constitutional monarchy
note: nominally headed by paramount ruler (commonly referred to as
the King) and a bicameral Parliament consisting of a nonelected
upper house and an elected lower house; all Peninsular Malaysian
states have hereditary rulers (commonly referred to as sultans)
except Melaka and Pulau Pinang (Penang); those two states along with
Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia have governors appointed by
government; powers of state governments are limited by federal
constitution; under terms of federation, Sabah and Sarawak retain
certain constitutional prerogatives (e.g., right to maintain their
own immigration controls)
Maldives
republic
Mali
republic
Malta
republic
Marshall Islands
constitutional government in free association with
the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force on 21
October 1986 and the Amended Compact entered into force in May 2004
Mauritania
military junta
Mauritius
parliamentary democracy
Mayotte
NA
Mexico
federal republic
Micronesia, Federated States of
constitutional government in free
association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered
into force on 3 November 1986 and the Amended Compact entered into
force in May 2004
Moldova
republic
Monaco
constitutional monarchy
Mongolia
parliamentary
Montenegro
republic
Montserrat
NA
Morocco
constitutional monarchy
Mozambique
republic
Namibia
republic
Nauru
republic
Nepal
federal democratic republic
Netherlands
constitutional monarchy
New Caledonia
NA
New Zealand
parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
Nicaragua
republic
Niger
republic
Nigeria
federal republic
Niue
self-governing parliamentary democracy
Norfolk Island
NA
Northern Mariana Islands
commonwealth; self-governing with locally
elected governor, lieutenant governor, and legislature
Norway
constitutional monarchy
Oman
monarchy
Pakistan
federal republic
Palau
constitutional government in free association with the US; the
Compact of Free Association entered into force on 1 October 1994
Panama
constitutional democracy
Papua New Guinea
constitutional parliamentary democracy and a
Commonwealth realm
Paraguay
constitutional republic
Peru
constitutional republic
Philippines
republic
Pitcairn Islands
NA
Poland
republic
Portugal
republic; parliamentary democracy
Puerto Rico
commonwealth
Qatar
emirate
Romania
republic
Russia
federation
Rwanda
republic; presidential, multiparty system
Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
NA
Saint Kitts and Nevis
parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth
realm
Saint Lucia
parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
NA
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
parliamentary democracy and a
Commonwealth realm
Samoa
parliamentary democracy
San Marino
republic
Sao Tome and Principe
republic
Saudi Arabia
monarchy
Senegal
republic
Serbia
republic
Seychelles
republic
Sierra Leone
constitutional democracy
Singapore
parliamentary republic
Sint Maarten
parliamentary
Slovakia
parliamentary democracy
Slovenia
parliamentary republic
Solomon Islands
parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
Somalia
no permanent national government; transitional,
parliamentary federal government
South Africa
republic
Spain
parliamentary monarchy
Sri Lanka
republic
Sudan
Government of National Unity (GNU) - the National Congress
Party (NCP) and Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) formed a
power-sharing government under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace
Agreement (CPA); the NCP, which came to power by military coup in
1989, is the majority partner; the agreement stipulated national
elections in 2009, but these were subsequently rescheduled for April
2010
Suriname
constitutional democracy
Svalbard
NA
Swaziland
monarchy
Sweden
constitutional monarchy
Switzerland
formally a confederation but similar in structure to a
federal republic
Syria
republic under an authoritarian regime
Taiwan
multiparty democracy
Tajikistan
republic
Tanzania
republic
Thailand
constitutional monarchy
Timor-Leste
republic
Togo
republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule
Tokelau
NA
Tonga
constitutional monarchy
Trinidad and Tobago
parliamentary democracy
Tunisia
republic
Turkey
republican parliamentary democracy
Turkmenistan
defines itself as a secular democracy and a
presidential republic; in actuality displays authoritarian
presidential rule, with power concentrated within the presidential
