slightly smaller than Connecticut
Jan Mayen
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Japan
slightly smaller than California
Jersey
about two-thirds the size of Washington, DC
Jordan
slightly smaller than Indiana
Kazakhstan
slightly less than four times the size of Texas
Kenya
slightly more than twice the size of Nevada
Kiribati
four times the size of Washington, DC
Korea, North
slightly smaller than Mississippi
Korea, South
slightly larger than Indiana
Kosovo
slightly larger than Delaware
Kuwait
slightly smaller than New Jersey
Kyrgyzstan
slightly smaller than South Dakota
Laos
slightly larger than Utah
Latvia
slightly larger than West Virginia
Lebanon
about 0.7 times the size of Connecticut
Lesotho
slightly smaller than Maryland
Liberia
slightly larger than Tennessee
Libya
slightly larger than Alaska
Liechtenstein
about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
Lithuania
slightly larger than West Virginia
Luxembourg
slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Macau
less than one-sixth the size of Washington, DC
Macedonia
slightly larger than Vermont
Madagascar
slightly less than twice the size of Arizona
Malawi
slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Malaysia
slightly larger than New Mexico
Maldives
about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC
Mali
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Malta
slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC
Marshall Islands
about the size of Washington, DC
Mauritania
slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico
Mauritius
almost 11 times the size of Washington, DC
Mayotte
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Mexico
slightly less than three times the size of Texas
Micronesia, Federated States of
four times the size of Washington,
DC (land area only)
Moldova
slightly larger than Maryland
Monaco
about three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Mongolia
slightly smaller than Alaska
Montenegro
slightly smaller than Connecticut
Montserrat
about 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC
Morocco
slightly larger than California
Mozambique
slightly less than twice the size of California
Namibia
slightly more than half the size of Alaska
Nauru
about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Navassa Island
about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington,
DC
Nepal
slightly larger than Arkansas
Netherlands
slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey
Netherlands Antilles
more than five times the size of Washington, DC
New Caledonia
slightly smaller than New Jersey
New Zealand
about the size of Colorado
Nicaragua
slightly smaller than the state of New York
Niger
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Nigeria
slightly more than twice the size of California
Niue
1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Norfolk Island
about 0.2 times the size of Washington, DC
Northern Mariana Islands
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Norway
slightly larger than New Mexico
Oman
slightly smaller than Kansas
Pacific Ocean
about 15 times the size of the US; covers about 28% of
the global surface; larger than the total land area of the world
Pakistan
slightly less than twice the size of California
Palau
slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Panama
slightly smaller than South Carolina
Papua New Guinea
slightly larger than California
Paracel Islands
NA
Paraguay
slightly smaller than California
Peru
slightly smaller than Alaska
Philippines
slightly larger than Arizona
Pitcairn Islands
about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Poland
slightly smaller than New Mexico
Portugal
slightly smaller than Indiana
Puerto Rico
slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island
Qatar
slightly smaller than Connecticut
Romania
slightly smaller than Oregon
Russia
approximately 1.8 times the size of the US
Rwanda
slightly smaller than Maryland
Saint Barthelemy
less than an eighth of the size of Washington, DC
Saint Helena
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Saint Kitts and Nevis
1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Saint Lucia
3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Saint Martin
more than one-third the size of Washington, DC
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
twice the size of Washington, DC
Samoa
slightly smaller than Rhode Island
San Marino
about one third times the size of Washington, DC
Sao Tome and Principe
more than five times the size of Washington, DC
Saudi Arabia
slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US
Senegal
slightly smaller than South Dakota
Serbia
slightly smaller than South Carolina
Seychelles
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Sierra Leone
slightly smaller than South Carolina
Singapore
slightly more than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Slovakia
about twice the size of New Hampshire
Slovenia
slightly smaller than New Jersey
Solomon Islands
slightly smaller than Maryland
Somalia
slightly smaller than Texas
South Africa
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
slightly larger than
Rhode Island
Southern Ocean
slightly more than twice the size of the US
Spain
slightly more than twice the size of Oregon
Spratly Islands
NA
Sri Lanka
slightly larger than West Virginia
Sudan
slightly more than one-quarter the size of the US
Suriname
slightly larger than Georgia
Svalbard
slightly smaller than West Virginia
Swaziland
slightly smaller than New Jersey
Sweden
slightly larger than California
