the landing of illegal immigrants from
Indonesia's Rote Island has become an ongoing problem
Christmas Island
the Australian Bureau of Statistics reports a
population of 1,508 as of the 2001 Census
Cuba
illicit migration is a continuing problem; Cubans attempt to
depart the island and enter the US using homemade rafts, alien
smugglers, direct flights, or falsified visas; Cubans also use
non-maritime routes to enter the US including direct flights to
Miami and overland via the southwest border
Greece
women, men, and children are trafficked to and within Greece
for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor
Rwanda
Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa
Turks and Caicos Islands
destination and transit point for illegal
Haitian immigrants bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands, Bahamas,
and US
Ukraine
the sex trafficking of Ukrainian women is a serious problem
that has only recently been addressed
This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005
======================================================================
@2023 Area - comparative
Afghanistan
slightly smaller than Texas
Akrotiri
about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC
Albania
slightly smaller than Maryland
Algeria
slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas
American Samoa
slightly larger than Washington, DC
Andorra
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Angola
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Anguilla
about half the size of Washington, DC
Antarctica
slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US
Antigua and Barbuda
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Arctic Ocean
slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US
Argentina
slightly less than three-tenths the size of the US
Armenia
slightly smaller than Maryland
Aruba
slightly larger than Washington, DC
Ashmore and Cartier Islands
about eight times the size of The Mall
in Washington, DC
Atlantic Ocean
slightly less than 6.5 times the size of the US
Australia
slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states
Austria
slightly smaller than Maine
Azerbaijan
slightly smaller than Maine
Bahamas, The
slightly smaller than Connecticut
Bahrain
3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Baker Island
about 2.5 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Bangladesh
slightly smaller than Iowa
Barbados
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Bassas da India
about one-third the size of The Mall in Washington,
DC
Belarus
slightly smaller than Kansas
Belgium
about the size of Maryland
Belize
slightly smaller than Massachusetts
Benin
slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Bermuda
about one-third the size of Washington, DC
Bhutan
about half the size of Indiana
Bolivia
slightly less than three times the size of Montana
Bosnia and Herzegovina
slightly smaller than West Virginia
Botswana
slightly smaller than Texas
Bouvet Island
about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Brazil
slightly smaller than the US
British Indian Ocean Territory
about 0.3 times the size of
Washington, DC
British Virgin Islands
about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
Brunei
slightly smaller than Delaware
Bulgaria
slightly larger than Tennessee
Burkina Faso
slightly larger than Colorado
Burma
slightly smaller than Texas
Burundi
slightly smaller than Maryland
Cambodia
slightly smaller than Oklahoma
Cameroon
slightly larger than California
Canada
somewhat larger than the US
Cape Verde
slightly larger than Rhode Island
Cayman Islands
1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Central African Republic
slightly smaller than Texas
Chad
slightly more than three times the size of California
Chile
slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana
China
slightly smaller than the US
Christmas Island
about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC
Clipperton Island
about 12 times the size of The Mall in Washington,
DC
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
about 24 times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Colombia
slightly less than three times the size of Montana
Comoros
slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
slightly less than one-fourth the
size of the US
Congo, Republic of the
slightly smaller than Montana
Cook Islands
1.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Coral Sea Islands
NA
Costa Rica
slightly smaller than West Virginia
Cote d'Ivoire
slightly larger than New Mexico
Croatia
slightly smaller than West Virginia
Cuba
slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Cyprus
about 0.6 times the size of Connecticut
Czech Republic
slightly smaller than South Carolina
Denmark
slightly less than twice the size of Massachusetts
Dhekelia
about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC
Djibouti
slightly smaller than Massachusetts
Dominica
slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC
Dominican Republic
slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire
East Timor
slightly larger than Connecticut
Ecuador
slightly smaller than Nevada
Egypt
slightly more than three times the size of New Mexico
El Salvador
slightly smaller than Massachusetts
Equatorial Guinea
slightly smaller than Maryland
Eritrea
slightly larger than Pennsylvania
Estonia
slightly smaller than New Hampshire and Vermont combined
Ethiopia
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Europa Island
about 0.16 times the size of Washington, DC
European Union
less than one-half the size of the US
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
slightly smaller than Connecticut
Faroe Islands
eight times the size of Washington, DC
Fiji
slightly smaller than New Jersey
Finland
slightly smaller than Montana
France
slightly less than twice the size of Colorado
French Guiana
slightly smaller than Indiana
French Polynesia
slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut
French Southern and Antarctic Lands
slightly less than 1.3 times the
size of Delaware
Gabon
slightly smaller than Colorado
Gambia, The
slightly less than twice the size of Delaware
Gaza Strip
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Georgia
slightly smaller than South Carolina
Germany
slightly smaller than Montana
Ghana
slightly smaller than Oregon
Gibraltar
about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Glorioso Islands
about eight times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Greece
slightly smaller than Alabama
Greenland
slightly more than three times the size of Texas
Grenada
twice the size of Washington, DC
Guadeloupe
10 times the size of Washington, DC
Guam
three times the size of Washington, DC
Guatemala
slightly smaller than Tennessee
Guernsey
about one-half the size of Washington, DC
Guinea
slightly smaller than Oregon
Guinea-Bissau
slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut
Guyana
slightly smaller than Idaho
Haiti
slightly smaller than Maryland
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
slightly more than two times the
size of Washington, DC
Holy See (Vatican City)
about 0.7 times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Honduras
slightly larger than Tennessee
Hong Kong
six times the size of Washington, DC
Howland Island
about three times the size of The Mall in Washington,
DC
Hungary
slightly smaller than Indiana
Iceland
slightly smaller than Kentucky
India
slightly more than one-third the size of the US
Indian Ocean
about 5.5 times the size of the US
Indonesia
slightly less than three times the size of Texas
Iran
slightly larger than Alaska
Iraq
slightly more than twice the size of Idaho
Ireland
slightly larger than West Virginia
Israel
slightly smaller than New Jersey
Italy
slightly larger than Arizona
Jamaica
slightly smaller than Connecticut
Jan Mayen
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Japan
slightly smaller than California
Jarvis Island
about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington,
DC
Jersey
about two-thirds the size of Washington, DC
Johnston Atoll
about 4.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Jordan
slightly smaller than Indiana
Juan de Nova Island
about seven times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Kazakhstan
slightly less than four times the size of Texas
Kenya
slightly more than twice the size of Nevada
Kingman Reef
about 1.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Kiribati
four times the size of Washington, DC
Korea, North
slightly smaller than Mississippi
Korea, South
slightly larger than Indiana
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
about 0.1 times 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
Man, Isle of
slightly more than three times the size of Washington,
DC
Marshall Islands
about the size of Washington, DC
Martinique
slightly more than six times 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)
Midway Islands
about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington,
DC
Moldova
slightly larger than Maryland
Monaco
about three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Mongolia
slightly smaller than Alaska
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
Palmyra Atoll
about 20 times the size of The Mall in 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
Reunion
slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Romania
slightly smaller than Oregon
Russia
approximately 1.8 times the size of the US
Rwanda
slightly smaller than Maryland
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 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 0.3 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 and Montenegro
slightly smaller than Kentucky
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
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
Tromelin Island
about 1.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington,
DC
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; almost two and a
half times the size of the European Union
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 20 October, 2005
======================================================================
@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 (October 2003)
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 (est.); no conscript military
service (2001)
Argentina
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2001)
Armenia
18-27 years of age for compulsory military service,
conscript service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for
voluntary military service (May 2004)
Australia
16 years of age for voluntary service (2001)
Austria
18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of
age for voluntary service; from 2007, at the earliest, compulsory
military service obligation will be reduced from 8 months to 6 (June
2004)
Azerbaijan
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; law passed December 2001 raises maximum conscription age
from 28 to 35 (December 2001)
Bahamas, The
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)
Bahrain
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
Bangladesh
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2005)
Barbados
18 years of age for voluntary military service; volunteers
at earlier age with parental consent; no conscription (2001)
Belarus
18-27 years of age for compulsory military service;
conscript service obligation - 18 months (May 2004)
Belgium
16 years of age for voluntary military service; women
comprise some 7% of the Belgian armed forces (2001)
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 (2001)
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 (2004)
Bhutan
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2001)
Bolivia
18 years of age for voluntary military service; when annual
number of volunteers falls short of goal, compulsory recruitment is
effected, including conscription of boys as young as 14; one
estimate holds that 40% of the armed forces are under the age of 18,
with 50% of those under the age of 16; conscript tour of duty - 12
months (2002)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
18 years of age for compulsory military
service in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina; 16 years of age
in times of war; 18 years of age for Republika Srpska; 17 years of
age for voluntary military service in the Federation and in the
Republika Srpska; by law, military obligations cover all healthy men
between the ages of 18 and 60, and all women between the ages of 18
and 55; service obligation is 4 months (July 2004)
Botswana
18 is the apparent age of voluntary military service; the
official qualifications for determining minimum age are unknown
(2001)
Brazil
19 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript
service obligation - 12 months; 17 years of age for voluntary
service (2001)
Brunei
18 years of age (est.) (2004)
Bulgaria
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; conscript service obligation - 9 months (2004)
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
(May 2002)
Burundi
16 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service (2001)
Cambodia
18-30 years of age for compulsory military service for all
males; conscription law passed September 2004; service obligation is
18 months (September 2004)
Cameroon
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (1999)
Canada
16 years of age for voluntary military service; women
comprise some 11% of Canada's armed forces (2001)
Central African Republic
18 years of age for voluntary and
compulsory military service; conscript service obligation is two
years (2005)
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 (2004)
Chile
18 years of age for compulsory military service; all citizens
18-45 are obligated to perform military service; conscript service
obligation - 12 months for Army, 24 months for Navy and Air Force
(2004)
China
18-22 years of age for compulsory military service, with
24-month service obligation; no minimum age for voluntary service;
17 years of age for women who meet requirements for specific
military jobs (2004)
Colombia
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; conscript service obligation - 24 months (2004)
Congo, Republic of the
18 years of age for voluntary military
service (2001)
Costa Rica
18 years of age (2004)
Cote d'Ivoire
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (2004)
Croatia
18 years of age for compulsory military service, with
6-month service obligation; 16 years of age with consent for
voluntary service; Croatian Military Police planning to end
conscription in 2005 (December 2004)
Cuba
17 years of age; both sexes are eligible for military service
(2004)
Cyprus
18 years of age (2004)
Czech Republic
18-50 years of age for voluntary military service;
military service transformed into a fully professional,
all-volunteer force no longer dependent on conscription beginning in
January 2004 (2005)
Denmark
18 years of age for compulsory and volunteer 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 (2004)
Djibouti
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)
Dominican Republic
18 years of age for voluntary military service
(2001)
East Timor
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
Ecuador
20 years of age for conscript military service; 12-month
service obligation (2004)
Egypt
18 years of age for conscript military service; 3-year service
obligation (2001)
El Salvador
18 years of age for compulsory military service, with
12-month service obligation; 16 years of age for volunteers (2002)
Equatorial Guinea
18 years of age (est.) (2004)
Eritrea
18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military
service; conscript service obligation - 16 months (2004)
Estonia
18 years of age for compulsory military service, with
11-month service obligation; Estonia has committed to retaining
conscription for men and women up to 2010; 17 years of age for
volunteers (2004)
Ethiopia
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service (2001)
Fiji
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
Finland
18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military
service (October 2004)
France
17 years of age with consent for voluntary military service
(2001)
Gabon
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service
(2001)
Gambia, The
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2001)
Georgia
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (2004)
Germany
18 years of age (conscripts serve a nine-month tour of
compulsory military service) (2004)
Ghana
18 years of age for compulsory and volunteer military service
(2001)
Greece
18 years of age for compulsory military service; during
wartime the law allows for recruitment after reaching January of the
year of inductee's 18th birthday, thus including 17 year olds; 17
years of age for volunteers; conscript service obligation - 12
months for the Army and Air Force, 15 months for Navy (2005)
Guatemala
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; conscript service obligation - 30 months (2004)
Guinea
18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
service obligation - 2 years (2004)
Guinea-Bissau
18 years of age for compulsory military service (2001)
Haiti
18 years of age for voluntary recruitment into the police
force (2001)
Honduras
18 years of age for voluntary 2-3 year military service
(2004)
Hong Kong
18 years of age (2004)
Hungary
18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription
abolished in June 2004 (June 2004)
India
16 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
Indonesia
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2002)
Iran
18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of
age for volunteers; soldiers as young as 9 were recruited
extensively during the Iran-Iraq War; conscript service obligation -
18 months (2004)
Iraq
18 years of age; the Iraqi Interim Government is creating a new
professional Iraqi military force of men aged 18 to 40 to defend
Iraq from external threats and the current insurgency (2004)
Ireland
17 years of age for voluntary military service; enlistees
