Chapter M: Major infectious diseases (88)

Jordan
17 years of age for voluntary military service; male
conscription at age 18 - suspended in 1999 - resurrected in July
2007 in order to provide youth training necessary for job market
needs; all males under age 37 are required to register; women not
subject to conscription, but can volunteer to serve in non-combat
military positions in the Royal Jordanian Arab Army Women's Corps
(2009)

Kazakhstan
18 years of age for compulsory military service;
conscript service obligation - 2 years; minimum age for volunteers
NA (2004)

Kenya
18 years of age (est.) for voluntary service, with a 9-year
obligation (2007)

Korea, North
17 years of age (2004)

Korea, South
20-30 years of age for compulsory military service,
with middle school education required; conscript service obligation
- 24-28 months, depending on the military branch involved (to be
reduced to 18 months beginning 2016); 18-26 years of age for
voluntary military service; women, in service since 1950, admitted
to 7 service branches, including infantry, but excluded from
artillery, armor, anti-air, and chaplaincy corps; some 4,000 women
serve as commissioned and noncommissioned officers, approx. 2.3% of
all officers (2008)

Kuwait
18-30 years of age for compulsory and 18-25 years of age for
voluntary military service; women age 18-30 may be subject to
compulsory military service; conscription suspended in 2001 (2009)

Kyrgyzstan
18 years of age for compulsory military service (2001)

Laos
15 years of age for compulsory military service; minimum
18-month conscript service obligation (2006)

Latvia
18 years of age for voluntary male and female military
service; conscription abolished January 2007; under current law,
every citizen is entitled to serve in the armed forces for life
(2009)

Lebanon
18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2007)

Lesotho
18-24 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2008)

Liberia
16 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2008)

Libya
17 years of age (2004)

Lithuania
19-26 years of age for compulsory military service; 18
years of age for volunteers; 12-month conscript service obligation;
male registration required at age 16 (2009)

Luxembourg
17-25 years of age for male and female voluntary military
service; soldiers under 18 are not deployed into combat or with
peacekeeping missions; no conscription; Luxembourg citizen or EU
citizen with 3-year residence in Luxembourg (2008)

Macedonia
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2007)

Madagascar
18-25 years of age for male-only compulsory military
service; 18-month conscript service obligation (either military or
equivalent civil service); 20-30 years of age for National
Gendarmerie recruits (35 years of age for those with military
experience) (2008)

Malawi
18 years of age for voluntary military service; standard
obligation is 2 years of active duty and 5 years of reserve service
(2007)

Malaysia
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2005)

Maldives
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2008)

Mali
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
conscript service obligation - 2 years (2008)

Malta
17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2008)

Mauritania
18 years of age (est.); conscript service obligation - 2
years; majority of servicemen believed to be volunteers; service in
Air Force and Navy is voluntary (2006)

Mexico
18 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript
service obligation - 12 months; 16 years of age with consent for
voluntary enlistment; conscripts serve only in the Army; Navy and
Air Force service is all voluntary; women are eligible for voluntary
military service (2007)

Moldova
18 years of age for compulsory military service; 17 years of
age for voluntary service; male registration required at age 16;
12-month service obligation (2009)

Mongolia
18-25 years of age for compulsory military service;
conscript service obligation - 12 months in land or air defense
forces or police; a small portion of Mongolian land forces (2.5
percent) is comprised of contract soldiers; women cannot be deployed
overseas for military operations (2006)

Montenegro
compulsory national military service abolished August 2006

Morocco
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (2004)

Mozambique
19-35 years of age for compulsory military service; 18
years of age for voluntary service; 2-year service obligation (2009)

Namibia
18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2008)

Nepal
18 years of age for voluntary military service; 15 years of
age for military training; no conscription (2008)

Netherlands
20 years of age for an all-volunteer force (2004)

Netherlands Antilles
16 years of age for National Guard recruitment;
no conscription (2004)

New Zealand
17 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers
cannot be deployed until the age of 18; no conscription (2008)

Nicaragua
17 years of age for voluntary military service; tour of
duty 18-36 months (2008)

Niger
17-21 years of age for selective compulsory or voluntary
military service; enlistees must be Nigerien citizens and unmarried;
2-year service term; women may serve in health care (2009)

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

Norway
18-44 years of age for male compulsory military service; 16
years of age in wartime; 17 years of age for male volunteers; 18
years of age for women; 12-month service obligation, in practice
shortened to 8 to 9 months; although all males between ages of 18
and 44 are liable for service, in practice they are seldom called to
duty after age 30; reserve obligation to age 35-60; 16 years of age
for volunteers to the Home Guard, who serve 6-month duty tours (2009)

Oman
18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2008)

Pakistan
17-23 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers
cannot be deployed for combat until age 18; the Pakistani Air Force
and Pakistani Navy have inducted their first female pilots and
sailors (2009)

Papua New Guinea
16 years of age for voluntary military service
(with parental consent); no conscription (2008)

Paraguay
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; conscript service obligation - 12 months for Army, 24
months for Navy (2007)

Peru
18-30 years of age for voluntary male and female military
service; no conscription (2008)

Philippines
18-25 years of age (officers 21-29) for compulsory and
voluntary military service; applicants must be single male or female
Philippine citizens (2007)

Poland
18-28 years of age for male voluntary or compulsory military
service; service obligation shortened from 12 to 9 months in 2005;
conscription is to end in 2012; only soldiers who have completed
their conscript service are allowed to volunteer for professional
service; as of April 2004, women are only allowed to serve as
officers and noncommissioned officers; reserve obligation to age 50
(2009)

Portugal
18 years of age for voluntary military service; compulsory
military service ended in 2004; women serve in the armed forces, on
naval ships since 1993, but are prohibited from serving in some
combatant specialties; reserve obligation to age 35 (2007)

Qatar
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2008)

Romania
18-35 years of age for male and female voluntary military
service; conscription officially ended October 2006; all military
inductees (including women) contract for an initial 5-year term of
service, with subsequent successive contracts for 3-year terms until
age 36 (2009)

