Chapter C: Section 3: , Taipei, Taiwan, telephone: 886 (2) 2162-2000, FAX (36)

Turks and Caicos Islands
noun: none
adjective: none

Tuvalu
noun: Tuvaluan(s)
adjective: Tuvaluan

Uganda
noun: Ugandan(s)
adjective: Ugandan

Ukraine
noun: Ukrainian(s)
adjective: Ukrainian

United Arab Emirates
noun: Emirati(s)
adjective: Emirati

United Kingdom
noun: Briton(s), British (collective plural)
adjective: British

United States
noun: American(s)
adjective: American

Uruguay
noun: Uruguayan(s)
adjective: Uruguayan

Uzbekistan
noun: Uzbekistani
adjective: Uzbekistani

Vanuatu
noun: Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural)
adjective: Ni-Vanuatu

Venezuela
noun: Venezuelan(s)
adjective: Venezuelan

Vietnam
noun: Vietnamese (singular and plural)
adjective: Vietnamese

Virgin Islands
noun: Virgin Islander(s)
adjective: Virgin Islander

Wallis and Futuna
noun: Wallisian(s), Futunan(s), or Wallis and
Futuna Islanders
adjective: Wallisian, Futunan, or Wallis and Futuna Islander

West Bank
noun: NA
adjective: NA

Western Sahara
noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)
adjective: Sahrawi,Sahrawian, Sahraouian

Yemen
noun: Yemeni(s)
adjective: Yemeni

Zambia
noun: Zambian(s)
adjective: Zambian

Zimbabwe
noun: Zimbabwean(s)
adjective: Zimbabwean

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@2111 Natural resources

Afghanistan
natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc,
barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and
semiprecious stones

Albania
petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper,
iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower

Algeria
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead,
zinc

American Samoa
pumice, pumicite

Andorra
hydropower, mineral water, timber, iron ore, lead

Angola
petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar,
gold, bauxite, uranium

Anguilla
salt, fish, lobster

Antarctica
iron ore, chromium, copper, gold, nickel, platinum and
other minerals, and coal and hydrocarbons have been found in small
uncommercial quantities; none presently exploited; krill, finfish,
and crab have been taken by commercial fisheries

Antigua and Barbuda
NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism

Arctic Ocean
sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits,
polymetallic nodules, oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals
(seals and whales)

Argentina
fertile plains of the pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper,
iron ore, manganese, petroleum, uranium

Armenia
small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, alumina

Aruba
NEGL; white sandy beaches

Ashmore and Cartier Islands
fish

Atlantic Ocean
oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and
whales), sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic
nodules, precious stones

Australia
bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver,
uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds,
natural gas, petroleum

Austria
oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc,
antimony, magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower

Azerbaijan
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals,
alumina

Bahamas, The
salt, aragonite, timber, arable land

Bahrain
oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls

Baker Island
guano (deposits worked until 1891), terrestrial and
aquatic wildlife

Bangladesh
natural gas, arable land, timber, coal

Barbados
petroleum, fish, natural gas

Bassas da India
none

Belarus
forests, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural
gas, granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay

Belgium
coal, natural gas, construction materials, silica sand,
carbonates

Belize
arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower

Benin
small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber

Bermuda
limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism

Bhutan
timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbide

Bolivia
tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony,
silver, iron, lead, gold, timber, hydropower

Bosnia and Herzegovina
coal, iron ore, bauxite, copper, lead, zinc,
chromite, cobalt, manganese, nickel, clay, gypsum, salt, sand,
forests, hydropower

Botswana
diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal,
iron ore, silver

Bouvet Island
none

Brazil
bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates,
platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber

British Indian Ocean Territory
coconuts, fish, sugarcane

British Virgin Islands
NEGL

Brunei
petroleum, natural gas, timber

Bulgaria
bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land

Burkina Faso
manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold,
antimony, copper, nickel, bauxite, lead, phosphates, zinc, silver

Burma
petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten,
lead, coal, some marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas,
hydropower

Burundi
nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper,
platinum (not yet exploited), vanadium, arable land, hydropower

Cambodia
oil and gas, timber, gemstones, some iron ore, manganese,
phosphates, hydropower potential

Cameroon
petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower

Canada
iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum,
potash, diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum,
natural gas, hydropower

Cape Verde
salt, basalt rock, limestone, kaolin, fish

Cayman Islands
fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism

Central African Republic
diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil,
hydropower

Chad
petroleum, uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad)

Chile
copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals,
molybdenum, hydropower

China
coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, mercury, tin,
tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite,
aluminum, lead, zinc, uranium, hydropower potential (world's largest)

Christmas Island
phosphate, beaches

Clipperton Island
fish

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
fish

Colombia
petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold,
copper, emeralds, hydropower

Comoros
NEGL

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
cobalt, copper, cadmium,
petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc,
manganese, tin, germanium, uranium, radium, bauxite, iron ore, coal,
hydropower, timber

Congo, Republic of the
petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc,
uranium, copper, phosphates, natural gas, hydropower

Cook Islands
NEGL

Coral Sea Islands
NEGL

Costa Rica
hydropower

Cote d'Ivoire
petroleum, natural gas, diamonds, manganese, iron ore,
cobalt, bauxite, copper, hydropower

Croatia
oil, some coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium,
gypsum, natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, hydropower

Cuba
cobalt, nickel, iron ore, chromium, copper, salt, timber,
silica, petroleum, arable land

Cyprus
copper, pyrites, asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble, clay
earth pigment

Czech Republic
hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite, timber

Denmark
petroleum, natural gas, fish, salt, limestone, chalk, stone,
gravel and sand

