Chapter LXXIX: Part 79

Taiwan
19-35 years of age for male compulsory military service;
service obligation 14 months (reducing to 1 year in 2009) year;
women may enlist; women in Air Force service are restricted to
noncombat roles; reserve obligation to age 30 (Army); the Ministry
of Defense has announced plans to implement an incremental voluntary
enlistment system beginning 2010, with 10% fewer conscripts each
year thereafter, although nonvolunteers will still be required to
perform alternative service or go through 3-4 months of military
training (2008)

Tajikistan
18 years of age for compulsory military service; 2-year
conscript service obligation (2007)

Tanzania
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2007)

Thailand
21 years of age for compulsory military service; 18 years
of age for voluntary military service; males are registered at 18
years of age; 2-year conscript service obligation (2006)

Timor-Leste
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2008)

Togo
18 years of age for selective compulsory and voluntary military
service; 2-year service obligation (2006)

Tonga
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2008)

Trinidad and Tobago
18 years of age for voluntary military service
(16 years of age with parental consent); no conscription (2008)

Tunisia
20 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for voluntary
military service (2007)

Turkey
20 years of age (2004)

Turkmenistan
18-30 years of age for compulsory military service;
2-year conscript service obligation (2007)

Uganda
18-26 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
duty; 18-30 years of age for professionals; 9-year service
obligation; the government has stated that recruitment below 18
years of age could occur with proper consent and that "no person
under the apparent age of 13 years shall be enrolled in the armed
forces"; Ugandan citizenship and secondary education required (2008)

Ukraine
18-25 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; conscript service obligation - 18 months for Army and Air
Force, 24 months for Navy (2004)

United Arab Emirates
18 years of age (est.) for voluntary military
service; 18 years of age for officers and women; no conscription
(2008)

United Kingdom
16-33 years of age (officers 17-28) for voluntary
military service (with parental consent under 18); women serve in
military services, but are excluded from ground combat positions and
some naval postings; must be citizen of the UK, Commonwealth, or
Republic of Ireland; reservists serve a minimum of 3 years, to age
45 or 55; 16 years of age for voluntary military service by Nepalese
citizens in the Brigade of the Gurkhas; 16-34 years of age for
voluntary military service by Papua New Guinean citizens (2008)

United States
18 years of age (17 years of age with parental
consent) for male and female voluntary service; maximum enlistment
age 42 (Army), 27 (Air Force), 34 (Navy), 28 (Marines); service
obligation 8 years, including 2-5 years active duty (Army), 2 years
active (Navy), 4 years active (Air Force, Marines) (2008)

Uruguay
18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military
service; enlistment is voluntary in peacetime, but the government
has the authority to conscript in emergencies (2007)

Uzbekistan
18 years of age for compulsory military service; 1-year
conscript service obligation; moving toward a professional military,
but conscription will continue; the military cannot accommodate
everyone who wishes to enlist, and competition for entrance into the
military is similar to the competition for admission to universities
(2007)

Venezuela
18-30 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; 30-month conscript service obligation - all citizens 18-50
years old are obligated to register for military service (2008)

Vietnam
18 years of age (male) for compulsory military service;
females may volunteer for active duty military service; conscript
service obligation - 2 years (3 to 4 years in the navy); 18-45 years
of age (male) or 18-40 years of age (female) for Militia Force or
Self Defense Forces (2006)

Yemen
voluntary military service program authorized in 2001; 2-year
service obligation (2006)

Zambia
18 years of age for voluntary military service (16 years of
age with parental consent); no conscription (2008)

Zimbabwe
18-24 years of age for compulsory military service; women
are eligible to serve (2007)

This page was last updated on 18 December 2008

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

@2025 Manpower fit for military service

Afghanistan
males age 16-49: 4,234,180
females age 16-49: 3,946,685 (2008 est.)

Albania
males age 16-49: 798,454
females age 16-49: 767,143 (2008 est.)

Algeria
males age 16-49: 8,141,864
females age 16-49: 8,215,895 (2008 est.)

Andorra
males age 16-49: 14,976 (2008 est.)

Angola
males age 16-49: 1,430,658
females age 16-49: 1,371,689 (2008 est.)

Anguilla
males age 16-49: 2,929 (2008 est.)

Antigua and Barbuda
males age 16-49: 15,591
females age 16-49: 15,542 (2008 est.)

Argentina
males age 16-49: 8,352,147
females age 16-49: 8,366,781 (2008 est.)

Armenia
males age 16-49: 637,776
females age 16-49: 729,846 (2008 est.)

Aruba
males age 16-49: 20,173
females age 16-49: 21,062 (2008 est.)

Australia
males age 16-49: 4,137,176
females age 16-49: 4,022,588 (2008 est.)

Austria
males age 16-49: 1,617,385
females age 16-49: 1,583,886 (2008 est.)

Azerbaijan
males age 16-49: 1,696,167
females age 16-49: 1,923,556 (2008 est.)

Bahamas, The
males age 16-49: 50,282 (2008 est.)

Bahrain
males age 16-49: 171,536
females age 16-49: 142,714 (2008 est.)

Bangladesh
males age 16-49: 31,968,168 (2008 est.)

Barbados
males age 16-49: 58,556
females age 16-49: 58,143 (2008 est.)

Belarus
males age 16-49: 1,727,974
females age 16-49: 2,093,106 (2008 est.)

Belgium
males age 16-49: 1,973,167
females age 16-49: 1,915,990 (2008 est.)

Belize
males age 16-49: 54,627
females age 16-49: 53,500 (2008 est.)

Benin
males age 16-49: 1,173,742
females age 16-49: 1,162,113 (2008 est.)

Bermuda
males age 16-49: 12,682 (2008 est.)

Bhutan
males age 16-49: 146,063
females age 16-49: 131,193 (2008 est.)

Bolivia
males age 16-49: 1,600,219
females age 16-49: 1,815,514 (2008 est.)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
males age 16-49: 996,225
females age 16-49: 962,927 (2008 est.)

Botswana
males age 16-49: 290,093
females age 16-49: 257,700 (2008 est.)

Brazil
males age 16-49: 39,263,710
females age 16-49: 44,109,056 (2008 est.)

British Virgin Islands
males age 16-49: 5,921 (2008 est.)

Brunei
males age 16-49: 91,297
females age 16-49: 93,228 (2008 est.)

Bulgaria
males age 16-49: 1,364,029
females age 16-49: 1,401,348 (2008 est.)

Burkina Faso
males age 16-49: 2,115,948 (2008 est.)

Burma
males age 16-49: 9,031,046
females age 16-49: 9,396,547 (2008 est.)

Burundi
males age 16-49: 1,083,899
females age 16-49: 1,062,488 (2008 est.)

Cambodia
males age 16-49: 2,581,045
females age 16-49: 2,676,075 (2008 est.)

Cameroon
males age 16-49: 2,567,428
females age 16-49: 2,498,990 (2008 est.)

Canada
males age 16-49: 6,646,281
females age 16-49: 6,417,924 (2008 est.)

Cape Verde
males age 16-49: 83,082
females age 16-49: 88,832 (2008 est.)

Cayman Islands
males age 16-49: 9,577 (2008 est.)

Central African Republic
males age 16-49: 534,141
females age 16-49: 495,303 (2008 est.)

Chad
males age 16-49: 1,066,565
females age 16-49: 1,279,318 (2008 est.)

Chile
males age 16-49: 3,542,448
females age 16-49: 3,500,059 (2008 est.)

China
males age 16-49: 313,321,639
females age 16-49: 295,951,438 (2008 est.)

