total: 33
over 3,047 m: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 13
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 4 (2010)
Vanuatu
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2010)
Venezuela
total: 129
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 34
914 to 1,523 m: 63
under 914 m: 17 (2010)
Vietnam
total: 37
over 3,047 m: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 9 (2010)
Virgin Islands
total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2010)
Wake Island
total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2010)
Wallis and Futuna
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2010)
West Bank
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Western Sahara
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2010)
Yemen
total: 17
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2010)
Zambia
total: 8
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2010)
Zimbabwe
total: 19
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 9 (2010)
======================================================================
@2031
Field Listing :: Airports - with unpaved runways
This entry gives the total number of airports with unpaved runways
(grass, dirt, sand, or gravel surfaces) by length. For airports with
more than one runway, only the longest runway is included according
to the following five groups - (1) over 3,047 m (over 10,000 ft),
(2) 2,438 to 3,047 m (8,000 to 10,000 ft), (3) 1,524 to 2,437 m
(5,000 to 8,000 ft), (4) 914 to 1,523 m (3,000 to 5,000 ft), and (5)
under 914 m (under 3,000 ft). Only airports with usable runways are
included in this listing. Not all airports have facilities for
refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control. The type aircraft
capable of operating from a runway of a given length is dependent
upon a number of factors including elevation of the runway, runway
gradient, average maximum daily temperature at the airport, engine
types, flap settings, and take-off weight of the aircraft.
Country
Airports - with unpaved runways
Afghanistan
total: 34
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 9 (2010)
Albania
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2010)
Algeria
total: 86
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 19
914 to 1,523 m: 41
under 914 m: 23 (2010)
Angola
total: 162
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 31
914 to 1,523 m: 78
under 914 m: 47 (2010)
Anguilla
total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2010)
Antarctica
total: 26
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 6 (2010)
Antigua and Barbuda
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Argentina
total: 985
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 43
914 to 1,523 m: 530
under 914 m: 410 (2010)
Armenia
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2010)
Australia
total: 139
1,524 to 2,437 m: 17
914 to 1,523 m: 110
under 914 m: 12 (2010)
Austria
total: 30
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 26 (2010)
Azerbaijan
total: 8
under 914 m: 8 (2010)
Bahamas, The
total: 39
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 22 (2010)
Bangladesh
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Belarus
total: 32
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 27 (2010)
Belgium
total: 16
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 15 (2010)
Belize
total: 41
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 27 (2010)
Benin
total: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2010)
Bhutan
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2010)
Bolivia
total: 865
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 58
914 to 1,523 m: 187
under 914 m: 615 (2010)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
total: 18
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 11 (2010)
Botswana
total: 69
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 52
under 914 m: 13 (2010)
Brazil
total: 3,346
1,524 to 2,437 m: 87
914 to 1,523 m: 1,617
under 914 m: 1,642 (2010)
British Virgin Islands
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2010)
Bulgaria
total: 80
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 73 (2010)
Burkina Faso
total: 22
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 6 (2010)
Burma
total: 39
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 23 (2010)
Burundi
total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 3 (2010)
Cambodia
total: 11
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Cameroon
total: 23
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 14
under 914 m: 6 (2010)
Canada
total: 890
1,524 to 2,437 m: 73
914 to 1,523 m: 377
under 914 m: 440 (2010)
Cape Verde
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Cayman Islands
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2010)
Central African Republic
total: 35
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 12
914 to 1,523 m: 16
under 914 m: 6 (2010)
Chad
total: 48
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 15
914 to 1,523 m: 21
under 914 m: 10 (2010)
Chile
total: 282
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 12
914 to 1,523 m: 50
under 914 m: 217 (2010)
China
total: 60
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 27 (2010)
Colombia
total: 874
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 35
914 to 1,523 m: 228
under 914 m: 610 (2010)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
total: 172
1,524 to 2,437 m: 20
914 to 1,523 m: 91
