earthquakes; typhoons
volcanism: Kueishantao Island (elev. 401 m, 1,316 ft), east of
Taiwan, is its only historically active volcano, although it has not
erupted in centuries
Tajikistan
earthquakes; floods
Tanzania
flooding on the central plateau during the rainy season;
drought
volcanism: Tanzania experiences limited volcanic activity; Ol Doinyo
Lengai (elev. 2,962 m, 9,718 ft) has emitted lava in recent years;
other historically active volcanoes include Kieyo and Meru
Thailand
land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from the
depletion of the water table; droughts
Timor-Leste
floods and landslides are common; earthquakes; tsunamis;
tropical cyclones
Togo
hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during
winter; periodic droughts
Tokelau
lies in Pacific typhoon belt
Tonga
cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity
on Fonuafo'ou
volcanism: the Tonga Islands experience volcanic activity; Fonualei
(elev. 180 m, 591 ft) has shown frequent activity in recent years,
while Niuafo'ou (elev. 260 m, 853 ft), which last erupted in 1985,
has forced evacuations; other historically active volcanoes include
Late and Tofua
Trinidad and Tobago
outside usual path of hurricanes and other
tropical storms
Tunisia
NA
Turkey
severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, along an
arc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van
volcanism: Turkey experiences little volcanic activity; its three
historically active volcanoes; Ararat, Nemrut Dagi, and Tendurek
Dagi have not erupted since the 19th century or earlier
Turkmenistan
NA
Turks and Caicos Islands
frequent hurricanes
Tuvalu
severe tropical storms are usually rare, but in 1997 there
were three cyclones; low level of islands make them sensitive to
changes in sea level
Uganda
NA
Ukraine
NA
United Arab Emirates
frequent sand and dust storms
United Kingdom
winter windstorms; floods
United States
tsunamis; volcanoes; earthquake activity around
Pacific Basin; hurricanes along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico
coasts; tornadoes in the Midwest and Southeast; mud slides in
California; forest fires in the west; flooding; permafrost in
northern Alaska, a major impediment to development
volcanism: the United States experiences volcanic activity in the
Hawaiian Islands, Western Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and in the
Northern Mariana Islands; both Mauna Loa (elev. 4,170 m, 13,678 ft)
in Hawaii and Mount Rainier (elev. 4,392 m, 14,409 ft) in Washington
have been deemed "Decade Volcanoes" by the International Association
of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of
study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human
populations; Pavlof (elev. 2,519 m, 8,264 ft) is the most active
volcano in Alaska's Aleutian Arc and poses a significant threat to
air travel since the area constitutes a major flight path between
North America and East Asia; St. Helens (elev. 2,549 m, 8,363 ft),
famous for the devastating 1980 eruption, remains active today;
numerous other historically active volcanoes exist, mostly
concentrated in the Aleutian arc and Hawaii; they include: in
Alaska: Aniakchak, Augustine, Chiginagak, Fourpeaked, Iliamna,
Katmai, Kupreanof, Martin, Novarupta, Redoubt, Spurr, Wrangell; in
Hawaii: Trident, Ugashik-Peulik, Ukinrek Maars, Veniaminof; in the
Northern Mariana Islands: Anatahan; and in the Pacific Northwest:
Mount Baker, Mount Hood
United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
Baker, Howland, and
Jarvis Islands: the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can
be a maritime hazard
Kingman Reef: wet or awash most of the time, maximum elevation of
less than 2 m makes Kingman Reef a maritime hazard
Midway Islands, Johnston, and Palmyra Atolls: NA
Uruguay
seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and
occasional violent wind that blows north from the Argentine pampas),
droughts, floods; because of the absence of mountains, which act as
weather barriers, all locations are particularly vulnerable to rapid
changes from weather fronts
Uzbekistan
NA
Vanuatu
tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanic
eruption on Aoba (Ambae) island began on 27 November 2005, volcanism
also causes minor earthquakes; tsunamis
volcanism: Vanuatu experiences significant volcanic activity, with
many volcanoes erupting in recent years; Yasur (elev. 361 m, 1,184
ft), one of the world's most active volcanoes, has experienced
continuous activity in recent centuries; other historically active
volcanoes include, Aoba, Ambrym, Epi, Gaua, Kuwae, Lopevi,
Suretamatai, and Traitor's Head
Venezuela
subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts
Vietnam
occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive
flooding, especially in the Mekong River delta
Virgin Islands
several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and
severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes
Wake Island
occasional typhoons
Wallis and Futuna
NA
West Bank
droughts
Western Sahara
hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur
during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of
time, often severely restricting visibility
World
large areas subject to severe weather (tropical cyclones);
natural disasters (earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, volcanic
eruptions)
volcanism: the world is home to more than 1,500 potentially active
volcanoes, with over 500 of these having erupted in historical
times; an estimated 500 million people live near these volcanoes;
associated dangers include lava flows, lahars (mudflows),
pyroclastic flows, ash clouds, ash fall, ballistic projectiles, gas
emissions, landslides, earthquakes, and tsunamis; in the 1990s, the
International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the
Earth's Interior, created a list of 16 volcanoes worthy of special
study because of their great potential for destruction:
Avachinsky-Koryaksky (Russia), Colima (Mexico), Etna (Italy),
Galeras (Colombia), Mauna Loa (United States), Merapi (Indonesia),
Nyiragongo (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Rainier (United
States), Sakurajima (Japan), Santa Maria (Guatemala), Santorini
(Greece), Taal (Philippines), Teide (Spain), Ulawun (Papua New
Guinea), Unzen (Japan), Vesuvius (Italy)
Yemen
sandstorms and dust storms in summer
volcanism: Yemen experiences limited volcanic activity; Jebel at
Tair (Jabal al-Tair, Jebel Teir, Jabal al-Tayr, Jazirat at-Tair)
(elev. 244 m, 801 ft), which forms an island in the Red Sea, erupted
in 2007 after awakening from dormancy; other historically active
volcanoes include Harra of Arhab, Harras of Dhamar, Harra es-Sawad,
and Jebel Zubair, although many of these have not erupted in over a
century
Zambia
periodic drought; tropical storms (November to April)
Zimbabwe
recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare
======================================================================
@2022
Field Listing :: People - note
This entry includes miscellaneous demographic information of
significance not included elsewhere.
