

Benin:
December 1990

Bermuda:
8 June 1968, amended 1989

Bhutan:
no written constitution or bill of rights; note - Bhutan
uses 1953 Royal decree for the Constitution of the National
Assembly; on 7 July 1998, a Royal edict was ratified giving the
National Assembly additional powers

Bolivia:
2 February 1967; revised in August 1994

Bosnia and Herzegovina:
the Dayton Agreement, signed 14 December
1995, included a new constitution now in force

Botswana:
March 1965, effective 30 September 1966

Brazil:
5 October 1988

British Virgin Islands:
1 June 1977

Brunei:
29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a State
of Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1
January 1984)

Bulgaria:
adopted 12 July 1991

Burkina Faso:
2 June 1991 approved by referendum; 11 June 1991
formally adopted

Burma:
3 January 1974 (suspended since 18 September 1988); national
convention started on 9 January 1993 to draft a new constitution;
progress has since been stalled

Burundi:
13 March 1992; provided for establishment of a plural
political system; supplanted on 6 June 1998 by a Transitional
Constitution which enlarged the National Assembly and created two
vice presidents

Cambodia:
promulgated 21 September 1993

Cameroon:
20 May 1972 approved by referendum; 2 June 1972 formally
adopted; revised January 1996

Canada:
17 April 1982 (Constitution Act); originally, the machinery
of the government was set up in the British North America Act of
1867; charter of rights and unwritten customs

Cape Verde:
new constitution came into force 25 September 1992;
underwent a major revision on 23 November 1995, substantially
increasing the powers of the president

Cayman Islands:
1959, revised 1972 and 1992

Central African Republic:
passed by referendum 29 December 1994;
adopted 7 January 1995

Chad:
passed by referendum 31 March 1995

Chile:
11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981, amended 30 July
1989, 1993, and 1997

China:
most recent promulgation 4 December 1982

Christmas Island:
Christmas Island Act of 1958

Cocos (Keeling) Islands:
Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955

Colombia:
5 July 1991

Comoros:
20 October 1996

Congo, Democratic Republic of the:
24 June 1967, amended August
1974, revised 15 February 1978, amended April 1990; transitional
constitution promulgated in April 1994; in November 1998, a draft
constitution was approved by former President Laurent KABILA but it
has not been ratified by a national referendum

Congo, Republic of the:
Draft constitution approved by transitional
parliament in September 2000

Cook Islands:
4 August 1965

Costa Rica:
7 November 1949

Cote d'Ivoire:
3 November 1960; has been amended numerous times,
last time 27 July 1998

Croatia:
adopted on 22 December 1990

Cuba:
24 February 1976, amended July 1992

Cyprus:
16 August 1960; negotiations to create the basis for a new
or revised constitution to govern the island and to better relations
between Greek and Turkish Cypriots have been held intermittently; in
1975 Turkish Cypriots created their own constitution and governing
bodies within the "Turkish Federated State of Cyprus," which was
renamed the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" in 1983; a new
constitution for the Turkish Cypriot area passed by referendum on 5
May 1985

Czech Republic:
ratified 16 December 1992; effective 1 January 1993

Denmark:
1849 was the original constitution; there was a major
overhaul 5 June 1953, allowing for a unicameral legislature and a
female chief of state

Djibouti:
multiparty constitution approved by referendum 4 September
1992

Dominica:
3 November 1978

Dominican Republic:
28 November 1966

Ecuador:
10 August 1998

Egypt:
11 September 1971

El Salvador:
23 December 1983

Equatorial Guinea:
approved by national referendum 17 November 1991;
amended January 1995

Eritrea:
the transitional constitution, decreed on 19 May 1993, was
replaced by a new constitution adopted on 23 May 1997, but not yet
implemented

Estonia:
adopted 28 June 1992

Ethiopia:
ratified December 1994; effective 22 August 1995

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas):
3 October 1985; amended 1997 and
1998

