general assessment: excellent domestic and international
services
domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay networks
international: country code - 41; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean)
Syria
general assessment: fair system currently undergoing
significant improvement and digital upgrades, including fiber-optic
technology
domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay network
international: country code - 963; satellite earth stations - 1
Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region);
1 submarine cable; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Iraq,
Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey; participant in Medarabtel
Taiwan
general assessment: provides telecommunications service for
every business and private need
domestic: thoroughly modern; completely digitalized
international: country code - 886; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); submarine cables to
Japan (Okinawa), Philippines, Guam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia,
Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe (1999)
Tajikistan
general assessment: poorly developed and not well
maintained; many towns are not linked to the national network
domestic: the domestic telecommunications network has historically
been under-funded and poorly maintained; main line availability has
not changed significantly since 1998; cellular telephony is rare and
coverage remains limited.
international: country code - 992; linked by cable and microwave
radio relay to other CIS republics and by leased connections to the
Moscow international gateway switch; Dushanbe linked by Intelsat to
international gateway switch in Ankara (Turkey); satellite earth
stations - 1 Orbita and 2 Intelsat
Tanzania
general assessment: fair system operating below capacity
and being modernized for better service; very small aperture
terminal (VSAT) system under construction
domestic: trunk service provided by open-wire, microwave radio
relay, tropospheric scatter, and fiber-optic cable; some links being
made digital
international: country code - 255; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)
Thailand
general assessment: high quality system, especially in
urban areas like Bangkok; WTO requirement for privatization of
telecom sector is planned to be complete by 2006
domestic: fixed line system provided by both a government owned and
commercial provider; wireless service expanding rapidly and
outpacing fixed lines
international: country code - 66; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean); landing country for
APCN submarine cable
Togo
general assessment: fair system based on a network of microwave
radio relay routes supplemented by open-wire lines and a mobile
cellular system
domestic: microwave radio relay and open-wire lines for conventional
system
international: country code - 228; satellite earth stations - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Symphonie
Tokelau
general assessment: modern satellite-based communications
system;
domestic: radiotelephone service between islands
international: country code - 690; radiotelephone service to Samoa;
government-regulated telephone service (TeleTok), with 3 satellite
earth stations
Tonga
general assessment: competition between Tonga
Telecommunications Corporation (TCC) and Shoreline Communications
Tonga (SCT) is accelerating expansion of telecommunications; SCT
recently granted authority to develop high-speed digital service for
telephone, Internet, and television
domestic: fully automatic switched network
international: country code - 676; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2004)
Trinidad and Tobago
general assessment: excellent international
service; good local service
domestic: NA
international: country code - 1-868; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Barbados and
Guyana
Tunisia
general assessment: above the African average and continuing
to be upgraded; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis;
Internet access available
domestic: trunk facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial
cable, and microwave radio relay
international: country code - 216; 5 submarine cables; satellite
earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; coaxial
cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya; participant in
Medarabtel; two international gateway digital switches
Turkey
general assessment: undergoing rapid modernization and
expansion, especially with cellular telephones
domestic: additional digital exchanges are permitting a rapid
increase in subscribers; the construction of a network of
technologically advanced intercity trunk lines, using both
fiber-optic cable and digital microwave radio relay is facilitating
communication between urban centers; remote areas are reached by a
domestic satellite system; the number of subscribers to mobile
cellular telephone service is growing rapidly
international: country code - 90; international service is provided
by three submarine fiber-optic cables in the Mediterranean and Black
Seas, linking Turkey with Italy, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria, Romania,
and Russia; also by 12 Intelsat earth stations, and by 328 mobile
satellite terminals in the Inmarsat and Eutelsat systems (2002)
Turkmenistan
general assessment: poorly developed
domestic: Turkmenistan's telecommunications network remains woefully
underdeveloped; Turkmentelekom, in cooperation with foreign
investors, is planning to upgrade the country's telephone exchanges
and install a new digital switching system
international: country code - 993; linked by cable and microwave
radio relay to other CIS republics and to other countries by leased
connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; a new
telephone link from Ashgabat to Iran has been established; a new
exchange in Ashgabat switches international traffic through Turkey
via Intelsat; satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 1 Intelsat
Turks and Caicos Islands
general assessment: fully digital system
with international direct dialing
domestic: full range of services available; GSM wireless service
available
international: country code - 1-649; 2 submarine cables; satellite
earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Tuvalu
general assessment: serves particular needs for internal
communications
domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands
international: country code - 688; international calls can be made
by satellite
Uganda
general assessment: seriously inadequate; two cellular
systems have been introduced, but a sharp increase in the number of
main lines is essential; e-mail and Internet services are available
domestic: intercity traffic by wire, microwave radio relay, and
radiotelephone communication stations, fixed and mobile cellular
systems for short-range traffic
international: country code - 256; satellite earth stations - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat; analog links to Kenya and
Tanzania
Ukraine
general assessment: Ukraine's telecommunication development
plan, running through 2005, emphasizes improving domestic trunk
lines, international connections, and the mobile cellular system
domestic: at independence in December 1991, Ukraine inherited a
telephone system that was antiquated, inefficient, and in disrepair;
more than 3.5 million applications for telephones could not be
satisfied; telephone density is rising slowly and the domestic trunk
system is being improved; the mobile cellular telephone system is
expanding at a high rate
international: country code - 380; two new domestic trunk lines are
a part of the fiber-optic Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) system and three
Ukrainian links have been installed in the fiber-optic
Trans-European Lines (TEL) project that connects 18 countries;
additional international service is provided by the
Italy-Turkey-Ukraine-Russia (ITUR) fiber-optic submarine cable and
by earth stations in the Intelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputnik
satellite systems
United Arab Emirates
general assessment: modern fiber-optic
integrated services; digital network with rapidly growing use of
mobile cellular telephones; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubai
domestic: microwave radio relay, fiber optic and coaxial cable
international: country code - 971; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat;
submarine cables to Qatar, Bahrain, India, and Pakistan;
tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi
Arabia
United Kingdom
general assessment: technologically advanced domestic
and international system
domestic: equal mix of buried cables, microwave radio relay, and
fiber-optic systems
international: country code - 44; 40 coaxial submarine cables;
satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3
Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Eutelsat;
at least 8 large international switching centers
United States
general assessment: a large, technologically advanced,
multipurpose communications system
domestic: a large system of fiber-optic cable, microwave radio
relay, coaxial cable, and domestic satellites carries every form of
telephone traffic; a rapidly growing cellular system carries mobile
telephone traffic throughout the country
international: country code - 1; 24 ocean cable systems in use;
satellite earth stations - 61 Intelsat (45 Atlantic Ocean and 16
Pacific Ocean), 5 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 4
Inmarsat (Pacific and Atlantic Ocean regions) (2000)
Uruguay
general assessment: fully digitalized
domestic: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; new
nationwide microwave radio relay network
international: country code - 598; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2002)
Uzbekistan
general assessment: antiquated and inadequate; in serious
need of modernization
domestic: the main line telecommunications system is dilapidated;
the state owned telecom company, Uzbektelecom, is using a US$110
million loan from the Japanese government to improve main line
services; mobile services are growing swiftly, with the subscriber
base doubling in 2005 to 1.1 million; there are six main cellular
providers currently in operation
international: country code - 998; linked by landline or microwave
radio relay with CIS member states and to other countries by leased
connection via the Moscow international gateway switch; after the
completion of the Uzbek link to the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE)
fiber-optic cable, Uzbekistan will be independent of Russian
facilities for international communications; Inmarsat also provides
an international connection, albeit an expensive one; satellite
earth stations - NA (1998)
Vanuatu
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 678; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Venezuela
general assessment: modern and expanding
domestic: domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations; recent
substantial improvement in telephone service in rural areas;
substantial increase in digitalization of exchanges and trunk lines;
installation of a national interurban fiber-optic network capable of
digital multimedia services
international: country code - 58; 3 submarine coaxial cables;
satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1
PanAmSat; participating with Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia in
the construction of an international fiber-optic network
Vietnam
general assessment: Vietnam is putting considerable effort
into modernization and expansion of its telecommunication system,
but its performance continues to lag behind that of its more modern
neighbors
domestic: all provincial exchanges are digitalized and connected to
Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City by fiber-optic cable or
microwave radio relay networks; main lines have been substantially
increased, and the use of mobile telephones is growing rapidly
international: country code - 84; satellite earth stations - 2
Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region)
Virgin Islands
general assessment: modern system with total digital
switching, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay
domestic: full range of services available
international: country code - 1-340; 2 submarine cable connections
(Taino Carib, Americas-1); satellite earth stations - NA
Wake Island
general assessment: satellite communications; 2 DSN
circuits off the Overseas Telephone System (OTS)
domestic: NA
international: NA
Wallis and Futuna
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 681
West Bank
general assessment: NA
domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL
are responsible for fixed line services in the Gaza Strip; the
Palestinian JAWAL company provides cellular services
international: country code - 970
Western Sahara
general assessment: sparse and limited system
domestic: NA
international: country code - 212; tied into Morocco's system by
microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and satellite;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) linked to
Rabat, Morocco
World
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: NA
Yemen
general assessment: since unification in 1990, efforts have
been made to create a national telecommunications network
domestic: the national network consists of microwave radio relay,
cable, tropospheric scatter, and GSM cellular mobile telephone
systems
international: country code - 967; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (2 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Intersputnik
(Atlantic Ocean region), and 2 Arabsat; microwave radio relay to
Saudi Arabia and Djibouti
Zambia
general assessment: facilities are aging but still among the
best in Sub-Saharan Africa
domestic: high-capacity microwave radio relay connects most larger
towns and cities; several cellular telephone services in operation;
Internet service is widely available; very small aperture terminal
(VSAT) networks are operated by private firms
international: country code - 260; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)
Zimbabwe
general assessment: system was once one of the best in
Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance; more than 100,000
outstanding requests for connection despite an equally large number
of installed but unused main lines
