volcanic; coast is mostly inaccessible
Brazil
mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills,
mountains, and narrow coastal belt
British Indian Ocean Territory
flat and low (most areas do not
exceed four meters in elevation)
British Virgin Islands
coral islands relatively flat; volcanic
islands steep, hilly
Brunei
flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland
in west
Bulgaria
mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast
Burkina Faso
mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in
west and southeast
Burma
central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands
Burundi
hilly and mountainous, dropping to a plateau in east, some
plains
Cambodia
mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north
Cameroon
diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau
in center, mountains in west, plains in north
Canada
mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast
Cape Verde
steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic
Cayman Islands
low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs
Central African Republic
vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau;
scattered hills in northeast and southwest
Chad
broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains in
northwest, lowlands in south
Chile
low coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes in
east
China
mostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains,
deltas, and hills in east
Christmas Island
steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central
plateau
Clipperton Island
coral atoll
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
flat, low-lying coral atolls
Colombia
flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes
Mountains, eastern lowland plains
Comoros
volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low
hills
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
vast central basin is a low-lying
plateau; mountains in east
Congo, Republic of the
coastal plain, southern basin, central
plateau, northern basin
Cook Islands
low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in
south
Coral Sea Islands
sand and coral reefs and islands (or cays)
Costa Rica
coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including
over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes
Cote d'Ivoire
mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in
northwest
Croatia
geographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian border,
low mountains and highlands near Adriatic coastline and islands
Cuba
mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains
in the southeast
Cyprus
central plain with mountains to north and south; scattered
but significant plains along southern coast
Czech Republic
Bohemia in the west consists of rolling plains,
hills, and plateaus surrounded by low mountains; Moravia in the east
consists of very hilly country
Denmark
low and flat to gently rolling plains
Djibouti
coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains
Dominica
rugged mountains of volcanic origin
Dominican Republic
rugged highlands and mountains with fertile
valleys interspersed
East Timor
mountainous
Ecuador
coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands
(sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente)
Egypt
vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta
El Salvador
mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central
plateau
Equatorial Guinea
coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are
volcanic
Eritrea
dominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending
highlands, descending on the east to a coastal desert plain, on the
northwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling
plains
Estonia
marshy, lowlands; flat in the north, hilly in the south
Ethiopia
high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great
Rift Valley
Europa Island
low and flat
European Union
fairly flat along the Baltic and Atlantic coast;
mountainous in the central and southern areas
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
rocky, hilly, mountainous with
some boggy, undulating plains
Faroe Islands
rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of
coast
Fiji
mostly mountains of volcanic origin
Finland
mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes
and low hills
France
mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west;
remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east
French Guiana
low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small
mountains
French Polynesia
mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with
reefs
French Southern and Antarctic Lands
volcanic
Gabon
narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south
Gambia, The
flood plain of the Gambia River flanked by some low hills
Gaza Strip
flat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain
Georgia
largely mountainous with Great Caucasus Mountains in the
north and Lesser Caucasus Mountains in the south; Kolkhet'is Dablobi
(Kolkhida Lowland) opens to the Black Sea in the west; Mtkvari River
Basin in the east; good soils in river valley flood plains,
foothills of Kolkhida Lowland
Germany
lowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south
Ghana
mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area
Gibraltar
a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar
Glorioso Islands
low and flat
Greece
mostly mountains with ranges extending into the sea as
peninsulas or chains of islands
Greenland
flat to gradually sloping icecap covers all but a narrow,
mountainous, barren, rocky coast
Grenada
volcanic in origin with central mountains
Guadeloupe
Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior
mountains; Grande-Terre is low limestone formation; most of the
seven other islands are volcanic in origin
Guam
volcanic origin, surrounded by coral reefs; relatively flat
coralline limestone plateau (source of most fresh water), with steep
coastal cliffs and narrow coastal plains in north, low hills in
center, mountains in south
Guatemala
mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling
limestone plateau (Peten)
Guernsey
mostly level with low hills in southwest
Guinea
generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior
Guinea-Bissau
mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east
Guyana
mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south
Haiti
mostly rough and mountainous
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Heard Island - 80% ice-covered,
bleak and mountainous, dominated by a large massif (Big Ben) and an
active volcano (Mawson Peak); McDonald Islands - small and rocky
Holy See (Vatican City)
low hill
Honduras
mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains
Hong Kong
hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north
Howland Island
low-lying, nearly level, sandy, coral island
surrounded by a narrow fringing reef; depressed central area
Hungary
mostly flat to rolling plains; hills and low mountains on
the Slovakian border
Iceland
mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields;
coast deeply indented by bays and fiords
India
upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain
along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north
Indian Ocean
surface dominated by counterclockwise gyre (broad,
circular system of currents) in the southern Indian Ocean; unique
reversal of surface currents in the northern Indian Ocean; low
atmospheric pressure over southwest Asia from hot, rising, summer
air results in the southwest monsoon and southwest-to-northeast
winds and currents, while high pressure over northern Asia from
cold, falling, winter air results in the northeast monsoon and
northeast-to-southwest winds and currents; ocean floor is dominated
by the Mid-Indian Ocean Ridge and subdivided by the Southeast Indian
Ocean Ridge, Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge, and Ninetyeast Ridge
Indonesia
mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior
mountains
Iran
rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts,
mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts
Iraq
mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in
south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran
and Turkey
Ireland
mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged
hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast
Israel
Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central
mountains; Jordan Rift Valley
Italy
mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands
Jamaica
mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
Jan Mayen
volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers
Japan
mostly rugged and mountainous
Jarvis Island
sandy, coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing
reef
Jersey
gently rolling plain with low, rugged hills along north coast
Johnston Atoll
mostly flat
Jordan
mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great
Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River
Juan de Nova Island
low and flat
Kazakhstan
extends from the Volga to the Altai Mountains and from
the plains in western Siberia to oases and desert in Central Asia
Kenya
low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift
Valley; fertile plateau in west
Kingman Reef
low and nearly level
Kiribati
mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs
Korea, North
mostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow
valleys; coastal plains wide in west, discontinuous in east
Korea, South
mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west
and south
Kuwait
flat to slightly undulating desert plain
Kyrgyzstan
peaks of Tien Shan and associated valleys and basins
encompass entire nation
Laos
mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
Latvia
low plain
Lebanon
narrow coastal plain; El Beqaa (Bekaa Valley) separates
Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains
Lesotho
mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains
Liberia
mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling
plateau and low mountains in northeast
Libya
mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions
Liechtenstein
mostly mountainous (Alps) with Rhine Valley in western
third
Lithuania
lowland, many scattered small lakes, fertile soil
Luxembourg
mostly gently rolling uplands with broad, shallow
valleys; uplands to slightly mountainous in the north; steep slope
down to Moselle flood plain in the southeast
Macau
generally flat
Macedonia
mountainous territory covered with deep basins and
valleys; three large lakes, each divided by a frontier line; country
bisected by the Vardar River
Madagascar
narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center
Malawi
narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills,
some mountains
Malaysia
coastal plains rising to hills and mountains
Maldives
flat, with white sandy beaches
Mali
mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savanna
in south, rugged hills in northeast
Malta
mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains; many coastal
cliffs
Man, Isle of
hills in north and south bisected by central valley
Marshall Islands
low coral limestone and sand islands
Martinique
mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano
Mauritania
mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central
hills
Mauritius
small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains
encircling central plateau
Mayotte
generally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic
peaks
Mexico
high, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus;
desert
Micronesia, Federated States of
islands vary geologically from high
mountainous islands to low, coral atolls; volcanic outcroppings on
Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Chuuk
Midway Islands
low, nearly level
Moldova
rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea
Monaco
hilly, rugged, rocky
Mongolia
vast semidesert and desert plains, grassy steppe, mountains
in west and southwest; Gobi Desert in south-central
Montserrat
volcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastal
lowland
Morocco
northern coast and interior are mountainous with large areas
of bordering plateaus, intermontane valleys, and rich coastal plains
Mozambique
mostly coastal lowlands, uplands in center, high plateaus
in northwest, mountains in west
Namibia
mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari
Desert in east
Nauru
sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs
with phosphate plateau in center
Navassa Island
raised coral and limestone plateau, flat to
undulating; ringed by vertical white cliffs (9 to 15 m high)
Nepal
Terai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill
region, rugged Himalayas in north
Netherlands
mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders);
some hills in southeast
Netherlands Antilles
generally hilly, volcanic interiors
New Caledonia
coastal plains with interior mountains
New Zealand
predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains
Nicaragua
extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central
interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by
volcanoes
Niger
predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling
plains in south; hills in north
Nigeria
southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus;
mountains in southeast, plains in north
Niue
steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau
Norfolk Island
volcanic formation with mostly rolling plains
Northern Mariana Islands
southern islands are limestone with level
terraces and fringing coral reefs; northern islands are volcanic
Norway
glaciated; mostly high plateaus and rugged mountains broken
by fertile valleys; small, scattered plains; coastline deeply
indented by fjords; arctic tundra in north
Oman
central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south
Pacific Ocean
surface currents in the northern Pacific are dominated
by a clockwise, warm-water gyre (broad circular system of currents)
and in the southern Pacific by a counterclockwise, cool-water gyre;
in the northern Pacific, sea ice forms in the Bering Sea and Sea of
Okhotsk in winter; in the southern Pacific, sea ice from Antarctica
reaches its northernmost extent in October; the ocean floor in the