Russia
18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military
service; males are registered for the draft at 17 years of age;
service obligation - 1 year; reserve obligation to age 50; as of
July 2008, a draft military strategy called for the draft to
continue up to the year 2030 (2009)

Rwanda
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2008)

Saint Kitts and Nevis
18 years of age for voluntary military
service; no conscription (2008)

San Marino
16-55 for voluntary service in Voluntary Military Force
(2006)

Sao Tome and Principe
18 years of age (est.) (2004)

Saudi Arabia
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2004)

Senegal
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)

Serbia
19-35 years of age for male compulsory military service;
under a state of war or impending war, conscription can begin at age
16; conscription is to be abolished in 2010; 6-month service
obligation, with a reserve obligation to age 60 for men and 50 for
women (2007)

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

Sierra Leone
17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service
(younger with parental consent); no conscription (2008)

Singapore
18-21 years of age for male compulsory military service;
16 years of age for volunteers; 2-year conscript service obligation,
with a reserve obligation to age 40 (enlisted) or age 50 (officers)
(2008)

Slovakia
17-30 years of age for voluntary military service;
conscription abolished in 2006; women are eligible to serve (2007)

Slovenia
17 years of age for voluntary military service;
conscription abolished in 2003 (2007)

South Africa
18 years of age for voluntary military service; women
are eligible to serve in noncombat roles; 2-year service obligation
(2007)

Spain
20 years of age (2004)

Sri Lanka
18 years of age for voluntary military service; 5-year
service obligation (2007)

Sudan
18-33 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; 12-24 month service obligation (2009)

Suriname
18 years of age (est.); recruitment is voluntary, with
personnel drawn almost exclusively from the Creole community (2007)

Swaziland
18-30 years of age for male and female voluntary military
service; no conscription (2008)

Sweden
18-47 years of age for male compulsory or voluntary military
service; conscript service obligation: 7.5 months (Army), 7-15
months (Navy), 8-12 months (Air Force); after completing initial
service, soldiers have a reserve commitment until age 47; women are
eligible for voluntary military service (2009)

Switzerland
19 years of age for male compulsory military service; 18
years of age for voluntary male and female military service; the
Swiss Constitution states that "every Swiss male is obliged to do
military service"; every Swiss male has to serve at least 260 days
in the armed forces; conscripts receive 18 weeks of mandatory
training, followed by seven 3-week intermittent recalls for training
during the next 10 years (2008)

Syria
18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
service obligation - 30 months (18 months in the Syrian Arab Navy);
women are not conscripted but may volunteer to serve (2004)

Taiwan
19-35 years of age for male compulsory military service;
service obligation 14 months (reducing to 1 year in 2009); 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
(2009)

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 (2007)

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, 18 years of
age for voluntary military service; 1-year conscript service
obligation (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 (2009)

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
18-27 years of age for voluntary military service (16 years
of age with parental consent); Zambian citizenship required;
mandatory HIV testing on enlistment; no conscription (2009)

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

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

@2025

Field Listing :: Manpower fit for military service

This entry gives the number of males and females falling in the
military age range for a country (defined as being ages 16-49) and
who are not otherwise disqualified for health reasons; accounts for
the health situation in the country and provides a more realistic
estimate of the actual number fit to serve.
Country

Manpower fit for military service

Afghanistan
males age 16-49: 4,371,193
females age 16-49: 4,072,945 (2009 est.)

Albania
males age 16-49: 800,665
females age 16-49: 768,536 (2009 est.)

Algeria
males age 16-49: 8,317,473
females age 16-49: 8,367,005 (2009 est.)

American Samoa
males age 16-49: 13,875
females age 16-49: 13,517 (2009 est.)

Andorra
males age 16-49: 18,617
females age 16-49: 17,613 (2009 est.)

Angola
males age 16-49: 1,467,833
females age 16-49: 1,411,468 (2009 est.)

Anguilla
males age 16-49: 2,955
females age 16-49: 3,308 (2009 est.)

Antigua and Barbuda
males age 16-49: 17,271
females age 16-49: 19,586 (2009 est.)

Argentina
males age 16-49: 8,264,853
females age 16-49: 8,268,498 (2009 est.)

Armenia
males age 16-49: 642,734
females age 16-49: 729,047 (2009 est.)

Aruba
males age 16-49: 20,287
females age 16-49: 21,232 (2009 est.)

Australia
males age 16-49: 4,341,591
females age 16-49: 4,179,659 (2009 est.)

Austria
males age 16-49: 1,607,456
females age 16-49: 1,576,335 (2009 est.)

Azerbaijan
males age 16-49: 1,727,464
females age 16-49: 1,944,260 (2009 est.)

Bahamas, The
males age 16-49: 50,764
females age 16-49: 51,690 (2009 est.)

Bahrain
males age 16-49: 171,004
females age 16-49: 144,555 (2009 est.)

Bangladesh
males age 16-49: 24,946,041
females age 16-49: 31,409,069 (2009 est.)

Barbados
males age 16-49: 58,596
females age 16-49: 58,866 (2009 est.)

Belarus
males age 16-49: 1,720,049
females age 16-49: 2,069,898 (2009 est.)

Belgium
males age 16-49: 1,962,409
females age 16-49: 1,905,178 (2009 est.)

Belize
males age 16-49: 56,135
females age 16-49: 54,732 (2009 est.)

Benin
males age 16-49: 1,279,053
females age 16-49: 1,292,438 (2009 est.)

Bermuda
males age 16-49: 12,496
females age 16-49: 12,486 (2009 est.)

Bhutan
males age 16-49: 150,210
females age 16-49: 135,991 (2009 est.)

Bolivia
males age 16-49: 1,666,697
females age 16-49: 1,906,396 (2009 est.)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
males age 16-49: 991,953
females age 16-49: 959,226 (2009 est.)

Botswana
males age 16-49: 341,190
females age 16-49: 315,588 (2009 est.)

Brazil
males age 16-49: 38,043,555
females age 16-49: 44,267,520 (2009 est.)

British Virgin Islands
males age 16-49: 5,979
females age 16-49: 5,738 (2009 est.)

Brunei
males age 16-49: 92,543
females age 16-49: 95,301 (2009 est.)