under the age of 17 can be recruited for specialist positions (2001)
Israel
17 years of age for compulsory (Jews, Druzes) and voluntary
(Christians, Muslims, Circassians) military service; both sexes are
eligible for military service; conscript service obligation - 36
months for men, 21 months for women (2004)
Italy
18 years of age (2004)
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 (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.) (2004)
Korea, North
17 years of age (2004)
Korea, South
20-30 years of age for compulsory military service;
conscript service obligation - 24-28 months, depending on the
military branch involved; 18 years of age for voluntary military
service; some 4,000 women serve as commissioned and noncommissioned
officers, approx. 2.3% of all officers; women, in service since
1950, are admitted to seven service branches, including infantry;
excluded from artillery, armor, anti-air, and chaplaincy corps (2005)
Kuwait
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service
(2001)
Kyrgyzstan
18 years of age for compulsory military service (2001)
Laos
15 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
service obligation - minimum 18 months (2004)
Latvia
19 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript
service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for volunteers;
Latvia plans to phase out conscription, tentatively moving to an
all-professional force by 2007 (August 2004)
Lebanon
18-30 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; conscript service obligation - 12 months (2004)
Lesotho
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)
Liberia
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2001)
Libya
17 years of age (2004)
Lithuania
19-45 years of age for compulsory military service,
conscript service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for
volunteers (2004)
Luxembourg
a 1967 law made the Army an all-volunteer force; 17 years
of age for voluntary military service; soldiers under 18 are not
deployed into combat or with peacekeeping missions (2004)
Macedonia
conscription to be phased out by 2007; current tour of
conscript duty is 6 months; 18 years of age for voluntary military
service (January 2005)
Madagascar
18 years of age (est.); conscript service obligation - 18
months (2004)
Malawi
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2001)
Malaysia
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2005)
Maldives
18 years of age (est.) (2004)
Mali
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)
Malta
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2001)
Mauritania
18 years of age (est.); conscript service obligation - 2
years; majority of servicemen believed to be volunteers; service in
Air Force and Navy is voluntary (April 2005)
Mexico
18 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript
service obligation - 12 months; 16 years of age with consent for
voluntary enlistment (2004)
Moldova
18 years of age for compulsory military service; national
service obligation - 12 months (2004)
Mongolia
18-25 years of age for compulsory military service;
conscript service obligation - 12 months (2004)
Morocco
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (2004)
Namibia
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
Nepal
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
Netherlands
20 years of age for an all-volunteer force (2004)
Netherlands Antilles
16 years of age for military recruitment; no
conscription (July 2002)
New Zealand
17 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers
cannot be deployed until the age of 18 (2001)
Nicaragua
17 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
Niger
18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
service obligation - 2 years (2004)
Nigeria
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
Norway
18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of
age in wartime; 17 years of age for male volunteers; 18 years of age
for women; 16 years of age for volunteers to the Home Guard;
conscript service obligation - 12 months (2004)
Oman
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
Pakistan
16 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers
cannot be deployed for combat until age of 18 (2001)
Papua New Guinea
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)
Paraguay
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; conscript service obligation - 12 months for Army, 24
months for Navy (2004)
Peru
18 years of age for compulsory military service (1999)
Philippines
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service (2001)
Poland
17 years of age for compulsory military service after January
1st of the year of 18th birthday; 17 years of age for voluntary
military service; in 2005 Poland plans to shorten the length of
conscript service obligation from 12 to 9 months; by 2008, plans
call for at least 60% of military personnel to be volunteers; only
soldiers who have completed their conscript service are allowed to
volunteer for professional service; as of April 2004 women are only
allowed to serve as officers and non-commissioned officers (April
2004)
Portugal
18 years of age for voluntary military service; compulsory
military service was ended in 2004 (January 2005)
Qatar
18 years of age for voluntary military service; Land Force's
enlisted personnel are largely nonprofessional foreign nationals
(2005)
Reunion
18 years of age (2004)
Romania
20 years of age for compulsory military service, 18 in
wartime; conscript service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age
for voluntary military service (2004)
Russia
18-27 years of age; males are registered for the draft at 17
years of age; 200,000 conscripts were inducted into the armed forces
in 2003; length of compulsory military service is 2 years; plans as
of August 2004 call for reduction in mandatory service to 1 year by
2008; 2003 planning calls for volunteer servicemen to compose 70% of
armed forces by 2010, with the remaining servicemen consisting of
conscripts (August 2004)
Rwanda
16 years of age for voluntary military service; no
conscription (2001)
Saint Kitts and Nevis
18 years of age (est.) (2004)
Sao Tome and Principe
18 years of age (est.) (2004)
Saudi Arabia
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2004)
Senegal
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)
Serbia and Montenegro
19 years of age (nine months compulsory
service) (2004)
Seychelles
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)
Sierra Leone
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)
Singapore
18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years
of age for volunteers; conscript service obligation reduced to 24
months beginning December 2004 (December 2004)
Slovakia
complete transition to an all-volunteer professional force
is planned for 1 January 2007; 82% of Slovak armed forces were
volunteers as of January 2005; volunteers include women, with
minimum age of 17 years; 18 years of age for compulsory military
service (January 2005)
Slovenia
17 years of age for voluntary military service;
conscription abolished in 2003 (2004)
Somalia
18 years of age (est.) (2001)
South Africa
18 years of age for voluntary military service; women
have a long history of military service in non-combat roles - dating
back to World War I (2004)
Spain
20 years of age (2004)
Sri Lanka
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
Sudan
18-30 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
service obligation - 3 years (August 2004)
Suriname
18 years of age (est.); no conscription
Swaziland
18 years of age for voluntary military service; both sexes
are eligible for military service (2005)
Sweden
19 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
service obligation - 7-17 months depending on conscript role; after
completing initial service soldiers have a reserve commitment until
the age of 47 (2004)
Switzerland
the Swiss Confederation states that "every Swiss male is
obligated to do military service"; every Swiss male has to serve for
at least 260 days in the armed forces; 19 years of age for
compulsory military service; 17 years of age for voluntary military
service; conscripts receive 15 weeks of compulsory training,
followed by 10 intermittent recalls for training over the next 22
years; women are accepted on a voluntary basis, but are not drafted
(2005)
Syria
18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
service obligation - 30 months (2004)
Taiwan
19-40 years of age for military service (being lowered to 35
years of age in July 2005); service obligation 22 months (being
shortened to 18 months in July 2005 and 12 months in 2008) (2005)
Tajikistan
18 years of age for compulsory military service;
conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)
Tanzania
15 years of age for voluntary military service; 18 years of
age for compulsory military service upon graduation from secondary
school; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)
Thailand
21 years of age for compulsory military service; males are
registered at 18 years of age; conscript service obliation - 2
years; 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2004)
Togo
18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service
(2001)
Tonga
18 years of age (est.) (2004)
Trinidad and Tobago
18 years of age for voluntary military service;
no conscription (2001)
Tunisia
20 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for voluntary
military service (2004)
Turkey
20 years of age (2004)
Turkmenistan
18 years of age for compulsory military service;
conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)
Uganda
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military duty;
the government has stated that recruitment below that age could
occur with proper consent and that "no person under the apparent age
of 13 years shall be enrolled in the armed forces"
Ukraine
18-27 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; conscript service obligation - 18 months for Army and Air
Force, 24 months for Navy (2004)
United Arab Emirates
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)
United Kingdom
16 years of age for voluntary military service
(January 2004)
United States
18 years of age (2004)
Uruguay
18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military
service (2001)
Uzbekistan
18 years of age for compulsory military service;
conscript service obligation - 12 months (2004)
Venezuela
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service; conscript service obligation - 30 months (2004)
Vietnam
18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
service obligation - 2 years (2004)
Yemen
18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
service obligation - 2 years (2004)
Zambia
18 years of age (est.) (2004)
Zimbabwe
18 years of age (est.) (2004)
This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005
======================================================================
@2025 Manpower fit for military service
Afghanistan
males age 22-49: 2,662,946 (2005 est.)
Albania
males age 19-49: 668,526 (2005 est.)
Algeria
males age 19-49: 6,590,079 (2005 est.)
Angola
males age 17-49: 1,174,548 (2005 est.)
Argentina
males age 18-49: 7,316,038 (2005 est.)
Armenia
males age 18-49: 551,938 (2005 est.)
Australia
males age 16-49: 4,092,717 (2005 est.)
Austria
males age 18-49: 1,550,441 (2005 est.)
Azerbaijan
males age 18-49: 1,314,955 (2005 est.)
Bahrain
males age 18-49: 161,372 (2005 est.)
Bangladesh
males age 18-49: 26,841,255 (2005 est.)
Barbados
males age 18-49: 51,298 (2005 est.)
Belarus
males age 18-49: 1,657,984 (2005 est.)
Belgium
males age 16-49: 1,998,003 (2005 est.)
Belize
males age 18-49: 41,368 (2005 est.)
Benin
males age 21-49: 670,170
females age 21-49: 630,078 (2005 est.)
Bhutan
males age 18-49: 314,975 (2005 est.)
Bolivia
males age 18-49: 1,311,414 (2005 est.)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
males age 18-49: 829,530 (2005 est.)
Botswana
males age 18-49: 136,322 (2005 est.)
Brazil
males age 19-49: 33,119,098 (2005 est.)
Brunei
males age 18-49: approx. 85,045 (2005 est.)
Bulgaria
males age 18-49: 1,302,037 (2005 est.)
Burkina Faso
males age 18-49: 1,323,548 (2005 est.)
Burma
males age 18-49: 6,512,923
females age 18-49: 6,789,720 (2005 est.)
Burundi
males age 16-49: 693,956 (2005 est.)
Cambodia
males age 18-49: 1,844,144 (2005 est.)
Cameroon
males age 18-49: 1,720,385 (2005 est.)
Canada
males age 16-49: 6,740,490 (2005 est.)
Cape Verde
males age 18-49: 65,614 (2005 est.)
Central African Republic
males age 18-49: 330,255 (2005 est.)
Chad
males age 20-49: 834,695 (2005 est.)
Chile
males age 18-49: 3,123,281 (2005 est.)
China
males age 18-49: 281,240,272 (2005 est.)
Colombia
males age 18-49: 6,986,228 (2005 est.)
Comoros
males age 18-49: 98,792 (2005 est.)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
males age 18-49: 5,851,292 (2005
est.)
Congo, Republic of the
males age 18-49: 360,492 (2005 est.)
Costa Rica
males age 18-49: 829,874 (2005 est.)
Cote d'Ivoire
males age 18-49: 1,973,265 (2005 est.)
Croatia
males age 18-49: 725,914 (2005 est.)
Cuba
males age 17-49: 2,441,927
females age 17-49: 2,396,741 (2005 est.)
Cyprus
males age 18-49: 150,750 (2005 est.)
Czech Republic
males age 18-49: 1,996,631 (2005 est.)
Denmark
males age 18-49: 955,168 (2005 est.)
Djibouti
males age 18-49: 46,020 (2005 est.)
Dominican Republic
males age 18-49: 1,420,693 (2005 est.)
East Timor
males age 18-49: NA
Ecuador
males age 20-49: 2,338,428 (2005 est.)
Egypt
males age 18-49: 15,540,234 (2005 est.)
El Salvador
males age 18-49: 960,315 (2005 est.)
Equatorial Guinea
males age 18-49: 66,379 (2005 est.)
Eritrea
males age 18-49: NA (2005)
Estonia
males age 18-49: 200,382 (2005 est.)
note - in 2004, 51% of the young men called up for service were
determined to be unfit; main obstacles to conscription were
psychiatric and behavioral
Ethiopia
males age 18-49: 8,072,755 (2005 est.)
Fiji
males age 18-49: 163,960 (2005 est.)
Finland
males age 18-49: 913,617 (2005 est.)
France
males age 17-49: 11,262,661 (2005 est.)
French Guiana
males age 18-49: 38,676 (2005 est.)
Gabon
males age 18-49: 156,632 (2005 est.)
Gambia, The
males age 18-49: 188,117 (2005 est.)
Georgia
males age 18-49: 827,281 (2005 est.)
Germany
males age 18-49: 15,258,931 (2005 est.)
Ghana
males age 18-49: 2,721,239 (2005 est.)
Greece
males age 18-49: 2,018,557 (2005 est.)
Guatemala
males age 18-49: 2,106,847 (2005 est.)
Guinea
males age 18-49: 1,038,036 (2005 est.)
Guinea-Bissau
males age 18-49: 152,760 (2005 est.)
Guyana
males age 18-49: 137,964 (2005 est.)
Haiti
males age 18-49: 948,320 (2005 est.)
Honduras
males age 18-49: 955,019 (2005 est.)
Hong Kong
males age 18-49: 1,403,088 (2005 est.)
Hungary
males age 18-49: 1,780,513 (2005 est.)
Iceland
males age 18-49: 56,777 (2005 est.)
India
males age 16-49: 219,471,999 (2005 est.)
Indonesia
males age 18-49: 48,687,234 (2005 est.)
Iran
males age 18-49: 15,665,725 (2005 est.)
Iraq
males age 18-49: 4,930,074 (2005 est.)
Ireland
males age 17-49: 814,768 (2005 est.)
Israel
males age 17-49: 1,255,902
females age 17-49: 1,212,394 (2005 est.)
Italy
males age 18-49: 10,963,513 (2005 est.)
Jamaica
males age 18-49: 587,006 (2005 est.)
Japan
males age 18-49: 22,234,663 (2005 est.)
Jordan
males age 17-49: 1,348,076 (2005 est.)
Kazakhstan
males age 18-49: 2,473,529 (2005 est.)
Kenya
males age 18-49: 3,963,532 (2005 est.)
Korea, North
males age 17-49: 4,810,831 (2005 est.)
Korea, South
males age 20-49: 9,932,026 (2005 est.)
Kuwait
males age 18-49: 737,292 (2005 est.)
Kyrgyzstan
males age 18-49: 871,493 (2005 est.)
Laos
males age 15-49: 954,816 (2005 est.)
Latvia
males age 19-49: 361,098 (2005 est.)
Lebanon
males age 18-49: 821,762 (2005 est.)
Lesotho
males age 18-49: 162,857 (2005 est.)
Liberia
males age 18-49: 360,373 (2005 est.)
Libya
males age 17-49: 1,291,624 (2005 est.)
Lithuania
males age 19-49: 590,606 (2005 est.)
Luxembourg
males age 17-49: 90,279 (2005 est.)
Macau
males age 18-49: 91,299 (2005 est.)
Macedonia
males age 18-49: 411,156 (2005 est.)
Madagascar
males age 18-49: 2,218,662 (2005 est.)
Malawi
males age 18-49: 995,084 (2005 est.)
Malaysia
males age 18-49: 4,574,854 (2005 est.)
Maldives
males age 18-49: 56,687 (2005 est.)
Mali
males age 18-49: 1,231,930 (2005 est.)
Malta
males age 18-49: 74,525 (2005 est.)
Mauritania
males age 18-49: 370,513 (2005 est.)
Mauritius
males age 18-49: 248,659 (2005 est.)
Mexico
males age 18-49: 19,058,337 (2005 est.)
Moldova
males age 18-49: 693,913 (2005 est.)
Mongolia
males age 18-49: 570,435 (2005 est.)
Morocco
males age 18-49: 6,484,787 (2005 est.)
Mozambique
males age 18-49: 1,751,223 (2005 est.)
Namibia
males age 18-49: 217,118 (2005 est.)
Nauru
males age 18-49: 1,963 (2005 est.)
Nepal
males age 18-49: 4.193 million (2005 est.)
Netherlands
males age 20-49: 2,856,691 (2005 est.)
Netherlands Antilles
males age 16-49: 45,273 (2005 est.)
New Zealand
males age 17-49: 809,519 (2005 est.)
Nicaragua
males age 17-49: 1,051,425 (2005 est.)
Niger
males age 18-49: 1,180,027 (2005 est.)
Nigeria
males age 18-49: 15,053,936 (2005 est.)
Norway
males age 18-49: 827,016 (2005 est.)
Oman
males age 18-49: 581,444 (2005 est.)
Pakistan
males age 16-49: 29,428,747 (2005 est.)
Panama
males age 18-49: 511,905 (2005 est.)
Papua New Guinea
males age 18-49: 902,432 (2005 est.)
Paraguay
males age 18-49: 1,109,166 (2005 est.)
Peru
males age 18-49: 4,938,417 (2005 est.)
Philippines
males age 18-49: 15,170,096 (2005 est.)
Poland
males age 17-49: 7,740,164 (2005 est.)
Portugal
males age 18-49: 1,952,819 (2005 est.)
Qatar
males age 18-49: 238,566 (2005 est.)
Reunion
males age 18-49: 142,578 (2005 est.)
Romania
males age 20-49: 3,932,579 (2005 est.)
Russia
males age 18-49: 21,049,651 (2005 est.)
Rwanda
males age 16-49: 1,103,823 (2005 est.)
Sao Tome and Principe
males age 18-49: 25,950 (2005 est.)
Saudi Arabia
males age 18-49: 6,592,709 (2005 est.)
Senegal
males age 18-49: 1,300,502 (2005 est.)
Serbia and Montenegro
males age 19-49: 1,959,166 (2005 est.)
Seychelles
males age 18-49: 16,122 (2005 est.)
Sierra Leone
males age 18-49: 552,785 (2005 est.)
Singapore
males age 18-49: 982,368 (2005 est.)
