Chapter M: Major infectious diseases (130)

Cyprus
the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after
Sicily and Sardinia)

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

Dhekelia
British extraterritorial rights also extended to several
small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus; of the Sovereign Base
Area land 60% is privately owned and farmed, 20% is owned by the
Ministry of Defense, and 20% is SBA Crown land

Djibouti
strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and
close to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia;
mostly wasteland; Lac Assal (Lake Assal) is the lowest point in
Africa

Dominica
known as "The Nature Island of the Caribbean" due to its
spectacular, lush, and varied flora and fauna, which are protected
by an extensive natural park system; the most mountainous of the
Lesser Antilles, its volcanic peaks are cones of lava craters and
include Boiling Lake, the second-largest, thermally active lake in
the world

Dominican Republic
shares island of Hispaniola with 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, a 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 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

Estonia
the mainland terrain is flat, boggy, and partly wooded;
offshore lie more than 1,500 islands

Ethiopia
landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost
with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993; the Blue
Nile, the chief headstream of the Nile by water volume, rises in
T'ana Hayk (Lake Tana) in northwest Ethiopia; three major crops are
believed to have originated in Ethiopia: coffee, grain sorghum, and
castor bean

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; 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 Polynesia
includes five archipelagoes (four volcanic, one
coral); 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
Bassas da India (Iles Eparses): the atoll is a circular reef that
sits atop a long-extinct, submerged volcano
Europa Island and Juan de Nova Island (Iles Eparses): wildlife
sanctuary for seabirds and sea turtles
Glorioso Island (Iles Eparses): the islands and rocks are surrounded
by an extensive reef system
Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses): climatologically important location
for forecasting cyclones in the western Indian Ocean; wildlife
sanctuary (seabirds, tortoises)

Gabon
a small population and oil and mineral reserves have helped
Gabon become one of Africa's wealthier countries; in general, these
circumstances have allowed the country to maintain and conserve its
pristine rain forest and rich biodiversity

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

Gaza Strip
strategic strip of land along Mideast-North African trade
routes has experienced an incredibly turbulent history; the town of
Gaza itself has been besieged countless times in its history

Georgia
strategically located east of the Black Sea; Georgia
controls much of the Caucasus Mountains and the routes through them

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

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;
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

Guinea
the Niger and its important tributary the Milo have their
sources in the Guinean highlands

Guinea-Bissau
this small country is swampy along its western coast
and low-lying inland

Guyana
the third-smallest country in South America after Suriname
and Uruguay; substantial portions of its western and eastern
territories are claimed by Venezuela and Suriname respectively

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
Mawson Peak on Heard Island is the
highest Australian mountain (at 2,745 meters, it is taller than Mt.
Kosciuszko in Australia proper), and one of only two active
volcanoes located in Australian territory, the other being McDonald
Island; in 1992, McDonald Island broke its dormancy and began
erupting; it has erupted several times since, the most recent being
in 2005

Holy See (Vatican City)
landlocked; enclave in Rome, Italy; world's
smallest state; beyond the territorial boundary of Vatican City, the
Lateran Treaty of 1929 grants the Holy See extraterritorial
authority over 23 sites in Rome and five outside of Rome, including
the Pontifical Palace at Castel Gandolfo (the Pope's summer
residence)

Honduras
has only a short Pacific coast but a long Caribbean
shoreline, including the virtually uninhabited eastern Mosquito Coast

Hong Kong
more than 200 islands

Hungary
landlocked; strategic location astride main land routes
between Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between
Ukraine and Mediterranean basin; the north-south flowing Duna
(Danube) and Tisza Rivers divide the country into three large regions

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; Kanchenjunga, third tallest mountain in the
world, lies on the border with Nepal

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 17,508 islands (6,000 inhabited); straddles
equator; strategic location astride or along major sea lanes from
Indian Ocean to Pacific Ocean

Iran
strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz,
which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport

Iraq
strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of
the Persian Gulf

Ireland
strategic location on major air and sea routes between North
America and northern Europe; over 40% of the population resides
within 100 km of Dublin

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

Israel
Lake Tiberias (Sea of Galilee) is an important freshwater
source; there are about 355 Israeli civilian sites including about
145 small outpost communities in the West Bank, 41 sites in the
Golan Heights, and 32 in East Jerusalem (2010 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 the Panama Canal

Jan Mayen
barren volcanic island with some moss and grass

Japan
strategic location in northeast Asia

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

Jordan
strategic location at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and as
the Arab country that shares the longest border with Israel and the
occupied West Bank

Kazakhstan
landlocked; Russia leases approximately 6,000 sq km of
territory enclosing the Baykonur Cosmodrome; in January 2004,
Kazakhstan and Russia extended the lease to 2050

Kenya
the Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful
agricultural production regions in Africa; glaciers are found on
Mount Kenya, Africa's second highest peak; unique physiography
supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic
value

Kiribati
21 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

Korea, South
strategic location on Korea Strait

Kuwait
strategic location at head of Persian Gulf

Kyrgyzstan
landlocked; entirely mountainous, dominated by the Tien
Shan range; 94% of the country is 1,000 m above sea level with an
average elevation of 2,750 m; many tall peaks, glaciers, and
high-altitude lakes

Laos
landlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thickly
forested; the Mekong River forms a large part of the western
boundary with Thailand

Latvia
most of the country is composed of fertile low-lying plains
with some hills in the east

Lebanon
Nahr el Litani is the 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, completely surrounded by South Africa;
mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 m above sea level

Liberia
facing the Atlantic Ocean, the coastline is characterized by
lagoons, mangrove swamps, and river-deposited sandbars; the inland
grassy plateau supports limited agriculture

Libya
more than 90% of the country is desert or semidesert

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

Lithuania
fertile central plains are separated by hilly uplands that
are ancient glacial deposits

Luxembourg
landlocked; the only Grand Duchy in the world

Macau
essentially urban; an area of land reclaimed from the sea
measuring 5.2 sq km and known as Cotai now connects the islands of
Coloane and Taipa; the island area is connected to the mainland
peninsula by three bridges