Bulgaria
males age 16-49: 1,351,312
females age 16-49: 1,381,017 (2009 est.)

Burkina Faso
males age 16-49: 2,197,557
females age 16-49: 2,191,978 (2009 est.)

Burma
males age 16-49: 9,146,312
females age 16-49: 9,520,852 (2009 est.)

Burundi
males age 16-49: 1,124,072
females age 16-49: 1,102,729 (2009 est.)

Cambodia
males age 16-49: 2,673,383
females age 16-49: 2,763,256 (2009 est.)

Cameroon
males age 16-49: 2,645,601
females age 16-49: 2,574,948 (2009 est.)

Canada
males age 16-49: 6,647,513
females age 16-49: 6,413,748 (2009 est.)

Cape Verde
males age 16-49: 84,967
females age 16-49: 90,154 (2009 est.)

Cayman Islands
males age 16-49: 9,735
females age 16-49: 10,145 (2009 est.)

Central African Republic
males age 16-49: 552,907
females age 16-49: 512,611 (2009 est.)

Chad
males age 16-49: 1,103,006
females age 16-49: 1,315,620 (2009 est.)

Chile
males age 16-49: 3,573,165
females age 16-49: 3,523,649 (2009 est.)

China
males age 16-49: 314,459,083
females age 16-49: 296,763,134 (2009 est.)

Colombia
males age 16-49: 8,212,944
females age 16-49: 10,045,435 (2009 est.)

Comoros
males age 16-49: 125,747
females age 16-49: 135,707 (2009 est.)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
males age 16-49: 8,925,355
females age 16-49: 9,047,356 (2009 est.)

Congo, Republic of the
males age 16-49: 538,202
females age 16-49: 527,649 (2009 est.)

Cook Islands
males age 16-49: 2,334
females age 16-49: 2,286 (2009 est.)

Costa Rica
males age 16-49: 971,224
females age 16-49: 936,978 (2009 est.)

Cote d'Ivoire
males age 16-49: 3,122,106
females age 16-49: 2,936,391 (2009 est.)

Croatia
males age 16-49: 770,798
females age 16-49: 849,957 (2009 est.)

Cuba
males age 16-49: 2,532,495
females age 16-49: 2,468,631 (2009 est.)

Cyprus
Greek Cypriot National Guard (GCNG):
males age 16-49: 165,615
females age 16-49: 159,362 (2009 est.)

Czech Republic
males age 16-49: 2,095,038
females age 16-49: 2,011,531 (2009 est.)

Denmark
males age 16-49: 1,013,223
females age 16-49: 998,837 (2009 est.)

Djibouti
males age 16-49: 55,173
females age 16-49: 52,825 (2009 est.)

Dominica
males age 16-49: 15,821
females age 16-49: 15,291 (2009 est.)

Dominican Republic
males age 16-49: 2,056,774
females age 16-49: 1,921,836 (2009 est.)

Ecuador
males age 16-49: 2,708,470
females age 16-49: 3,165,489 (2009 est.)

Egypt
males age 16-49: 18,490,522
females age 16-49: 17,719,905 (2009 est.)

El Salvador
males age 16-49: 1,201,290
females age 16-49: 1,547,278 (2009 est.)

Equatorial Guinea
males age 16-49: 105,468
females age 16-49: 107,919 (2009 est.)

Eritrea
males age 16-49: 834,018
females age 16-49: 887,495 (2009 est.)

Estonia
males age 16-49: 216,483
females age 16-49: 260,408 (2009 est.)

Ethiopia
males age 16-49: 11,078,847
females age 16-49: 12,017,073 (2009 est.)

Faroe Islands
males age 16-49: 9,759
females age 16-49: 8,311 (2009 est.)

Fiji
males age 16-49: 192,363
females age 16-49: 204,410 (2009 est.)

Finland
males age 16-49: 962,479
females age 16-49: 920,297 (2009 est.)

France
males age 16-49: 12,087,606
females age 16-49: 11,811,260 (2009 est.)

French Polynesia
males age 16-49: 65,408
females age 16-49: 64,421 (2009 est.)

Gabon
males age 16-49: 195,519
females age 16-49: 190,519 (2009 est.)

Gambia, The
males age 16-49: 238,454
females age 16-49: 253,680 (2009 est.)

Gaza Strip
males age 16-49: 312,003
females age 16-49: 297,380 (2009 est.)

Georgia
males age 16-49: 908,282
females age 16-49: 959,290 (2009 est.)

Germany
males age 16-49: 15,747,493
females age 16-49: 14,899,416 (2009 est.)

Ghana
males age 16-49: 3,849,113
females age 16-49: 3,840,083 (2009 est.)

Gibraltar
males age 16-49: 5,234
females age 16-49: 5,242 (2009 est.)

Greece
males age 16-49: 2,067,878
females age 16-49: 2,050,289 (2009 est.)

Greenland
males age 16-49: 10,809
females age 16-49: 11,437 (2009 est.)

Grenada
males age 16-49: 20,483
females age 16-49: 20,923 (2009 est.)

Guam
males age 16-49: 37,563
females age 16-49: 36,083 (2009 est.)

Guatemala
males age 16-49: 2,401,297
females age 16-49: 2,725,572 (2009 est.)

Guernsey
males age 16-49: 12,447
females age 16-49: 12,566 (2009 est.)

Guinea
males age 16-49: 1,396,278
females age 16-49: 1,435,387 (2009 est.)

Guinea-Bissau
males age 16-49: 194,110
females age 16-49: 200,660 (2009 est.)

Guyana
males age 16-49: 150,307
females age 16-49: 144,622 (2009 est.)

Haiti
males age 16-49: 1,518,840
females age 16-49: 1,530,043 (2009 est.)

Honduras
males age 16-49: 1,397,938
females age 16-49: 1,402,398 (2009 est.)

Hong Kong
males age 16-49: 1,421,406
females age 16-49: 1,543,443 (2009 est.)

Hungary
males age 16-49: 1,887,755
females age 16-49: 1,934,019 (2009 est.)

Iceland
males age 16-49: 62,576
females age 16-49: 61,159 (2009 est.)