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines,
radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop
installations, and a substantial mobile cellular network; Internet
connection is available in Harare and planned for all major towns
and for some of the smaller ones
international: country code - 263; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat; two international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and
Gweru)
This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007
======================================================================
@2125 Terrain
Afghanistan
mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
Albania
mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast
Algeria
mostly high plateau and desert; some mountains; narrow,
discontinuous coastal plain
American Samoa
five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited
coastal plains, two coral atolls (Rose Island, Swains Island)
Andorra
rugged mountains dissected by narrow valleys
Angola
narrow coastal plain rises abruptly to vast interior plateau
Anguilla
flat and low-lying island of coral and limestone
Antarctica
about 98% thick continental ice sheet and 2% barren rock,
with average elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 meters; mountain
ranges up to nearly 5,000 meters; ice-free coastal areas include
parts of southern Victoria Land, Wilkes Land, the Antarctic
Peninsula area, and parts of Ross Island on McMurdo Sound; glaciers
form ice shelves along about half of the coastline, and floating ice
shelves constitute 11% of the area of the continent
Antigua and Barbuda
mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands,
with some higher volcanic areas
Arctic Ocean
central surface covered by a perennial drifting polar
icepack that, on average, is about 3 meters thick, although pressure
ridges may be three times that thickness; clockwise drift pattern in
the Beaufort Gyral Stream, but nearly straight-line movement from
the New Siberian Islands (Russia) to Denmark Strait (between
Greenland and Iceland); the icepack is surrounded by open seas
during the summer, but more than doubles in size during the winter
and extends to the encircling landmasses; the ocean floor is about
50% continental shelf (highest percentage of any ocean) with the
remainder a central basin interrupted by three submarine ridges
(Alpha Cordillera, Nansen Cordillera, and Lomonosov Ridge)
Argentina
rich plains of the Pampas in northern half, flat to
rolling plateau of Patagonia in south, rugged Andes along western
border
Armenia
Armenian Highland with mountains; little forest land; fast
flowing rivers; good soil in Aras River valley
Aruba
flat with a few hills; scant vegetation
Ashmore and Cartier Islands
low with sand and coral
Atlantic Ocean
surface usually covered with sea ice in Labrador Sea,
Denmark Strait, and coastal portions of the Baltic Sea from October
to June; clockwise warm-water gyre (broad, circular system of
currents) in the northern Atlantic, counterclockwise warm-water gyre
in the southern Atlantic; the ocean floor is dominated by the
Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a rugged north-south centerline for the entire
Atlantic basin
Australia
mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast
Austria
in the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the
eastern and northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping
Azerbaijan
large, flat Kur-Araz Ovaligi (Kura-Araks Lowland) (much
of it below sea level) with Great Caucasus Mountains to the north,
Qarabag Yaylasi (Karabakh Upland) in west; Baku lies on Abseron
Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) that juts into Caspian Sea
Bahamas, The
long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills
Bahrain
mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central
escarpment
Baker Island
low, nearly level coral island surrounded by a narrow
fringing reef
Bangladesh
mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast
Barbados
relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region
Bassas da India
volcanic rock
Belarus
generally flat and contains much marshland
Belgium
flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills,
rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast
Belize
flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south
Benin
mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains
Bermuda
low hills separated by fertile depressions
Bhutan
mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna
Bolivia
rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano),
hills, lowland plains of the Amazon Basin
Bosnia and Herzegovina
mountains and valleys
Botswana
predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari
Desert in southwest
Bouvet Island
volcanic; coast is mostly inaccessible
Brazil
mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills,
mountains, and narrow coastal belt
British Indian Ocean Territory
flat and low (most areas do not
exceed two meters in elevation)
British Virgin Islands
coral islands relatively flat; volcanic
islands steep, hilly
Brunei
flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland
in west
Bulgaria
mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast
Burkina Faso
mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in
west and southeast
Burma
central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands
Burundi
hilly and mountainous, dropping to a plateau in east, some
plains
Cambodia
mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north
Cameroon
diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau
in center, mountains in west, plains in north
Canada
mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast
Cape Verde
steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic
Cayman Islands
low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs
Central African Republic
vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau;
scattered hills in northeast and southwest
Chad
broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains in
northwest, lowlands in south
Chile
low coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes in
east
China
mostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains,
deltas, and hills in east
Christmas Island
steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central
plateau
Clipperton Island
coral atoll
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
flat, low-lying coral atolls
Colombia
flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes
Mountains, eastern lowland plains
Comoros
volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low
hills
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
vast central basin is a low-lying
plateau; mountains in east
Congo, Republic of the
coastal plain, southern basin, central
plateau, northern basin
Cook Islands
low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in
south
Coral Sea Islands
sand and coral reefs and islands (or cays)
Costa Rica
coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including
over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes
Cote d'Ivoire
mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in
northwest
Croatia
geographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian border,
low mountains and highlands near Adriatic coastline and islands
Cuba
mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains
in the southeast
Cyprus
central plain with mountains to north and south; scattered
but significant plains along southern coast
Czech Republic
Bohemia in the west consists of rolling plains,
hills, and plateaus surrounded by low mountains; Moravia in the east
consists of very hilly country
Denmark
low and flat to gently rolling plains
Djibouti
coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains
Dominica
rugged mountains of volcanic origin
Dominican Republic
rugged highlands and mountains with fertile
valleys interspersed
East Timor
mountainous
Ecuador
coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands
(sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente)
Egypt
vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta
El Salvador
mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central
plateau
Equatorial Guinea
coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are
volcanic
Eritrea
dominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending
highlands, descending on the east to a coastal desert plain, on the
northwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling
plains
Estonia
marshy, lowlands; flat in the north, hilly in the south
Ethiopia
high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great
Rift Valley
Europa Island
low and flat
European Union
fairly flat along the Baltic and Atlantic coast;
mountainous in the central and southern areas
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
rocky, hilly, mountainous with
some boggy, undulating plains
Faroe Islands
rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of
coast
Fiji
mostly mountains of volcanic origin
Finland
mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes
and low hills
France
mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west;
remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east
French Guiana: low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small
mountains
Guadeloupe: Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior
mountains; Grande-Terre is low limestone formation; most of the
seven other islands are volcanic in origin
Martinique: mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano
Reunion: mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast
French Polynesia
mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with
reefs
French Southern and Antarctic Lands
volcanic
Gabon
narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south
Gambia, The
flood plain of the Gambia River flanked by some low hills
Gaza Strip
flat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain
Georgia
largely mountainous with Great Caucasus Mountains in the
north and Lesser Caucasus Mountains in the south; Kolkhet'is Dablobi
(Kolkhida Lowland) opens to the Black Sea in the west; Mtkvari River
Basin in the east; good soils in river valley flood plains,
foothills of Kolkhida Lowland
Germany
lowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south
Ghana
mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area
Gibraltar
a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar
Glorioso Islands
low and flat
Greece
mostly mountains with ranges extending into the sea as
peninsulas or chains of islands
Greenland
flat to gradually sloping icecap covers all but a narrow,
mountainous, barren, rocky coast
Grenada
volcanic in origin with central mountains
Guam
volcanic origin, surrounded by coral reefs; relatively flat
coralline limestone plateau (source of most fresh water), with steep
coastal cliffs and narrow coastal plains in north, low hills in
center, mountains in south
Guatemala
mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling
limestone plateau
Guernsey
mostly level with low hills in southwest
Guinea
generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior
Guinea-Bissau
mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east
Guyana
mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south
Haiti
mostly rough and mountainous
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Heard Island - 80% ice-covered,
bleak and mountainous, dominated by a large massif (Big Ben) and an
active volcano (Mawson Peak); McDonald Islands - small and rocky
Holy See (Vatican City)
urban; low hill
Honduras
mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains
Hong Kong
hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north
Howland Island
low-lying, nearly level, sandy, coral island
surrounded by a narrow fringing reef; depressed central area
Hungary
mostly flat to rolling plains; hills and low mountains on
the Slovakian border
Iceland
mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields;
coast deeply indented by bays and fiords
Iles Eparses
Bassas da India: atoll, awash at high tide; shallow (15
m) lagoon
Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island: low, flat, and
sandy
Tromelin Island: low, flat, sandy; likely volcanic seamount
India
upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain
along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north
Indian Ocean
surface dominated by counterclockwise gyre (broad,
circular system of currents) in the southern Indian Ocean; unique
reversal of surface currents in the northern Indian Ocean; low
atmospheric pressure over southwest Asia from hot, rising, summer
air results in the southwest monsoon and southwest-to-northeast
winds and currents, while high pressure over northern Asia from
cold, falling, winter air results in the northeast monsoon and
northeast-to-southwest winds and currents; ocean floor is dominated
by the Mid-Indian Ocean Ridge and subdivided by the Southeast Indian
Ocean Ridge, Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge, and Ninetyeast Ridge
Indonesia
mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior
mountains
Iran
rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts,
mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts
Iraq
mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in
south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran
and Turkey
Ireland
mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged
hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast
Isle of Man
hills in north and south bisected by central valley
Israel
Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central
mountains; Jordan Rift Valley
Italy
mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands
Jamaica
mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
Jan Mayen
volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers
Japan
mostly rugged and mountainous
Jarvis Island
sandy, coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing
reef
Jersey
gently rolling plain with low, rugged hills along north coast
Johnston Atoll
mostly flat
Jordan
mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great
Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River
Juan de Nova Island
low and flat
Kazakhstan
extends from the Volga to the Altai Mountains and from
the plains in western Siberia to oases and desert in Central Asia
Kenya
