Chapter LXXXI: Section 3: , telephone 886 (2) 2709-2000, FAX 886 (2) 2702-7675, (16)

Belize:
purchasing power parity - $3,200 (2000 est.)

Benin:
purchasing power parity - $1,030 (2000 est.)

Bermuda:
purchasing power parity - $33,000 (2000 est.)

Bhutan:
purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2000 est.)

Bolivia:
purchasing power parity - $2,600 (2000 est.)

Bosnia and Herzegovina:
purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2000 est.)

Botswana:
purchasing power parity - $6,600 (2000 est.)

Brazil:
purchasing power parity - $6,500 (2000 est.)

British Virgin Islands:
purchasing power parity - $16,000 (2000 est.)

Brunei:
purchasing power parity - $17,600 (2000 est.)

Bulgaria:
purchasing power parity - $6,200 (2000 est.)

Burkina Faso:
purchasing power parity - $1,000 (2000 est.)

Burma:
purchasing power parity - $1,500 (2000 est.)

Burundi:
purchasing power parity - $720 (2000 est.)

Cambodia:
purchasing power parity - $1,300 (2000 est.)

Cameroon:
purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2000 est.)

Canada:
purchasing power parity - $24,800 (2000 est.)

Cape Verde:
purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2000 est.)

Cayman Islands:
purchasing power parity - $24,500 (1997 est.)

Central African Republic:
purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2000
est.)

Chad:
purchasing power parity - $1,000 (2000 est.)

Chile:
purchasing power parity - $10,100 (2000 est.)

China:
purchasing power parity - $3,600 (2000 est.)

Christmas Island:
purchasing power parity - $NA

Cocos (Keeling) Islands:
purchasing power parity - $NA

Colombia:
purchasing power parity - $6,200 (2000 est.)

Comoros:
purchasing power parity - $720 (2000 est.)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the:
purchasing power parity - $600
(2000 est.)

Congo, Republic of the:
purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2000 est.)

Cook Islands:
purchasing power parity - $5,000 (1999 est.)

Costa Rica:
purchasing power parity - $6,700 (2000 est.)

Cote d'Ivoire:
purchasing power parity - $1,600 (2000 est.)

Croatia:
purchasing power parity - $5,800 (2000 est.)

Cuba:
purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2000 est.)

Cyprus:
Greek Cypriot area: purchasing power parity - $16,000 (2000
est.); Turkish Cypriot area: purchasing power parity - $5,300 (1999
est.)

Czech Republic:
purchasing power parity - $12,900 (2000 est.)

Denmark:
purchasing power parity - $25,500 (2000 est.)

Djibouti:
purchasing power parity - $1,300 (2000 est.)

Dominica:
purchasing power parity - $4,000 (2000 est.)

Dominican Republic:
purchasing power parity - $5,700 (2000 est.)

Ecuador:
purchasing power parity - $2,900 (2000 est.)

Egypt:
purchasing power parity - $3,600 (2000 est.)

El Salvador:
purchasing power parity - $4,000 (2000 est.)

Equatorial Guinea:
purchasing power parity - $2,000 (2000 est.)

Eritrea:
purchasing power parity - $710 (2000 est.)

Estonia:
purchasing power parity - $10,000 (2000 est.)

Ethiopia:
purchasing power parity - $600 (2000 est.)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas):
purchasing power parity - $19,000
(FY95/96 est.)

Faroe Islands:
purchasing power parity - $20,000 (2000 est.)

Fiji:
purchasing power parity - $7,300 (1999 est.)

Finland:
purchasing power parity - $22,900 (2000 est.)

France:
purchasing power parity - $24,400 (2000 est.)

French Guiana:
purchasing power parity - $6,000 (1998 est.)

French Polynesia:
purchasing power parity - $10,800 (1997 est.)

Gabon:
purchasing power parity - $6,300 (2000 est.)

Gambia, The:
purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2000 est.)

Gaza Strip:
purchasing power parity - $1,000 (2000 est.)

Georgia:
purchasing power parity - $4,600 (2000 est.)

Germany:
purchasing power parity - $23,400 (2000 est.)

Ghana:
purchasing power parity - $1,900 (2000 est.)

Gibraltar:
purchasing power parity - $17,500 (1997 est.)

Greece:
purchasing power parity - $17,200 (2000 est.)

Greenland:
purchasing power parity - $20,000 (2000 est.)

Grenada:
purchasing power parity - $4,400 (2000 est.)

Guadeloupe:
purchasing power parity - $9,000 (1997 est.)

Guam:
purchasing power parity - $21,000 (2000 est.)

Guatemala:
purchasing power parity - $3,700 (2000 est.)

Guernsey:
purchasing power parity - $20,000 (1999 est.)

Guinea:
purchasing power parity - $1,300 (2000 est.)

Guinea-Bissau:
purchasing power parity - $850 (2000 est.)

Guyana:
purchasing power parity - $4,800 (2000 est.)

Haiti:
purchasing power parity - $1,800 (2000 est.)

Honduras:
purchasing power parity - $2,700 (2000 est.)

Hong Kong:
purchasing power parity - $25,400 (2000 est.)

Hungary:
purchasing power parity - $11,200 (2000 est.)

Iceland:
purchasing power parity - $24,800 (2000 est.)

India:
purchasing power parity - $2,200 (2000 est.)

Indonesia:
purchasing power parity - $2,900 (2000 est.)

Iran:
purchasing power parity - $6,300 (2000 est.)

Iraq:
purchasing power parity - $2,500 (2000 est.)

Ireland:
purchasing power parity - $21,600 (2000 est.)

Israel:
purchasing power parity - $18,900 (2000 est.)

Italy:
purchasing power parity - $22,100 (2000 est.)

Jamaica:
purchasing power parity - $3,700 (2000 est.)

Japan:
purchasing power parity - $24,900 (2000 est.)

Jersey:
purchasing power parity - $24,800 (1999 est.)

Jordan:
purchasing power parity - $3,500 (2000 est.)

Kazakhstan:
purchasing power parity - $5,000 (2000 est.)

Kenya:
purchasing power parity - $1,500 (2000 est.)

Kiribati:
purchasing power parity - $850 (2000 est.)

Korea, North:
purchasing power parity - $1,000 (2000 est.)

Korea, South:
purchasing power parity - $16,100 (2000 est.)

Kuwait:
purchasing power parity - $15,000 (2000 est.)

Kyrgyzstan:
purchasing power parity - $2,700 (2000 est.)

Laos:
purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2000 est.)

Latvia:
purchasing power parity - $7,200 (2000 est.)

Lebanon:
purchasing power parity - $5,000 (2000 est.)

Lesotho:
purchasing power parity - $2,400 (2000 est.)

Liberia:
purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2000 est.)

Libya:
purchasing power parity - $8,900 (2000 est.)

Liechtenstein:
purchasing power parity - $23,000 (1998 est.)

Lithuania:
purchasing power parity - $7,300 (2000 est.)

Luxembourg:
purchasing power parity - $36,400 (2000 est.)

Macau:
purchasing power parity - $17,500 (2000 est.)

Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of:
purchasing power parity
- $4,400 (2000 est.)

Madagascar:
purchasing power parity - $800 (2000 est.)

Malawi:
purchasing power parity - $900 (2000 est.)

Malaysia:
purchasing power parity - $10,300 (2000 est.)

Maldives:
purchasing power parity - $2,000 (2000 est.)