Macedonia
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; Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's
most prominent physical feature

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 with
strategic location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean

Mali
landlocked; divided into three natural zones: the southern,
cultivated Sudanese; the central, semiarid Sahelian; and the
northern, arid Saharan

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

Marshall Islands
the islands of Bikini and Enewetak are former US
nuclear test sites; Kwajalein atoll, famous as a World War II
battleground, surrounds the world's largest lagoon and is used as a
US missile test range; the island city of Ebeye is the second
largest settlement in the Marshall Islands, after the capital of
Majuro, and one of the most densely populated locations in the
Pacific

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

Mauritius
the main island, from which the country derives its name,
is of volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral
reefs; home of the dodo, a large flightless bird related to pigeons,
driven to extinction by the end of the 17th century through a
combination of hunting and the introduction of predatory species

Mayotte
part of Comoro Archipelago (18 islands)

Mexico
strategic location on southern border of US; corn (maize),
one of the world's major grain crops, is thought to have originated
in Mexico

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

Moldova
landlocked; well endowed with various sedimentary rocks and
minerals including sand, gravel, gypsum, and limestone

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

Mongolia
landlocked; strategic location between China and Russia

Montenegro
strategic location along the Adriatic coast

Montserrat
the island is entirely volcanic in origin and comprised
of three major volcanic centers of differing ages

Morocco
strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar

Mozambique
the Zambezi flows through the north-central and most
fertile part of the country

Namibia
first country in the world to incorporate the protection of
the environment into its constitution; some 14% of the land is
protected, including virtually the entire Namib Desert coastal strip

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 with numerous solution
holes but with enough grassland to support goat herds; dense stands
of fig trees, scattered cactus

Nepal
landlocked; strategic location between China and India;
contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest
and Kanchenjunga - the world's tallest and third tallest - on the
borders with China and India respectively

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

New Caledonia
consists of the main island of New Caledonia (one of
the largest in the Pacific Ocean), the archipelago of Iles Loyaute,
and numerous small, sparsely populated islands and atolls

New Zealand
almost 90% of the population lives in cities; Wellington
is the southernmost national capital in the world

Nicaragua
largest country in Central America; contains the largest
freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua

Niger
landlocked; one of the hottest countries in the world;
northern four-fifths is desert, southern one-fifth is savanna,
suitable for livestock and limited agriculture

Nigeria
the Niger enters the country in the northwest and flows
southward through tropical rain forests and swamps to its delta in
the Gulf of Guinea

Niue
one of world's largest coral islands

Norfolk Island
most of the 32 km coastline consists of almost
inaccessible cliffs, but the land slopes down to the sea in one
small southern area on Sydney Bay, where the capital of Kingston is
situated

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 the most rugged and longest
coastlines in the world

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
westernmost archipelago in the Caroline chain, consists of six
island groups totaling more than 300 islands; includes World War II
battleground of Beliliou (Peleliu) and world-famous rock islands

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

Paracel Islands
composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs
divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent
Group

Paraguay
landlocked; lies between Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil;
population concentrated in southern part of country

Peru
shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable
lake, with Bolivia; a remote slope of Nevado Mismi, a 5,316 m peak,
is the ultimate source of the Amazon River

Philippines
the Philippine archipelago is made up of 7,107 islands;
favorably located in relation to many of Southeast Asia's main water
bodies: the South China Sea, Philippine Sea, Sulu Sea, Celebes Sea,
and Luzon Strait

Pitcairn Islands
Britain's most isolated dependency; only the larger
island of Pitcairn is inhabited but it has no port or natural
harbor; supplies must be transported by rowed longboat from larger
ships stationed offshore

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; Mount El'brus is Europe's
tallest peak

Rwanda
landlocked; most of the country is savanna grassland with the
population predominantly rural

Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
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;
Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha is the highest island mountain
in the South Atlantic and a prominent landmark on the sea lanes
around southern Africa

Saint Kitts and Nevis
with coastlines in the shape of a baseball bat
and ball, the two volcanic islands are separated by a 3-km-wide
channel called The Narrows; on the southern tip of long, baseball
bat-shaped Saint Kitts lies the Great Salt Pond; Nevis Peak sits in
the center of its almost circular namesake island and its ball shape
complements that of its sister island

Saint Lucia
the twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), striking
cone-shaped peaks south of Soufriere, are one of the scenic natural
highlights of the Caribbean

Saint Martin
the island of Saint Martin is the smallest landmass in
the world shared by two independent states, the French territory of
Saint Martin and the Dutch territory of Sint Maarten

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; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is
comprised of 32 islands and cays

Samoa
occupies an almost central position within Polynesia

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

Sao Tome and Principe
the smallest country in Africa; the two main
islands form part of a chain of extinct volcanoes and both are
mountainous

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
westernmost country on the African continent; The Gambia is
almost an enclave within Senegal

Serbia
controls one of the major land routes from Western Europe to
Turkey and the Near East

Seychelles
41 granitic and about 75 coralline islands

Sierra Leone
rainfall along the coast can reach 495 cm (195 inches)
a year, making it one of the wettest places along coastal, western
Africa

Singapore
focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes

Sint Maarten
the northern border is shared with the French overseas
collectivity of Saint Martin; together, these two enties make up the
smallest landmass in the world shared by two self-governing states

Slovakia
landlocked; most of the country is rugged and mountainous;
the Tatra Mountains in the north are interspersed with many scenic
lakes and valleys

Slovenia
despite its small size, this eastern Alpine country
controls some of Europe's major transit routes

Solomon Islands
strategic location on sea routes between the South
Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea; on 2 April 2007
an undersea earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale occurred
345 km WNW of the capital Honiara; the resulting tsunami devastated
coastal areas of Western and Choiseul provinces with dozens of
deaths and thousands dislocated; the provincial capital of Gizo was
especially hard hit

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 South Sandwich Islands
the north coast of South
Georgia has several large bays, which provide good anchorage;
reindeer, introduced early in the 20th 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 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;
Spain controls a number of territories in northern Morocco including
the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, and the islands of Penon de Velez
de la Gomera, Penon de Alhucemas, and Islas Chafarinas

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
smallest independent country on South American continent;
mostly tropical rain forest; great diversity of flora and fauna
that, for the most part, is increasingly threatened by new
development; relatively small population, mostly 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; Spitsbergen Island is the site of the Svalbard Global Seed
Vault, a seed repository established by the Global Crop Diversity
Trust and the Norwegian Government

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, northern Italy, and southwestern
Austria, has the highest elevations in the Alps

Syria
there are 41 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites
in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (2010 est.)