Colombia
males age 16-49: 8,056,336
females age 16-49: 9,919,952 (2008 est.)

Comoros
males age 16-49: 121,550
females age 16-49: 131,015 (2008 est.)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
males age 16-49: 8,562,989 (2008
est.)

Congo, Republic of the
males age 16-49: 519,296
females age 16-49: 509,564 (2008 est.)

Costa Rica
males age 16-49: 958,013
females age 16-49: 925,727 (2008 est.)

Cote d'Ivoire
males age 16-49: 2,393,104
females age 16-49: 2,381,607 (2008 est.)

Croatia
males age 16-49: 771,323
females age 16-49: 855,937 (2008 est.)

Cuba
males age 16-49: 2,543,044
females age 16-49: 2,481,823 (2008 est.)

Cyprus
Greek Cypriot National Guard (GCNG):
males age 16-49: 165,042
females age 16-49: 158,869 (2008 est.)

Czech Republic
males age 16-49: 2,100,789
females age 16-49: 2,018,101 (2008 est.)

Denmark
males age 16-49: 1,012,716
females age 16-49: 996,436 (2008 est.)

Djibouti
males age 16-49: 54,460
females age 16-49: 51,684 (2008 est.)

Dominica
males age 16-49: 15,648 (2008 est.)

Dominican Republic
males age 16-49: 2,020,490
females age 16-49: 1,883,875 (2008 est.)

Ecuador
males age 16-49: 3,030,664
females age 16-49: 3,037,892 (2008 est.)

Egypt
males age 16-49: 18,153,158
females age 16-49: 17,405,837 (2008 est.)

El Salvador
males age 16-49: 1,168,406
females age 16-49: 1,519,375 (2008 est.)

Equatorial Guinea
males age 16-49: 101,712
females age 16-49: 104,381 (2008 est.)

Eritrea
males age 16-49: 715,531
females age 16-49: 731,511 (2008 est.)

Estonia
males age 16-49: 218,448
females age 16-49: 264,187 (2008 est.)

Ethiopia
males age 16-49: 10,060,775
females age 16-49: 9,854,710 (2008 est.)

Faroe Islands
males age 16-49: 9,735 (2008 est.)

Fiji
males age 16-49: 189,282
females age 16-49: 202,350 (2008 est.)

Finland
males age 16-49: 965,131
females age 16-49: 923,224 (2008 est.)

France
males age 16-49: 12,110,718
females age 16-49: 11,849,988 (2008 est.)

French Polynesia
males age 16-49: 64,287 (2008 est.)

Gabon
males age 16-49: 192,717
females age 16-49: 188,539 (2008 est.)

Gambia, The
males age 16-49: 230,202
females age 16-49: 244,480 (2008 est.)

Gaza Strip
males age 16-49: 291,467 (2008 est.)

Georgia
males age 16-49: 910,720
females age 16-49: 967,566 (2008 est.)

Germany
males age 16-49: 15,906,930
females age 16-49: 15,051,183 (2008 est.)

Ghana
males age 16-49: 3,737,481
females age 16-49: 3,729,699 (2008 est.)

Gibraltar
males age 16-49: 5,244 (2008 est.)

Greece
males age 16-49: 2,084,469
females age 16-49: 2,065,956 (2008 est.)

Greenland
males age 16-49: 10,739 (2008 est.)

Grenada
males age 16-49: 20,249 (2008 est.)

Guatemala
males age 16-49: 2,310,272
females age 16-49: 2,622,450 (2008 est.)

Guinea
males age 16-49: 1,268,193
females age 16-49: 1,259,913 (2008 est.)

Guinea-Bissau
males age 16-49: 188,605
females age 16-49: 195,429 (2008 est.)

Guyana
males age 16-49: 150,623 (2008 est.)

Haiti
males age 16-49: 1,303,743
females age 16-49: 1,332,316 (2008 est.)

Honduras
males age 16-49: 1,359,406
females age 16-49: 1,371,418 (2008 est.)

Hong Kong
males age 16-49: 1,438,165
females age 16-49: 1,561,252 (2008 est.)

Hungary
males age 16-49: 1,890,105
females age 16-49: 1,943,422 (2008 est.)

Iceland
males age 16-49: 62,342 (2008 est.)

India
males age 16-49: 231,161,111
females age 16-49: 236,633,962 (2008 est.)

Indonesia
males age 16-49: 52,367,788
females age 16-49: 52,129,123 (2008 est.)

Iran
males age 16-49: 17,416,126
females age 16-49: 16,928,226 (2008 est.)

Iraq
males age 16-49: 6,019,795
females age 16-49: 5,878,905 (2008 est.)

Ireland
males age 16-49: 854,982
females age 16-49: 852,592 (2008 est.)

Israel
males age 16-49: 1,452,926
females age 16-49: 1,383,796 (2008 est.)

Italy
males age 16-49: 11,285,488
females age 16-49: 10,680,672 (2008 est.)

Jamaica
males age 16-49: 566,477
females age 16-49: 583,075 (2008 est.)

Japan
males age 16-49: 22.963 million
females age 16-49: 22,134,127 (2008 est.)

Jordan
males age 16-49: 1,546,766
females age 16-49: 1,339,366 (2008 est.)

Kazakhstan
males age 16-49: 2,871,205
females age 16-49: 3,551,032 (2008 est.)

Kenya
males age 16-49: 5,688,259
females age 16-49: 5,396,166 (2008 est.)

Kiribati
males age 16-49: 17,577 (2008 est.)

Korea, North
males age 16-49: 5,141,240
females age 16-49: 5,139,447 (2008 est.)

Korea, South
males age 16-49: 11,282,699
females age 16-49: 10,683,668 (2008 est.)

Kuwait
males age 16-49: 892,816
females age 16-49: 500,540 (2008 est.)

Kyrgyzstan
males age 16-49: 1,061,942
females age 16-49: 1,211,249 (2008 est.)

Laos
males age 16-49: 993,162
females age 16-49: 1,052,053 (2008 est.)

Latvia
males age 16-49: 412,849
females age 16-49: 468,827 (2008 est.)

Lebanon
males age 16-49: 934,828
females age 16-49: 948,327 (2008 est.)

Lesotho
males age 16-49: 262,101
females age 16-49: 238,350 (2008 est.)

Liberia
males age 16-49: 371,287
females age 16-49: 373,265 (2008 est.)

Libya
males age 16-49: 1,439,941
females age 16-49: 1,381,914 (2008 est.)

Liechtenstein
males age 16-49: 6,584 (2008 est.)

Lithuania
males age 16-49: 678,434
females age 16-49: 749,483 (2008 est.)

Luxembourg
males age 16-49: 95,152
females age 16-49: 93,792 (2008 est.)

Macau
males age 16-49: 100,826 (2008 est.)

Macedonia
males age 16-49: 444,693
females age 16-49: 428,341 (2008 est.)

Madagascar
males age 16-49: 3,034,600
females age 16-49: 3,271,732 (2008 est.)

Malawi
males age 16-49: 1,676,117 (2008 est.)

Malaysia
males age 16-49: 5,374,006
females age 16-49: 5,316,865 (2008 est.)

Maldives
males age 16-49: 72,150
females age 16-49: 69,058 (2008 est.)

Mali
males age 16-49: 1,594,184
females age 16-49: 1,529,871 (2008 est.)

Malta
males age 16-49: 80,227
females age 16-49: 76,623 (2008 est.)

Marshall Islands
males age 16-49: 12,864 (2008 est.)

Mauritania
males age 16-49: 463,305
females age 16-49: 484,777 (2008 est.)