Country
People - note
Cook Islands
2001 census counted a resident population of 15,017
Cuba
illicit emigration 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 over-land via the southwest border
Germany
second most populous country in Europe after Russia
Papua New Guinea
the indigenous population of Papua New Guinea is
one of the most heterogeneous in the world; PNG has several thousand
separate communities, most with only a few hundred people; divided
by language, customs, and tradition, some of these communities have
engaged in low-scale tribal conflict with their neighbors for
millennia; the advent of modern weapons and modern migrants into
urban areas has greatly magnified the impact of this lawlessness
Rwanda
Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa
Trinidad and Tobago
in 2007, the government of Trinidad and Tobago
estimated the population to be 1.3 million
Turks and Caicos Islands
destination and transit point for illegal
Haitian immigrants bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands, The
Bahamas, and the US
======================================================================
@2023
Field Listing :: Area - comparative
This entry provides an area comparison based on total area
equivalents. Most entities are compared with the entire US or one of
the 50 states based on area measurements (1990 revised) provided by
the US Bureau of the Census. The smaller entities are compared with
Washington, DC (178 sq km, 69 sq mi) or The Mall in Washington, DC
(0.59 sq km, 0.23 sq mi, 146 acres).
Country
Area - comparative(sq km)
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 one-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
Bangladesh
slightly smaller than Iowa
Barbados
2.5 times the size of 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 one-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
land area is 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
slightly 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 twice the size of Texas
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
Curacao
more than two times the size of Washington, DC
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
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
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 the size of Texas
French Polynesia
slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut
French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Ile Amsterdam (Ile Amsterdam et
Ile Saint-Paul): less than one-half the size of Washington, DC
Ile Saint-Paul (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul): more than 10 times
the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Iles Crozet: about twice the size of Washington, DC
Iles Kerguelen: slightly larger than Delaware
Bassas da India (Iles Eparses): land area about one-third the size
of The Mall in Washington, DC
Europa Island (Iles Eparses): about one-sixth the size of
Washington, DC
Glorioso Islands (Iles Eparses): about eight times the size of The
Mall in Washington, DC
Juan de Nova Island (Iles Eparses): about seven times the size of
The Mall in Washington, DC
Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses): about 1.7 times the size of The Mall
in Washington, DC
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
more than 10 times the size of The National Mall in
Washington, D.C.
Greece
slightly smaller than Alabama
Greenland
slightly more than three times the size of Texas
Grenada
twice 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 National
Mall in Washington, DC
Honduras
slightly larger than Tennessee
Hong Kong
six times the size of 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 smaller than Alaska
Iraq
slightly more than twice the size of Idaho
Ireland
slightly larger than West Virginia
Isle of Man
slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC
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
Jersey
about two-thirds the size of Washington, DC
Jordan
slightly smaller than Indiana
Kazakhstan
slightly less than four times the size of Texas
Kenya
slightly more than twice the size of Nevada
Kiribati
four times the size of Washington, DC
Korea, North
slightly smaller than Mississippi
Korea, South
slightly larger than Indiana
Kosovo
slightly larger than Delaware
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
less than one-sixth 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
Marshall Islands
about 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)
Moldova
slightly larger than Maryland
Monaco
about three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Mongolia
slightly smaller than Alaska
Montenegro
slightly smaller than Connecticut
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
New Caledonia
slightly smaller than New Jersey
New Zealand
about the size of Colorado
Nicaragua
slightly smaller than New York state
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; almost equal to 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
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
Romania
slightly smaller than Oregon
Russia
approximately 1.8 times the size of the US
Rwanda
slightly smaller than Maryland
Saint Barthelemy
less than an eighth of the size of Washington, DC
Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
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 Martin
more than one-third 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 one third 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
slightly smaller than South Carolina
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
Sint Maarten
one-fifth 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 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
Timor-Leste
slightly larger than Connecticut
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
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; more than twice the
size of the European Union
United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
Baker Island: about
two and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Howland Island: about three times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Jarvis Island: about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington,
DC
Johnston Atoll: about four and a half times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Kingman Reef: a little more than one and a half times the size of
The Mall in Washington, DC
Midway Islands: about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington,
DC
Palmyra Atoll: about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
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