Djibouti
geothermal areas

Dominica
timber, hydropower, arable land

Dominican Republic
nickel, bauxite, gold, silver

East Timor
gold, petroleum, natural gas, manganese, marble

Ecuador
petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower

Egypt
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese,
limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, zinc

El Salvador
hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land

Equatorial Guinea
oil, petroleum, timber, small unexploited deposits
of gold, manganese, uranium, titanium, iron ore

Eritrea
gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, possibly oil and natural
gas, fish

Estonia
oil shale, peat, phosphorite, clay, limestone, sand,
dolomite, arable land, sea mud

Ethiopia
small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural
gas, hydropower

Europa Island
NEGL

European Union
iron ore, arable land, natural gas, petroleum, coal,
copper, lead, zinc, hydropower, uranium, potash, fish

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
fish, squid, wildlife, calcified
seaweed, sphagnum moss

Faroe Islands
fish, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas

Fiji
timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential, hydropower

Finland
timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel,
gold, silver, limestone

France
coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic,
potash, feldspar, fluorospar, gypsum, timber, fish

French Guiana
bauxite, timber, gold (widely scattered), petroleum,
kaolin, fish, niobium, tantalum, clay

French Polynesia
timber, fish, cobalt, hydropower

French Southern and Antarctic Lands
fish, crayfish

Gabon
petroleum, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore,
hydropower

Gambia, The
fish

Gaza Strip
arable land, natural gas

Georgia
forests, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ore, copper,
minor coal and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow for
important tea and citrus growth

Germany
coal, lignite, natural gas, iron ore, copper, nickel,
uranium, potash, salt, construction materials, timber, arable land

Ghana
gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish,
rubber, hydropower

Gibraltar
none

Glorioso Islands
guano, coconuts

Greece
lignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel,
magnesite, marble, salt, hydropower potential

Greenland
coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, molybdenum, gold, platinum,
uranium, fish, seals, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas

Grenada
timber, tropical fruit, deepwater harbors

Guadeloupe
cultivable land, beaches and climate that foster tourism

Guam
fishing (largely undeveloped), tourism (especially from Japan)

Guatemala
petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower

Guernsey
cropland

Guinea
bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish

Guinea-Bissau
fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, unexploited
deposits of petroleum

Guyana
bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish

Haiti
bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower

Heard Island and McDonald Islands
fish

Holy See (Vatican City)
none

Honduras
timber, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore,
antimony, coal, fish, hydropower

Hong Kong
outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar

Howland Island
guano (deposits worked until late 1800s), terrestrial
and aquatic wildlife

Hungary
bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils, arable land

Iceland
fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite

India
coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore,
manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas,
diamonds, petroleum, limestone, arable land

Indian Ocean
oil and gas fields, fish, shrimp, sand and gravel
aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules

Indonesia
petroleum, tin, natural gas, nickel, timber, bauxite,
copper, fertile soils, coal, gold, silver

Iran
petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead,
manganese, zinc, sulfur

Iraq
petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur

Ireland
natural gas, peat, copper, lead, zinc, silver, barite,
gypsum, limestone, dolomite

Israel
timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock,
magnesium bromide, clays, sand

Italy
coal, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice,
fluorospar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil
reserves, fish, arable land

Jamaica
bauxite, gypsum, limestone

Jan Mayen
none

Japan
negligible mineral resources, fish

Jarvis Island
guano (deposits worked until late 1800s), terrestrial
and aquatic wildlife

Jersey
arable land

Johnston Atoll
guano deposits worked until depletion about 1890,
terrestrial and aquatic wildlife

Jordan
phosphates, potash, shale oil

Juan de Nova Island
guano deposits and other fertilizers

Kazakhstan
major deposits of petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore,
manganese, chrome ore, nickel, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, lead,
zinc, bauxite, gold, uranium

Kenya
gold, limestone, soda ash, salt, rubies, fluorspar, garnets,
wildlife, hydropower

Kingman Reef
terrestrial and aquatic wildlife

Kiribati
phosphate (production discontinued in 1979)

Korea, North
coal, lead, tungsten, zinc, graphite, magnesite, iron
ore, copper, gold, pyrites, salt, fluorspar, hydropower

Korea, South
coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower
potential

Kuwait
petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas

Kyrgyzstan
abundant hydropower; significant deposits of gold and
rare earth metals; locally exploitable coal, oil, and natural gas;
other deposits of nepheline, mercury, bismuth, lead, and zinc

Laos
timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones

Latvia
peat, limestone, dolomite, amber, hydropower, wood, arable
land

Lebanon
limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a
water-deficit region, arable land

Lesotho
water, agricultural and grazing land, some diamonds and
other minerals

Liberia
iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower

Libya
petroleum, natural gas, gypsum

Liechtenstein
hydroelectric potential, arable land

Lithuania
peat, arable land

Luxembourg
iron ore (no longer exploited), arable land

Macau
NEGL

Macedonia
low-grade iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite,
manganese, nickel, tungsten, gold, silver, asbestos, gypsum, timber,
arable land

Madagascar
graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar
sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower

Malawi
limestone, arable land, hydropower, unexploited deposits of
uranium, coal, and bauxite

Malaysia
tin, petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas,
bauxite

Maldives
fish

Mali
gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium, hydropower
note: bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper deposits are
known but not exploited

Malta
limestone, salt, arable land

Man, Isle of
none

Marshall Islands
coconut products, marine products, deep seabed
minerals

Martinique
coastal scenery and beaches, cultivable land

Mauritania
iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil,
fish

Mauritius
arable land, fish

Mayotte
NEGL

Mexico
petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas,
timber

Micronesia, Federated States of
forests, marine products,
deep-seabed minerals

Midway Islands
wildlife, terrestrial and aquatic

Moldova
lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, arable land, limestone