Mexico
males age 16-49: 22,188,284
females age 16-49: 24,884,614 (2008 est.)

Micronesia, Federated States of
males age 16-49: 21,748 (2008 est.)

Moldova
males age 16-49: 877,070
females age 16-49: 994,091 (2008 est.)

Monaco
males age 16-49: 5,376 (2008 est.)

Mongolia
males age 16-49: 696,652
females age 16-49: 731,480 (2008 est.)

Montserrat
males age 16-49: 2,097 (2008 est.)

Morocco
males age 16-49: 7,627,988
females age 16-49: 7,754,873 (2008 est.)

Mozambique
males age 16-49: 2,287,526 (2008 est.)

Namibia
males age 16-49: 313,497 (2008 est.)

Nepal
males age 16-49: 5,146,958
females age 16-49: 4,724,495 (2008 est.)

Netherlands
males age 16-49: 3,233,773
females age 16-49: 3,150,790 (2008 est.)

Netherlands Antilles
males age 16-49: 46,102
females age 16-49: 47,219 (2008 est.)

New Caledonia
males age 16-49: 47,342 (2008 est.)

New Zealand
males age 16-49: 833,073
females age 16-49: 822,807 (2008 est.)

Nicaragua
males age 16-49: 1,235,400
females age 16-49: 1,302,318 (2008 est.)

Niger
males age 16-49: 1,665,108
females age 16-49: 1,548,965 (2008 est.)

Nigeria
males age 16-49: 18,556,755
females age 16-49: 17,288,225 (2008 est.)

Norway
males age 16-49: 888,101
females age 16-49: 862,159 (2008 est.)

Oman
males age 16-49: 663,881
females age 16-49: 543,410 (2008 est.)

Pakistan
males age 16-49: 32,453,913
females age 16-49: 31,369,057 (2008 est.)

Palau
males age 16-49: 4,397 (2008 est.)

Panama
males age 16-49: 673,103 (2008 est.)

Papua New Guinea
males age 16-49: 1,080,466
females age 16-49: 1,092,040 (2008 est.)

Paraguay
males age 16-49: 1,327,730
females age 16-49: 1,356,989 (2008 est.)

Peru
males age 16-49: 5,796,449
females age 16-49: 6,217,524 (2008 est.)

Philippines
males age 16-49: 18,232,050
females age 16-49: 19,827,538 (2008 est.)

Poland
males age 16-49: 7,937,840
females age 16-49: 7,949,677 (2008 est.)

Portugal
males age 16-49: 2,099,647
females age 16-49: 2,060,559 (2008 est.)

Qatar
males age 16-49: 258,159
females age 16-49: 143,999 (2008 est.)

Romania
males age 16-49: 4,572,017
females age 16-49: 4,644,474 (2008 est.)

Russia
males age 16-49: 21,488,878
females age 16-49: 28,760,976 (2008 est.)

Rwanda
males age 16-49: 1,404,066
females age 16-49: 1,403,700 (2008 est.)

Saint Kitts and Nevis
males age 16-49: 8,064
females age 16-49: 8,464 (2008 est.)

Saint Lucia
males age 16-49: 38,660 (2008 est.)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
males age 16-49: 28,518 (2008 est.)

Samoa
males age 16-49: 42,359 (2008 est.)

San Marino
males age 16-49: 5,345 (2008 est.)

Sao Tome and Principe
males age 16-49: 33,735
females age 16-49: 36,779 (2008 est.)

Saudi Arabia
males age 16-49: 7,398,417
females age 16-49: 5,525,357 (2008 est.)

Senegal
males age 16-49: 1,866,602
females age 16-49: 1,947,076 (2008 est.)

Seychelles
males age 16-49: 17,942
females age 16-49: 20,436 (2008 est.)

Sierra Leone
males age 16-49: 671,418 (2008 est.)

Singapore
males age 16-49: 1,038,603 (2008 est.)

Slovakia
males age 16-49: 1,166,833
females age 16-49: 1,156,874 (2008 est.)

Slovenia
males age 16-49: 406,951
females age 16-49: 395,444 (2008 est.)

Solomon Islands
males age 16-49: 116,891 (2008 est.)

Somalia
males age 16-49: 1,274,783
females age 16-49: 1,317,991 (2008 est.)

South Africa
males age 16-49: 6,042,498
females age 16-49: 5,471,103 (2008 est.)

Spain
males age 16-49: 8,228,426
females age 16-49: 7,990,678 (2008 est.)

Sri Lanka
males age 16-49: 4,477,437
females age 16-49: 4,683,716 (2008 est.)

Sudan
males age 16-49: 5,586,468
females age 16-49: 5,678,427 (2008 est.)

Suriname
males age 16-49: 105,770
females age 16-49: 109,666 (2008 est.)

Swaziland
males age 16-49: 122,260 (2008 est.)

Sweden
males age 16-49: 1,699,115
females age 16-49: 1,637,868 (2008 est.)

Switzerland
males age 16-49: 1,513,984
females age 16-49: 1,478,761 (2008 est.)

Syria
males age 16-49: 4,242,401
females age 16-49: 4,218,648 (2008 est.)

Taiwan
males age 16-49: 5,112,737
females age 16-49: 5,036,346 (2008 est.)

Tajikistan
males age 16-49: 1,391,287
females age 16-49: 1,561,826 (2008 est.)

Tanzania
males age 16-49: 5,278,833 (2008 est.)

Thailand
males age 16-49: 12,968,674
females age 16-49: 14,058,779 (2008 est.)

Timor-Leste
males age 16-49: 224,096
females age 16-49: 231,901 (2008 est.)

Togo
males age 16-49: 897,195
females age 16-49: 913,327 (2008 est.)

Tonga
males age 16-49: 25,520
females age 16-49: 26,893 (2008 est.)

Trinidad and Tobago
males age 16-49: 215,310
females age 16-49: 180,526 (2008 est.)

Tunisia
males age 16-49: 2,539,962
females age 16-49: 2,465,295 (2008 est.)

Turkey
males age 16-49: 17,011,635
females age 16-49: 16,433,364 (2008 est.)

Turkmenistan
males age 16-49: 1,064,965
females age 16-49: 1,136,553 (2008 est.)

Uganda
males age 16-49: 3,856,365
females age 16-49: 3,769,120 (2008 est.)

Ukraine
males age 16-49: 7,141,814
females age 16-49: 9,428,876 (2008 est.)

United Arab Emirates
males age 16-49: 2,004,558
females age 16-49: 760,637 (2008 est.)

United Kingdom
males age 16-49: 12,121,602
females age 16-49: 11,616,582 (2008 est.)

United States
males age 16-49: 59,413,358
females age 16-49: 59,187,183 (2008 est.)

Uruguay
males age 16-49: 703,955
females age 16-49: 690,296 (2008 est.)

Uzbekistan
males age 16-49: 5,684,540
females age 16-49: 6,432,976 (2008 est.)

Vanuatu
males age 16-49: 40,577 (2008 est.)

Venezuela
males age 16-49: 5,280,974
females age 16-49: 5,768,814 (2008 est.)

Vietnam
males age 16-49: 18,849,274
females age 16-49: 20,575,884 (2008 est.)

Yemen
males age 16-49: 3,585,947
females age 16-49: 3,619,195 (2008 est.)

Zambia
males age 16-49: 1,329,343
females age 16-49: 1,218,114 (2008 est.)

Zimbabwe
males age 16-49: 1,643,036
females age 16-49: 1,404,663 (2008 est.)

This page was last updated on 18 December 2008

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

@2026 Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

Afghanistan
male: 371,451
female: 351,295 (2008 est.)