Mali:
purchasing power parity - $850 (2000 est.)

Malta:
purchasing power parity - $14,300 (2000 est.)

Man, Isle of:
purchasing power parity - $18,800 (1999 est.)

Marshall Islands:
purchasing power parity - $1,670 (1998 est.)

Martinique:
purchasing power parity - $11,000 (1997 est.)

Mauritania:
purchasing power parity - $2,000 (2000 est.)

Mauritius:
purchasing power parity - $10,400 (2000 est.)

Mayotte:
purchasing power parity - $600 (1998 est.)

Mexico:
purchasing power parity - $9,100 (2000 est.)

Micronesia, Federated States of:
purchasing power parity - $2,000
(1999 est.)

Moldova:
purchasing power parity - $2,500 (2000 est.)

Monaco:
purchasing power parity - $27,000 (1999 est.)

Mongolia:
purchasing power parity - $1,780 (2000 est.)

Montserrat:
purchasing power parity - $5,000 (1999 est.)

Morocco:
purchasing power parity - $3,500 (2000 est.)

Mozambique:
purchasing power parity - $1,000 (2000 est.)

Namibia:
purchasing power parity - $4,300 (2000 est.)

Nauru:
purchasing power parity - $5,000 (2000 est.)

Nepal:
purchasing power parity - $1,360 (2000 est.)

Netherlands:
purchasing power parity - $24,400 (2000 est.)

Netherlands Antilles:
purchasing power parity - $11,400 (2000 est.)

New Caledonia:
purchasing power parity - $15,000 (1998 est.)

New Zealand:
purchasing power parity - $17,700 (2000 est.)

Nicaragua:
purchasing power parity - $2,700 (2000 est.)

Niger:
purchasing power parity - $1,000 (2000 est.)

Nigeria:
purchasing power parity - $950 (2000 est.)

Niue:
purchasing power parity - $2,800 (1997 est.)

Norfolk Island:
purchasing power parity - $NA

Northern Mariana Islands:
purchasing power parity - $12,500 (2000
est.)

Norway:
purchasing power parity - $27,700 (2000 est.)

Oman:
purchasing power parity - $7,700 (2000 est.)

Pakistan:
purchasing power parity - $2,000 (2000 est.)

Palau:
purchasing power parity - $7,100 (1998 est.)

Panama:
purchasing power parity - $6,000 (2000 est.)

Papua New Guinea:
purchasing power parity - $2,500 (2000 est.)

Paraguay:
purchasing power parity - $4,750 (2000 est.)

Peru:
purchasing power parity - $4,550 (2000 est.)

Philippines:
purchasing power parity - $3,800 (2000 est.)

Pitcairn Islands:
purchasing power parity - $NA

Poland:
purchasing power parity - $8,500 (2000 est.)

Portugal:
purchasing power parity - $15,800 (2000 est.)

Puerto Rico:
purchasing power parity - $10,000 (2000 est.)

Qatar:
purchasing power parity - $20,300 (2000 est.)

Reunion:
purchasing power parity - $4,800 (1998 est.)

Romania:
purchasing power parity - $5,900 (2000 est.)

Russia:
purchasing power parity - $7,700 (2000 est.)

Rwanda:
purchasing power parity - $900 (2000 est.)

Saint Helena:
purchasing power parity - $2,500 (1998 est.)

Saint Kitts and Nevis:
purchasing power parity - $7,000 (2000 est.)

Saint Lucia:
purchasing power parity - $4,500 (2000 est.)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon:
purchasing power parity - $11,000 (1996
est.)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:
purchasing power parity - $2,800
(2000 est.)

Samoa:
purchasing power parity - $3,200 (2000 est.)

San Marino:
purchasing power parity - $32,000 (2000 est.)

Sao Tome and Principe:
purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2000 est.)

Saudi Arabia:
purchasing power parity - $10,500 (2000 est.)

Senegal:
purchasing power parity - $1,600 (2000 est.)

Seychelles:
purchasing power parity - $7,700 (2000 est.)

Sierra Leone:
purchasing power parity - $510 (2000 est.)

Singapore:
purchasing power parity - $26,500 (2000 est.)

Slovakia:
purchasing power parity - $10,200 (2000 est.)

Slovenia:
purchasing power parity - $12,000 (2000 est.)

Solomon Islands:
purchasing power parity - $2,000 (2000 est.)

Somalia:
purchasing power parity - $600 (2000 est.)

South Africa:
purchasing power parity - $8,500 (2000 est.)

Spain:
purchasing power parity - $18,000 (2000 est.)

Sri Lanka:
purchasing power parity - $3,250 (2000 est.)

Sudan:
purchasing power parity - $1,000 (2000 est.)

Suriname:
purchasing power parity - $3,400 (1999 est.)

Svalbard:
purchasing power parity - $NA

Swaziland:
purchasing power parity - $4,000 (2000 est.)

Sweden:
purchasing power parity - $22,200 (2000 est.)

Switzerland:
purchasing power parity - $28,600 (2000 est.)

Syria:
purchasing power parity - $3,100 (2000 est.)

Tajikistan:
purchasing power parity - $1,140 (2000 est.)

Tanzania:
purchasing power parity - $710 (2000 est.)

Thailand:
purchasing power parity - $6,700 (2000 est.)

Togo:
purchasing power parity - $1,500 (2000 est.)

Tokelau:
purchasing power parity - $1,000 (1993 est.)

Tonga:
purchasing power parity - $2,200 (2000 est.)

Trinidad and Tobago:
purchasing power parity - $9,500 (2000 est.)

Tunisia:
purchasing power parity - $6,500 (2000 est.)

Turkey:
purchasing power parity - $6,800 (2000 est.)

Turkmenistan:
purchasing power parity - $4,300 (2000 est.)

Turks and Caicos Islands:
purchasing power parity - $7,300 (1999
est.)

Tuvalu:
purchasing power parity - $1,100 (1999 est.)

Uganda:
purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2000 est.)

Ukraine:
purchasing power parity - $3,850 (2000 est.)

United Arab Emirates:
purchasing power parity - $22,800 (2000 est.)

United Kingdom:
purchasing power parity - $22,800 (2000 est.)

United States:
purchasing power parity - $36,200 (2000 est.)

Uruguay:
purchasing power parity - $9,300 (2000 est.)

Uzbekistan:
purchasing power parity - $2,400 (2000 est.)

Vanuatu:
purchasing power parity - $1,300 (1999 est.)

Venezuela:
purchasing power parity - $6,200 (2000 est.)

Vietnam:
purchasing power parity - $1,950 (2000 est.)

Virgin Islands:
purchasing power parity - $15,000 (2000 est.)

Wallis and Futuna:
purchasing power parity - $2,000 (1997 est.)

West Bank:
purchasing power parity - $1,500 (2000 est.)

Western Sahara:
purchasing power parity - $NA

World:
purchasing power parity - $7,200 (2000 est.)

Yemen:
purchasing power parity - $820 (2000 est.)

Yugoslavia:
purchasing power parity - $2,300 (2000 est.)

Zambia:
purchasing power parity - $880 (2000 est.)

Zimbabwe:
purchasing power parity - $2,500 (2000 est.)

Taiwan:
purchasing power parity - $17,400 (2000 est.)

======================================================================

@GDP - real growth rate

Afghanistan:
NA%

Albania:
7.5% (2000 est.)

Algeria:
5% (2000 est.)