Switzerland
slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey
Syria
slightly larger than North Dakota
Taiwan
slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined
Tajikistan
slightly smaller than Wisconsin
Tanzania
slightly larger than twice the size of California
Thailand
slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming
Timor-Leste
slightly larger than Connecticut
Togo
slightly smaller than West Virginia
Tokelau
about 17 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Tonga
four times the size of Washington, DC
Trinidad and Tobago
slightly smaller than Delaware
Tunisia
slightly larger than Georgia
Turkey
slightly larger than Texas
Turkmenistan
slightly larger than California
Turks and Caicos Islands
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Tuvalu
0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Uganda
slightly smaller than Oregon
Ukraine
slightly smaller than Texas
United Arab Emirates
slightly smaller than Maine
United Kingdom
slightly smaller than Oregon
United States
about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the
size of Africa; about half the size of South America (or slightly
larger than Brazil); slightly larger than China; more than twice the
size of the European Union
United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
Baker Island: about
two and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Howland Island: about three times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Jarvis Island: about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington,
DC
Johnston Atoll: about four and a half times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Kingman Reef: a little more than one and a half times the size of
The Mall in Washington, DC
Midway Islands: about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington,
DC
Palmyra Atoll: about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Uruguay
slightly smaller than the state of Washington
Uzbekistan
slightly larger than California
Vanuatu
slightly larger than Connecticut
Venezuela
slightly more than twice the size of California
Vietnam
slightly larger than New Mexico
Virgin Islands
twice the size of Washington, DC
Wake Island
about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Wallis and Futuna
1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
West Bank
slightly smaller than Delaware
Western Sahara
about the size of Colorado
World
land area about 16 times the size of the US
Yemen
slightly larger than twice the size of Wyoming
Zambia
slightly larger than Texas
Zimbabwe
slightly larger than Montana
This page was last updated on 18 December 2008
======================================================================
@2024 Military service age and obligation (years of age)
Afghanistan
22 years of age; inductees are contracted into service
for a 4-year term (2005)
Albania
19 years of age (2004)
Algeria
19-30 years of age for compulsory military service;
conscript service obligation - 18 months (6 months basic training,
12 months civil projects) (2006)
Angola
17 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
service obligation - 2 years plus time for training (2001)
Antigua and Barbuda
18 years of age for voluntary military service;
no conscription (2008)
Argentina
18-24 years of age for voluntary military service (18-21
requires parental permission); no conscription (2001)
Armenia
18-27 years of age for voluntary or compulsory military
service; 2-year conscript service obligation (2007)
Australia
17 years of age for voluntary military service (with
parental consent); no conscription; women allowed to serve in Army
combat units in non-combat support roles (2008)
Austria
18-35 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years
of age for male or female voluntary service; service obligation 7
months of training, followed by an 8-year reserve obligation (2006)
Azerbaijan
men between 18 and 35 are liable for military service; 18
years of age for voluntary military service; length of military
service is 18 months and 12 months for university graduates (2006)
Bahamas, The
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2008)
Bahrain
17 years of age for voluntary military service; 15 years of
age for NCOs, technicians, and cadets; no conscription (2008)
Bangladesh
16 years of age for voluntary military service; 17 years
of age for officers (both with parental consent); conscription
legally possible in emergency, but has never been implemented (2008)
Barbados
18 years of age for voluntary military service (younger
requires parental consent); no conscription (2008)
Belarus
18-27 years of age for compulsory military service;
conscript service obligation - 18 months (2005)
Belgium
18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription
suspended (2008)
Belize
18 years of age for voluntary military service; laws allow
for conscription only if volunteers are insufficient; conscription
has never been implemented; volunteers typically outnumber available
positions by 3:1 (2008)
Benin
21 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
in practice, volunteers may be taken at the age of 18; both sexes
are eligible for military service; conscript tour of duty - 18
months (2006)
Bermuda
18-23 years of age; eligible men required to register for
conscription as needed into the Bermuda Regiment, which is largely
voluntary; term of service 39 months (2007)
Bhutan
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2008)
Bolivia
18 years of age for 12-month compulsory military service;
