the east coast is subject to hurricanes from August to November
(in general, the country averages about one hurricane every other
year); droughts are common
Cyprus
moderate earthquake activity; droughts
Czech Republic
flooding
Denmark
flooding is a threat in some areas of the country (e.g.,
parts of Jutland, along the southern coast of the island of Lolland)
that are protected from the sea by a system of dikes
Djibouti
earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances
from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods
Dominica
flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes
can be expected during the late summer months
Dominican Republic
lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and
subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding;
periodic droughts
Ecuador
frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity; floods;
periodic droughts
Egypt
periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes, flash floods,
landslides; hot, driving windstorm called khamsin occurs in spring;
dust storms, sandstorms
El Salvador
known as the Land of Volcanoes; frequent and sometimes
destructive earthquakes and volcanic activity; extremely susceptible
to hurricanes
Equatorial Guinea
violent windstorms, flash floods
Eritrea
frequent droughts; locust swarms
Estonia
sometimes flooding occurs in the spring
Ethiopia
geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts
European Union
flooding along coasts; avalanches in mountainous
area; earthquakes in the south; volcanic eruptions in Italy;
periodic droughts in Spain; ice floes in the Baltic
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
strong winds persist throughout
the year
Faroe Islands
NA
Fiji
cyclonic storms can occur from November to January
Finland
NA
France
metropolitan France: flooding; avalanches; midwinter
windstorms; drought; forest fires in south near the Mediterranean
overseas departments: hurricanes (cyclones), flooding, volcanic
activity (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion)
French Polynesia
occasional cyclonic storms in January
French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul
are inactive volcanoes; Iles Eparses subject to periodic cyclones;
Bassas da India is a maritime hazard since it is under water for a
period of three hours prior to and following the high tide and
surrounded by reefs
Gabon
NA
Gambia, The
drought (rainfall has dropped by 30% in the last 30
years)
Gaza Strip
droughts
Georgia
earthquakes
Germany
flooding
Ghana
dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds occur from January to
March; droughts
Gibraltar
NA
Greece
severe earthquakes
Greenland
continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of the
island
Grenada
lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts from
June to November
Guam
frequent squalls during rainy season; relatively rare, but
potentially very destructive typhoons (June - December)
Guatemala
numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent
earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and
other tropical storms
Guernsey
NA
Guinea
hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during
dry season
Guinea-Bissau
hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility
during dry season; brush fires
Guyana
flash floods are a constant threat during rainy seasons
Haiti
lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe
storms from June to October; occasional flooding and earthquakes;
periodic droughts
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Mawson Peak, an active volcano, is
on Heard Island
Holy See (Vatican City)
NA
Honduras
frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; extremely
susceptible to damaging hurricanes and floods along the Caribbean
coast
Hong Kong
occasional typhoons
Iceland
earthquakes and volcanic activity
India
droughts; flash floods, as well as widespread and destructive
flooding from monsoonal rains; severe thunderstorms; earthquakes
Indian Ocean
occasional icebergs pose navigational hazard in
southern reaches
Indonesia
occasional floods, severe droughts, tsunamis, earthquakes,
volcanoes, forest fires
Iran
periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes
Iraq
dust storms, sandstorms, floods
Ireland
NA
Isle of Man
NA
Israel
sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts;
periodic earthquakes
Italy
regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches,
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venice
Jamaica
hurricanes (especially July to November)
Jan Mayen
dominated by the volcano Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg;
volcanic activity resumed in 1970; the most recent eruption occurred
in 1985
Japan
many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic
occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; tsunamis; typhoons
Jersey
NA
Jordan
droughts; periodic earthquakes
Kazakhstan
earthquakes in the south, mudslides around Almaty
Kenya
recurring drought; flooding during rainy seasons
Kiribati
typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to March;
occasional tornadoes; low level of some of the islands make them
sensitive to changes in sea level
Korea, North
late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding;
occasional typhoons during the early fall
Korea, South
occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods;
low-level seismic activity common in southwest
Kuwait
sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April and bring
heavy rain, which can damage roads and houses; sandstorms and dust
storms occur throughout the year but are most common between March
and August
Kyrgyzstan
NA
Laos
floods, droughts
Latvia
NA
Lebanon
dust storms, sandstorms
Lesotho
periodic droughts
Liberia
dust-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to
March)
Libya
hot, dry, dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to
four days in spring and fall; dust storms, sandstorms
Liechtenstein
NA
Lithuania
NA
Luxembourg
NA
Macau
typhoons
Macedonia
high seismic risks
Madagascar
periodic cyclones, drought, and locust infestation
Malawi
NA
Malaysia
