Pitcairn Islands general assessment: satellite phone services domestic: domestic communication via radio (CB) international: country code - 872; satellite earth station (Inmarsat)

Poland general assessment: modernization of the telecommunications network has accelerated with market based competition finalized in 2003; fixed-line service, dominated by the former state-owned company, is dwarfed by the growth in wireless telephony domestic: wireless service, available since 1993 (GSM service available since 1996) and provided by three nation-wide networks, has grown rapidly in response to the weak fixed-line coverage; third generation UMTS service available in urban areas; cellular coverage is generally good with more gaps in the east; fixed-line service is growing slowly and still lags in rural areas international: country code - 48; international direct dialing with automated exchanges; satellite earth station - 1 (Intelsat, Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputnik)

Portugal general assessment: Portugal's telephone system has achieved a state-of-the-art network with broadband, high-speed capabilities domestic: integrated network of coaxial cables, open-wire, microwave radio relay, and domestic satellite earth stations international: country code - 351; 6 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to Azores; note - an earth station for Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region) is planned

Puerto Rico general assessment: modern system integrated with that of the US by high-capacity submarine cable and Intelsat with high-speed data capability domestic: digital telephone system; cellular telephone service international: country code - 1-787, 939; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat; submarine cable to US

Qatar general assessment: modern system centered in Doha domestic: NA international: country code - 974; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and UAE; submarine cable to Bahrain and UAE; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat

Romania general assessment: rapidly improving domestic and international service, especially in wireless telephony domestic: 90% of telephone network is automatic; liberalization in 2003 is transforming telecommunications; there has been 20% growth in fixed lines with a penetration rate of 58% of households; nation-wide wireless service is growing even faster with four major providers and a penetration rate of 32% international: country code - 40; satellite earth station - 10 (Intelsat 4); digital, international, direct-dial exchanges operate in Bucharest (2005)

Russia general assessment: the telephone system is experiencing significant changes; there are more than 1,000 companies licensed to offer communication services; access to digital lines has improved, particularly in urban centers; Internet and e-mail services are improving; Russia has made progress toward building the telecommunications infrastructure necessary for a market economy; the estimated number of mobile subscribers jumped from fewer than 1 million in 1998 to 120 million in 2005; a large demand for main line service remains unsatisfied, but fixed-line operators continue to grow their services domestic: cross-country digital trunk lines run from Saint Petersburg to Khabarovsk, and from Moscow to Novorossiysk; the telephone systems in 60 regional capitals have modern digital infrastructures; cellular services, both analog and digital, are available in many areas; in rural areas, the telephone services are still outdated, inadequate, and low density international: country code - 7; Russia is connected internationally by three undersea fiber-optic cables; digital switches in several cities provide more than 50,000 lines for international calls; satellite earth stations provide access to Intelsat, Intersputnik, Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Orbita systems

Rwanda general assessment: telephone system primarily serves business and government domestic: the capital, Kigali, is connected to the centers of the provinces by microwave radio relay and, recently, by cellular telephone service; much of the network depends on wire and HF radiotelephone international: country code - 250; international connections employ microwave radio relay to neighboring countries and satellite communications to more distant countries; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) in Kigali (includes telex and telefax service)

Saint Helena general assessment: can communicate worldwide domestic: automatic digital network international: country code - 290; international direct dialing; satellite voice and data communications; satellite earth stations - 5 (Ascension Island - 4, Saint Helena - 1)

Saint Kitts and Nevis general assessment: good inter-island and international connections domestic: inter-island links via Eastern Caribbean Fiber Optic cable; construction of enhanced wireless infrastructure launched in November 2004 international: country code - 1-869; international calls are carried by submarine cable or Intelsat

Saint Lucia general assessment: adequate system domestic: system is automatically switched international: country code - 1-758; direct microwave radio relay link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; tropospheric scatter to Barbados; international calls beyond these countries are carried by Intelsat from Martinique

Saint Pierre and Miquelon general assessment: adequate domestic: NA international: country code - 508; radiotelephone communication with most countries in the world; 1 earth station in French domestic satellite system

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines general assessment: adequate system domestic: islandwide, fully automatic telephone system; VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to the other islands of the Grenadines international: country code - 1-784; VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to Barbados; new SHF radiotelephone to Grenada and to Saint Lucia; access to Intelsat earth station in Martinique through Saint Lucia