Slovakia
males age 18-49: 1,089,645 (2005 est.)
Slovenia
males age 17-49: 405,593 (2005 est.)
Somalia
males age 18-49: 1,022,360 (2005 est.)
South Africa
males age 18-49: 4,927,757 (2005 est.)
Spain
males age 20-49: 7,623,356 (2005 est.)
Sri Lanka
males age 18-49: 3,789,627 (2005 est.)
Sudan
males age 18-49: 5,427,474 (2005 est.)
Suriname
males age 18-49: 77,793 (2005 est.)
Swaziland
males age 18-49: 98,530 (2005 est.)
Sweden
males age 19-49: 1,493,668 (2005 est.)
Switzerland
males age 19-49: 1,375,889 (2005 est.)
Syria
males age 18-49: 3,453,888 (2005 est.)
Taiwan
males age 19-49: 4,749,537 (2005 est.)
Tajikistan
males age 18-49: 1,244,941 (2005 est.)
Tanzania
males age 18-49: 3,879,630 (2005 est.)
Thailand
males age 21-49: 10,342,337 (2005 est.)
Togo
males age 18-49: 629,933 (2005 est.)
Trinidad and Tobago
males age 18-49: 203,531 (2005 est.)
Tunisia
males age 20-49: 2,035,431 (2005 est.)
Turkey
males age 20-49: 13,905,901 (2005 est.)
Turkmenistan
males age 18-49: 759,978 (2005 est.)
Uganda
males age 18-49: 2,889,808 (2005 est.)
Ukraine
males age 18-49: 7,114,337 (2005 est.)
United Arab Emirates
males age 18-49: 526,671 (2005 est.)
United Kingdom
males age 16-49: 12,046,268 (2005 est.)
United States
males age 18-49: 54,609,050
females age 18-49: 54,696,706 (2005 est.)
Uruguay
males age 18-49: 637,445 (2005 est.)
Uzbekistan
males age 18-49: 4,609,621 (2005 est.)
Venezuela
males age 18-49: 4,907,947 (2005 est.)
Vietnam
males age 18-49: 16,032,358 (2005 est.)
Yemen
males age 18-49: 2,790,705 (2005 est.)
Zambia
males age 18-49: 1,043,702 (2005 est.)
Zimbabwe
males age 18-49: 1,148,590 (2005 est.)
This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005
======================================================================
@2026 Manpower reaching military service age annually
Afghanistan
males: 275,362 (2005 est.)
Albania
males: 37,407 (2005 est.)
Algeria
males: 374,639 (2005 est.)
Angola
males: 121,254 (2005 est.)
Argentina
males: 344,575 (2005 est.)
Armenia
males: 31,774 (2005 est.)
Australia
males: 142,158 (2005 est.)
Austria
males: 48,967 (2005 est.)
Azerbaijan
males: 82,358 (2005 est.)
Bahrain
males: 6,013 (2005 est.)
Belarus
males: 85,202 (2005 est.)
Belgium
males: 64,263 (2005 est.)
Belize
males: 3,209 (2005 est.)
Benin
males: 72,841
females: 71,428 (2005 est.)
Bhutan
males: 23,939 (2005 est.)
Bolivia
males: 101,101 (2005 est.)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
males: 31,264 (2005 est.)
Botswana
males: 21,103 (2005 est.)
Brazil
males: 1,785,930 (2005 est.)
Brunei
males: 3,478 (2005 est.)
Bulgaria
males: 51,023 (2005 est.)
Burma
males: 440,914
females: 427,382 (2005 est.)
Burundi
males: 84,597 (2005 est.)
Cambodia
males: 175,305 (2005 est.)
Cameroon
males: 188,662 (2005 est.)
Canada
males: 223,821 (2005 est.)
Chad
males: 95,228 (2005 est.)
Chile
males: 140,084 (2005 est.)
China
males: 13,186,433 (2005 est.)
Colombia
males: 389,735 (2005 est.)
Congo, Republic of the
males: 34,281 (2005 est.)
Costa Rica
males: 41,097 (2005 est.)
Cote d'Ivoire
males: 189,354 (2005 est.)
Croatia
males: 29,020 (2005 est.)
Cuba
males: 91,901
females: 87,500 (2005 est.)
Cyprus
males: 6,578 (2005 est.)
Czech Republic
males: 66,583 (2005 est.)
Denmark
males: 31,317 (2005 est.)
Dominican Republic
males: 91,597 (2005 est.)
East Timor
NA
Ecuador
males: 133,922 (2005 est.)
Egypt
males: 802,920 (2005 est.)
El Salvador
males: 70,286 (2005 est.)
Estonia
males: 11,146 (2005 est.)
Ethiopia
males: 803,777 (2005 est.)
Fiji
males: 9,266 (2005 est.)
Finland
males: 32,040 (2005 est.)
France
males: 389,204 (2005 est.)
Gabon
males: 15,150 (2005 est.)
Georgia
males: 38,857 (2005 est.)
Germany
males: 497,048 (2005 est.)
Ghana
males: 250,782 (2005 est.)
Greece
males: 58,399 (2005 est.)
Guatemala
males: 161,964 (2005 est.)
Haiti
males: 98,554 (2005 est.)
Honduras
males: 77,399 (2005 est.)
Hong Kong
males: 40,343 (2005 est.)
Hungary
males: 63,847 (2005 est.)
India
males: 11,446,452 (2005 est.)
Indonesia
males: 2,201,047 (2005 est.)
Iran
males: 862,056 (2005 est.)
Iraq
males: 298,518 (2005 est.)
Ireland
males: 29,327 (2005 est.)
Israel
males: 53,760
females: 51,293 (2005 est.)
Italy
males: 286,344 (2005 est.)
Jamaica
males: 26,080 (2005 est.)
Japan
males: 683,147 (2005 est.)
Jordan
males: 60,625 (2005 est.)
Kazakhstan
males: 173,129 (2005 est.)
Korea, North
males: 194,605 (2005 est.)
Korea, South
males: 344,723 (2005 est.)
Kuwait
males: 18,743 (2005 est.)
Kyrgyzstan
males: 61,091 (2005 est.)
Laos
males: 73,167 (2005 est.)
Latvia
males: 19,137 (2005 est.)
Libya
males: 62,034 (2005 est.)
Lithuania
males: 29,689 (2005 est.)
Luxembourg
males: 2,775 (2005 est.)
Macedonia
males: 16,686 (2005 est.)
Madagascar
males: 187,000 (2005 est.)
Malaysia
males: 244,418 (2005 est.)
Mexico
males: 1,063,233 (2005 est.)
Moldova
males: 43,729 (2005 est.)
Mongolia
males: 34,674 (2005 est.)
Morocco
males: 353,377 (2005 est.)
Nepal
males: 308,031 (2005 est.)
Netherlands
males: 99,934 (2005 est.)
Netherlands Antilles
males: 1,720 (2005 est.)
New Zealand
males: 29,738 (2005 est.)
Nicaragua
males: 65,170 (2005 est.)
Niger
males: 126,719 (2005 est.)
Nigeria
males: 1,353,161 (2005 est.)
Norway
males: 29,179 (2005 est.)
Oman
males: 26,391 (2005 est.)
Pakistan
males: 1,969,055 (2005 est.)
Paraguay
males: 63,058 (2005 est.)
Peru
males: 277,105 (2005 est.)
Philippines
males: 907,542 (2005 est.)
Poland
males: 275,521 (2005 est.)
Portugal
males: 67,189 (2005 est.)
Qatar
males: 7,851 (2005 est.)
Reunion
males: 7,339 (2005 est.)
Romania
males: 172,093 (2005 est.)
Russia
males: 1,286,069 (2005 est.)
Saudi Arabia
males: 247,334 (2005 est.)
Senegal
males: 124,096 (2005 est.)
Serbia and Montenegro
males: 81,033 (2005 est.)
Slovakia
males: 41,544 (2005 est.)
Slovenia
males: 12,816 (2005 est.)
South Africa
males: 512,407 (2005 est.)
Spain
males: 233,384 (2005 est.)
Sri Lanka
males: 174,049 (2005 est.)
Sudan
males: 442,915 (2005 est.)
Sweden
males: 58,724 (2005 est.)
Switzerland
males: 46,319 (2005 est.)
Syria
males: 225,113 (2005 est.)
Taiwan
males: 174,173 (2005 est.)
Tajikistan
males: 87,846 (2005 est.)
Thailand
males: 530,493 (2005 est.)
Tunisia
males: 108,817 (2005 est.)
Turkey
males: 679,734 (2005 est.)
Turkmenistan
males: 56,532 (2005 est.)
Ukraine
males: 378,176 (2005 est.)
United Arab Emirates
males: 30,706 (2005 est.)
United States
males: 2,143,873
females: 2,036,201 (2005 est.)
Uzbekistan
males: 324,722 (2005 est.)
Venezuela
males: 252,396 (2005 est.)
Vietnam
males: 915,572 (2005 est.)
Yemen
males: 236,517 (2005 est.)
This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005
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@2028 Background
Afghanistan
Afghanistan's recent history is a story of war and civil
unrest. The Soviet Union invaded in 1979, but was forced to withdraw
10 years later by anti-Communist mujahidin forces. The Communist
regime in Kabul collapsed in 1992. Fighting that subsequently
erupted among the various mujahidin factions eventually helped to
spawn the Taliban, a hardline Pakistani-sponsored movement that
fought to end the warlordism and civil war that gripped the country.
The Taliban seized Kabul in 1996 and were able to capture most of
the country outside of Northern Alliance strongholds primarily in
the northeast. Following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, a
US, Allied, and Northern Alliance military action toppled the
Taliban for sheltering Osama BIN LADIN. In late 2001, a conference
in Bonn, Germany, established a process for political reconstruction
that ultimately resulted in the adoption of a new constitution and
presidential election in 2004. On 9 October 2004, Hamid KARZAI
became the first democratically elected president of Afghanistan.
The new Afghan government's next task is to hold National Assembly
elections, tentatively scheduled for April 2005.
Akrotiri
By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created
the independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovereignty
and jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers in
total: Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The southernmost and smallest of these
is the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as
the Western Sovereign Base Area.
Albania
Between 1990 and 1992 Albania ended 46 years of xenophobic
Communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The
transition has proven difficult as successive governments have tried
to deal with high unemployment, widespread corruption, a dilapidated
infrastructure, powerful organized crime networks with links to
government officials, and disruptive political opponents. Albania
has made incremental progress in its democratic development since
first holding multiiparty elections in 1991, but deficiencies remain
- particularly in regard to the rule of law. Despite some lingering
problems, international observers have judged elections to be
largely free and fair since the restoration of political stability
following the collapse of pyramid schemes in 1997. In the 2005
general elections, the Democratic Party and its allies won a
decisive victory on pledges of reducing crime and corruption,
promoting economic growth, and decreasing the size of government.
Although Albania's economy continues to grow, the country is still
one of the poorest in Europe, hampered by a large informal economy,
large public debt, and an inadequate energy and tranportation
infrastructure. Albania has played a largely helpful role in
managing inter-ethnic tensions in southeastern Europe, and is
continuing to work toward joining NATO and the EU.
Algeria
After more than a century of rule by France, Algerians
fought through much of the 1950s to achieve independence in 1962.
Algeria's primary political party, the National Liberation Front
(FLN), has dominated politics ever since. Many Algerians in the
subsequent generation were not satisfied, however, and moved to
counter the FLN's centrality in Algerian politics. The surprising
first round success of the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) in the
December 1991 balloting spurred the Algerian army to intervene and
postpone the second round of elections to prevent what the secular
elite feared would be an extremist-led government from assuming
power. The army began a crack down on the FIS that spurred FIS
supporters to begin attacking government targets. The government
later allowed elections featuring pro-government and moderate
religious-based parties, but did not appease the activists who
progressively widened their attacks. The fighting escalated into an
insurgency, which saw intense fighting between 1992-98 and which
resulted in over 100,000 deaths - many attributed to indiscriminate
massacres of villagers by extremists. The government gained the
upper hand by the late-1990s and FIS's armed wing, the Islamic
Salvation Army, disbanded in January 2000. However, small numbers of
armed militants persist in confronting government forces and
conducting ambushes and occasional attacks on villages. The army
placed Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA in the presidency in 1999 in a
fraudulent election but claimed neutrality in his 2004 landslide
reelection victory. Longstanding problems continue to face
BOUTEFLIKA in his second term, including the ethnic minority
Berbers' ongoing autonomy campaign, large-scale unemployment, a
shortage of housing, unreliable electrical and water supplies,
government inefficiencies and corruption, and the continuing -
although significantly degraded - activities of extremist militants.
Algeria must also diversify its petroleum-based economy, which has
yielded a large cash reserve but which has not been used to redress
Algeria's many social and infrastructure problems. Algeria assumed a
two-year seat on the UN Security Council in January 2004.
American Samoa
Settled as early as 1000 B.C., Samoa was "discovered"
by European explorers in the 18th century. International rivalries
in the latter half of the 19th century were settled by an 1899
treaty in which Germany and the US divided the Samoan archipelago.
The US formally occupied its portion - a smaller group of eastern
islands with the excellent harbor of Pago Pago - the following year.
Andorra
For 715 years, from 1278 to 1993, Andorrans lived under a
unique co-principality, ruled by French and Spanish leaders (from
1607 onward, the French chief of state and the Spanish bishop of
Urgel). In 1993, this feudal system was modified with the titular
heads of state retained, but the government transformed into a
parliamentary democracy. Long isolated and impoverished, mountainous
Andorra achieved considerable prosperity since World War II through
its tourist industry. Many immigrants (legal and illegal) are
attracted to the thriving economy with its lack of income taxes.
Angola
Angola has begun to enjoy the fruits of peace since the end
of a 27-year civil war in 2002. Fighting between the Popular
Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), led by Jose Eduardo
DOS SANTOS, and the National Union for the Total Independence of
Angola (UNITA), led by Jonas SAVIMBI, followed independence from
Portugal in 1975. Peace seemed imminent in 1992 when Angola held
national elections, but UNITA renewed fighting after being beaten by
the MPLA at the polls. Up to 1.5 million lives may have been lost -
and 4 million people displaced - in the quarter century of fighting.
SAVIMBI's death in 2002 ended UNITA's insurgency and strengthened
the MPLA's hold on power. DOS SANTOS has pledged to hold national
elections in 2006.
Anguilla
Colonized by English settlers from Saint Kitts in 1650,
Anguilla was administered by Great Britain until the early 19th
century, when the island - against the wishes of the inhabitants -
was incorporated into a single British dependency, along with Saint
Kitts and Nevis. Several attempts at separation failed. In 1971, two
years after a revolt, Anguilla was finally allowed to secede; this
arrangement was formally recognized in 1980, with Anguilla becoming
a separate British dependency.
Antarctica
Speculation over the existence of a "southern land" was
not confirmed until the early 1820s when British and American
commercial operators and British and Russian national expeditions
began exploring the Antarctic Peninsula region and other areas south
of the Antarctic Circle. Not until 1840 was it established that
Antarctica was indeed a continent and not just a group of islands.