American Samoa:
NA%

Andorra:
NA%

Angola:
4.9% (2000 est.)

Anguilla:
7% (1999 est.)

Antigua and Barbuda:
4.6% (1999 est.)

Argentina:
0.8% (2000 est.)

Armenia:
5% (2000 est.)

Aruba:
3.5% (2000 est.)

Australia:
4.7% (2000 est.)

Austria:
3.1% (2000 est.)

Azerbaijan:
11.4% (2000 est.)

Bahamas, The:
4.5% (2000 est.)

Bahrain:
5% (2000 est.)

Bangladesh:
5.3% (2000 est.)

Barbados:
2.8% (2000 est.)

Belarus:
4% (2000 est.)

Belgium:
4.1% (2000 est.)

Belize:
4% (2000 est.)

Benin:
5% (2000 est.)

Bermuda:
1.5% (2000 est.)

Bhutan:
6% (2000 est.)

Bolivia:
2.5% (2000 est.)

Bosnia and Herzegovina:
8% (2000 est.)

Botswana:
6% (2000 est.)

Brazil:
4.2% (2000 est.)

British Virgin Islands:
6% (2000 est.)

Brunei:
3% (2000 est.)

Bulgaria:
5% (2000 est.)

Burkina Faso:
5% (2000 est.)

Burma:
4.9% (2000 est.)

Burundi:
1.8% (2000 est.)

Cambodia:
4% (2000 est.)

Cameroon:
4.4% (2000 est.)

Canada:
4.3% (2000 est.)

Cape Verde:
6% (2000 est.)

Cayman Islands:
4.9% (1999 est.)

Central African Republic:
3.5% (2000 est.)

Chad:
4% (2000 est.)

Chile:
5.5% (2000 est.)

China:
8% (2000 est.)

Christmas Island:
NA%

Cocos (Keeling) Islands:
NA%

Colombia:
3% (2000 est.)

Comoros:
0.5% (2000 est.)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the:
-15% (2000 est.)

Congo, Republic of the:
3.8% (2000 est.)

Cook Islands:
NA%

Costa Rica:
3% (2000 est.)

Cote d'Ivoire:
-0.3% (2000 est.)

Croatia:
3.2% (2000 est.)

Cuba:
5.6% (2000 est.)

Cyprus:
Greek Cypriot area: 4.2% (2000 est.); Turkish Cypriot area:
4.9% (1999 est.)

Czech Republic:
2.5% (2000 est.)

Denmark:
2.8% (2000 est.)

Djibouti:
2% (2000 est.)

Dominica:
0.5% (2000 est.)

Dominican Republic:
8% (2000 est.)

Ecuador:
0.8% (2000 est.)

Egypt:
5% (2000 est.)

El Salvador:
2.5% (2000 est.)

Equatorial Guinea:
12% (2000 est.)

Eritrea:
-1% (2000 est.)

Estonia:
6.4% (2000 est.)

Ethiopia:
2% (2000 est.)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas):
1% (FY95/96 est.)

Faroe Islands:
5% (2000 est.)

Fiji:
-8% (1999 est.)

Finland:
5.6% (2000 est.)

France:
3.1% (2000 est.)

French Guiana:
NA%

French Polynesia:
2.5% (1997 est.)

Gabon:
1.2% (2000 est.)

Gambia, The:
4.9% (2000 est.)

Gaza Strip:
-7.5% (2000 est.)

Georgia:
1.9% (2000 est.)

Germany:
3% (2000 est.)

Ghana:
3% (2000 est.)

Gibraltar:
NA%

Greece:
3.8% (2000 est.)

Greenland:
NA%

Grenada:
7% (2000 est.)

Guadeloupe:
NA%

Guam:
NA%

Guatemala:
3% (2000 est.)

Guernsey:
5.7% (1999 est.)

Guinea:
5% (2000 est.)

Guinea-Bissau:
7.6% (2000 est.)

Guyana:
3% (2000 est.)

Haiti:
1.2% (2000 est.)

Honduras:
5% (2000 est.)

Hong Kong:
10% (2000 est.)

Hungary:
5.5% (2000 est.)

Iceland:
4.3% (2000 est.)

India:
6% (2000 est.)

Indonesia:
4.8% (2000 est.)

Iran:
3% (2000 est.)

Iraq:
15% (2000 est.)

Ireland:
9.9% (2000 est.)

Israel:
5.9% (2000 est.)

Italy:
2.7% (2000 est.)

Jamaica:
0.2% (2000 est.)

Japan:
1.3% (2000 est.)

Jersey:
NA%

Jordan:
2% (2000 est.)

Kazakhstan:
10.5% (2000 est.)

Kenya:
0.4% (2000 est.)

Kiribati:
1% (2000 est.)

Korea, North:
-3% (2000 est.)

Korea, South:
9% (2000 est.)

Kuwait:
6% (2000 est.)

Kyrgyzstan:
5.7% (2000 est.)

Laos:
4% (2000 est.)

Latvia:
5.5% (2000 est.)

Lebanon:
1% (2000 est.)

Lesotho:
2.5% (2000 est.)

Liberia:
15% (2000 est.)

Libya:
6.5% (2000 est.)

Liechtenstein:
NA%

Lithuania:
2.9% (2000 est.)

Luxembourg:
5.7% (2000 est.)

Macau:
2% (2000 est.)

Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of:
5% (2000 est.)

Madagascar:
4.8% (2000 est.)

Malawi:
3% (2000 est.)

Malaysia:
8.6% (2000 est.)

Maldives:
7.6% (2000 est.)

Mali:
4.8% (2000 est.)

Malta:
3.4% (2000 est.)

Man, Isle of:
13.5% (1999 est.)

Marshall Islands:
-5% (1998 est.)

Martinique:
NA%

Mauritania:
5% (2000 est.)

Mauritius:
7.5% (2000 est.)

Mayotte:
NA%

Mexico:
7.1% (2000 est.)

Micronesia, Federated States of:
0.3% (1999 est.)

Moldova:
-1.5% (2000 est.)

Monaco:
NA%

Mongolia:
-1% (2000 est.)

Montserrat:
-1.5% (1999 est.)

Morocco:
0.8% (2000 est.)

Mozambique:
3.8% (2000 est.)

Namibia:
4% (2000 est.)

Nauru:
NA%

Nepal:
3.7% (2000 est.)

Netherlands:
4% (2000 est.)

Netherlands Antilles:
-3.5% (2000 est.)

New Caledonia:
3.5% (1998 est.)

New Zealand:
3.6% (2000 est.)

Nicaragua:
5% (2000 est.)

Niger:
3.5% (2000 est.)

Nigeria:
3.5% (2000 est.)

Niue:
NA%

Norfolk Island:
NA%

Northern Mariana Islands:
NA%

Norway:
2.7% (2000 est.)

Oman:
4.6% (2000 est.)

Pakistan:
4.8% (2000 est.)

Palau:
-1.4% (1998 est.)

Panama:
2.5% (2000 est.)

Papua New Guinea:
2.9% (2000 est.)

Paraguay:
1% (2000 est.)

Peru:
3.6% (2000 est.)

Philippines:
3.6% (2000 est.)

Pitcairn Islands:
NA%

Poland:
4.8% (2000 est.)

Portugal:
2.7% (2000 est.)

Puerto Rico:
2.8% (2000 est.)

Qatar:
4% (2000 est.)

Reunion:
3.8% (1998 est.)