Albania
male: 36,340
female: 33,077 (2008 est.)

Algeria
male: 374,365
female: 360,942 (2008 est.)

American Samoa
male: 806
female: 781 (2008 est.)

Andorra
male: 412
female: 395 (2008 est.)

Angola
male: 142,791
female: 139,539 (2008 est.)

Anguilla
male: 103
female: 103 (2008 est.)

Antigua and Barbuda
male: 744
female: 742 (2008 est.)

Argentina
male: 348,310
female: 332,944 (2008 est.)

Armenia
male: 30,548
female: 29,170 (2008 est.)

Aruba
male: 705
female: 719 (2008 est.)

Australia
male: 144,934
female: 137,511 (2008 est.)

Austria
male: 50,869
female: 48,246 (2008 est.)

Azerbaijan
male: 94,402
female: 89,686 (2008 est.)

Bahamas, The
male: 3,016
female: 3,024 (2008 est.)

Bahrain
male: 6,543
female: 6,429 (2008 est.)

Bangladesh
male: 1,311,850
female: 1,246,012 (2008 est.)

Barbados
male: 2,157
female: 2,155 (2008 est.)

Belarus
male: 64,232
female: 60,788 (2008 est.)

Belgium
male: 64,659
female: 61,881 (2008 est.)

Belize
male: 3,580
female: 3,449 (2008 est.)

Benin
male: 97,543
female: 94,008 (2008 est.)

Bermuda
male: 426
female: 445 (2008 est.)

Bhutan
male: 7,847
female: 7,530 (2008 est.)

Bolivia
male: 107,051
female: 103,620 (2008 est.)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
male: 30,246
female: 28,189 (2008 est.)

Botswana
male: 23,007
female: 22,551 (2008 est.)

Brazil
male: 1,666,791
female: 1,608,363 (2008 est.)

British Virgin Islands
male: 184
female: 179 (2008 est.)

Brunei
male: 3,223
female: 3,182 (2008 est.)

Bulgaria
male: 39,477
female: 37,339 (2008 est.)

Burkina Faso
male: 176,358
female: 173,856 (2008 est.)

Burma
male: 423,809
female: 415,843 (2008 est.)

Burundi
male: 98,105
female: 98,533 (2008 est.)

Cambodia
male: 185,959
female: 182,558 (2008 est.)

Cameroon
male: 212,205
female: 207,545 (2008 est.)

Canada
male: 227,435
female: 215,556 (2008 est.)

Cape Verde
male: 5,566
female: 5,441 (2008 est.)

Cayman Islands
male: 336
female: 336 (2008 est.)

Central African Republic
male: 54,655
female: 54,420 (2008 est.)

Chad
male: 116,824
female: 117,831 (2008 est.)

Chile
male: 147,518
female: 141,139 (2008 est.)

China
male: 10,760,380
female: 9,710,032 (2008 est.)

Colombia
male: 442,403
female: 433,192 (2008 est.)

Comoros
male: 7,901
female: 7,894 (2008 est.)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
male: 783,762
female: 780,922 (2008 est.)

Congo, Republic of the
male: 45,671
female: 45,248 (2008 est.)

Cook Islands
male: 157
female: 133 (2008 est.)

Costa Rica
male: 40,767
female: 38,899 (2008 est.)

Cote d'Ivoire
male: 234,032
female: 230,799 (2008 est.)

Croatia
male: 27,500
female: 25,893 (2008 est.)

Cuba
male: 79,945
female: 76,014 (2008 est.)

Cyprus
male: 6,482
female: 6,208 (2008 est.)

Czech Republic
male: 63,124
female: 59,786 (2008 est.)

Denmark
male: 36,561
female: 34,603 (2008 est.)

Djibouti
male: 5,618
female: 5,609 (2008 est.)

Dominica
male: 756
female: 713 (2008 est.)

Dominican Republic
male: 96,971
female: 93,116 (2008 est.)

Ecuador
male: 144,821
female: 139,091 (2008 est.)

Egypt
male: 825,300
female: 786,590 (2008 est.)

El Salvador
male: 73,915
female: 71,252 (2008 est.)

Equatorial Guinea
male: 6,784
female: 6,543 (2008 est.)

Eritrea
male: 60,490
female: 60,639 (2008 est.)

Estonia
male: 8,322
female: 7,846 (2008 est.)

Ethiopia
male: 887,061
female: 896,048 (2008 est.)

Faroe Islands
male: 400
female: 387 (2008 est.)

Fiji
male: 9,077
female: 8,728 (2008 est.)

Finland
male: 34,152
female: 32,870 (2008 est.)

France
male: 401,379
female: 382,409 (2008 est.)

French Polynesia
male: 2,699
female: 2,589 (2008 est.)

Gabon
male: 16,558
female: 16,577 (2008 est.)

Gambia, The
male: 19,650
female: 19,582 (2008 est.)

Gaza Strip
male: 19,275
female: 18,309 (2008 est.)

Georgia
male: 35,917
female: 34,566 (2008 est.)

Germany
male: 442,972
female: 420,801 (2008 est.)

Ghana
male: 273,265
female: 267,204 (2008 est.)

Gibraltar
male: 190
female: 185 (2008 est.)

Greece
male: 53,858
female: 50,488 (2008 est.)

Greenland
male: 534
female: 503 (2008 est.)

Grenada
male: 1,034
female: 970 (2008 est.)

Guam
male: 1,665
female: 1,547 (2008 est.)

Guatemala
male: 161,550
female: 159,760 (2008 est.)

Guernsey
male: 379
female: 353 (2008 est.)

Guinea
male: 106,967
female: 104,631 (2008 est.)

Guinea-Bissau
male: 16,634
female: 16,841 (2008 est.)

Guyana
male: 6,713
female: 6,451 (2008 est.)

Haiti
male: 105,655
female: 104,376 (2008 est.)

Honduras
male: 90,876
female: 87,292 (2008 est.)

Hong Kong
male: 42,173
female: 38,753 (2008 est.)

Hungary
male: 62,197
female: 59,267 (2008 est.)

Iceland
male: 2,393
female: 2,317 (2008 est.)

India
male: 11,592,516
female: 10,636,857 (2008 est.)

Indonesia
male: 2,181,303
female: 2,110,397 (2008 est.)

Iran
male: 766,668
female: 727,654 (2008 est.)

Iraq
male: 302,926
female: 294,747 (2008 est.)

Ireland
male: 28,610
female: 27,095 (2008 est.)

Isle of Man
male: 471
female: 447 (2008 est.)

Israel
male: 60,602
female: 57,532 (2008 est.)

Italy
male: 290,740
female: 273,569 (2008 est.)

Jamaica
male: 32,000
female: 31,428 (2008 est.)

Japan
male: 622,168
female: 590,153 (2008 est.)

Jersey
male: 587
female: 540 (2008 est.)

Jordan
male: 68,067
female: 65,512 (2008 est.)

Kazakhstan
male: 145,495
female: 140,149 (2008 est.)

Kenya
male: 411,032
female: 406,794 (2008 est.)

Kiribati
male: 1,247
female: 1,226 (2008 est.)

Korea, North
male: 199,628
female: 192,388 (2008 est.)

Korea, South
male: 371,108
female: 325,408 (2008 est.)

Kuwait
male: 17,737
female: 18,519 (2008 est.)

Kyrgyzstan
male: 60,706
female: 58,721 (2008 est.)

Laos
male: 73,973
female: 72,758 (2008 est.)

Latvia
male: 14,506
female: 13,982 (2008 est.)