Faroe Islands:
5 June 1953 (Danish constitution)

Fiji:
10 October 1970 (suspended 1 October 1987); a new constitution
was proposed on 23 September 1988 and promulgated on 25 July 1990;
amended 25 July 1997 to allow nonethnic Fijians greater say in
government and to make multiparty government mandatory; entered into
force 28 July 1998; note - the May 1999 election was the first test
of the amended constitution and introduced open voting - not
racially prescribed - for the first time at the national level

Finland:
17 July 1919

France:
28 September 1958, amended concerning election of president
in 1962, amended to comply with provisions of EC Maastricht Treaty
in 1992; amended to tighten immigration laws 1993

French Guiana:
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

French Polynesia:
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Gabon:
adopted 14 March 1991

Gambia, The:
24 April 1970; suspended July 1994; rewritten and
approved by national referendum 8 August 1996; reestablished in
January 1997

Georgia:
adopted 17 October 1995

Germany:
23 May 1949, known as Basic Law; became constitution of the
united German people 3 October 1990

Ghana:
new constitution approved 28 April 1992

Gibraltar:
30 May 1969

Greece:
11 June 1975; amended March 1986

Greenland:
5 June 1953 (Danish constitution)

Grenada:
19 December 1973

Guadeloupe:
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Guam:
Organic Act of 1 August 1950

Guatemala:
31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986; note - suspended
25 May 1993 by former President SERRANO; reinstated 5 June 1993
following ouster of president; amended November 1993

Guernsey:
unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice

Guinea:
23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale)

Guinea-Bissau:
16 May 1984, amended 4 May 1991, 4 December 1991, 26
February 1993, 9 June 1993, and 1996

Guyana:
6 October 1980

Haiti:
approved March 1987; suspended June 1988, with most articles
reinstated March 1989; in October 1991, government claimed to be
observing the constitution; return to constitutional rule, October
1994

Holy See (Vatican City):
Apostolic Constitution of 1967 (effective 1
March 1968)

Honduras:
11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982; amended 1995

Hong Kong:
Basic Law approved in March 1990 by China's National
People's Congress is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"

Hungary:
18 August 1949, effective 20 August 1949, revised 19 April
1972; 18 October 1989 revision ensured legal rights for individuals
and constitutional checks on the authority of the prime minister and
also established the principle of parliamentary oversight; 1997
amendment streamlined the judicial system

Iceland:
16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944

India:
26 January 1950

Indonesia:
August 1945, abrogated by Federal Constitution of 1949
and Provisional Constitution of 1950, restored 5 July 1959

Iran:
2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the
presidency and eliminate the prime ministership

Iraq:
22 September 1968, effective 16 July 1970 (provisional
constitution); new constitution drafted in 1990 but not adopted

Ireland:
29 December 1937; adopted 1 July 1937 by plebiscite

Israel:
no formal constitution; some of the functions of a
constitution are filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948),
the Basic Laws of the parliament (Knesset), and the Israeli
citizenship law

Italy:
1 January 1948

Jamaica:
6 August 1962

Japan:
3 May 1947

Jersey:
unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice

Jordan:
8 January 1952

Kazakhstan:
adopted by national referendum 30 August 1995; first
post-independence constitution was adopted 28 January 1993

Kenya:
12 December 1963, amended as a republic 1964; reissued with
amendments 1979, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, and 1997

Kiribati:
12 July 1979

Korea, North:
adopted 1948, completely revised 27 December 1972,
revised again in April 1992 and September 1998

Korea, South:
25 February 1988

Kuwait:
approved and promulgated 11 November 1962

Kyrgyzstan:
adopted 5 May 1993; note - amendment proposed by
President AKAYEV and passed in a national referendum on 10 February
1996 significantly expands the powers of the president at the
expense of the legislature

Laos:
promulgated 14 August 1991

Latvia:
the 1991 Constitutional Law which supplements the 1922
constitution, provides for basic rights and freedoms