Taiwan
strategic location adjacent to both the Taiwan Strait and the
Luzon Strait

Tajikistan
landlocked; mountainous region dominated by the
Trans-Alay Range in the north and the Pamirs in the southeast;
highest point, Qullai Ismoili Somoni (formerly Communism Peak), was
the tallest mountain in the former USSR

Tanzania
Kilimanjaro is highest point in Africa; bordered by three
of the largest lakes on the continent: Lake Victoria (the world's
second-largest freshwater lake) in the north, Lake Tanganyika (the
world's second deepest) in the west, and Lake Nyasa in the southwest

Thailand
controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore

Timor-Leste
Timor comes from the Malay word for "East"; the island
of Timor is part of the Malay Archipelago and is the largest and
easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands

Togo
the country's length allows it to stretch through six distinct
geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna

Tokelau
consists of three atolls (Atafu, Fakaofo, Nukunonu), each
with a lagoon surrounded by a number of reef-bound islets of varying
length and rising to over 3 m above sea level

Tonga
archipelago of 169 islands (36 inhabited)

Trinidad and Tobago
Pitch Lake, on Trinidad's southwestern coast, is
the world's largest natural reservoir of asphalt

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; Mount
Ararat, the legendary landing place of Noah's ark, is in the far
eastern portion of the country

Turkmenistan
landlocked; the western and central low-lying desolate
portions of the country make up the great Garagum (Kara-Kum) desert,
which occupies over 80% of the country; eastern part is plateau

Turks and Caicos Islands
about 40 islands (eight inhabited)

Tuvalu
one of the smallest and most remote countries on Earth; six
of the nine coral atolls - Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau,
Funafuti, and Nukulaelae - have lagoons open to the ocean; Nanumaya
and Niutao have landlocked lagoons; Niulakita does not have a lagoon

Uganda
landlocked; fertile, well-watered country with many lakes and
rivers

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 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 by size (after Russia
and Canada) and by population (after China and India); Mt. McKinley
is highest point in North America and Death Valley the lowest point
on the continent

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
Baker, Howland, and
Jarvis Islands: scattered vegetation consisting of grasses,
prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a nesting,
roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine
wildlife; closed to the public
Johnston Atoll: 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;
the egg-shaped reef is 34 km in circumference; closed to the public
Kingman Reef: barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; closed
to the public
Midway Islands: a coral atoll managed as a NWR and open to the
public for wildlife-related recreation in the form of wildlife
observation and photography
Palmyra Atoll: the high rainfall and resulting lush vegetation make
the environment of this atoll unique among the US Pacific Island
territories; supports a large undisturbed stand of Pisonia beach
forest

Uruguay
second-smallest South American country (after Suriname);
most of the low-lying landscape (three-quarters of the country) is
grassland, ideal for cattle and sheep raising

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

Vanuatu
a Y-shaped chain of four main islands and 80 smaller
islands; several of the islands have active volcanoes

Venezuela
on major sea and air routes linking North and South
America; Angel Falls in the Guiana Highlands is the world's highest
waterfall

Vietnam
extending 1,650 km north to south, the country is only 50 km
across at its narrowest point

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 about 355 Israeli civilian sites
including about 145 small outpost communities in the West Bank and
32 sites in East Jerusalem (2010 est.)

Western Sahara
the waters off the coast are particularly rich
fishing areas

World
the world is now thought to be about 4.55 billion years old,
just about one-third of the 13.7-billion-year age estimated for the
universe

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

Zambia
landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary
with Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe
landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary
with Zambia; in full flood (February-April) the massive Victoria
Falls on the river forms the world's largest curtain of falling water

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

@2115

Field Listing :: Political pressure groups and leaders

This entry includes a listing of a country's political, social,
labor, or religious organizations that are involved in politics, or
that exert political pressure, but whose leaders do not stand for
legislative election. International movements or organizations are
generally not listed.
Country

Political pressure groups and leaders

Afghanistan
other: religious groups; tribal leaders; ethnically
based groups; Taliban

Albania
Citizens Advocacy Office [Kreshnik SPAHIU]; Confederation of
Trade Unions of Albania or KSSH [Kastriot MUCO]; Front for Albanian
National Unification or FBKSH [Gafur ADILI]; Mjaft Movement [Elton
KACIDHJA]; Omonia [Ligorag KARAMELO]; Union of Independent Trade
Unions of Albania or BSPSH [Gezim KALAJA]

Algeria
The Algerian Human Rights League or LADDH [Hocine ZEHOUANE];
SOS Disparus [Nacera DUTOUR]

American Samoa
Population Pressure LAS (addresses the growing
population pressures)

Andorra
NA

Angola
Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda or FLEC
[N'zita Henriques TIAGO, Antonio Bento BEMBE]
note: FLEC's small-scale armed struggle for the independence of
Cabinda Province persists despite the signing of a peace accord with
the government in August 2006

Anguilla
NA

Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua Trades and Labor Union or ATLU [William
ROBINSON]; People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Hugh MARSHALL]

Argentina
Argentine Association of Pharmaceutical Labs (CILFA);
Argentine Industrial Union (manufacturers' association); Argentine
Rural Confederation or CRA (small to medium landowners'
association); Argentine Rural Society (large landowners'
association); Central of Argentine Workers or CTA (a radical union
for employed and unemployed workers); General Confederation of Labor
or CGT (Peronist-leaning umbrella labor organization); White and
Blue CGT (dissident CGT labor confederation); Roman Catholic Church
other: business organizations; Peronist-dominated labor movement;
Piquetero groups (popular protest organizations that can be either
pro or anti-government); students