Samoa general assessment: adequate domestic: NA international: country code - 685; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

San Marino general assessment: adequate connections domestic: automatic telephone system completely integrated into Italian system international: country code - 378; connected to Italian international network

Sao Tome and Principe general assessment: adequate facilities domestic: minimal system international: country code - 239; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Saudi Arabia general assessment: modern system domestic: extensive microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and fiber-optic cable systems international: country code - 966; microwave radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan; submarine cable to Djibouti, Egypt and Bahrain; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)

Senegal general assessment: good system domestic: above-average urban system; microwave radio relay, coaxial cable and fiber-optic cable in trunk system international: country code - 221; 4 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Serbia general assessment: modernization of the telecommunications network has been slow as a result of damage stemming from the 1999 war and transition to a competitive market-based system; network was only 65% digitalized in 2005 domestic: teledensity remains below the average for neighboring states; GSM wireless service, available through two providers with national coverage, is growing very rapidly; best telecommunications service limited to urban centers international: country code - 381

Seychelles general assessment: effective system domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands in the archipelago international: country code - 248; direct radiotelephone communications with adjacent island countries and African coastal countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Sierra Leone general assessment: marginal telephone and telegraph service domestic: the national microwave radio relay trunk system connects Freetown to Bo and Kenema international: country code - 232; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Singapore general assessment: excellent service domestic: excellent domestic facilities; launched 3G wireless service in February 2005 international: country code - 65; 9 submarine cables provide direct connection to more than 100 countries; 4 satellite earth stations, supplemented by VSAT coverage

Slovakia general assessment: Slovakia has a modern telecommunications system that has expanded dramatically in recent years with the growth in cellular services domestic: analog system is now receiving digital equipment and is being enlarged with fiber-optic cable, especially in the larger cities; three companies provide nationwide cellular services international: country code - 421; three international exchanges (one in Bratislava and two in Banska Bystrica) are available; Slovakia is participating in several international telecommunications projects that will increase the availability of external services

Slovenia general assessment: NA domestic: 100% digital (2000) international: country code - 386

Solomon Islands general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: country code - 677; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Somalia general assessment: the public telecommunications system was almost completely destroyed or dismantled by the civil war factions; private wireless companies offer service in most major cities and charge the lowest international rates on the continent domestic: local cellular telephone systems have been established in Mogadishu and in several other population centers international: country code - 252; international connections are available from Mogadishu by satellite

South Africa general assessment: the system is the best developed and most modern in Africa domestic: consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable, radiotelephone communication stations, and wireless local loops; key centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoria international: country code - 27; 2 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: coastal radiotelephone station at Grytviken

Spain general assessment: generally adequate, modern facilities; teledensity is 45 main lines for each 100 persons domestic: NA international: country code - 34; 22 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries

Sri Lanka general assessment: telephone services have improved significantly and are available in most parts of the country. domestic: national trunk network consists mostly of digital microwave radio relay; fiber-optic links now in use in Colombo area and two fixed wireless local loops have been installed; competition is strong in mobile cellular systems and mobile cellular subscribership is increasing; telephone density remains low (2006) international: country code - 94; submarine cables to Indonesia, Djibouti, India and Maldives; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Sudan general assessment: large, well-equipped system by regional standards and being upgraded; cellular communications started in 1996 and have expanded substantially domestic: consists of microwave radio relay, cable, radiotelephone communications, tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations international: country code - 249; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat (2000)

Suriname general assessment: international facilities are good domestic: microwave radio relay network international: country code - 597; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Svalbard general assessment: probably adequate domestic: local telephone service international: country code - 47-790; satellite earth station - 1 of unknown type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only)

Swaziland general assessment: a somewhat modern but not an advanced system domestic: system consists of carrier-equipped, open-wire lines and low-capacity, microwave radio relay international: country code - 268; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Sweden general assessment: excellent domestic and international facilities; automatic system domestic: coaxial and multiconductor cables carry most of the voice traffic; parallel microwave radio relay systems carry some additional telephone channels international: country code - 46; 5 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Sweden shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway)

Switzerland general assessment: excellent domestic and international services domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay networks international: country code - 41; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean)

Syria general assessment: fair system currently undergoing significant improvement and digital upgrades, including fiber-optic technology domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay network international: country code - 963; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); 1 submarine cable; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey; participant in Medarabtel