under 914 m: 61 (2010)
Congo, Republic of the
total: 19
1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 10
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Cook Islands
total: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 2 (2010)
Costa Rica
total: 112
914 to 1,523 m: 18
under 914 m: 94 (2010)
Cote d'Ivoire
total: 20
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 3 (2010)
Croatia
total: 46
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 38 (2010)
Cuba
total: 71
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 58 (2010)
Cyprus
total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2010)
Czech Republic
total: 78
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 27
under 914 m: 50 (2010)
Denmark
total: 64
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 61 (2010)
Djibouti
total: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 2 (2010)
Dominican Republic
total: 19
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 17 (2010)
Ecuador
total: 323
914 to 1,523 m: 39
under 914 m: 284 (2010)
Egypt
total: 13
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 4 (2010)
El Salvador
total: 61
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 47 (2010)
Equatorial Guinea
total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2010)
Eritrea
total: 9
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2010)
Estonia
total: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 3 (2010)
Ethiopia
total: 44
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 12
914 to 1,523 m: 22
under 914 m: 7 (2010)
European Union
total: 1,391
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 22
914 to 1,523 m: 254
under 914 m: 1,112 (2010)
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
total: 5
under 914 m: 5 (2010)
Fiji
total: 24
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 19 (2010)
Finland
total: 73
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 70 (2010)
France
total: 177
914 to 1,523 m: 69
under 914 m: 108 (2010)
French Polynesia
total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 4 (2010)
Gabon
total: 31
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 14 (2010)
Georgia
total: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2010)
Germany
total: 219
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 33
under 914 m: 184 (2010)
Ghana
total: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Greece
total: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 12 (2010)
Greenland
total: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2010)
Guam
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Guatemala
total: 359
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 84
under 914 m: 271 (2010)
Guinea
total: 12
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 2 (2010)
Guinea-Bissau
total: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 3 (2010)
Guyana
total: 86
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 73 (2010)
Haiti
total: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 8 (2010)
Honduras
total: 92
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 16
under 914 m: 74 (2010)
Hungary
total: 21
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 11 (2010)
Iceland
total: 93
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 27
under 914 m: 63 (2010)
India
total: 103
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 43
under 914 m: 48 (2010)
Indonesia
total: 513
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 25
under 914 m: 484 (2010)
Iran
total: 186
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
914 to 1,523 m: 142
under 914 m: 33 (2010)
Iraq
total: 29
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 6 (2010)
Ireland
total: 23
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 21 (2010)
Israel
total: 18
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 14 (2010)
Italy
total: 31
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 19 (2010)
Jamaica
total: 15
under 914 m: 15 (2010)
Jan Mayen
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2010)
Japan
total: 32
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 28 (2010)
Jordan
total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2010)
Kazakhstan
total: 32
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 13 (2010)
Kenya
total: 174
1,524 to 2,437 m: 12
914 to 1,523 m: 107
under 914 m: 55 (2010)
Kiribati
total: 15
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 4 (2010)
Korea, North
total: 42
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 18
914 to 1,523 m: 14
under 914 m: 8 (2010)
Korea, South
total: 44
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 42 (2010)
Kosovo
total: 4
under 914 m: 4 (2010)
Kuwait
total: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2010)
Kyrgyzstan
total: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 8 (2010)
Laos
total: 32
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 21 (2010)
Latvia
total: 23
under 914 m: 23 (2010)
Lebanon
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2010)
Lesotho
total: 23
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 18 (2010)
Liberia
total: 27
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 14 (2010)
Libya
total: 78
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 42
under 914 m: 17 (2010)
Lithuania
total: 55
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 51 (2010)
Luxembourg
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Macedonia
total: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 3 (2010)