Several exploration "firsts" were achieved in the early 20th
century. Following World War II, there was an upsurge in scientific
research on the continent. A number of countries have set up
year-round research stations on Antarctica. Seven have made
territorial claims, but not all countries recognize these claims. In
order to form a legal framework for the activities of nations on the
continent, an Antarctic Treaty was negotiated that neither denies
nor gives recognition to existing territorial claims; signed in
1959, it entered into force in 1961.
Antigua and Barbuda
The Siboney were the first to inhabit the
islands of Antigua and Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but Arawak and Carib
Indians populated the islands when Columbus landed on his second
voyage in 1493. Early settlements by the Spanish and French were
succeeded by the English who formed a colony in 1667. Slavery,
established to run the sugar plantations on Antigua, was abolished
in 1834. The islands became an independent state within the British
Commonwealth of Nations in 1981.
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the world's five
oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and
the recently delimited Southern Ocean). The Northwest Passage (US
and Canada) and Northern Sea Route (Norway and Russia) are two
important seasonal waterways. A sparse network of air, ocean, river,
and land routes circumscribes the Arctic Ocean.
Argentina
Following independence from Spain in 1816, Argentina
experienced periods of internal political conflict between
conservatives and liberals and between civilian and military
factions. After World War II, a long period of Peronist
authoritarian rule and interference in subsequent governments was
followed by a military junta that took power in 1976. Democracy
returned in 1983, and numerous elections since then have underscored
Argentina's progress in democratic consolidation.
Armenia
Armenia prides itself on being the first nation to formally
adopt Christianity (early 4th century). Despite periods of autonomy,
over the centuries Armenia came under the sway of various empires
including the Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Persian, and Ottoman. It was
incorporated into Russia in 1828 and the USSR in 1920. Armenian
leaders remain preoccupied by the long conflict with Muslim
Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily Armenian-populated
region, assigned to Soviet Azerbaijan in the 1920s by Moscow.
Armenia and Azerbaijan began fighting over the area in 1988; the
struggle escalated after both countries attained independence from
the Soviet Union in 1991. By May 1994, when a cease-fire took hold,
Armenian forces held not only Nagorno-Karabakh but also a
significant portion of Azerbaijan proper. The economies of both
sides have been hurt by their inability to make substantial progress
toward a peaceful resolution. Turkey imposed an economic blockade on
Armenia and closed the common border because of the Armenian
occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas.
Aruba
Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was acquired
by the Dutch in 1636. The island's economy has been dominated by
three main industries. A 19th century gold rush was followed by
prosperity brought on by the opening in 1924 of an oil refinery. The
last decades of the 20th century saw a boom in the tourism industry.
Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986 and became a
separate, autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Movement toward full independence was halted at Aruba's request in
1990.
Ashmore and Cartier Islands
These uninhabited islands came under
Australian authority in 1931; formal administration began two years
later. Ashmore Reef supports a rich and diverse avian and marine
habitat; in 1983, it became a National Nature Reserve. Cartier
Island, a former bombing range, is now a marine reserve.
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the
world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, but larger than the
Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean). The Kiel Canal
(Germany), Oresund (Denmark-Sweden), Bosporus (Turkey), Strait of
Gibraltar (Morocco-Spain), and the Saint Lawrence Seaway (Canada-US)
are important strategic access waterways. The decision by the
International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to
delimit a fifth world ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion
of the Atlantic Ocean south of 60 degrees south.
Australia
Aboriginal settlers arrived on the continent from
Southeast Asia about 40,000 years before the first Europeans began
exploration in the 17th century. No formal territorial claims were
made until 1770, when Capt. James COOK took possession in the name
of Great Britain. Six colonies were created in the late 18th and
19th centuries; they federated and became the Commonwealth of
Australia in 1901. The new country took advantage of its natural
resources to rapidly develop its agricultural and manufacturing
industries and to make a major contribution to the British effort in
World Wars I and II. In recent decades, Australia has transformed
itself into an internationally competitive, advanced market economy.
It boasted one of the OECD's fastest growing economies during the
1990's, a performance due in large part to economic reforms adopted
in the 1980's. Long-term concerns include pollution, particularly
depletion of the ozone layer, and management and conservation of
coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier Reef.
Austria
Once the center of power for the large Austro-Hungarian
Empire, Austria was reduced to a small republic after its defeat in
World War I. Following annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938 and
subsequent occupation by the victorious Allies in 1945, Austria's
status remained unclear for a decade. A State Treaty signed in 1955
ended the occupation, recognized Austria's independence, and forbade
unification with Germany. A constitutional law that same year
declared the country's "perpetual neutrality" as a condition for
Soviet military withdrawal. Following the Soviet Union's collapse in
1991 and Austria's entry into the European Union in 1995, some
Austrians have called into question this neutrality. A prosperous,
democratic country, Austria entered the Economic and Monetary Union
in 1999.
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan - a nation with a Turkic and majority-Muslim
population - regained its independence after the collapse of the
Soviet Union in 1991. Despite a 1994 cease-fire, Azerbaijan has yet
to resolve its conflict with Armenia over the Azerbaijani
Nagorno-Karabakh enclave (largely Armenian populated). Azerbaijan
has lost 16% of its territory and must support some 571,000
internally displaced persons as a result of the conflict. Corruption
is ubiquitous and the promise of widespread wealth from Azerbaijan's
undeveloped petroleum resources remains largely unfulfilled.
Bahamas, The
Arawak Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher
Columbus first set foot in the New World on San Salvador in 1492.
British settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became
a colony in 1783. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973,
The Bahamas have prospered through tourism and international banking
and investment management. Because of its geography, the country is
a major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly
shipments to the US, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal
migrants into the US.
Bahrain
Bahrain's small size and central location among Persian Gulf
countries require it to play a delicate balancing act in foreign
affairs among its larger neighbors. Facing declining oil reserves,
Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing and refining and has
transformed itself into an international banking center. The new
amir, installed in 1999, has pushed economic and political reforms
and has worked to improve relations with the Shi'a community. In
February 2001, Bahraini voters approved a referendum on the National
Action Charter - the centerpiece of the amir's political
liberalization program. In February 2002, Amir HAMAD bin Isa Al
Khalifa proclaimed himself king. In October 2002, Bahrainis elected
members of the lower house of Bahrain's reconstituted bicameral
legislature, the National Assembly.
Baker Island
The US took possession of the island in 1857, and its
guano deposits were mined by US and British companies during the
second half of the 19th century. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at
colonization was begun on this island - as well as on nearby Howland
Island - but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned.
Presently the island is a National Wildlife Refuge run by the US
Department of the Interior; a day beacon is situated near the middle
of the west coast.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh came into existence in 1971 when Bengali East
Pakistan seceded from its union with West Pakistan. About a third of
this extremely poor country floods annually during the monsoon rainy
season, hampering economic development.
Barbados
The island was uninhabited when first settled by the
British in 1627. Slaves worked the sugar plantations established on
the island until 1834 when slavery was abolished. The economy
remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production
through most of the 20th century. The gradual introduction of social
and political reforms in the 1940s and 1950s led to complete
independence from the UK in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and
manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance.
Bassas da India
This atoll is a volcanic rock surrounded by reefs
and is awash at high tide. A French possession since 1897, it was
placed under the administration of a commissioner residing in
Reunion in 1968.
Belarus
After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR,
Belarus attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer
political and economic ties to Russia than any of the other former
Soviet republics. Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state
union on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic
integration. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the
accord, serious implementation has yet to take place. Since his
election in July 1995 as the country's first president, Alexander
LUKASHENKO has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian
means. Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press,
peaceful assembly, and religion continue.
Belgium
Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830 and
was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. It has prospered
in the past half century as a modern, technologically advanced
European state and member of NATO and the EU. Tensions between the
Dutch-speaking Flemings of the north and the French-speaking
Walloons of the south have led in recent years to constitutional
amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy.
Belize
Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the
independence of Belize (formerly British Honduras) until 1981.
Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992. Tourism
has become the mainstay of the economy. The country remains plagued
by high unemployment, growing involvement in the South American drug
trade, and increasing urban crime.
Benin
Present day Benin was the site of Dahomey, a prominent West
African kingdom that rose in the 15th century. The territory became
a French Colony in 1872 and achieved independence on 1 August 1960,
as the Republic of Benin. A succession of military governments ended
in 1972 with the rise to power of Mathieu KEREKOU and the
establishment of a government based on Marxist-Leninist principles.
A move to representative government began in 1989. Two years later,
free elections ushered in former Prime Minister Nicephore SOGLO as
president, marking the first successful transfer of power in Africa
from a dictatorship to a democracy. KEREKOU was returned to power by
elections held in 1996 and 2001, though some irregularities were
alleged.
Bermuda
Bermuda was first settled in 1609 by shipwrecked English
colonists headed for Virginia. Tourism to the island to escape North
American winters first developed in Victorian times. Tourism
continues to be important to the island's economy, although
international business has overtaken it in recent years. Bermuda has
developed into a highly successful offshore financial center. A
referendum on independence was soundly defeated in 1995.
Bhutan
In 1865, Britain and Bhutan signed the Treaty of Sinchulu,
under which Bhutan would receive an annual subsidy in exchange for
ceding some border land. Under British influence, a monarchy was set
up in 1907; three years later, a treaty was signed whereby the
British agreed not to interfere in Bhutanese internal affairs and
Bhutan allowed Britain to direct its foreign affairs. This role was
assumed by independent India after 1947. Two years later, a formal
Indo-Bhutanese accord returned the areas of Bhutan annexed by the
British, formalized the annual subsidies the country received, and
defined India's responsibilities in defense and foreign relations. A
refugee issue of some 100,000 Bhutanese in Nepal remains unresolved;
90% of the refugees are housed in seven United Nations Office of the
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) camps.
Bolivia
Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simon BOLIVAR,
broke away from Spanish rule in 1825; much of its subsequent history
has consisted of a series of nearly 200 coups and counter-coups.
Comparatively democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but
leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social
unrest, and illegal drug production. Current goals include
attracting foreign investment, strengthening the educational system,
resolving disputes with coca growers over Bolivia's counterdrug
efforts, and waging an anticorruption campaign.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina's declaration of
sovereignty in October 1991, was followed by a declaration of
independence from the former Yugoslavia on 3 March 1992 after a
referendum boycotted by ethnic Serbs. The Bosnian Serbs - supported
by neighboring Serbia and Montenegro - responded with armed
resistance aimed at partitioning the republic along ethnic lines and
joining Serb-held areas to form a "Greater Serbia." In March 1994,
Bosniaks and Croats reduced the number of warring factions from
three to two by signing an agreement creating a joint Bosniak/Croat
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 21 November 1995, in
Dayton, Ohio, the warring parties initialed a peace agreement that
brought to a halt three years of interethnic civil strife (the final
agreement was signed in Paris on 14 December 1995). The Dayton
Agreement retained Bosnia and Herzegovina's international boundaries
and created a joint multi-ethnic and democratic government. This
national government was charged with conducting foreign, diplomatic,
and fiscal policy. Also recognized was a second tier of government
comprised of two entities roughly equal in size: the Bosniak/Croat
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Bosnian Serb-led
Republika Srpska (RS). The Federation and RS governments were
charged with overseeing most government functions. The Office of the
High Representative (OHR) was established to oversee the
implementation of the civilian aspects of the agreement. In 1995-96,
a NATO-led international peacekeeping force (IFOR) of 60,000 troops
served in Bosnia to implement and monitor the military aspects of
the agreement. IFOR was succeeded by a smaller, NATO-led
Stabilization Force (SFOR) whose mission was to deter renewed
hostilities. European Union peacekeeping troops (EUFOR) replaced
SFOR in December 2004; their mission was to maintain peace and
stability throughout the country.
Botswana
Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana
adopted its new name upon independence in 1966. Four decades of
uninterrupted civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and
significant capital investment have created one of the most dynamic
economies in Africa. Mineral extraction, principally diamond mining,
dominates economic activity, though tourism is a growing sector due
to the country's conservation practices and extensive nature
preserves. Botswana has one of the world's highest known rates of
HIV/AIDS infection, but also one of Africa's most progressive and
comprehensive programs for dealing with the disease.
Bouvet Island
This uninhabited volcanic island is almost entirely
covered by glaciers and is difficult to approach. It was discovered
in 1739 by a French naval officer after whom the island was named.
No claim was made until 1825, when the British flag was raised. In
1928, the UK waived its claim in favor of Norway, which had occupied
the island the previous year. In 1971, Bouvet Island and the
adjacent territorial waters were designated a nature reserve. Since
1977, Norway has run an automated meteorological station on the
island.
Brazil
Following three centuries under the rule of Portugal, Brazil
became an independent nation in 1822. By far the largest and most
populous country in South America, Brazil overcame more than half a
century of military intervention in the governance of the country
when in 1985 the military regime peacefully ceded power to civilian
rulers. Brazil continues to pursue industrial and agricultural
growth and development of its interior. Exploiting vast natural
resources and a large labor pool, it is today South America's
leading economic power and a regional leader. Highly unequal income
distribution remains a pressing problem.
British Indian Ocean Territory
Established as a territory of the UK
in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT)
islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained
independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the
six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The
largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a
joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are
uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the
islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the
Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court
ruling invalidated the local immigration order that had excluded
them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of
Diego Garcia.
British Virgin Islands
First settled by the Dutch in 1648, the
islands were annexed in 1672 by the English. The economy is closely
tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west;
the US dollar is the legal currency.
Brunei
The Sultanate of Brunei's influence peaked between the 15th
and 17th centuries when its control extended over coastal areas of
northwest Borneo and the southern Philippines. Brunei subsequently
entered a period of decline brought on by internal strife over royal
succession, colonial expansion of European powers, and piracy. In
1888, Brunei became a British protectorate; independence was
achieved in 1984. The same family has ruled Brunei for over six
centuries. Brunei benefits from extensive petroleum and natural gas
fields, the source of one of the highest per capita GDPs in the
developing world.
Bulgaria
The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the
local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first
Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with
the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the
end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman
Turks. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878 and all of
Bulgaria became independent in 1908. Having fought on the losing
side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of
influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist
domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty
election since World War II and began the contentious process of
moving toward political democracy and a market economy while
combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. Today,
reforms and democratization keep Bulgaria on a path toward eventual
integration into the EU. The country joined NATO in 2004.
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) achieved
independence from France in 1960. Repeated military coups during the
1970s and 1980s were followed by multiparty elections in the early
1990s. Burkina Faso's high population density and limited natural
resources result in poor economic prospects for the majority of its
citizens. Recent unrest in Cote d'Ivoire and northern Ghana has
hindered the ability of several hundred thousand seasonal Burkinabe
farm workers to find employment in neighboring countries.
Burma
Britain conquered Burma over a period of 62 years (1824-1886)
and incorporated it into its Indian Empire. Burma was administered
as a province of India until 1937 when it became a separate,
self-governing colony; independence from the Commonwealth was
attained in 1948. Gen. NE WIN dominated the government from 1962 to
1988, first as military ruler, then as self-appointed president, and
later as political kingpin. Despite multiparty legislative elections
in 1990 that resulted in the main opposition party - the National
League for Democracy (NLD) - winning a landslide victory, the ruling
junta refused to hand over power. NLD leader and Nobel Peace Prize
recipient AUNG SAN SUU KYI, who was under house arrest from 1989 to
1995 and 2000 to 2002, was imprisoned in May 2003 and is currently
under house arrest. In December 2004, the junta announced it was
extending her detention for at least an additional year. Her
supporters, as well as all those who promote democracy and improved
human rights, are routinely harassed or jailed.