Taiwan general assessment: provides telecommunications service for every business and private need domestic: thoroughly modern; completely digitalized international: country code - 886; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); submarine cables to Japan (Okinawa), Philippines, Guam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe (1999)

Tajikistan general assessment: poorly developed and not well maintained; many towns are not linked to the national network domestic: the domestic telecommunications network has historically been under-funded and poorly maintained; main line availability has not changed significantly since 1998; cellular telephony is rare and coverage remains limited. international: country code - 992; linked by cable and microwave radio relay to other CIS republics and by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; Dushanbe linked by Intelsat to international gateway switch in Ankara (Turkey); satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 2 Intelsat

Tanzania general assessment: fair system operating below capacity and being modernized for better service; very small aperture terminal (VSAT) system under construction domestic: trunk service provided by open-wire, microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and fiber-optic cable; some links being made digital international: country code - 255; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)

Thailand general assessment: high quality system, especially in urban areas like Bangkok; WTO requirement for privatization of telecom sector is planned to be complete by 2006 domestic: fixed line system provided by both a government owned and commercial provider; wireless service expanding rapidly and outpacing fixed lines international: country code - 66; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean); landing country for APCN submarine cable

Togo general assessment: fair system based on a network of microwave radio relay routes supplemented by open-wire lines and a mobile cellular system domestic: microwave radio relay and open-wire lines for conventional system international: country code - 228; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Symphonie

Tokelau general assessment: modern satellite-based communications system; domestic: radiotelephone service between islands international: country code - 690; radiotelephone service to Samoa; government-regulated telephone service (TeleTok), with 3 satellite earth stations

Tonga general assessment: competition between Tonga Telecommunications Corporation (TCC) and Shoreline Communications Tonga (SCT) is accelerating expansion of telecommunications; SCT recently granted authority to develop high-speed digital service for telephone, Internet, and television domestic: fully automatic switched network international: country code - 676; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2004)

Trinidad and Tobago general assessment: excellent international service; good local service domestic: NA international: country code - 1-868; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Barbados and Guyana

Tunisia general assessment: above the African average and continuing to be upgraded; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis; Internet access available domestic: trunk facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial cable, and microwave radio relay international: country code - 216; 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya; participant in Medarabtel; two international gateway digital switches

Turkey general assessment: undergoing rapid modernization and expansion, especially with cellular telephones domestic: additional digital exchanges are permitting a rapid increase in subscribers; the construction of a network of technologically advanced intercity trunk lines, using both fiber-optic cable and digital microwave radio relay is facilitating communication between urban centers; remote areas are reached by a domestic satellite system; the number of subscribers to mobile cellular telephone service is growing rapidly international: country code - 90; international service is provided by three submarine fiber-optic cables in the Mediterranean and Black Seas, linking Turkey with Italy, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria, Romania, and Russia; also by 12 Intelsat earth stations, and by 328 mobile satellite terminals in the Inmarsat and Eutelsat systems (2002)

Turkmenistan general assessment: poorly developed domestic: Turkmenistan's telecommunications network remains woefully underdeveloped; Turkmentelekom, in cooperation with foreign investors, is planning to upgrade the country's telephone exchanges and install a new digital switching system international: country code - 993; linked by cable and microwave radio relay to other CIS republics and to other countries by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; a new telephone link from Ashgabat to Iran has been established; a new exchange in Ashgabat switches international traffic through Turkey via Intelsat; satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 1 Intelsat

Turks and Caicos Islands general assessment: fully digital system with international direct dialing domestic: full range of services available; GSM wireless service available international: country code - 1-649; 2 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Tuvalu general assessment: serves particular needs for internal communications domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands international: country code - 688; international calls can be made by satellite

Uganda general assessment: seriously inadequate; two cellular systems have been introduced, but a sharp increase in the number of main lines is essential; e-mail and Internet services are available domestic: intercity traffic by wire, microwave radio relay, and radiotelephone communication stations, fixed and mobile cellular systems for short-range traffic international: country code - 256; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat; analog links to Kenya and Tanzania