administration
Turks and Caicos Islands
NA
Tuvalu
parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
Uganda
republic
Ukraine
republic
United Arab Emirates
federation with specified powers delegated to
the UAE federal government and other powers reserved to member
emirates
United Kingdom
constitutional monarchy and Commonwealth realm
United States
Constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic
tradition
Uruguay
constitutional republic
Uzbekistan
republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little
power outside the executive branch
Vanuatu
parliamentary republic
Venezuela
federal republic
Vietnam
Communist state
Virgin Islands
NA
Wallis and Futuna
NA
Western Sahara
legal status of territory and issue of sovereignty
unresolved; territory contested by Morocco and Polisario Front
(Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de
Oro), which in February 1976 formally proclaimed a
government-in-exile, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR),
near Tindouf, Algeria, led by President Mohamed ABDELAZIZ; territory
partitioned between Morocco and Mauritania in April 1976 when Spain
withdrew, with Morocco acquiring northern two-thirds; Mauritania,
under pressure from Polisario guerrillas, abandoned all claims to
its portion in August 1979; Morocco moved to occupy that sector
shortly thereafter and has since asserted administrative control;
the Polisario's government-in-exile was seated as an Organization of
African Unity (OAU) member in 1984; Morocco between 1980 and 1987
built a fortified sand berm delineating the roughly 80 percent of
Western Sahara west of the barrier that currently is controlled by
Morocco; guerrilla activities continued sporadically until a
UN-monitored cease-fire was implemented on 6 September 1991
(Security Council Resolution 690) by the United Nations Mission for
the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO)
Yemen
republic
Zambia
republic
Zimbabwe
parliamentary democracy
======================================================================
@2129
Field Listing :: Unemployment rate
This entry contains the percent of the labor force that is without
jobs. Substantial underemployment might be noted.
Country Comparison to the World
Country
Unemployment rate(%)
Afghanistan
35% (2008 est.)
40% (2005 est.)
Albania
12.7% (2010 est.)
12.8% (2009 est.)
note: these are official rates, but actual rates may exceed 30% due
to preponderance of near-subsistence farming
Algeria
9.9% (2010 est.)
10.2% (2009 est.)
American Samoa
29.8% (2005)
Andorra
7% (2008)
0% (2007)
Angola
NA
Anguilla
8% (2002)
Antigua and Barbuda
11% (2001 est.)
Argentina
7.9% (2010 est.)
8.7% (2009 est.)
note: based on official data, which may understate unemployment
Armenia
7.1% (2007 est.)
Aruba
6.9% (2005 est.)
Australia
5.1% (2010 est.)
5.6% (2009 est.)
Austria
4.6% (2010 est.)
4.8% (2009 est.)
Azerbaijan
0.9% (2010 est.)
6% (2009 est.)
Bahamas, The
7.6% (2006 est.)
Bahrain
15% (2005 est.)
Bangladesh
5.1% (2010 est.)
5.1% (2009 est.)
note: about 40% of the population is underemployed; many
participants in the labor force work only a few hours a week, at low
wages
Barbados
10.7% (2003 est.)
Belarus
1% (2009 est.)
1.6% (2005)
note: official registered unemployed; large number of underemployed
workers
Belgium
8.1% (2010 est.)
7.9% (2009 est.)
Belize
13.1% (2009)
8.2% (2008)
Benin
NA%
Bermuda
2.1% (2004 est.)
Bhutan
4% (2009)
2.5% (2004)
Bolivia
8.3% (2010 est.)
7.7% (2009 est.)
note: data are for urban areas; widespread underemployment
Bosnia and Herzegovina
27.2% (2010 est.)
24.1% (2009 est.)
note: official rate
Botswana
7.5% (2007 est.)
Brazil
7% (2010 est.)
8.1% (2009 est.)
British Virgin Islands
3.6% (1997)
Brunei
3.7% (2008)
4% (2006)
Bulgaria
9.5% (2010 est.)
6.3% (2008 est.)
Burkina Faso
77% (2004)
Burma
5.7% (2010 est.)
4.9% (2009 est.)
Burundi
NA%
Cambodia
3.5% (2007 est.)
2.5% (2000 est.)
Cameroon
30% (2001 est.)
Canada
8% (2010 est.)
8.3% (2009 est.)
Cape Verde
21% (2000 est.)
Cayman Islands
4% (2008)
4.4% (2004)
Central African Republic
8% (2001 est.)
note: 23% unemployment for Bangui
Chad
NA% est.)
Chile
8.7% (2010 est.)
9.6% (2009 est.)
China
4.3% (September 2009 est.)
4.2% (December 2008 est.)
note: official data for urban areas only; including migrants may
boost total unemployment to 9%; substantial unemployment and
underemployment in rural areas
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
60% (2000 est.)
Colombia
11.2% (2010 est.)