Lebanon
male: 32,815
female: 31,610 (2008 est.)

Lesotho
male: 26,084
female: 26,006 (2008 est.)

Liberia
male: 30,448
female: 29,902 (2008 est.)

Libya
male: 61,305
female: 58,788 (2008 est.)

Liechtenstein
male: 202
female: 222 (2008 est.)

Lithuania
male: 25,907
female: 24,735 (2008 est.)

Luxembourg
male: 3,066
female: 2,909 (2008 est.)

Macau
male: 4,601
female: 4,171 (2008 est.)

Macedonia
male: 15,141
female: 14,434 (2008 est.)

Madagascar
male: 230,088
female: 229,932 (2008 est.)

Malawi
male: 168,858
female: 168,946 (2008 est.)

Malaysia
male: 260,725
female: 247,309 (2008 est.)

Maldives
male: 4,749
female: 4,084 (2008 est.)

Mali
male: 144,293
female: 136,381 (2008 est.)

Malta
male: 2,815
female: 2,657 (2008 est.)

Marshall Islands
male: 512
female: 494 (2008 est.)

Mauritania
male: 38,191
female: 38,638 (2008 est.)

Mauritius
male: 11,089
female: 10,843 (2008 est.)

Mayotte
male: 2,407
female: 2,401 (2008 est.)

Mexico
male: 1,110,544
female: 1,073,223 (2008 est.)

Micronesia, Federated States of
male: 1,310
female: 1,262 (2008 est.)

Moldova
male: 33,053
female: 31,712 (2008 est.)

Monaco
male: 191
female: 182 (2008 est.)

Mongolia
male: 29,990
female: 29,256 (2008 est.)

Montenegro
male: 4,426
female: 4,201 (2008 est.)

Montserrat
male: 31
female: 39 (2008 est.)

Morocco
male: 355,479
female: 343,016 (2008 est.)

Mozambique
male: 257,261
female: 259,114 (2008 est.)

Namibia
male: 25,525
female: 25,182 (2008 est.)

Nauru
male: 173
female: 159 (2008 est.)

Nepal
male: 335,747
female: 312,297 (2008 est.)

Netherlands
male: 105,735
female: 100,747 (2008 est.)

Netherlands Antilles
male: 1,855
female: 1,760 (2008 est.)

New Caledonia
male: 2,202
female: 2,121 (2008 est.)

New Zealand
male: 31,834
female: 30,243 (2008 est.)

Nicaragua
male: 72,689
female: 70,452 (2008 est.)

Niger
male: 150,728
female: 143,379 (2008 est.)

Nigeria
male: 1,663,025
female: 1,585,224 (2008 est.)

Northern Mariana Islands
male: 572
female: 594 (2008 est.)

Norway
male: 32,185
female: 30,683 (2008 est.)

Oman
male: 34,238
female: 33,139 (2008 est.)

Pakistan
male: 2,062,065
female: 1,936,916 (2008 est.)

Palau
male: 179
female: 165 (2008 est.)

Panama
male: 31,042
female: 29,969 (2008 est.)

Papua New Guinea
male: 62,865
female: 61,102 (2008 est.)

Paraguay
male: 72,109
female: 70,509 (2008 est.)

Peru
male: 306,260
female: 296,819 (2008 est.)

Philippines
male: 1,012,779
female: 977,030 (2008 est.)

Poland
male: 257,605
female: 245,832 (2008 est.)

Portugal
male: 64,910
female: 58,599 (2008 est.)

Puerto Rico
male: 30,760
female: 29,469 (2008 est.)

Qatar
male: 6,224
female: 4,845 (2008 est.)

Romania
male: 127,706
female: 121,852 (2008 est.)

Russia
male: 821,103
female: 781,570 (2008 est.)

Rwanda
male: 111,791
female: 112,131 (2008 est.)

Saint Barthelemy
male: 21
female: 20 (2008 est.)

Saint Helena
male: 47
female: 43 (2008 est.)

Saint Kitts and Nevis
male: 367
female: 352 (2008 est.)

Saint Lucia
male: 1,591
female: 1,504 (2008 est.)

Saint Martin
male: 186
female: 162 (2008 est.)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
male: 61
female: 58 (2008 est.)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
male: 1,224
female: 1,169 (2008 est.)

Samoa
male: 2,571
female: 2,454 (2008 est.)

San Marino
male: 156
female: 154 (2008 est.)

Sao Tome and Principe
male: 2,437
female: 2,394 (2008 est.)

Saudi Arabia
male: 271,905
female: 261,795 (2008 est.)

Senegal
male: 141,832
female: 139,541 (2008 est.)

Serbia
male: 66,263
female: 62,165 (2008 est.)

Seychelles
male: 770
female: 750 (2008 est.)

Sierra Leone
male: 70,068
female: 73,930 (2008 est.)

Singapore
male: 27,742
female: 26,325 (2008 est.)

Slovakia
male: 38,183
female: 36,388 (2008 est.)

Slovenia
male: 10,516
female: 9,934 (2008 est.)

Solomon Islands
male: 6,924
female: 6,679 (2008 est.)

Somalia
male: 95,446
female: 95,339 (2008 est.)

South Africa
male: 529,201
female: 522,678 (2008 est.)

Spain
male: 203,650
female: 191,352 (2008 est.)

Sri Lanka
male: 174,065
female: 168,593 (2008 est.)

Sudan
male: 488,679
female: 469,547 (2008 est.)

Suriname
male: 4,329
female: 4,350 (2008 est.)

Swaziland
male: 15,951
female: 15,728 (2008 est.)

Sweden
male: 64,605
female: 61,110 (2008 est.)

Switzerland
male: 49,205
female: 45,220 (2008 est.)

Syria
male: 215,734
female: 203,106 (2008 est.)

Taiwan
male: 164,883
female: 152,085 (2008 est.)

Tajikistan
male: 84,137
female: 81,777 (2008 est.)

Tanzania
male: 478,812
female: 479,557 (2008 est.)

Thailand
male: 531,315
female: 511,288 (2008 est.)

Timor-Leste
male: 13,045
female: 12,670 (2008 est.)

Togo
male: 69,156
female: 69,200 (2008 est.)

Tonga
male: 1,464
female: 1,412 (2008 est.)

Trinidad and Tobago
male: 8,671
female: 8,153 (2008 est.)

Tunisia
male: 101,794
female: 95,198 (2008 est.)

Turkey
male: 660,452
female: 638,527 (2008 est.)

Turkmenistan
male: 57,615
female: 55,426 (2008 est.)

Turks and Caicos Islands
male: 222
female: 214 (2008 est.)

Tuvalu
male: 128
female: 125 (2008 est.)

Uganda
male: 384,638
female: 381,990 (2008 est.)

Ukraine
male: 288,605
female: 276,324 (2008 est.)

United Arab Emirates
male: 25,856
female: 23,085 (2008 est.)

United Kingdom
male: 400,927
female: 383,593 (2008 est.)

United States
male: 2,186,440
female: 2,079,688 (2008 est.)

Uruguay
male: 27,082
female: 26,075 (2008 est.)

Uzbekistan
male: 324,094
female: 323,923 (2008 est.)

Vanuatu
male: 2,385
female: 2,290 (2008 est.)

Venezuela
male: 275,323
female: 274,106 (2008 est.)

Vietnam
male: 903,734
female: 845,306 (2008 est.)

Virgin Islands
male: 861
female: 897 (2008 est.)

Wallis and Futuna
male: 172
female: 170 (2008 est.)

West Bank
male: 29,866
female: 28,372 (2008 est.)