flooding, landslides, forest fires
Maldives
low level of islands makes them sensitive to sea level rise
Mali
hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons;
recurring droughts; occasional Niger River flooding
Malta
NA
Marshall Islands
infrequent typhoons
Mauritania
hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in
March and April; periodic droughts
Mauritius
cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded
by reefs that may pose maritime hazards
Mayotte
cyclones during rainy season
Mexico
tsunamis along the Pacific coast, volcanoes and destructive
earthquakes in the center and south, and hurricanes on the Pacific,
Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean coasts
Micronesia, Federated States of
typhoons (June to December)
Moldova
landslides
Monaco
NA
Mongolia
dust storms, grassland and forest fires, drought, and
"zud," which is harsh winter conditions
Montenegro
destructive earthquakes
Montserrat
severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions
(Soufriere Hills volcano has erupted continuously since 1995)
Morocco
northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to
earthquakes; periodic droughts
Mozambique
severe droughts; devastating cyclones and floods in
central and southern provinces
Namibia
prolonged periods of drought
Nauru
periodic droughts
Navassa Island
hurricanes
Nepal
severe thunderstorms, flooding, landslides, drought, and
famine depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the
summer monsoons
Netherlands
flooding
Netherlands Antilles
Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are
subject to hurricanes from July to October; Curacao and Bonaire are
south of Caribbean hurricane belt and are rarely threatened
New Caledonia
cyclones, most frequent from November to March
New Zealand
earthquakes are common, though usually not severe;
volcanic activity
Nicaragua
destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides; extremely
susceptible to hurricanes
Niger
recurring droughts
Nigeria
periodic droughts; flooding
Niue
typhoons
Norfolk Island
typhoons (especially May to July)
Northern Mariana Islands
active volcanoes on Pagan and Agrihan;
typhoons (especially August to November)
Norway
rockslides, avalanches
Oman
summer winds often raise large sandstorms and dust storms in
interior; periodic droughts
Pacific Ocean
surrounded by a zone of violent volcanic and
earthquake activity sometimes referred to as the "Pacific Ring of
Fire"; subject to tropical cyclones (typhoons) in southeast and east
Asia from May to December (most frequent from July to October);
tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico and strike
Central America and Mexico from June to October (most common in
August and September); cyclical El Nino/La Nina phenomenon occurs in
the equatorial Pacific, influencing weather in the Western
Hemisphere and the western Pacific; ships subject to superstructure
icing in extreme north from October to May; persistent fog in the
northern Pacific can be a maritime hazard from June to December
Pakistan
frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in
north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and
August)
Palau
typhoons (June to December)
Panama
occasional severe storms and forest fires in the Darien area
Papua New Guinea
active volcanism; situated along the Pacific "Ring
of Fire"; the country is subject to frequent and sometimes severe
earthquakes; mud slides; tsunamis
Paracel Islands
typhoons
Paraguay
local flooding in southeast (early September to June);
poorly drained plains may become boggy (early October to June)
Peru
earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, landslides, mild volcanic
activity
Philippines
astride typhoon belt, usually affected by 15 and struck
by five to six cyclonic storms per year; landslides; active
volcanoes; destructive earthquakes; tsunamis
Pitcairn Islands
typhoons (especially November to March)
Poland
flooding
Portugal
Azores subject to severe earthquakes
Puerto Rico
periodic droughts; hurricanes
Qatar
haze, dust storms, sandstorms common
Romania
earthquakes, most severe in south and southwest; geologic
structure and climate promote landslides
Russia
permafrost over much of Siberia is a major impediment to
development; volcanic activity in the Kuril Islands; volcanoes and
earthquakes on the Kamchatka Peninsula; spring floods and
summer/autumn forest fires throughout Siberia and parts of European
Russia
Rwanda
periodic droughts; the volcanic Virunga mountains are in the
northwest along the border with Democratic Republic of the Congo
Saint Helena
active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha, last eruption in
1961
Saint Kitts and Nevis
hurricanes (July to October)
Saint Lucia
hurricanes and volcanic activity
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
persistent fog throughout the year can be
a maritime hazard
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
hurricanes; Soufriere volcano on
the island of Saint Vincent is a constant threat
Samoa
occasional typhoons; active volcanism
San Marino
NA
Sao Tome and Principe
NA
Saudi Arabia
frequent sand and dust storms
Senegal
lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts
Serbia
destructive earthquakes
Seychelles
lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare;
short droughts possible
Sierra Leone
dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara
(December to February); sandstorms, dust storms
Singapore
NA
Slovakia
NA
Slovenia
flooding and earthquakes
Solomon Islands
typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically
active region with frequent earthquakes, tremors, and volcanic
activity; tsunamis
Somalia
recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains
in summer; floods during rainy season
South Africa
prolonged droughts
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
the South Sandwich
Islands have prevailing weather conditions that generally make them
difficult to approach by ship; they are also subject to active
volcanism
Southern Ocean
huge icebergs with drafts up to several hundred