low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift
Valley; fertile plateau in west
Kingman Reef
low and nearly level
Kiribati
mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs
Korea, North
mostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow
valleys; coastal plains wide in west, discontinuous in east
Korea, South
mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west
and south
Kuwait
flat to slightly undulating desert plain
Kyrgyzstan
peaks of Tien Shan and associated valleys and basins
encompass entire nation
Laos
mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
Latvia
low plain
Lebanon
narrow coastal plain; El Beqaa (Bekaa Valley) separates
Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains
Lesotho
mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains
Liberia
mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling
plateau and low mountains in northeast
Libya
mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions
Liechtenstein
mostly mountainous (Alps) with Rhine Valley in western
third
Lithuania
lowland, many scattered small lakes, fertile soil
Luxembourg
mostly gently rolling uplands with broad, shallow
valleys; uplands to slightly mountainous in the north; steep slope
down to Moselle flood plain in the southeast
Macau
generally flat
Macedonia
mountainous territory covered with deep basins and
valleys; three large lakes, each divided by a frontier line; country
bisected by the Vardar River
Madagascar
narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center
Malawi
narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills,
some mountains
Malaysia
coastal plains rising to hills and mountains
Maldives
flat, with white sandy beaches
Mali
mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savanna
in south, rugged hills in northeast
Malta
mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains; many coastal
cliffs
Marshall Islands
low coral limestone and sand islands
Mauritania
mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central
hills
Mauritius
small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains
encircling central plateau
Mayotte
generally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic
peaks
Mexico
high, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus;
desert
Micronesia, Federated States of
islands vary geologically from high
mountainous islands to low, coral atolls; volcanic outcroppings on
Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Chuuk
Midway Islands
low, nearly level
Moldova
rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea
Monaco
hilly, rugged, rocky
Mongolia
vast semidesert and desert plains, grassy steppe, mountains
in west and southwest; Gobi Desert in south-central
Montenegro
highly indented coastline with narrow coastal plain
backed by rugged high limestone mountains and plateaus
Montserrat
volcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastal
lowland
Morocco
northern coast and interior are mountainous with large areas
of bordering plateaus, intermontane valleys, and rich coastal plains
Mozambique
mostly coastal lowlands, uplands in center, high plateaus
in northwest, mountains in west
Namibia
mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari
Desert in east
Nauru
sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs
with phosphate plateau in center
Navassa Island
raised coral and limestone plateau, flat to
undulating; ringed by vertical white cliffs (9 to 15 m high)
Nepal
Tarai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill
region, rugged Himalayas in north
Netherlands
mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders);
some hills in southeast
Netherlands Antilles
generally hilly, volcanic interiors
New Caledonia
coastal plains with interior mountains
New Zealand
predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains
Nicaragua
extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central
interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by
volcanoes
Niger
predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling
plains in south; hills in north
Nigeria
southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus;
mountains in southeast, plains in north
Niue
steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau
Norfolk Island
volcanic formation with mostly rolling plains
Northern Mariana Islands
southern islands are limestone with level
terraces and fringing coral reefs; northern islands are volcanic
Norway
glaciated; mostly high plateaus and rugged mountains broken
by fertile valleys; small, scattered plains; coastline deeply
indented by fjords; arctic tundra in north
Oman
central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south
Pacific Ocean
surface currents in the northern Pacific are dominated
by a clockwise, warm-water gyre (broad circular system of currents)
and in the southern Pacific by a counterclockwise, cool-water gyre;
in the northern Pacific, sea ice forms in the Bering Sea and Sea of
Okhotsk in winter; in the southern Pacific, sea ice from Antarctica
reaches its northernmost extent in October; the ocean floor in the
eastern Pacific is dominated by the East Pacific Rise, while the
western Pacific is dissected by deep trenches, including the Mariana
Trench, which is the world's deepest
Pakistan
flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest;
Balochistan plateau in west
Palau
varying geologically from the high, mountainous main island of
Babelthuap to low, coral islands usually fringed by large barrier
reefs
Palmyra Atoll
very low
Panama
interior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, upland
plains; coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills
Papua New Guinea
mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling
foothills
Paracel Islands
mostly low and flat
Paraguay
grassy plains and wooded hills east of Rio Paraguay; Gran
Chaco region west of Rio Paraguay mostly low, marshy plain near the
river, and dry forest and thorny scrub elsewhere
Peru
western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center
(sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva)
Philippines
mostly mountains with narrow to extensive coastal
lowlands
Pitcairn Islands
rugged volcanic formation; rocky coastline with
cliffs
Poland
mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border
Portugal
mountainous north of the Tagus River, rolling plains in
south
Puerto Rico
mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north;
mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most
coastal areas
Qatar
mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and
gravel
Romania
central Transylvanian Basin is separated from the Plain of
Moldavia on the east by the Carpathian Mountains and separated from
the Walachian Plain on the south by the Transylvanian Alps
Russia
broad plain with low hills west of Urals; vast coniferous
forest and tundra in Siberia; uplands and mountains along southern
border regions
Rwanda
mostly grassy uplands and hills; relief is mountainous with
altitude declining from west to east
Saint Helena
the islands of this group result from volcanic activity
associated with the Atlantic Mid-Ocean Ridge
Saint Helena: rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains
Ascension: surface covered by lava flows and cinder cones of 44
dormant volcanoes; ground rises to the east
Tristan da Cunha: sheer cliffs line the coastline of the nearly
circular island; the flanks of the central volcanic peak are deeply
dissected; narrow coastal plain lies between The Peak and the
coastal cliffs
Saint Kitts and Nevis
volcanic with mountainous interiors
Saint Lucia
volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
mostly barren rock
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
volcanic, mountainous
Samoa
two main islands (Savaii, Upolu) and several smaller islands
and uninhabited islets; narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky,
rugged mountains in interior
San Marino
rugged mountains
Sao Tome and Principe
volcanic, mountainous
Saudi Arabia
mostly uninhabited, sandy desert
Senegal
generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in
southeast
Serbia
extremely varied; to the north, rich fertile plains; to the
east, limestone ranges and basins; to the southeast, ancient
mountains and hills
Seychelles
Mahe Group is granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky,
hilly; others are coral, flat, elevated reefs
Sierra Leone
coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country,
upland plateau, mountains in east
Singapore
lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water
catchment area and nature preserve
Slovakia
rugged mountains in the central and northern part and
lowlands in the south
Slovenia
a short coastal strip on the Adriatic, an alpine mountain
region adjacent to Italy and Austria, mixed mountains and valleys
with numerous rivers to the east
Solomon Islands
mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
Somalia
mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north
South Africa
vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow
coastal plain
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
most of the islands,
rising steeply from the sea, are rugged and mountainous; South
Georgia is largely barren and has steep, glacier-covered mountains;
the South Sandwich Islands are of volcanic origin with some active
volcanoes
Southern Ocean
the Southern Ocean is deep, 4,000 to 5,000 meters
over most of its extent with only limited areas of shallow water;
the Antarctic continental shelf is generally narrow and unusually
deep, its edge lying at depths of 400 to 800 meters (the global mean
is 133 meters); the Antarctic icepack grows from an average minimum
of 2.6 million square kilometers in March to about 18.8 million
square kilometers in September, better than a sixfold increase in
area; the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (21,000 km in length) moves
perpetually eastward; it is the world's largest ocean current,
transporting 130 million cubic meters of water per second - 100
times the flow of all the world's rivers
Spain
large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills;
Pyrenees in north
Spratly Islands
flat
Sri Lanka
mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in
south-central interior
Sudan
generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in far south,
northeast and west; desert dominates the north
Suriname
mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps
Svalbard
wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west
coast clear of ice about one-half of the year; fjords along west and
north coasts
Swaziland
mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains
Sweden
mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west
Switzerland
mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with
a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes
Syria
primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain;
mountains in west
Taiwan
eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently
rolling plains in west
Tajikistan
Pamir and Alay Mountains dominate landscape; western
Fergana Valley in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest
Tanzania
plains along coast; central plateau; highlands in north,
south
Thailand
central plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains
elsewhere
Togo
gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern
plateau; low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes
Tokelau
low-lying coral atolls enclosing large lagoons
Tonga
most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coral
formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base
Trinidad and Tobago
mostly plains with some hills and low mountains
Tromelin Island
low, flat, and sandy; likely volcanic
Tunisia
mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south
merges into the Sahara
Turkey
high central plateau (Anatolia); narrow coastal plain;
several mountain ranges
Turkmenistan
flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to
mountains in the south; low mountains along border with Iran;
borders Caspian Sea in west
Turks and Caicos Islands
low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and
mangrove swamps
Tuvalu
very low-lying and narrow coral atolls
Uganda
mostly plateau with rim of mountains
Ukraine
most of Ukraine consists of fertile plains (steppes) and
plateaus, mountains being found only in the west (the Carpathians),
and in the Crimean Peninsula in the extreme south
United Arab Emirates
flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling
sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east
United Kingdom
mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to
rolling plains in east and southeast
United States
vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low
mountains in east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in
Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii
United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
low and nearly level
sandy coral islands with narrow fringing reefs that have developed
at the top of submerged volcanic mountains, which in most cases rise
steeply from the ocean floor
Uruguay
mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland
Uzbekistan
mostly flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes; broad,
flat intensely irrigated river valleys along course of Amu Darya,
Syr Darya (Sirdaryo), and Zarafshon; Fergana Valley in east
surrounded by mountainous Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan; shrinking Aral
Sea in west
Vanuatu
mostly mountainous islands of volcanic origin; narrow
coastal plains
Venezuela
Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest;
central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast
Vietnam
low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands;
hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest
Virgin Islands
mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little
level land
Wake Island
atoll of three low coral islands, Peale, Wake, and
Wilkes, built up on an underwater volcano; central lagoon is former
crater, islands are part of the rim
Wallis and Futuna
volcanic origin; low hills
West Bank
mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west,
but barren in east
Western Sahara
mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or
sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast
World