Romania:
2.2% (2000 est.)

Russia:
6.3% (2000 est.)

Rwanda:
5.8% (2000 est.)

Saint Helena:
NA%

Saint Kitts and Nevis:
5% (2000 est.)

Saint Lucia:
0.5% (2000 est.)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon:
NA%

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:
2% (2000 est.)

Samoa:
6.8% (2000 est.)

San Marino:
8% (2000 est.)

Sao Tome and Principe:
3% (2000 est.)

Saudi Arabia:
4% (2000 est.)

Senegal:
5.7% (2000 est.)

Seychelles:
1.5% (2000 est.)

Sierra Leone:
4.2% (2000 est.)

Singapore:
10.1% (2000 est.)

Slovakia:
2.2% (2000 est.)

Slovenia:
4.5% (2000 est.)

Solomon Islands:
1% (2000 est.)

Somalia:
NA%

South Africa:
3% (2000 est.)

Spain:
4% (2000 est.)

Sri Lanka:
5.6% (2000 est.)

Sudan:
7% (2000 est.)

Suriname:
-1% (1999 est.)

Svalbard:
NA%

Swaziland:
2.4% (2000 est.)

Sweden:
4.3% (2000 est.)

Switzerland:
3% (2000 est.)

Syria:
3.5% (2000 est.)

Tajikistan:
5.1% (2000 est.)

Tanzania:
5.2% (2000 est.)

Thailand:
4.2% (2000 est.)

Togo:
3.4% (2000 est.)

Tokelau:
NA%

Tonga:
5% (2000 est.)

Trinidad and Tobago:
5% (2000 est.)

Tunisia:
5% (2000 est.)

Turkey:
6% (2000 est.)

Turkmenistan:
16% (2000 est.)

Turks and Caicos Islands:
8.7% (1999 est.)

Tuvalu:
3% (1999 est.)

Uganda:
6% (2000 est.)

Ukraine:
6% (2000 est.)

United Arab Emirates:
4% (2000 est.)

United Kingdom:
3% (2000 est.)

United States:
5% (2000 est.)

Uruguay:
-1.1% (2000 est.)

Uzbekistan:
2.1% (2000 est.)

Vanuatu:
-2.5% (1999 est.)

Venezuela:
3.2% (2000 est.)

Vietnam:
5.5% (2000 est.)

Virgin Islands:
NA%

Wallis and Futuna:
NA%

West Bank:
-7.5% (2000 est.)

Western Sahara:
NA%

World:
4.8% (2000 est.)

Yemen:
6% (2000 est.)

Yugoslavia:
15% (2000 est.)

Zambia:
4% (2000 est.)

Zimbabwe:
-6.1% (2000 est.)

Taiwan:
6.3% (2000 est.)