Madagascar
total: 57
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 35
under 914 m: 20 (2010)
Malawi
total: 26
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 12 (2010)
Malaysia
total: 80
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 73 (2010)
Maldives
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2010)
Mali
total: 12
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 3 (2010)
Marshall Islands
total: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 10
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Mauritania
total: 19
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 2 (2010)
Mauritius
total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Mexico
total: 1,569
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 66
914 to 1,523 m: 438
under 914 m: 1,063 (2010)
Moldova
total: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
under 914 m: 3 (2010)
Mongolia
total: 32
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 25
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Montenegro
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2010)
Morocco
total: 26
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 10
under 914 m: 8 (2010)
Mozambique
total: 83
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
914 to 1,523 m: 34
under 914 m: 39 (2010)
Namibia
total: 108
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 25
914 to 1,523 m: 71
under 914 m: 11 (2010)
Nepal
total: 36
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 31 (2010)
Netherlands
total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 4 (2010)
New Caledonia
total: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 8 (2010)
New Zealand
total: 82
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 32
under 914 m: 47 (2010)
Nicaragua
total: 132
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 16
under 914 m: 115 (2010)
Niger
total: 17
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 14
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Nigeria
total: 16
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 2 (2010)
Northern Mariana Islands
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Norway
total: 31
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 25 (2010)
Oman
total: 119
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 51
914 to 1,523 m: 33
under 914 m: 26 (2010)
Pakistan
total: 47
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 25 (2010)
Palau
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2010)
Panama
total: 64
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 52 (2010)
Papua New Guinea
total: 541
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
914 to 1,523 m: 63
under 914 m: 469 (2010)
Paraguay
total: 785
1,524 to 2,437 m: 25
914 to 1,523 m: 290
under 914 m: 470 (2010)
Peru
total: 153
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 24
914 to 1,523 m: 40
under 914 m: 87 (2010)
Philippines
total: 169
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 66
under 914 m: 99 (2010)
Poland
total: 43
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 16
under 914 m: 21 (2010)
Portugal
total: 22
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 21 (2010)
Puerto Rico
total: 12
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 10 (2010)
Qatar
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Romania
total: 28
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 21 (2010)
Russia
total: 620
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 13
1,524 to 2,437 m: 68
914 to 1,523 m: 84
under 914 m: 452 (2010)
Rwanda
total: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 3 (2010)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Samoa
total: 3
under 914 m: 3 (2010)
Saudi Arabia
total: 136
2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 71
914 to 1,523 m: 41
under 914 m: 16 (2010)
Senegal
total: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Serbia
total: 18
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 8 (2010)
Seychelles
total: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 5 (2010)
Sierra Leone
total: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Slovakia
total: 16
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 7 (2010)
Slovenia
total: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 5 (2010)
Solomon Islands
total: 34
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 25 (2010)
Somalia
total: 52
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 19
914 to 1,523 m: 23
under 914 m: 6 (2010)
South Africa
total: 431
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 32
914 to 1,523 m: 261
under 914 m: 137 (2010)
Spain
total: 57
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 16
under 914 m: 38 (2010)
Spratly Islands
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2010)
Sri Lanka
total: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 3 (2010)
Sudan
total: 121
1,524 to 2,437 m: 21
914 to 1,523 m: 62
under 914 m: 38 (2010)
Suriname
total: 46
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 41 (2010)
Svalbard
total: 3
under 914 m: 3 (2010)
Swaziland
total: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 7 (2010)
Sweden
total: 97
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 92 (2010)
Switzerland
total: 23
under 914 m: 23 (2010)
Syria
total: 75
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 15
under 914 m: 59 (2010)
Taiwan
total: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Tajikistan
total: 9