the greatest ocean depth is the Mariana Trench at 10,924 m in
the Pacific Ocean
Yemen
narrow coastal plain backed by flat-topped hills and rugged
mountains; dissected upland desert plains in center slope into the
desert interior of the Arabian Peninsula
Zambia
mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains
Zimbabwe
mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high
veld); mountains in east
This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007
======================================================================
@2127 Total fertility rate (children born/woman)
Afghanistan
6.69 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Albania
2.03 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Algeria
1.89 children born/woman (2006 est.)
American Samoa
3.16 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Andorra
1.3 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Angola
6.35 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Anguilla
1.73 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Antigua and Barbuda
2.24 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Argentina
2.16 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Armenia
1.33 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Aruba
1.79 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Australia
1.76 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Austria
1.36 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Azerbaijan
2.46 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Bahamas, The
2.18 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Bahrain
2.6 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Bangladesh
3.11 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Barbados
1.65 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Belarus
1.43 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Belgium
1.64 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Belize
3.6 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Benin
5.2 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Bermuda
1.89 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Bhutan
4.74 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Bolivia
2.85 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
1.22 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Botswana
2.79 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Brazil
1.91 children born/woman (2006 est.)
British Virgin Islands
1.72 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Brunei
2.28 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Bulgaria
1.38 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Burkina Faso
6.47 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Burma
1.98 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Burundi
6.55 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Cambodia
3.37 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Cameroon
4.39 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Canada
1.61 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Cape Verde
3.38 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Cayman Islands
1.9 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Central African Republic
4.41 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Chad
6.25 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Chile
2 children born/woman (2006 est.)
China
1.73 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Christmas Island
NA
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
NA
Colombia
2.54 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Comoros
5.03 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
6.45 children born/woman (2006
est.)
Congo, Republic of the
6.07 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Cook Islands
3.1 children born/woman (2001 census)
Costa Rica
2.24 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Cote d'Ivoire
4.5 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Croatia
1.4 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Cuba
1.66 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Cyprus
1.82 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Czech Republic
1.21 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Denmark
1.74 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Djibouti
5.31 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Dominica
1.94 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Dominican Republic
2.83 children born/woman (2006 est.)
East Timor
3.53 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Ecuador
2.68 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Egypt
2.83 children born/woman (2006 est.)
El Salvador
3.12 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Equatorial Guinea
4.55 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Eritrea
5.08 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Estonia
1.4 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Ethiopia
5.22 children born/woman (2006 est.)
European Union
1.47 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
NA children born/woman
Faroe Islands
2.17 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Fiji
2.73 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Finland
1.73 children born/woman (2006 est.)
France
1.84 children born/woman (2006 est.)
French Polynesia
2.01 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Gabon
4.74 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Gambia, The
5.3 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Gaza Strip
5.78 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Georgia
1.42 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Germany
1.39 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Ghana
3.99 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Gibraltar
1.65 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Greece
1.34 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Greenland
2.4 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Grenada
2.34 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Guam
2.58 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Guatemala
3.82 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Guernsey
1.39 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Guinea
5.79 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Guinea-Bissau
4.86 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Guyana
2.04 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Haiti
4.94 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Honduras
3.59 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Hong Kong
0.95 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Hungary
1.32 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Iceland
1.92 children born/woman (2006 est.)
India
2.73 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Indonesia
2.4 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Iran
1.8 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Iraq
4.18 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Ireland
1.86 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Isle of Man
1.65 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Israel
2.41 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Italy
1.28 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Jamaica
2.41 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Japan
1.4 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Jersey
1.58 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Jordan
2.63 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Kazakhstan
1.89 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Kenya
4.91 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Kiribati
4.16 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Korea, North
2.1 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Korea, South
1.27 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Kuwait
2.91 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Kyrgyzstan
2.69 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Laos
4.68 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Latvia
1.27 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Lebanon
1.9 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Lesotho
3.28 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Liberia
6.02 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Libya
3.28 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Liechtenstein
1.51 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Lithuania
1.2 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Luxembourg
1.78 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Macau
1.02 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Macedonia
1.57 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Madagascar
5.62 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Malawi
5.92 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Malaysia
3.04 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Maldives
4.9 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Mali
7.42 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Malta
1.5 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Marshall Islands
3.85 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Mauritania
5.86 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Mauritius
1.95 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Mayotte
5.79 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Mexico
2.42 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Micronesia, Federated States of
3.16 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Moldova
1.85 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Monaco
1.76 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Mongolia
2.25 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Montserrat
1.77 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Morocco
2.68 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Mozambique
4.62 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Namibia
3.06 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Nauru
3.11 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Nepal
4.1 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Netherlands
1.66 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Netherlands Antilles
1.99 children born/woman (2006 est.)
New Caledonia
2.28 children born/woman (2006 est.)
New Zealand
1.79 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Nicaragua
2.75 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Niger
7.46 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Nigeria
5.49 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Niue
NA
Norfolk Island
NA
Northern Mariana Islands
1.24 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Norway
1.78 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Oman
5.77 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Pakistan
4 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Palau
2.46 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Panama
2.68 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Papua New Guinea
3.88 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Paraguay
3.89 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Peru
2.51 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Philippines
3.11 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Pitcairn Islands
NA
Poland
1.25 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Portugal
1.47 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Puerto Rico
1.75 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Qatar
2.81 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Romania
1.37 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Russia
1.28 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Rwanda
5.43 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Saint Helena
1.55 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Saint Kitts and Nevis
2.31 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Saint Lucia
2.18 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
2.01 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
1.83 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Samoa
2.94 children born/woman (2006 est.)
San Marino
1.34 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Sao Tome and Principe
5.62 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Saudi Arabia
4 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Senegal
4.38 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Serbia
1.78 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Seychelles
1.74 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Sierra Leone
6.08 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Singapore
1.06 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Slovakia
1.33 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Slovenia
1.25 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Solomon Islands
3.91 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Somalia
6.76 children born/woman (2006 est.)
South Africa
2.2 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Spain
1.28 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Sri Lanka
1.84 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Sudan
4.72 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Suriname
2.32 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Svalbard
NA
Swaziland
3.53 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Sweden
1.66 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Switzerland
1.43 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Syria
3.4 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Taiwan
1.57 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Tajikistan
4 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Tanzania
4.97 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Thailand
1.64 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Togo
4.96 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Tokelau
NA
Tonga
3 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Trinidad and Tobago
1.74 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Tunisia
1.74 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Turkey
1.92 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Turkmenistan
3.37 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Turks and Caicos Islands
3.05 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Tuvalu
2.98 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Uganda
6.71 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Ukraine
1.17 children born/woman (2006 est.)