Monaco
none

Mongolia
oil, coal, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, phosphates, tin,
nickel, zinc, fluorspar, gold, silver, iron

Montserrat
negligible

Morocco
phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt

Mozambique
coal, titanium, natural gas, hydropower, tantalum,
graphite

Namibia
diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, lithium,
cadmium, zinc, salt, vanadium, natural gas, hydropower, fish
note: suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore

Nauru
phosphates, fish

Navassa Island
guano

Nepal
quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small
deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore

Netherlands
natural gas, petroleum, peat, limestone, salt, sand and
gravel, arable land

Netherlands Antilles
phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)

New Caledonia
nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold,
lead, copper

New Zealand
natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower,
gold, limestone

Nicaragua
gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish

Niger
uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, gold, petroleum

Nigeria
natural gas, petroleum, tin, columbite, iron ore, coal,
limestone, lead, zinc, arable land

Niue
fish, arable land

Norfolk Island
fish

Northern Mariana Islands
arable land, fish

Norway
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc,
titanium, pyrites, nickel, fish, timber, hydropower

Oman
petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium,
gypsum, natural gas

Pacific Ocean
oil and gas fields, polymetallic nodules, sand and
gravel aggregates, placer deposits, fish

Pakistan
land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum,
poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone

Palau
forests, minerals (especially gold), marine products,
deep-seabed minerals

Palmyra Atoll
terrestrial and aquatic wildlife

Panama
copper, mahogany forests, shrimp, hydropower

Papua New Guinea
gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil,
fisheries

Paracel Islands
none

Paraguay
hydropower, timber, iron ore, manganese, limestone

Peru
copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal,
phosphate, potash, hydropower, natural gas

Philippines
timber, petroleum, nickel, cobalt, silver, gold, salt,
copper

Pitcairn Islands
miro trees (used for handicrafts), fish
note: manganese, iron, copper, gold, silver, and zinc have been
discovered offshore

Poland
coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, amber,
arable land

Portugal
fish, forests (cork), iron ore, copper, zinc, tin,
tungsten, silver, gold, uranium, marble, clay, gypsum, salt, arable
land, hydropower

Puerto Rico
some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and
offshore oil

Qatar
petroleum, natural gas, fish

Reunion
fish, arable land, hydropower

Romania
petroleum (reserves declining), timber, natural gas, coal,
iron ore, salt, arable land, hydropower

Russia
wide natural resource base including major deposits of oil,
natural gas, coal, and many strategic minerals, timber
note: formidable obstacles of climate, terrain, and distance hinder
exploitation of natural resources

Rwanda
gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore),
methane, hydropower, arable land

Saint Helena
fish

Saint Kitts and Nevis
arable land

Saint Lucia
forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral
springs, geothermal potential

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
fish, deepwater ports

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
hydropower, cropland

Samoa
hardwood forests, fish, hydropower

San Marino
building stone

Sao Tome and Principe
fish, hydropower

Saudi Arabia
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper

Senegal
fish, phosphates, iron ore

Serbia and Montenegro
oil, gas, coal, iron ore, bauxite, copper,
lead, zinc, antimony, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, magnesium,
pyrite, limestone, marble, salt, hydropower, arable land

Seychelles
fish, copra, cinnamon trees

Sierra Leone
diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold,
chromite

Singapore
fish, deepwater ports

Slovakia
brown coal and lignite; small amounts of iron ore, copper
and manganese ore; salt; arable land

Slovenia
lignite coal, lead, zinc, mercury, uranium, silver,
hydropower, forests

Solomon Islands
fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead,
zinc, nickel

Somalia
uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin,
gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves

South Africa
gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese,
nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper,
vanadium, salt, natural gas

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
fish

Southern Ocean
probable large and possible giant oil and gas fields
on the continental margin, manganese nodules, possible placer
deposits, sand and gravel, fresh water as icebergs; squid, whales,
and seals - none exploited; krill, fishes

Spain
coal, lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium,
tungsten, mercury, pyrites, magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, sepiolite,
kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land

Spratly Islands
fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas
potential

Sri Lanka
limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates,
clay, hydropower

Sudan
petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore,
zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold, hydropower

Suriname
timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold,
and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore

Svalbard
coal, iron ore, copper, zinc, phosphate, wildlife, fish

Swaziland
asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests,
small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc

Sweden
iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, tungsten,
uranium, arsenic, feldspar, timber, hydropower

Switzerland
hydropower potential, timber, salt

Syria
petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt,
iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower

Taiwan
small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and
asbestos

Tajikistan
hydropower, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal,
lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten, silver, gold

Tanzania
hydropower, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds,
gemstones, gold, natural gas, nickel

Thailand
tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead,
fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite, arable land

Togo
phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land

Tokelau
NEGL

Tonga
fish, fertile soil

Trinidad and Tobago
petroleum, natural gas, asphalt

Tromelin Island
fish

Tunisia
petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt

Turkey
coal, iron ore, copper, chromium, antimony, mercury, gold,
barite, borate, celestite (strontium), emery, feldspar, limestone,
magnesite, marble, perlite, pumice, pyrites (sulfur), clay, arable
land, hydropower

Turkmenistan
petroleum, natural gas, sulfur, salt

Turks and Caicos Islands
spiny lobster, conch

Tuvalu
fish

Uganda
copper, cobalt, hydropower, limestone, salt, arable land

Ukraine
iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur,
graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber,
arable land

United Arab Emirates
petroleum, natural gas

United Kingdom
coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc,
gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica
sand, slate, arable land

United States
coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium,
bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten,
zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber

Uruguay
arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fisheries

Uzbekistan
natural gas, petroleum, coal, gold, uranium, silver,
copper, lead and zinc, tungsten, molybdenum