eastern Pacific is dominated by the East Pacific Rise, while the
western Pacific is dissected by deep trenches, including the Mariana
Trench, which is the world's deepest
Pakistan
flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest;
Balochistan plateau in west
Palau
varying geologically from the high, mountainous main island of
Babelthuap to low, coral islands usually fringed by large barrier
reefs
Palmyra Atoll
very low
Panama
interior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, upland
plains; coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills
Papua New Guinea
mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling
foothills
Paracel Islands
mostly low and flat
Paraguay
grassy plains and wooded hills east of Rio Paraguay; Gran
Chaco region west of Rio Paraguay mostly low, marshy plain near the
river, and dry forest and thorny scrub elsewhere
Peru
western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center
(sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva)
Philippines
mostly mountains with narrow to extensive coastal
lowlands
Pitcairn Islands
rugged volcanic formation; rocky coastline with
cliffs
Poland
mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border
Portugal
mountainous north of the Tagus River, rolling plains in
south
Puerto Rico
mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north;
mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most
coastal areas
Qatar
mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and
gravel
Reunion
mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast
Romania
central Transylvanian Basin is separated from the Plain of
Moldavia on the east by the Carpathian Mountains and separated from
the Walachian Plain on the south by the Transylvanian Alps
Russia
broad plain with low hills west of Urals; vast coniferous
forest and tundra in Siberia; uplands and mountains along southern
border regions
Rwanda
mostly grassy uplands and hills; relief is mountainous with
altitude declining from west to east
Saint Helena
Saint Helena - rugged, volcanic; small scattered
plateaus and plains
note: the other islands of the group have a volcanic origin
Saint Kitts and Nevis
volcanic with mountainous interiors
Saint Lucia
volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
mostly barren rock
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
volcanic, mountainous
Samoa
two main islands (Savaii, Upolu) and several smaller islands
and uninhabited islets; narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky,
rugged mountains in interior
San Marino
rugged mountains
Sao Tome and Principe
volcanic, mountainous
Saudi Arabia
mostly uninhabited, sandy desert
Senegal
generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in
southeast
Serbia and Montenegro
extremely varied; to the north, rich fertile
plains; to the east, limestone ranges and basins; to the southeast,
ancient mountains and hills; to the southwest, extremely high
shoreline with no islands off the coast
Seychelles
Mahe Group is granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky,
hilly; others are coral, flat, elevated reefs
Sierra Leone
coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country,
upland plateau, mountains in east
Singapore
lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water
catchment area and nature preserve
Slovakia
rugged mountains in the central and northern part and
lowlands in the south
Slovenia
a short coastal strip on the Adriatic, an alpine mountain
region adjacent to Italy and Austria, mixed mountains and valleys
with numerous rivers to the east
Solomon Islands
mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
Somalia
mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north
South Africa
vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow
coastal plain
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
most of the islands,
rising steeply from the sea, are rugged and mountainous; South
Georgia is largely barren and has steep, glacier-covered mountains;
the South Sandwich Islands are of volcanic origin with some active
volcanoes
Southern Ocean
the Southern Ocean is deep, 4,000 to 5,000 meters
over most of its extent with only limited areas of shallow water;
the Antarctic continental shelf is generally narrow and unusually
deep, its edge lying at depths of 400 to 800 meters (the global mean
is 133 meters); the Antarctic icepack grows from an average minimum
of 2.6 million square kilometers in March to about 18.8 million
square kilometers in September, better than a sixfold increase in
area; the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (21,000 km in length) moves
perpetually eastward; it is the world's largest ocean current,
transporting 130 million cubic meters of water per second - 100
times the flow of all the world's rivers
Spain
large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills;
Pyrenees in north
Spratly Islands
flat
Sri Lanka
mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in
south-central interior
Sudan
generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in far south,
northeast and west; desert dominates the north
Suriname
mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps
Svalbard
wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west
coast clear of ice about one-half of the year; fjords along west and
north coasts
Swaziland
mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains
Sweden
mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west
Switzerland
mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with
a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes
Syria
primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain;
mountains in west
Taiwan
eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently
rolling plains in west
Tajikistan
Pamir and Alay Mountains dominate landscape; western
Fergana Valley in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest
Tanzania
plains along coast; central plateau; highlands in north,
south
Thailand
central plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains
elsewhere
Togo
gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern
plateau; low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes
Tokelau
low-lying coral atolls enclosing large lagoons
Tonga
most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coral
formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base
Trinidad and Tobago
mostly plains with some hills and low mountains
Tromelin Island
low, flat, and sandy; likely volcanic
Tunisia
mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south
merges into the Sahara
Turkey
high central plateau (Anatolia); narrow coastal plain;
several mountain ranges
Turkmenistan
flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to
mountains in the south; low mountains along border with Iran;
borders Caspian Sea in west
Turks and Caicos Islands
low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and
mangrove swamps
Tuvalu
very low-lying and narrow coral atolls
Uganda
mostly plateau with rim of mountains
Ukraine
most of Ukraine consists of fertile plains (steppes) and
plateaus, mountains being found only in the west (the Carpathians),
and in the Crimean Peninsula in the extreme south
United Arab Emirates
flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling
sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east
United Kingdom
mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to
rolling plains in east and southeast
United States
vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low
mountains in east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in
Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii
Uruguay
mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland
Uzbekistan
mostly flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes; broad,
flat intensely irrigated river valleys along course of Amu Darya,
Syr Darya (Sirdaryo), and Zarafshon; Fergana Valley in east
surrounded by mountainous Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan; shrinking Aral
Sea in west
Vanuatu
mostly mountainous islands of volcanic origin; narrow
coastal plains
Venezuela
Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest;
central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast
Vietnam
low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands;
hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest
Virgin Islands
mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little
level land
Wake Island
atoll of three coral islands built up on an underwater
volcano; central lagoon is former crater, islands are part of the rim
Wallis and Futuna
volcanic origin; low hills
West Bank
mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west,
but barren in east
Western Sahara
mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or
sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast
World
the greatest ocean depth is the Mariana Trench at 10,924 m in
the Pacific Ocean
Yemen
narrow coastal plain backed by flat-topped hills and rugged
mountains; dissected upland desert plains in center slope into the
desert interior of the Arabian Peninsula
Zambia
mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains
Zimbabwe
mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high
veld); mountains in east
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
======================================================================
@2127 Total fertility rate (children born/woman)
Afghanistan
6.78 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Albania
2.05 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Algeria
2.04 children born/woman (2004 est.)
American Samoa
3.41 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Andorra
1.28 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Angola
6.33 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Anguilla
1.74 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Antigua and Barbuda
2.27 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Argentina
2.24 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Armenia
1.31 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Aruba
1.79 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Australia
1.76 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Austria
1.35 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Azerbaijan
2.39 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Bahamas, The
2.23 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Bahrain
2.67 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Bangladesh
3.15 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Barbados
1.65 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Belarus
1.36 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Belgium
1.64 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Belize
3.77 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Benin
5.95 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Bermuda
1.9 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Bhutan
4.87 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Bolivia
3.08 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
1.71 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Botswana
3.17 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Brazil
1.97 children born/woman (2004 est.)
British Virgin Islands
1.72 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Brunei
2.33 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Bulgaria
1.37 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Burkina Faso
6.28 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Burma
2.08 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Burundi
5.9 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Cambodia
3.51 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Cameroon
4.55 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Canada
1.61 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Cape Verde
3.62 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Cayman Islands
1.9 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Central African Republic
4.59 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Chad
6.38 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Chile
2.06 children born/woman (2004 est.)
China
1.69 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Christmas Island
NA children born/woman (2004 est.)
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
NA children born/woman (2004 est.)
Colombia
2.59 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Comoros
5.15 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
6.62 children born/woman (2004
est.)
Congo, Republic of the
3.54 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Cook Islands
NA children born/woman (2004 est.)
Costa Rica
2.33 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Cote d'Ivoire
5.42 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Croatia
1.39 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Cuba
1.66 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Cyprus
1.85 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Czech Republic
1.18 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Denmark
1.74 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Djibouti
5.48 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Dominica
1.98 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Dominican Republic
2.89 children born/woman (2004 est.)
East Timor
3.7 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Ecuador
2.78 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Egypt
2.95 children born/woman (2004 est.)
El Salvador
3.2 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Equatorial Guinea
4.68 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Eritrea
5.67 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Estonia
1.39 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Ethiopia
5.44 children born/woman (2004 est.)
European Union
1.48 children born/woman (July 2004 est.)
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
NA children born/woman (2004 est.)
Faroe Islands
2.22 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Fiji
2.78 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Finland
1.73 children born/woman (2004 est.)
France
1.85 children born/woman (2004 est.)
French Guiana
3.05 children born/woman (2004 est.)