======================================================================

@Geographic coordinates

Afghanistan:
33 00 N, 65 00 E

Albania:
41 00 N, 20 00 E

Algeria:
28 00 N, 3 00 E

American Samoa:
14 20 S, 170 00 W

Andorra:
42 30 N, 1 30 E

Angola:
12 30 S, 18 30 E

Anguilla:
18 15 N, 63 10 W

Antarctica:
90 00 S, 0 00 E

Antigua and Barbuda:
17 03 N, 61 48 W

Arctic Ocean:
90 00 N, 0 00 E

Argentina:
34 00 S, 64 00 W

Armenia:
40 00 N, 45 00 E

Aruba:
12 30 N, 69 58 W

Ashmore and Cartier Islands:
12 14 S, 123 05 E

Atlantic Ocean:
0 00 N, 25 00 W

Australia:
27 00 S, 133 00 E

Austria:
47 20 N, 13 20 E

Azerbaijan:
40 30 N, 47 30 E

Bahamas, The:
24 15 N, 76 00 W

Bahrain:
26 00 N, 50 33 E

Baker Island:
0 13 N, 176 31 W

Bangladesh:
24 00 N, 90 00 E

Barbados:
13 10 N, 59 32 W

Bassas da India:
21 30 S, 39 50 E

Belarus:
53 00 N, 28 00 E

Belgium:
50 50 N, 4 00 E

Belize:
17 15 N, 88 45 W

Benin:
9 30 N, 2 15 E

Bermuda:
32 20 N, 64 45 W

Bhutan:
27 30 N, 90 30 E

Bolivia:
17 00 S, 65 00 W

Bosnia and Herzegovina:
44 00 N, 18 00 E

Botswana:
22 00 S, 24 00 E

Bouvet Island:
54 26 S, 3 24 E

Brazil:
10 00 S, 55 00 W

British Indian Ocean Territory:
6 00 S, 71 30 E

British Virgin Islands:
18 30 N, 64 30 W

Brunei:
4 30 N, 114 40 E

Bulgaria:
43 00 N, 25 00 E

Burkina Faso:
13 00 N, 2 00 W

Burma:
22 00 N, 98 00 E

Burundi:
3 30 S, 30 00 E

Cambodia:
13 00 N, 105 00 E

Cameroon:
6 00 N, 12 00 E

Canada:
60 00 N, 95 00 W

Cape Verde:
16 00 N, 24 00 W

Cayman Islands:
19 30 N, 80 30 W

Central African Republic:
7 00 N, 21 00 E

Chad:
15 00 N, 19 00 E

Chile:
30 00 S, 71 00 W

China:
35 00 N, 105 00 E

Christmas Island:
10 30 S, 105 40 E

Clipperton Island:
10 17 N, 109 13 W

Cocos (Keeling) Islands:
12 30 S, 96 50 E

Colombia:
4 00 N, 72 00 W

Comoros:
12 10 S, 44 15 E

Congo, Democratic Republic of the:
0 00 N, 25 00 E

Congo, Republic of the:
1 00 S, 15 00 E

Cook Islands:
21 14 S, 159 46 W

Coral Sea Islands:
18 00 S, 152 00 E

Costa Rica:
10 00 N, 84 00 W

Cote d'Ivoire:
8 00 N, 5 00 W

Croatia:
45 10 N, 15 30 E

Cuba:
21 30 N, 80 00 W

Cyprus:
35 00 N, 33 00 E

Czech Republic:
49 45 N, 15 30 E

Denmark:
56 00 N, 10 00 E

Djibouti:
11 30 N, 43 00 E

Dominica:
15 25 N, 61 20 W

Dominican Republic:
19 00 N, 70 40 W

Ecuador:
2 00 S, 77 30 W

Egypt:
27 00 N, 30 00 E

El Salvador:
13 50 N, 88 55 W

Equatorial Guinea:
2 00 N, 10 00 E

Eritrea:
15 00 N, 39 00 E

Estonia:
59 00 N, 26 00 E

Ethiopia:
8 00 N, 38 00 E

Europa Island:
22 20 S, 40 22 E

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas):
51 45 S, 59 00 W

Faroe Islands:
62 00 N, 7 00 W

Fiji:
18 00 S, 175 00 E

Finland:
64 00 N, 26 00 E

France:
46 00 N, 2 00 E

French Guiana:
4 00 N, 53 00 W

French Polynesia:
15 00 S, 140 00 W

French Southern and Antarctic Lands:
43 00 S, 67 00 E

Gabon:
1 00 S, 11 45 E

Gambia, The:
13 28 N, 16 34 W

Gaza Strip:
31 25 N, 34 20 E

Georgia:
42 00 N, 43 30 E

Germany:
51 00 N, 9 00 E

Ghana:
8 00 N, 2 00 W

Gibraltar:
36 11 N, 5 22 W

Glorioso Islands:
11 30 S, 47 20 E

Greece:
39 00 N, 22 00 E

Greenland:
72 00 N, 40 00 W

Grenada:
12 07 N, 61 40 W

Guadeloupe:
16 15 N, 61 35 W

Guam:
13 28 N, 144 47 E

Guatemala:
15 30 N, 90 15 W

Guernsey:
49 28 N, 2 35 W

Guinea:
11 00 N, 10 00 W

Guinea-Bissau:
12 00 N, 15 00 W

Guyana:
5 00 N, 59 00 W

Haiti:
19 00 N, 72 25 W

Heard Island and McDonald Islands:
53 06 S, 72 31 E

Holy See (Vatican City):
41 54 N, 12 27 E

Honduras:
15 00 N, 86 30 W

Hong Kong:
22 15 N, 114 10 E

Howland Island:
0 48 N, 176 38 W

Hungary:
47 00 N, 20 00 E

Iceland:
65 00 N, 18 00 W

India:
20 00 N, 77 00 E

Indian Ocean:
20 00 S, 80 00 E

Indonesia:
5 00 S, 120 00 E

Iran:
32 00 N, 53 00 E

Iraq:
33 00 N, 44 00 E

Ireland:
53 00 N, 8 00 W

Israel:
31 30 N, 34 45 E

Italy:
42 50 N, 12 50 E

Jamaica:
18 15 N, 77 30 W

Jan Mayen:
71 00 N, 8 00 W

Japan:
36 00 N, 138 00 E

Jarvis Island:
0 22 S, 160 03 W

Jersey:
49 15 N, 2 10 W

Johnston Atoll:
16 45 N, 169 31 W

Jordan:
31 00 N, 36 00 E

Juan de Nova Island:
17 03 S, 42 45 E

Kazakhstan:
48 00 N, 68 00 E

Kenya:
1 00 N, 38 00 E

Kingman Reef:
6 24 N, 162 24 W

Kiribati:
1 25 N, 173 00 E

Korea, North:
40 00 N, 127 00 E

Korea, South:
37 00 N, 127 30 E

Kuwait:
29 30 N, 45 45 E

Kyrgyzstan:
41 00 N, 75 00 E

Laos:
18 00 N, 105 00 E

Latvia:
57 00 N, 25 00 E

Lebanon:
33 50 N, 35 50 E

Lesotho:
29 30 S, 28 30 E

Liberia:
6 30 N, 9 30 W

Libya:
25 00 N, 17 00 E

Liechtenstein:
47 10 N, 9 32 E

Lithuania:
56 00 N, 24 00 E

Luxembourg:
49 45 N, 6 10 E

Macau:
22 10 N, 113 33 E

Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of:
41 50 N, 22 00 E

Madagascar:
20 00 S, 47 00 E

Malawi:
13 30 S, 34 00 E

Malaysia:
2 30 N, 112 30 E

Maldives:
3 15 N, 73 00 E

Mali:
17 00 N, 4 00 W

Malta:
35 50 N, 14 35 E

Man, Isle of:
54 15 N, 4 30 W

Marshall Islands:
9 00 N, 168 00 E

Martinique:
14 40 N, 61 00 W

Mauritania:
20 00 N, 12 00 W

Mauritius:
20 17 S, 57 33 E

Mayotte:
12 50 S, 45 10 E

Mexico:
23 00 N, 102 00 W

Micronesia, Federated States of:
6 55 N, 158 15 E

Midway Islands:
28 13 N, 177 22 W

Moldova:
47 00 N, 29 00 E

Monaco:
43 44 N, 7 24 E

Mongolia:
46 00 N, 105 00 E

Montserrat:
16 45 N, 62 12 W

Morocco:
32 00 N, 5 00 W

Mozambique:
18 15 S, 35 00 E

Namibia:
22 00 S, 17 00 E

Nauru:
0 32 S, 166 55 E

Navassa Island:
18 25 N, 75 02 W

Nepal:
28 00 N, 84 00 E

Netherlands:
52 30 N, 5 45 E

Netherlands Antilles:
12 15 N, 68 45 W

New Caledonia:
21 30 S, 165 30 E

New Zealand:
41 00 S, 174 00 E

Nicaragua:
13 00 N, 85 00 W

Niger:
16 00 N, 8 00 E

Nigeria:
10 00 N, 8 00 E

Niue:
19 02 S, 169 52 W

Norfolk Island:
29 02 S, 167 57 E

Northern Mariana Islands:
15 12 N, 145 45 E

Norway:
62 00 N, 10 00 E

Oman:
21 00 N, 57 00 E

Pacific Ocean:
0 00 N, 160 00 W

Pakistan:
30 00 N, 70 00 E

Palau:
7 30 N, 134 30 E

Palmyra Atoll:
5 52 N, 162 06 W

Panama:
9 00 N, 80 00 W

Papua New Guinea:
6 00 S, 147 00 E

Paracel Islands:
16 30 N, 112 00 E

Paraguay:
23 00 S, 58 00 W

Peru:
10 00 S, 76 00 W

Philippines:
13 00 N, 122 00 E

Pitcairn Islands:
25 04 S, 130 06 W

Poland:
52 00 N, 20 00 E

Portugal:
39 30 N, 8 00 W

Puerto Rico:
18 15 N, 66 30 W

Qatar:
25 30 N, 51 15 E

Reunion:
21 06 S, 55 36 E

Romania:
46 00 N, 25 00 E

Russia:
60 00 N, 100 00 E

Rwanda:
2 00 S, 30 00 E

Saint Helena:
15 56 S, 5 42 W

Saint Kitts and Nevis:
17 20 N, 62 45 W

Saint Lucia:
13 53 N, 60 68 W

Saint Pierre and Miquelon:
46 50 N, 56 20 W

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:
13 15 N, 61 12 W

Samoa:
13 35 S, 172 20 W

San Marino:
43 46 N, 12 25 E

Sao Tome and Principe:
1 00 N, 7 00 E

Saudi Arabia:
25 00 N, 45 00 E

Senegal:
14 00 N, 14 00 W

Seychelles:
4 35 S, 55 40 E

Sierra Leone:
8 30 N, 11 30 W

Singapore:
1 22 N, 103 48 E

Slovakia:
48 40 N, 19 30 E

Slovenia:
46 00 N, 15 00 E

Solomon Islands:
8 00 S, 159 00 E

Somalia:
10 00 N, 49 00 E

South Africa:
29 00 S, 24 00 E

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands:
54 30 S, 37 00 W

Southern Ocean:
65 00 S, 0 00 E (nominally), but the Southern Ocean
has the unique distinction of being a large circumpolar body of
water totally encircling the continent of Antarctica; this ring of
water lies between 60 degrees south latitude and the coast of
Antarctica, and encompasses 360 degrees of longitude