Armenia
Aylentrank (Impeachment Alliance) [Nikol PASHINIAN];
Yerkrapah Union [Manvel GRIGORIAN]

Aruba
other: environmental groups

Australia
other: business groups; environmental groups; social
groups; trade unions

Austria
Austrian Trade Union Federation or OeGB (nominally
independent but primarily Social Democratic); Federal Economic
Chamber; OeVP-oriented Association of Austrian Industrialists or IV;
Roman Catholic Church, including its chief lay organization,
Catholic Action
other: three composite leagues of the Austrian People's Party or
OeVP representing business, labor, farmers, and other nongovernment
organizations in the areas of environment and human rights

Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan Public Forum [Eldar NAMAZOV]; Karabakh
Liberation Organization

Bahamas, The
Friends of the Environment
other: trade unions

Bahrain
Shia activists; Sunni Islamist legislators
other: several small leftist and other groups are active

Bangladesh
Advocacy to End Gender-based Violence through the MoWCA
(Ministry of Women's and Children's Affairs)
other: environmentalists; Islamist groups; religious leaders;
teachers; union leaders

Barbados
Barbados Secondary Teachers' Union or BSTU [Patrick FROST];
Barbados Union of Teachers or BUT [Herbert GITTENS]; Congress of
Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados or CTUSAB, (includes
the BWU, NUPW, BUT, and BSTU) [Leroy TROTMAN]; Barbados Workers
Union or BWU [Leroy TROTMAN]; Clement Payne Labor Union [David
COMISSIONG]; National Union of Public Workers [Joseph GODDARD]

Belarus
Assembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs (unregistered) [Sergey
MATSKEVICH]; Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions
[Aleksandr YAROSHUK]; Belarusian Association of Journalists [Zhana
LITVINA]; Belarusian Helsinki Committee [Aleh HULAK]; Belarusian
Independence Bloc (unregistered) and For Freedom movement [Aleksandr
MILINKEVICH]; Belarusian Organization of Working Women [Irina
ZHIKHAR]; BPF-Youth [Andrus KRECHKA]; Charter 97 (unregistered)
[Andrey SANNIKOV]; Perspektiva small business association [Anatol
SHUMCHENKO]; Nasha Vyasna (unregistered) ("Our Spring") human rights
center; "Tell the Truth" Movement [Vladimir NEKLYAYEV]; Women's
Independent Democratic Movement [Ludmila PETINA]; Young Belarus
(Malady Belarus) [Zmitser KASPYAROVICH]; Youth Front (Malady Front)
[Zmitser DASHKEVICH]

Belgium
Christian, Socialist, and Liberal Trade Unions; Federation
of Belgian Industries
other: numerous other associations representing bankers,
manufacturers, middle-class artisans, and the legal and medical
professions; various organizations represent the cultural interests
of Flanders and Wallonia; various peace groups such as Pax Christi
and groups representing immigrants

Belize
Society for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR
[Nicole HAYLOCK]; Association of Concerned Belizeans or ACB [David
VASQUEZ]; National Trade Union Congress of Belize or NTUC/B [Rene
GOMEZ]

Benin
other: economic groups; environmentalists; political groups;
teachers' unions and other educational groups

Bermuda
Bermuda Employer's Union [Eddie SAINTS]; Bermuda Industrial
Union or BIU [Derrick BURGESS]; Bermuda Public Services Union or
BPSU [Ed BALL]; Bermuda Union of Teachers [Michael CHARLES]

Bhutan
United Front for Democracy (exiled); Druk National Congress
(exiled)
other: Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading
militant antigovernment campaign; Indian merchant community

Bolivia
Bolivian Workers Central or COR; Federation of Neighborhood
Councils of El Alto or FEJUVE; Landless Movement or MST; National
Coordinator for Change or CONALCAM; Sole Confederation of Campesino
Workers of Bolivia or CSUTCB
other: Cocalero groups; indigenous organizations (including
Confederation of Indigenous Peoples of Eastern Bolivia or CIDOB and
National Council of Ayullus and Markas of Quollasuyu or CONAMAQ);
labor unions (including the Central Bolivian Workers' Union or COB
and Cooperative Miners Federation or FENCOMIN)

Bosnia and Herzegovina
other: war veterans; displaced persons
associations; family associations of missing persons; private media

Botswana
First People of the Kalahari (Bushman organization); Pitso
Ya Ba Tswana; Society for the Promotion of Ikalanga Language
(Kalanga elites)
other: diamond mining companies

Brazil
Landless Workers' Movement or MST
other: labor unions and federations; large farmers' associations;
religious groups including evangelical Christian churches and the
Catholic Church

British Virgin Islands
The Family Support Network; The Women's Desk
other: environmentalists

Brunei
NA

Bulgaria
Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria or
CITUB; Podkrepa Labor Confederation
other: numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups with
various agendas

Burkina Faso
Burkinabe General Confederation of Labor or CGTB [Tole
SAGNON]; Burkinabe Movement for Human Rights or MBDHP [Chrysigone
ZOUGMORE]; Group of 14 February [Benewende STANISLAS]; National
Confederation of Burkinabe Workers or CNTB [Laurent OUEDRAOGO];
National Organization of Free Unions or ONSL [Paul KABORE]
other: watchdog/political action groups throughout the country in
both organizations and communities

Burma
Thai border: Ethnic Nationalities Council or ENC; Federation
of Trade Unions-Burma or FTUB (exile trade union and labor
advocates); National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma or
NCGUB (self-proclaimed government in exile) ["Prime Minister" Dr.
SEIN WIN] consists of individuals, some legitimately elected to the
People's Assembly in 1990 (the group fled to a border area and
joined insurgents in December 1990 to form a parallel government in
exile); National Council-Union of Burma or NCUB (exile coalition of
opposition groups)
Inside Burma: Kachin Independence Organization or KIO; Karen
National Union or KNU; Karenni National People's Party or KNPP;
Union Solidarity and Development Association or USDA (pro-regime, a
social and political mass-member organization) [HTAY OO, general
secretary] became the Union Solidarity and Development Party in
2010; United Wa State Army or UWSA; 88 Generation Students
(pro-democracy movement); several other Shan factions