India
males age 16-49: 237,042,868
females age 16-49: 243,276,310 (2009 est.)

Indonesia
males age 16-49: 52,997,922
females age 16-49: 52,503,046 (2009 est.)

Iran
males age 16-49: 17,658,573
females age 16-49: 17,148,290 (2009 est.)

Iraq
males age 16-49: 6,203,425
females age 16-49: 6,065,009 (2009 est.)

Ireland
males age 16-49: 857,162
females age 16-49: 854,416 (2009 est.)

Isle of Man
males age 16-49: 14,691
females age 16-49: 14,338 (2009 est.)

Israel
males age 16-49: 1,474,966
females age 16-49: 1,404,712 (2009 est.)

Italy
males age 16-49: 11,197,487
females age 16-49: 10,574,250 (2009 est.)

Jamaica
males age 16-49: 573,520
females age 16-49: 586,426 (2009 est.)

Japan
males age 16-49: 22,757,136
females age 16-49: 21,920,703 (2009 est.)

Jersey
males age 16-49: 16,920
females age 16-49: 16,826 (2009 est.)

Jordan
males age 16-49: 1,593,919
females age 16-49: 1,382,097 (2009 est.)

Kazakhstan
males age 16-49: 2,888,931
females age 16-49: 3,550,014 (2009 est.)

Kenya
males age 16-49: 5,935,480
females age 16-49: 5,662,755 (2009 est.)

Kiribati
males age 16-49: 18,129
females age 16-49: 20,643 (2009 est.)

Korea, North
males age 16-49: 4,104,964
females age 16-49: 4,492,374 (2009 est.)

Korea, South
males age 16-49: 10,991,263
females age 16-49: 10,356,604 (2009 est.)

Kosovo
males age 16-49: 428,685
females age 16-49: 388,848 (2009 est.)

Kuwait
males age 16-49: 935,525
females age 16-49: 519,854 (2009 est.)

Kyrgyzstan
males age 16-49: 1,083,777
females age 16-49: 1,229,406 (2009 est.)

Laos
males age 16-49: 1,023,205
females age 16-49: 1,085,197 (2009 est.)

Latvia
males age 16-49: 410,374
females age 16-49: 463,144 (2009 est.)

Lebanon
males age 16-49: 948,765
females age 16-49: 954,663 (2009 est.)

Lesotho
males age 16-49: 267,083
females age 16-49: 240,868 (2009 est.)

Liberia
males age 16-49: 387,417
females age 16-49: 382,334 (2009 est.)

Libya
males age 16-49: 1,466,578
females age 16-49: 1,409,684 (2009 est.)

Liechtenstein
males age 16-49: 6,584
females age 16-49: 6,801 (2009 est.)

Lithuania
males age 16-49: 677,689
females age 16-49: 743,468 (2009 est.)

Luxembourg
males age 16-49: 95,840
females age 16-49: 94,641 (2009 est.)

Macau
males age 16-49: 122,962
females age 16-49: 148,809 (2009 est.)

Macedonia
males age 16-49: 444,247
females age 16-49: 427,556 (2009 est.)

Madagascar
males age 16-49: 3,150,043
females age 16-49: 3,404,988 (2009 est.)

Malawi
males age 16-49: 1,732,621
females age 16-49: 1,562,107 (2009 est.)

Malaysia
males age 16-49: 5,493,946
females age 16-49: 5,409,524 (2009 est.)

Maldives
males age 16-49: 138,746
females age 16-49: 82,247 (2009 est.)

Mali
males age 16-49: 1,649,772
females age 16-49: 1,579,601 (2009 est.)

Malta
males age 16-49: 80,186
females age 16-49: 76,426 (2009 est.)

Marshall Islands
males age 16-49: 13,041
females age 16-49: 13,199 (2009 est.)

Mauritania
males age 16-49: 450,289
females age 16-49: 544,598 (2009 est.)

Mauritius
males age 16-49: 277,690
females age 16-49: 282,211 (2009 est.)

Mayotte
males age 16-49: 35,849
females age 16-49: 34,456 (2009 est.)

Mexico
males age 16-49: 22,541,654
females age 16-49: 25,149,027 (2009 est.)

Micronesia, Federated States of
males age 16-49: 21,845
females age 16-49: 23,401 (2009 est.)

Moldova
males age 16-49: 877,665
females age 16-49: 987,356 (2009 est.)

Monaco
males age 16-49: 5,495
females age 16-49: 5,406 (2009 est.)

Mongolia
males age 16-49: 706,774
females age 16-49: 740,550 (2009 est.)

Montenegro
males age 16-49: 154,029
females age 16-49: 136,847 (2009 est.)

Montserrat
males age 16-49: 1,126
females age 16-49: 1,226 (2009 est.)

Morocco
males age 16-49: 7,779,589
females age 16-49: 7,881,024 (2009 est.)

Mozambique
males age 16-49: 2,366,897
females age 16-49: 2,209,764 (2009 est.)

Namibia
males age 16-49: 329,614
females age 16-49: 294,490 (2009 est.)

Nauru
males age 16-49: 2,592
females age 16-49: 2,966 (2009 est.)

Nepal
males age 16-49: 4,886,103
females age 16-49: 5,525,764 (2009 est.)

Netherlands
males age 16-49: 3,224,790
females age 16-49: 3,143,096 (2009 est.)

Netherlands Antilles
males age 16-49: 46,461
females age 16-49: 47,325 (2009 est.)

New Caledonia
males age 16-49: 48,288
females age 16-49: 48,959 (2009 est.)

New Zealand
males age 16-49: 837,553
females age 16-49: 825,981 (2009 est.)

Nicaragua
males age 16-49: 1,277,878
females age 16-49: 1,339,413 (2009 est.)

Niger
males age 16-49: 2,019,553
females age 16-49: 2,046,906 (2009 est.)

Nigeria
males age 16-49: 19,763,535
females age 16-49: 18,850,650 (2009 est.)

Northern Mariana Islands
males age 16-49: 19,209
females age 16-49: 33,074 (2009 est.)

Norway
males age 16-49: 888,219
females age 16-49: 863,255 (2009 est.)