Spain:
40 00 N, 4 00 W

Spratly Islands:
8 38 N, 111 55 E

Sri Lanka:
7 00 N, 81 00 E

Sudan:
15 00 N, 30 00 E

Suriname:
4 00 N, 56 00 W

Svalbard:
78 00 N, 20 00 E

Swaziland:
26 30 S, 31 30 E

Sweden:
62 00 N, 15 00 E

Switzerland:
47 00 N, 8 00 E

Syria:
35 00 N, 38 00 E

Tajikistan:
39 00 N, 71 00 E

Tanzania:
6 00 S, 35 00 E

Thailand:
15 00 N, 100 00 E

Togo:
8 00 N, 1 10 E

Tokelau:
9 00 S, 172 00 W

Tonga:
20 00 S, 175 00 W

Trinidad and Tobago:
11 00 N, 61 00 W

Tromelin Island:
15 52 S, 54 25 E

Tunisia:
34 00 N, 9 00 E

Turkey:
39 00 N, 35 00 E

Turkmenistan:
40 00 N, 60 00 E

Turks and Caicos Islands:
21 45 N, 71 35 W

Tuvalu:
8 00 S, 178 00 E

Uganda:
1 00 N, 32 00 E

Ukraine:
49 00 N, 32 00 E

United Arab Emirates:
24 00 N, 54 00 E

United Kingdom:
54 00 N, 2 00 W

United States:
38 00 N, 97 00 W

Uruguay:
33 00 S, 56 00 W

Uzbekistan:
41 00 N, 64 00 E

Vanuatu:
16 00 S, 167 00 E

Venezuela:
8 00 N, 66 00 W

Vietnam:
16 00 N, 106 00 E

Virgin Islands:
18 20 N, 64 50 W

Wake Island:
19 17 N, 166 36 E

Wallis and Futuna:
13 18 S, 176 12 W

West Bank:
32 00 N, 35 15 E

Western Sahara:
24 30 N, 13 00 W

Yemen:
15 00 N, 48 00 E

Yugoslavia:
44 00 N, 21 00 E

Zambia:
15 00 S, 30 00 E

Zimbabwe:
20 00 S, 30 00 E

Taiwan:
23 30 N, 121 00 E

======================================================================

@Geography - note

Afghanistan:
landlocked

Albania:
strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic
Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)

Algeria:
second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan)

American Samoa:
Pago Pago has one of the best natural deepwater
harbors in the South Pacific Ocean, sheltered by shape from rough
seas and protected by peripheral mountains from high winds;
strategic location in the South Pacific Ocean

Andorra:
landlocked

Angola:
Cabinda is separated from rest of country by the Democratic
Republic of the Congo

Antarctica:
the coldest, windiest, highest (on average), and driest
continent; during summer, more solar radiation reaches the surface
at the South Pole than is received at the Equator in an equivalent
period; mostly uninhabitable

Arctic Ocean:
major chokepoint is the southern Chukchi Sea (northern
access to the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait); strategic
location between North America and Russia; shortest marine link
between the extremes of eastern and western Russia; floating
research stations operated by the US and Russia; maximum snow cover
in March or April about 20 to 50 centimeters over the frozen ocean;
snow cover lasts about 10 months

Argentina:
second-largest country in South America (after Brazil);
strategic location relative to sea lanes between South Atlantic and
South Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake
Passage)

Armenia:
landlocked

Ashmore and Cartier Islands:
Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve
established in August 1983

Atlantic Ocean:
major chokepoints include the Dardanelles, Strait of
Gibraltar, access to the Panama and Suez Canals; strategic straits
include the Strait of Dover, Straits of Florida, Mona Passage, The
Sound (Oresund), and Windward Passage; the Equator divides the
Atlantic Ocean into the North Atlantic Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean

Australia:
world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country;
population concentrated along the eastern and southeastern coasts;
regular, tropical, invigorating, sea breeze known as "the Doctor"
occurs along the west coast in the summer

Austria:
landlocked; strategic location at the crossroads of central
Europe with many easily traversable Alpine passes and valleys; major
river is the Danube; population is concentrated on eastern lowlands
because of steep slopes, poor soils, and low temperatures elsewhere

Azerbaijan:
landlocked

Bahamas, The:
strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive
island chain

Bahrain:
close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources;
strategic location in Persian Gulf which much of Western world's
petroleum must transit to reach open ocean

Baker Island:
treeless, sparse, and scattered vegetation consisting
of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a
nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds,
and marine wildlife

Barbados:
easternmost Caribbean island

Belarus:
landlocked

Belgium:
crossroads of Western Europe; majority of West European
capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels which is the seat of both the
EU and NATO

Belize:
only country in Central America without a coastline on the
North Pacific Ocean

Benin:
no natural harbors

Bermuda:
consists of about 360 small coral islands with ample
rainfall, but no rivers or freshwater lakes; some land, reclaimed
and otherwise, was leased by US Government from 1941 to 1995

Bhutan:
landlocked; strategic location between China and India;
controls several key Himalayan mountain passes

Bolivia:
landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's
highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru

Bosnia and Herzegovina:
within Bosnia and Herzegovina's recognized
borders, the country is divided into a joint Bosniak/Croat
Federation (about 51% of the territory) and the Bosnian Serb-led
Republika Srpska or RS (about 49% of the territory); the region
called Herzegovina is contiguous to Croatia and traditionally has
been settled by an ethnic Croat majority

Botswana:
landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the
country

Bouvet Island:
covered by glacial ice; declared a nature reserve

Brazil:
largest country in South America; shares common boundaries
with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador

British Indian Ocean Territory:
archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego
Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location
in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military
facility

British Virgin Islands:
strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and
Puerto Rico

Brunei:
close to vital sea lanes through South China Sea linking
Indian and Pacific Oceans; two parts physically separated by
Malaysia; almost an enclave of Malaysia

Bulgaria:
strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land
routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia

Burkina Faso:
landlocked

Burma:
strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes

Burundi:
landlocked; straddles crest of the Nile-Congo watershed

Cambodia:
a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong
River and Tonle Sap

Cameroon:
sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa

Canada:
second-largest country in world (after Russia); strategic
location between Russia and US via north polar route; approximately
85% of the population is concentrated within 300 km of the US/Canada
border

Cape Verde:
strategic location 500 km from west coast of Africa near
major north-south sea routes; important communications station;
important sea and air refueling site

Cayman Islands:
important location between Cuba and Central America

Central African Republic:
landlocked; almost the precise center of
Africa

Chad:
landlocked; Lake Chad is the most significant water body in
the Sahel

Chile:
strategic location relative to sea lanes between Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage);
Atacama Desert is one of world's driest regions

China:
world's fourth-largest country (after Russia, Canada, and US)

Christmas Island:
located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean

Clipperton Island:
reef about 8 km in circumference

Cocos (Keeling) Islands:
two coral atolls thickly covered with
coconut palms and other vegetation

Colombia:
only South American country with coastlines on both North
Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea

Comoros:
important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel

Congo, Democratic Republic of the:
straddles Equator; very narrow
strip of land that controls the lower Congo river and is only outlet
to South Atlantic Ocean; dense tropical rain forest in central river
basin and eastern highlands

Congo, Republic of the:
about 70% of the population lives in
Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or along the railroad between them

Coral Sea Islands:
important nesting area for birds and turtles

Croatia:
controls most land routes from Western Europe to Aegean Sea
and Turkish Straits

Cuba:
largest country in Caribbean

Czech Republic:
landlocked; strategically located astride some of
oldest and most significant land routes in Europe; Moravian Gate is
a traditional military corridor between the North European Plain and
the Danube in central Europe

Denmark:
controls Danish Straits (Skagerrak and Kattegat) linking
Baltic and North Seas; about one-quarter of the population lives in
greater Copenhagen

Djibouti:
strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and
close to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia;
mostly wasteland