1,524 to 2,437: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 7 (2010)
Tanzania
total: 115
1,524 to 2,437 m: 19
914 to 1,523 m: 63
under 914 m: 33 (2010)
Thailand
total: 41
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 27 (2010)
Timor-Leste
total: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2010)
Togo
total: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 2 (2010)
Tonga
total: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Trinidad and Tobago
total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2010)
Tunisia
total: 16
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 7 (2010)
Turkey
total: 11
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 4 (2010)
Turkmenistan
total: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 4 (2010)
Turks and Caicos Islands
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Tuvalu
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2010)
Uganda
total: 41
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 25
under 914 m: 8 (2010)
Ukraine
total: 236
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 214 (2010)
United Arab Emirates
total: 16
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 5 (2010)
United Kingdom
total: 199
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 22
under 914 m: 173 (2010)
United States
total: 9,885
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 155
914 to 1,523 m: 1,752
under 914 m: 7,971 (2010)
Uruguay
total: 49
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 20
under 914 m: 26 (2010)
Uzbekistan
total: 21
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
under 914 m: 19 (2010)
Vanuatu
total: 28
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 23 (2010)
Venezuela
total: 280
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 16
914 to 1,523 m: 91
under 914 m: 172 (2010)
Vietnam
total: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 3 (2010)
Western Sahara
total: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Yemen
total: 38
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 14
under 914 m: 10 (2010)
Zambia
total: 86
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 63
under 914 m: 18 (2010)
Zimbabwe
total: 197
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 120
under 914 m: 74 (2010)
======================================================================
@2032
Field Listing :: Environment - current issues
This entry lists the most pressing and important environmental
problems. The following terms and abbreviations are used throughout
the entry:
Acidification - the lowering of soil and water pH due to acid
precipitation and deposition usually through precipitation; this
process disrupts ecosystem nutrient flows and may kill freshwater
fish and plants dependent on more neutral or alkaline conditions
(see acid rain).
Acid rain - characterized as containing harmful levels of sulfur
dioxide or nitrogen oxide; acid rain is damaging and potentially
deadly to the earth's fragile ecosystems; acidity is measured using
the pH scale where 7 is neutral, values greater than 7 are
considered alkaline, and values below 5.6 are considered acid
precipitation; note - a pH of 2.4 (the acidity of vinegar) has been
measured in rainfall in New England.
Aerosol - a collection of airborne particles dispersed in a gas,
smoke, or fog.
Afforestation - converting a bare or agricultural space by planting
trees and plants; reforestation involves replanting trees on areas
that have been cut or destroyed by fire.
Asbestos - a naturally occurring soft fibrous mineral commonly used
in fireproofing materials and considered to be highly carcinogenic
in particulate form.
Biodiversity - also biological diversity; the relative number of
species, diverse in form and function, at the genetic, organism,
community, and ecosystem level; loss of biodiversity reduces an
ecosystem's ability to recover from natural or man-induced
disruption.
Bio-indicators - a plant or animal species whose presence,
abundance, and health reveal the general condition of its habitat.
Biomass - the total weight or volume of living matter in a given
area or volume.
Carbon cycle - the term used to describe the exchange of carbon (in
various forms, e.g., as carbon dioxide) between the atmosphere,
ocean, terrestrial biosphere, and geological deposits.
Catchments - assemblages used to capture and retain rainwater and
runoff; an important water management technique in areas with
limited freshwater resources, such as Gibraltar.
DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro-ethane) - a colorless, odorless
insecticide that has toxic effects on most animals; the use of DDT
was banned in the US in 1972.
Defoliants - chemicals which cause plants to lose their leaves
artificially; often used in agricultural practices for weed control,
and may have detrimental impacts on human and ecosystem health.
Deforestation - the destruction of vast areas of forest (e.g.,
unsustainable forestry practices, agricultural and range land
clearing, and the over exploitation of wood products for use as
fuel) without planting new growth.
Desertification - the spread of desert-like conditions in arid or
semi-arid areas, due to overgrazing, loss of agriculturally
productive soils, or climate change.
Dredging - the practice of deepening an existing waterway; also, a
technique used for collecting bottom-dwelling marine organisms
(e.g., shellfish) or harvesting coral, often causing significant
destruction of reef and ocean-floor ecosystems.
