note-also known as Sistema
Economico Latinoamericana (SELA)
established-17 October 1975
aim-to promote economic and
social development through
regional cooperation
members-(26) Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile,
Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El
Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico,
Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay,
Venezuela
Latin American Integration Association (LAIA)
note-also known as Asociacion
Latinoamericana de Integracion (ALADI)
established-12 August 1980
effective-18 March 1981
aim-to promote freer regional trade
members-(11) Argentina, Bolivia,
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay,
Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela
observers-(16) Commission of the European Communities, Costa
Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras,
Inter-American Development Bank, Italy, Nicaragua,
Organization of American States, Panama, Portugal,
Spain, United Nations Development Program, United
Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the
Caribbean
League of Arab States (LAS)
see Arab League (AL)
League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
(LORCS)
established-5 May 1919
aim-to provide humanitarian aid in peacetime
members-(148) Afghanistan, Albania,
Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Austria, The
Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium,
Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria,
Burkina, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada,
Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile,
China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire,
Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica,
Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador,
Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, The Gambia,
Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea,
Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary,
Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland,
Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, North Korea,
South Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho,
Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg,
Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania,
Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco,
Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua,
Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New
Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland,
Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia,
Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,
San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone,
Singapore, Slovakia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan,
Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand,
Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UAE, UK,
US, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, Western Samoa, Yemen,
Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe
associate members-(2) Equatorial Guinea, Gabon
least developed countries (LLDCs)
that subgroup of the less developed
countries (LDCs) initially identified by the UN
General Assembly in 1971 as having no significant
economic growth, per capita GNPs/GDPs normally less
than $500, and low literacy rates; also known as the
undeveloped countries. The 42 LLDCs are: Afghanistan,
Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burkina, Burma,
Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad,
Comoros, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia,
The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Laos, Lesotho,
Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda,
Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania,
Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Western Samoa, Yemen
less developed countries (LDCs)
the bottom group in the comprehensive
but mutually exclusive hierarchy of developed
countries (DCs), former USSR/Eastern Europe (former
USSR/EE), and less developed countries (LDCs);
mainly countries with low levels of output,
living standards, and technology; per capita GNPs/GDPs
are generally below $5,000 and often less than $1,000;
however, the group also includes a number of countries
with high per capita incomes, areas of advanced technology, and rapid rates of
growth; includes the advanced developing
countries, developing countries, Four Dragons (Four Tigers),
least developed countries (LLDCs), low-income countries, middle-income
countries, newly industrializing economies
(NIEs), the South, Third World, underdeveloped countries,
undeveloped countries; the 175 LDCs are: Afghanistan,
Algeria, American Samoa, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and
Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, The Bahamas, Bahrain,
Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia,
Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei,
Burkina, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde,
Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile,
China, Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, Colombia,
Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa
Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Djibouti,
Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador,
Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands,
Fiji, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gabon, The Gambia,
Gaza Strip, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greenland, Grenada,
Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guinea, Guinea-
Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, India,
Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jersey, Jordan, Kenya,
Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon,
Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Macau, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali,
Isle of Man, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte,
Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Montserrat, Morocco,
Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia,
Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands,
Oman, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Palau), Pakistan, Panama, Papua
New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn
Islands, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Reunion, Rwanda, Saint
Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre
and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome
and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra
Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka,
Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tokelau,
Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, UAE,
Uganda, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands, Wallis
and Futuna, West Bank, Western Sahara, Western Samoa,
Yemen, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe
low-income countries
another term for those less
developed countries with below-average per capita
GNPs/GDPs; see less developed countries (LDCs)
London Suppliers Group
see Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)
Mercado Comun del Cono Sur (MERCOSUR)
see Southern Cone Common Market
middle-income countries
another term for those less
developed countries with above-average per capita GNPs/GDPs;
see less developed countries (LDCs)