meters; smaller bergs and iceberg fragments; sea ice (generally 0.5
to 1 m thick) with sometimes dynamic short-term variations and with
large annual and interannual variations; deep continental shelf
floored by glacial deposits varying widely over short distances;
high winds and large waves much of the year; ship icing, especially
May-October; most of region is remote from sources of search and
rescue
Spain
periodic droughts
Spratly Islands
typhoons; numerous reefs and shoals pose a serious
maritime hazard
Sri Lanka
occasional cyclones and tornadoes
Sudan
dust storms and periodic persistent droughts
Suriname
NA
Svalbard
ice floes often block the entrance to Bellsund (a transit
point for coal export) on the west coast and occasionally make parts
of the northeastern coast inaccessible to maritime traffic
Swaziland
drought
Sweden
ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf
of Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic
Switzerland
avalanches, landslides, flash floods
Syria
dust storms, sandstorms
Taiwan
earthquakes and typhoons
Tajikistan
earthquakes and floods
Tanzania
flooding on the central plateau during the rainy season;
drought
Thailand
land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from the
depletion of the water table; droughts
Timor-Leste
floods and landslides are common; earthquakes, tsunamis,
tropical cyclones
Togo
hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during
winter; periodic droughts
Tokelau
lies in Pacific typhoon belt
Tonga
cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity
on Fonuafo'ou
Trinidad and Tobago
outside usual path of hurricanes and other
tropical storms
Tunisia
NA
Turkey
severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, along an
arc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van
Turkmenistan
NA
Turks and Caicos Islands
frequent hurricanes
Tuvalu
severe tropical storms are usually rare, but, in 1997, there
were three cyclones; low level of islands make them sensitive to
changes in sea level
Uganda
NA
Ukraine
NA
United Arab Emirates
frequent sand and dust storms
United Kingdom
winter windstorms; floods
United States
tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquake activity around
Pacific Basin; hurricanes along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico
coasts; tornadoes in the midwest and southeast; mud slides in
California; forest fires in the west; flooding; permafrost in
northern Alaska, a major impediment to development
United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
Baker, Howland, and
Jarvis Islands: the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can
be a maritime hazard
Kingman Reef: wet or awash most of the time, maximum elevation of
less than 2 m makes Kingman Reef a maritime hazard
Midway Islands, Johnston, and Palmyra Atolls: NA
Uruguay
seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and
occasional violent wind that blows north from the Argentine pampas),
droughts, floods; because of the absence of mountains, which act as
weather barriers, all locations are particularly vulnerable to rapid
changes from weather fronts
Uzbekistan
NA
Vanuatu
tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanic
eruption on Aoba (Ambae) island began 27 November 2005, volcanism
also causes minor earthquakes; tsunamis
Venezuela
subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts
Vietnam
occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive
flooding, especially in the Mekong River delta
Virgin Islands
several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and
severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes
Wake Island
occasional typhoons
Wallis and Futuna
NA
West Bank
droughts
Western Sahara
hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur
during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of
time, often severely restricting visibility
World
large areas subject to severe weather (tropical cyclones),
natural disasters (earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, volcanic
eruptions)
Yemen
sandstorms and dust storms in summer
Zambia
periodic drought, tropical storms (November to April)
Zimbabwe
recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare
This page was last updated on 18 December 2008
======================================================================
@2022 People - note
Cook Islands
2001 census counted a resident population of 15,017
Cuba
illicit emigration is a continuing problem; Cubans attempt to
depart the island and enter the US using homemade rafts, alien
smugglers, direct flights, or falsified visas; Cubans also use
non-maritime routes to enter the US including direct flights to
Miami and over-land via the southwest border
Germany
second most populous country in Europe after Russia
Rwanda
Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa
Trinidad and Tobago
in 2007, the government of Trinidad and Tobago
estimated the population to be 1.3 million
Turks and Caicos Islands
destination and transit point for illegal
Haitian immigrants bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands, The
Bahamas, and the US
This page was last updated on 18 December 2008
======================================================================
@2023 Area - comparative
Afghanistan
slightly smaller than Texas
Akrotiri
about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC
Albania
slightly smaller than Maryland
Algeria
slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas
American Samoa
slightly larger than Washington, DC
Andorra
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Angola
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Anguilla
about half the size of Washington, DC
Antarctica
slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US
Antigua and Barbuda
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Arctic Ocean
slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US
Argentina
slightly less than three-tenths the size of the US
Armenia
slightly smaller than Maryland
Aruba
slightly larger than Washington, DC
Ashmore and Cartier Islands
about eight times the size of The Mall
in Washington, DC
Atlantic Ocean