French Polynesia
2.09 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Gabon
4.8 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Gambia, The
5.46 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Gaza Strip
6.04 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Georgia
1.4 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Germany
1.38 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Ghana
3.17 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Gibraltar
1.65 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Greece
1.32 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Greenland
2.42 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Grenada
2.41 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Guadeloupe
1.91 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Guam
2.61 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Guatemala
4.6 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Guernsey
1.38 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Guinea
5.87 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Guinea-Bissau
5 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Guyana
2.06 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Haiti
4.76 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Honduras
3.97 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Hong Kong
0.91 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Hungary
1.31 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Iceland
1.93 children born/woman (2004 est.)
India
2.85 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Indonesia
2.47 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Iran
1.93 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Iraq
4.4 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Ireland
1.87 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Israel
2.47 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Italy
1.27 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Jamaica
1.98 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Japan
1.38 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Jersey
1.57 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Jordan
2.86 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Kazakhstan
1.9 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Kenya
3.31 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Kiribati
4.24 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Korea, North
2.2 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Korea, South
1.56 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Kuwait
3.03 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Kyrgyzstan
2.71 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Laos
4.86 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Latvia
1.25 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Lebanon
1.95 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Lesotho
3.44 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Liberia
6.16 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Libya
3.42 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Liechtenstein
1.51 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Lithuania
1.17 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Luxembourg
1.79 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Macau
0.93 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Macedonia
1.74 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Madagascar
5.7 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Malawi
6.04 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Malaysia
3.1 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Maldives
5.14 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Mali
6.58 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Malta
1.49 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Man, Isle of
1.65 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Marshall Islands
4.02 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Martinique
1.79 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Mauritania
6.01 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Mauritius
1.97 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Mayotte
5.98 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Mexico
2.49 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Micronesia, Federated States of
3.37 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Moldova
1.78 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Monaco
1.76 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Mongolia
2.27 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Montserrat
1.79 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Morocco
2.81 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Mozambique
4.78 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Namibia
4.65 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Nauru
3.29 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Nepal
4.29 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Netherlands
1.66 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Netherlands Antilles
2.02 children born/woman (2004 est.)
New Caledonia
2.35 children born/woman (2004 est.)
New Zealand
1.79 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Nicaragua
2.89 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Niger
6.83 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Nigeria
5.32 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Niue
NA children born/woman (2004 est.)
Norfolk Island
NA children born/woman (2004 est.)
Northern Mariana Islands
1.33 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Norway
1.78 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Oman
5.9 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Pakistan
4.29 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Palau
2.46 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Panama
2.49 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Papua New Guinea
4.04 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Paraguay
3.98 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Peru
2.61 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Philippines
3.22 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Pitcairn Islands
NA children born/woman
Poland
1.38 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Portugal
1.46 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Puerto Rico
1.91 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Qatar
2.95 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Reunion
2.5 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Romania
1.35 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Russia
1.26 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Rwanda
5.55 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Saint Helena
1.54 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Saint Kitts and Nevis
2.35 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Saint Lucia
2.25 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
2.05 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
1.9 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Samoa
3.11 children born/woman (2004 est.)
San Marino
1.32 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Sao Tome and Principe
5.8 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Saudi Arabia
4.11 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Senegal
4.84 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Serbia and Montenegro
1.67 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Seychelles
1.77 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Sierra Leone
5.79 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Singapore
1.04 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Slovakia
1.31 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Slovenia
1.23 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Solomon Islands
4.19 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Somalia
6.91 children born/woman (2004 est.)
South Africa
2.18 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Spain
1.27 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Sri Lanka
1.88 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Sudan
4.97 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Suriname
2.37 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Svalbard
NA children born/woman
Swaziland
3.81 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Sweden
1.66 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Switzerland
1.42 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Syria
3.61 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Taiwan
1.57 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Tajikistan
4.11 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Tanzania
5.15 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Thailand
1.89 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Togo
4.79 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Tokelau
NA children born/woman
Tonga
3 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Trinidad and Tobago
1.77 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Tunisia
1.79 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Turkey
1.98 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Turkmenistan
3.45 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Turks and Caicos Islands
3.11 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Tuvalu
3.02 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Uganda
6.64 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Ukraine
1.37 children born/woman (2004 est.)
United Arab Emirates
3.02 children born/woman (2004 est.)
United Kingdom
1.66 children born/woman (2004 est.)
United States
2.07 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Uruguay
1.96 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Uzbekistan
2.97 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Vanuatu
2.87 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Venezuela
2.31 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Vietnam
2.22 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Virgin Islands
2.21 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Wallis and Futuna
NA children born/woman
West Bank
4.52 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Western Sahara
NA children born/woman
World
2.62 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Yemen
6.75 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Zambia
5.14 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Zimbabwe
3.6 children born/woman (2004 est.)
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
======================================================================
@2128 Government type
Afghanistan
Islamic republic
Albania
emerging democracy
Algeria
republic
American Samoa
NA
Andorra
parliamentary democracy (since March 1993) that retains as
its chiefs of state a coprincipality; the two princes are the
president of France and bishop of Seo de Urgel, Spain, who are
represented locally by coprinces' representatives
Angola
republic, nominally a multiparty democracy with a strong
presidential system
Anguilla
NA
Antarctica
Antarctic Treaty Summary - the Antarctic Treaty, signed
on 1 December 1959 and entered into force on 23 June 1961,
establishes the legal framework for the management of Antarctica;
the 26th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting was held in Madrid,
Spain in June 2003; at these periodic meetings, decisions are made
by consensus (not by vote) of all consultative member nations; at
the end of 2003, there were 45 treaty member nations: 27
consultative and 18 non-consultative; consultative (decision-making)
members include the seven nations that claim portions of Antarctica
as national territory (some claims overlap) and 20 non-claimant
nations; the US and Russia have reserved the right to make claims;
the US does not recognize the claims of others; Antarctica is
administered through meetings of the consultative member nations;
decisions from these meetings are carried out by these member
nations (with respect to their own nationals and operations) in
accordance with their own national laws; the year in parentheses
indicates when an acceding nation was accepted as a consultative
member, while no date indicates the country was an original 1959
treaty signatory; claimant nations are - Argentina, Australia,
Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, and the UK. Nonclaimant
consultative nations are - Belgium, Brazil (1983), Bulgaria (1998)
China (1985), Ecuador (1990), Finland (1989), Germany (1981), India
(1983), Italy (1987), Japan, South Korea (1989), Netherlands (1990),
Peru (1989), Poland (1977), Russia, South Africa, Spain (1988),
Sweden (1988), Uruguay (1985), and the US; non-consultative members,
with year of accession in parentheses, are - Austria (1987), Canada
(1988), Colombia (1989), Cuba (1984), Czech Republic (1993), Denmark
(1965), Estonia (2001), Greece (1987), Guatemala (1991), Hungary
(1984), North Korea (1987), Papua New Guinea (1981), Romania (1971),
Slovakia (1993), Switzerland (1990), Turkey (1995), Ukraine (1992),
and Venezuela (1999); Article 1 - area to be used for peaceful
purposes only; military activity, such as weapons testing, is
prohibited, but military personnel and equipment may be used for
scientific research or any other peaceful purpose; Article 2 -
freedom of scientific investigation and cooperation shall continue;
Article 3 - free exchange of information and personnel, cooperation
with the UN and other international agencies; Article 4 - does not
recognize, dispute, or establish territorial claims and no new
claims shall be asserted while the treaty is in force; Article 5 -
prohibits nuclear explosions or disposal of radioactive wastes;
Article 6 - includes under the treaty all land and ice shelves south
of 60 degrees 00 minutes south and reserves high seas rights;
Article 7 - treaty-state observers have free access, including
aerial observation, to any area and may inspect all stations,
installations, and equipment; advance notice of all expeditions and
of the introduction of military personnel must be given; Article 8 -
allows for jurisdiction over observers and scientists by their own
states; Article 9 - frequent consultative meetings take place among
member nations; Article 10 - treaty states will discourage
activities by any country in Antarctica that are contrary to the
treaty; Article 11 - disputes to be settled peacefully by the
parties concerned or, ultimately, by the ICJ; Articles 12, 13, 14 -
deal with upholding, interpreting, and amending the treaty among
involved nations; other agreements - some 200 recommendations
adopted at treaty consultative meetings and ratified by governments
include - Agreed Measures for Fauna and Flora (1964) which were
later incorporated into the Environmental Protocol; Convention for
the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (1972); Convention on the
Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (1980); a mineral
resources agreement was signed in 1988 but remains unratified; the
Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was
signed 4 October 1991 and entered into force 14 January 1998; this
agreement provides for the protection of the Antarctic environment
through five specific annexes: 1) environmental impact assessment,
2) conservation of Antarctic fauna and flora, 3) waste disposal and
waste management, 4) prevention of marine pollution, and 5) area
protection and management; it prohibits all activities relating to
mineral resources except scientific research
Antigua and Barbuda
constitutional monarchy with UK-style parliament
Argentina
republic
Armenia
republic
Aruba
parliamentary democracy
Australia
democratic, federal-state system recognizing the British
monarch as sovereign
Austria
federal republic
Azerbaijan
republic
Bahamas, The
constitutional parliamentary democracy
Bahrain
constitutional hereditary monarchy
Bangladesh
parliamentary democracy
Barbados
parliamentary democracy; independent sovereign state within
the Commonwealth
Belarus
republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship
Belgium
federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional
monarch
Belize
parliamentary democracy
Benin
republic under multiparty democratic rule; dropped
Marxism-Leninism December 1989; democratic reforms adopted February
1990; transition to multiparty system completed 4 April 1991
Bermuda
parliamentary British overseas territory with internal
self-government
Bhutan
monarchy; special treaty relationship with India
Bolivia
republic
Bosnia and Herzegovina
emerging federal democratic republic
Botswana
parliamentary republic
Brazil
federative republic
British Virgin Islands
NA
Brunei
constitutional sultanate
Bulgaria
parliamentary democracy
Burkina Faso
parliamentary republic
Burma
military junta
Burundi
republic
Cambodia
multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy
established in September 1993
Cameroon
unitary republic; multiparty presidential regime
(opposition parties legalized in 1990)
note: preponderance of power remains with the president
Canada
confederation with parliamentary democracy
Cape Verde
republic
Cayman Islands
British crown colony
Central African Republic
republic
Chad
republic
Chile
republic
China
Communist state
Christmas Island
NA
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
NA
Colombia
republic; executive branch dominates government structure
Comoros
independent republic
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
dictatorship; presumably
undergoing a transition to representative government
Congo, Republic of the
republic
Cook Islands
self-governing parliamentary democracy
Costa Rica
democratic republic
Cote d'Ivoire
republic; multiparty presidential regime established
1960
Croatia
presidential/parliamentary democracy
Cuba
Communist state
Cyprus
republic
note: a separation of the two ethnic communities inhabiting the
island began following the outbreak of communal strife in 1963; this
separation was further solidified after the Turkish intervention in
July 1974 that followed a Greek junta-supported coup attempt gave
the Turkish Cypriots de facto control in the north; Greek Cypriots
control the only internationally recognized government; on 15
November 1983 Turkish Cypriot "President" Rauf DENKTASH declared
independence and the formation of a "Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus" (TRNC), recognized only by Turkey; both sides publicly
support a settlement based on a bizonal, bicommunal federation.