Lebanon:
23 May 1926, amended a number of times, most recently
Charter of Lebanese National Reconciliation (Taif Accord) of October
1989

Lesotho:
2 April 1993

Liberia:
6 January 1986

Libya:
11 December 1969, amended 2 March 1977

Liechtenstein:
5 October 1921

Lithuania:
adopted 25 October 1992

Luxembourg:
17 October 1868, occasional revisions

Macau:
Basic Law, approved in March 1993 by China's National
People's Congress, is Macau's "mini-constitution"

Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of:
adopted 17 November
1991, effective 20 November 1991

note: Democratic Party for Albanians (DPA), which is now a member
party of the government, is calling for a rewrite of the
constitution to declare ethnic Albanians a constituent national
group and allow for greater regional autonomy

Madagascar:
19 August 1992 by national referendum

Malawi:
18 May 1994

Malaysia:
31 August 1957, amended 16 September 1963

Maldives:
adopted January 1998

Mali:
adopted 12 January 1992

Malta:
1964 constitution substantially amended on 13 December 1974

Man, Isle of:
unwritten; note - The Isle of Man Constitution Act,
1961, does not embody the Manx Constitution

Marshall Islands:
1 May 1979

Martinique:
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Mauritania:
12 July 1991

Mauritius:
12 March 1968; amended 12 March 1992

Mayotte:
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Mexico:
5 February 1917

Micronesia, Federated States of:
10 May 1979

Moldova:
new constitution adopted 28 July 1994; replaces old Soviet
constitution of 1979

Monaco:
17 December 1962

Mongolia:
12 February 1992

Montserrat:
present constitution came into force 19 December 1989

Morocco:
10 March 1972, revised 4 September 1992, amended (to create
bicameral legislature) September 1996

Mozambique:
30 November 1990

Namibia:
ratified 9 February 1990; effective 12 March 1990

Nauru:
29 January 1968

Nepal:
9 November 1990

Netherlands:
adopted 1814; amended many times, last time 17 February
1983

Netherlands Antilles:
29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the
Netherlands, as amended

New Caledonia:
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

New Zealand:
consists of a series of legal documents, including
certain acts of the UK and New Zealand Parliaments and The
Constitution Act 1986 which is the principal formal charter

Nicaragua:
9 January 1987, with reforms in 1995 and 2000

Niger:
the constitution of January 1993 was revised by national
referendum on 12 May 1996 and again by referendum on 18 July 1999

Nigeria:
NA 1999 new constitution adopted

Niue:
19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act)

Norfolk Island:
Norfolk Island Act of 1979

Northern Mariana Islands:
Covenant Agreement effective 4 November
1986 and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands effective 1 January 1978

Norway:
17 May 1814, modified in 1884

Oman:
none; note - on 6 November 1996, Sultan QABOOS issued a royal
decree promulgating a new basic law which, among other things,
clarifies the royal succession, provides for a prime minister, bars
ministers from holding interests in companies doing business with
the government, establishes a bicameral legislature, and guarantees
basic civil liberties for Omani citizens

Pakistan:
10 April 1973, suspended 5 July 1977, restored with
amendments 30 December 1985; suspended 15 October 1999

Palau:
1 January 1981

Panama:
11 October 1972; major reforms adopted 1978, 1983 and 1994

Papua New Guinea:
16 September 1975

Paraguay:
promulgated 20 June 1992

Peru:
31 December 1993

Philippines:
2 February 1987, effective 11 February 1987

Pitcairn Islands:
1838; reformed 1904 with additional reforms in
1940; further refined by the Local Government Ordinance of 1964

Poland:
16 October 1997; adopted by the National Assembly 2 April
1997; passed by national referendum 23 May 1997

Portugal:
25 April 1976, revised 30 October 1982, 1 June 1989, 5
November 1992, and 3 September 1997

Puerto Rico:
ratified 3 March 1952; approved by US Congress 3 July
1952; effective 25 July 1952