slightly less than 6.5 times the size of the US
Australia
slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states
Austria
slightly smaller than Maine
Azerbaijan
slightly smaller than Maine
Bahamas, The
slightly smaller than Connecticut
Bahrain
3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Bangladesh
slightly smaller than Iowa
Barbados
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Belarus
slightly smaller than Kansas
Belgium
about the size of Maryland
Belize
slightly smaller than Massachusetts
Benin
slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Bermuda
about one-third the size of Washington, DC
Bhutan
about one-half the size of Indiana
Bolivia
slightly less than three times the size of Montana
Bosnia and Herzegovina
slightly smaller than West Virginia
Botswana
slightly smaller than Texas
Bouvet Island
about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Brazil
slightly smaller than the US
British Indian Ocean Territory
land area is about 0.3 times the size
of Washington, DC
British Virgin Islands
about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
Brunei
slightly smaller than Delaware
Bulgaria
slightly larger than Tennessee
Burkina Faso
slightly larger than Colorado
Burma
slightly smaller than Texas
Burundi
slightly smaller than Maryland
Cambodia
slightly smaller than Oklahoma
Cameroon
slightly larger than California
Canada
somewhat larger than the US
Cape Verde
slightly larger than Rhode Island
Cayman Islands
1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Central African Republic
slightly smaller than Texas
Chad
slightly more than three times the size of California
Chile
slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana
China
slightly smaller than the US
Christmas Island
about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC
Clipperton Island
about 12 times the size of The Mall in Washington,
DC
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
about 24 times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Colombia
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Comoros
slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
slightly less than one-fourth the
size of the US
Congo, Republic of the
slightly smaller than Montana
Cook Islands
1.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Coral Sea Islands
NA
Costa Rica
slightly smaller than West Virginia
Cote d'Ivoire
slightly larger than New Mexico
Croatia
slightly smaller than West Virginia
Cuba
slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Cyprus
about 0.6 times the size of Connecticut
Czech Republic
slightly smaller than South Carolina
Denmark
slightly less than twice the size of Massachusetts
Dhekelia
about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC
Djibouti
slightly smaller than Massachusetts
Dominica
slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC
Dominican Republic
slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire
Ecuador
slightly smaller than Nevada
Egypt
slightly more than three times the size of New Mexico
El Salvador
slightly smaller than Massachusetts
Equatorial Guinea
slightly smaller than Maryland
Eritrea
slightly larger than Pennsylvania
Estonia
slightly smaller than New Hampshire and Vermont combined
Ethiopia
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
European Union
less than one-half the size of the US
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
slightly smaller than Connecticut
Faroe Islands
eight times the size of Washington, DC
Fiji
slightly smaller than New Jersey
Finland
slightly smaller than Montana
France
slightly less than the size of Texas
French Polynesia
slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut
French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Ile Amsterdam (Ile Amsterdam et
Ile Saint-Paul): less than one-half the size of Washington, DC
Ile Saint-Paul (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul): more than 10 times
the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Iles Crozet: about twice the size of Washington, DC
Iles Kerguelen: a little larger than Delaware
Bassas da India (Iles Eparses): land area about one-third the size
of The Mall in Washington, DC
Europa Island (Iles Eparses): about one-sixth the size of
Washington, DC
Glorioso Islands (Iles Eparses): about eight times the size of The
Mall in Washington, DC
Juan de Nova Island (Iles Eparses): about seven times the size of
The Mall in Washington, DC
Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses): about 1.7 times the size of The Mall
in Washington, DC
Gabon
slightly smaller than Colorado
Gambia, The
slightly less than twice the size of Delaware
Gaza Strip
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Georgia
slightly smaller than South Carolina
Germany
slightly smaller than Montana
Ghana
slightly smaller than Oregon
Gibraltar
a little less than one half the size of Rhode Island
Greece
slightly smaller than Alabama
Greenland
slightly more than three times the size of Texas
Grenada
twice the size of Washington, DC
Guam
three times the size of Washington, DC
Guatemala
slightly smaller than Tennessee
Guernsey
about one-half the size of Washington, DC
Guinea
slightly smaller than Oregon
Guinea-Bissau
slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut
Guyana
slightly smaller than Idaho
Haiti
slightly smaller than Maryland
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
slightly more than two times the
size of Washington, DC
Holy See (Vatican City)
about 0.7 times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Honduras
slightly larger than Tennessee
Hong Kong
six times the size of Washington, DC
Hungary
slightly smaller than Indiana
Iceland
slightly smaller than Kentucky
India
slightly more than one-third the size of the US
Indian Ocean
about 5.5 times the size of the US
Indonesia
slightly less than three times the size of Texas
Iran
slightly larger than Alaska
Iraq
slightly more than twice the size of Idaho
Ireland
slightly larger than West Virginia
Isle of Man
slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC
Israel
slightly smaller than New Jersey
Italy
slightly larger than Arizona