Czech Republic
parliamentary democracy
Denmark
constitutional monarchy
Djibouti
republic
Dominica
parliamentary democracy; republic within the Commonwealth
Dominican Republic
representative democracy
East Timor
Republic
Ecuador
republic
Egypt
republic
El Salvador
republic
Equatorial Guinea
republic
Eritrea
transitional government
note: following a successful referendum on independence for the
Autonomous Region of Eritrea on 23-25 April 1993, a National
Assembly, composed entirely of the People's Front for Democracy and
Justice or PFDJ, was established as a transitional legislature; a
Constitutional Commission was also established to draft a
constitution; ISAIAS Afworki was elected president by the
transitional legislature; the constitution, ratified in May 1997,
did not enter into effect, pending parliamentary and presidential
elections; parliamentary elections had been scheduled in December
2001, but were postponed indefinitely; currently the sole legal
party is the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ)
Estonia
parliamentary republic
Ethiopia
federal republic
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
NA
Faroe Islands
NA
Fiji
republic
note: military coup leader Maj. Gen. Sitiveni RABUKA formally
declared Fiji a republic on 6 October 1987
Finland
republic
France
republic
French Guiana
NA
French Polynesia
NA
Gabon
republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties
legalized in 1990)
Gambia, The
republic under multiparty democratic rule
Georgia
republic
Germany
federal republic
Ghana
constitutional democracy
Gibraltar
NA
Greece
parliamentary republic; monarchy rejected by referendum 8
December 1974
Greenland
parliamentary democracy within a constitutional monarchy
Grenada
constitutional monarchy with Westminster-style parliament
Guadeloupe
NA
Guam
NA
Guatemala
constitutional democratic republic
Guernsey
NA
Guinea
republic
Guinea-Bissau
republic, multiparty since mid-1991
Guyana
republic within the Commonwealth
Haiti
elected government
Holy See (Vatican City)
ecclesiastical
Honduras
democratic constitutional republic
Hong Kong
limited democracy
Hungary
parliamentary democracy
Iceland
constitutional republic
India
federal republic
Indonesia
republic
Iran
theocratic republic
Iraq
none; note - the Iraqi Interim Government (IG) was appointed on
1 June 2004
Ireland
republic
Israel
parliamentary democracy
Italy
republic
Jamaica
constitutional parliamentary democracy
Japan
constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government
Jersey
NA
Jordan
constitutional monarchy
Kazakhstan
republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little
power outside the executive branch
Kenya
republic
Kiribati
republic
Korea, North
Communist state one-man dictatorship
Korea, South
republic
Kuwait
nominal constitutional monarchy
Kyrgyzstan
republic
Laos
Communist state
Latvia
parliamentary democracy
Lebanon
republic
Lesotho
parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Liberia
republic
Libya
Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the
populace through local councils; in fact, a military dictatorship
Liechtenstein
hereditary constitutional monarchy on a democratic and
parliamentary basis
Lithuania
parliamentary democracy
Luxembourg
constitutional monarchy
Macau
limited democracy
Macedonia
parliamentary democracy
Madagascar
republic
Malawi
multiparty democracy
Malaysia
constitutional monarchy
note: Malaya (what is now Peninsular Malaysia) formed 31 August
1957; Federation of Malaysia (Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore)
formed 9 July 1963 (Singapore left Federation on 9 August 1965);
nominally headed by paramount ruler and a bicameral Parliament
consisting of a nonelected upper house and an elected lower house;
all Peninsular Malaysian states have hereditary rulers except Melaka
and Penang; those two states along with Sabah and Sarawak in East
Malaysia have governors appointed by Malaysian Government; powers of
state governments are limited by federal constitution; under terms
of federation, Sabah and Sarawak retain certain constitutional
prerogatives (e.g., right to maintain their own immigration
controls); Sabah - currently holds 20 seats in House of
Representatives and will hold 25 seats after the next election;
Sarawak holds 28 seats in House of Representatives
Maldives
republic
Mali
republic
Malta
republic
Man, Isle of
parliamentary democracy
Marshall Islands
constitutional government in free association with
the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 21
October 1986 and the Amended Compact entered into force in May 2004
Martinique
NA
Mauritania
republic
Mauritius
parliamentary democracy
Mayotte
NA
Mexico
federal republic
Micronesia, Federated States of
constitutional government in free
association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered
into force 3 November 1986 and the Amended Compact entered into
force May 2004
Moldova
republic
Monaco
constitutional monarchy
Mongolia
mixed parliamentary/presidential
Montserrat
NA
Morocco
constitutional monarchy
Mozambique
republic
Namibia
republic
Nauru
republic
Nepal
parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy
Netherlands
constitutional monarchy
Netherlands Antilles
parliamentary
New Caledonia
NA
New Zealand
parliamentary democracy
Nicaragua
republic
Niger
republic
Nigeria
republic transitioning from military to civilian rule
Niue
self-governing parliamentary democracy
Norfolk Island
NA
Northern Mariana Islands
commonwealth; self-governing with locally
elected governor, lieutenant governor, and legislature
Norway
constitutional monarchy
Oman
monarchy
Pakistan
federal republic
Palau
constitutional government in free association with the US; the
Compact of Free Association entered into force 1 October 1994
Panama
constitutional democracy
Papua New Guinea
constitutional monarchy with parliamentary democracy
Paraguay
constitutional republic
Peru
constitutional republic
Philippines
republic
Pitcairn Islands
NA
Poland
republic
Portugal
parliamentary democracy
Puerto Rico
commonwealth
Qatar
traditional monarchy
Reunion
NA
Romania
republic
Russia
federation
Rwanda
republic; presidential, multiparty system
Saint Helena
NA
Saint Kitts and Nevis
constitutional monarchy with Westminster-style
parliament
Saint Lucia
Westminster-style parliamentary democracy
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
NA
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
parliamentary democracy;
independent sovereign state within the Commonwealth
Samoa
constitutional monarchy under native chief
San Marino
independent republic
Sao Tome and Principe
republic
Saudi Arabia
monarchy
Senegal
republic under multiparty democratic rule
Serbia and Montenegro
republic
Seychelles
republic
Sierra Leone
constitutional democracy
Singapore
parliamentary republic
Slovakia
parliamentary democracy
Slovenia
parliamentary democratic republic
Solomon Islands
parliamentary democracy tending toward anarchy
Somalia
no permanent national government; transitional,
parliamentary national government
South Africa
republic
Spain
parliamentary monarchy
Sri Lanka
republic
Sudan
authoritarian regime - ruling military junta took power in
1989; government is run by an alliance of the military and the
National Congress Party (NCP), formerly the National Islamic Front
(NIF), which espouses an Islamist platform
Suriname
constitutional democracy
Svalbard
NA
Swaziland
monarchy; independent member of Commonwealth
Sweden
constitutional monarchy
Switzerland
federal republic
Syria
republic under military regime since March 1963
Taiwan
multiparty democratic regime headed by popularly-elected
president and unicameral legislature
Tajikistan
republic
Tanzania
republic
Thailand
constitutional monarchy
Togo
republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule
Tokelau
NA
Tonga
hereditary constitutional monarchy
Trinidad and Tobago
parliamentary democracy
Tunisia
republic
Turkey
republican parliamentary democracy
Turkmenistan
republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little
power outside the executive branch
Turks and Caicos Islands
NA
Tuvalu
constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy; began
debating republic status in 1992
Uganda
republic
Ukraine
republic
United Arab Emirates
federation with specified powers delegated to
the UAE federal government and other powers reserved to member
emirates
United Kingdom
constitutional monarchy
United States
Constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic
tradition
Uruguay
constitutional republic
Uzbekistan
republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little
power outside the executive branch
Vanuatu
parliamentary republic
Venezuela
federal republic
Vietnam
Communist state
Virgin Islands
NA
Wallis and Futuna
NA
Western Sahara
legal status of territory and issue of sovereignty
unresolved; territory contested by Morocco and Polisario Front
(Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de
Oro), which in February 1976 formally proclaimed a
government-in-exile of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
(SADR),led by President Mohamed ABDELAZIZ; territory partitioned
between Morocco and Mauritania in April 1976, with Morocco acquiring
northern two-thirds; Mauritania, under pressure from Polisario
guerrillas, abandoned all claims to its portion in August 1979;
Morocco moved to occupy that sector shortly thereafter and has since
asserted administrative control; the Polisario's government-in-exile
was seated as an OAU member in 1984; guerrilla activities continued
sporadically, until a UN-monitored cease-fire was implemented 6
September 1991
Yemen
republic
Zambia
republic
Zimbabwe
parliamentary democracy
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
======================================================================
@2129 Unemployment rate (%)
Afghanistan
NA (2003)
Albania
15.8% officially; may be as high as 30% (2003 est.)