Burundi
Forum for the Strengthening of Civil Society or FORSC
[Pacifique NININAHAZWE] (civil society umbrella organization);
Observatoire de lutte contre la corruption et les malversations
economiques or OLUCOME [Gabriel RUFYIRI] (anti-corruption pressure
group)
other: Hutu and Tutsi militias (loosely organized)

Cambodia
Cambodian Freedom Fighters or CFF; Partnership for
Transparency Fund or PTF (anti-corruption organization); Students
Movement for Democracy; The Committee for Free and Fair Elections or
Comfrel
other: human rights organizations; vendors

Cameroon
Human Rights Defense Group [Albert MUKONG, president];
Southern Cameroon National Council [Ayamba Ette OTUN]

Canada
other: agricultural sector; automobile industry; business
groups; chemical industry; commercial banks; communications sector;
energy industry; environmentalists; public administration groups;
steel industry; trade unions

Cape Verde
other: environmentalists; political pressure groups

Cayman Islands
National Trust
other: environmentalists

Central African Republic
Monam (combating gender-base violence)

Chad
rebel groups

Chile
Roman Catholic Church, particularly conservative groups such
as Opus Dei; United Labor Central or CUT includes trade unionists
from the country's five largest labor confederations
other: revitalized university student federations at all major
universities

China
no substantial political opposition groups exist

Christmas Island
none

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
The Cocos Islands Youth Support Centre

Colombia
National Liberation Army or ELN; Revolutionary Armed Forces
of Colombia or FARC
note: two largest insurgent groups active in Colombia

Comoros
other: environmentalists

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
MONUC - UN organization working
with the government; FARDC (Forces Armees de la Republique
Democratique du Congo) - Army of the Democratic Republic of the
Congo which commits atrocities on citizens; FDL (Forces
Democratiques de Liberation du Rwanda) - Rwandan militia group

Congo, Republic of the
Congolese Trade Union Congress or CSC;
General Union of Congolese Pupils and Students or UGEEC;
Revolutionary Union of Congolese Women or URFC; Union of Congolese
Socialist Youth or UJSC

Cook Islands
Reform Conference (lobby for political system changes)
other: various groups lobbying for political change

Costa Rica
Authentic Confederation of Democratic Workers or CATD
(Communist Party affiliate); Chamber of Coffee Growers; Confederated
Union of Workers or CUT (Communist Party affiliate); Costa Rican
Confederation of Democratic Workers or CCTD (Liberation Party
affiliate); Costa Rican Exporter's Chamber or CADEXCO; Costa Rican
Solidarity Movement; Costa Rican Union of Private Sector Enterprises
or UCCAEP [Rafael CARRILLO]; Federation of Public Service Workers or
FTSP; National Association for Economic Development or ANFE;
National Association of Educators or ANDE; National Association of
Public and Private Employees or ANEP [Albino VARGAS]; Rerum Novarum
or CTRN (PLN affiliate) [Gilbert BROWN]

Cote d'Ivoire
Federation of University and High School Students of
Cote d'Ivoire or FESCI [Serges KOFFI]; Rally of Houphouetists for
Democracy and Peace or RHDP [Alphonse DJEDJE MADY]; Young Patriots
[Charles BLE GOUDE]

Croatia
other: human rights groups

Cuba
Human Rights Watch; National Association of Small Farmers

Cyprus
Confederation of Cypriot Workers or SEK (pro-West);
Confederation of Revolutionary Labor Unions or Dev-Is; Federation of
Turkish Cypriot Labor Unions or Turk-Sen; Pan-Cyprian Labor
Federation or PEO (Communist controlled)

Czech Republic
Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions or CMKOS
[Jaroslav ZAVADIL]

Denmark
Confederation of Danish Employers or DA [President Jorn
Neergaard LARSEN]; Principal DA member organizations: Confederation
of Danish Industries [CEO Karsten DYBVAD]; Confederation of Danish
Labor Unions [President Harald BORSTING]; Danish Bankers Association
[CEO Joergen HORWITZ]; DaneAge Association [President Bjarne
HASTRUP]; Danish Society for Nature Conservation [President Ella
Maria BISSCHOP-LARSEN]
other: humanitarian relief; development assistance; human rights NGOs

Djibouti
Union for Presidential Majority UMP (coalition includes
RPP, FRUD, PPSD and PND); Union for Democratic Changeover or UAD
(opposition coalition includes ARD, MRDD, and UDJ)

Dominica
Dominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist party)

Dominican Republic
Citizen Participation Group (Participacion
Ciudadania); Collective of Popular Organizations or COP; Foundation
for Institution-Building and Justice (FINJUS)

Ecuador
Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador or
CONAIE [Marlon SANTI, president]; Coordinator of Social Movements or
CMS [F. Napoleon SALTOS]; Federation of Indigenous Evangelists of
Ecuador or FEINE [Manuel CHUGCHILAN, president]; National Federation
of Indigenous Afro-Ecuatorianos and Peasants or FENOCIN [Luis
Alberto ANDRANGO Cadena, president]

Egypt
Muslim Brotherhood (technically illegal)
note: despite a constitutional ban against religious-based parties
and political activity, the technically illegal Muslim Brotherhood
constitutes Egypt's most potentially significant political
opposition; President MUBARAK has alternated between tolerating
limited political activity by the Brotherhood and blocking its
influence (its members compete as independents in elections but do
not currently hold any seats in the legislature); civic society
groups are sanctioned, but constrained in practical terms; only
trade unions and professional associations affiliated with the
government are officially sanctioned; Internet social networking
groups and bloggers