United Arab Emirates
2.88 children born/woman (2006 est.)
United Kingdom
1.66 children born/woman (2006 est.)
United States
2.09 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Uruguay
1.89 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Uzbekistan
2.91 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Vanuatu
2.7 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Venezuela
2.23 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Vietnam
1.91 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Virgin Islands
2.17 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Wallis and Futuna
NA children born/woman
West Bank
4.28 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Western Sahara
NA children born/woman
World
2.59 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Yemen
6.58 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Zambia
5.39 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Zimbabwe
3.13 children born/woman (2006 est.)
This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007
======================================================================
@2128 Government type
Afghanistan
Islamic republic
Albania
emerging democracy
Algeria
republic
American Samoa
NA
Andorra
parliamentary democracy (since March 1993) that retains as
its chiefs of state a coprincipality; the two princes are the
president of France and bishop of Seo de Urgel, Spain, who are
represented locally by coprinces' representatives
Angola
republic; multiparty presidential regime
Anguilla
NA
Antarctica
Antarctic Treaty Summary - the Antarctic Treaty, signed
on 1 December 1959 and entered into force on 23 June 1961,
establishes the legal framework for the management of Antarctica;
the 28th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting was held in
Stockholm, Sweden in June 2005; at these periodic meetings,
decisions are made by consensus (not by vote) of all consultative
member nations; at the end of 2005, there were 45 treaty member
nations: 28 consultative and 17 non-consultative; consultative
(decision-making) members include the seven nations that claim
portions of Antarctica as national territory (some claims overlap)
and 21 non-claimant nations; the US and Russia have reserved the
right to make claims; the US does not recognize the claims of
others; Antarctica is administered through meetings of the
consultative member nations; decisions from these meetings are
carried out by these member nations (with respect to their own
nationals and operations) in accordance with their own national
laws; the years in parentheses indicate when a consultative
member-nation acceded to the Treaty and when it was accepted as a
consultative member, while no date indicates the country was an
original 1959 treaty signatory; claimant nations are - Argentina,
Australia, Chile, France, NZ, Norway, and the UK. Nonclaimant
consultative nations are - Belgium, Brazil (1975/1983), Bulgaria
(1978/1998) China (1983/1985), Ecuador (1987/1990), Finland
(1984/1989), Germany (1979/1981), India (1983/1983), Italy
(1981/1987), Japan, South Korea (1986/1989), Netherlands
(1967/1990), Peru (1981/1989), Poland (1961/1977), Russia, South
Africa, Spain (1982/1988), Sweden (1984/1988), Ukraine (1992/2004),
Uruguay (1980/1985), and the US; non-consultative members, with year
of accession in parentheses, are - Austria (1987), Canada (1988),
Colombia (1989), Cuba (1984), Czech Republic (1962/1993), Denmark
(1965), Estonia (2001), Greece (1987), Guatemala (1991), Hungary
(1984), North Korea (1987), Papua New Guinea (1981), Romania (1971),
Slovakia (1962/1993), Switzerland (1990), Turkey (1996), and
Venezuela (1999); note - Czechoslovakia acceded to the Treaty in
1962 and separated into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993;
Article 1 - area to be used for peaceful purposes only; military
activity, such as weapons testing, is prohibited, but military
personnel and equipment may be used for scientific research or any
other peaceful purpose; Article 2 - freedom of scientific
investigation and cooperation shall continue; Article 3 - free
exchange of information and personnel, cooperation with the UN and
other international agencies; Article 4 - does not recognize,
dispute, or establish territorial claims and no new claims shall be
asserted while the treaty is in force; Article 5 - prohibits nuclear
explosions or disposal of radioactive wastes; Article 6 - includes
under the treaty all land and ice shelves south of 60 degrees 00
minutes south and reserves high seas rights; Article 7 -
treaty-state observers have free access, including aerial
observation, to any area and may inspect all stations,
installations, and equipment; advance notice of all expeditions and
of the introduction of military personnel must be given; Article 8 -
allows for jurisdiction over observers and scientists by their own
states; Article 9 - frequent consultative meetings take place among
member nations; Article 10 - treaty states will discourage
activities by any country in Antarctica that are contrary to the
treaty; Article 11 - disputes to be settled peacefully by the
parties concerned or, ultimately, by the ICJ; Articles 12, 13, 14 -
deal with upholding, interpreting, and amending the treaty among
involved nations; other agreements - some 200 recommendations
adopted at treaty consultative meetings and ratified by governments
include - Agreed Measures for Fauna and Flora (1964) which were
later incorporated into the Environmental Protocol; Convention for
the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (1972); Convention on the
Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (1980); a mineral
resources agreement was signed in 1988 but remains unratified; the
Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was
signed 4 October 1991 and entered into force 14 January 1998; this
agreement provides for the protection of the Antarctic environment
through six specific annexes: 1) environmental impact assessment, 2)
conservation of Antarctic fauna and flora, 3) waste disposal and
waste management, 4) prevention of marine pollution, 5) area
protection and management and 6) liability arising from
environmental emergencies; it prohibits all activities relating to
mineral resources except scientific research; a permanent Antarctic
Treaty Secretariat was established in 2004 in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Antigua and Barbuda
constitutional parliamentary democracy
Argentina
republic
Armenia
republic
Aruba
parliamentary democracy
Australia
federal parliamentary democracy
Austria
federal republic
Azerbaijan
republic
Bahamas, The
constitutional parliamentary democracy
Bahrain
constitutional hereditary monarchy
Bangladesh
parliamentary democracy
Barbados
parliamentary democracy
Belarus
republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship
Belgium
federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional
monarchy
Belize
parliamentary democracy
Benin
republic
Bermuda
parliamentary; self-governing territory
Bhutan
monarchy; special treaty relationship with India
Bolivia
republic
Bosnia and Herzegovina
emerging federal democratic republic
Botswana
parliamentary republic
Brazil
federative republic
British Virgin Islands
NA
Brunei
constitutional sultanate
Bulgaria
parliamentary democracy
Burkina Faso
parliamentary republic
Burma
military junta
Burundi
republic
Cambodia
multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy
Cameroon
republic; multiparty presidential regime
Canada
constitutional monarchy that is also a parliamentary
democracy and a federation
Cape Verde
republic
Cayman Islands
British crown colony
Central African Republic
republic
Chad
republic
Chile
republic
China
Communist state
Christmas Island
NA
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
NA
Colombia
republic; executive branch dominates government structure
Comoros
republic
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
transitional government
Congo, Republic of the
republic
Cook Islands
self-governing parliamentary democracy
Costa Rica
democratic republic
Cote d'Ivoire
republic; multiparty presidential regime established
1960
note: the government is currently operating under a power-sharing
agreement mandated by international mediators
Croatia
presidential/parliamentary democracy
Cuba
Communist state
Cyprus
republic
note: a separation of the two ethnic communities inhabiting the
island began following the outbreak of communal strife in 1963; this
separation was further solidified after the Turkish intervention in
July 1974 that followed a Greek junta-supported coup attempt gave
the Turkish Cypriots de facto control in the north; Greek Cypriots
control the only internationally recognized government; on 15
November 1983 Turkish Cypriot "President" Rauf DENKTASH declared
independence and the formation of a "Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus" (TRNC), which is recognized only by Turkey
Czech Republic
parliamentary democracy
Denmark
constitutional monarchy
Djibouti
republic
Dominica
parliamentary democracy
Dominican Republic
representative democracy
East Timor
republic
Ecuador
republic
Egypt
republic
El Salvador
republic
Equatorial Guinea
republic
Eritrea
transitional government
note: following a successful referendum on independence for the
Autonomous Region of Eritrea on 23-25 April 1993, a National
Assembly, composed entirely of the People's Front for Democracy and
Justice or PFDJ, was established as a transitional legislature; a
Constitutional Commission was also established to draft a
constitution; ISAIAS Afworki was elected president by the
transitional legislature; the constitution, ratified in May 1997,