Oman
males age 16-49: 675,454
females age 16-49: 563,890 (2009 est.)

Pakistan
males age 16-49: 33,690,322
females age 16-49: 32,602,910 (2009 est.)

Palau
males age 16-49: 5,177
females age 16-49: 3,936 (2009 est.)

Panama
males age 16-49: 705,160
females age 16-49: 710,521 (2009 est.)

Papua New Guinea
males age 16-49: 1,110,175
females age 16-49: 1,127,758 (2009 est.)

Paraguay
males age 16-49: 1,363,746
females age 16-49: 1,390,799 (2009 est.)

Peru
males age 16-49: 5,920,716
females age 16-49: 6,359,803 (2009 est.)

Philippines
males age 16-49: 19,169,298
females age 16-49: 20,636,853 (2009 est.)

Poland
males age 16-49: 7,898,892
females age 16-49: 7,888,035 (2009 est.)

Portugal
males age 16-49: 2,103,558
females age 16-49: 2,049,032 (2009 est.)

Puerto Rico
males age 16-49: 699,784
females age 16-49: 790,482 (2009 est.)

Qatar
males age 16-49: 318,388
females age 16-49: 136,841 (2009 est.)

Romania
males age 16-49: 4,542,720
females age 16-49: 4,604,484 (2009 est.)

Russia
males age 16-49: 21,098,306
females age 16-49: 27,968,883 (2009 est.)

Rwanda
males age 16-49: 1,452,768
females age 16-49: 1,456,207 (2009 est.)

Saint Barthelemy
males age 16-49: 1,594
females age 16-49: 1,340 (2009 est.)

Saint Helena
males age 16-49: 1,586
females age 16-49: 1,600 (2009 est.)

Saint Kitts and Nevis
males age 16-49: 8,159
females age 16-49: 8,517 (2009 est.)

Saint Lucia
males age 16-49: 32,094
females age 16-49: 36,110 (2009 est.)

Saint Martin
males age 16-49: 6,336
females age 16-49: 6,925 (2009 est.)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
males age 16-49: 1,427
females age 16-49: 1,406 (2009 est.)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
males age 16-49: 22,975
females age 16-49: 22,250 (2009 est.)

Samoa
males age 16-49: 43,169
females age 16-49: 40,957 (2009 est.)

San Marino
males age 16-49: 5,343
females age 16-49: 6,048 (2009 est.)

Sao Tome and Principe
males age 16-49: 35,216
females age 16-49: 38,329 (2009 est.)

Saudi Arabia
males age 16-49: 7,486,622
females age 16-49: 5,652,819 (2009 est.)

Senegal
males age 16-49: 2,038,508
females age 16-49: 2,207,510 (2009 est.)

Serbia
males age 16-49: 1,415,007
females age 16-49: 1,379,541 (2009 est.)

Seychelles
males age 16-49: 19,702
females age 16-49: 19,780 (2009 est.)

Sierra Leone
males age 16-49: 692,469
females age 16-49: 762,239 (2009 est.)

Singapore
males age 16-49: 1,033,961
females age 16-49: 1,104,952 (2009 est.)

Slovakia
males age 16-49: 1,165,470
females age 16-49: 1,152,941 (2009 est.)

Slovenia
males age 16-49: 402,484
females age 16-49: 390,559 (2009 est.)

Solomon Islands
males age 16-49: 121,368
females age 16-49: 122,821 (2009 est.)

Somalia
males age 16-49: 1,301,026
females age 16-49: 1,351,649 (2009 est.)

South Africa
males age 16-49: 7,641,557
females age 16-49: 6,518,793 (2009 est.)

Spain
males age 16-49: 8,139,020
females age 16-49: 7,899,157 (2009 est.)

Sri Lanka
males age 16-49: 4,498,667
females age 16-49: 4,693,895 (2009 est.)

Sudan
males age 16-49: 5,836,971
females age 16-49: 5,942,043 (2009 est.)

Suriname
males age 16-49: 107,367
females age 16-49: 111,000 (2009 est.)

Swaziland
males age 16-49: 124,132
females age 16-49: 118,570 (2009 est.)

Sweden
males age 16-49: 1,705,746
females age 16-49: 1,645,070 (2009 est.)

Switzerland
males age 16-49: 1,510,259
females age 16-49: 1,475,993 (2009 est.)

Syria
males age 16-49: 4,360,934
females age 16-49: 4,344,895 (2009 est.)

Taiwan
males age 16-49: 5,106,730
females age 16-49: 5,008,563 (2009 est.)

Tajikistan
males age 16-49: 1,428,218
females age 16-49: 1,603,779 (2009 est.)

Tanzania
males age 16-49: 5,473,552
females age 16-49: 5,493,188 (2009 est.)

Thailand
males age 16-49: 13,086,106
females age 16-49: 14,126,398 (2009 est.)

Timor-Leste
males age 16-49: 230,534
females age 16-49: 238,610 (2009 est.)

Togo
males age 16-49: 929,395
females age 16-49: 943,967 (2009 est.)

Tonga
males age 16-49: 26,471
females age 16-49: 27,715 (2009 est.)

Trinidad and Tobago
males age 16-49: 276,224
females age 16-49: 271,677 (2009 est.)

Tunisia
males age 16-49: 2,569,403
females age 16-49: 2,489,651 (2009 est.)

Turkey
males age 16-49: 17,223,506
females age 16-49: 16,995,299 (2009 est.)

Turkmenistan
males age 16-49: 1,024,884
females age 16-49: 1,147,714 (2009 est.)

Turks and Caicos Islands
males age 16-49: 4,937
females age 16-49: 4,648 (2009 est.)

Tuvalu
males age 16-49: 2,462
females age 16-49: 2,631 (2009 est.)

Uganda
males age 16-49: 3,996,597
females age 16-49: 3,899,717 (2009 est.)

Ukraine
males age 16-49: 7,056,742
females age 16-49: 9,234,591 (2009 est.)

United Arab Emirates
males age 16-49: 2,081,491
females age 16-49: 788,632 (2009 est.)