El Salvador
labor organizations - Electrical Industry Union of El
Salvador or SIES; Federation of the Construction Industry, Similar
Transport and other activities, or FESINCONTRANS; National
Confederation of Salvadoran Workers or CNTS; National Union of
Salvadoran Workers or UNTS; Port Industry Union of El Salvador or
SIPES; Salvadoran Union of Ex-Petrolleros and Peasant Workers or
USEPOC; Salvadoran Workers Central or CTS; Workers Union of
Electrical Corporation or STCEL; business organizations - National
Association of Small Enterprise or ANEP; Salvadoran Assembly
Industry Association or ASIC; Salvadoran Industrial Association or
ASI

Equatorial Guinea
ASODEGUE (Madrid-based pressure group for
democratic reform); Global Witness (anti-corruption)

Eritrea
Eritrean Democratic Party (EDP) [HAGOS, Mesfin]; Eritrean
Islamic Jihad or EIJ (includes Eritrean Islamic Jihad Movement or
EIJM also known as the Abu Sihel Movement); Eritrean Islamic
Salvation or EIS (also known as the Arafa Movement); Eritrean
Liberation Front or ELF [ABDULLAH Muhammed]; Eritrean National
Alliance or ENA (a coalition including EIJ, EIS, ELF, and a number
of ELF factions) [HERUY Tedla Biru]; Eritrean Public Forum or EPF
[ARADOM Iyob]

Ethiopia
Ethiopian People's Patriotic Front or EPPF; Ogaden National
Liberation Front or ONLF; Oromo Liberation Front or OLF [DAOUD Ibsa]

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Falkland Islands Association
(supports freedom of the people from external causes)

Faroe Islands
conservationists

Fiji
Group Against Racial Discrimination or GARD [Dr. Anirudk SINGH]
(for restoration of a democratic government); Viti Landowners
Association

France
Confederation francaise democratique du travail or CFDT,
left-leaning labor union with approximately 803,000 members;
Confederation francaise de l'encadrement - Confederation generale
des cadres or CFE-CGC, independent white-collar union with 196,000
members; Confederation francaise des travailleurs chretiens of CFTC,
independent labor union founded by Catholic workers that claims
132,000 members; Confederation generale du travail or CGT,
historically communist labor union with approximately 700,000
members; Confederation generale du travail - Force ouvriere or FO,
independent labor union with an estimated 300,000 members; Mouvement
des entreprises de France or MEDEF, employers' union with 750,000
companies as members (claimed)
French Guiana: conservationists; gold mining pressure groups;
hunting pressure groups
Guadeloupe: Christian Movement for the Liberation of Guadeloupe or
KLPG; General Federation of Guadeloupe Workers or CGT-G; General
Union of Guadeloupe Workers or UGTG; Movement for an Independent
Guadeloupe or MPGI; The Socialist Renewal Movement
Martinique: Caribbean Revolutionary Alliance or ARC; Central Union
for Martinique Workers or CSTM; Frantz Fanon Circle; League of
Workers and Peasants; Proletarian Action Group or GAP
Reunion: NA

French Polynesia
NA

Gabon
NA

Gambia, The
National Environment Agency or NEA; West African Peace
Building Network-Gambian Chapter or WANEB-GAMBIA; Youth Employment
Network Gambia or YENGambia
other: special needs group advocates; teachers and principals

Georgia
separatists in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South
Ossetia

Germany
business associations and employers' organizations; trade
unions; religious, immigrant, expellee, and veterans groups

Ghana
Christian Aid (water rights); Committee for Joint Action or
CJA (education reform); National Coalition Against the Privatization
of Water or CAP (water rights); Oxfam (water rights); Public Citizen
(water rights); Students Coalition Against EPA [Kwabena Ososukene
OKAI] (education reform); Third World Network (education reform)

Gibraltar
Chamber of Commerce; Gibraltar Representatives
Organization; Women's Association

Greece
Civil Servants Confederation or ADEDY [Spyros PAPASPYROS];
Federation of Greek Industries or SEV [Dimitris DASKALOPOULOS];
General Confederation of Greek Workers or GSEE [Ioannis PANAGOPOULOS]

Greenland
other: conservationists; environmentalists

Grenada
Committee for Human Rights in Grenada or CHRG; New Jewel
Movement Support Group; The British Grenada Friendship Society; The
New Jewel 19 Committee

Guam
Guam Federation of Teachers' Union; Guam Waterworks Authority
Workers
other: activists; indigenous groups

Guatemala
Agrarian Owners Group or UNAGRO; Alliance Against Impunity
or AAI; Committee for Campesino Unity or CUC; Coordinating Committee
of Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial, and Financial Associations
or CACIF; International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala or
CICIG; Mutual Support Group or GAM

Guernsey
Stop Traffic Endangering Pedestrian Safety or STEPS; No
More Masts [Colin FALLAIZE]

Guinea
National Confederation of Guinean Workers-Labor Union of
Guinean Workers or CNTG-USTG Alliance (includes National
Confederation of Guinean Workers or CNTG [Rabiatou Sarah DIALLO] and
Labor Union of Guinean Workers or USTG [Dr. Ibrahima FOFANA]);
Syndicate of Guinean Teachers and Researchers or SLECG [Dr. Louis
M'Bemba SOUMAH]

Guinea-Bissau
NA

Guyana
Amerindian People's Association; Guyana Bar Association;
Guyana Citizens Initiative; Guyana Human Rights Association; Guyana
Public Service Union or GPSU; Private Sector Commission; Trades
Union Congress

Haiti
Autonomous Organizations of Haitian Workers or CATH [Fignole
ST-CYR]; Confederation of Haitian Workers or CTH; Federation of
Workers Trade Unions or FOS; General Organization of Independent
Haitian Workers [Patrick NUMAS]; Grand-Anse Resistance Committee, or
KOREGA; National Popular Assembly or APN; Papaye Peasants Movement
or MPP [Chavannes JEAN-BAPTISTE]; Popular Organizations Gathering
Power or PROP; Protestant Federation of Haiti; Roman Catholic Church

Holy See (Vatican City)
none (exclusive of influence exercised by
church officers)