did not enter into effect, pending parliamentary and presidential
elections; parliamentary elections had been scheduled in December
2001, but were postponed indefinitely; currently the sole legal
party is the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ)
Estonia
parliamentary republic
Ethiopia
federal republic
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
NA
Faroe Islands
NA
Fiji
republic
Finland
republic
France
republic
French Polynesia
NA
Gabon
republic; multiparty presidential regime
Gambia, The
republic
Georgia
republic
Germany
federal republic
Ghana
constitutional democracy
Gibraltar
NA
Greece
parliamentary republic
Greenland
parliamentary democracy within a constitutional monarchy
Grenada
parliamentary democracy
Guam
NA
Guatemala
constitutional democratic republic
Guernsey
parliamentary democracy
Guinea
republic
Guinea-Bissau
republic
Guyana
republic
Haiti
elected government
Holy See (Vatican City)
ecclesiastical
Honduras
democratic constitutional republic
Hong Kong
limited democracy
Hungary
parliamentary democracy
Iceland
constitutional republic
India
federal republic
Indonesia
republic
Iran
theocratic republic
Iraq
parliamentary democracy
Ireland
republic, parliamentary democracy
Isle of Man
parliamentary democracy
Israel
parliamentary democracy
Italy
republic
Jamaica
constitutional parliamentary democracy
Japan
constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government
Jersey
parliamentary democracy
Jordan
constitutional monarchy
Kazakhstan
republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little
power outside the executive branch
Kenya
republic
Kiribati
republic
Korea, North
Communist state one-man dictatorship
Korea, South
republic
Kuwait
constitutional hereditary emirate
Kyrgyzstan
republic
Laos
Communist state
Latvia
parliamentary democracy
Lebanon
republic
Lesotho
parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Liberia
republic
Libya
Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the
populace through local councils; in practice, an authoritarian state
Liechtenstein
constitutional monarchy
Lithuania
parliamentary democracy
Luxembourg
constitutional monarchy
Macau
limited democracy
Macedonia
parliamentary democracy
Madagascar
republic
Malawi
multiparty democracy
Malaysia
constitutional monarchy
note: nominally headed by paramount ruler and a bicameral Parliament
consisting of a nonelected upper house and an elected lower house;
all Peninsular Malaysian states have hereditary rulers 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); Sabah holds 25 seats in House of
Representatives; Sarawak holds 28 seats in House of Representatives
Maldives
republic
Mali
republic
Malta
republic
Marshall Islands
constitutional government in free association with
the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 21
October 1986 and the Amended Compact entered into force in May 2004
Mauritania
republic
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 3 November 1986 and the Amended Compact entered into
force May 2004
Moldova
republic
Monaco
constitutional monarchy
Mongolia
mixed parliamentary/presidential
Montenegro
republic
Montserrat
NA
Morocco
constitutional monarchy
Mozambique
republic
Namibia
republic
Nauru
republic
Nepal
parliamentary democracy
Netherlands
constitutional monarchy
Netherlands Antilles
parliamentary
New Caledonia
NA
New Zealand
parliamentary democracy
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 1 October 1994
Panama
constitutional democracy
Papua New Guinea
constitutional parliamentary democracy
Paraguay
constitutional republic
Peru
constitutional republic
Philippines
republic
Pitcairn Islands
NA
Poland
republic
Portugal
parliamentary democracy
Puerto Rico
commonwealth
Qatar
traditional emirate
Romania
republic
Russia
federation
Rwanda
republic; presidential, multiparty system
Saint Helena
NA
Saint Kitts and Nevis
parliamentary democracy
Saint Lucia
parliamentary democracy
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
NA
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
parliamentary democracy
Samoa
mix of parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy
San Marino
independent republic
Sao Tome and Principe
republic
Saudi Arabia
monarchy
Senegal
republic
Serbia
republic
Seychelles
republic
Sierra Leone
constitutional democracy
Singapore
parliamentary republic
Slovakia
parliamentary democracy
Slovenia
parliamentary republic
Solomon Islands
parliamentary democracy
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 stipulates national
elections for the 2008 - 2009 timeframe.
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, military-dominated regime
Taiwan
multiparty democracy
Tajikistan
republic
Tanzania
republic
Thailand
constitutional monarchy
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
republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little
power outside the executive branch
Turks and Caicos Islands
NA
Tuvalu
constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy
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
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 of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR),
led by President Mohamed ABDELAZIZ; territory partitioned between
Morocco and Mauritania in April 1976, 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;
guerrilla activities continued sporadically, until a UN-monitored
cease-fire was implemented 6 September 1991
Yemen
republic
Zambia
republic
Zimbabwe
parliamentary democracy
This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007
======================================================================
@2129 Unemployment rate (%)
Afghanistan
40% (2005 est.)
Albania
14.3% official rate, but may exceed 30% due to preponderance
of near-subsistence farming (2005 est.)
Algeria
15.7% (2006 est.)
American Samoa
29.8% (2005)
Andorra
0% (1996 est.)
Angola
extensive unemployment and underemployment affecting more
than half the population (2001 est.)
Anguilla
8% (2002)
Antigua and Barbuda
11% (2001 est.)
Argentina
10.2% (3rd quarter)
Armenia
7.6% (2004 est.)
Aruba
6.9% (2005 est.)
Australia
4.9% (2006 est.)
Austria
4.9% (2006 est.)
Azerbaijan
1.2% official rate (2006 est.)
Bahamas, The
10.2% (2005 est.)
Bahrain
15% (2005 est.)
Bangladesh
2.5% (includes underemployment) (2006 est.)
Barbados
10.7% (2003 est.)
Belarus
1.6% officially registered unemployed; large number of
underemployed workers (2005)
Belgium
8.1% (2006 est.)
Belize
12.9% (2003)
Benin
NA%
Bermuda
2.1% (2004 est.)
Bhutan
Bolivia
7.8% in urban areas; widespread underemployment (2006 est.)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
45.5% official rate; grey economy may reduce
actual unemployment to 25-30% (31 December 2004 est.)
Botswana
23.8% (2004)
Brazil
9.6% (2006 est.)
British Virgin Islands
3.6% (1997)
Brunei
4.8% (2004)
Bulgaria
9.6% (2006 est.)
Burkina Faso
NA%
Burma
10.2% (2006 est.)
Burundi
NA%
Cambodia
2.5% (2000 est.)
Cameroon
30% (2001 est.)
Canada
6.4% (2006 est.)
Cape Verde
21% (2000 est.)
Cayman Islands
4.4% (2004)
Central African Republic
8% (23% for Bangui) (2001 est.)
Chad
NA%
Chile
8.3% (2006 est.)
China
4.2% official registered unemployment in urban areas in 2005;
substantial unemployment and underemployment in rural areas
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
60% (2000 est.)
Colombia
11.1% (2006 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% (2006 est.)
Cote d'Ivoire
13% in urban areas (1998)
Croatia
17.2% official rate; labor force surveys indicate
unemployment around 14% (2006 est.)
Cuba
1.9% (2006 est.)
Cyprus
Republic of Cyprus: 5.5% (2005 est.); north Cyprus: 5.6%
(2004 est.)
Czech Republic
8.4% (2006 est.)
Denmark
4.5% (2006 est.)
Djibouti
50% (2004 est.)
Dominica
23% (2000 est.)
Dominican Republic
16% (2006 est.)
East Timor
50% estimated; note - unemployment in urban areas reached
20%; data do not include underemployed (2001 est.)
Ecuador
10.6% official rate; but underemployment of 47% (2006 est.)
Egypt
10.3% (2006 est.)
El Salvador
6% official rate; but the economy has much
underemployment (2006 est.)
Equatorial Guinea
30% (1998 est.)
Eritrea
NA%
Estonia
5.8% (2006 est.)
Ethiopia
NA%
European Union
8.8% (2005 est.)
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
full employment; labor shortage
(2001)
Faroe Islands
1% (October 2000)
Fiji
7.6% (1999)
Finland
7% (2006 est.)
France
9.1% (2006 est.)
French Polynesia
11.8%
Gabon
21% (1997 est.)
Gambia, The
NA%
Gaza Strip
31% (includes West Bank) (January-September 2005 avg.)
Georgia
12.6% (2004 est.)
Germany
7.1%
note: this is the International Labor Organization's estimated rate
for international comparisons; Germany's Federal Employment Office
estimated a seasonally adjusted rate of 9.8% (2006 est.)
Ghana
20% (1997 est.)
Gibraltar
2% (2001 est.)
Greece
9.2% (2006 est.)
Greenland
10% (2000 est.)
Grenada
12.5% (2000)
Guam
11.4% (2002 est.)
Guatemala
7.5% (2003 est.)
Guernsey
0.9% (March 2006 est.)
Guinea
NA%
Guinea-Bissau
NA%
Guyana
9.1% (understated) (2000)
Haiti
widespread unemployment and underemployment; more than
two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs (2002 est.)
Honduras
27.9% (2006 est.)
Hong Kong
4.9% (2006 est.)
Hungary
7.4% (2006 est.)
Iceland
1.3% (2006 est.)
India
7.8% (2006 est.)
Indonesia
12.5% (2006 est.)
Iran
11.2% (2004 est.)
Iraq
25% to 30% (2005 est.)
Ireland
4.3% (2006 est.)
Isle of Man
0.6% (2004 est.)
Israel
8.5% (2006 est.)
Italy
7% (2006 est.)
Jamaica
11% (2006 est.)
Japan
4.1% (2006 est.)
Jersey
0.9% (2004 est.)
Jordan
15% official rate; unofficial rate is approximately 30% (2006
est.)
Kazakhstan
7.4% (2006 est.)
Kenya
40% (2001 est.)
Kiribati
2% official rate; underemployment 70% (1992 est.)
Korea, North
NA%
Korea, South
3.6% (2006 est.)