Ukraine general assessment: Ukraine's telecommunication development plan, running through 2005, emphasizes improving domestic trunk lines, international connections, and the mobile cellular system domestic: at independence in December 1991, Ukraine inherited a telephone system that was antiquated, inefficient, and in disrepair; more than 3.5 million applications for telephones could not be satisfied; telephone density is rising slowly and the domestic trunk system is being improved; the mobile cellular telephone system is expanding at a high rate international: country code - 380; two new domestic trunk lines are a part of the fiber-optic Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) system and three Ukrainian links have been installed in the fiber-optic Trans-European Lines (TEL) project that connects 18 countries; additional international service is provided by the Italy-Turkey-Ukraine-Russia (ITUR) fiber-optic submarine cable and by earth stations in the Intelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputnik satellite systems

United Arab Emirates general assessment: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network with rapidly growing use of mobile cellular telephones; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubai domestic: microwave radio relay, fiber optic and coaxial cable international: country code - 971; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; submarine cables to Qatar, Bahrain, India, and Pakistan; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia

United Kingdom general assessment: technologically advanced domestic and international system domestic: equal mix of buried cables, microwave radio relay, and fiber-optic systems international: country code - 44; 40 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Eutelsat; at least 8 large international switching centers

United States general assessment: a large, technologically advanced, multipurpose communications system domestic: a large system of fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and domestic satellites carries every form of telephone traffic; a rapidly growing cellular system carries mobile telephone traffic throughout the country international: country code - 1; 24 ocean cable systems in use; satellite earth stations - 61 Intelsat (45 Atlantic Ocean and 16 Pacific Ocean), 5 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 4 Inmarsat (Pacific and Atlantic Ocean regions) (2000)

Uruguay general assessment: fully digitalized domestic: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; new nationwide microwave radio relay network international: country code - 598; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2002)

Uzbekistan general assessment: antiquated and inadequate; in serious need of modernization domestic: the main line telecommunications system is dilapidated; the state owned telecom company, Uzbektelecom, is using a US$110 million loan from the Japanese government to improve main line services; mobile services are growing swiftly, with the subscriber base doubling in 2005 to 1.1 million; there are six main cellular providers currently in operation international: country code - 998; linked by landline or microwave radio relay with CIS member states and to other countries by leased connection via the Moscow international gateway switch; after the completion of the Uzbek link to the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic cable, Uzbekistan will be independent of Russian facilities for international communications; Inmarsat also provides an international connection, albeit an expensive one; satellite earth stations - NA (1998)

Vanuatu general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: country code - 678; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Venezuela general assessment: modern and expanding domestic: domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations; recent substantial improvement in telephone service in rural areas; substantial increase in digitalization of exchanges and trunk lines; installation of a national interurban fiber-optic network capable of digital multimedia services international: country code - 58; 3 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 PanAmSat; participating with Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia in the construction of an international fiber-optic network

Vietnam general assessment: Vietnam is putting considerable effort into modernization and expansion of its telecommunication system, but its performance continues to lag behind that of its more modern neighbors domestic: all provincial exchanges are digitalized and connected to Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City by fiber-optic cable or microwave radio relay networks; main lines have been substantially increased, and the use of mobile telephones is growing rapidly international: country code - 84; satellite earth stations - 2 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region)

Virgin Islands general assessment: modern system with total digital switching, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay domestic: full range of services available international: country code - 1-340; 2 submarine cable connections (Taino Carib, Americas-1); satellite earth stations - NA

Wake Island general assessment: satellite communications; 2 DSN circuits off the Overseas Telephone System (OTS) domestic: NA international: NA

Wallis and Futuna general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: country code - 681

West Bank general assessment: NA domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for fixed line services in the Gaza Strip; the Palestinian JAWAL company provides cellular services international: country code - 970

Western Sahara general assessment: sparse and limited system domestic: NA international: country code - 212; tied into Morocco's system by microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and satellite; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) linked to Rabat, Morocco

World general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: NA

Yemen general assessment: since unification in 1990, efforts have been made to create a national telecommunications network domestic: the national network consists of microwave radio relay, cable, tropospheric scatter, and GSM cellular mobile telephone systems international: country code - 967; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 2 Arabsat; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and Djibouti

Zambia general assessment: facilities are aging but still among the best in Sub-Saharan Africa domestic: high-capacity microwave radio relay connects most larger towns and cities; several cellular telephone services in operation; Internet service is widely available; very small aperture terminal (VSAT) networks are operated by private firms international: country code - 260; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)