Vanuatu
manganese, hardwood forests, fish

Venezuela
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other
minerals, hydropower, diamonds

Vietnam
phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil
and gas deposits, forests, hydropower

Virgin Islands
sun, sand, sea, surf

Wake Island
none

Wallis and Futuna
NEGL

West Bank
arable land

Western Sahara
phosphates, iron ore

World
the rapid depletion of nonrenewable mineral resources, the
depletion of forest areas and wetlands, the extinction of animal and
plant species, and the deterioration in air and water quality
(especially in Eastern Europe, the former USSR, and China) pose
serious long-term problems that governments and peoples are only
beginning to address

Yemen
petroleum, fish, rock salt, marble, small deposits of coal,
gold, lead, nickel, and copper, fertile soil in west

Zambia
copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver,
uranium, hydropower

Zimbabwe
coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron
ore, vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@2112 Net migration rate (migrant(s)/1,000 population)

Afghanistan
23.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Albania
-4.93 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Algeria
-0.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

American Samoa
-20.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Andorra
6.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Angola
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Anguilla
10.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Antigua and Barbuda
-6.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Argentina
0.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Armenia
-6.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Aruba
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Australia
3.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Austria
2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Azerbaijan
-4.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Bahamas, The
-2.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Bahrain
1.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Bangladesh
-0.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Barbados
-0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Belarus
2.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Belgium
1.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Belize
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Benin
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Bermuda
2.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Bhutan
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Bolivia
-1.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Botswana
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Brazil
-0.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

British Virgin Islands
10.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Brunei
3.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Bulgaria
-4.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Burkina Faso
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Burma
-1.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Burundi
-0.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Cambodia
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Cameroon
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Canada
5.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Cape Verde
-12.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Cayman Islands
18.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: major destination for Cubans trying to migrate to the US (2004
est.)

Central African Republic
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Chad
-0.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Chile
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

China
-0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Christmas Island
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Colombia
-0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Comoros
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
-0.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: fighting between the Congolese Government and Uganda- and
Rwanda-backed Congolese rebels spawned a regional war in DROC in
August 1998, which left 1.8 million Congolese internally displaced
and caused 300,000 Congolese refugees to flee to surrounding
countries (2004 est.)

Congo, Republic of the
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Costa Rica
0.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Cote d'Ivoire
-0.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Croatia
1.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Cuba
-1.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Cyprus
0.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Czech Republic
0.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Denmark
2.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Djibouti
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Dominica
-13.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Dominican Republic
-3.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

East Timor
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Ecuador
-8.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Egypt
-0.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

El Salvador
-3.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Equatorial Guinea
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Eritrea
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: UNHCR began repatriating about 150,000 Eritrean refugees from
Sudan in 2001 following the restoration of diplomatic relations
between the two countries in 2000 (2004 est.)

Estonia
-3.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Ethiopia
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: repatriation of Ethiopians who fled to Sudan for refuge from
war and famine in earlier years is expected to continue for several
years; some Sudanese and Somali refugees, who fled to Ethiopia from
the fighting or famine in their own countries, continue to return to
their homes (2004 est.)

European Union
1.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (July 2004 est.)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2004 est.)

Faroe Islands
1.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Fiji
-3.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Finland
0.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

France
0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

French Guiana
6.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

French Polynesia
2.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Gabon
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Gambia, The
1.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Gaza Strip
1.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Georgia
-4.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Germany
2.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Ghana
-0.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Gibraltar
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Greece
2.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Greenland
-8.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Grenada
-13.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Guadeloupe
-0.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Guam
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Guatemala
-1.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Guernsey
3.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Guinea
-3.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: as a result of conflict in neighboring countries, Guinea is
host to approximately 150,000 Liberian and Sierra Leonean refugees
(2004 est.)

Guinea-Bissau
-1.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Guyana
-2.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Haiti
-3.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Honduras
-1.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Hong Kong
5.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Hungary
0.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Iceland
2.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

India
-0.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Indonesia
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Iran
-0.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Iraq
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Ireland
4.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Israel
0.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Italy
2.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Jamaica
-4.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Japan
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Jersey
2.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Jordan
6.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Kazakhstan
-3.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Kenya
-0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: according to UNHCR, by the end of 2001 Kenya was host to
220,000 refugees from neighboring countries, including: Somalia
145,000 and Sudan 68,000 (2004 est.)

Kiribati
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Korea, North
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Korea, South
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Kuwait
14.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Kyrgyzstan
-2.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Laos
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Latvia
-2.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Lebanon
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Lesotho
-0.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Liberia
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: at least 200,000 Liberian refugees are in surrounding
countries; the uncertain security situation has hindered their
ability to return (2004 est.)

Libya
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Liechtenstein
4.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Lithuania
-0.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Luxembourg
8.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Macau
4.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Macedonia
-1.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Madagascar
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Malawi
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Malaysia
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: does not reflect net flow of an unknown number of illegal
immigrants from other countries in the region (2004 est.)

Maldives
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Mali
-0.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Malta
2.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Man, Isle of
5.36 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Marshall Islands
-6.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Martinique
-0.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Mauritania
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Mauritius
-0.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Mayotte
6.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Mexico
-4.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Micronesia, Federated States of
-20.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2004 est.)

Moldova
-0.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Monaco
7.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Mongolia
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Montserrat
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Morocco
-0.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Mozambique
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Namibia
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Nauru
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Nepal
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Netherlands
2.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Netherlands Antilles
-0.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

New Caledonia
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

New Zealand
4.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Nicaragua
-1.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Niger
-0.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Nigeria
0.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Niue
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Norfolk Island
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population

Northern Mariana Islands
9.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Norway
1.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Oman
0.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Pakistan
-2.77 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Palau
2.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Panama
-0.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Papua New Guinea
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Paraguay
-0.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Peru
-1.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Philippines
-1.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Pitcairn Islands
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population

Poland
-0.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Portugal
3.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Puerto Rico
-1.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Qatar
16.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Reunion
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Romania
-0.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Russia
1.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Rwanda
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Saint Helena
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Saint Kitts and Nevis
-7.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Saint Lucia
-2.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
-4.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004
est.)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
-7.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2004 est.)