Qatar:
provisional constitution enacted 19 April 1972; in July 1999
Amir HAMAD issued a decree forming a committee to draft a permanent
constitution

Reunion:
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Romania:
8 December 1991

Russia:
adopted 12 December 1993

Rwanda:
on 5 May 1995, the Transitional National Assembly adopted as
Fundamental Law the constitution of 18 June 1991, provisions of the
1993 Arusha peace accord, the July 1994 Declaration by the Rwanda
Patriotic Front, and the November 1994 multiparty protocol of
understanding

Saint Helena:
1 January 1989

Saint Kitts and Nevis:
19 September 1983

Saint Lucia:
22 February 1979

Saint Pierre and Miquelon:
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:
27 October 1979

Samoa:
1 January 1962

San Marino:
8 October 1600; electoral law of 1926 serves some of the
functions of a constitution

Sao Tome and Principe:
approved March 1990; effective 10 September
1990

Saudi Arabia:
governed according to Shari'a (Islamic law); the Basic
Law that articulates the government's rights and responsibilities
was introduced in 1993

Senegal:
3 March 1963, revised 1991

Seychelles:
18 June 1993

Sierra Leone:
1 October 1991; subsequently amended several times

Singapore:
3 June 1959, amended 1965 (based on preindependence State
of Singapore Constitution)

Slovakia:
ratified 1 September 1992, fully effective 1 January 1993;
changed in September 1998 to allow direct election of the president;
amended February 2001 to allow Slovakia to apply for NATO and EU
membership

Slovenia:
adopted 23 December 1991, effective 23 December 1991

Solomon Islands:
7 July 1978

Somalia:
25 August 1979, presidential approval 23 September 1979

note: the Transitional National Government formed in October 2000
has a mandate to create a new constitution and hold elections within
three years

South Africa:
10 December 1996; this new constitution was certified
by the Constitutional Court on 4 December 1996, was signed by then
President MANDELA on 10 December 1996, and entered into effect on 3
February 1997; it is being implemented in phases

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands:
adopted 3 October 1985

Spain:
6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978

Sri Lanka:
adopted 16 August 1978

Sudan:
12 April 1973, suspended following coup of 6 April 1985;
interim constitution of 10 October 1985 suspended following coup of
30 June 1989; new constitution implemented on 30 June 1998 partially
suspended 12 December 1999 by President BASHIR

Suriname:
ratified 30 September 1987

Swaziland:
none; constitution of 6 September 1968 was suspended 12
April 1973; a new constitution was promulgated 13 October 1978, but
was not formally presented to the people; since then a few more
outlines for a constitution have been compiled under the
Constitutional Review Commission (CRC), but so far none have been
accepted

Sweden:
1 January 1975

Switzerland:
29 May 1874

Syria:
13 March 1973

Tajikistan:
6 November 1994

Tanzania:
25 April 1977; major revisions October 1984

Thailand:
new constitution signed by King PHUMIPHON on 11 October
1997

Togo:
multiparty draft constitution approved by High Council of the
Republic 1 July 1992; adopted by public referendum 27 September 1992

Tokelau:
administered under the Tokelau Islands Act of 1948, as
amended in 1970

Tonga:
4 November 1875, revised 1 January 1967

Trinidad and Tobago:
1 August 1976

Tunisia:
1 June 1959; amended 12 July 1988

Turkey:
7 November 1982

Turkmenistan:
adopted 18 May 1992

Turks and Caicos Islands:
introduced 30 August 1976; suspended in
1986; restored and revised 5 March 1988

Tuvalu:
1 October 1978

Uganda:
8 October 1995; adopted by the interim, 284-member
Constituent Assembly, charged with debating the draft constitution
that had been proposed in May 1993; the Constituent Assembly was
dissolved upon the promulgation of the constitution in October 1995