Zimbabwe general assessment: system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance; more than 100,000 outstanding requests for connection despite an equally large number of installed but unused main lines domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, and a substantial mobile cellular network; Internet connection is available in Harare and planned for all major towns and for some of the smaller ones international: country code - 263; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat; two international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and Gweru)

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007



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@2125 Terrain

Afghanistan mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest

Albania mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast

Algeria mostly high plateau and desert; some mountains; narrow, discontinuous coastal plain

American Samoa five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains, two coral atolls (Rose Island, Swains Island)

Andorra rugged mountains dissected by narrow valleys

Angola narrow coastal plain rises abruptly to vast interior plateau

Anguilla flat and low-lying island of coral and limestone

Antarctica about 98% thick continental ice sheet and 2% barren rock, with average elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 meters; mountain ranges up to nearly 5,000 meters; ice-free coastal areas include parts of southern Victoria Land, Wilkes Land, the Antarctic Peninsula area, and parts of Ross Island on McMurdo Sound; glaciers form ice shelves along about half of the coastline, and floating ice shelves constitute 11% of the area of the continent

Antigua and Barbuda mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher volcanic areas

Arctic Ocean central surface covered by a perennial drifting polar icepack that, on average, is about 3 meters thick, although pressure ridges may be three times that thickness; clockwise drift pattern in the Beaufort Gyral Stream, but nearly straight-line movement from the New Siberian Islands (Russia) to Denmark Strait (between Greenland and Iceland); the icepack is surrounded by open seas during the summer, but more than doubles in size during the winter and extends to the encircling landmasses; the ocean floor is about 50% continental shelf (highest percentage of any ocean) with the remainder a central basin interrupted by three submarine ridges (Alpha Cordillera, Nansen Cordillera, and Lomonosov Ridge)

Argentina rich plains of the Pampas in northern half, flat to rolling plateau of Patagonia in south, rugged Andes along western border

Armenia Armenian Highland with mountains; little forest land; fast flowing rivers; good soil in Aras River valley

Aruba flat with a few hills; scant vegetation

Ashmore and Cartier Islands low with sand and coral

Atlantic Ocean surface usually covered with sea ice in Labrador Sea, Denmark Strait, and coastal portions of the Baltic Sea from October to June; clockwise warm-water gyre (broad, circular system of currents) in the northern Atlantic, counterclockwise warm-water gyre in the southern Atlantic; the ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a rugged north-south centerline for the entire Atlantic basin

Australia mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast

Austria in the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the eastern and northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping

Azerbaijan large, flat Kur-Araz Ovaligi (Kura-Araks Lowland) (much of it below sea level) with Great Caucasus Mountains to the north, Qarabag Yaylasi (Karabakh Upland) in west; Baku lies on Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) that juts into Caspian Sea

Bahamas, The long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills

Bahrain mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment

Baker Island low, nearly level coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef

Bangladesh mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast

Barbados relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region

Bassas da India volcanic rock

Belarus generally flat and contains much marshland

Belgium flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast

Belize flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south

Benin mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains

Bermuda low hills separated by fertile depressions

Bhutan mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna

Bolivia rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano), hills, lowland plains of the Amazon Basin

Bosnia and Herzegovina mountains and valleys

Botswana predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest

Bouvet Island volcanic; coast is mostly inaccessible

Brazil mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt

British Indian Ocean Territory flat and low (most areas do not exceed two meters in elevation)

British Virgin Islands coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly

Brunei flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west

Bulgaria mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast

Burkina Faso mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in west and southeast

Burma central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands

Burundi hilly and mountainous, dropping to a plateau in east, some plains

Cambodia mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north

Cameroon diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in north

Canada mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in southeast

Cape Verde steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic

Cayman Islands low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs

Central African Republic vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest

Chad broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains in northwest, lowlands in south

Chile low coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes in east

China mostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains, deltas, and hills in east

Christmas Island steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau

Clipperton Island coral atoll

Cocos (Keeling) Islands flat, low-lying coral atolls

Colombia flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes Mountains, eastern lowland plains

Comoros volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills

Congo, Democratic Republic of the vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east

Congo, Republic of the coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin

Cook Islands low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in south

Coral Sea Islands sand and coral reefs and islands (or cays)

Costa Rica coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes

Cote d'Ivoire mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest

Croatia geographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian border, low mountains and highlands near Adriatic coastline and islands