Western Sahara
male: 4,658
female: 4,545 (2008 est.)

Yemen
male: 268,468
female: 258,196 (2008 est.)

Zambia
male: 147,358
female: 146,771 (2008 est.)

Zimbabwe
male: 144,601
female: 147,627 (2008 est.)

This page was last updated on 18 December 2008

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

@2028 Background

Afghanistan
Ahmad Shah DURRANI unified the Pashtun tribes and
founded Afghanistan in 1747. The country served as a buffer between
the British and Russian empires until it won independence from
notional British control in 1919. A brief experiment in democracy
ended in a 1973 coup and a 1978 Communist counter-coup. The Soviet
Union invaded in 1979 to support the tottering Afghan Communist
regime, touching off a long and destructive war. The USSR withdrew
in 1989 under relentless pressure by internationally supported
anti-Communist mujahedin rebels. A series of subsequent civil wars
saw Kabul finally fall in 1996 to the Taliban, a hardline
Pakistani-sponsored movement that emerged in 1994 to end the
country's civil war and anarchy. Following the 11 September 2001
terrorist attacks in New York City, a US, Allied, and anti-Taliban
Northern Alliance military action toppled the Taliban for sheltering
Osama BIN LADIN. The UN-sponsored Bonn Conference in 2001
established a process for political reconstruction that included the
adoption of a new constitution, a presidential election in 2004, and
National Assembly elections in 2005. In December 2004, Hamid KARZAI
became the first democratically elected president of Afghanistan and
the National Assembly was inaugurated the following December.
Despite gains toward building a stable central government, a
resurgent Taliban and continuing provincial instability -
particularly in the south and the east - remain serious challenges
for the Afghan Government.

Akrotiri
By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created
the independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovereignty
and jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers -
Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The southernmost and smallest of these is the
Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the
Western Sovereign Base Area.

Albania
Albania declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire in
1912, but was conquered by Italy in 1939. Communist partisans took
over the country in 1944. Albania allied itself first with the USSR
(until 1960), and then with China (to 1978). In the early 1990s,
Albania ended 46 years of xenophobic Communist rule and established
a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven challenging as
successive governments have tried to deal with high unemployment,
widespread corruption, a dilapidated physical infrastructure,
powerful organized crime networks, and combative political
opponents. Albania has made progress in its democratic development
since first holding multiparty elections in 1991, but deficiencies
remain. International observers judged elections to be largely free
and fair since the restoration of political stability following the
collapse of pyramid schemes in 1997. In the 2005 general elections,
the Democratic Party and its allies won a decisive victory on
pledges of reducing crime and corruption, promoting economic growth,
and decreasing the size of government. The election, and
particularly the orderly transition of power, was considered an
important step forward. Although Albania's economy continues to
grow, the country is still one of the poorest in Europe, hampered by
a large informal economy and an inadequate energy and transportation
infrastructure. Albania has played a largely helpful role in
managing inter-ethnic tensions in southeastern Europe, and is
continuing to work toward joining NATO and the EU. Albania, with
troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, has been a strong supporter of the
global war on terrorism.

Algeria
After more than a century of rule by France, Algerians
fought through much of the 1950s to achieve independence in 1962.
Algeria's primary political party, the National Liberation Front
(FLN), has dominated politics ever since. Many Algerians in the
subsequent generation were not satisfied, however, and moved to
counter the FLN's centrality in Algerian politics. The surprising
first round success of the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) in the
December 1991 balloting spurred the Algerian army to intervene and
postpone the second round of elections to prevent what the secular
elite feared would be an extremist-led government from assuming
power. The army began a crackdown on the FIS that spurred FIS
supporters to begin attacking government targets. The government
later allowed elections featuring pro-government and moderate
religious-based parties, but did not appease the activists who
progressively widened their attacks. The fighting escalated into an
insurgency, which saw intense fighting between 1992-98 and which
resulted in over 100,000 deaths - many attributed to indiscriminate
massacres of villagers by extremists. The government gained the
upper hand by the late-1990s and FIS's armed wing, the Islamic
Salvation Army, disbanded in January 2000. However, small numbers of
armed militants persist in confronting government forces and
conducting ambushes and occasional attacks on villages. The army
placed Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA in the presidency in 1999 in a
fraudulent election but claimed neutrality in his 2004 landslide
reelection victory. Longstanding problems continue to face
BOUTEFLIKA in his second term, including the ethnic minority
Berbers' ongoing autonomy campaign, large-scale unemployment, a
shortage of housing, unreliable electrical and water supplies,
government inefficiencies and corruption, and the continuing
activities of extremist militants. The 2006 merger of the Salafist
Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) with al-Qaida (followed by a
name change to al-Qaida in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb)
signaled an increase in bombings, including high-profile,
mass-casualty suicide attacks targeted against the Algerian
government and Western interests. Algeria must also diversify its
petroleum-based economy, which has yielded a large cash reserve but
which has not been used to redress Algeria's many social and
infrastructure problems.

American Samoa
Settled as early as 1000 B.C., Samoa was "discovered"
by European explorers in the 18th century. International rivalries
in the latter half of the 19th century were settled by an 1899
treaty in which Germany and the US divided the Samoan archipelago.
The US formally occupied its portion - a smaller group of eastern
islands with the excellent harbor of Pago Pago - the following year.

Andorra
For 715 years, from 1278 to 1993, Andorrans lived under a
unique co-principality, ruled by French and Spanish leaders (from
1607 onward, the French chief of state and the Spanish bishop of
Urgel). In 1993, this feudal system was modified with the titular
heads of state retained, but the government transformed into a
parliamentary democracy. Long isolated and impoverished, mountainous
Andorra achieved considerable prosperity since World War II through
its tourist industry. Many immigrants (legal and illegal) are
attracted to the thriving economy with its lack of income taxes.

Angola
Angola is rebuilding its country after the end of a 27-year
civil war in 2002. Fighting between the Popular Movement for the
Liberation of Angola (MPLA), led by Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS, and the
National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), led by
Jonas SAVIMBI, followed independence from Portugal in 1975. Peace
seemed imminent in 1992 when Angola held national elections, but
UNITA renewed fighting after being beaten by the MPLA at the polls.
Up to 1.5 million lives may have been lost - and 4 million people
displaced - in the quarter century of fighting. SAVIMBI's death in
2002 ended UNITA's insurgency and strengthened the MPLA's hold on
power. President DOS SANTOS has announced legislative elections will
be held in September 2008, with presidential elections planned for
sometime in 2009.

Anguilla
Colonized by English settlers from Saint Kitts in 1650,
Anguilla was administered by Great Britain until the early 19th
century, when the island - against the wishes of the inhabitants -
was incorporated into a single British dependency, along with Saint
Kitts and Nevis. Several attempts at separation failed. In 1971, two
years after a revolt, Anguilla was finally allowed to secede; this
arrangement was formally recognized in 1980, with Anguilla becoming
a separate British dependency.

Antarctica
Speculation over the existence of a "southern land" was
not confirmed until the early 1820s when British and American
commercial operators and British and Russian national expeditions
began exploring the Antarctic Peninsula region and other areas south
of the Antarctic Circle. Not until 1840 was it established that
Antarctica was indeed a continent and not just a group of islands.
Several exploration "firsts" were achieved in the early 20th
century. Following World War II, there was an upsurge in scientific
research on the continent. A number of countries have set up a range
of year-round and seasonal stations, camps, and refuges to support
scientific research in Antarctica. Seven have made territorial
claims, but not all countries recognize these claims. In order to
form a legal framework for the activities of nations on the
continent, an Antarctic Treaty was negotiated that neither denies
nor gives recognition to existing territorial claims; signed in
1959, it entered into force in 1961.