Burundi
Burundi's first democratically elected president was
assassinated in October 1993 after only one hundred days in office.
Since then, some 200,000 Burundians have perished in widespread,
often intense ethnic violence between Hutu and Tutsi factions.
Hundreds of thousands have been internally displaced or have become
refugees in neighboring countries. Burundi troops, seeking to secure
their borders, briefly intervened in the conflict in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo in 1998. A new transitional government,
inaugurated on 1 November 2001, signed a power-sharing agreement
with the largest rebel faction in December 2003 and set in place a
provisional constitution in October 2004. Implementation of the
agreement has been problematic, however, as one remaining rebel
group refuses to sign on and elections have been repeatedly delayed,
clouding prospects for a sustainable peace.
Cambodia
Most Cambodians consider themselves to be Khmers, whose
Angkor Empire extended over much of Southeast Asia and reached its
zenith between the 10th and 13th centuries. Subsequently, attacks by
the Thai and Cham (from present-day Vietnam) weakened the empire
ushering in a long period of decline. In 1863, the king of Cambodia
placed the country under French protection; it became part of French
Indochina in 1887. Following Japanese occupation in World War II,
Cambodia became independent within the French Union in 1949 and
fully independent in 1953. After a five-year struggle, Communist
Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh in April 1975 and ordered the
evacuation of all cities and towns; at least 1.5 million Cambodians
died from execution, enforced hardships, or starvation during the
Khmer Rouge regime under POL POT. A December 1978 Vietnamese
invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside, led to a
10-year Vietnamese occupation, and touched off almost 13 years of
civil war. The 1991 Paris Peace Accords mandated democratic
elections and a ceasefire, which was not fully respected by the
Khmer Rouge. UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore some
semblance of normalcy and the final elements of the Khmer Rouge
surrendered in early 1999. Factional fighting in 1997 ended the
first coalition government, but a second round of national elections
in 1998 led to the formation of another coalition government and
renewed political stability. The July 2003 elections were relatively
peaceful, but it took one year of negotiations between contending
political parties before a coalition government was formed.
Nation-wide local elections are scheduled for 2007 and national
elections for 2008.
Cameroon
The former French Cameroon and part of British Cameroon
merged in 1961 to form the present country. Cameroon has generally
enjoyed stability, which has permitted the development of
agriculture, roads, and railways, as well as a petroleum industry.
Despite movement toward democratic reform, political power remains
firmly in the hands of an ethnic oligarchy.
Canada
A land of vast distances and rich natural resources, Canada
became a self-governing dominion in 1867 while retaining ties to the
British crown. Economically and technologically the nation has
developed in parallel with the US, its neighbor to the south across
an unfortified border. Canada's paramount political problem is
meeting public demands for quality improvements in health care and
education services after a decade of budget cuts. The issue of
reconciling Quebec's francophone heritage with the majority
anglophone Canadian population has moved to the back burner in
recent years; support for separatism abated after the Quebec
government's referendum on independence failed to pass in October of
1995.
Cape Verde
The uninhabited islands were discovered and colonized by
the Portuguese in the 15th century; Cape Verde subsequently became a
trading center for African slaves and later an important coaling and
resupply stop for whaling and transatlantic shipping. Following
independence in 1975, and a tentative interest in unification with
Guinea-Bissau, a one-party system was established and maintained
until multi-party elections were held in 1990. Cape Verde continues
to exhibit one of Africa's most stable democratic governments.
Repeated droughts during the second half of the 20th century caused
significant hardship and prompted heavy emigration. As a result,
Cape Verde's expatriate population is greater than its domestic one.
Most Cape Verdeans have both African and Portuguese antecedents.
Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands were colonized from Jamaica by the
British during the 18th and 19th centuries. Administered by Jamaica
since 1863, they remained a British dependency after 1962 when the
former became independent.
Central African Republic
The former French colony of Ubangi-Shari
became the Central African Republic upon independence in 1960. After
three tumultuous decades of misrule - mostly by military governments
- civilian rule was established in 1993 and lasted for one decade.
President Ange-Felix PATASSE's civilian government was plagued by
unrest, and in March 2003 he was deposed in a military coup led by
General Francois BOZIZE, who has since established a transitional
government. Though the government has the tacit support of civil
society groups and the main parties, a wide field of affiliated and
independent candidates will contest the municipal, legislative, and
presidential elections scheduled for February 2005. The government
still does not fully control the countryside, where pockets of
lawlessness persist.
Chad
Chad, part of France's African holdings until 1960, endured
three decades of civil warfare as well as invasions by Libya before
a semblance of peace was finally restored in 1990. The government
eventually suppressed or came to terms with most political-military
groups, settled a territorial dispute with Libya on terms favorable
to Chad, drafted a democratic constitution, and held multiparty
presidential elections in 1996 and 1997. In 1998, a new rebellion
broke out in northern Chad, which sporadically flares up despite two
peace agreements signed in 2002 and 2003 between the government and
the rebels. Despite movement toward democratic reform, power remains
in the hands of an ethnic minority.
Chile
Prior to the coming of the Spanish in the 16th century,
northern Chile was under Inca rule while Araucanian Indians
inhabited central and southern Chile; the latter were not completely
subjugated until the early 1880s. Although Chile declared its
independence in 1810, decisive victory over the Spanish was not
achieved until 1818. In the War of the Pacific (1879-84), Chile
defeated Peru and Bolivia and won its present northern lands. A
three-year-old Marxist government of Salvador ALLENDE was overthrown
in 1973 by a dictatorial military regime led by Augusto PINOCHET,
who ruled until a freely elected president was installed in 1990.
Sound economic policies, maintained consistently since the 1980s,
have contributed to steady growth and have helped secure the
country's commitment to democratic and representative government.
Chile has increasingly assumed regional and international leadership
roles befitting its status as a stable, democratic nation.
China
For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing
the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and
early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major
famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War
II, the Communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic
socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed
strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of
millions of people. After 1978, his successor DENG Xiaoping and
other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by
2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living
standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal
choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight.
Christmas Island
Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the
island was annexed and settlement was begun by the UK in 1888.
Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty
to Australia in 1958. Almost two-thirds of the island has been
declared a national park.
Clipperton Island
This isolated island was named for John
CLIPPERTON, a pirate who made it his hideout early in the 18th
century. Annexed by France in 1855, it was seized by Mexico in 1897.
Arbitration eventually awarded the island to France, which took
possession in 1935.
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
There are 27 coral islands in the group.
Captain William KEELING discovered the islands in 1609, but they
remained uninhabited until the 19th century. Annexed by the UK in
1857, they were transferred to the Australian Government in 1955.
The population on the two inhabited islands generally is split
between the ethnic Europeans on West Island and the ethnic Malays on
Home Island.
Colombia
Colombia was one of the three countries that emerged from
the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are Ecuador and
Venezuela). A 40-year insurgent campaign to overthrow the Colombian
Government escalated during the 1990s, undergirded in part by funds
from the drug trade. Although the violence is deadly and large
swaths of the countryside are under guerrilla influence, the
movement lacks the military strength or popular support necessary to
overthrow the government. An anti-insurgent army of paramilitaries
has grown to several thousand strong in recent years, challenging
the insurgents for control of territory and the drug trade, and also
the government's ability to exert its dominion over rural areas.
While Bogota steps up efforts to reassert government control
throughout the country, neighboring countries worry about the
violence spilling over their borders.
Comoros
Unstable Comoros has endured 19 coups or attempted coups
since gaining independence from France in 1975. In 1997, the islands
of Anjouan and Moheli declared their independence from Comoros. In
1999, military chief Col. AZALI seized power. He pledged to resolve
the secessionist crisis through a confederal arrangement named the
2000 Fomboni Accord. In December 2001, voters approved a new
constitution and presidential elections took place in the spring of
2002. Each island in the archipelago elected its own president and a
new union president took office in May of 2002.
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Established as a Belgian colony in
1908, the Republic of the Congo gained its independence in 1960, but
its early years were marred by political and social instability.
Col. Joseph MOBUTU seized power and declared himself president in a
November 1965 coup. He subsequently changed his name - to MOBUTU
Sese Seko - as well as that of the country - to Zaire. MOBUTU
retained his position for 32 years through several subsequent sham
elections as well as through the use of brutal force. Ethnic strife
and civil war, touched off by a massive inflow of refugees in 1994
from fighting in Rwanda and Burundi, led in May 1997 to the toppling
of the MOBUTU regime by a rebellion led by Laurent KABILA. He
renamed the country the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC), but
in August 1998 his regime was itself challenged by an insurrection
backed by Rwanda and Uganda. Troops from Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia,
Chad, and Sudan intervened to support the Kinshasa regime. A
cease-fire was signed in July 1999 by the DROC, Zimbabwe, Angola,
Uganda, Namibia, Rwanda, and Congolese armed rebel groups, but
sporadic fighting continued. Laurent KABILA was assassinated in
January 2001 and his son Joseph KABILA was named head of state. In
October 2002, the new president was successful in negotiating the
withdrawal of Rwandan forces occupying eastern Congo; two months
later, the Pretoria Accord was signed by all remaining warring
parties to end the fighting and establish a government of national
unity. A transitional government was set up in July 2003; Joseph
KABILA remains as president and is joined by four vice presidents
representing the former government, former rebel groups, and the
political opposition.
Congo, Republic of the
Upon independence in 1960, the former French
region of Middle Congo became the Republic of the Congo. A quarter
century of experimentation with Marxism was abandoned in 1990 and a
democratically elected government installed in 1992. A brief civil
war in 1997 restored former Marxist President SASSOU-NGUESSO, but
ushered in a period of ethnic unrest. Southern-based rebel groups
agreed to a final peace accord in March 2003, but the calm is
tenuous and refugees continue to present a humanitarian crisis. The
Republic of Congo is one of Africa's largest petroleum producers
with significant potential for offshore development.
Cook Islands
Named after Captain COOK, who sighted them in 1770, the
islands became a British protectorate in 1888. By 1900,
administrative control was transferred to New Zealand; in 1965
residents chose self-government in free association with New
Zealand. The emigration of skilled workers to New Zealand and
government deficits are continuing problems.
Coral Sea Islands
Scattered over some 1 million square kilometers of
ocean, the Coral Sea Islands were declared a territory of Australia
in 1969. They are uninhabited except for a small meteorological
staff on the Willis Islets. Automated weather stations, beacons, and
a lighthouse occupy many other islands and reefs.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica is a Central American success story: since the
late 19th century, only two brief periods of violence have marred
its democratic development. Although still a largely agricultural
country, it has expanded its economy to include strong technology
and tourism sectors. The standard of living is relatively high. Land
ownership is widespread.
Cote d'Ivoire
Close ties to France since independence in 1960, the
development of cocoa production for export, and foreign investment
made Cote d'Ivoire one of the most prosperous of the tropical
African states, but did not protect it from political turmoil. On 25
December 1999, a military coup - the first ever in Cote d'Ivoire's
history - overthrew the government led by President Henri Konan
BEDIE. Junta leader Robert GUEI held elections in late 2000, but
excluded prominent opposition leader Alassane OUATTARA, blatantly
rigged the polling results, and declared himself winner. Popular
protest forced GUEI to step aside and brought runner-up Laurent
GBAGBO into power. Ivorian dissidents and disaffected members of the
military launched a failed coup attempt in September 2002. Rebel
forces claimed the northern half of the country and in January 2003
were granted ministerial positions in a unity government under the
auspices of the Linas-Marcoussis Peace Accord. President GBAGBO and
rebel forces resumed implementation of the peace accord in December
2003 after a three-month stalemate, but issues that sparked the
civil war, such as land reform and grounds for nationality remain
unresolved. The central government has yet to exert control over the
northern regions and tensions remain high between GBAGBO and rebel
leaders. Several thousand French and West African troops remain in
Cote d'Ivoire to maintain peace and facilitate the disarmament,
demobilization, and rehabilitation process.
Croatia
The lands that today comprise Croatia were part of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire until the close of World War I. In 1918, the
Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes formed a kingdom known after 1929 as
Yugoslavia. Following World War II, Yugoslavia became a federal
independent Communist state under the strong hand of Marshal TITO.
Although Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991,
it took four years of sporadic, but often bitter, fighting before
occupying Serb armies were mostly cleared from Croatian lands. Under
UN supervision, the last Serb-held enclave in eastern Slavonia was
returned to Croatia in 1998.
Cuba
The native Amerindian population of Cuba began to decline after
the European discovery of the island by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1492
and following its development as a Spanish colony during the next
several centuries. Large numbers of African slaves were imported to
work the coffee and sugar plantations and Havana became the
launching point for the annual treasure fleets bound for Spain from
Mexico and Peru. Spanish rule was severe and exploitative and
occasional rebellions were harshly suppressed. It was US
intervention during the Spanish-American War in 1898 that finally
overthrew Spanish rule. The subsequent Treaty of Paris established
Cuban independence, which was granted in 1902 after a three-year
transition period. Fidel CASTRO led a rebel army to victory in 1959;
his iron rule has held the regime together since then. Cuba's
Communist revolution, with Soviet support, was exported throughout
Latin America and Africa during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. The
country is now slowly recovering from a severe economic recession in
1990, following the withdrawal of former Soviet subsidies, worth $4
billion to $6 billion annually. Cuba portrays its difficulties as
the result of the US embargo in place since 1961. Illicit migration
to the US - using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, air flights, or
via the southwest border - is a continuing problem. The US Coast
Guard intercepted 1,498 individuals attempting to cross the Straits
of Florida in 2004.
Cyprus
A former British colony, Cyprus received independence in 1960
following years of resistance to British rule. Tensions between the
Greek Cypriot majority and Turkish Cypriot minority came to a head
in December 1963, when violence broke out in the capital of Nicosia.
Despite the deployment of UN peacekeepers in 1964, sporadic
intercommunal violence continued forcing most Turkish Cypriots into
enclaves throughout the island. In 1974, a Greek-sponsored attempt
to seize the government was met by military intervention from
Turkey, which soon controlled more than a third of the island. In
1983, the Turkish-held area declared itself the "Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus," but it is recognized only by Turkey. The latest
two-year round of UN-brokered direct talks - between the leaders of
the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities to reach an
agreement to reunite the divided island - ended when the Greek
Cypriots rejected the UN settlement plan in an April 2004
referendum. Although only the internationally recognized Greek
Cypriot-controlled Republic of Cyprus joined the EU on 1 May 2004,
every Cypriot carrying a Cyprus passport will have the status of a
European citizen. EU laws, however, will not apply to north Cyprus.
Nicosia continues to oppose EU efforts to establish direct trade and
economic links to north Cyprus as a way of encouraging the Turkish
Cypriot community to continue to support reunification.