12% (2009 est.)
Comoros
20% (1996 est.)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
NA%
Congo, Republic of the
NA%
Cook Islands
13.1% (2005)
Costa Rica
6.6% (2010 est.)
7.8% (2009 est.)
Cote d'Ivoire
NA
note: unemployment may have climbed to 40-50% as a result of the
civil war
Croatia
17.6% (2010 est.)
16.1% (2009 est.)
Cuba
2% (2010 est.)
1.7% (2009 est.)
Curacao
10.3% (2008 est.)
Cyprus
6% (2010 est.)
5.3% (2009 est.)
Czech Republic
9.3% (2010 est.)
8.1% (2009 est.)
Denmark
4.2% (2010 est.)
4.3% (2009 est.)
Djibouti
59% (2007 est.)
note: data are for urban areas, 83% in rural areas
Dominica
23% (2000 est.)
Dominican Republic
14.2% (2010 est.)
14.9% (2009 est.)
Ecuador
7.6% (2010 est.)
8.5% (2009 est.)
Egypt
9.7% (2010 est.)
9.4% (2009 est.)
El Salvador
7% (2010 est.)
7.2% (2009 est.)
note: data are official rates; but the economy has much
underemployment
Equatorial Guinea
30% (1998 est.)
Eritrea
NA%
Estonia
13.5% (2010 est.)
13.8% (2009 est.)
Ethiopia
NA%
European Union
9.5% (2010 est.)
9% (2009 est.)
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
NA%
Faroe Islands
3.9% (2009)
1.2% (2008)
Fiji
7.6% (1999)
Finland
7.9% (2010 est.)
8.2% (2009 est.)
France
9.5% (2010 est.)
9.1% (2009 est.)
French Polynesia
11.7% (2005)
Gabon
21% (2006 est.); NA%
Gambia, The
NA%
Gaza Strip
40% (2010 est.)
40% (2009 est.)
Georgia
16.4% (2009 est.)
13.6% (2006 est.)
Germany
7.1% (2010 est.)
7.5% (2009 est.)
note: this is the International Labor Organization's estimated rate
for international comparisons; Germany's Federal Employment Office
estimated a seasonally adjusted rate of 10.8%
Ghana
11% (2000 est.)
Gibraltar
3% (2005 est.)
Greece
12% (2010 est.)
9.4% (2009 est.)
Greenland
6.8% (2007 est.)
7.3% (2006 est.)
Grenada
12.5% (2000)
Guam
11.4% (2002 est.)
Guatemala
3.2% (2005 est.)
Guernsey
0.9% (March 2006 est.)
Guinea
NA% est.)
Guinea-Bissau
NA%
Guyana
11% (2007)
Haiti
NA% est.)
note: widespread unemployment and underemployment; more than
two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs
Honduras
5.1% (2010 est.)
3.2% (2009 est.)
note: about 36% are unemployed or underemployed
Hong Kong
4.6% (2010 est.)
5.2% (2009 est.)
Hungary
11.5% (2010 est.)
10% (2009 est.)
Iceland
8.6% (2010 est.)
8% (2009 est.)
India
10.8% (2010 est.)
10.7% (2009 est.)
Indonesia
7.1% (2010 est.)
8.1% (2009 est.)
Iran
14.6% (2010 est.)
10.3% (2008 est.)
note: data are according to the Iranian Government
Iraq
15.3% (2009 est.)
15.2% (2008 est.)
Ireland
13.7% (2010 est.)
11.8% (2009 est.)
Isle of Man
1.8% (October 2010 est.)
1.5% (December 2006 est.)
Israel
6.4% (2010 est.)
7.6% (2009 est.)
Italy
8.4% (2010 est.)
7.8% (2009 est.)
Jamaica
12.9% (2010 est.)
11.4% (2009 est.)
Japan
5.2% (2010 est.)
5.1% (2009 est.)
Jersey
2.2% (2006 est.)
Jordan
13.4% (2010 est.)
12.9% (2009 est.)
note: official rate; unofficial rate is approximately 30%
Kazakhstan
5.5% (2010 est.)
6.3% (2009 est.)
Kenya
40% (2008 est.)
40% (2001 est.)
Kiribati
2% (1992 est.)
Korea, North
NA%
Korea, South
3.7% (2010 est.)
3.7% (2009 est.)