Antigua and Barbuda
The Siboney were the first to inhabit the
islands of Antigua and Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but Arawak Indians
populated the islands when COLUMBUS landed on his second voyage in
1493. Early settlements by the Spanish and French were succeeded by
the English who formed a colony in 1667. Slavery, established to run
the sugar plantations on Antigua, was abolished in 1834. The islands
became an independent state within the British Commonwealth of
Nations in 1981.

Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the world's five
oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and
the recently delimited Southern Ocean). The Northwest Passage (US
and Canada) and Northern Sea Route (Norway and Russia) are two
important seasonal waterways. A sparse network of air, ocean, river,
and land routes circumscribes the Arctic Ocean.

Argentina
In 1816, the United Provinces of the Rio Plata declared
their independence from Spain. After Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay
went their separate ways, the area that remained became Argentina.
The country's population and culture were heavily shaped by
immigrants from throughout Europe, but most particularly Italy and
Spain, which provided the largest percentage of newcomers from 1860
to 1930. Up until about the mid-20th century, much of Argentina's
history was dominated by periods of internal political conflict
between Federalists and Unitarians and between civilian and military
factions. After World War II, an era of Peronist authoritarian rule
and interference in subsequent governments was followed by a
military junta that took power in 1976. Democracy returned in 1983,
and has persisted despite numerous challenges, the most formidable
of which was a severe economic crisis in 2001-02 that led to violent
public protests and the resignation of several interim presidents.
The economy has recovered strongly since bottoming out in 2002.

Armenia
Armenia prides itself on being the first nation to formally
adopt Christianity (early 4th century). Despite periods of autonomy,
over the centuries Armenia came under the sway of various empires
including the Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Persian, and Ottoman. During
World War I in the western portion of Armenia, Ottoman Turkey
instituted a policy of forced resettlement coupled with other harsh
practices that resulted in an estimated 1 million Armenian deaths.
The eastern area of Armenia was ceded by the Ottomans to Russia in
1828; this portion declared its independence in 1918, but was
conquered by the Soviet Red Army in 1920. Armenian leaders remain
preoccupied by the long conflict with Muslim Azerbaijan over
Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily Armenian-populated region, assigned to
Soviet Azerbaijan in the 1920s by Moscow. Armenia and Azerbaijan
began fighting over the area in 1988; the struggle escalated after
both countries attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
By May 1994, when a cease-fire took hold, Armenian forces held not
only Nagorno-Karabakh but also a significant portion of Azerbaijan
proper. The economies of both sides have been hurt by their
inability to make substantial progress toward a peaceful resolution.
Turkey imposed an economic blockade on Armenia and closed the common
border because of the Armenian separatists' control of
Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas.

Aruba
Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was acquired
by the Dutch in 1636. The island's economy has been dominated by
three main industries. A 19th century gold rush was followed by
prosperity brought on by the opening in 1924 of an oil refinery. The
last decades of the 20th century saw a boom in the tourism industry.
Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986 and became a
separate, autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Movement toward full independence was halted at Aruba's request in
1990.

Ashmore and Cartier Islands
These uninhabited islands came under
Australian authority in 1931; formal administration began two years
later. Ashmore Reef supports a rich and diverse avian and marine
habitat; in 1983, it became a National Nature Reserve. Cartier
Island, a former bombing range, became a marine reserve in 2000.

Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the
world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, but larger than the
Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean). The Kiel Canal
(Germany), Oresund (Denmark-Sweden), Bosporus (Turkey), Strait of
Gibraltar (Morocco-Spain), and the Saint Lawrence Seaway (Canada-US)
are important strategic access waterways. The decision by the
International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to
delimit a fifth world ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion
of the Atlantic Ocean south of 60 degrees south latitude.

Australia
Aboriginal settlers arrived on the continent from
Southeast Asia about 40,000 years before the first Europeans began
exploration in the 17th century. No formal territorial claims were
made until 1770, when Capt. James COOK took possession in the name
of Great Britain. Six colonies were created in the late 18th and
19th centuries; they federated and became the Commonwealth of
Australia in 1901. The new country took advantage of its natural
resources to rapidly develop agricultural and manufacturing
industries and to make a major contribution to the British effort in
World Wars I and II. In recent decades, Australia has transformed
itself into an internationally competitive, advanced market economy.
It boasted one of the OECD's fastest growing economies during the
1990s, a performance due in large part to economic reforms adopted
in the 1980s. Long-term concerns include climate-change issues such
as the depletion of the ozone layer and more frequent droughts, and
management and conservation of coastal areas, especially the Great
Barrier Reef.

Austria
Once the center of power for the large Austro-Hungarian
Empire, Austria was reduced to a small republic after its defeat in
World War I. Following annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938 and
subsequent occupation by the victorious Allies in 1945, Austria's
status remained unclear for a decade. A State Treaty signed in 1955
ended the occupation, recognized Austria's independence, and forbade
unification with Germany. A constitutional law that same year
declared the country's "perpetual neutrality" as a condition for
Soviet military withdrawal. The Soviet Union's collapse in 1991 and
Austria's entry into the European Union in 1995 have altered the
meaning of this neutrality. A prosperous, democratic country,
Austria entered the EU Economic and Monetary Union in 1999.

Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan - a nation with a majority-Turkic and
majority-Muslim population - was briefly independent from 1918 to
1920; it regained its independence after the collapse of the Soviet
Union in 1991. Despite a 1994 cease-fire, Azerbaijan has yet to
resolve its conflict with Armenia over the Azerbaijani
Nagorno-Karabakh enclave (largely Armenian populated). Azerbaijan
has lost 16% of its territory and must support some 600,000
internally displaced persons as a result of the conflict. Corruption
is ubiquitous, and the government has been accused of
authoritarianism. Although the poverty rate has been reduced in
recent years, the promise of widespread wealth from development of
Azerbaijan's energy sector remains largely unfulfilled.

Bahamas, The
Lucayan Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher
COLUMBUS first set foot in the New World on San Salvador in 1492.
British settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became
a colony in 1783. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973,
The Bahamas have prospered through tourism and international banking
and investment management. Because of its geography, the country is
a major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly
shipments to the US and Europe, and its territory is used for
smuggling illegal migrants into the US.

Bahrain
In 1783, the al-Khalifa family captured Bahrain from the
Persians. In order to secure these holdings, it entered into a
series of treaties with the UK during the 19th century that made
Bahrain a British protectorate. The archipelago attained its
independence in 1971. Bahrain's small size and central location
among Persian Gulf countries require it to play a delicate balancing
act in foreign affairs among its larger neighbors. Facing declining
oil reserves, Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing and
refining and has transformed itself into an international banking
center. King HAMAD bin Isa al-Khalifa, after coming to power in
1999, pushed economic and political reforms to improve relations
with the Shia community. Shia political societies participated in
2006 parliamentary and municipal elections. Al Wifaq, the largest
Shia political society, won the largest number of seats in the
elected chamber of the legislature. However, Shi'a discontent has
resurfaced in recent years with street demonstrations and occasional
low-level violence.

Bangladesh
Europeans began to set up trading posts in the area of
Bangladesh in the 16th century; eventually the British came to
dominate the region and it became part of British India. In 1947,
West Pakistan and East Bengal (both primarily Muslim) separated from
India (largely Hindu) and jointly became the new country of
Pakistan. East Bengal became East Pakistan in 1955, but the awkward
arrangement of a two-part country with its territorial units
separated by 1,600 km left the Bengalis marginalized and
dissatisfied. East Pakistan seceded from its union with West
Pakistan in 1971 and was renamed Bangladesh. A military-backed
caretaker regime suspended planned parliamentary elections in
January 2007 in an effort to reform the political system and root
out corruption; the regime has pledged new democratic elections by
the end of 2008. About a third of this extremely poor country floods
annually during the monsoon rainy season, hampering economic
development.