Ukraine:
adopted 28 June 1996

United Arab Emirates:
2 December 1971 (made permanent in 1996)

United Kingdom:
unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and
practice

United States:
17 September 1787, effective 4 March 1789

Uruguay:
27 November 1966, effective February 1967, suspended 27
June 1973, new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980;
two constitutional reforms approved by plebiscite 26 November 1989
and 7 January 1997

Uzbekistan:
new constitution adopted 8 December 1992

Vanuatu:
30 July 1980

Venezuela:
30 December 1999

Vietnam:
15 April 1992

Virgin Islands:
Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954

Wallis and Futuna:
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Yemen:
16 May 1991; amended 29 September 1994 and February 2001

Yugoslavia:
27 April 1992

Zambia:
2 August 1991

Zimbabwe:
21 December 1979

Taiwan:
1 January 1947, amended in 1992, 1994, 1997, and 1999

======================================================================

@Country name

Afghanistan:
conventional long form: Islamic State of Afghanistan;
note - the self-proclaimed Taliban government refers to the country
as Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

conventional short form: Afghanistan

local long form: Dowlat-e Eslami-ye Afghanestan

local short form: Afghanestan

former: Republic of Afghanistan

Albania:
conventional long form: Republic of Albania

conventional short form: Albania

local long form: Republika e Shqiperise

local short form: Shqiperia

former: People's Socialist Republic of Albania

Algeria:
conventional long form: People's Democratic Republic of
Algeria

conventional short form: Algeria

local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Jaza'iriyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash
Sha'biyah

local short form: Al Jaza'ir

American Samoa:
conventional long form: Territory of American Samoa

conventional short form: American Samoa

abbreviation: AS

Andorra:
conventional long form: Principality of Andorra

conventional short form: Andorra

local long form: Principat d'Andorra

local short form: Andorra

Angola:
conventional long form: Republic of Angola

conventional short form: Angola

local long form: Republica de Angola

local short form: Angola

former: People's Republic of Angola

Anguilla:
conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Anguilla

Antarctica:
conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Antarctica

Antigua and Barbuda:
conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda

Argentina:
conventional long form: Argentine Republic

conventional short form: Argentina

local long form: Republica Argentina

local short form: Argentina

Armenia:
conventional long form: Republic of Armenia

conventional short form: Armenia

local long form: Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun

local short form: Hayastan

former: Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic; Armenian Republic

Aruba:
conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Aruba

Ashmore and Cartier Islands:
conventional long form: Territory of
Ashmore and Cartier Islands

conventional short form: Ashmore and Cartier Islands

Australia:
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Australia

conventional short form: Australia

Austria:
conventional long form: Republic of Austria

conventional short form: Austria

local long form: Republik Oesterreich

local short form: Oesterreich

Azerbaijan:
conventional long form: Republic of Azerbaijan

conventional short form: Azerbaijan

local long form: Azarbaycan Respublikasi

local short form: none

former: Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic

Bahamas, The:
conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas

conventional short form: The Bahamas

Bahrain:
conventional long form: State of Bahrain

conventional short form: Bahrain

local long form: Dawlat al Bahrayn

local short form: Al Bahrayn

former: Dilmun

Baker Island:
conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Baker Island

Bangladesh:
conventional long form: People's Republic of Bangladesh

conventional short form: Bangladesh

former: East Pakistan

Barbados:
conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Barbados

Bassas da India:
conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Bassas da India

Belarus:
conventional long form: Republic of Belarus

conventional short form: Belarus

local long form: Respublika Byelarus'

local short form: none

former: Belorussian (Byelorussian) Soviet Socialist Republic

Belgium:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Belgium

conventional short form: Belgium

local long form: Royaume de Belgique/Koninkrijk Belgie

local short form: Belgique/Belgie

Belize:
conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Belize

former: British Honduras

Benin:
conventional long form: Republic of Benin

conventional short form: Benin

local long form: Republique du Benin

local short form: Benin

former: Dahomey

Bermuda:
conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Bermuda

former: Somers Islands

Bhutan:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Bhutan

conventional short form: Bhutan

Bolivia:
conventional long form: Republic of Bolivia

conventional short form: Bolivia

local long form: Republica de Bolivia

local short form: Bolivia

Bosnia and Herzegovina:
conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Bosnia and Herzegovina

local long form: none

local short form: Bosna i Hercegovina

Botswana:
conventional long form: Republic of Botswana

conventional short form: Botswana

former: Bechuanaland

Bouvet Island:
conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Bouvet Island