Kuwait
2.2% (2004 est.)
Kyrgyzstan
18% (2004 est.)
Laos
2.4% (2005 est.)
Latvia
6.7% (2006 est.)
Lebanon
20% (2006 est.)
Lesotho
45% (2002)
Liberia
85% (2003 est.)
Libya
30% (2004 est.)
Liechtenstein
1.3% (September 2002)
Lithuania
4.5% (2006 est.)
Luxembourg
4.1% (2006 est.)
Macau
4.1% (2005)
Macedonia
35% (2006 est.)
Malawi
NA%
Malaysia
3.5% (2006 est.)
Maldives
NEGL% (2003 est.)
Mali
14.6% (2001 est.)
Malta
7.8% (2005 est.)
Marshall Islands
30.9% (2000 est.)
Mauritania
20% (2004 est.)
Mauritius
9.4% (2006 est.)
Mayotte
32.8% (2003)
Mexico
3.2% plus underemployment of perhaps 25% (2006 est.)
Micronesia, Federated States of
22% (2000 est.)
Moldova
8%; note - roughly 25% of working age Moldovans are employed
abroad (2002 est.)
Monaco
22% (1999)
Mongolia
6.7% (2003)
Montenegro
27.7% (2005)
Montserrat
6% (1998 est.)
Morocco
7.7% (2006 est.)
Mozambique
21% (1997 est.)
Namibia
5.3% (2006 est.)
Nauru
90% (2004 est.)
Nepal
42% (2004 est.)
Netherlands
5.5% (2006 est.)
Netherlands Antilles
17% (2002 est.)
New Caledonia
17.1% (2004)
New Zealand
8.3% (2006 est.)
Nicaragua
3.8% plus underemployment of 46.5% (2006 est.)
Niger
NA%
Nigeria
5.8% (2006 est.)
Niue
12% (2001)
Norfolk Island
0%
Northern Mariana Islands
3.9% (2001)
Norway
3.5% (2006 est.)
Oman
15% (2004 est.)
Pakistan
6.5% plus substantial underemployment (2006 est.)
Palau
4.2% (2005 est.)
Panama
8.8% (2006 est.)
Papua New Guinea
2% up to 80% in urban areas (2004)
Paraguay
9.4% (2005 est.)
Peru
7.2% in metropolitan Lima; widespread underemployment (2006
est.)
Philippines
8.4% (2006 est.)
Poland
14.9% (November 2006 est.)
Portugal
7.5% (2006 est.)
Puerto Rico
12% (2002)
Qatar
3.2% (2006 est.)
Romania
6.1% (2006 est.)
Russia
6.6% plus considerable underemployment (2006 est.)
Rwanda
NA%
Saint Helena
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
2.6% (2001)
Sao Tome and Principe
NA%
Saudi Arabia
13% among Saudi males only (local bank estimate; some
estimates range as high as 25%) (2004 est.)
Senegal
48%; note - urban youth 40% (2001 est.)
Serbia
31.6%
note: unemployment is approximately 50% in Kosovo (2005 est.)
Seychelles
NA%
Sierra Leone
NA%
Singapore
3.1% (2006 est.)
Slovakia
10.2% (2006 est.)
Slovenia
9.6% (2006 est.)
Solomon Islands
NA%
Somalia
NA%
South Africa
25.5% (2006 est.)
Spain
8.7% (2006 est.)
Sri Lanka
7.6% (2006 est.)
Sudan
18.7% (2002 est.)
Suriname
9.5% (2004)
Swaziland
40% (2005 est.)
Sweden
5.6% (2006 est.)
Switzerland
3.3% (2006 est.)
Syria
8% (2005 est.)
Taiwan
3.9% (2006 est.)
Tajikistan
12% (2004 est.)
Tanzania
NA%
Thailand
2.1% (2006 est.)
Togo
NA%
Tokelau
NA%
Tonga
13% (FY03/04 est.)
Trinidad and Tobago
7% (2006 est.)
Tunisia
13.9% (2006 est.)
Turkey
10.2% plus underemployment of 4% (2006 est.)
Turkmenistan
60% (2004 est.)
Turks and Caicos Islands
10% (1997 est.)
Tuvalu
NA%
Uganda
NA%
Ukraine
2.9% officially registered; large number of unregistered or
underemployed workers; the International Labor Organization
calculates that Ukraine's real unemployment level is around 9-10%
(2006 est.)
United Arab Emirates
2.4% (2001)
United Kingdom
5.4% (2006 est.)
United States
4.6% (2006)
Uruguay
10.5% (2006 est.)
Uzbekistan
0.8% officially, plus another 20% underemployed (2006
est.)
Vanuatu
1.7% (1999)
Venezuela
8.9% (October 2006 est.)
Vietnam
2% (2006 est.)
Virgin Islands
6.2% (2004)
Wallis and Futuna
15.2% (2003)
West Bank
20.3% (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)
Western Sahara
NA%
World
30% combined unemployment and underemployment in many
non-industrialized countries; developed countries typically 4%-12%
unemployment
Yemen
35% (2003 est.)
Zambia
50% (2000 est.)
Zimbabwe
80% (2005 est.)
This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007
======================================================================
@2137 Military - note
Akrotiri
Akrotiri has a full RAF base, Headquarters for British
Forces on 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 now implementing "Plan 2000," aimed at making the ground forces
lighter and more responsive (2005)
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
Baker Island
defense is the responsibility of the US; visited
annually by the US Coast Guard
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 (2005)
Bassas da India
defense is the responsibility of France
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;
visited regularly by the Royal Australian Navy; Australia has
control over the activities of visitors
Cuba
Moscow, for decades the key military supporter and supplier of
Cuba, cut off almost all military aid by 1993
Dhekelia
includes Dhekelia Garrison and Ayios Nikolaos Station
connected by a roadway
Europa Island
defense is the responsibility of France
European Union
In November 2004, the European Union heads of
government signed a "Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe"
that offers possibilities - with some limits - for increased defense
and security cooperation. If ratified, in a process that may take
some two years, this treaty will in effect make operational the
European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) approved in the 2000
Nice Treaty. Despite limits of cooperation for some EU members,
development of a European military planning unit is likely to
continue. So is creation of a rapid-reaction military force and a
humanitarian aid system, which the planning unit will support.
France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Italy
continue to press for wider coordination. The five-nation Eurocorps
- created in 1992 by France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, and Luxembourg
- has already deployed troops and police on peacekeeping missions to
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, and the Democratic Republic of
Congo and assumed command of the International Security Assistance
Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan in August 2004. Eurocorps directly
commands the 5,000-man Franco-German Brigade, the Multinational
Command Support Brigade, and EUFOR, which took over from SFOR in
Bosnia in December 2004. Other troop contributions are under
national command - commitments to provide 67,100 troops were made at
the Helsinki EU session in 2000. Some 56,000 EU troops were actually
deployed in 2003. In August 2004, the new European Defense Agency,
tasked with promoting cooperative European defense capabilities,
began operations. In November 2004, the EU Council of Ministers
formally committed to creating thirteen 1,500-man "battle groups" by
the end of 2007, to respond to international crises on a rotating
basis. Twenty-two of the EU's 25 nations have agreed to supply
troops. France, Italy, and the UK are to form the first three battle
groups in 2005, with Spain to follow. In May 2005, Norway, Sweden,
and Finland agreed to establish one of the battle groups, possibly
to include Estonian forces. The remaining groups are to be formed by
2007. (2005)
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 last British
regular infantry forces left Gibraltar in 1992, replaced by the
Royal Gibraltar Regiment
Glorioso Islands
defense is the responsibility of France
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
Howland Island
defense is the responsibility of the US; visited
annually by the US Coast Guard
Iceland
under a 1951 bilateral agreement, Iceland's defense was
provided by a US-manned Icelandic Defense Force (IDF) headquartered
in Keflavik; in October 2006, all US military forces in Iceland were
withdrawn; nonetheless, the US and Iceland signed a Joint
Understanding to strengthen their bilateral defense relationship,
including regular security consultations, military communications in
the event of national emergencies, annual bilateral exercises on
Icelandic territory, and future bilateral and NATO support to four
Iceland Air Defense System (IADS) radar sites
Iles Eparses
defense is the responsibility of France
Isle of Man
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Jan Mayen
defense is the responsibility of Norway
Jarvis Island
defense is the responsibility of the US; visited
annually by the US Coast Guard
Jersey
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Johnston Atoll
defense is the responsibility of the US
Juan de Nova Island
defense is the responsibility of France
Kingman Reef
defense is the responsibility of the US
Kiribati
Kiribati does not have military forces; defense assistance
is provided by Australia and NZ
Laos
Laos is one of the world's least developed countries; the Lao
People's Armed Forces are small, poorly funded, and ineffectively
resourced; there is little political will to allocate sparse funding
to the military, and the armed forces' gradual degradation is likely
to continue; the massive drug production and trafficking industry
centered in the Golden Triangle makes Laos an important narcotics
transit country, and armed Wa and Chinese smugglers are active on
the Lao-Burma border (2005)
Lesotho
the Lesotho Government in 1999 began an open debate on the
future structure, size, and role of the armed forces, especially
considering the Lesotho Defense Force's (LDF) history of intervening
in political affairs
Liechtenstein
defense is the responsibility of Switzerland
Macau
defense is the responsiblity of China
Marshall Islands
defense is the responsibility of the US
Mayotte
defense is the responsibility of France; small contingent of
French forces stationed on the island
Micronesia, Federated States of
defense is the responsibility of the
US
Midway Islands
defense is the responsibility of the US
Monaco
defense is the responsibility of France; the Palace Guard
performs ceremonial duties (2003)
Montenegro
Montenegrin plans call for the establishment of a fully
professional armed forces
Montserrat
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Nauru
Nauru maintains no defense forces; under an informal
agreement, defense is the responsibility of Australia
Navassa Island
defense is the responsibility of the US
Netherlands Antilles
defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of
the Netherlands
New Caledonia
defense is the responsibility of France
Niue
defense is the responsibility of New Zealand
Norfolk Island
defense is the responsibility of Australia
Northern Mariana Islands
defense is the responsibility of the US
Palau
defense is the responsibility of the US; under a Compact of
Free Association between Palau and the US, the US military is