Samoa
-11.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

San Marino
10.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sao Tome and Principe
-2.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Saudi Arabia
-2.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Senegal
0.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Serbia and Montenegro
-1.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Seychelles
-5.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sierra Leone
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: refugees currently in surrounding countries are slowly
returning (2004 est.)

Singapore
11.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Slovakia
0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Slovenia
1.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Solomon Islands
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Somalia
5.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

South Africa
-0.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Spain
0.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sri Lanka
-1.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sudan
-0.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Suriname
-8.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Svalbard
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population

Swaziland
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sweden
1.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Switzerland
4.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Syria
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Taiwan
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Tajikistan
-2.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Tanzania
-2.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Thailand
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Togo
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Tokelau
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population

Tonga
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Trinidad and Tobago
-10.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Tunisia
-0.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Turkey
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Turkmenistan
-0.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Turks and Caicos Islands
11.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004
est.)

Tuvalu
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Uganda
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: according to the UNHCR, by the end of 2001, Uganda was host to
178,815 refugees from a number of neighboring countries, including:
Sudan 155,996, Rwanda 14,375, and Democratic Republic of the Congo
7,459 (2004 est.)

Ukraine
-0.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

United Arab Emirates
1.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

United Kingdom
2.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

United States
3.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Uruguay
-0.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Uzbekistan
-1.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Vanuatu
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Venezuela
-0.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Vietnam
-0.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Virgin Islands
-8.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Wallis and Futuna
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New
Caledonia (2004 est.)

West Bank
2.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Yemen
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Zambia
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Zimbabwe
negligible migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa
and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2004 est.)

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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

@2113 Geography - note

Afghanistan
landlocked; the Hindu Kush mountains that run northeast
to southwest divide the northern provinces from the rest of the
country; the highest peaks are in the northern Vakhan (Wakhan
Corridor)

Akrotiri
British extraterritorial rights also extended to several
small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus

Albania
strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic
Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)

Algeria
second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan)

American Samoa
Pago Pago has one of the best natural deepwater
harbors in the South Pacific Ocean, sheltered by shape from rough
seas and protected by peripheral mountains from high winds;
strategic location in the South Pacific Ocean

Andorra
landlocked; straddles a number of important crossroads in
the Pyrenees

Angola
the province of Cabinda is an exclave, separated from the
rest of the country by the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Anguilla
the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser
Antilles

Antarctica
the coldest, windiest, highest (on average), and driest
continent; during summer, more solar radiation reaches the surface
at the South Pole than is received at the Equator in an equivalent
period; mostly uninhabitable

Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with
many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a very large western
harbor

Arctic Ocean
major chokepoint is the southern Chukchi Sea (northern
access to the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait); strategic
location between North America and Russia; shortest marine link
between the extremes of eastern and western Russia; floating
research stations operated by the US and Russia; maximum snow cover
in March or April about 20 to 50 centimeters over the frozen ocean;
snow cover lasts about 10 months

Argentina
second-largest country in South America (after Brazil);
strategic location relative to sea lanes between the South Atlantic
and the South Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel,
Drake Passage); Cerro Aconcagua is South America's tallest mountain,
while Laguna del Carbon is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere

Armenia
landlocked in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains; Sevana Lich
(Lake Sevan) is the largest lake in this mountain range

Aruba
a flat, riverless island renowned for its white sand beaches;
its tropical climate is moderated by constant trade winds from the
Atlantic Ocean; the temperature is almost constant at about 27
degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit)

Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve
established in August 1983

Atlantic Ocean
major chokepoints include the Dardanelles, Strait of
Gibraltar, access to the Panama and Suez Canals; strategic straits
include the Strait of Dover, Straits of Florida, Mona Passage, The
Sound (Oresund), and Windward Passage; the Equator divides the
Atlantic Ocean into the North Atlantic Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean

Australia
world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country;
population concentrated along the eastern and southeastern coasts;
regular, tropical, invigorating, sea breeze known as "the Doctor"
occurs along the west coast in the summer

Austria
landlocked; strategic location at the crossroads of central
Europe with many easily traversable Alpine passes and valleys; major
river is the Danube; population is concentrated on eastern lowlands
because of steep slopes, poor soils, and low temperatures elsewhere

Azerbaijan
both the main area of the country and the Naxcivan
exclave are landlocked

Bahamas, The
strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive
island chain of which 30 are inhabited

Bahrain
close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic
location in Persian Gulf, through which much of the Western world's
petroleum must transit to reach open ocean

Baker Island
treeless, sparse, and scattered vegetation consisting
of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a
nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds,
and marine wildlife

Bangladesh
most of the country is situated on deltas of large rivers
flowing from the Himalayas: the Ganges unites with the Jamuna (main
channel of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna to eventually
empty into the Bay of Bengal

Barbados
easternmost Caribbean island

Bassas da India
the islands emerge from a circular reef that sits
atop a long-extinct, submerged volcano

Belarus
landlocked; glacial scouring accounts for the flatness of
Belarusian terrain and for its 11,000 lakes; the country is
geologically well endowed with extensive deposits of granite,
dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, and clay

Belgium
crossroads of Western Europe; majority of West European
capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels, the seat of both the European
Union and NATO

Belize
only country in Central America without a coastline on the
North Pacific Ocean

Benin
sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural
harbors, river mouths, or islands