Brazil:
conventional long form: Federative Republic of Brazil

conventional short form: Brazil

local long form: Republica Federativa do Brasil

local short form: Brasil

British Indian Ocean Territory:
conventional long form: British
Indian Ocean Territory

conventional short form: none

abbreviation: BIOT

British Virgin Islands:
conventional long form: none

conventional short form: British Virgin Islands

abbreviation: BVI

Brunei:
conventional long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam

conventional short form: Brunei

Bulgaria:
conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria

conventional short form: Bulgaria

Burkina Faso:
conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Burkina Faso

former: Upper Volta, Republic of Upper Volta

Burma:
conventional long form: Union of Burma

conventional short form: Burma

local long form: Pyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw (translated by the
US Government as Union of Myanma and by the Burmese as Union of
Myanmar)

local short form: Myanma Naingngandaw

former: Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma

Burundi:
conventional long form: Republic of Burundi

conventional short form: Burundi

local long form: Republika y'u Burundi

local short form: Burundi

former: Urundi

Cambodia:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Cambodia

conventional short form: Cambodia

local long form: Preahreacheanachakr Kampuchea

local short form: Kampuchea

former: Khmer Republic, Kampuchea Republic

Cameroon:
conventional long form: Republic of Cameroon

conventional short form: Cameroon

former: French Cameroon

Canada:
conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Canada

Cape Verde:
conventional long form: Republic of Cape Verde

conventional short form: Cape Verde

local long form: Republica de Cabo Verde

local short form: Cabo Verde

Cayman Islands:
conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Cayman Islands

Central African Republic:
conventional long form: Central African
Republic

conventional short form: none

local long form: Republique Centrafricaine

local short form: none

former: Ubangi-Shari, Central African Empire

abbreviation: CAR

Chad:
conventional long form: Republic of Chad

conventional short form: Chad

local long form: Republique du Tchad

local short form: Tchad

Chile:
conventional long form: Republic of Chile

conventional short form: Chile

local long form: Republica de Chile

local short form: Chile

China:
conventional long form: People's Republic of China

conventional short form: China

local long form: Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo

local short form: Zhong Guo

abbreviation: PRC

Christmas Island:
conventional long form: Territory of Christmas
Island

conventional short form: Christmas Island

Clipperton Island:
conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Clipperton Island

local long form: none

local short form: Ile Clipperton

former: sometimes called Ile de la Passion

Cocos (Keeling) Islands:
conventional long form: Territory of Cocos
(Keeling) Islands

conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Colombia:
conventional long form: Republic of Colombia

conventional short form: Colombia

local long form: Republica de Colombia

local short form: Colombia

Comoros:
conventional long form: Federal Islamic Republic of the
Comoros

conventional short form: Comoros

local long form: Republique Federale Islamique des Comores

local short form: Comores

Congo, Democratic Republic of the:
conventional long form:
Democratic Republic of the Congo

conventional short form: none

local long form: Republique Democratique du Congo

local short form: none

former: Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Congo/Leopoldville,
Congo/Kinshasa, Zaire

abbreviation: DROC

Congo, Republic of the:
conventional long form: Republic of the
Congo

conventional short form: none

local long form: Republique du Congo

local short form: none

former: Middle Congo, Congo/Brazzaville, Congo

Cook Islands:
conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Cook Islands