Kosovo
16.6% (2009 est.); 14%
Kuwait
2.2% (2004 est.)
Kyrgyzstan
18% (2004 est.)
Laos
2.5% (2009 est.)
2.4% (2005 est.)
Latvia
19.1% (2010 est.)
17.1% (2009 est.)
Lebanon
NA%
Lesotho
45% (2002)
Liberia
85% (2003 est.)
Libya
30% (2004 est.)
Liechtenstein
1.5% (31 December 2007)
1.3% (September 2002)
Lithuania
16% (2010 est.)
13.7% (2009 est.)
Luxembourg
5.5% (2010 est.)
5.7% (2009 est.)
Macau
3.6% (2009)
3% (2008)
Macedonia
33.1% (2010 est.)
32.2% (2009 est.)
Malawi
NA%
Malaysia
3.5% (2010 est.)
3.7% (2009 est.)
Maldives
14.4% (2006 est.)
Mali
30% (2004 est.)
Malta
7% (2009 est.)
6% (2008 est.)
Marshall Islands
36% (2006 est.)
30.9% (2000 est.)
Mauritania
30% (2008 est.)
20% (2004 est.)
Mauritius
7.5% (2010 est.)
7.3% (2009 est.)
Mayotte
25.4% (2005)
Mexico
5.6% (2010 est.)
5.5% (2009 est.)
note: underemployment may be as high as 25%
Micronesia, Federated States of
22% (2000 est.)
Moldova
3.4% (2010 est.)
3.1% (2009 est.)
Monaco
0% (2005)
Mongolia
2.8% (2008)
3% (2007)
Montenegro
14.7% (2007 est.)
Montserrat
6% (1998 est.)
Morocco
9.8% (2010 est.)
9.1% (2009 est.)
Mozambique
21% (1997 est.)
Namibia
51.2% (2008 est.)
36.7% (2004 est.)
Nauru
90% (2004 est.)
Nepal
46% (2008 est.)
42% (2004 est.)
Netherlands
5.5% (2010 est.)
4.8% (2009 est.)
New Caledonia
17.1% (2004)
New Zealand
6.5% (2010 est.)
6.2% (2009 est.)
Nicaragua
8% (2010 est.)
8.2% (2009 est.)
note: underemployment was 46.5% in 2008
Niger
NA%
Nigeria
4.9% (2007 est.)
Niue
12% (2001)
Northern Mariana Islands
8% (2005 est.)
3.9% (2001)
Norway
3.7% (2010 est.)
3.2% (2009 est.)
Oman
15% (2004 est.)
Pakistan
15% (2010 est.)
14% (2009 est.)
note: substantial underemployment exists
Palau
4.2% (2005 est.)
Panama
4.4% (2010 est.)
6.7% (2009 est.)
Papua New Guinea
1.8% (2004)
Paraguay
6.9% (2010 est.)
7.9% (2009 est.)
Peru
6.7% (2010 est.)
8.1% (2009 est.)
note: data are for metropolitan Lima; widespread underemployment
Philippines
7.5% (2010 est.)
7.5% (2009 est.)
Poland
11.8% (2010 est.)
11% (2009 est.)
Portugal
10.7% (2010 est.)
9.5% (2009 est.)
Puerto Rico
12% (2002)
Qatar
0.5% (2010 est.)
0.5% (2009 est.)
Romania
8.2% (2010 est.)
7.8% (2009 est.)
Russia
7.6% (2010 est.)
8.4% (2009)
Rwanda
NA%
Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
14% (1998 est.)
Saint Kitts and Nevis
4.5% (1997)
Saint Lucia
20% (2003 est.)
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
10.3% (1999)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
15% (2001 est.)
Samoa
NA%
San Marino
3.1% (2008)
Sao Tome and Principe
NA%
Saudi Arabia
10.8% (2010 est.)
10.5% (2009 est.)
note: data are for Saudi males only (local bank estimates; some
estimates range as high as 25%)
Senegal
48% (2007 est.)
Serbia
17.2% (2010 est.); 16.6% (2009 est.)
Seychelles
2% (2006 est.)
Sierra Leone
NA%
Singapore
2.3% (2010 est.)
3% (2009 est.)
Sint Maarten
10.6% (2008 est.)
Slovakia
12.5% (2010 est.)
11.4% (2009 est.)
Slovenia
10.6% (2010 est.)
9.2% (2009 est.)