Cuba mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast

Cyprus central plain with mountains to north and south; scattered but significant plains along southern coast

Czech Republic Bohemia in the west consists of rolling plains, hills, and plateaus surrounded by low mountains; Moravia in the east consists of very hilly country

Denmark low and flat to gently rolling plains

Djibouti coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains

Dominica rugged mountains of volcanic origin

Dominican Republic rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed

East Timor mountainous

Ecuador coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands (sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente)

Egypt vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta

El Salvador mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau

Equatorial Guinea coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are volcanic

Eritrea dominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending highlands, descending on the east to a coastal desert plain, on the northwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling plains

Estonia marshy, lowlands; flat in the north, hilly in the south

Ethiopia high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley

Europa Island low and flat

European Union fairly flat along the Baltic and Atlantic coast; mountainous in the central and southern areas

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains

Faroe Islands rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of coast

Fiji mostly mountains of volcanic origin

Finland mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills

France mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east French Guiana: low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains Guadeloupe: Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior mountains; Grande-Terre is low limestone formation; most of the seven other islands are volcanic in origin Martinique: mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano Reunion: mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast

French Polynesia mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs

French Southern and Antarctic Lands volcanic

Gabon narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south

Gambia, The flood plain of the Gambia River flanked by some low hills

Gaza Strip flat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain

Georgia largely mountainous with Great Caucasus Mountains in the north and Lesser Caucasus Mountains in the south; Kolkhet'is Dablobi (Kolkhida Lowland) opens to the Black Sea in the west; Mtkvari River Basin in the east; good soils in river valley flood plains, foothills of Kolkhida Lowland

Germany lowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south

Ghana mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area

Gibraltar a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar

Glorioso Islands low and flat

Greece mostly mountains with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or chains of islands

Greenland flat to gradually sloping icecap covers all but a narrow, mountainous, barren, rocky coast

Grenada volcanic in origin with central mountains

Guam volcanic origin, surrounded by coral reefs; relatively flat coralline limestone plateau (source of most fresh water), with steep coastal cliffs and narrow coastal plains in north, low hills in center, mountains in south

Guatemala mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau

Guernsey mostly level with low hills in southwest

Guinea generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior

Guinea-Bissau mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east

Guyana mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south

Haiti mostly rough and mountainous

Heard Island and McDonald Islands Heard Island - 80% ice-covered, bleak and mountainous, dominated by a large massif (Big Ben) and an active volcano (Mawson Peak); McDonald Islands - small and rocky

Holy See (Vatican City) urban; low hill

Honduras mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains

Hong Kong hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north

Howland Island low-lying, nearly level, sandy, coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef; depressed central area

Hungary mostly flat to rolling plains; hills and low mountains on the Slovakian border

Iceland mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields; coast deeply indented by bays and fiords

Iles Eparses Bassas da India: atoll, awash at high tide; shallow (15 m) lagoon Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island: low, flat, and sandy Tromelin Island: low, flat, sandy; likely volcanic seamount

India upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north

Indian Ocean surface dominated by counterclockwise gyre (broad, circular system of currents) in the southern Indian Ocean; unique reversal of surface currents in the northern Indian Ocean; low atmospheric pressure over southwest Asia from hot, rising, summer air results in the southwest monsoon and southwest-to-northeast winds and currents, while high pressure over northern Asia from cold, falling, winter air results in the northeast monsoon and northeast-to-southwest winds and currents; ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Indian Ocean Ridge and subdivided by the Southeast Indian Ocean Ridge, Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge, and Ninetyeast Ridge

Indonesia mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior mountains

Iran rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts

Iraq mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey

Ireland mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast

Isle of Man hills in north and south bisected by central valley

Israel Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley

Italy mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands

Jamaica mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain

Jan Mayen volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers

Japan mostly rugged and mountainous

Jarvis Island sandy, coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef

Jersey gently rolling plain with low, rugged hills along north coast

Johnston Atoll mostly flat

Jordan mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River

Juan de Nova Island low and flat

Kazakhstan extends from the Volga to the Altai Mountains and from the plains in western Siberia to oases and desert in Central Asia

Kenya low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift Valley; fertile plateau in west