Bermuda
consists of about 138 coral islands and islets with ample
rainfall, but no rivers or freshwater lakes; some land was leased by
US Government from 1941 to 1995

Bhutan
landlocked; strategic location between China and India;
controls several key Himalayan mountain passes

Bolivia
landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest
navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru

Bosnia and Herzegovina
within Bosnia and Herzegovina's recognized
borders, the country is divided into a joint Bosniak/Croat
Federation (about 51% of the territory) and the Bosnian Serb-led
Republika Srpska or RS (about 49% of the territory); the region
called Herzegovina is contiguous to Croatia and Serbia and
Montenegro (Montenegro), and traditionally has been settled by an
ethnic Croat majority in the west and an ethnic Serb majority in the
east

Botswana
landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the
country

Bouvet Island
covered by glacial ice; declared a nature reserve

Brazil
largest country in South America; shares common boundaries
with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador

British Indian Ocean Territory
archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego
Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location
in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military
facility

British Virgin Islands
strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and
Puerto Rico

Brunei
close to vital sea lanes through South China Sea linking
Indian and Pacific Oceans; two parts physically separated by
Malaysia; almost an enclave of Malaysia

Bulgaria
strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land
routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia

Burkina Faso
landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers of
the Black, Red, and White Voltas

Burma
strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes

Burundi
landlocked; straddles crest of the Nile-Congo watershed; the
Kagera, which drains into Lake Victoria, is the most remote
headstream of the White Nile

Cambodia
a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River
and Tonle Sap

Cameroon
sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa; throughout
the country there are areas of thermal springs and indications of
current or prior volcanic activity; Mount Cameroon, the highest
mountain in Sub-Saharan west Africa, is an active volcano

Canada
second-largest country in world (after Russia); strategic
location between Russia and US via north polar route; approximately
90% of the population is concentrated within 160 km of the US border

Cape Verde
strategic location 500 km from west coast of Africa near
major north-south sea routes; important communications station;
important sea and air refueling site

Cayman Islands
important location between Cuba and Central America

Central African Republic
landlocked; almost the precise center of
Africa

Chad
landlocked; Lake Chad is the most significant water body in the
Sahel

Chile
strategic location relative to sea lanes between Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage);
Atacama Desert is one of world's driest regions

China
world's fourth largest country (after Russia, Canada, and US);
Mount Everest on the border with Nepal is the world's tallest peak;

Christmas Island
located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean

Clipperton Island
reef 12 km in circumference

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
islands are thickly covered with coconut
palms and other vegetation

Colombia
only South American country with coastlines on both North
Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea

Comoros
important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
straddles equator; has very narrow
strip of land that controls the lower Congo River and is only outlet
to South Atlantic Ocean; dense tropical rain forest in central river
basin and eastern highlands

Congo, Republic of the
about 70% of the population lives in
Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or along the railroad between them

Cook Islands
the northern Cook Islands are seven low-lying, sparsely
populated, coral atolls; the southern Cook Islands consist of eight
elevated, fertile, volcanic isles where most of the populace lives

Coral Sea Islands
important nesting area for birds and turtles

Costa Rica
four volcanoes, two of them active, rise near the capital
of San Jose in the center of the country; one of the volcanoes,
Irazu, erupted destructively in 1963-65

Cote d'Ivoire
most of the inhabitants live along the sandy coastal
region; apart from the capital area, the forested interior is
sparsely populated

Croatia
controls most land routes from Western Europe to Aegean Sea
and Turkish Straits

Cuba
largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the
Greater Antilles

Cyprus
the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after
Sicily and Sardinia)

Czech Republic
landlocked; strategically located astride some of
oldest and most significant land routes in Europe; Moravian Gate is
a traditional military corridor between the North European Plain and
the Danube in central Europe

Denmark
controls Danish Straits (Skagerrak and Kattegat) linking
Baltic and North Seas; about one-quarter of the population lives in
greater Copenhagen

Dhekelia
British extraterritorial rights also extended to several
small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus

Djibouti
strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and
close to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia;
mostly wasteland; Lac Assal (Lake Assal) is the lowest point in
Africa

Dominica
known as "The Nature Island of the Caribbean" due to its
spectacular, lush, and varied flora and fauna, which are protected
by an extensive natural park system; the most mountainous of the
Lesser Antilles, its volcanic peaks are cones of lava craters and
include Boiling Lake, the second-largest, thermally active lake in
the world

Dominican Republic
shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti

East Timor
Timor comes from the Malay word for "East;" the island of
Timor is part of the Malay Archipelago and is the largest and
easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands

Ecuador
Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world

Egypt
controls Sinai Peninsula, only land bridge between Africa and
remainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal, a sea link
between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea; size, and juxtaposition
to Israel, establish its major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics;
dependence on upstream neighbors; dominance of Nile basin issues;
prone to influxes of refugees

El Salvador
smallest Central American country and only one without a
coastline on Caribbean Sea

Equatorial Guinea
insular and continental regions rather widely
separated

Eritrea
strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest
shipping lanes; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia
along the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 24 May
1993

Estonia
the mainland terrain is flat, boggy, and partly wooded;
offshore lie more than 1,500 islands

Ethiopia
landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost
with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993; the Blue
Nile, the chief headstream of the Nile by water volume, rises in
T'ana Hayk (Lake Tana) in northwest Ethiopia; three major crops are
believed to have originated in Ethiopia: coffee, grain sorghum, and
castor bean

Europa Island
wildlife sanctuary

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
deeply indented coast provides
good natural harbors; short growing season

Faroe Islands
archipelago of 17 inhabited islands and one
uninhabited island, and a few uninhabited islets; strategically
located along important sea lanes in northeastern Atlantic;
precipitous terrain limits habitation to small coastal lowlands

Fiji
includes 332 islands of which approximately 110 are inhabited

Finland
long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national
capital on European continent; population concentrated on small
southwestern coastal plain

France
largest West European nation

French Guiana
mostly an unsettled wilderness; the only
non-independent portion of the South American continent

French Polynesia
includes five archipelagoes (4 volcanic, 1 coral);
Makatea in French Polynesia is one of the three great phosphate rock
islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island)
in Kiribati and Nauru

French Southern and Antarctic Lands
islands component is widely
scattered across remote locations in the southern Indian Ocean

Gabon
a small population and oil and mineral reserves have helped
Gabon become one of Africa's wealthier countries; in general, these
circumstances have allowed the country to maintain and conserve its
pristine rain forest and rich biodiversity

Gambia, The
almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country on the
continent of Africa

Gaza Strip
there are 25 Israeli settlements and civilian land use
sites in the Gaza Strip (February 2002 est.)