Solomon Islands
NA%
Somalia
NA%
South Africa
23.3% (2010 est.)
24% (2009 est.)
Spain
20% (2010 est.)
18.1% (2009 est.)
Sri Lanka
5.4% (2010 est.)
5.9% (2009 est.)
Sudan
18.7% (2002 est.)
Suriname
9.5% (2004)
Swaziland
40% (2006 est.)
Sweden
8.3% (2010 est.)
8.3% (2009 est.)
Switzerland
3.9% (2010 est.)
3.7% (2009 est.)
Syria
8.3% (2010 est.)
8.5% (2009 est.)
Taiwan
5.2% (2010 est.)
5.9% (2009 est.)
Tajikistan
2.2% (2009 est.)
2.3% (2008 est.)
note: official rates; actual unemployment is higher
Tanzania
NA%
Thailand
1.2% (2010 est.)
1.5% (2009)
Timor-Leste
20% (2006 est.)
note: data are for rural areas, unemployment rises to more than 40%
among urban youth
Togo
NA%
Tokelau
NA%
Tonga
13% (FY03/04 est.)
Trinidad and Tobago
6.4% (2010 est.)
5.8% (2009 est.)
Tunisia
14% (2010 est.)
13.3% (2009 est.)
Turkey
12.4% (2010 est.)
14.1% (2009 est.)
note: underemployment amounted to 4% in 2008
Turkmenistan
60% (2004 est.)
Turks and Caicos Islands
10% (1997 est.)
Tuvalu
NA%
Uganda
NA%
Ukraine
8.4% (2010 est.)
8.8% (2009 est.)
note: officially registered; large number of unregistered or
underemployed workers
United Arab Emirates
2.4% (2001)
United Kingdom
7.9% (2010 est.)
7.6% (2009 est.)
United States
9.6% (2010 est.)
9.3% (2009 est.)
Uruguay
7.4% (2010 est.)
7.6% (2009 est.)
Uzbekistan
1.1% (2010 est.)
1.1% (2009 est.)
note: officially measured by the Ministry of Labor, plus another 20%
underemployed
Vanuatu
1.7% (1999)
Venezuela
12.1% (2010 est.)
7.9% (2009 est.)
Vietnam
6.4% (2010 est.)
6.5% (2009 est.)
Virgin Islands
6.2% (2004)
Wallis and Futuna
15.2% (2003)
West Bank
16.5% (2010 est.)
19% (2009 est.)
Western Sahara
NA%
World
8.8% (2010 est.)
8.2% (2009 est.)
note: 30% (2007 est.) combined unemployment and underemployment in
many non-industrialized countries; developed countries typically
4%-12% unemployment
Yemen
35% (2003 est.)
Zambia
50% (2000 est.)
Zimbabwe
95% (2009 est.)
80% (2005 est.)
======================================================================
@2137
Field Listing :: Military - note
This entry includes miscellaneous military information of
significance not included elsewhere.
Country
Military - note
Akrotiri
Akrotiri has a full RAF base, Headquarters for British
Forces Cyprus, and Episkopi Support Unit
American Samoa
defense is the responsibility of the US
Andorra
defense is the responsibility of France and Spain
Anguilla
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Antarctica
the Antarctic Treaty prohibits any measures of a military
nature, such as the establishment of military bases and
fortifications, the carrying out of military maneuvers, or the
testing of any type of weapon; it permits the use of military
personnel or equipment for scientific research or for any other
peaceful purposes
Argentina
the Argentine military is a well-organized force
constrained by the country's prolonged economic hardship; the
country has recently experienced a strong recovery, and the military
is implementing a modernization plan aimed at making the ground
forces lighter and more responsive (2008)
Aruba
defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Ashmore and Cartier Islands
defense is the responsibility of
Australia; periodic visits by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal
Australian Air Force
Barbados
the Royal Barbados Defense Force includes a land-based
Troop Command and a small Coast Guard; the primary role of the land
element is to defend the island against external aggression; the
Command consists of a single, part-time battalion with a small
regular cadre that is deployed throughout the island; it
increasingly supports the police in patrolling the coastline to
prevent smuggling and other illicit activities (2007)
Bermuda
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Bouvet Island
defense is the responsibility of Norway
British Indian Ocean Territory
defense is the responsibility of the
UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016
British Virgin Islands
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Cayman Islands
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Christmas Island
defense is the responsibility of Australia
Clipperton Island
defense is the responsibility of France
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
defense is the responsibility of Australia;
the territory has a five-person police force
Cook Islands
defense is the responsibility of New Zealand in
consultation with the Cook Islands and at its request
Coral Sea Islands
defense is the responsibility of Australia
Cuba
the collapse of the Soviet Union deprived the Cuban military of
its major economic and logistic support and had a significant impact
on the state of Cuban equipment; the army remains well trained and