Honduras
Beverage and Related Industries Syndicate or STIBYS;
Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras or CODEH;
Confederation of Honduran Workers or CTH; Coordinating Committee of
Popular Organizations or CCOP; General Workers Confederation or CGT;
Honduran Council of Private Enterprise or COHEP; National
Association of Honduran Campesinos or ANACH; National Union of
Campesinos or UNC; Popular Bloc or BP; United Confederation of
Honduran Workers or CUTH

Hong Kong
Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China); Chinese
Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong; Confederation of Trade
Unions or CTU (pro-democracy) [LAU Chin-shek, president; LEE
Cheuk-yan, general secretary]; Federation of Hong Kong Industries;
Federation of Trade Unions or FTU (pro-China) [CHENG Yiu-tong,
executive councilor]; Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic
Democratic Movement in China [Szeto WAH, chairman]; Hong Kong and
Kowloon Trade Union Council (pro-Taiwan); Hong Kong General Chamber
of Commerce; Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union [CHEUNG
Man-kwong, president]; Neighborhood and Workers' Service Center or
NWSC [LEUNG Yiu-chung, LegCo member] (pro-democracy); Civic Act-up
[Cyd HO Sau-lan, LegCo member] (pro-democracy)

Hungary
Air Work Group (works to reduce air pollution in towns and
cities); Company For Freedom Rights (Tarsasag a Szabadsagjogokert)
or TASZ (personal data protection); Danube Circle (protests the
building of the Gabchikovo-Nagymaros dam); Green Future (protests
the impact of lead contamination of local factory on health of the
people); environmentalists: Hungarian Ornithological and Nature
Conservation Society (Magyar Madartani Egyesulet)or MME; Green
Alternative (Zold Alternativa)

India
All Parties Hurriyat Conference in the Kashmir Valley
(separatist group); Bajrang Dal (religious organization); National
Socialist Council of Nagaland in the northeast (separatist group);
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh [Mohan BHAGWAT] (religious
organization); Vishwa Hindu Parishad [Ashok SINGHAL] (religious
organization)
other: numerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations;
various separatist groups seeking greater communal and/or regional
autonomy

Indonesia
Commission for the "Disappeared" and Victims of Violence
or KontraS; Indonesia Corruption Watch or ICW; Indonesian Forum for
the Environment or WALHI; Islamic Defenders Front or FPI; People's
Democracy Fortress or Bendera

Iran
groups that generally support the Islamic Republic: Ansar-e
Hizballah-Islamic Coalition Party (Motalefeh); Followers of the Line
of the Imam and the Leader; Islamic Engineers Society; Tehran
Militant Clergy Association (Ruhaniyat); active pro-reform student
group: Office of Strengthening Unity (OSU); opposition groups:
Baluchistan People's Party (BPP); Freedom Movement of Iran; Green
Path movement [Mehdi KARUBI, Mir-Hosein MUSAVI]; Marz-e Por Gohar;
National Front; and various ethnic and Monarchist organizations;
armed political groups that have been repressed by the government:
Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDPI); Jundallah; Komala;
Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK or MKO); People's Fedayeen;
People's Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK)

Iraq
Sunni militias; Shia militias, some associated with political
parties

Ireland
Families Acting for Innocent Relatives or FAIR [Brian
MCCONNELL] (seek compensation for victims of violence); Families
Against Intimidation and Terror or FAIT (oppose terrorism);
Gaeltacht Civil Rights Campaign (Coiste Cearta Sibhialta na Gaeilge)
or CCSG (encourages the use of the Irish language and campaigns for
greater civil rights in Irish speaking areas); Iona Institute [David
QUINN] (a conservative Catholic think tank); Irish Anti-War Movement
[Richard Boyd BARRETT] (campaigns against wars around the world);
Irish Republican Army or IRA (terrorist group); Keep Ireland Open
(environmental group); Midland Railway Action Group or MRAG [Willie
ALLEN] (transportation promoters); Peace and Neutrality Alliance
[Roger COLE] (campaigns to protect Irish neutrality); Rail Users
Ireland (formerly the Platform 11 - transportation promoters); 32
Country Sovereignty Movement or 32CSM (supports a fully sovereign
Ireland); Ulster Defence Association or UDA (terrorist group)

Isle of Man
Alliance for Progressive Government or APG (a government
watchdog); Mec Vannin (political party advocating a sovereign state
and environment policies); note - has only had one member elected to
the Tynwald

Israel
B'Tselem [Jessica MONTELL, Executive Director] monitors human
rights abuses; Peace Now [Yariv OPPENHEIMER, Secretary General]
supports territorial concessions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip;
YESHA Council of Settlements [Danny DAYAN, Chairman] promotes
settler interests and opposes territorial compromise; Breaking the
Silence [Yehuda SHAUL, Executive Director] collects testimonies from
soldiers who served in the West Bank and Gaza Strip

Italy
manufacturers and merchants associations - Confcommercio;
Confindustria; organized farm groups - Confcoltivatori;
Confagricoltura; Roman Catholic Church; three major trade union
confederations - Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro or CGIL
[Guglielmo EPIFANI] which is left wing; Confederazione Italiana dei
Sindacati Lavoratori or CISL [Raffaele BONANNO], which is Roman
Catholic centrist; Unione Italiana del Lavoro or UIL [Luigi
ANGELETTI] which is lay centrist)

Jamaica
New Beginnings Movement or NBM; Rastafarians (black
religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists)

Japan
other: business groups; trade unions

Jersey
Institute of Directors, Jersey branch (provides business
support); Jersey Hospitality Association [Robert JONES] (trade
association); Jersey Rights Association [David ROTHERHAM] (human
rights); La Societe Jersiaise (education and conservation group);
Progress Jersey [Daren O'TOOLE, Gino RISOLI] (human rights); Royal
Jersey Agriculture and Horticultural Society or RJA&HS (development
and management of the Jersey breed of cattle); Save Jersey's
Heritage (protects heritage through building preservation)