Georgia
strategically located east of the Black Sea; Georgia
controls much of the Caucasus Mountains and the routes through them

Germany
strategic location on North European Plain and along the
entrance to the Baltic Sea

Ghana
Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake

Gibraltar
strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the
North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea

Glorioso Islands
the islands and rocks are surrounded by an
extensive reef system

Greece
strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern
approach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing an
archipelago of about 2,000 islands

Greenland
dominates North Atlantic Ocean between North America and
Europe; sparse population confined to small settlements along coast,
but close to one-quarter of the population lives in the capital,
Nuuk; world's second largest ice cap

Grenada
the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is
divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada

Guadeloupe
a narrow channel, the Riviere Salee, divides Guadeloupe
proper into two islands: the larger, western Basse-Terre and the
smaller, eastern Grande-Terre

Guam
largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands
archipelago; strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean

Guatemala
no natural harbors on west coast

Guernsey
large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port

Guinea
the Niger and its important tributary the Milo have their
sources in the Guinean highlands

Guinea-Bissau
this small country is swampy along its western coast
and low-lying further inland

Guyana
the third-smallest country in South America after Suriname
and Uruguay; substantial portions of its western and eastern
territories are claimed by Venezuela and Suriname respectively

Haiti
shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western
one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)

Holy See (Vatican City)
urban; landlocked; enclave in Rome, Italy;
world's smallest state; outside the Vatican City, 13 buildings in
Rome and Castel Gandolfo (the pope's summer residence) enjoy
extraterritorial rights

Honduras
has only a short Pacific coast but a long Caribbean
shoreline, including the virtually uninhabited eastern Mosquito Coast

Hong Kong
more than 200 islands

Howland Island
almost totally covered with grasses, prostrate vines,
and low-growing shrubs; small area of trees in the center; primarily
a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds,
and marine wildlife

Hungary
landlocked; strategic location astride main land routes
between Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between
Ukraine and Mediterranean basin; the north-south flowing Duna
(Danube) and Tisza Rivers divide the country into three large regions

Iceland
strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost
European country; Reykjavik is the northernmost national capital in
the world; more land covered by glaciers than in all of continental
Europe

India
dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian
Ocean trade routes

Indian Ocean
major chokepoints include Bab el Mandeb, Strait of
Hormuz, Strait of Malacca, southern access to the Suez Canal, and
the Lombok Strait

Indonesia
archipelago of 17,508 islands (6,000 inhabited); straddles
equator; strategic location astride or along major sea lanes from
Indian Ocean to Pacific Ocean

Iran
strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz,
which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport

Iraq
strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of
the Persian Gulf

Ireland
strategic location on major air and sea routes between North
America and northern Europe; over 40% of the population resides
within 97 km of Dublin

Israel
there are 242 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites
in the West Bank, 42 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 25 in
the Gaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem (February 2002 est.); Sea
of Galilee is an important freshwater source

Italy
strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as
southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe

Jamaica
strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica
Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal

Jan Mayen
barren volcanic island with some moss and grass

Japan
strategic location in northeast Asia

Jarvis Island
sparse bunch grass, prostrate vines, and low-growing
shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for
seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife

Jersey
largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; about 30% of
population concentrated in Saint Helier

Johnston Atoll
strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean;
Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands, which have been
expanded by coral dredging; North Island (Akau) and East Island
(Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral dredging; the
egg-shaped reef is 34 km in circumference; closed to the public; a
former US nuclear weapons test site; site of now-closed Johnston
Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System (JACADS); most facilities
dismantled and cleanup complete in 2004; some low-growing vegetation

Jordan
strategic location at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and as
the Arab country that shares the longest border with Israel and the
occupied West Bank

Juan de Nova Island
wildlife sanctuary

Kazakhstan
landlocked; Russia leases approximately 6,000 sq km of
territory enclosing the Baykonur Cosmodrome; in January 2004,
Kazakhstan and Russia extended the lease to 2050

Kenya
the Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful
agricultural production regions in Africa; glaciers are found on
Mount Kenya, Africa's second highest peak; unique physiography
supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic
value

Kingman Reef
barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; closed to
the public

Kiribati
21 of the 33 islands are inhabited; Banaba (Ocean Island)
in Kiribati is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the
Pacific Ocean - the others are Makatea in French Polynesia, and Nauru

Korea, North
strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and
Russia; mountainous interior is isolated and sparsely populated

Korea, South
strategic location on Korea Strait

Kuwait
strategic location at head of Persian Gulf

Kyrgyzstan
landlocked; entirely mountainous, dominated by the Tien
Shan range; many tall peaks, glaciers, and high-altitude lakes

Laos
landlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thickly
forested; the Mekong River forms a large part of the western
boundary with Thailand

Latvia
most of the country is composed of fertile, low-lying plains,
with some hills in the east

Lebanon
Nahr el Litani only major river in Near East not crossing an
international boundary; rugged terrain historically helped isolate,
protect, and develop numerous factional groups based on religion,
clan, and ethnicity