Algeria
26.2% (2003 est.)
American Samoa
6% (2000)
Andorra
0% (1996 est.)
Angola
extensive unemployment and underemployment affecting more
than half the population (2001 est.)
Anguilla
6.7% (2001)
Antigua and Barbuda
11% (2001 est.)
Argentina
17.3% (2003)
Armenia
20% (2001 est.)
Aruba
0.6% (2003 est.)
Australia
6% (2003)
Austria
4.4% (2003 est.)
Azerbaijan
1.1% (official rate is 1.2%) (2003 est.)
Bahamas, The
6.9% (2001 est.)
Bahrain
15% (1998 est.)
Bangladesh
40% (includes underemployment) (2002 est.)
Barbados
10.7% (2003 est.)
Belarus
2.1% officially registered unemployed (December 2000); large
number of underemployed workers (2003 est.)
Belgium
8.1% (2003 est.)
Belize
9.1% (2002)
Benin
NA
Bermuda
5% (2002 est.)
Bhutan
NA
Bolivia
11.7%
note: widespread underemployment (2003)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
40% (2002 est.)
Botswana
40% (official rate is 21%) (2001 est.)
Brazil
12.3% (2003 est.)
British Virgin Islands
3% (1995)
Brunei
10% (2001 est.)
Bulgaria
14.3% (2003)
Burkina Faso
NA
Burma
4.2% (2003)
Burundi
NA
Cambodia
2.5% (2000 est.)
Cameroon
30% (2001 est.)
Canada
7.8% (2003 est.)
Cape Verde
21% (2000 est.)
Cayman Islands
4.1% (1997)
Central African Republic
8% (23% for Bangui) (2001 est.)
Chad
NA (2000)
Chile
8.5% (2003 est.)
China
10.1% urban unemployment roughly 10%; substantial unemployment
and underemployment in rural areas (2003 est.)
Christmas Island
NA
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
60% (2000 est.)
Colombia
14.2% (2003 est.)
Comoros
20% (1996 est.)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
NA (2003 est.)
Congo, Republic of the
NA (2003)
Cook Islands
13% (1996)
Costa Rica
6.7% (2003 est.)
Cote d'Ivoire
13% in urban areas (1998)
Croatia
19.5% (2003)
Cuba
2.6% (2003 est.)
Cyprus
Republic of Cyprus: 3.4%; north Cyprus: 5.6% (2003 est.)
Czech Republic
9.9% (2003)
Denmark
6.1% (2003)
Djibouti
50% (2000 est.)
Dominica
23% (2000 est.)
Dominican Republic
16.5% (2003 est.)
East Timor
50% (including underemployment) (1992 est.)
Ecuador
9.8%; note - underemployment of 47% (2003 est.)
Egypt
9.9% (2003 est.)
El Salvador
6.5% - but the economy has much underemployment (2003
est.)
Equatorial Guinea
30% (1998 est.)
Eritrea
NA (2003 est.)
Estonia
10.1% (2003)
Ethiopia
NA (2002)
European Union
9.1% (2004 est.)
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
full employment; labor shortage
(2001)
Faroe Islands
1% (October 2000)
Fiji
7.6% (1999)
Finland
9% (2003 est.)
France
9.7% (2003 est.)
French Guiana
22% (2001)
French Polynesia
11.8% (1994)
Gabon
21% (1997 est.)
Gambia, The
NA (2002 est.)
Gaza Strip
50% (includes West Bank) (2003 est.)
Georgia
17% (2001 est.)
Germany
10.5% (2003 est.)
Ghana
20% (1997 est.)
Gibraltar
2% (2001 est.)
Greece
9.4% (2003 est.)
Greenland
10% (2000 est.)
Grenada
12.5% (2000)
Guadeloupe
27.8% (1998)
Guam
15% (2000 est.)
Guatemala
7.5% (2003 est.)
Guernsey
0.5% (1999 est.)
Guinea
NA (2002 est.)
Guinea-Bissau
NA (1998)
Guyana
9.1% (understated) (2000)
Haiti
widespread unemployment and underemployment; more than
two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs (2002 est.)
Honduras
27.5% (2003 est.)
Hong Kong
7.9% (2003)
Hungary
5.9% (2003 est.)
Iceland
3.4% (2003 est.)
India
9.5% (2003)
Indonesia
8.7% (2003 est.)
Iran
15.7% (2002 est.)
Iraq
NA (2003 est.)
Ireland
4.7% (2003 est.)
Israel
10.7% (2003 est.)
Italy
8.6% (2003 est.)
Jamaica
15.9% (2003 est.)
Japan
5.3% (2003)
Jersey
0.7% (1998 est.)
Jordan
16% official rate; actual rate is 25%-30% (2001 est.)
Kazakhstan
8.8% (2003 est.)
Kenya
40% (2001 est.)
Kiribati
2%; underemployment 70% (1992 est.)
Korea, North
NA (2003)
Korea, South
3.4% (2003 est.)
Kuwait
2.1% (2003 est.)
Kyrgyzstan
7.2% (1999 est.)
Laos
5.7% (1997 est.)
Latvia
8.6% (2003 est.)
Lebanon
18% (1997 est.)
Lesotho
45% (2002)
Liberia
85% (2003 est.)
Libya
30% (2001)
Liechtenstein
1.3% (September 2002)
Lithuania
10.3% (2003 est.)
Luxembourg
3.6% (2003 est.)
Macau
6.3% (2003)
Macedonia
36.7% (2003 est.)
Madagascar
5.9% (1998)
Malawi
NA (2003 est.)
Malaysia
3.6% (2003 est.)
Maldives
NEGL% (2003 est.)
Mali
14.6% urban areas; 5.3% rural areas (2001 est.)
Malta
7% (2003 est.)
Man, Isle of
0.7% (March 2003)
Marshall Islands
30.9% (1999 est.)
Martinique
27.2% (1998)
Mauritania
21% (1999 est.)
Mauritius
9.8% (2003 est.)
Mayotte
38% (1999)
Mexico
3.3% plus underemployment of perhaps 25% (2003)
Micronesia, Federated States of
16% (1999 est.)
Moldova
8% (roughly 25% of working age Moldovans are employed
abroad) (2002 est.)
Monaco
3.1% (1998)
Mongolia
4.6% (2001)
Montserrat
6% (1998 est.)
Morocco
19% (2003 est.)
Mozambique
21% (1997 est.)
Namibia
35% (1998)
Nauru
0% (2002 est.)
Nepal
47% (2001 est.)
Netherlands
5.3% (2003 est.)
Netherlands Antilles
15.6% (2002 est.)
New Caledonia
19% (1996)
New Zealand
4.7% (2003 est.)
Nicaragua
22% plus considerable underemployment (2003 est.)
Niger
NA (2002 est.)
Nigeria
NA (2003 est.)
Niue
NA (March 1999)
Norfolk Island
NA
Northern Mariana Islands
NA
Norway
4.7% (2003 est.)
Oman
NA
Pakistan
7.7% plus substantial underemployment (2003 est.)
Palau
2.3% (2000 est.)
Panama
13.8% (2003 est.)
Papua New Guinea
NA
Paraguay
18.5% (2003 est.)
Peru
9.7%; widespread underemployment (2003 est.)
Philippines
11.4% (2003)
Pitcairn Islands
NA
Poland
20% (2003)
Portugal
6.4% (2003 est.)
Puerto Rico
12% (2002)
Qatar
2.7% (2001)
Reunion
36% (1999 est.)
Romania
7.2% (2003)
Russia
8.5% plus considerable underemployment (2003 est.)
Rwanda
NA
Saint Helena
14% (1998 est.)
Saint Kitts and Nevis
4.5% (1997)
Saint Lucia
16.5% (1997 est.)
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
9.8% (1997)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
22% (1997 est.)