United Kingdom
males age 16-49: 12,123,900
females age 16-49: 11,616,769 (2009 est.)

United States
males age 16-49: 59,764,677
females age 16-49: 59,437,663 (2009 est.)

Uruguay
males age 16-49: 708,545
females age 16-49: 693,622 (2009 est.)

Uzbekistan
males age 16-49: 6,340,446
females age 16-49: 6,559,769 (2009 est.)

Vanuatu
males age 16-49: 41,533
females age 16-49: 42,837 (2009 est.)

Venezuela
males age 16-49: 5,391,582
females age 16-49: 5,873,563 (2009 est.)

Vietnam
males age 16-49: 19,190,676
females age 16-49: 20,768,508 (2009 est.)

Virgin Islands
males age 16-49: 17,820
females age 16-49: 21,193 (2009 est.)

Wallis and Futuna
males age 16-49: 3,273
females age 16-49: 3,297 (2009 est.)

West Bank
males age 16-49: 545,653
females age 16-49: 515,102 (2009 est.)

Western Sahara
males age 16-49: 52,267
females age 16-49: 59,221 (2009 est.)

Yemen
males age 16-49: 3,733,704
females age 16-49: 3,773,626 (2009 est.)

Zambia
males age 16-49: 1,364,173
females age 16-49: 1,245,220 (2009 est.)

Zimbabwe
males age 16-49: 1,198,727
females age 16-49: 1,436,232 (2009 est.)

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

@2026

Field Listing :: Manpower reaching militarily significant age

annually

This entry gives the number of males and females entering the
military manpower pool (i.e., reaching age 16) in any given year and
is a measure of the availability of military-age young adults.
Country

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

Afghanistan
male: 382,720
female: 361,733 (2009 est.)

Albania
male: 34,778
female: 31,673 (2009 est.)

Algeria
male: 375,852
female: 362,158 (2009 est.)

American Samoa
male: 820
female: 802 (2009 est.)

Andorra
male: 402
female: 373 (2009 est.)

Angola
male: 146,738
female: 143,478 (2009 est.)

Anguilla
male: 107
female: 106 (2009 est.)

Antigua and Barbuda
male: 744
female: 743 (2009 est.)

Argentina
male: 341,590
female: 326,342 (2009 est.)

Armenia
male: 27,293
female: 25,574 (2009 est.)

Aruba
male: 722
female: 711 (2009 est.)

Australia
male: 144,959
female: 137,333 (2009 est.)

Austria
male: 50,540
female: 48,042 (2009 est.)

Azerbaijan
male: 90,416
female: 85,344 (2009 est.)

Bahamas, The
male: 2,992
female: 3,003 (2009 est.)

Bahrain
male: 6,612
female: 6,499 (2009 est.)

Bangladesh
male: 1,538,865
female: 1,666,670 (2009 est.)

Barbados
male: 2,015
female: 2,007 (2009 est.)

Belarus
male: 60,009
female: 56,834 (2009 est.)

Belgium
male: 62,722
female: 59,969 (2009 est.)

Belize
male: 3,632
female: 3,500 (2009 est.)

Benin
male: 101,549
female: 97,856 (2009 est.)

Bermuda
male: 426
female: 413 (2009 est.)

Bhutan
male: 7,668
female: 7,379 (2009 est.)

Bolivia
male: 108,304
female: 104,882 (2009 est.)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
male: 27,368
female: 25,644 (2009 est.)

Botswana
male: 23,420
female: 22,904 (2009 est.)

Brazil
male: 1,690,031
female: 1,630,851 (2009 est.)

British Virgin Islands
male: 178
female: 173 (2009 est.)

Brunei
male: 3,460
female: 3,399 (2009 est.)

Bulgaria
male: 38,263
female: 36,374 (2009 est.)

Burkina Faso
male: 182,540
female: 180,051 (2009 est.)

Burma
male: 426,110
female: 417,674 (2009 est.)

Burundi
male: 101,402
female: 101,897 (2009 est.)

Cambodia
male: 177,881
female: 175,332 (2009 est.)

Cameroon
male: 213,027
female: 208,642 (2009 est.)

Canada
male: 223,238
female: 210,797 (2009 est.)

Cape Verde
male: 5,471
female: 5,349 (2009 est.)

Cayman Islands
male: 334
female: 345 (2009 est.)

Central African Republic
male: 55,484
female: 55,168 (2009 est.)

Chad
male: 121,080
female: 121,585 (2009 est.)

Chile
male: 145,766
female: 139,648 (2009 est.)

China
male: 10,621,373
female: 9,533,880 (2009 est.)

Colombia
male: 446,432
female: 437,164 (2009 est.)

Comoros
male: 8,203
female: 8,188 (2009 est.)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
male: 814,199
female: 811,238 (2009 est.)

Congo, Republic of the
male: 46,976
female: 46,490 (2009 est.)

Cook Islands
male: 148
female: 125 (2009 est.)

Costa Rica
male: 40,698
female: 38,808 (2009 est.)

Cote d'Ivoire
male: 236,159
female: 232,617 (2009 est.)

Croatia
male: 27,620
female: 26,154 (2009 est.)

Cuba
male: 75,969
female: 72,253 (2009 est.)

Cyprus
male: 6,241
female: 5,979 (2009 est.)

Czech Republic
male: 60,150
female: 57,157 (2009 est.)

Denmark
male: 37,231
female: 35,306 (2009 est.)

Djibouti
male: 5,778
female: 5,771 (2009 est.)

Dominica
male: 776
female: 731 (2009 est.)

Dominican Republic
male: 97,766
female: 93,922 (2009 est.)

Ecuador
male: 148,010
female: 143,291 (2009 est.)

Egypt
male: 831,157
female: 792,330 (2009 est.)

El Salvador
male: 77,473
female: 74,655 (2009 est.)

Equatorial Guinea
male: 6,983
female: 6,726 (2009 est.)

Eritrea
male: 62,265
female: 62,328 (2009 est.)

Estonia
male: 7,583
female: 7,111 (2009 est.)

Ethiopia
male: 908,384
female: 916,354 (2009 est.)

Faroe Islands
male: 386
female: 375 (2009 est.)