Kingman Reef low and nearly level

Kiribati mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs

Korea, North mostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow valleys; coastal plains wide in west, discontinuous in east

Korea, South mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south

Kuwait flat to slightly undulating desert plain

Kyrgyzstan peaks of Tien Shan and associated valleys and basins encompass entire nation

Laos mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus

Latvia low plain

Lebanon narrow coastal plain; El Beqaa (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains

Lesotho mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains

Liberia mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in northeast

Libya mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions

Liechtenstein mostly mountainous (Alps) with Rhine Valley in western third

Lithuania lowland, many scattered small lakes, fertile soil

Luxembourg mostly gently rolling uplands with broad, shallow valleys; uplands to slightly mountainous in the north; steep slope down to Moselle flood plain in the southeast

Macau generally flat

Macedonia mountainous territory covered with deep basins and valleys; three large lakes, each divided by a frontier line; country bisected by the Vardar River

Madagascar narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center

Malawi narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains

Malaysia coastal plains rising to hills and mountains

Maldives flat, with white sandy beaches

Mali mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savanna in south, rugged hills in northeast

Malta mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains; many coastal cliffs

Marshall Islands low coral limestone and sand islands

Mauritania mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills

Mauritius small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau

Mayotte generally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic peaks

Mexico high, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus; desert

Micronesia, Federated States of islands vary geologically from high mountainous islands to low, coral atolls; volcanic outcroppings on Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Chuuk

Midway Islands low, nearly level

Moldova rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea

Monaco hilly, rugged, rocky

Mongolia vast semidesert and desert plains, grassy steppe, mountains in west and southwest; Gobi Desert in south-central

Montenegro highly indented coastline with narrow coastal plain backed by rugged high limestone mountains and plateaus

Montserrat volcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland

Morocco northern coast and interior are mountainous with large areas of bordering plateaus, intermontane valleys, and rich coastal plains

Mozambique mostly coastal lowlands, uplands in center, high plateaus in northwest, mountains in west

Namibia mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east

Nauru sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center

Navassa Island raised coral and limestone plateau, flat to undulating; ringed by vertical white cliffs (9 to 15 m high)

Nepal Tarai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill region, rugged Himalayas in north

Netherlands mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast

Netherlands Antilles generally hilly, volcanic interiors

New Caledonia coastal plains with interior mountains

New Zealand predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains

Nicaragua extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes

Niger predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in south; hills in north

Nigeria southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains in southeast, plains in north

Niue steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau

Norfolk Island volcanic formation with mostly rolling plains

Northern Mariana Islands southern islands are limestone with level terraces and fringing coral reefs; northern islands are volcanic

Norway glaciated; mostly high plateaus and rugged mountains broken by fertile valleys; small, scattered plains; coastline deeply indented by fjords; arctic tundra in north

Oman central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south

Pacific Ocean surface currents in the northern Pacific are dominated by a clockwise, warm-water gyre (broad circular system of currents) and in the southern Pacific by a counterclockwise, cool-water gyre; in the northern Pacific, sea ice forms in the Bering Sea and Sea of Okhotsk in winter; in the southern Pacific, sea ice from Antarctica reaches its northernmost extent in October; the ocean floor in the eastern Pacific is dominated by the East Pacific Rise, while the western Pacific is dissected by deep trenches, including the Mariana Trench, which is the world's deepest

Pakistan flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest; Balochistan plateau in west

Palau varying geologically from the high, mountainous main island of Babelthuap to low, coral islands usually fringed by large barrier reefs

Palmyra Atoll very low

Panama interior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, upland plains; coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills

Papua New Guinea mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills

Paracel Islands mostly low and flat

Paraguay grassy plains and wooded hills east of Rio Paraguay; Gran Chaco region west of Rio Paraguay mostly low, marshy plain near the river, and dry forest and thorny scrub elsewhere

Peru western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva)

Philippines mostly mountains with narrow to extensive coastal lowlands

Pitcairn Islands rugged volcanic formation; rocky coastline with cliffs

Poland mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border

Portugal mountainous north of the Tagus River, rolling plains in south

Puerto Rico mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas

Qatar mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and gravel

Romania central Transylvanian Basin is separated from the Plain of Moldavia on the east by the Carpathian Mountains and separated from the Walachian Plain on the south by the Transylvanian Alps

