note - also known as World Customs Organization (WCO)
address - Rue du Marche 30, B-1210 Brussels, Belgium
telephone - [32] (2) 209 92 11
FAX - [32] (2) 109 92 92
established - 15 December 1950
aim - to promote international cooperation in customs matters
members - (145) Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia,
Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belarus,
Belgium, Bermuda, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso,
Burma, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African
Republic, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus,
Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji,
Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece,
Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India,
Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan,
Kazakhstan, Kenya, South Korea, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho,
Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, The Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali,
Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco,
Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Niger, Nigeria, Norway,
Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal,
Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone,
Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan,
Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand,
Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda,
Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen,
Zambia, Zimbabwe
_________________________________________________________________
developed countries (DCs)
the top group in the 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 GDP in excess
of $10,000 although four 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 35 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, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, NZ,
Norway, Portugal, San Marino, South Africa, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US; note - similar to the new International
Monetary Fund (IMF) term "advanced economies" which adds Hong Kong,
South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan but drops Malta, Mexico, South
Africa, and Turkey
_________________________________________________________________
developing countries
a new term used by the International Monetary FUND (IMF) for the
bottom group in its hierarchy of advanced economies, countries in
transition, and developing countries; recently published IMF
statistics include the following 126 developing countries:
Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba,
The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan,
Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia,
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China,
Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the
Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Cyprus, Djibouti, Dominica,
Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea,
Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea,
Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq,
Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho,
Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta,
Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of
Micronesia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands Antilles,
Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea,
Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis,
Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and
Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon
Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland,
Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,
UAE, Uganda, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia,
Zimbabwe; note - this category would presumably also cover the
following 46 other countries that are traditionally included in the
more comprehensive group of "less developed countries": American
Samoa, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands,
Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, Cook Islands, Cuba, Eritrea, Falkland
Islands, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gaza Strip, Gibraltar,
Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guernsey, Jersey, North Korea,
Macau, Isle of Man, Martinique, Mayotte, Montserrat, Nauru, New
Caledonia, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau,
Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Saint Helena, Saint Pierre and
Miquelon, Tokelau, Tonga, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Virgin
Islands, Wallis and Futuna, West Bank, Western Sahara
_________________________________________________________________
East African Development Bank (EADB)
address - 4 Nile Avenue, P. O. Box 7128, Kampala, Uganda
telephone - [256] (41) 230021, 230825
FAX - [256] (41) 259763
established - 6 June 1967
effective - 1 December 1967
aim - to promote economic development
members - (3) Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
_________________________________________________________________
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
address - United Nations Building, Rajadamnern Avenue, Bangkok 10200,
Thailand
telephone - [66] (2) 2881234
FAX - [66] (2) 2881000
established - 28 March 1947 as Economic Commission for Asia and the
Far East (ECAFE)
aim - to carry out the commitment of the Economic and Social Council
of the UN to promote economic development
members - (51) Afghanistan, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan,
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, China, Fiji, France,
India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, North Korea,
South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands,
Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands,
NZ, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Russia, Samoa,
Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tonga,
Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, UK, US, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam
associate members - (9) American Samoa, Cook Islands, French
Polynesia, Guam, Hong Kong, Macau, New Caledonia, Niue, Northern
Mariana Islands
_________________________________________________________________
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)
address - P. O. Box 11-8575, Riad El-Sohl Square, Beirut, Lebanon
telephone - [961] (10) 981301
FAX - [961] (10) 981510
established - 9 August 1973 as Economic Commission for Western Asia
(ECWA)
aim - to promote economic development as a regional commission for the
UN's Economic and Social Council
members - (12 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Bahrain,
Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,
Syria, UAE, Yemen, Palestine Liberation Organization
_________________________________________________________________
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
address - United Nations, New York, NY 10017, US
telephone - [1] (212) 963 1234
FAX - [1] (212) 758 2718
established - 26 June 1945
effective - 24 October 1945
aim - to coordinate the economic and social work of the UN; includes
five regional commissions (see Economic Commission for Africa,
Economic Commission for Europe, Economic Commission for Latin America
and the Caribbean, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the
Pacific, Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia) and 10