Samoa
NA%; note - substantial underemployment
San Marino
2.6% (2001)
Sao Tome and Principe
NA
Saudi Arabia
25% (2003)
Senegal
48% (urban youth 40%) (2001 est.)
Serbia and Montenegro
34.5% (2003 est.)
Seychelles
NA
Sierra Leone
NA
Singapore
4.8% (2003 est.)
Slovakia
15.2% (2003 est.)
Slovenia
11.2% (2003 est.)
Solomon Islands
NA
Somalia
NA
South Africa
31% (includes workers no longer looking for employment)
(2003 est.)
Spain
11.3% (2003 est.)
Sri Lanka
8.4% (2003)
Sudan
18.7% (2002 est.)
Suriname
17% (2000)
Swaziland
34% (2000 est.)
Sweden
4.9% (2003 est.)
Switzerland
3.7% (2003 est.)
Syria
20% (2002 est.)
Taiwan
5% (2003 est.)
Tajikistan
40% (2002 est.)
Tanzania
NA
Thailand
2.2% (2003 est.)
Togo
NA (2003 est.)
Tokelau
NA
Tonga
13.3% (1996 est.)
Trinidad and Tobago
10.4% (2003)
Tunisia
14.3% (2003 est.)
Turkey
10.5% (plus underemployment of 6.1%) (2003 est.)
Turkmenistan
NA
Turks and Caicos Islands
10% (1997 est.)
Tuvalu
NA
Uganda
NA (2002 est.)
Ukraine
3.7% officially registered; large number of unregistered or
underemployed workers (2003)
United Arab Emirates
2.4% (2001)
United Kingdom
5% (2003 est.)
United States
6% (2003)
Uruguay
16% (2003)
Uzbekistan
0.5% plus another 20% underemployed (2003)
Vanuatu
NA
Venezuela
18% (2003 est.)
Vietnam
6.1% (2003 est.)
Virgin Islands
9.3% (2003 est.)
Wallis and Futuna
NA
West Bank
50% (includes Gaza Strip) (2002 est.)
Western Sahara
NA
World
30% combined unemployment and underemployment in many
non-industrialized countries; developed countries typically 4%-12%
unemployment
Yemen
35% (2003 est.)
Zambia
50% (2000 est.)
Zimbabwe
70% (2002 est.)
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
======================================================================
@2137 Military - note
Akrotiri
Akrotiri has a full RAF base, Headquarters for British
Forces on Cyprus, and Episkopi Support Unit
American Samoa
defense is the responsibility of the US
Andorra
defense is the responsibility of France and Spain
Anguilla
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Antarctica
the Antarctic Treaty prohibits any measures of a military
nature, such as the establishment of military bases and
fortifications, the carrying out of military maneuvers, or the
testing of any type of weapon; it permits the use of military
personnel or equipment for scientific research or for any other
peaceful purposes
Aruba
defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Ashmore and Cartier Islands
defense is the responsibility of
Australia; periodic visits by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal
Australian Air Force
Baker Island
defense is the responsibility of the US; visited
annually by the US Coast Guard
Bassas da India
defense is the responsibility of France
Bermuda
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Bouvet Island
defense is the responsibility of Norway
British Indian Ocean Territory
defense is the responsibility of the
UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016
British Virgin Islands
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Cayman Islands
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Christmas Island
defense is the responsibility of Australia
Clipperton Island
defense is the responsibility of France
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
defense is the responsibility of Australia;
the territory does have a five-person police force
Cook Islands
defense is the responsibility of New Zealand, in
consultation with the Cook Islands and at its request
Coral Sea Islands
defense is the responsibility of Australia;
visited regularly by the Royal Australian Navy; Australia has
control over the activities of visitors
Cuba
Moscow, for decades the key military supporter and supplier of
Cuba, cut off almost all military aid by 1993
Dhekelia
includes Dheklia Garrison and Ayios Nikolaos Station
connected by a roadway
Europa Island
defense is the responsibility of France
European Union
In October 2004, the European Union heads of
government signed a "constitutional treaty" that offers
possibilities - with some limits - for increased defense and
security cooperation. If ratified, in a process that may take some
two years, this treaty will in effect make operational the European
Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) approved in the 2000 Nice Treaty.
Despite limits of cooperation for some EU members, development of a
European military planning unit is likely to continue. So is
creation of a rapid-reaction military force and a humanitarian aid
system, which the planning unit will support. France, Germany,
Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Italy continue to press for
wider coordination. The five-nation Eurocorps - created in 1992 by
France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, and Luxembourg - has already
deployed troops and police on peacekeeping missions to
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo
and assumed command of the International Security Assistance Force
(ISAF) in Afghanistan in August 2004. Eurocorps directly commands
the 5,000-man Franco-German Brigade and the Multinational Command
Support Brigade and will command EUFOR, which will take over from
SFOR in Bosnia in December 2004. Other troop contributions are under
national command - committments to provide 67,100 troops were made
at the Helsinki EU session in 2000. Some 56,000 EU troops were
actually deployed in 2003. In August 2004, the new European Defense
Agency, tasked with promoting cooperative European defense
capabilities, began operations. As of November 2004, Germany, the
United Kingdom, and France had proposed creation of three 1,500-man
rapid-reaction "battle groups."
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
defense is the responsibility of
the UK
Faroe Islands
defense is the responsibility of Denmark
French Guiana
defense is the responsibility of France
French Polynesia
defense is the responsibility of France
French Southern and Antarctic Lands
defense is the responsibility of
France
Georgia
a CIS peacekeeping force of Russian troops is deployed in
the Abkhazia region of Georgia together with a UN military observer
group; a Russian peacekeeping battalion is deployed in South Ossetia
Gibraltar
defense is the responsibility of the UK; the last British
regular infantry forces left Gibraltar in 1992, replaced by the
Royal Gibraltar Regiment
Glorioso Islands
defense is the responsibility of France
Greenland
defense is the responsibility of Denmark
Guadeloupe
defense is the responsibility of France
Guam
defense is the responsibility of the US
Guernsey
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
defense is the responsibility of
Australia; Australia conducts fisheries patrols
Holy See (Vatican City)
defense is the responsibility of Italy;
Swiss Papal Guards are posted at entrances to the Vatican City to
provide security and protect the Pope
Hong Kong
defense is the responsibility of China
Howland Island
defense is the responsibility of the US; visited
annually by the US Coast Guard
Iceland
defense is provided by the US-manned Icelandic Defense Force
(IDF) headquartered at Keflavik
Jan Mayen
defense is the responsibility of Norway
Jarvis Island
defense is the responsibility of the US; visited
annually by the US Coast Guard
Jersey
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Johnston Atoll
defense is the responsibility of the US
Juan de Nova Island
defense is the responsibility of France
Kingman Reef
defense is the responsibility of the US
Kiribati
Kiribati does not have military forces; defense assistance
is provided by Australia and NZ
Lesotho
the Lesotho Government in 1999 began an open debate on the
future structure, size, and role of the armed forces, especially
considering the Lesotho Defense Force's (LDF) history of intervening
in political affairs
Liechtenstein
defense is the responsibility of Switzerland
Man, Isle of
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Marshall Islands
defense is the responsibility of the US
Martinique
defense is the responsibility of France
Mayotte
defense is the responsibility of France; small contingent of
French forces stationed on the island
Micronesia, Federated States of
Federated States of Micronesia (FSM)
is a sovereign, self-governing state in free association with the
US; FSM is totally dependent on the US for its defense
Midway Islands
defense is the responsibility of the US
Monaco
defense is the responsibility of France
Montserrat
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Nauru
Nauru maintains no defense forces; under an informal
agreement, defense is the responsibility of Australia
Navassa Island
defense is the responsibility of the US
Netherlands Antilles
defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of
the Netherlands
New Caledonia
defense is the responsibility of France
Niue
defense is the responsibility of New Zealand
Norfolk Island
defense is the responsibility of Australia
Northern Mariana Islands
defense is the responsibility of the US
Palau
defense is the responsibility of the US; under a Compact of
Free Association between Palau and the US, the US military is
granted access to the islands for 50 years
Palmyra Atoll
defense is the responsibility of the US
Panama
on 10 February 1990, the government of then President ENDARA
abolished Panama's military and reformed the security apparatus by
creating the Panamanian Public Forces; in October 1994, Panama's
Legislative Assembly approved a constitutional amendment prohibiting
the creation of a standing military force, but allowing the
temporary establishment of special police units to counter acts of
"external aggression"
Paracel Islands
occupied by China
Pitcairn Islands
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Puerto Rico
defense is the responsibility of the US
Reunion
defense is the responsibility of France
Saint Helena
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
defense is the responsibility of France
Samoa
Samoa has no formal defense structure or regular armed forces;
informal defense ties exist with NZ, which is required to consider
any Samoan request for assistance under the 1962 Treaty of Friendship
South Africa
with the end of apartheid and the establishment of
majority rule, former military, black homelands forces, and
ex-opposition forces were integrated into the South African National
Defense Force (SANDF); as of 2003 the integration process was
considered complete
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
defense is the
responsibility of the UK
Spratly Islands
Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small
islands or reefs, of which about 45 are claimed and occupied by
China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam
Svalbard
demilitarized by treaty (9 February 1920)
Tokelau
defense is the responsibility of New Zealand
Tromelin Island
defense is the responsibility of France
Turks and Caicos Islands
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Virgin Islands
defense is the responsibility of the US
Wake Island
defense is the responsibility of the US; launch support
facility is part of the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test
Site (RTS) administered by US Army Space and Missile Defense Command
(SMDC)
Wallis and Futuna
defense is the responsibility of France
Yemen
establishment of a Coast Guard, scheduled for May 2001, has
been delayed
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
======================================================================
@2138 Communications - note
Afghanistan
in March 2003 'af' was established as Afghanistan's
