established-15 December 1950
aim-to promote international cooperation
in customs matters
members-(114) Algeria, Angola, Argentina,
Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belgium,
Bermuda, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina, Burma,
Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic,
Chile, China, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, France,
Gabon, The Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala,
Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India,
Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica,
Japan, Jordan, Kenya, South Korea, Lebanon, Lesotho,
Liberia, Libya, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia,
Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia,
Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Niger,
Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines,
Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi
Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sri
Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo,
Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Yugoslavia,
Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe
developed countries (DCs)
the top group in the comprehensive
but mutually exclusive hierarchy of developed
countries (DCs), former USSR/Eastern Europe (former
USSR/EE), and less developed countries (LDCs);
includes the market-oriented economies of the
mainly democratic nations in the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD), Bermuda, Israel, South
Africa, and the European ministates; also known as the
First World, high-income countries, the North, industrial
countries; generally have a per capita GNP/GDP in excess of
$10,000 although some OECD countries and South Africa have
figures well under $10,000 and two of the excluded OPEC
countries have figures of more than $10,000; the 34 DCs are:
Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda,
Canada, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany,
Greece, Holy See, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan,
Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, NZ,
Norway, Portugal, San Marino, South Africa, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US
developing countries
an imprecise term for the less developed countries with growing economies; see
less developed countries (LDCs)