functional commissions (see Commission for Social Development,
Commission on Human Rights, Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Commission
on the Status of Women, Commission on Population and Development,
Statistical Commission, Commission on Science and Technology for
Development, Commission on Sustainable Development, and Commission on
Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice)
members - (54) selected on a rotating basis from all regions
_________________________________________________________________
Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
address - P. O. Box 3001-3005, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
telephone - [251] (1) 51 72 00
FAX - [251] (1) 51 44 16
established - 29 April 1958
aim - to promote economic development as a regional commission of the
UN's Economic and Social Council
members - (53) Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso,
Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad,
Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cote
d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia,
Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho,
Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius,
Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and
Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa,
Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
associate members - (2) France, UK
_________________________________________________________________
Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (ECAFE)
see Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
_________________________________________________________________
Economic Commission for Europe (ECE)
address - Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
telephone - [41] (22) 917 4444
FAX - [41] (22) 917 0505
established - 28 March 1947
aim - to promote economic development as a regional commission of the
UN's Economic and Social Council
members - (55) Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan,
Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia,
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia,
Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Netherlands,
Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey,
Turkmenistan, Ukraine, UK, US, Uzbekistan, Yugoslavia
_________________________________________________________________
Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLA)
see Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
_________________________________________________________________
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
address - Edificio Naciones Unidas, Avenida Dag Hammarskjold, Casilla
179 D, Santiago, Chile
telephone - [56] (2) 2102000
FAX - [56] (2) 2080252, 2081946
established - 25 February 1948 as Economic Commission for Latin
America (ECLA)
aim - to promote economic development as a regional commission of the
UN's Economic and Social Council
members - (41) Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, The Bahamas, Barbados,
Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba,
Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Grenada,
Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico,
Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Saint Kitts
and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Spain,
Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, US, Uruguay, Venezuela
associate members - (7) Anguilla, Aruba, British Virgin Islands,
Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands
_________________________________________________________________
Economic Commission for Western Asia (ECWA)
see Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)
_________________________________________________________________
Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC)
note - acronym from Communaute Economique des Etats de l'Afrique
Centrale
address - CEEAC, BP 2112, Libreville, Gabon
telephone - [241] 73 35 47, 73 35 48, 73 36 77
established - 18 October 1983 treaty adopted
aim - to promote regional economic cooperation and establish a Central
African Common Market
members - (11) Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic,
Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo,
Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe
_________________________________________________________________
Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL)
note - acronym from Communaute Economique des Pays des Grands Lacs
address - IRAZ-CEPGL, BP 91, Gitega, Burundi
established - 20 September 1976
aim - to promote regional economic cooperation and integration
members - (3) Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda
_________________________________________________________________
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
address - 6 King George V Road, PMB 12745, Lagos, Nigeria
telephone - [234] (1) 636839, 636841, 636064, 630398
FAX - [234] (1) 636822
established - 28 May 1975
aim - to promote regional economic cooperation
members - (16) Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, The
Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania,
Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo
_________________________________________________________________
Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO)
address - No. 1 Goulbou Alley, Kamraniyeh, P. O. Box 14155-6176,
Teheran, Iran Islamic Republic
telephone - [98] (21) 2831731, 2831733
FAX - [98] (21) 2831732
established - 27-29 January 1985
aim - to promote regional cooperation in trade, transportation,
communications, tourism, cultural affairs, and economic development
members - (10) Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
associate member - (1) "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus"
_________________________________________________________________
Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC)
note - began as the North Atlantic Cooperation Council (NACC); an
extension of NATO
address - c/o NATO, B-1110 Brussels, Belgium
telephone - [32] (2) 728 41 11
FAX - [32] (2) 728 45 79
established - 8 November 1991
effective - 20 December 1991
aim - to discuss cooperation on mutual political and security issues
members - (44) Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus,
Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal,
Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, UK, US, Uzbekistan
_________________________________________________________________
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
address - EBRD Headquarters, One Exchange Square, London EC2A 2EH, UK
telephone - [44] (171) 338 6000
FAX - [44] (171) 338 6100
established - 8-9 January 1990 (proposals made); 15 April 1991 (bank
inaugurated)
aim - to facilitate the transition of seven centrally planned
economies in Europe (Bulgaria, former Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland,
Romania, former USSR, and former Yugoslavia) to market economies by
committing 60% of its loans to privatization
members - (60) Albania, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan,
Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia,
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, EU, European Investment Bank
(EIB), Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary,
Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea,
Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco,
Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey,
Turkmenistan, Ukraine, UK, US, Uzbekistan; note - includes all 25
members of the OECD; also includes the EU as a single entity
_________________________________________________________________
European Community (or European Communities, EC)
was established 8 April 1965 to integrate the European Atomic Energy
Community (Euratom), the European Coal and Steel Community (ESC), the
European Economic Community (EEC or Common Market), and to establish a
completely integrated common market and an eventual federation of
Europe; merged into the European Union (EU) on 7 February 1992; member
states at the time of merger were Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany,
Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK
_________________________________________________________________
European Free Trade Association (EFTA)
address - 9-11 Rue de Varembe, CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland
telephone - [41] (22) 749 11 11
FAX - [41] (22) 733 92 91
established - 4 January 1960
effective - 3 May 1960
aim - to promote expansion of free trade
members - (4) Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland
_________________________________________________________________
European Investment Bank (EIB)
address - Boulevard Konrad Adenauer 100, L-2950 Luxembourg, Luxembourg
telephone - [352] 4379 3122
FAX - [352] 4379 3188, 4379 3189
established - 25 March 1957
effective - 1 January 1958
aim - to promote economic development of the EU and its predecessors,
the EEC and the EC
members - (15) Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,
Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain,
Sweden, UK
_________________________________________________________________
European Monetary Union (EMU)
note - an integral part of the European Union; also known as the
European Economic and Monetary Union
address - c/o European Commission, Rue de la Loi 200, B-1049 Brussels,
Belgium
telephone - [32] (2) 299 11 11
proposed - 1-2 December 1969 at summit conference of heads of
government
signed - 7 February 1992 Maastrict Treaty
aim - to promote a single market by creating a single currency, the
euro; time table - 2 May 1998: European exchange rates fixed for 1
January 1999; 1 January 1999: all banks and stock exchanges begin
using euros; 1 January 2002: the euro goes into circulation; 1 July
2002 local currencies no longer accepted
members - (11) Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland,
Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain; note - Denmark,
Sweden, and UK decided not to join, and Greece did not meet all the
criteria to take part
_________________________________________________________________
European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)
note - acronym retained from the predecessor organization Conseil
Europeenne pour la Recherche Nucleaire
address - CH-1211 Geneva 23, Switzerland
telephone - [41] (22) 767 4101, 767 2141
FAX - [41] (22) 785 0247
established - 1 July 1953
effective - 29 September 1954
aim - to foster nuclear research for peaceful purposes only
members - (20) Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK
observers - (7) EU, Israel, Japan, Russia, Turkey, United Nations
Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), US
_________________________________________________________________
European Space Agency (ESA)
address - ESA Headquarters, 8-10 Rue Mario Nikis, F-75738 Paris CEDEX
15, France
telephone - [33] (1) 53 69 76 54
FAX - [33] (1) 53 69 75 60
established - 31 May 1975
aim - to promote peaceful cooperation in space research and technology
members - (14) Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,
Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK
cooperating state - (1) Canada
_________________________________________________________________
European Union (EU)
note - evolved from the European Community (EC)
address - c/o European Commission, Rue de la Loi 200, B-1049 Brussels,
Belgium
telephone - [32] (2) 299 11 11
FAX - [32] (2) 295 01 38 through 295 01 40
established - 7 February 1992
effective - 1 November 1993
aim - to coordinate policy among the 15 members in three fields:
economics, building on the European Economic Community's (EEC) efforts
to establish a common market and eventually a common currency to be
called the 'euro', which will supersede the EU's accounting unit, the
ECU; defense, within the concept of a Common Foreign and Security
Policy (CFSP); and justice and home affairs, including immigration,
drugs, terrorism, and improved living and working conditions
members - (15) Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,
Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain,
Sweden, UK
membership applicants - (13) Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Turkey
_________________________________________________________________
First World
another term for countries with advanced, industrialized economies;
this term is fading from use; see developed countries (DCs)
_________________________________________________________________
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
address - Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, I-00100 Rome, Italy
telephone - [39] (6) 57051
FAX - [39] (6) 5705 3152
established - 16 October 1945
aim - to raise living standards and increase availability of
agricultural products, as a UN specialized agency
members - (176) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and
Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The
Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin,
Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria,
Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde,
Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros,
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands,
Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El
Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, EU, Fiji,
Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece,
Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras,
Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel,
Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, North Korea, South
Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia,
Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta,
Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique,
Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway,
Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines,
Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint
Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe,
Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan,
Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania,
Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,
Turkmenistan, Uganda, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela,
Vietnam, Yemen, Yugoslavia (suspended), Zambia, Zimbabwe
_________________________________________________________________
former Soviet Union (FSU)
a collective term often used to identify as a group the successor
nations to the Soviet Union or USSR; this group of 15 countries
consists of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia,
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan
_________________________________________________________________