when annual number of volunteers falls short of goal, compulsory
recruitment is effected, including conscription of boys as young as
14; 15-19 years of age for voluntary premilitary service, provides
exemption from further military service (2008)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
17 years of age for voluntary military
service in the Federation and in the Republika Srpska; conscription
abolished January 2006; 4-month service obligation (2006)
Botswana
18 is the apparent age of voluntary military service; the
official qualifications for determining minimum age are unknown
(2001)
Brazil
21-45 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
service obligation - 9 to 12 months; 17-45 years of age for
voluntary service; an increasing percentage of the ranks are
"long-service" volunteer professionals; women were allowed to serve
in the armed forces beginning in early 1980s when the Brazilian Army
became the first army in South America to accept women into career
ranks; women serve in Navy and Air Force only in Women's Reserve
Corps (2001)
Brunei
18 years of age (est.) for voluntary military service;
non-Malays are ineligible to serve (2007)
Bulgaria
18-27 years of age for voluntary military service;
conscript service obligation - 9 months; as of May 2006, 67% of the
Bulgarian Army comprised of professional soldiers; conscription
ended as of 1 January 2008; Air and Air Defense Forces and Naval
Forces became fully professional at the end of 2006 (2008)
Burkina Faso
18 years of age for compulsory military service; 20
years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
Burma
18 years of age for voluntary military service for both sexes;
forced conscription of children, although officially prohibited,
reportedly continues (2007)
Burundi
16 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; children as young as 10 years of age have been conscripted
into the armed forces; the enrollment of children is still not
prohibited (2007)
Cambodia
conscription law of October 2006 requires all males between
18-30 to register for military service; 18-month service obligation
(2006)
Cameroon
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription; the government makes periodic calls for volunteers
(2006)
Canada
17 years of age for male and female voluntary military
service (with parental consent); 16 years of age for reserve and
military college applicants; Canadian citizenship or permanent
residence status required; maximum 34 years of age; service
obligation 3-9 years (2008)
Cape Verde
18 years of age (est.) for selective compulsory military
service; 14-month conscript service obligation (2006)
Central African Republic
18 years of age for compulsory and
voluntary military service; 2-year conscript service obligation
(2006)
Chad
20 years of age for conscripts, with 3-year service obligation;
18 years of age for volunteers; no minimum age restriction for
volunteers with consent from a guardian; women are subject to 1 year
of compulsory military or civic service at age of 21 (2004)
Chile
18-45 years of age for voluntary male and female military
service, although the right to compulsory recruitment is retained;
service obligation - 12 months for Army, 22 months for Navy and Air
Force (2008)
China
18-22 years of age for selective compulsory military service,
with 24-month service obligation; no minimum age for voluntary
service (all officers are volunteers); 18-19 years of age for women
high school graduates who meet requirements for specific military
jobs (2007)
Colombia
18-24 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; service obligation - 18 months (2004)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
18-45 years of age for military
service
Congo, Republic of the
18 years of age for voluntary military
service; women allowed to serve (2007)
Cote d'Ivoire
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service (2008)
Croatia
18-27 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years
of age with consent for voluntary service; 6-month conscript service
obligation; full conversion to professional military service by 2010
(2006)
Cuba
17-28 years of age for compulsory military service; 2-year
service obligation; both sexes subject to military service (2006)
Cyprus
Greek Cypriot National Guard (GCNG): 18-50 years of age for
compulsory military service for all Greek Cypriot males; 17 years of
age for voluntary service; females are not conscripted; age of
military eligibility 17 to 50; length of normal service is 25 months
with a minimum of 3 months (2006)
Czech Republic
18-28 years of age for voluntary and 19-28 for
compulsory military service (2008)
Denmark
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; conscripts serve an initial training period that varies
from 4 to 12 months according to specialization; reservists are
assigned to mobilization units following completion of their
conscript service; women eligible to volunteer for military service
(2004)
Djibouti
18 years of age for voluntary military service; 16-25 years
of age for voluntary military training; no conscription (2008)
Dominican Republic
18 years of age for voluntary military service
(2007)
Ecuador
20 years of age for selective conscript military service;
12-month service obligation (2008)
Egypt
18-30 years of age for male conscript military service;
service obligation 12-36 months, followed by a 9-year reserve
obligation (2008)
El Salvador
18 years of age for selective compulsory military
service; 16 years of age for voluntary service; service obligation -
8 months, but 11 months for officers and NCOs (2008)