Czech Republic
Following the First World War, the closely related
Czechs and Slovaks of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire merged to
form Czechoslovakia. During the interwar years, the new country's
leaders were frequently preoccupied with meeting the demands of
other ethnic minorities within the republic, most notably the
Sudeten Germans and the Ruthenians (Ukrainians). After World War II,
a truncated Czechoslovakia fell within the Soviet sphere of
influence. In 1968, an invasion by Warsaw Pact troops ended the
efforts of the country's leaders to liberalize Communist party rule
and create "socialism with a human face." Anti-Soviet demonstrations
the following year ushered in a period of harsh repression. With the
collapse of Soviet authority in 1989, Czechoslovakia regained its
freedom through a peaceful "Velvet Revolution." On 1 January 1993,
the country underwent a "velvet divorce" into its two national
components, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Czech Republic
joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004.
Denmark
Once the seat of Viking raiders and later a major north
European power, Denmark has evolved into a modern, prosperous nation
that is participating in the general political and economic
integration of Europe. It joined NATO in 1949 and the EEC (now the
EU) in 1973. However, the country has opted out of certain elements
of the European Union's Maastricht Treaty, including the European
Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), European defense cooperation, and
issues concerning certain justice and home affairs.
Dhekelia
By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created
the independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovereignty
and jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers in
total: Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The larger of these is the Dhekelia
Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Eastern
Sovereign Base Area.
Djibouti
The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas became
Djibouti in 1977. Hassan Gouled APTIDON installed an authoritarian
one-party state and proceeded to serve as president until 1999.
Unrest among the Afars minority during the 1990s led to a civil war
that ended in 2001 following the conclusion of a peace accord
between Afar rebels and the Issa-dominated government. Djibouti's
first multi-party presidential elections in 1999 resulted in the
election of Ismail Omar GUELLEH. Djibouti occupies a very strategic
geographic location at the mouth of the Red Sea and serves as an
important transshipment location for goods entering and leaving the
east African highlands. The present leadership favors close ties to
France, which maintains a significant military presence in the
country, but has also developed increasingly stronger ties with the
United States in recent years. Djibouti currently hosts the only
United States military base in sub-Saharan Africa and is a
front-line state in the global war on terrorism.
Dominica
Dominica was the last of the Caribbean islands to be
colonized by Europeans, due chiefly to the fierce resistance of the
native Caribs. France ceded possession to Great Britain in 1763,
which made the island a colony in 1805. In 1980, two years after
independence, Dominica's fortunes improved when a corrupt and
tyrannical administration was replaced by that of Mary Eugenia
CHARLES, the first female prime minister in the Caribbean, who
remained in office for 15 years. Some 3,000 Carib Indians still
living on Dominica are the only pre-Columbian population remaining
in the eastern Caribbean.
Dominican Republic
Explored and claimed by Columbus on his first
voyage in 1492, the island of Hispaniola became a springboard for
Spanish conquest of the Caribbean and the American mainland. In
1697, Spain recognized French dominion over the western third of the
island, which in 1804 became Haiti. The remainder of the island, by
then known as Santo Domingo, sought to gain its own independence in
1821, but was conquered and ruled by the Haitians for 22 years; it
finally attained independence as the Dominican Republic in 1844. In
1861, the Dominicans voluntarily returned to the Spanish Empire, but
two years later they launched a war that restored independence in
1865. A legacy of unsettled, mostly non-representative, rule for
much of its subsequent history was brought to an end in 1966 when
Joaquin BALAGUER became president. He maintained a tight grip on
power for most of the next 30 years when international reaction to
flawed elections forced him to curtail his term in 1996. Since then,
regular competitive elections have been held in which opposition
candidates have won the presidency. The Dominican economy has had
one of the fastest growth rates in the hemisphere over the past
decade.
East Timor
The Portuguese began to trade with the island of Timor in
the early 16th century and colonized it in mid-century. Skirmishing
with the Dutch in the region eventually resulted in an 1859 treaty
in which Portugal ceded the western portion of the island. Imperial
Japan occupied East Timor from 1942 to 1945, but Portugal resumed
colonial authority after the Japanese defeat in World War II. East
Timor declared itself independent from Portugal on 28 November 1975
and was invaded and occupied by Indonesian forces nine days later.
It was incorporated into Indonesia in July 1976 as the province of
East Timor. An unsuccessful campaign of pacification followed over
the next two decades, during which an estimated 100,000 to 250,000
individuals lost their lives. On 30 August 1999, in a UN-supervised
popular referendum, an overwhelming majority of the people of East
Timor voted for independence from Indonesia. Between the referendum
and the arrival of a multinational peacekeeping force in late
September 1999, anti-independence Timorese militias - organized and
supported by the Indonesian military - commenced a large-scale,
scorched-earth campaign of retribution. The militias killed
approximately 1,300 Timorese and forcibly pushed 300,000 people into
West Timor as refugees. The majority of the country's
infrastructure, including homes, irrigation systems, water supply
systems, and schools, and nearly 100% of the country's electrical
grid were destroyed. On 20 September 1999 the Australian-led
peacekeeping troops of the International Force for East Timor
(INTERFET) deployed to the country and brought the violence to an
end. On 20 May 2002, East Timor was internationally recognized as an
independent state.
Ecuador
The "Republic of the Equator" was one of three countries
that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others
are Colombia and Venezuela). Between 1904 and 1942, Ecuador lost
territories in a series of conflicts with its neighbors. A border
war with Peru that flared in 1995 was resolved in 1999. Although
Ecuador marked 25 years of civilian governance in 2004, the period
has been marred by political instability. Seven presidents have
governed Ecuador since 1996.
Egypt
The regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood,
coupled with semi-isolation provided by deserts to the east and
west, allowed for the development of one of the world's great
civilizations. A unified kingdom arose circa 3200 B.C. and a series
of dynasties ruled in Egypt for the next three millennia. The last
native dynasty fell to the Persians in 341 B.C., who in turn were
replaced by the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines. It was the Arabs who
introduced Islam and the Arabic language in the 7th century and who
ruled for the next six centuries. A local military caste, the
Mamluks took control about 1250 and continued to govern after the
conquest of Egypt by the Ottoman Turks in 1517. Following the
completion of the Suez Canal in 1869, Egypt became an important
world transportation hub, but also fell heavily into debt.
Ostensibly to protect its investments, Britain seized control of
Egypt's government in 1882, but nominal allegiance to the Ottoman
Empire continued until 1914. Partially independent from the UK in
1922, Egypt acquired full sovereignty following World War II. The
completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1971 and the resultant Lake
Nasser have altered the time-honored place of the Nile River in the
agriculture and ecology of Egypt. A rapidly growing population (the
largest in the Arab world), limited arable land, and dependence on
the Nile all continue to overtax resources and stress society. The
government has struggled to ready the economy for the new millennium
through economic reform and massive investment in communications and
physical infrastructure.
El Salvador
El Salvador achieved independence from Spain in 1821 and
from the Central American Federation in 1839. A 12-year civil war,
which cost about 75,000 lives, was brought to a close in 1992 when
the government and leftist rebels signed a treaty that provided for
military and political reforms.
Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea gained independence in 1968
after 190 years of Spanish rule. This tiny country, composed of a
mainland portion plus five inhabited islands, is one of the smallest
on the African continent. President OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO has ruled
the country for over two decades since seizing power from his uncle,
then President MACIAS, in a 1979 coup. Although nominally a
constitutional democracy since 1991, the 1996 and 2002 presidential
elections - as well as the 1999 legislative elections - were widely
seen as being flawed. The president controls most opposition parties
through the judicious use of patronage. Despite the country's
economic windfall from oil production resulting in a massive
increase in government revenue in recent years, there have been few
improvements in the country's living standards.
Eritrea
Eritrea was awarded to Ethiopia in 1952 as part of a
federation. Ethiopia's annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years
later sparked a 30-year struggle for independence that ended in 1991
with Eritrean rebels defeating governmental forces; independence was
overwhelmingly approved in a 1993 referendum. A two-and-a-half-year
border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN
auspices on 12 December 2000. Eritrea currently hosts a UN
peacekeeping operation that is monitoring a 25 km-wide Temporary
Security Zone on the border with Ethiopia. An international
commission, organized to resolve the border dispute, posted its
findings in 2002 but final demarcation is on hold due to Ethiopian
objections.
Estonia
After centuries of Danish, Swedish, German, and Russian
rule, Estonia attained independence in 1918. Forcibly incorporated
into the USSR in 1940, it regained its freedom in 1991, with the
collapse of the Soviet Union. Since the last Russian troops left in
1994, Estonia has been free to promote economic and political ties
with Western Europe. It joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of
2004.
Ethiopia
Unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian
monarchy maintained its freedom from colonial rule, with the
exception of the 1936-41 Italian occupation during World War II. In
1974 a military junta, the Derg, deposed Emperor Haile SELASSIE (who
had ruled since 1930) and established a socialist state. Torn by
bloody coups, uprisings, wide-scale drought, and massive refugee
problems, the regime was finally toppled in 1991 by a coalition of
rebel forces, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front
(EPRDF). A constitution was adopted in 1994 and Ethiopia's first
multiparty elections were held in 1995. A two and a half year border
war with Eritrea ended with a peace treaty on 12 December 2000.
Final demarcation of the boundary is currently on hold due to
Ethiopian objections to an international commission's finding
requiring it to surrender sensitive territory.
Europa Island
A French possession since 1897, the island is heavily
wooded; it is the site of a small military garrison that staffs a
weather station.
European Union
Following the two devastating World Wars of the first
half of the 20th century, a number of European leaders in the late
1940s became convinced that the only way to establish a lasting
peace was to unite the two chief belligerent nations - France and
Germany - both economically and politically. In 1950, the French
Foreign Minister Robert SCHUMAN proposed an eventual union of all
Europe, the first step of which would be the integration of the coal
and steel industries of Western Europe. The following year the
European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was set up when six
members, Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the
Netherlands, signed the Treaty of Paris. The ECSC was so successful
that within a few years the decision was made to integrate other
parts of the countries' economies. In 1957, the Treaties of Rome
created the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European
Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), and the six member states
undertook to eliminate trade barriers among themselves by forming a
common market. In 1967, the institutions of all three communities
were formally merged into the European Community (EC), creating a
single Commission, a single Council of Ministers, and the European
Parliament. Members of the European Parliament were initially
selected by national parliaments, but in 1979 the first direct
elections were undertaken and they have been held every five years
since. In 1973, the first enlargement of the EC took place with the
addition of Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The 1980s saw
further membership expansion with Greece joining in 1981 and Spain
and Portugal in 1986. The 1992 Treaty of Maastricht laid the basis
for further forms of cooperation in foreign and defense policy, in
judicial and internal affairs, and in the creation of an economic
and monetary union - including a common currency. This further
integration created the European Union (EU). In 1995, Austria,
Finland, and Sweden joined the EU, raising the membership total to
15. A new currency, the euro, was launched in world money markets on
1 January 1999; it become the unit of exchange for all of the EU
states except the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Denmark. In 2002,
citizens of the 12 euro-area countries began using the euro
banknotes and coins. Ten new countries joined the EU in 2004 -
Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania,
Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia - bringing the current
membership to 25. In order to ensure that the EU can continue to
function efficiently with an expanded membership, the 2003 Treaty of
Nice set forth rules streamlining the size and procedures of EU
institutions. An EU Constitutional Treaty, signed in Rome on 29
October 2004, gave member states two years to ratify the document
before it was scheduled to take effect on 1 November 2006. Referenda
held in France and the Netherlands in May-June 2005 that rejected
the constitution suspended the ratification effort. Despite the
expansion of membership and functions, "Eurosceptics" in various
countries have raised questions about the erosion of national
cultures and the imposition of a flood of regulations from the EU
capital in Brussels. Failure by all member states to ratify the
constitution or the inability of newcomer countries to meet euro
currency standards might force a loosening of some EU agreements and
perhaps lead to several levels of EU participation. These "tiers"
might eventually range from an "inner" core of politically
integrated countries to a looser "outer" economic association of
members.
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Although first sighted by an
English navigator in 1592, the first landing (English) did not occur
until almost a century later in 1690, and the first settlement
(French) was not established until 1764. The colony was turned over
to Spain two years later and the islands have since been the subject
of a territorial dispute, first between Britain and Spain, then
between Britain and Argentina. The UK asserted its claim to the
islands by establishing a naval garrison there in 1833. Argentina
invaded the islands on 2 April 1982. The British responded with an
expeditionary force that landed seven weeks later and after fierce
fighting forced Argentine surrender on 14 June 1982.
Faroe Islands
The population of the Faroe Islands is largely
descended from Viking settlers who arrived in the 9th century. The
islands have been connected politically to Denmark since the 14th
century. A high degree of self-government was attained in 1948.
Fiji
Fiji became independent in 1970, after nearly a century as a
British colony. Democratic rule was interrupted by two military
coups in 1987, caused by concern over a government perceived as
dominated by the Indian community (descendants of contract laborers
brought to the islands by the British in the 19th century). A 1990
constitution favored native Melanesian control of Fiji, but led to
heavy Indian emigration; the population loss resulted in economic
difficulties, but ensured that Melanesians became the majority.
Amendments enacted in 1997 made the constitution more equitable.
Free and peaceful elections in 1999 resulted in a government led by
an Indo-Fijian, but a coup in May 2000 ushered in a prolonged period
of political turmoil. Parliamentary elections held in August 2001
provided Fiji with a democratically elected government and gave a
mandate to the government of Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE.
Finland
Finland was a province and then a grand duchy under Sweden
from the 12th to the 19th centuries and an autonomous grand duchy of
Russia after 1809. It won its complete independence in 1917. During
World War II, it was able to successfully defend its freedom and
resist invasions by the Soviet Union - albeit with some loss of
territory. In the subsequent half century, the Finns made a
remarkable transformation from a farm/forest economy to a
diversified modern industrial economy; per capita income is now on
par with Western Europe. As a member of the European Union, Finland
was the only Nordic state to join the euro system at its initiation
in January 1999.
France
Although ultimately a victor in World Wars I and II, France
suffered extensive losses in its empire, wealth, manpower, and rank
as a dominant nation-state. Nevertheless, France today is one of the
most modern countries in the world and is a leader among European
nations. Since 1958, it has constructed a presidential democracy
resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier parliamentary
democracies. In recent years, its reconciliation and cooperation
with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of
Europe, including the introduction of a common exchange currency,
the euro, in January 1999. At present, France is at the forefront of
efforts to develop the EU's military capabilities to supplement
progress toward an EU foreign policy.
French Guiana
First settled by the French in 1604, French Guiana was
the site of notorious penal settlements until 1951. The European
Space Agency launches its communication satellites from Kourou.
French Polynesia
The French annexed various Polynesian island groups
during the 19th century. In September 1995, France stirred up
widespread protests by resuming nuclear testing on the Mururoa atoll
after a three-year moratorium. The tests were suspended in January
1996.