domain name; Internet access is growing through Internet cafes as
well as public "telekiosks" in Kabul that are part of a nationwide
network proposed by the Transitional Authority for Internet access
(2002)
Bouvet Island
automatic meteorological station
Coral Sea Islands
there are automatic weather stations on many of
the isles and reefs relaying data to the mainland
Europa Island
1 meteorological station
Glorioso Islands
1 meteorological station
Juan de Nova Island
1 meteorological station
Saint Helena
Gough Island has a meteorological station
Tromelin Island
important meteorological station
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
======================================================================
@2140 Government - note
Malawi
the executive exerts considerable influence over the
legislature
Solomon Islands
June 2003 Prime Minister Sir Allen KEMAKEZA sought
the intervention of Australia to aid in restoring order; parliament
approved the request for intervention in July 2003; troops from
Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga arrived 24
July 2003
Somalia
although an interim government was created in 2000 other
governing bodies continue to exist and control various cities and
regions of the country, including Somaliland, Puntland, and
traditional clan and faction strongholds
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
======================================================================
@2142 Country name
Afghanistan
conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
conventional short form: Afghanistan
local long form: Dowlat-e Eslami-ye Afghanestan
local short form: Afghanestan
former: Republic of Afghanistan
Akrotiri
conventional long form: Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area
conventional short form: Akrotiri
Albania
conventional long form: Republic of Albania
conventional short form: Albania
local long form: Republika e Shqiperise
local short form: Shqiperia
former: People's Socialist Republic of Albania
Algeria
conventional long form: People's Democratic Republic of
Algeria
conventional short form: Algeria
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Jaza'iriyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash
Sha'biyah
local short form: Al Jaza'ir
American Samoa
conventional long form: Territory of American Samoa
conventional short form: American Samoa
abbreviation: AS
Andorra
conventional long form: Principality of Andorra
conventional short form: Andorra
local long form: Principat d'Andorra
local short form: Andorra
Angola
conventional long form: Republic of Angola
conventional short form: Angola
local long form: Republica de Angola
local short form: Angola
former: People's Republic of Angola
Anguilla
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Anguilla
Antarctica
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Antarctica
Antigua and Barbuda
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
conventional long form: Argentine Republic
conventional short form: Argentina
local long form: Republica Argentina
local short form: Argentina
Armenia
conventional long form: Republic of Armenia
conventional short form: Armenia
local long form: Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun
local short form: Hayastan
former: Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic; Armenian Republic
Aruba
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Aruba
Ashmore and Cartier Islands
conventional long form: Territory of
Ashmore and Cartier Islands
conventional short form: Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Australia
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Australia
conventional short form: Australia
Austria
conventional long form: Republic of Austria
conventional short form: Austria
local long form: Republik Oesterreich
local short form: Oesterreich
Azerbaijan
conventional long form: Republic of Azerbaijan
conventional short form: Azerbaijan
local long form: Azarbaycan Respublikasi
local short form: none
former: Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic
Bahamas, The
conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas
conventional short form: The Bahamas
Bahrain
conventional long form: Kingdom of Bahrain
conventional short form: Bahrain
local long form: Mamlakat al Bahrayn
local short form: Al Bahrayn
former: Dilmun
Baker Island
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Baker Island
Bangladesh
conventional long form: People's Republic of Bangladesh
conventional short form: Bangladesh
former: East Pakistan
Barbados
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Barbados
Bassas da India
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bassas da India
Belarus
conventional long form: Republic of Belarus
conventional short form: Belarus
local long form: Respublika Byelarus'
local short form: none
former: Belorussian (Byelorussian) Soviet Socialist Republic
Belgium
conventional long form: Kingdom of Belgium
conventional short form: Belgium
local long form: Royaume de Belgique/Koninkrijk Belgie
local short form: Belgique/Belgie
Belize
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Belize
former: British Honduras
Benin
conventional long form: Republic of Benin
conventional short form: Benin
local long form: Republique du Benin
local short form: Benin
former: Dahomey
Bermuda
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bermuda
former: Somers Islands
Bhutan
conventional long form: Kingdom of Bhutan
conventional short form: Bhutan
Bolivia
conventional long form: Republic of Bolivia
conventional short form: Bolivia
local long form: Republica de Bolivia
local short form: Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bosnia and Herzegovina
local long form: none
local short form: Bosna i Hercegovina
former: People's Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Socialist
Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
conventional long form: Republic of Botswana
conventional short form: Botswana
former: Bechuanaland
Bouvet Island
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bouvet Island
Brazil
conventional long form: Federative Republic of Brazil
conventional short form: Brazil
local long form: Republica Federativa do Brasil
local short form: Brasil
British Indian Ocean Territory
conventional long form: British
Indian Ocean Territory
conventional short form: none
abbreviation: BIOT
British Virgin Islands
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: British Virgin Islands
abbreviation: BVI
Brunei
conventional long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam
conventional short form: Brunei
Bulgaria
conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria
conventional short form: Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Burkina Faso
former: Upper Volta, Republic of Upper Volta
Burma
conventional long form: Union of Burma
conventional short form: Burma
local long form: Pyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw (translated by the
US Government as Union of Myanma and by the Burmese as Union of
Myanmar)
local short form: Myanma Naingngandaw
former: Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma
note: since 1989 the military authorities in Burma have promoted the
name Myanmar as a conventional name for their state; this decision
was not approved by any sitting legislature in Burma, and the US
Government did not adopt the name, which is a derivative of the
Burmese short-form name Myanma Naingngandaw
Burundi
conventional long form: Republic of Burundi
conventional short form: Burundi
local long form: Republika y'u Burundi
local short form: Burundi
former: Urundi
Cambodia
conventional long form: Kingdom of Cambodia
conventional short form: Cambodia
local long form: Preahreacheanacha Kampuchea (phonetic pronunciation)
local short form: Kampuchea
former: Kingdom of Cambodia, Khmer Republic, Democratic Kampuchea,
People's Republic of Kampuchea, State of Cambodia
Cameroon
conventional long form: Republic of Cameroon
conventional short form: Cameroon
former: French Cameroon
Canada
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Canada
Cape Verde
conventional long form: Republic of Cape Verde
conventional short form: Cape Verde
local long form: Republica de Cabo Verde
local short form: Cabo Verde
Cayman Islands
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
conventional long form: Central African
Republic
conventional short form: none
local long form: Republique Centrafricaine
local short form: none
former: Ubangi-Shari, Central African Empire
abbreviation: CAR
Chad
conventional long form: Republic of Chad
conventional short form: Chad
local long form: Republique du Tchad
local short form: Tchad
Chile
conventional long form: Republic of Chile
conventional short form: Chile
local long form: Republica de Chile
local short form: Chile
China
conventional long form: People's Republic of China
conventional short form: China
local long form: Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo
local short form: Zhong Guo
abbreviation: PRC
Christmas Island
conventional long form: Territory of Christmas
Island
conventional short form: Christmas Island
Clipperton Island
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Clipperton Island
local long form: none
local short form: Ile Clipperton
former: sometimes called Ile de la Passion
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
conventional long form: Territory of Cocos
(Keeling) Islands
conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Colombia
conventional long form: Republic of Colombia
conventional short form: Colombia
local long form: Republica de Colombia
local short form: Colombia
Comoros
conventional long form: Union of the Comoros
conventional short form: Comoros
local long form: Union des Comores
local short form: Comores
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
conventional long form: Democratic
Republic of the Congo
conventional short form: none
local long form: Republique Democratique du Congo
local short form: none
former: Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Congo/Leopoldville,
Congo/Kinshasa, Zaire
abbreviation: DROC
Congo, Republic of the
conventional long form: Republic of the Congo
conventional short form: Congo (Brazzaville)
local long form: Republique du Congo
local short form: none
former: Middle Congo, Congo/Brazzaville, Congo
Cook Islands
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Cook Islands
former: Harvey Islands
Coral Sea Islands
conventional long form: Coral Sea Islands Territory
conventional short form: Coral Sea Islands
Costa Rica
conventional long form: Republic of Costa Rica
conventional short form: Costa Rica
local long form: Republica de Costa Rica
local short form: Costa Rica
Cote d'Ivoire
conventional long form: Republic of Cote d'Ivoire
conventional short form: Cote d'Ivoire
local long form: Republique de Cote d'Ivoire
local short form: Cote d'Ivoire
former: Ivory Coast
Croatia
conventional long form: Republic of Croatia
conventional short form: Croatia
local long form: Republika Hrvatska
local short form: Hrvatska
former: People's Republic of Croatia, Socialist Republic of Croatia
Cuba
conventional long form: Republic of Cuba
conventional short form: Cuba
local long form: Republica de Cuba
local short form: Cuba
Cyprus
conventional long form: Republic of Cyprus
conventional short form: Cyprus
note: the Turkish Cypriot community (north Cyprus) refers to itself
as the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" (TRNC)
Czech Republic
conventional long form: Czech Republic
conventional short form: Czech Republic
local long form: Ceska Republika
local short form: Ceska Republika