Dominican Republic:
shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti (eastern
two-thirds is the Dominican Republic, western one-third is Haiti)

Ecuador:
Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world

Egypt:
controls Sinai Peninsula, only land bridge between Africa and
remainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal, shortest sea
link between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea; size, and
juxtaposition to Israel, establish its major role in Middle Eastern
geopolitics; dependence on upstream neighbors; dominance of Nile
basin issues; prone to influxes of refugees

El Salvador:
smallest Central American country and only one without
a coastline on Caribbean Sea

Equatorial Guinea:
insular and continental regions rather widely
separated

Eritrea:
strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest
shipping lanes; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia
along the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 24 May
1993

Ethiopia:
landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost
with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993

Europa Island:
wildlife sanctuary

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas):
deeply indented coast provides
good natural harbors; short growing season

Faroe Islands:
archipelago of 17 inhabited islands and one
uninhabited island, and a few uninhabited islets; strategically
located along important sea lanes in northeastern Atlantic;
precipitous terrain limits habitation to small coastal lowlands

Fiji:
includes 332 islands of which approximately 110 are inhabited

Finland:
long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost
national capital on European continent; population concentrated on
small southwestern coastal plain

France:
largest West European nation

French Guiana:
mostly an unsettled wilderness

French Polynesia:
includes five archipelagoes; Makatea in French
Polynesia is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the
Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and
Nauru

French Southern and Antarctic Lands:
islands component is widely
scattered across remote locations in the southern Indian Ocean

Gambia, The:
almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country on the
continent of Africa

Gaza Strip:
there are 25 Israeli settlements and civilian land use
sites in the Gaza Strip (August 2000 est.)

Germany:
strategic location on North European Plain and along the
entrance to the Baltic Sea

Ghana:
Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake;
northeasterly harmattan wind (January to March)

Gibraltar:
strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the
North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea

Greece:
strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern
approach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing an
archipelago of about 2,000 islands

Greenland:
dominates North Atlantic Ocean between North America and
Europe; sparse population confined to small settlements along coast,
but close to one-quarter of the population lives in the capital,
Nuuk; world's second largest ice cap

Grenada:
the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group
is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada

Guam:
largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands
archipelago; strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean

Guatemala:
no natural harbors on west coast

Guernsey:
large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port

Haiti:
shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western
one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)

Heard Island and McDonald Islands:
primarily used for research
stations

Holy See (Vatican City):
urban; landlocked; enclave of Rome, Italy;
world's smallest state; outside the Vatican City, 13 buildings in
Rome and Castel Gandolfo (the pope's summer residence) enjoy
extraterritorial rights

Hong Kong:
more than 200 islands

Howland Island:
almost totally covered with grasses, prostrate
vines, and low-growing shrubs; small area of trees in the center;
primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds,
shorebirds, and marine wildlife

Hungary:
landlocked; strategic location astride main land routes
between Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between
Ukraine and Mediterranean basin

Iceland:
strategic location between Greenland and Europe;
westernmost European country; Reykjavik is the northernmost national
capital in the world; more land covered by glaciers than in all of
continental Europe

India:
dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian
Ocean trade routes

Indian Ocean:
major chokepoints include Bab el Mandeb, Strait of
Hormuz, Strait of Malacca, southern access to the Suez Canal, and
the Lombok Strait

Indonesia:
archipelago of 17,000 islands (6,000 inhabited);
straddles Equator; strategic location astride or along major sea
lanes from Indian Ocean to Pacific Ocean

Ireland:
strategic location on major air and sea routes between
North America and northern Europe; over 40% of the population
resides within 97 km of Dublin

Israel:
there are 231 Israeli settlements and civilian land use
sites in the West Bank, 42 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 25
in the Gaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem (August 2000 est.)

Italy:
strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well
as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe

Jamaica:
strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica
Channel, the main sea lanes for Panama Canal

Jan Mayen:
barren volcanic island with some moss and grass

Japan:
strategic location in northeast Asia

Jarvis Island:
sparse bunch grass, prostrate vines, and low-growing
shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for
seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife

Jersey:
largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; about 30% of
population concentrated in Saint Helier

Johnston Atoll:
strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean;
Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands, which have been
expanded by coral dredging; North Island (Akau) and East Island
(Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral dredging; egg-shaped
reef is 34 km in circumference; closed to the public; former US
nuclear weapons test site; site of Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent
Disposal System (JACADS); some low-growing vegetation

Juan de Nova Island:
wildlife sanctuary

Kazakhstan:
landlocked; Russia leases approximately 6,000 sq km of
territory enclosing the Baykonur Cosmodrome

Kenya:
the Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful
agricultural production regions in Africa; glaciers on Mt. Kenya;
unique physiography supports abundant and varied wildlife of
scientific and economic value

Kingman Reef:
barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; closed
to the public

Kiribati:
20 of the 33 islands are inhabited; Banaba (Ocean Island)
in Kiribati is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the
Pacific Ocean - the others are Makatea in French Polynesia, and Nauru

Korea, North:
strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and
Russia; mountainous interior is isolated and sparsely populated

Kuwait:
strategic location at head of Persian Gulf

Kyrgyzstan:
landlocked

Laos:
landlocked

Lebanon:
Nahr al Litani only major river in Near East not crossing
an international boundary; rugged terrain historically helped
isolate, protect, and develop numerous factional groups based on
religion, clan, and ethnicity

Lesotho:
landlocked; surrounded by South Africa

Liechtenstein:
along with Uzbekistan, one of only two doubly
landlocked countries in the world; variety of microclimatic
variations based on elevation

Luxembourg:
landlocked

Macau:
essentially urban; one causeway and two bridges connect the
two islands of Coloane and Taipa to the peninsula on mainland

Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of:
landlocked; major
transportation corridor from Western and Central Europe to Aegean
Sea and Southern Europe to Western Europe

Madagascar:
world's fourth-largest island; strategic location along
Mozambique Channel

Malawi:
landlocked

Malaysia:
strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern
South China Sea

Maldives:
1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls (200 inhabited
islands, plus 80 islands with tourist resorts); archipelago of
strategic location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean

Mali:
landlocked

Malta:
the country comprises an archipelago, with only the three
largest islands (Malta, Ghawdex or Gozo, and Kemmuna or Comino)
being inhabited; numerous bays provide good harbors; Malta and
Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the
continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil
exploration

Man, Isle of:
one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the
southwest, and is a bird sanctuary

Marshall Islands:
two archipelagic island chains of 30 atolls and
1,152 islands; Bikini and Enewetak are former US nuclear test sites;
Kwajalein, the famous World War II battleground, is now used as a US
missile test range

Mauritania:
most of the population concentrated in the cities of
Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the
southern part of the country

Mayotte:
part of Comoro Archipelago; 18 islands

Mexico:
strategic location on southern border of US

Micronesia, Federated States of:
four major island groups totaling
607 islands

Midway Islands:
a coral atoll managed as a national wildlife refuge
and open to the public for wildlife-related recreation in the form
of wildlife observation and photography, sport fishing, snorkeling,
and scuba diving

Moldova:
landlocked

Monaco:
second smallest independent state in the world (after Holy
See); almost entirely urban

Mongolia:
landlocked; strategic location between China and Russia

Morocco:
strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar

Nauru:
Nauru is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the
Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and
Makatea in French Polynesia; only 53 km south of Equator