French Southern and Antarctic Lands
The Southern Lands consist of
two archipelagos, Iles Crozet and Iles Kerguelen, and two volcanic
islands, Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul. They contain no permanent
inhabitants and are visited only by researchers studying the native
fauna. The Antarctic portion consists of "Adelie Land," a thin slice
of the Antarctic continent discovered and claimed by the French in
1840.
Gabon
Only two autocratic presidents have ruled Gabon since
independence from France in 1960. Gabon's current President, El Hadj
Omar BONGO Ondimba - one of the longest-serving heads of state in
the world - has dominated Gabon's political scene for almost four
decades. President BONGO introduced a nominal multiparty system and
a new constitution in the early 1990s. However, the low turnout and
allegations of electoral fraud during the most recent local
elections in 2002-03 have exposed the weaknesses of formal political
structures in Gabon. Presidential elections scheduled for 2005 are
unlikely to bring change since the opposition remains weak, divided,
and financially dependent on the current regime. Despite political
conditions, a small population, abundant natural resources, and
considerable foreign support have helped make Gabon one of the more
prosperous and stable African countries.
Gambia, The
The Gambia gained its independence from the UK in 1965;
it formed a short-lived federation of Senegambia with Senegal
between 1982 and 1989. In 1991 the two nations signed a friendship
and cooperation treaty. A military coup in 1994 overthrew the
president and banned political activity, but a 1996 constitution and
presidential elections, followed by parliamentary balloting in 1997,
completed a nominal return to civilian rule. The country undertook
another round of presidential and legislative elections in late 2001
and early 2002. Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH, the leader of the coup, has
been elected president in all subsequent elections.
Gaza Strip
The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim
Self-Government Arrangements (the DOP), signed in Washington on 13
September 1993, provided for a transitional period not exceeding
five years of Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip
and the West Bank. Under the DOP, Israel agreed to transfer certain
powers and responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority, which
includes the Palestinian Legislative Council elected in January
1996, as part of the interim self-governing arrangements in the West
Bank and Gaza Strip. A transfer of powers and responsibilities for
the Gaza Strip and Jericho took place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4
May 1994 Cairo Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area and
in additional areas of the West Bank pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28
September 1995 Interim Agreement, the Israel-PLO 15 January 1997
Protocol Concerning Redeployment in Hebron, the Israel-PLO 23
October 1998 Wye River Memorandum, and the 4 September 1999 Sharm
el-Sheikh Agreement. The DOP provides that Israel will retain
responsibility during the transitional period for external and
internal security and for public order of settlements and Israeli
citizens. Direct negotiations to determine the permanent status of
Gaza and West Bank began in September 1999 after a three-year
hiatus, but were derailed by a second intifadah that broke out in
September 2000. The resulting widespread violence in the West Bank
and Gaza Strip, Israel's military response, and instability within
the Palestinian Authority continued to undermine progress toward a
permanent agreement. Following the death of longtime Palestinian
leader Yasir ARAFAT in November 2004, the election of his successor
Mahmud ABBAS in January 2005 brought about a turning point in the
conflict. In February 2005 the Israeli Government voted to disengage
from the Gaza Strip by dismantling all Israeli settlements and
removing all Israeli settlers. This process was completed in
September 2005. Nonetheless, Israel maintains offshore maritime
control as well as airspace control. The future political status of
the Gaza Strip has yet to be determined.
Georgia
The region of present-day Georgia contained the ancient
kingdoms of Colchis and Kartli-Iberia. The area came under Roman
influence in the first centuries AD and Christianity became the
state religion in the 330s. Domination by Persians, Arabs, and Turks
was followed by a Georgian golden age (11th to the 13th centuries)
that was cut short by the Mongol invasion of 1236. Subsequently, the
Ottoman and Persian empires competed for influence in the region.
Georgia was absorbed into the Russian Empire in the 19th century.
Independent for three years (1918-1921) following the Russian
revolution, it was forcibly incorporated into the USSR until the
Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. Despite myriad problems, some
progress on market reforms and democratization has been made since
then. An attempt by the government to manipulate legislative
elections in November 2003 touched off widespread protests that led
to the resignation of Eduard SHEVARDNADZE, president since 1995. New
elections in early 2004 swept Mikheil SAAKASHVILI into power along
with his National Movement Party.
Germany
As Europe's largest economy and most populous nation,
Germany remains a key member of the continent's economic, political,
and defense organizations. European power struggles immersed Germany
in two devastating World Wars in the first half of the 20th century
and left the country occupied by the victorious Allied powers of the
US, UK, France, and the Soviet Union in 1945. With the advent of the
Cold War, two German states were formed in 1949: the western Federal
Republic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern German Democratic Republic
(GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself in key Western economic
and security organizations, the EC, which became the EU, and NATO,
while the Communist GDR was on the front line of the Soviet-led
Warsaw Pact. The decline of the USSR and the end of the Cold War
allowed for German unification in 1990. Since then, Germany has
expended considerable funds to bring Eastern productivity and wages
up to Western standards. In January 1999, Germany and 10 other EU
countries introduced a common European exchange currency, the euro.
Ghana
Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast
and the Togoland trust territory, Ghana in 1957 became the first
sub-Saharan country in colonial Africa to gain its independence. A
long series of coups resulted in the suspension of the constitution
in 1981 and a ban on political parties. A new constitution,
restoring multiparty politics, was approved in 1992. Lt. Jerry
RAWLINGS, head of state since 1981, won presidential elections in
1992 and 1996, but was constitutionally prevented from running for a
third term in 2000. John KUFUOR, who defeated former Vice President
Atta MILLS in a free and fair election, succeeded him.
Gibraltar
Strategically important, Gibraltar was ceded to Great
Britain by Spain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht; the British garrison
was formally declared a colony in 1830. In referendums held in 1967
and 2002, Gibraltarians ignored Spanish pressure and voted
overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency.
Glorioso Islands
A French possession since 1892, the Glorioso
Islands are composed of two lushly vegetated coral islands (Ile
Glorieuse and Ile du Lys) and three rock islets. A military garrison
operates a weather and radio station on Ile Glorieuse.
Greece
Greece achieved its independence from the Ottoman Empire in
1829. During the second half of the 19th century and the first half
of the 20th century, it gradually added neighboring islands and
territories, most with Greek-speaking populations. In World War II,
Greece was first invaded by Italy (1940) and subsequently occupied
by Germany (1941-44); fighting endured in a protracted civil war
between royalist supporters of the king and communist rebels.
Following the latter's defeat in 1949, Greece was able to join NATO
in 1952. A military dictatorship, which in 1967 suspended many
political liberties and forced the king to flee the country, lasted
seven years. The 1974 democratic elections and a referendum created
a parliamentary republic and abolished the monarchy. Greece joined
the European Community or EC in 1981 (which became the EU in 1992);
it became the 12th member of the euro zone in 2001.
Greenland
The world's largest island, Greenland is about 81%
ice-capped. Vikings reached the island in the 10th century from
Iceland; Danish colonization began in the 18th century and Greenland
was made an integral part of Denmark in 1953. It joined the European
Community (now the European Union) with Denmark in 1973 but withdrew
in 1985 over a dispute over stringent fishing quotas. Greenland was
granted self-government in 1979 by the Danish parliament. The law
went into effect the following year. Denmark continues to exercise
control of Greenland's foreign affairs.
Grenada
One of the smallest independent countries in the western
hemisphere, Grenada was seized by a Marxist military council on 19
October 1983. Six days later the island was invaded by US forces and
those of six other Caribbean nations, which quickly captured the
ringleaders and their hundreds of Cuban advisers. Free elections
were reinstituted the following year.
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe has been a French possession since 1635. The
island of Saint Martin is shared with the Netherlands; its southern
portion is named Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands
Antilles and its northern portion is named Saint-Martin and is part
of Guadeloupe
Guam
Guam was ceded to the US by Spain in 1898. Captured by the
Japanese in 1941, it was retaken by the US three years later. The
military installation on the island is one of the most strategically
important US bases in the Pacific.
Guatemala
The Maya civilization flourished in Guatemala and
surrounding regions during the first millennium A.D. After almost
three centuries as a Spanish colony, Guatemala won its independence
in 1821. During the second half of the 20th century, it experienced
a variety of military and civilian governments as well as a 36-year
guerrilla war. In 1996, the government signed a peace agreement
formally ending the conflict, which had left more than 100,000
people dead and had created some 1 million refugees.
Guernsey
The island of Guernsey and the other Channel Islands
represent the last remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy,
which held sway in both France and England. The islands were the
only British soil occupied by German troops in World War II.
Guinea
Guinea has had only two presidents since gaining its
independence from France in 1958. Lansana CONTE came to power in
1984, when the military seized the government after the death of the
first president, Sekou TOURE. Guinea did not hold democratic
elections until 1993 when Gen. CONTE (head of the military
government) was elected president of the civilian government. He was
reelected in 1998 and again in 2003. Unrest in Sierra Leone and
Liberia has spilled over into Guinea on several occasions over the
past decade, threatening stability and creating humanitarian
emergencies.
Guinea-Bissau
Since independence from Portugal in 1974,
Guinea-Bissau has experienced considerable upheaval. The founding
government consisted of a single party system and command economy.
In 1980, a military coup established Joao VIEIRA as president and a
path to a market economy and multiparty system was implemented. A
number of coup attempts through the 1980s and early 1990s failed to
unseat him and in 1994 he was elected president in the country's
first free elections. A military coup attempt and civil war in 1998
eventually led to VIEIRA's ouster in 1999. In February 2000, an
interim government turned over power when opposition leader Kumba
YALA took office following two rounds of transparent presidential
elections. YALA was ousted in a bloodless coup in September 2003,
and Henrique ROSA was sworn in as President. Guinea-Bissau's
transition back to democracy will be complicated by its crippled
economy, devastated in the civil war.
Guyana
Originally a Dutch colony in the 17th century, by 1815 Guyana
had become a British possession. The abolition of slavery led to
black settlement of urban areas and the importation of indentured
servants from India to work the sugar plantations. This
ethnocultural divide has persisted and has led to turbulent
politics. Guyana achieved independence from the UK in 1966, but
until the early 1990s it was ruled mostly by socialist-oriented
governments. In 1992, Cheddi JAGAN was elected president, in what is
considered the country's first free and fair election since
independence. Upon his death five years later, he was succeeded by
his wife Janet, who resigned in 1999 due to poor health. Her
successor, Bharrat JAGDEO, was reelected in 2001.
Haiti
The native Arawak Amerindians - who inhabited the island of
Hispaniola when it was discovered by Columbus in 1492 - were
virtually annihilated by Spanish settlers within 25 years. In the
early 17th century, the French established a presence on Hispaniola,
and in 1697, Spain ceded to the French the western third of the
island - Haiti. The French colony, based on forestry and
sugar-related industries, became one of the wealthiest in the
Caribbean, but only through the heavy importation of African slaves
and considerable environmental degradation. In the late 18th
century, Haiti's nearly half million slaves revolted under Toussaint
L'OUVERTURE and after a prolonged struggle, became the first black
republic to declare its independence in 1804. Haiti has been plagued
by political violence for most of its history. It is the poorest
country in the Western Hemisphere.
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
These uninhabited, barren,
sub-Antarctic islands were transferred from the UK to Australia in
1947. Populated by large numbers of seal and bird species, the
islands have been designated a nature preserve.
Holy See (Vatican City)
Popes in their secular role ruled portions
of the Italian peninsula for more than a thousand years until the
mid 19th century, when many of the Papal States were seized by the
newly united Kingdom of Italy. In 1870, the pope's holdings were
further circumscribed when Rome itself was annexed. Disputes between
a series of "prisoner" popes and Italy were resolved in 1929 by
three Lateran Treaties, which established the independent state of
Vatican City and granted Roman Catholicism special status in Italy.
In 1984, a concordat between the Holy See and Italy modified certain
of the earlier treaty provisions, including the primacy of Roman
Catholicism as the Italian state religion. Present concerns of the
Holy See include religious freedom, international development, the
Middle East, terrorism, interreligious dialogue and reconciliation,
and the application of church doctrine in an era of rapid change and
globalization. About 1 billion people worldwide profess the Catholic
faith.
Honduras
Once part of Spain's vast empire in the New World, Honduras
became an independent nation in 1821. After two and a half decades
of mostly military rule, a freely elected civilian government came
to power in 1982. During the 1980s, Honduras proved a haven for
anti-Sandinista contras fighting the Marxist Nicaraguan Government
and an ally to Salvadoran Government forces fighting leftist
guerrillas. The country was devastated by Hurricane Mitch in 1998,
which killed about 5,600 people and caused approximately $2 billion
in damage.
Hong Kong
Occupied by the UK in 1841, Hong Kong was formally ceded
by China the following year; various adjacent lands were added later
in the 19th century. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and
the UK on 19 December 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 1 July 1997. In this
agreement, China has promised that, under its "one country, two
systems" formula, China's socialist economic system will not be
imposed on Hong Kong and that Hong Kong will enjoy a high degree of
autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the
next 50 years.
Howland Island
Discovered by the US early in the 19th century, the
island was officially claimed by the US in 1857. Both US and British
companies mined for guano until about 1890. Earhart Light is a day
beacon near the middle of the west coast that was partially
destroyed during World War II, but has since been rebuilt; it is
named in memory of the famed aviatrix Amelia EARHART. The island is
administered by the US Department of the Interior as a National
Wildlife Refuge.
Hungary
Hungary was part of the polyglot Austro-Hungarian Empire,
which collapsed during World War I. The country fell under Communist
rule following World War II. In 1956, a revolt and announced
withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact were met with a massive military
intervention by Moscow. Under the leadership of Janos KADAR in 1968,
Hungary began liberalizing its economy, introducing so-called
"Goulash Communism." Hungary held its first multiparty elections in
1990 and initiated a free market economy. It joined NATO in 1999 and
the EU in 2004.
Iceland
Settled by Norwegian and Celtic (Scottish and Irish)
immigrants during the late 9th and 10th centuries A.D., Iceland
boasts the world's oldest functioning legislative assembly, the
Althing, established in 930. Independent for over 300 years, Iceland
was subsequently ruled by Norway and Denmark. Fallout from the Askja
volcano of 1875 devastated the Icelandic economy and caused
widespread famine. Over the next quarter century, 20% of the
island's population emigrated, mostly to Canada and the US. Limited
home rule from Denmark was granted in 1874 and complete independence
attained in 1944. Literacy, longevity, income, and social cohesion
are first-rate by world standards.
India
The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world,
dates back at least 5,000 years. Aryan tribes from the northwest
invaded about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier Dravidian
inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. Arab incursions
starting in the 8th century and Turkish in the 12th were followed by
those of European traders, beginning in the late 15th century. By
the 19th century, Britain had assumed political control of virtually
all Indian lands. Indian armed forces in the British army played a
vital role in both World Wars. Nonviolent resistance to British
colonialism led by Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU brought
independence in 1947. The subcontinent was divided into the secular
state of India and the smaller Muslim state of Pakistan. A third war
between the two countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan becoming
the separate nation of Bangladesh. Despite impressive gains in
economic investment and output, India faces pressing problems such
as the ongoing dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir, massive
overpopulation, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and
ethnic and religious strife.