Fiji
male: 9,107
female: 8,755 (2009 est.)

Finland
male: 33,784
female: 32,621 (2009 est.)

France
male: 391,480
female: 373,334 (2009 est.)

French Polynesia
male: 2,665
female: 2,552 (2009 est.)

Gabon
male: 16,933
female: 16,942 (2009 est.)

Gambia, The
male: 20,238
female: 20,167 (2009 est.)

Gaza Strip
male: 19,147
female: 18,200 (2009 est.)

Georgia
male: 32,355
female: 30,809 (2009 est.)

Germany
male: 431,508
female: 409,111 (2009 est.)

Ghana
male: 272,954
female: 266,186 (2009 est.)

Gibraltar
male: 186
female: 179 (2009 est.)

Greece
male: 53,401
female: 50,084 (2009 est.)

Greenland
male: 532
female: 491 (2009 est.)

Grenada
male: 982
female: 937 (2009 est.)

Guam
male: 1,677
female: 1,581 (2009 est.)

Guatemala
male: 165,910
female: 163,760 (2009 est.)

Guernsey
male: 362
female: 351 (2009 est.)

Guinea
male: 110,281
female: 107,879 (2009 est.)

Guinea-Bissau
male: 16,957
female: 17,172 (2009 est.)

Guyana
male: 6,625
female: 6,365 (2009 est.)

Haiti
male: 108,444
female: 106,243 (2009 est.)

Honduras
male: 92,638
female: 88,993 (2009 est.)

Hong Kong
male: 42,330
female: 38,797 (2009 est.)

Hungary
male: 60,248
female: 57,280 (2009 est.)

Iceland
male: 2,369
female: 2,349 (2009 est.)

India
male: 11.795 million
female: 10,820,590 (2009 est.)

Indonesia
male: 2,197,323
female: 2,126,412 (2009 est.)

Iran
male: 700,213
female: 664,846 (2009 est.)

Iraq
male: 313,500
female: 304,923 (2009 est.)

Ireland
male: 28,072
female: 26,400 (2009 est.)

Isle of Man
male: 466
female: 446 (2009 est.)

Israel
male: 61,223
female: 58,219 (2009 est.)

Italy
male: 287,845
female: 270,384 (2009 est.)

Jamaica
male: 31,833
female: 31,257 (2009 est.)

Japan
male: 621,254
female: 589,270 (2009 est.)

Jersey
male: 586
female: 541 (2009 est.)

Jordan
male: 69,830
female: 67,292 (2009 est.)

Kazakhstan
male: 139,262
female: 133,047 (2009 est.)

Kenya
male: 412,656
female: 408,657 (2009 est.)

Kiribati
male: 1,264
female: 1,242 (2009 est.)

Korea, North
male: 191,759
female: 184,641 (2009 est.)

Korea, South
male: 371,728
female: 322,605 (2009 est.)

Kuwait
male: 18,122
female: 18,865 (2009 est.)

Kyrgyzstan
male: 57,659
female: 55,557 (2009 est.)

Laos
male: 75,310
female: 74,498 (2009 est.)

Latvia
male: 12,901
female: 12,497 (2009 est.)

Lebanon
male: 33,018
female: 31,800 (2009 est.)

Lesotho
male: 26,039
female: 25,964 (2009 est.)

Liberia
male: 34,059
female: 33,281 (2009 est.)

Libya
male: 60,710
female: 58,219 (2009 est.)

Liechtenstein
male: 199
female: 222 (2009 est.)

Lithuania
male: 23,556
female: 22,404 (2009 est.)

Luxembourg
male: 3,170
female: 2,995 (2009 est.)

Macau
male: 4,578
female: 4,052 (2009 est.)

Macedonia
male: 14,596
female: 13,881 (2009 est.)

Madagascar
male: 236,500
female: 235,994 (2009 est.)

Malawi
male: 174,044
female: 173,828 (2009 est.)

Malaysia
male: 266,267
female: 252,543 (2009 est.)

Maldives
male: 4,576
female: 3,942 (2009 est.)

Mali
male: 147,846
female: 140,543 (2009 est.)

Malta
male: 2,695
female: 2,533 (2009 est.)

Marshall Islands
male: 540
female: 521 (2009 est.)

Mauritania
male: 34,546
female: 35,272 (2009 est.)

Mauritius
male: 10,901
female: 10,796 (2009 est.)

Mayotte
male: 2,517
female: 2,511 (2009 est.)

Mexico
male: 1,109,981
female: 1,072,094 (2009 est.)

Micronesia, Federated States of
male: 1,273
female: 1,212 (2009 est.)

Moldova
male: 31,633
female: 30,214 (2009 est.)

Monaco
male: 190
female: 182 (2009 est.)

Mongolia
male: 28,251
female: 27,344 (2009 est.)

Montenegro
male: 3,945
female: 3,907 (2009 est.)

Montserrat
male: 36
female: 33 (2009 est.)

Morocco
male: 356,014
female: 343,520 (2009 est.)

Mozambique
male: 263,994
female: 265,058 (2009 est.)

Namibia
male: 25,857
female: 25,505 (2009 est.)

Nauru
male: 179
female: 174 (2009 est.)

Nepal
male: 365,567
female: 352,643 (2009 est.)

Netherlands
male: 105,194
female: 100,341 (2009 est.)

Netherlands Antilles
male: 1,920
female: 1,827 (2009 est.)

New Caledonia
male: 2,160
female: 2,087 (2009 est.)

New Zealand
male: 31,461
female: 29,809 (2009 est.)

Nicaragua
male: 72,366
female: 70,118 (2009 est.)

Niger
male: 170,060
female: 163,996 (2009 est.)

Nigeria
male: 1,697,030
female: 1,618,561 (2009 est.)

Northern Mariana Islands
male: 570
female: 587 (2009 est.)

Norway
male: 31,980
female: 30,543 (2009 est.)

Oman
male: 35,647
female: 34,407 (2009 est.)

Pakistan
male: 2,089,936
female: 1,964,090 (2009 est.)

Palau
male: 207
female: 214 (2009 est.)

Panama
male: 31,089
female: 29,939 (2009 est.)