Lesotho
landlocked, completely surrounded by South Africa;
mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 meters above sea
level

Liberia
facing the Atlantic Ocean, the coastline is characterized by
lagoons, mangrove swamps, and river-deposited sandbars; the inland
grassy plateau supports limited agriculture

Libya
more than 90% of the country is desert or semidesert

Liechtenstein
along with Uzbekistan, one of only two doubly
landlocked countries in the world; variety of microclimatic
variations based on elevation

Lithuania
fertile central plains are separated by hilly uplands that
are ancient glacial deposits

Luxembourg
landlocked; the only Grand Duchy in the world

Macau
essentially urban; one causeway and two bridges connect the
two islands of Coloane and Taipa to the peninsula on mainland

Macedonia
landlocked; major transportation corridor from Western and
Central Europe to Aegean Sea and Southern Europe to Western Europe

Madagascar
world's fourth-largest island; strategic location along
Mozambique Channel

Malawi
landlocked; Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's
most prominent physical feature

Malaysia
strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern
South China Sea

Maldives
1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls (200 inhabited
islands, plus 80 islands with tourist resorts); archipelago with
strategic location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean

Mali
landlocked; divided into three natural zones: the southern,
cultivated Sudanese; the central, semiarid Sahelian; and the
northern, arid Saharan

Malta
the country comprises an archipelago, with only the three
largest islands (Malta, Ghawdex or Gozo, and Kemmuna or Comino)
being inhabited; numerous bays provide good harbors; Malta and
Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the
continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil
exploration

Man, Isle of
one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the
southwest, and is a bird sanctuary

Marshall Islands
two archipelagic island chains of 30 atolls and
1,152 islands; Bikini and Enewetak are former US nuclear test sites;
Kwajalein, the famous World War II battleground, is now used as a US
missile test range

Martinique
the island is dominated by Mount Pelee, which on 8 May
1902 erupted and completely destroyed the city of Saint Pierre,
killing 30,000 inhabitants

Mauritania
most of the population concentrated in the cities of
Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the
southern part of the country

Mauritius
the main island, from which the country derives its name,
is of volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral
reefs

Mayotte
part of Comoro Archipelago; 18 islands

Mexico
strategic location on southern border of US; corn (maize),
one of the world's major grain crops, is thought to have originated
in Mexico

Micronesia, Federated States of
four major island groups totaling
607 islands

Midway Islands
a coral atoll managed as a national wildlife refuge
and open to the public for wildlife-related recreation in the form
of wildlife observation and photography, sport fishing, snorkeling,
and scuba diving; the refuge is temporarily closed for
reorganization at present (2004)

Moldova
landlocked; well endowed with various sedimentary rocks and
minerals including sand, gravel, gypsum, and limestone

Monaco
second-smallest independent state in the world (after Holy
See); almost entirely urban

Mongolia
landlocked; strategic location between China and Russia

Montserrat
the island is entirely volcanic in origin and contains
seven active volcanoes

Morocco
strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar

Mozambique
the Zambezi flows through the north-central and most
fertile part of the country

Namibia
first country in the world to incorporate the protection of
the environment into its constitution; some 14% of the land is
protected, including virtually the entire Namib Desert coastal strip

Nauru
Nauru is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the
Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and
Makatea in French Polynesia; only 53 km south of Equator

Navassa Island
strategic location 160 km south of the US Naval Base
at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; mostly exposed rock but with enough
grassland to support goat herds; dense stands of fig-like trees,
scattered cactus

Nepal
landlocked; strategic location between China and India;
contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest
- the world's tallest - on the border with China

Netherlands
located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine,
Maas or Meuse, and Schelde)

Netherlands Antilles
the five islands of the Netherlands Antilles
are divided geographically into the Leeward Islands (northern) group
(Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten) and the Windward Islands
(southern) group (Bonaire and Curacao)

New Caledonia
consists of the main island of New Caledonia (one of
the largest in the Pacific Ocean), the archipelago of Iles Loyaute,
and numerous small, sparsely populated islands and atolls

New Zealand
about 80% of the population lives in cities; Wellington
is the southernmost national capital in the world

Nicaragua
largest country in Central America; contains the largest
freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua

Niger
landlocked; one of the hottest countries in the world:
northern four-fifths is desert, southern one-fifth is savanna,
suitable for livestock and limited agriculture

Nigeria
the Niger enters the country in the northwest and flows
southward through tropical rain forests and swamps to its delta in
the Gulf of Guinea

Niue
one of world's largest coral islands

Norfolk Island
most of the 32-km coastline consists of almost
inaccessible cliffs, but the land slopes down to the sea in one
small southern area on Sydney Bay, where the capital of Kingston is
situated

Northern Mariana Islands
strategic location in the North Pacific
Ocean

Norway
about two-thirds mountains; some 50,000 islands off its much
indented coastline; strategic location adjacent to sea lanes and air
routes in North Atlantic; one of most rugged and longest coastlines
in world

Oman
strategic location on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of
Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil

Pacific Ocean
the major chokepoints are the Bering Strait, Panama
Canal, Luzon Strait, and the Singapore Strait; the Equator divides
the Pacific Ocean into the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific
Ocean; dotted with low coral islands and rugged volcanic islands in
the southwestern Pacific Ocean

Pakistan
controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion
routes between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent

Palau
westernmost archipelago in the Caroline chain, consists of six
island groups totaling more than 300 islands; includes World War II
battleground of Beliliou (Peleliu) and world-famous rock islands

Palmyra Atoll
about 50 islets covered with dense vegetation, coconut
trees, and balsa-like trees up to 30 meters tall

Panama
strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming land
bridge connecting North and South America; controls Panama Canal
that links North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific
Ocean