former: Harvey Islands

Coral Sea Islands:
conventional long form: Coral Sea Islands
Territory

conventional short form: Coral Sea Islands

Costa Rica:
conventional long form: Republic of Costa Rica

conventional short form: Costa Rica

local long form: Republica de Costa Rica

local short form: Costa Rica

Cote d'Ivoire:
conventional long form: Republic of Cote d'Ivoire

conventional short form: Cote d'Ivoire

local long form: Republique de Cote d'Ivoire

local short form: Cote d'Ivoire

former: Ivory Coast

Croatia:
conventional long form: Republic of Croatia

conventional short form: Croatia

local long form: Republika Hrvatska

local short form: Hrvatska

Cuba:
conventional long form: Republic of Cuba

conventional short form: Cuba

local long form: Republica de Cuba

local short form: Cuba

Cyprus:
conventional long form: Republic of Cyprus

conventional short form: Cyprus

note: the Turkish Cypriot area refers to itself as the "Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus" (TRNC)

Czech Republic:
conventional long form: Czech Republic

conventional short form: Czech Republic

local long form: Ceska Republika

local short form: Ceska Republika

Denmark:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Denmark

conventional short form: Denmark

local long form: Kongeriget Danmark

local short form: Danmark

Djibouti:
conventional long form: Republic of Djibouti

conventional short form: Djibouti

former: French Territory of the Afars and Issas, French Somaliland

Dominica:
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica

conventional short form: Dominica

Dominican Republic:
conventional long form: Dominican Republic

conventional short form: none

local long form: Republica Dominicana

local short form: none

Ecuador:
conventional long form: Republic of Ecuador

conventional short form: Ecuador

local long form: Republica del Ecuador

local short form: Ecuador

Egypt:
conventional long form: Arab Republic of Egypt

conventional short form: Egypt

local long form: Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah

local short form: Misr

former: United Arab Republic (with Syria)

El Salvador:
conventional long form: Republic of El Salvador

conventional short form: El Salvador

local long form: Republica de El Salvador

local short form: El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea:
conventional long form: Republic of Equatorial
Guinea

conventional short form: Equatorial Guinea

local long form: Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial

local short form: Guinea Ecuatorial

former: Spanish Guinea

Eritrea:
conventional long form: State of Eritrea

conventional short form: Eritrea

local long form: Hagere Ertra

local short form: Ertra

former: Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia

Estonia:
conventional long form: Republic of Estonia

conventional short form: Estonia

local long form: Eesti Vabariik

local short form: Eesti

former: Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic

Ethiopia:
conventional long form: Federal Democratic Republic of
Ethiopia

conventional short form: Ethiopia

local long form: Ityop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik

local short form: Ityop'iya

former: Abyssinia, Italian East Africa

abbreviation: FDRE

Europa Island:
conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Europa Island

local long form: none

local short form: Ile Europa

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas):
conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Faroe Islands:
conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Faroe Islands

local long form: none

local short form: Foroyar

Fiji:
conventional long form: Republic of the Fiji Islands

conventional short form: Fiji

Finland:
conventional long form: Republic of Finland

conventional short form: Finland

local long form: Suomen Tasavalta

local short form: Suomi

France:
conventional long form: French Republic

conventional short form: France

local long form: Republique Francaise

local short form: France

French Guiana:
conventional long form: Department of Guiana

conventional short form: French Guiana

local long form: none

local short form: Guyane

French Polynesia:
conventional long form: Territory of French
Polynesia

conventional short form: French Polynesia

local long form: Territoire de la Polynesie Francaise

local short form: Polynesie Francaise

former: French Colony of Oceania

French Southern and Antarctic Lands:
conventional long form:
Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands

conventional short form: French Southern and Antarctic Lands

local long form: Territoire des Terres Australes et Antarctiques
Francaises

local short form: Terres Australes et Antarctiques Francaises

Gabon:
conventional long form: Gabonese Republic

conventional short form: Gabon

local long form: Republique Gabonaise

local short form: Gabon

Gambia, The:
conventional long form: Republic of The Gambia

conventional short form: The Gambia

Gaza Strip:
conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Gaza Strip

local long form: none

local short form: Qita Ghazzah

Georgia:
conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Georgia

local long form: none

local short form: Sak'art'velo

former: Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic

Germany:
conventional long form: Federal Republic of Germany

conventional short form: Germany

local long form: Bundesrepublik Deutschland

local short form: Deutschland

former: German Empire, German Republic, German Reich

Ghana:
conventional long form: Republic of Ghana

conventional short form: Ghana

former: Gold Coast

Gibraltar:
conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Gibraltar

Glorioso Islands:
conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Glorioso Islands

local long form: none

local short form: Iles Glorieuses

Greece:
conventional long form: Hellenic Republic

conventional short form: Greece

local long form: Elliniki Dhimokratia

local short form: Ellas or Ellada

former: Kingdom of Greece

Greenland:
conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Greenland

local long form: none

local short form: Kalaallit Nunaat

Grenada:
conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Grenada

Guadeloupe:
conventional long form: Department of Guadeloupe

conventional short form: Guadeloupe

local long form: Departement de la Guadeloupe

local short form: Guadeloupe

Guam:
conventional long form: Territory of Guam

conventional short form: Guam

Guatemala:
conventional long form: Republic of Guatemala

conventional short form: Guatemala

local long form: Republica de Guatemala

local short form: Guatemala

Guernsey:
conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey

conventional short form: Guernsey

Guinea:
conventional long form: Republic of Guinea

conventional short form: Guinea

local long form: Republique de Guinee

local short form: Guinee

former: French Guinea

Guinea-Bissau:
conventional long form: Republic of Guinea-Bissau

conventional short form: Guinea-Bissau

local long form: Republica da Guine-Bissau

local short form: Guine-Bissau

former: Portuguese Guinea

Guyana:
conventional long form: Co-operative Republic of Guyana

conventional short form: Guyana

former: British Guiana

Haiti:
conventional long form: Republic of Haiti

conventional short form: Haiti

local long form: Republique d'Haiti

local short form: Haiti

Heard Island and McDonald Islands:
conventional long form:
Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands

conventional short form: Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Holy See (Vatican City):
conventional long form: The Holy See
(State of the Vatican City)

conventional short form: Holy See (Vatican City)

local long form: Santa Sede (Stato della Citta del Vaticano)

local short form: Santa Sede (Citta del Vaticano)

Honduras:
conventional long form: Republic of Honduras

conventional short form: Honduras

local long form: Republica de Honduras

local short form: Honduras

Hong Kong:
conventional long form: Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region

conventional short form: Hong Kong

local long form: Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu

local short form: Xianggang

abbreviation: HK

Howland Island:
conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Howland Island

Hungary:
conventional long form: Republic of Hungary

conventional short form: Hungary

local long form: Magyar Koztarsasag

local short form: Magyarorszag

Iceland:
conventional long form: Republic of Iceland

conventional short form: Iceland

local long form: Lyoveldio Island

local short form: Island

India:
conventional long form: Republic of India

conventional short form: India

Indonesia:
conventional long form: Republic of Indonesia

conventional short form: Indonesia

local long form: Republik Indonesia

local short form: Indonesia

former: Netherlands East Indies; Dutch East Indies

Iran:
conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Iran

conventional short form: Iran

local long form: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran

local short form: Iran

former: Persia

Iraq:
conventional long form: Republic of Iraq

conventional short form: Iraq

local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah

local short form: Al Iraq

Ireland:
conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Ireland

Israel:
conventional long form: State of Israel

conventional short form: Israel

local long form: Medinat Yisra'el

local short form: Yisra'el

Italy:
conventional long form: Italian Republic

conventional short form: Italy

local long form: Repubblica Italiana

local short form: Italia

former: Kingdom of Italy