professional in nature; while the lack of replacement parts for its
existing equipment has increasingly affected operational
capabilities, Cuba remains able to offer considerable resistance to
any regional power (2010)
Curacao
defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the
Netherlands
Dhekelia
includes Dhekelia Garrison and Ayios Nikolaos Station
connected by a roadway
European Union
the five-nation Eurocorps - created in 1992 by
France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, and Luxembourg - has deployed
troops and police on peacekeeping missions to Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Macedonia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and assumed
command of the ISAF in Afghanistan in August 2004; Eurocorps
directly commands the 5,000-man Franco-German Brigade, the
Multinational Command Support Brigade, and EUFOR in Bosnia and
Herzegovina; in November 2004, the EU Council of Ministers formally
committed to creating 13 1,500-man battle groups by the end of 2007,
to respond to international crises on a rotating basis; 22 of the
EU's 27 nations have agreed to supply troops; France, Italy, and the
UK formed the first of three battle groups in 2005; Norway, Sweden,
Estonia, and Finland established the Nordic Battle Group effective 1
January 2008; nine other groups are to be formed; a rapid-reaction
naval EU Maritime Task Group was stood up in March 2007 (2007)
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
defense is the responsibility of
the UK
Faroe Islands
defense is the responsibility of Denmark
French Polynesia
defense is the responsibility of France
French Southern and Antarctic Lands
defense is the responsibility of
France
Georgia
a CIS peacekeeping force of Russian troops is deployed in
the Abkhazia region of Georgia together with a UN military observer
group; a Russian peacekeeping battalion is deployed in South Ossetia
Gibraltar
defense is the responsibility of the UK; the Royal
Gibraltar Regiment replaced the last British regular infantry forces
in 1992
Greenland
defense is the responsibility of Denmark
Guam
defense is the responsibility of the US
Guernsey
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
defense is the responsibility of
Australia; Australia conducts fisheries patrols
Holy See (Vatican City)
defense is the responsibility of Italy;
ceremonial and limited security duties performed by Pontifical Swiss
Guard
Hong Kong
defense is the responsibility of China
Iceland
Iceland has no standing military force; under a 1951
bilateral agreement - still valid - its defense was provided by the
US-manned Icelandic Defense Force (IDF) headquartered at Keflavik;
however, all US military forces in Iceland were withdrawn as of
October 2006; although wartime defense of Iceland remains a NATO
commitment, in April 2007, Iceland and Norway signed a bilateral
agreement providing for Norwegian aerial surveillance and defense of
Icelandic airspace (2008)
Isle of Man
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Jan Mayen
defense is the responsibility of Norway
Jersey
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Kiribati
Kiribati does not have military forces; defense assistance
is provided by Australia and NZ
Laos
serving one of the world's least developed countries, the Lao
People's Armed Forces (LPAF) is small, poorly funded, and
ineffectively resourced; its mission focus is border and internal
security, primarily in countering ethnic Hmong insurgent groups;
together with the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and the
government, the Lao People's Army (LPA) is the third pillar of state
machinery, and as such is expected to suppress political and civil
unrest and similar national emergencies, but the LPA also has
upgraded skills to respond to avian influenza outbreaks; there is no
perceived external threat to the state and the LPA maintains strong
ties with the neighboring Vietnamese military (2008)
Lesotho
Lesotho's declared policy is maintenance of its independent
sovereignty and preservation of internal security; in practice,
external security is guaranteed by South Africa; restructuring of
the Lesotho Defense Force (LDF) and Ministry of Defense and Public
Service over the past five years has focused on subordinating the
defense apparatus to civilian control and restoring the LDF's
cohesion; the restructuring has considerably improved capabilities
and professionalism, but the LDF is disproportionately large for a
small, poor country; the government has outlined a reduction to a
planned 1,500-man strength, but these plans have met with vociferous
resistance from the political opposition and from inside the LDF
(2008)