Equatorial Guinea
18 years of age (est.) for compulsory military
service (2008)
Eritrea
18-40 years of age for male and female voluntary and
compulsory military service; 16-month conscript service obligation
(2006)
Estonia
compulsory military service for men between 19 and 28;
conscription lasts 11 months for junior NCOs and reserve platoon
leaders; reserve officers and designated specialists have a
different conscript service obligation; Estonia has committed to
retaining conscription for men up to 2010 and, unlike Latvia and
Lithuania, has no plan to transition to a contract armed forces; 17
years of age for volunteers; reserve commitment up to the age of 60
(2006)
Ethiopia
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; theoretically, no compulsory military service, but the
military can conduct call-ups when necessary and compliance is
compulsory (2008)
Fiji
18 years of age for voluntary military service; reserve
obligation to age 45 (2006)
Finland
18 years of age for male voluntary and compulsory national
military and nonmilitary service; service obligation 6-12 months
(2008)
France
17-40 years of age for male or female voluntary military
service); no conscription; 12-month service obligation; women serve
in noncombat military posts (2005)
Gabon
20 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service
(2007)
Gambia, The
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2008)
Georgia
18 to 34 years of age for compulsory and voluntary active
duty military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months
(2005)
Germany
18 years of age (conscripts serve a 9-month tour of
compulsory military service) (2004)
Ghana
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2008)
Greece
19-45 years of age for compulsory military service; during
wartime the law allows for recruitment beginning January of the year
of inductee's 18th birthday, thus including 17 year olds; 17 years
of age for volunteers; conscript service obligation - 1 year for all
services; women are eligible for voluntary military service (2008)
Guatemala
all male citizens between the ages of 18 and 50 are liable
for military service; conscript service obligation varies from 12 to
24 months; women can serve as officers (2007)
Guinea
18 years of age for compulsory military service; 2-year
conscript service obligation (2006)
Guinea-Bissau
18 years of age for selective compulsory military
service (2006)
Guyana
18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2008)
Honduras
18 years of age for voluntary 2 to 3-year military service
(2004)
Hungary
18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription
abolished in June 2004; 6-month service obligation, with reserve
obligation to age 50 (2006)
India
16 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription; women officers allowed in noncombat roles only (2008)
Indonesia
18 years of age for selective compulsory and voluntary
military service; 2-year conscript service obligation, with reserve
obligation to age 45 (officers); Indonesian citizens only (2008)
Iran
19 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of
age for volunteers; 17 years of age for Law Enforcement Forces; 15
years of age for Basij Forces (Popular Mobilization Army); conscript
military service obligation - 18 months; women exempt from military
service (2008)
Iraq
18-49 years of age for voluntary military service (2008)
Ireland
17-25 years of age for male or female voluntary military
service (17-27 years of age for the Naval Service); enlistees 16
years of age can be recruited for apprentice specialist positions;
maximum obligation 12 years; 17-35 years of age for the Reserve
Defense Forces; EU citizenship or 5-year residence in Ireland
required (2008)
Israel
18 years of age for compulsory (Jews, Druzes) and voluntary
(Christians, Muslims, Circassians) military service; both sexes are
obligated to military service; conscript service obligation - 36
months for enlisted men, 21 months for enlisted women, 48 months for
officers; reserve obligation to age 41-51 (men), 24 (women) (2008)
Italy
18-27 year of age for voluntary military service; conscription
abolished January 2005; women may serve in any military branch;
10-month service obligation, with a reserve obligation to age 45
(Army and Air Force) or 39 (Navy) (2006)
Jamaica
18 years of age for voluntary military service; younger
recruits may be conscripted with parental consent (2001)
Japan
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
Jordan
17 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription
at age 18 was suspended in 1999, although all males under age 37 are
required to register; women not subject to conscription, but can
volunteer to serve in non-combat military positions (2004)
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 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; reserve obligation to age 40 with 1 month annual training;
women have served in police forces since 1999 (2006)
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 military service; conscription
abolished January 2007; under current law, every citizen is entitled
to serve in the armed forces for life (2006)
Lebanon
18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2007)
Lesotho
18 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
19-45 years of age for compulsory military service; 18
years of age for volunteers; 12-month conscript service obligation
(2006)
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 (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)