Barbados
The island was uninhabited when first settled by the
British in 1627. Slaves worked the sugar plantations established on
the island until 1834 when slavery was abolished. The economy
remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production
through most of the 20th century. The gradual introduction of social
and political reforms in the 1940s and 1950s led to complete
independence from the UK in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and
manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance.

Belarus
After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR,
Belarus attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer
political and economic ties to Russia than any of the other former
Soviet republics. Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state
union on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic
integration. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the
accord, serious implementation has yet to take place. Since his
election in July 1994 as the country's first president, Alexandr
LUKASHENKO has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian
means. Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press,
peaceful assembly, and religion continue.

Belgium
Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830; it
was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. The country
prospered in the past half century as a modern, technologically
advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. Tensions
between the Dutch-speaking Flemings of the north and the
French-speaking Walloons of the south have led in recent years to
constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition
and autonomy.

Belize
Belize was the site of several Mayan city states until their
decline at the end of the first millennium A.D. The British and
Spanish disputed the region in the 17th and 18th centuries; it
formally became the colony of British Honduras in 1854. Territorial
disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of
Belize until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation
until 1992. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. Current
concerns include an unsustainable foreign debt, high unemployment,
growing involvement in the South American drug trade, growing urban
crime, and increasing incidences of HIV/AIDS.

Benin
Present day Benin was the site of Dahomey, a prominent West
African kingdom that rose in the 15th century. The territory became
a French Colony in 1872 and achieved independence on 1 August 1960,
as the Republic of Benin. A succession of military governments ended
in 1972 with the rise to power of Mathieu KEREKOU and the
establishment of a government based on Marxist-Leninist principles.
A move to representative government began in 1989. Two years later,
free elections ushered in former Prime Minister Nicephore SOGLO as
president, marking the first successful transfer of power in Africa
from a dictatorship to a democracy. KEREKOU was returned to power by
elections held in 1996 and 2001, though some irregularities were
alleged. KEREKOU stepped down at the end of his second term in 2006
and was succeeded by Thomas YAYI Boni, a political outsider and
independent. YAYI has begun a high profile fight against corruption
and has strongly promoted accelerating Benin's economic growth.

Bermuda
Bermuda was first settled in 1609 by shipwrecked English
colonists headed for Virginia. Tourism to the island to escape North
American winters first developed in Victorian times. Tourism
continues to be important to the island's economy, although
international business has overtaken it in recent years. Bermuda has
developed into a highly successful offshore financial center.
Although a referendum on independence from the UK was soundly
defeated in 1995, the present government has reopened debate on the
issue.

Bhutan
In 1865, Britain and Bhutan signed the Treaty of Sinchulu,
under which Bhutan would receive an annual subsidy in exchange for
ceding some border land to British India. Under British influence, a
monarchy was set up in 1907; three years later, a treaty was signed
whereby the British agreed not to interfere in Bhutanese internal
affairs and Bhutan allowed Britain to direct its foreign affairs.
This role was assumed by independent India after 1947. Two years
later, a formal Indo-Bhutanese accord returned the areas of Bhutan
annexed by the British, formalized the annual subsidies the country
received, and defined India's responsibilities in defense and
foreign relations. A refugee issue of over 100,000 Bhutanese in
Nepal remains unresolved; 90% of the refugees are housed in seven
United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
camps. In March 2005, King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK unveiled the
government's draft constitution - which would introduce major
democratic reforms - and pledged to hold a national referendum for
its approval. In December 2006, the King abdicated the throne to his
son, Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK, in order to give him experience
as head of state before the democratic transition. In early 2007,
India and Bhutan renegotiated their treaty to allow Bhutan greater
autonomy in conducting its foreign policy, although Thimphu
continues to coordinate policy decisions in this area with New
Delhi. In July 2007, seven ministers of Bhutan's ten-member cabinet
resigned to join the political process, and the cabinet acted as a
caretaker regime until democratic elections for seats to the
country's first parliament were completed in March 2008. The king
ratified the country's first constitution in July 2008.

Bolivia
Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simon BOLIVAR,
broke away from Spanish rule in 1825; much of its subsequent history
has consisted of a series of nearly 200 coups and countercoups.
Democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but leaders have
faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and
illegal drug production. In December 2005, Bolivians elected
Movement Toward Socialism leader Evo MORALES president - by the
widest margin of any leader since the restoration of civilian rule
in 1982 - after he ran on a promise to change the country's
traditional political class and empower the nation's poor majority.
However, since taking office, his controversial strategies have
exacerbated racial and economic tensions between the Amerindian
populations of the Andean west and the non-indigenous communities of
the eastern lowlands.

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina's declaration of
sovereignty in October 1991 was followed by a declaration of
independence from the former Yugoslavia on 3 March 1992 after a
referendum boycotted by ethnic Serbs. The Bosnian Serbs - supported
by neighboring Serbia and Montenegro - responded with armed
resistance aimed at partitioning the republic along ethnic lines and
joining Serb-held areas to form a "Greater Serbia." In March 1994,
Bosniaks and Croats reduced the number of warring factions from
three to two by signing an agreement creating a joint Bosniak/Croat
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 21 November 1995, in
Dayton, Ohio, the warring parties initialed a peace agreement that
brought to a halt three years of interethnic civil strife (the final
agreement was signed in Paris on 14 December 1995). The Dayton Peace
Accords retained Bosnia and Herzegovina's international boundaries
and created a joint multi-ethnic and democratic government charged
with conducting foreign, diplomatic, and fiscal policy. Also
recognized was a second tier of government comprised of two entities
roughly equal in size: the Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and
Herzegovina and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska (RS). The
Federation and RS governments were charged with overseeing most
government functions. The Office of the High Representative (OHR)
was established to oversee the implementation of the civilian
aspects of the agreement. In 1995-96, a NATO-led international
peacekeeping force (IFOR) of 60,000 troops served in Bosnia to
implement and monitor the military aspects of the agreement. IFOR
was succeeded by a smaller, NATO-led Stabilization Force (SFOR)
whose mission was to deter renewed hostilities. European Union
peacekeeping troops (EUFOR) replaced SFOR in December 2004; their
mission is to maintain peace and stability throughout the country.
EUFOR's mission changed from peacekeeping to civil policing in
October 2007, with its presence reduced from nearly 7,000 to 2,500
troops.

Botswana
Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana
adopted its new name upon independence in 1966. Four decades of
uninterrupted civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and
significant capital investment have created one of the most dynamic
economies in Africa. Mineral extraction, principally diamond mining,
dominates economic activity, though tourism is a growing sector due
to the country's conservation practices and extensive nature
preserves. Botswana has one of the world's highest known rates of
HIV/AIDS infection, but also one of Africa's most progressive and
comprehensive programs for dealing with the disease.

Bouvet Island
This uninhabited volcanic island is almost entirely
covered by glaciers and is difficult to approach. It was discovered
in 1739 by a French naval officer after whom the island was named.
No claim was made until 1825, when the British flag was raised. In
1928, the UK waived its claim in favor of Norway, which had occupied
the island the previous year. In 1971, Norway designated Bouvet
Island and the adjacent territorial waters a nature reserve. Since
1977, it has run an automated meteorological station on the island.