Drift-net fishing - done with a net, miles in extent, that is
generally anchored to a boat and left to float with the tide; often
results in an over harvesting and waste of large populations of
non-commercial marine species (by-catch) by its effect of "sweeping
the ocean clean."
Ecosystems - ecological units comprised of complex communities of
organisms and their specific environments.
Effluents - waste materials, such as smoke, sewage, or industrial
waste which are released into the environment, subsequently
polluting it.
Endangered species - a species that is threatened with extinction
either by direct hunting or habitat destruction.
Freshwater - water with very low soluble mineral content; sources
include lakes, streams, rivers, glaciers, and underground aquifers.
Greenhouse gas - a gas that "traps" infrared radiation in the lower
atmosphere causing surface warming; water vapor, carbon dioxide,
nitrous oxide, methane, hydrofluorocarbons, and ozone are the
primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere.
Groundwater - water sources found below the surface of the earth
often in naturally occurring reservoirs in permeable rock strata;
the source for wells and natural springs.
Highlands Water Project - a series of dams constructed jointly by
Lesotho and South Africa to redirect Lesotho's abundant water supply
into a rapidly growing area in South Africa; while it is the largest
infrastructure project in southern Africa, it is also the most
costly and controversial; objections to the project include claims
that it forces people from their homes, submerges farmlands, and
squanders economic resources.
Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC) - represents the roughly 150,000
Inuits of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Russia in international
environmental issues; a General Assembly convenes every three years
to determine the focus of the ICC; the most current concerns are
long-range transport of pollutants, sustainable development, and
climate change.
Metallurgical plants - industries which specialize in the science,
technology, and processing of metals; these plants produce highly
concentrated and toxic wastes which can contribute to pollution of
ground water and air when not properly disposed.
Noxious substances - injurious, very harmful to living beings.
Overgrazing - the grazing of animals on plant material faster than
it can naturally regrow leading to the permanent loss of plant
cover, a common effect of too many animals grazing limited range
land.
Ozone shield - a layer of the atmosphere composed of ozone gas (O3)
that resides approximately 25 miles above the Earth's surface and
absorbs solar ultraviolet radiation that can be harmful to living
organisms.
Poaching - the illegal killing of animals or fish, a great concern
with respect to endangered or threatened species.
Pollution - the contamination of a healthy environment by man-made
waste.
Potable water - water that is drinkable, safe to be consumed.
Salination - the process through which fresh (drinkable) water
becomes salt (undrinkable) water; hence, desalination is the reverse
process; also involves the accumulation of salts in topsoil caused
by evaporation of excessive irrigation water, a process that can
eventually render soil incapable of supporting crops.
Siltation - occurs when water channels and reservoirs become clotted
with silt and mud, a side effect of deforestation and soil erosion.
Slash-and-burn agriculture - a rotating cultivation technique in
which trees are cut down and burned in order to clear land for
temporary agriculture; the land is used until its productivity
declines at which point a new plot is selected and the process
repeats; this practice is sustainable while population levels are
low and time is permitted for regrowth of natural vegetation;
conversely, where these conditions do not exist, the practice can
have disastrous consequences for the environment.
Soil degradation - damage to the land's productive capacity because
of poor agricultural practices such as the excessive use of
pesticides or fertilizers, soil compaction from heavy equipment, or
erosion of topsoil, eventually resulting in reduced ability to
produce agricultural products.
Soil erosion - the removal of soil by the action of water or wind,
compounded by poor agricultural practices, deforestation,
overgrazing, and desertification.
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation - a portion of the electromagnetic energy
emitted by the sun and naturally filtered in the upper atmosphere by
the ozone layer; UV radiation can be harmful to living organisms and
has been linked to increasing rates of skin cancer in humans.
Waterborne diseases - those in which bacteria survive in, and are
transmitted through, water; always a serious threat in areas with an
untreated water supply.
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