Papua New Guinea
male: 64,636
female: 62,803 (2009 est.)

Paraguay
male: 73,660
female: 72,046 (2009 est.)

Peru
male: 310,575
female: 300,838 (2009 est.)

Philippines
male: 1,023,431
female: 986,434 (2009 est.)

Poland
male: 246,667
female: 235,698 (2009 est.)

Portugal
male: 64,047
female: 57,630 (2009 est.)

Puerto Rico
male: 30,422
female: 29,396 (2009 est.)

Qatar
male: 6,337
female: 5,059 (2009 est.)

Romania
male: 124,356
female: 118,430 (2009 est.)

Russia
male: 741,692
female: 706,081 (2009 est.)

Rwanda
male: 106,741
female: 106,935 (2009 est.)

Saint Barthelemy
male: 21
female: 20 (2009 est.)

Saint Helena
male: 47
female: 45 (2009 est.)

Saint Kitts and Nevis
male: 376
female: 362 (2009 est.)

Saint Lucia
male: 1,607
female: 1,511 (2009 est.)

Saint Martin
male: 177
female: 162 (2009 est.)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon
male: 61
female: 57 (2009 est.)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
male: 1,020
female: 1,009 (2009 est.)

Samoa
male: 2,597
female: 2,477 (2009 est.)

San Marino
male: 161
female: 160 (2009 est.)

Sao Tome and Principe
male: 2,534
female: 2,485 (2009 est.)

Saudi Arabia
male: 278,179
female: 267,905 (2009 est.)

Senegal
male: 154,249
female: 153,679 (2009 est.)

Serbia
male: 44,601
female: 41,845 (2009 est.)

Seychelles
male: 714
female: 685 (2009 est.)

Sierra Leone
male: 71,524
female: 75,491 (2009 est.)

Singapore
male: 27,715
female: 26,290 (2009 est.)

Slovakia
male: 36,552
female: 34,783 (2009 est.)

Slovenia
male: 10,192
female: 9,717 (2009 est.)

Solomon Islands
male: 7,091
female: 6,837 (2009 est.)

Somalia
male: 93,763
female: 93,738 (2009 est.)

South Africa
male: 511,616
female: 510,540 (2009 est.)

Spain
male: 199,124
female: 187,224 (2009 est.)

Sri Lanka
male: 173,256
female: 167,645 (2009 est.)

Sudan
male: 498,376
female: 479,005 (2009 est.)

Suriname
male: 4,251
female: 4,265 (2009 est.)

Swaziland
male: 15,985
female: 15,754 (2009 est.)

Sweden
male: 62,262
female: 59,340 (2009 est.)

Switzerland
male: 48,076
female: 44,049 (2009 est.)

Syria
male: 213,513
female: 201,055 (2009 est.)

Taiwan
male: 165,738
female: 154,123 (2009 est.)

Tajikistan
male: 80,819
female: 78,460 (2009 est.)

Tanzania
male: 487,742
female: 489,462 (2009 est.)

Thailand
male: 532,977
female: 510,737 (2009 est.)

Timor-Leste
male: 12,887
female: 12,529 (2009 est.)

Togo
male: 70,775
female: 70,051 (2009 est.)

Tonga
male: 1,458
female: 1,403 (2009 est.)

Trinidad and Tobago
male: 9,183
female: 8,662 (2009 est.)

Tunisia
male: 100,478
female: 94,055 (2009 est.)

Turkey
male: 692,592
female: 663,689 (2009 est.)

Turkmenistan
male: 57,021
female: 56,064 (2009 est.)

Turks and Caicos Islands
male: 226
female: 218 (2009 est.)

Tuvalu
male: 125
female: 121 (2009 est.)

Uganda
male: 399,134
female: 395,505 (2009 est.)

Ukraine
male: 269,311
female: 257,656 (2009 est.)

United Arab Emirates
male: 26,659
female: 23,793 (2009 est.)

United Kingdom
male: 393,892
female: 376,351 (2009 est.)

United States
male: 2,196,124
female: 2,085,085 (2009 est.)

Uruguay
male: 27,452
female: 26,479 (2009 est.)

Uzbekistan
male: 313,131
female: 310,442 (2009 est.)

Vanuatu
male: 2,368
female: 2,272 (2009 est.)

Venezuela
male: 276,051
female: 274,162 (2009 est.)

Vietnam
male: 893,726
female: 834,279 (2009 est.)

Virgin Islands
male: 831
female: 873 (2009 est.)

Wallis and Futuna
male: 175
female: 164 (2009 est.)

West Bank
male: 30,233
female: 28,745 (2009 est.)

Western Sahara
male: 4,796
female: 4,679 (2009 est.)

Yemen
male: 273,624
female: 263,402 (2009 est.)

Zambia
male: 149,567
female: 148,889 (2009 est.)

Zimbabwe
male: 149,592
female: 149,717 (2009 est.)

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

@2028

Field Listing :: Background

This entry usually highlights major historic events and current
issues and may include a statement about one or two key future
trends.
Country

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; however, there have been claims
of electoral fraud in every one of Albania's post-communist
elections. In the 2005 general elections, the Democratic Party and
its allies won a decisive victory on pledges to reduce crime and
corruption, promote economic growth, and decrease the size of
government. The election, and particularly the orderly transition of
power, was considered an important step forward. Albania joined NATO
in April 2009 and is a potential candidate for EU accession.
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.

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 large-scale unemployment, a
shortage of housing, unreliable electrical and water supplies,
government inefficiencies and corruption, and the continuing
activities of extremist militants. The Salafist Group for Preaching
and Combat (GSPC) in 2006 merged with al-Qaida to form al-Qaida in
the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb, which since has launched an
ongoing series of kidnappings and 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
fighting picked up again by 1996. 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 held
legislative elections in September 2008, and announced plans to hold
presidential elections 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 populism and direct
and indirect military interference in subsequent governments was
followed by a military junta that took power in 1976. Democracy
returned in 1983 after a failed bid to seize the Falkland (Malvinas)
Islands by force, 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.

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 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, ethnic 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 closed the common border with Armenia 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.