Jordan
Anti-Normalization Committee [Hamzeh MANSOUR, chairman];
Higher Coordination Committee of Opposition Parties [Hamzeh
MANZOUR]; Jordan Bar Association [Saleh al-ARMUTI, chairman];
Jordanian Press Association [Sayf al-SHARIF, president]; Jordanian
Muslim Brotherhood [Dr. Hamam SAID, controller general]

Kazakhstan
Adil-Soz [Tamara KALEYEVA]; Almaty Helsinki Committee
[Ninel FOKINA]; Confederation of Free Trade Unions [Sergei BELKIN];
For Fair Elections [Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS (jailed), Sabit ZHUSUPOV,
Sergey DUVANOV, Ibrash NUSUPBAYEV]; Kazakhstan International Bureau
on Human Rights [Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS, executive director]; Pan-National
Social Democratic Party of Kazakhstan [Zharmakhan TUYAKBAY];
Pensioners Movement or Pokoleniye [Irina SAVOSTINA, chairwoman];
Republican Network of International Monitors [Dos KUSHIM];
Transparency International [Sergey ZLOTNIKOV]

Kenya
Council of Islamic Preachers of Kenya or CIPK [Sheikh Idris
MOHAMMED]; Kenya Human Rights Commission [L. Muthoni WANYEKI];
Muslim Human Rights Forum [Ali-Amin KIMATHI]; National Convention
Executive Council or NCEC, a proreform coalition of political
parties and nongovernment organizations [Ndung'u WAINANA]; National
Muslim Leaders Forum or NAMLEF [Abdullahi ABDI]; Protestant National
Council of Churches of Kenya or NCCK [Canon Peter Karanja MWANGI];
Roman Catholic and other Christian churches; Supreme Council of
Kenya Muslims or SUPKEM [Shaykh Abdul Gafur al-BUSAIDY]
other: labor unions

Kiribati
NA

Korea, North
none

Korea, South
Federation of Korean Industries; Federation of Korean
Trade Unions; Korean Confederation of Trade Unions; Korean National
Council of Churches; Korean Traders Association; Korean Veterans'
Association; National Council of Labor Unions; National Democratic
Alliance of Korea; National Federation of Farmers' Associations;
National Federation of Student Associations

Kosovo
Council for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedom (human
rights); Humanitarian Law Centre (human rights); Movement for
Self-Determination; Serb National Council (SNV)

Kuwait
other: Islamists; merchants; political groups; secular
liberals and pro-governmental deputies; Shia activists; tribal groups

Kyrgyzstan
Adilet Legal Clinic [Cholpon JAKUPOVA]; Coalition for
Democracy and Civil Society [Dinara OSHURAKHUNOVA]; Interbilim
[Asiya SASYKBAEVA]

Laos
NA

Latvia
Free Trade Union Confederation of Latvia [Peteris KRIGERS],
Employers' Confederation of Latvia [Elina EGLE], Farmers' Parliament
[Juris LAZDINS]

Lebanon
Maronite Church [Patriarch Nasrallah SFAYR]
other: note - most sects retain militias and a number of militant
groups operate in Palestinian refugee camps

Lesotho
Media Institute of Southern Africa, Lesotho chapter [Thabang
MATJAMA] (pushes for media freedom)

Liberia
other: demobilized former military officers

Libya
other: anti-QADHAFI Libyan exile movement; Islamic elements

Liechtenstein
NA

Luxembourg
ABBL (bankers' association); ALEBA (financial sector
trade union); Centrale Paysanne (federation of agricultural
producers); CEP (professional sector chamber); CGFP (trade union
representing civil service); Chambre de Commerce (Chamber of
Commerce); Chambre des Metiers (Chamber of Artisans); FEDIL
(federation of industrialists); Greenpeace (environment protection);
LCGP (center-right trade union); Mouvement Ecologique (protection of
ecology); OGBL (center-left trade union)

Macau
Civic Power [Agnes LAM Lok-fong]; Macau New Chinese Youth
Association [LEONG Sin-man]; Macau Society of Tourism and
Entertainment or STDM [Stanley HO]; Macau Worker's Union [HO
Heng-kuok]; Union for Democracy Development [Antonio NG Kuok-cheong]

Macedonia
Federation of Free Trade Unions [Svetlana PETROVIC];
Federation of Trade Unions [Vanco MURATOVSKI]; Trade Union of
Education, Science and Culture [Dojcin CVETANOSKI]

Madagascar
Committee for the Defense of Truth and Justice or KMMR;
Committee for National Reconciliation or CRN [Albert Zafy]; National
Council of Christian Churches or FFKM

Malawi
Agri-Ecology Media (agriculture and environmental group);
Council for NGOs in Malawi or CONGOMA (human rights, democracy, and
development); Human Rights Consultative Committee or HRCC (human
rights); Malawi Law Society (human rights and law reform); Malawi
Movement for the Restoration of Democracy or MMRD (acts to restore
and maintain democracy); Public Affairs Committee or PAC (promotes
democracy, development, peace and unity)

Malaysia
Bar Council; BERSIH (electoral reform coalition); PEMBELA
(Muslim NGO coalition)
other: religious groups; women's groups; youth groups

Maldives
other: various unregistered political parties

Mali
other: the army; Islamic authorities; rebels in the northern
region; state-run cotton company CMDT; tuaregs

Malta
Alleanza Liberal-Demokratika Maltra or ALDM (for divorce,
abortion, gay marriage, the rights existent in other EU member
states); Alleanza Nazzionali Repubblikana or ANR (for traditional
values, anti-immigration); Alternattiva Demokratika
(pro-environment); Azzjoni Nazzjonali or AN (freedom to participate
in democratic government); Flimkien Ghal-Ambjent Ahjar
(pro-environment); Ghazda tal-Konsumaturi (consumer rights)
other: environmentalists

Marshall Islands
NA

Mauritania
General Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CGTM
[Abdallahi Ould MOHAMED, secretary general]; Independent
Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CLTM [Samory Ould BEYE];
Mauritanian Workers Union or UTM [Mohamed Ely Ould BRAHIM, secretary
general]
other: Arab nationalists; Ba'thists; Islamists

Mauritius
other: various labor unions

Mayotte
NA