Denmark
conventional long form: Kingdom of Denmark
conventional short form: Denmark
local long form: Kongeriget Danmark
local short form: Danmark
Dhekelia
conventional long form: Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area
conventional short form: Dhekelia
Djibouti
conventional long form: Republic of Djibouti
conventional short form: Djibouti
former: French Territory of the Afars and Issas, French Somaliland
Dominica
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica
conventional short form: Dominica
Dominican Republic
conventional long form: Dominican Republic
conventional short form: The Dominican
local long form: Republica Dominicana
local short form: La Dominicana
East Timor
conventional long form: Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
conventional short form: East Timor
local long form: Republika Demokratika Timor Lorosa'e [Tetum];
Republica Democratica de Timor-Leste [Portuguese]
local short form: Timor Lorosa'e [Tetum]; Timor-Leste [Portuguese]
former: Portuguese Timor
Ecuador
conventional long form: Republic of Ecuador
conventional short form: Ecuador
local long form: Republica del Ecuador
local short form: Ecuador
Egypt
conventional long form: Arab Republic of Egypt
conventional short form: Egypt
local long form: Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah
local short form: Misr
former: United Arab Republic (with Syria)
El Salvador
conventional long form: Republic of El Salvador
conventional short form: El Salvador
local long form: Republica de El Salvador
local short form: El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
conventional long form: Republic of Equatorial
Guinea
conventional short form: Equatorial Guinea
local long form: Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial
local short form: Guinea Ecuatorial
former: Spanish Guinea
Eritrea
conventional long form: State of Eritrea
conventional short form: Eritrea
local long form: Hagere Ertra
local short form: Ertra
former: Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia
Estonia
conventional long form: Republic of Estonia
conventional short form: Estonia
local long form: Eesti Vabariik
local short form: Eesti
former: Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic
Ethiopia
conventional long form: Federal Democratic Republic of
Ethiopia
conventional short form: Ethiopia
local long form: Ityop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik
local short form: Ityop'iya
former: Abyssinia, Italian East Africa
abbreviation: FDRE
Europa Island
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Europa Island
local long form: none
local short form: Ile Europa
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Faroe Islands
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Faroe Islands
local long form: none
local short form: Foroyar
Fiji
conventional long form: Republic of the Fiji Islands
conventional short form: Fiji
Finland
conventional long form: Republic of Finland
conventional short form: Finland
local long form: Suomen Tasavalta
local short form: Suomi
France
conventional long form: French Republic
conventional short form: France
local long form: Republique Francaise
local short form: France
French Guiana
conventional long form: Department of Guiana
conventional short form: French Guiana
local long form: none
local short form: Guyane
French Polynesia
conventional long form: Territory of French
Polynesia
conventional short form: French Polynesia
local long form: Territoire de la Polynesie Francaise
local short form: Polynesie Francaise
former: French Colony of Oceania
French Southern and Antarctic Lands
conventional long form:
Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands
conventional short form: French Southern and Antarctic Lands
local long form: Territoire des Terres Australes et Antarctiques
Francaises
local short form: Terres Australes et Antarctiques Francaises
Gabon
conventional long form: Gabonese Republic
conventional short form: Gabon
local long form: Republique Gabonaise
local short form: Gabon
Gambia, The
conventional long form: Republic of The Gambia
conventional short form: The Gambia
Gaza Strip
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Gaza Strip
local long form: none
local short form: Qita Ghazzah
Georgia
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Georgia
local long form: none
local short form: Sak'art'velo
former: Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic
Germany
conventional long form: Federal Republic of Germany
conventional short form: Germany
local long form: Bundesrepublik Deutschland
local short form: Deutschland
former: German Empire, German Republic, German Reich
Ghana
conventional long form: Republic of Ghana
conventional short form: Ghana
former: Gold Coast
Gibraltar
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Gibraltar
Glorioso Islands
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Glorioso Islands
local long form: none
local short form: Iles Glorieuses
Greece
conventional long form: Hellenic Republic
conventional short form: Greece
local long form: Elliniki Dhimokratia
local short form: Ellas or Ellada
former: Kingdom of Greece
Greenland
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Greenland
local long form: none
local short form: Kalaallit Nunaat
Grenada
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Grenada
Guadeloupe
conventional long form: Department of Guadeloupe
conventional short form: Guadeloupe
local long form: Departement de la Guadeloupe
local short form: Guadeloupe
Guam
conventional long form: Territory of Guam
conventional short form: Guam
local long form: Guahan
Guatemala
conventional long form: Republic of Guatemala
conventional short form: Guatemala
local long form: Republica de Guatemala
local short form: Guatemala
Guernsey
conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey
conventional short form: Guernsey
Guinea
conventional long form: Republic of Guinea
conventional short form: Guinea
local long form: Republique de Guinee
local short form: Guinee
former: French Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
conventional long form: Republic of Guinea-Bissau
conventional short form: Guinea-Bissau
local long form: Republica da Guine-Bissau
local short form: Guine-Bissau
former: Portuguese Guinea
Guyana
conventional long form: Co-operative Republic of Guyana
conventional short form: Guyana
former: British Guiana
Haiti
conventional long form: Republic of Haiti
conventional short form: Haiti
local long form: Republique d'Haiti
local short form: Haiti
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
conventional long form: Territory
of Heard Island and McDonald Islands
conventional short form: Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Holy See (Vatican City)
conventional long form: The Holy See (State
of the Vatican City)
conventional short form: Holy See (Vatican City)
local long form: Santa Sede (Stato della Citta del Vaticano)
local short form: Santa Sede (Citta del Vaticano)
Honduras
conventional long form: Republic of Honduras
conventional short form: Honduras
local long form: Republica de Honduras
local short form: Honduras
Hong Kong
conventional long form: Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region
conventional short form: Hong Kong
local long form: Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu
local short form: Xianggang
abbreviation: HK
Howland Island
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Howland Island
Hungary
conventional long form: Republic of Hungary
conventional short form: Hungary
local long form: Magyar Koztarsasag
local short form: Magyarorszag
Iceland
conventional long form: Republic of Iceland
conventional short form: Iceland
local long form: Lydhveldidh Island
local short form: Island
India
conventional long form: Republic of India
conventional short form: India
Indonesia
conventional long form: Republic of Indonesia
conventional short form: Indonesia
local long form: Republik Indonesia
local short form: Indonesia
former: Netherlands East Indies; Dutch East Indies
Iran
conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Iran
conventional short form: Iran
local long form: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran
local short form: Iran
former: Persia
Iraq
conventional long form: Republic of Iraq
conventional short form: Iraq
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah
local short form: Al Iraq
Ireland
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Ireland
Israel
conventional long form: State of Israel
conventional short form: Israel
local long form: Medinat Yisra'el
local short form: Yisra'el
Italy
conventional long form: Italian Republic
conventional short form: Italy
local long form: Repubblica Italiana
local short form: Italia
former: Kingdom of Italy
Jamaica
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Jamaica
Jan Mayen
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Jan Mayen
Japan
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Japan
Jarvis Island
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Jarvis Island
Jersey
conventional long form: Bailiwick of Jersey
conventional short form: Jersey
Johnston Atoll
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Johnston Atoll
Jordan
conventional long form: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
conventional short form: Jordan
local long form: Al Mamlakah al Urduniyah al Hashimiyah
local short form: Al Urdun
former: Transjordan
Juan de Nova Island
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Juan de Nova Island
local long form: none
local short form: Ile Juan de Nova
Kazakhstan
conventional long form: Republic of Kazakhstan
conventional short form: Kazakhstan
local long form: Qazaqstan Respublikasy
local short form: none
former: Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic
Kenya
conventional long form: Republic of Kenya
conventional short form: Kenya
former: British East Africa
Kingman Reef
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Kingman Reef
Kiribati
conventional long form: Republic of Kiribati
conventional short form: Kiribati
note: pronounced keer-ree-bahss
former: Gilbert Islands
Korea, North
conventional long form: Democratic People's Republic of
Korea
conventional short form: North Korea
local long form: Choson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguk
local short form: none
note: the North Koreans generally use the term "Choson" to refer to
their country
abbreviation: DPRK
Korea, South
conventional long form: Republic of Korea
conventional short form: South Korea
local long form: Taehan-min'guk
local short form: none
note: the South Koreans generally use the term "Han'guk" to refer to
their country
abbreviation: ROK
Kuwait
conventional long form: State of Kuwait
conventional short form: Kuwait
local long form: Dawlat al Kuwayt
local short form: Al Kuwayt
Kyrgyzstan
conventional long form: Kyrgyz Republic
conventional short form: Kyrgyzstan
local long form: Kyrgyz Respublikasy
local short form: none
former: Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic
Laos
conventional long form: Lao People's Democratic Republic
conventional short form: Laos
local long form: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao
local short form: none
Latvia
conventional long form: Republic of Latvia
conventional short form: Latvia
local long form: Latvijas Republika
local short form: Latvija
former: Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic
Lebanon
conventional long form: Lebanese Republic
conventional short form: Lebanon
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah
local short form: Lubnan