Navassa Island:
strategic location 160 km south of the US Naval Base
at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; mostly exposed rock, but enough grassland
to support goat herds; dense stands of fig-like trees, scattered
cactus

Nepal:
landlocked; strategic location between China and India;
contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks

Netherlands:
located at mouths of three major European rivers
(Rhine, Maas or Meuse, and Schelde)

New Zealand:
about 80% of the population lives in cities; Wellington
is the southernmost national capital in the world

Niger:
landlocked

Niue:
one of world's largest coral islands

Northern Mariana Islands:
strategic location in the North Pacific
Ocean

Norway:
about two-thirds mountains; some 50,000 islands off its much
indented coastline; strategic location adjacent to sea lanes and air
routes in North Atlantic; one of most rugged and longest coastlines
in world; Norway is the only NATO member having a land boundary with
Russia

Oman:
strategic location on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of
Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil

Pacific Ocean:
the major chokepoints are the Bering Strait, Panama
Canal, Luzon Strait, and the Singapore Strait; the Equator divides
the Pacific Ocean into the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific
Ocean; dotted with low coral islands and rugged volcanic islands in
the southwestern Pacific Ocean

Pakistan:
controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion
routes between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent

Palau:
includes World War II battleground of Beliliou (Peleliu) and
world-famous rock islands; archipelago of six island groups totaling
over 200 islands in the Caroline chain

Palmyra Atoll:
about 50 islets covered with dense vegetation,
coconut trees, and balsa-like trees up to 30 meters tall

Panama:
strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming land
bridge connecting North and South America; controls Panama Canal
that links North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific
Ocean

Papua New Guinea:
shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia; one of
world's largest swamps along southwest coast

Paraguay:
landlocked; lies between Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil

Peru:
shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable
lake, with Bolivia

Poland:
historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain
and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain

Portugal:
Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations
along western sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar

Puerto Rico:
important location along the Mona Passage - a key
shipping lane to the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest
and best natural harbors in the Caribbean; many small rivers and
high central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast
relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north

Qatar:
strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major
petroleum deposits

Romania:
controls most easily traversable land route between the
Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine

Russia:
largest country in the world in terms of area but
unfavorably located in relation to major sea lanes of the world;
despite its size, much of the country lacks proper soils and
climates (either too cold or too dry) for agriculture

Rwanda:
landlocked; predominantly rural population

Saint Helena:
harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown anywhere
else in the world; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles
and sooty terns

Saint Pierre and Miquelon:
vegetation scanty

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:
the administration of the islands
of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines and Grenada

San Marino:
landlocked; smallest independent state in Europe after
the Holy See and Monaco; dominated by the Apennines

Saudi Arabia:
extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea
provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through
Persian Gulf and Suez Canal

Senegal:
The Gambia is almost an enclave of Senegal

Seychelles:
40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands

Singapore:
focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes

Slovakia:
landlocked

Somalia:
strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern
approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal

South Africa:
South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost
completely surrounds Swaziland

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands:
the north coast of
South Georgia has several large bays, which provide good anchorage;
reindeer, introduced early in this century, live on South Georgia

Southern Ocean:
the major chokepoint is the Drake Passage between
South America and Antarctica; the Polar Front (Antarctic
Convergence) is the best natural definition of the northern extent
of the Southern Ocean; it is a distinct region at the middle of the
Antarctic Circumpolar Current that separates the very cold polar
surface waters to the south from the warmer waters to the north; the
Front and the Current extend entirely around Antarctica, reaching
south of 60 degrees south near New Zealand and near 48 degrees south
in the far South Atlantic coinciding with the path of the maximum
westerly winds

Spain:
strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar

Spratly Islands:
strategically located near several primary shipping
lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small
islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs

Sri Lanka:
strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes

Sudan:
largest country in Africa; dominated by the Nile and its
tributaries

Suriname:
mostly tropical rain forest; great diversity of flora and
fauna that, for the most part, is increasingly threatened by new
development; relatively small population, most of which lives along
the coast

Svalbard:
northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of
nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total
area

Swaziland:
landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa

Sweden:
strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and
North Seas

Switzerland:
landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe;
along with southeastern France and northern Italy, contains the
highest elevations in Europe

Syria:
there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites
in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (August 1999 est.)

Tajikistan:
landlocked

Tanzania:
Kilimanjaro is highest point in Africa

Thailand:
controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia and
Singapore

Tonga:
archipelago of 170 islands (36 inhabited)

Tromelin Island:
climatologically important location for forecasting
cyclones; wildlife sanctuary

Tunisia:
strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and
Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the
continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil
exploration

Turkey:
strategic location controlling the Turkish Straits
(Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link Black and Aegean
Seas

Turkmenistan:
landlocked

Turks and Caicos Islands:
30 islands (eight inhabited)

Uganda:
landlocked

Ukraine:
strategic position at the crossroads between Europe and
Asia; second-largest country in Europe

United Arab Emirates:
strategic location along southern approaches
to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil

United Kingdom:
lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km
from France and now linked by tunnel under the English Channel;
because of heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125
km from tidal waters

United States:
world's third-largest country (after Russia and
Canada)

Uzbekistan:
along with Liechtenstein, one of the only two doubly
landlocked countries in the world

Venezuela:
on major sea and air routes linking North and South
America

Virgin Islands:
important location along the Anegada Passage - a key
shipping lane for the Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the best
natural, deepwater harbors in the Caribbean

Wake Island:
strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean;
emergency landing location for transpacific flights

Wallis and Futuna:
both island groups have fringing reefs

West Bank:
landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's
coastal aquifers; there are 231 Israeli settlements and civilian
land use sites in the West Bank and 29 in East Jerusalem (August
1999 est.)

Yemen:
strategic location on Bab el Mandeb, the strait linking the
Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, one of world's most active shipping
lanes

Yugoslavia:
controls one of the major land routes from Western
Europe to Turkey and the Near East; strategic location along the
Adriatic coast

Zambia:
landlocked

Zimbabwe:
landlocked

======================================================================

@Government - note

Bosnia and Herzegovina:
The Dayton Agreement, signed in Paris on 14
December 1995, retained Bosnia and Herzegovina's exterior border and
created a joint multi-ethnic and democratic government. This
national government - based on proportional representation similar
to that which existed in the former socialist regime - is charged
with conducting foreign, economic, and fiscal policy. The Dayton
Agreement also recognized a second tier of government, comprised of
two entities - a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and
Herzegovina and the Bosnian Serb Republika Srpska (RS) - each
presiding over roughly one-half the territory. The Federation and RS
governments are charged with overseeing internal functions. The
Dayton Agreement established the Office of the High Representative
(OHR) to oversee the implementation of the civilian aspects of the
agreement. About 250 international and 450 local staff members are
employed by the OHR.

Malawi:
the executive exerts considerable influence over the
legislature

Somalia:
An interim Transitional National Government - with a
president, prime minister, and 245-member National Assembly - was
formed in October 2000. However, other governing bodies continue to
exist and control various cities and regions of the country,
including Somaliland, Puntland, and traditional clan and faction
strongholds.

======================================================================

@Government type

Afghanistan:
no functioning central government, administered by
factions

Albania:
emerging democracy

Algeria:
republic

American Samoa:
NA

Andorra:
parliamentary democracy (since March 1993) that retains as
its heads 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:
transitional government, nominally a multiparty democracy
with a strong presidential system

Anguilla:
NA