granted access to the islands for 50 years, but it has not stationed
any military forces there (2005)
Palmyra Atoll
defense is the responsibility of the US
Panama
on 10 February 1990, the government of then President ENDARA
abolished Panama's military and reformed the security apparatus by
creating the Panamanian Public Forces; in October 1994, Panama's
Legislative Assembly approved a constitutional amendment prohibiting
the creation of a standing military force, but allowing the
temporary establishment of special police units to counter acts of
"external aggression"
Paracel Islands
occupied by China
Pitcairn Islands
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Puerto Rico
defense is the responsibility of the US
Saint Helena
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
defense is the responsibility of France
Samoa
Samoa has no formal defense structure or regular armed forces;
informal defense ties exist with NZ, which is required to consider
any Samoan request for assistance under the 1962 Treaty of Friendship
San Marino
defense is the responsibility of Italy
Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe's army is a tiny force
with almost no resources at its disposal and would be wholly
ineffective operating unilaterally; infantry equipment is considered
simple to operate and maintain but may require refurbishment or
replacement after 25 years in tropical climates; poor pay and
conditions have been a problem in the past, as has alleged nepotism
in the promotion of officers, as reflected in the 1995 and 2003
coups; these issues are being addressed with foreign assistance as
initial steps towards the improvement of the army and its focus on
realistic security concerns; command is exercised from the
president, through the Minister of Defense, to the Chief of the
Armed Forces staff (2005)
South Africa
with the end of apartheid and the establishment of
majority rule, former military, black homelands forces, and
ex-opposition forces were integrated into the South African National
Defense Force (SANDF); as of 2003 the integration process was
considered complete
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
defense is the
responsibility of the UK
Spratly Islands
Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small
islands or reefs, of which about 45 are claimed and occupied by
China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam
Svalbard
demilitarized by treaty on 9 February 1920
Tokelau
defense is the responsibility of New Zealand
Tromelin Island
defense is the responsibility of France
Turkey
in the early 1990s, the Turkish Land Force was a large but
badly equipped infantry force; there were 14 infantry divisions, but
only one was mechanized, and out of 16 infantry brigades, only six
were mechanized; the overhaul that has taken place since has
produced highly mobile forces with greatly enhanced firepower in
accordance with NATO's new strategic concept (2005)
Turks and Caicos Islands
defense is the responsibility of the UK
United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
defense is the
responsibility of the US
Virgin Islands
defense is the responsibility of the US
Wake Island
defense is the responsibility of the US; the US Air
Force is responsible for overall administration and operation of the
island; the launch support facility is administered by the US
Missile Defense Agency (MDA)
Wallis and Futuna
defense is the responsibility of France
Yemen
a Coast Guard was established in 2002
This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007
======================================================================
@2138 Communications - note
Afghanistan
in March 2003, 'af' was established as Afghanistan's
domain name; Internet access is growing through Internet cafes as
well as public "telekiosks" in Kabul (2002)
Bouvet Island
automatic meteorological station
Coral Sea Islands
there are automatic weather stations on many of
the isles and reefs relaying data to the mainland
Europa Island
1 meteorological station
Glorioso Islands
1 meteorological station
Iles Eparses
Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island,
Tromelin Island: 1 meteorological station on each possession; note -
meteorological station on Tromelin Island is important for
forecasting cyclones
Juan de Nova Island
1 meteorological station
Saint Helena
South Africa maintains a meteorological station on
Gough Island
Tromelin Island
important meteorological station
This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007
======================================================================
@2140 Government - note
French Polynesia
under certain acts of France, French Polynesia has
acquired autonomy in all areas except those relating to police and
justice, monetary policy, tertiary education, immigration, and
defense and foreign affairs; the duties of its president are
fashioned after those of the French prime minister
Malawi
the executive exerts considerable influence over the
legislature
New Zealand
while not an official symbol, the Kiwi, a small native
flightless bird, represents New Zealand
Solomon Islands
June 2003 Prime Minister Sir Allan KEMAKEZA sought
the intervention of Australia to aid in restoring order; parliament
approved the request for intervention in July 2003; troops from
Australia, NZ, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga arrived 24 July
2003; by 2006, the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon
Islands (RAMSI) had been scaled back to 259 police officers and 20
military, in addition to civilian technical advisers; in response to
rioting that broke out in mid-April 2006, Australia dispatched an
addtional 220 troops and 70 police officers to help restore order
Somalia
although an interim government was created in 2004, other
regional and local governing bodies continue to exist and control
various cities and regions of the country, including the
self-declared Republic of Somaliland in northwestern Somalia, the
semi-autonomous State of Puntland in northeastern Somalia, and
traditional clan and faction strongholds
This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007
======================================================================
@2142 Country name
Afghanistan
conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
conventional short form: Afghanistan
local long form: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Afghanestan
local short form: Afghanestan
former: Republic of Afghanistan
Akrotiri
conventional long form: Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area
conventional short form: Akrotiri
Albania
conventional long form: Republic of Albania
conventional short form: Albania
local long form: Republika e Shqiperise
local short form: Shqiperia
former: People's Socialist Republic of Albania
Algeria
conventional long form: People's Democratic Republic of
Algeria
conventional short form: Algeria
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Jaza'iriyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash
Sha'biyah
local short form: Al Jaza'ir
American Samoa
conventional long form: Territory of American Samoa
conventional short form: American Samoa
abbreviation: AS
Andorra
conventional long form: Principality of Andorra
conventional short form: Andorra
local long form: Principat d'Andorra
local short form: Andorra
Angola
conventional long form: Republic of Angola
conventional short form: Angola
local long form: Republica de Angola
local short form: Angola
former: People's Republic of Angola
Anguilla
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Anguilla
Antarctica
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Antarctica
Antigua and Barbuda
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
conventional long form: Argentine Republic
conventional short form: Argentina
local long form: Republica Argentina
local short form: Argentina
Armenia
conventional long form: Republic of Armenia
conventional short form: Armenia
local long form: Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun
local short form: Hayastan
former: Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic; Armenian Republic
Aruba
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Aruba
Ashmore and Cartier Islands
conventional long form: Territory of
Ashmore and Cartier Islands
conventional short form: Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Australia
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Australia
conventional short form: Australia
Austria
conventional long form: Republic of Austria
conventional short form: Austria
local long form: Republik Oesterreich
local short form: Oesterreich
Azerbaijan
conventional long form: Republic of Azerbaijan
conventional short form: Azerbaijan
local long form: Azarbaycan Respublikasi
local short form: Azarbaycan
former: Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic
Bahamas, The
conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas
conventional short form: The Bahamas
Bahrain
conventional long form: Kingdom of Bahrain
conventional short form: Bahrain
local long form: Mamlakat al Bahrayn
local short form: Al Bahrayn
former: Dilmun
Baker Island
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Baker Island
Bangladesh
conventional long form: People's Republic of Bangladesh
conventional short form: Bangladesh
local long form: Gana Prajatantri Banladesh
local short form: Banladesh
former: East Bengal, East Pakistan
Barbados
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Barbados
Bassas da India
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bassas da India
Belarus
conventional long form: Republic of Belarus
conventional short form: Belarus
local long form: Respublika Byelarus'
local short form: Byelarus'
former: Belorussian (Byelorussian) Soviet Socialist Republic
Belgium
conventional long form: Kingdom of Belgium
conventional short form: Belgium
local long form: Royaume de Belgique/Koninkrijk Belgie
local short form: Belgique/Belgie
Belize
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Belize
former: British Honduras
Benin
conventional long form: Republic of Benin
conventional short form: Benin
local long form: Republique du Benin
local short form: Benin
former: Dahomey
Bermuda
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bermuda
former: Somers Islands
Bhutan
conventional long form: Kingdom of Bhutan
conventional short form: Bhutan
local long form: Druk Gyalkhap
local short form: Druk Yul