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's
five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, but larger
than the Southern Ocean and Arctic Ocean). Four critically important
access waterways are the Suez Canal (Egypt), Bab el Mandeb
(Djibouti-Yemen), Strait of Hormuz (Iran-Oman), and Strait of
Malacca (Indonesia-Malaysia). The decision by the International
Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth
ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Indian Ocean
south of 60 degrees south.
Indonesia
The Dutch began to colonize Indonesia in the early 17th
century; the islands were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945.
Indonesia declared its independence after Japan's surrender, but it
required four years of intermittent negotiations, recurring
hostilities, and UN mediation before the Netherlands agreed to
relinquish its colony. Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic
state. Current issues include: alleviating widespread poverty,
preventing terrorism, continuing the transition to popularly-elected
governments after four decades of authoritarianism, implementing
reforms of the banking sector, addressing charges of cronyism and
corruption, and holding the military and police accountable for
human rights violations. Indonesia has been dealing with armed
separatist movements in Aceh and in Papua.
Iran
Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in
1979 after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and the shah was
forced into exile. Conservative clerical forces established a
theocratic system of government with ultimate political authority
nominally vested in a learned religious scholar. Iranian-US
relations have been strained since a group of Iranian students
seized the US Embassy in Tehran on 4 November 1979 and held it until
20 January 1981. During 1980-88, Iran fought a bloody, indecisive
war with Iraq that eventually expanded into the Persian Gulf and led
to clashes between US Navy and Iranian military forces between
1987-1988. Iran has been designated a state sponsor of terrorism for
its activities in Lebanon and elsewhere in the world and remains
subject to US economic sanctions and export controls because of its
continued involvement. Following the elections of a reformist
president and Majlis in the late 1990s, attempts to foster political
reform in response to popular dissatisfaction have floundered as
conservative politicians have prevented reform measures from being
enacted, increased repressive measures, and consolidated their
control over the government.
Iraq
Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was occupied by
Britain during the course of World War I; in 1920, it was declared a
League of Nations mandate under UK administration. In stages over
the next dozen years, Iraq attained its independence as a kingdom in
1932. A "republic" was proclaimed in 1958, but in actuality a series
of military strongmen ruled the country, the latest was SADDAM
Husayn. Territorial disputes with Iran led to an inconclusive and
costly eight-year war (1980-88). In August 1990, Iraq seized Kuwait,
but was expelled by US-led, UN coalition forces during the Gulf War
of January-February 1991. Following Kuwait's liberation, the UN
Security Council (UNSC) required Iraq to scrap all weapons of mass
destruction and long-range missiles and to allow UN verification
inspections. Continued Iraqi noncompliance with UNSC resolutions
over a period of 12 years resulted in the US-led invasion of Iraq in
March 2003 and the ouster of the SADDAM Husayn regime. Coalition
forces remain in Iraq, helping to restore degraded infrastructure
and facilitating the establishment of a freely elected government,
while simultaneously dealing with a robust insurgency. The Coalition
Provisional Authority transferred sovereignty to the Iraqi Interim
Government (IG) in June 2004. Iraqis voted on 30 January 2005 to
elect a 275-member Transitional National Assembly that will draft a
permanent constitution and pave the way for new national elections
at the end of 2005.
Ireland
Celtic tribes arrived on the island between 600-150 B.C.
Invasions by Norsemen that began in the late 8th century were
finally ended when King Brian BORU defeated the Danes in 1014.
English invasions began in the 12th century and set off more than
seven centuries of Anglo-Irish struggle marked by fierce rebellions
and harsh repressions. A failed 1916 Easter Monday Rebellion touched
off several years of guerrilla warfare that in 1921 resulted in
independence from the UK for 26 southern counties; six northern
(Ulster) counties remained part of the United Kingdom. In 1948
Ireland withdrew from the British Commonwealth; it joined the
European Community in 1973. Irish governments have sought the
peaceful unification of Ireland and have cooperated with Britain
against terrorist groups. A peace settlement for Northern Ireland,
known as the Good Friday Agreement and approved in 1998, is being
implemented with some difficulties.
Israel
Following World War II, the British withdrew from their
mandate of Palestine, and the UN partitioned the area into Arab and
Jewish states, an arrangement rejected by the Arabs. Subsequently,
the Israelis defeated the Arabs in a series of wars without ending
the deep tensions between the two sides. The territories occupied by
Israel since the 1967 war are not included in the Israel country
profile, unless otherwise noted. On 25 April 1982, Israel withdrew
from the Sinai pursuant to the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty.
Israel and Palestinian officials signed on 13 September 1993 a
Declaration of Principles (also known as the "Oslo accords") guiding
an interim period of Palestinian self-rule. Outstanding territorial
and other disputes with Jordan were resolved in the 26 October 1994
Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace. In addition, on 25 May 2000, Israel
withdrew unilaterally from southern Lebanon, which it had occupied
since 1982. In keeping with the framework established at the Madrid
Conference in October 1991, bilateral negotiations were conducted
between Israel and Palestinian representatives and Syria to achieve
a permanent settlement. On 24 June 2002, US President BUSH laid out
a "road map" for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which
envisions a two-state solution. However, progress toward a permanent
status agreement has been undermined by Palestinian-Israeli violence
ongoing since September 2000. The conflict may have reached a
turning point with the election in January 2005 of Mahmud ABBAS as
the new Palestinian leader following the November 2004 death of
Yasir ARAFAT.
Italy
Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the city-states of
the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under
King Victor EMMANUEL II. An era of parliamentary government came to
a close in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI established a
Fascist dictatorship. His disastrous alliance with Nazi Germany led
to Italy's defeat in World War II. A democratic republic replaced
the monarchy in 1946 and economic revival followed. Italy was a
charter member of NATO and the European Economic Community (EEC). It
has been at the forefront of European economic and political
unification, joining the Economic and Monetary Union in 1999.
Persistent problems include illegal immigration, organized crime,
corruption, high unemployment, sluggish economic growth, and the low
incomes and technical standards of southern Italy compared with the
prosperous north.
Jamaica
Jamaica gained full independence within the British
Commonwealth in 1962. Deteriorating economic conditions during the
1970s led to recurrent violence and a drop off in tourism. Elections
in 1980 saw the democratic socialists voted out of office. Political
violence marred elections during the 1990s.
Jan Mayen
This desolate, mountainous island was named after a Dutch
whaling captain who indisputably discovered it in 1614 (earlier
claims are inconclusive). Visited only occasionally by seal hunters
and trappers over the following centuries, the island came under
Norwegian sovereignty in 1929. The long dormant Haakon VII
Toppen/Beerenberg volcano resumed activity in 1970; it is the
northernmost active volcano on earth.
Japan
In 1603, a Tokugawa shogunate (military dictatorship) ushered
in a long period of isolation from foreign influence in order to
secure its power. For 250 years this policy enabled Japan to enjoy
stability and a flowering of its indigenous culture. Following the
Treaty of Kanagawa with the United States in 1854, Japan opened its
ports and began to intensively modernize and industrialize. During
the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Japan became a regional
power that was able to defeat the forces of both China and Russia.
It occupied Korea, Formosa (Taiwan), and southern Sakhalin Island.
In 1933 Japan occupied Manchuria and in 1937 it launched a
full-scale invasion of China. Japan attacked US forces in 1941 -
triggering America's entry into World War II - and soon occupied
much of East and Southeast Asia. After its defeat in World War II,
Japan recovered to become an economic power and a staunch ally of
the US. While the emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national
unity, actual power rests in networks of powerful politicians,
bureaucrats, and business executives. The economy experienced a
major slowdown starting in the 1990s following three decades of
unprecedented growth, but Japan still remains a major economic
power, both in Asia and globally. In 2005, Japan began a two-year
term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.
Jarvis Island
First discovered by the British in 1821, the
uninhabited island was annexed by the US in 1858, but abandoned in
1879 after tons of guano had been removed. The UK annexed the island
in 1889, but never carried out plans for further exploitation. The
US occupied and reclaimed the island in 1935. Abandoned after World
War II, the island is currently a National Wildlife Refuge
administered by the US Department of the Interior; a day beacon is
situated near the middle of the west coast.
Jersey
The island of Jersey and the other Channel Islands represent
the last remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy that held sway
in both France and England. These islands were the only British soil
occupied by German troops in World War II.
Johnston Atoll
Both the US and the Kingdom of Hawaii annexed
Johnston Atoll in 1858, but it was the US that mined the guano
deposits until the late 1880s. Johnston and Sand Islands were
designated wildlife refuges in 1926. The US Navy took over the atoll
in 1934, and subsequently the US Air Force assumed control in 1948.
The site was used for high-altitude nuclear tests in the 1950s and
1960s, and until late in 2000 the atoll was maintained as a storage
and disposal site for chemical weapons. Munitions destruction is now
complete. Cleanup and closure of the facility was completed in 2004.
Jordan
For most of its history since independence from British
administration in 1946, Jordan was ruled by King HUSSEIN (1953-99).
A pragmatic ruler, he successfully navigated competing pressures
from the major powers (US, USSR, and UK), various Arab states,
Israel, and a large internal Palestinian population, despite several
wars and coup attempts. In 1989 he reinstituted parliamentary
elections and gradual political liberalization; in 1994 he signed a
formal peace treaty with Israel. King ABDALLAH II - the eldest son
of King HUSSEIN and Princess MUNA - assumed the throne following his
father's death in February 1999. Since then, he has consolidated his
power and undertaken an aggressive economic reform program. Jordan
acceded to the World Trade Organization in 2000, and began to
participate in the European Free Trade Association in 2001. After a
two-year delay, parliamentary and municipal elections took place in
the summer of 2003. The Prime Minister and government appointed in
April 2005 declared they would build upon the previous government's
achievements to respect political and human rights and improve
living standards.
Juan de Nova Island
Named after a famous 15th century Spanish
navigator and explorer, the island has been a French possession
since 1897. It has been exploited for its guano and phosphate.
Presently a small military garrison oversees a meteorological
station.
Kazakhstan
Native Kazakhs, a mix of Turkic and Mongol nomadic tribes
who migrated into the region in the 13th century, were rarely united
as a single nation. The area was conquered by Russia in the 18th
century and Kazakhstan became a Soviet Republic in 1936. During the
1950s and 1960s agricultural "Virgin Lands" program, Soviet citizens
were encouraged to help cultivate Kazakhstan's northern pastures.
This influx of immigrants (mostly Russians, but also some other
deported nationalities) skewed the ethnic mixture and enabled
non-Kazakhs to outnumber natives. Independence in 1991 caused many
of these newcomers to emigrate. Current issues include: developing a
cohesive national identity; expanding the development of the
country's vast energy resources and exporting them to world markets;
achieving a sustainable economic growth outside the oil, gas, and
mining sectors; and strengthening relations with neighboring states
and other foreign powers.
Kenya
Founding president and liberation struggle icon Jomo KENYATTA
led Kenya from independence until his death in 1978, when President
Daniel Toroitich arap MOI took power in a constitutional succession.
The country was a de facto one-party state from 1969 until 1982 when
the ruling Kenya African National Union (KANU) made itself the sole
legal party in Kenya. MOI acceded to internal and external pressure
for political liberalization in late 1991. The ethnically fractured
opposition failed to dislodge KANU from power in elections in 1992
and 1997, which were marred by violence and fraud, but are viewed as
having generally reflected the will of the Kenyan people. President
MOI stepped down in December of 2002 following fair and peaceful
elections. Mwai KIBAKI, running as the candidate of the multiethnic,
united opposition group, the National Rainbow Coalition, defeated
KANU candidate Uhuru KENYATTA and assumed the presidency following a
campaign centered on an anticorruption platform.
Kingman Reef
The US annexed the reef in 1922. Its sheltered lagoon
served as a way station for flying boats on Hawaii-to-American Samoa
flights during the late 1930s. There are no terrestrial plants on
the reef, which is frequently awash, but it does support abundant
and diverse marine fauna and flora. In 2001, the waters surrounding
the reef out to 12 nm were designated a US National Wildlife Refuge.
Kiribati
The Gilbert Islands were granted self-rule by the UK in
1971 and complete independence in 1979 under the new name of
Kiribati. The US relinquished all claims to the sparsely inhabited
Phoenix and Line Island groups in a 1979 treaty of friendship with
Kiribati.
Korea, North
An independent kingdom under Chinese suzerainty for
most of the past millennium, Korea was occupied by Japan in 1905
following the Russo-Japanese War; five years later, Japan formally
annexed the entire peninsula. Following World War II, Korea was
split with the northern half coming under Soviet-sponsored Communist
domination. After failing in the Korean War (1950-53) to conquer the
US-backed republic in the southern portion by force, North Korea,
under its founder President KIM Il Sung, adopted a policy of
ostensible diplomatic and economic "self-reliance" as a check
against excessive Soviet or Communist Chinese influence. It molded
political, economic, and military policies around the core
ideological objective of eventual unification of Korea under
Pyongyang's control. KIM's son, the current ruler KIM Jong Il, was
officially designated as KIM's successor in 1980 and assumed a
growing political and managerial role until his father's death in
1994. He assumed full power without opposition. After decades of
economic mismanagement and resource misallocation, the North since
the mid-1990s has relied heavily on international aid to feed its
population while continuing to expend resources to maintain an army
of about 1 million. North Korea's long-range missile development and
research into nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and massive
conventional armed forces are of major concern to the international
community. In December 2002, following revelations it was pursuing a
nuclear weapons program based on enriched uranium in violation of a
1994 agreement with the United States to freeze and ultimately
dismantle its existing plutonium-based program, North Korea expelled
monitors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In
January 2003, it declared its withdrawal from the international
Non-Proliferation Treaty. In mid-2003 Pyongyang announced it had
completed the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel rods (to extract
weapons-grade plutonium) and was developing a "nuclear deterrent."
From August 2003, North Korea has participated on and off in
six-party talks with the China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the
United States to resolve the stalemate over its nuclear programs.
Korea, South
Korea was an independent kingdom under Chinese
suzerainty for most of the past millennium. Following its victory in
the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, Japan occupied Korea; five years
later it formally annexed the entire peninsula. After World War II,
a republic was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula
while a Communist-style government was installed in the north.
During the Korean War (1950-53), US and other UN forces intervened
to defend South Korea from North Korean attacks supported by the
Chinese. An armistice was signed in 1953, splitting the peninsula
along a demilitarized zone at about the 38th parallel. Thereafter,
South Korea achieved rapid economic growth with per capita income
rising to roughly 14 times the level of North Korea. In 1987, South
Korean voters elected ROH Tae-woo to the presidency, ending 26 years
of military dictatorships. South Korea today is a fully functioning
modern democracy. In June 2000, a historic first North-South summit
took place between the South's President KIM Tae-chung and the
North's leader KIM Jong Il.
Kuwait
Britain oversaw foreign relations and defense for the ruling
Kuwaiti AL-SABAH dynasty from 1899 until independence in 1961.
Kuwait was attacked and overrun by Iraq on 2 August 1990. Following
several weeks of aerial bombardment, a US-led, UN coalition began a
ground assault on 23 February 1991 that liberated Kuwait in four
days. Kuwait spent more than $5 billion to repair oil infrastructure
damaged during 1990-91.