Russia broad plain with low hills west of Urals; vast coniferous forest and tundra in Siberia; uplands and mountains along southern border regions

Rwanda mostly grassy uplands and hills; relief is mountainous with altitude declining from west to east

Saint Helena the islands of this group result from volcanic activity associated with the Atlantic Mid-Ocean Ridge Saint Helena: rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains Ascension: surface covered by lava flows and cinder cones of 44 dormant volcanoes; ground rises to the east Tristan da Cunha: sheer cliffs line the coastline of the nearly circular island; the flanks of the central volcanic peak are deeply dissected; narrow coastal plain lies between The Peak and the coastal cliffs

Saint Kitts and Nevis volcanic with mountainous interiors

Saint Lucia volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys

Saint Pierre and Miquelon mostly barren rock

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines volcanic, mountainous

Samoa two main islands (Savaii, Upolu) and several smaller islands and uninhabited islets; narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in interior

San Marino rugged mountains

Sao Tome and Principe volcanic, mountainous

Saudi Arabia mostly uninhabited, sandy desert

Senegal generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in southeast

Serbia extremely varied; to the north, rich fertile plains; to the east, limestone ranges and basins; to the southeast, ancient mountains and hills

Seychelles Mahe Group is granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky, hilly; others are coral, flat, elevated reefs

Sierra Leone coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, upland plateau, mountains in east

Singapore lowland; gently undulating central plateau contains water catchment area and nature preserve

Slovakia rugged mountains in the central and northern part and lowlands in the south

Slovenia a short coastal strip on the Adriatic, an alpine mountain region adjacent to Italy and Austria, mixed mountains and valleys with numerous rivers to the east

Solomon Islands mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls

Somalia mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north

South Africa vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands most of the islands, rising steeply from the sea, are rugged and mountainous; South Georgia is largely barren and has steep, glacier-covered mountains; the South Sandwich Islands are of volcanic origin with some active volcanoes

Southern Ocean the Southern Ocean is deep, 4,000 to 5,000 meters over most of its extent with only limited areas of shallow water; the Antarctic continental shelf is generally narrow and unusually deep, its edge lying at depths of 400 to 800 meters (the global mean is 133 meters); the Antarctic icepack grows from an average minimum of 2.6 million square kilometers in March to about 18.8 million square kilometers in September, better than a sixfold increase in area; the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (21,000 km in length) moves perpetually eastward; it is the world's largest ocean current, transporting 130 million cubic meters of water per second - 100 times the flow of all the world's rivers

Spain large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills; Pyrenees in north

Spratly Islands flat

Sri Lanka mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior

Sudan generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in far south, northeast and west; desert dominates the north

Suriname mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps

Svalbard wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west coast clear of ice about one-half of the year; fjords along west and north coasts

Swaziland mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains

Sweden mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west

Switzerland mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes

Syria primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west

Taiwan eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west

Tajikistan Pamir and Alay Mountains dominate landscape; western Fergana Valley in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest

Tanzania plains along coast; central plateau; highlands in north, south

Thailand central plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains elsewhere

Togo gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern plateau; low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes

Tokelau low-lying coral atolls enclosing large lagoons

Tonga most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base

Trinidad and Tobago mostly plains with some hills and low mountains

Tromelin Island low, flat, and sandy; likely volcanic

Tunisia mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara

Turkey high central plateau (Anatolia); narrow coastal plain; several mountain ranges

Turkmenistan flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in the south; low mountains along border with Iran; borders Caspian Sea in west

Turks and Caicos Islands low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps

Tuvalu very low-lying and narrow coral atolls

Uganda mostly plateau with rim of mountains

Ukraine most of Ukraine consists of fertile plains (steppes) and plateaus, mountains being found only in the west (the Carpathians), and in the Crimean Peninsula in the extreme south

United Arab Emirates flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east

United Kingdom mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast

United States vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges low and nearly level sandy coral islands with narrow fringing reefs that have developed at the top of submerged volcanic mountains, which in most cases rise steeply from the ocean floor

Uruguay mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland

Uzbekistan mostly flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes; broad, flat intensely irrigated river valleys along course of Amu Darya, Syr Darya (Sirdaryo), and Zarafshon; Fergana Valley in east surrounded by mountainous Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan; shrinking Aral Sea in west

Vanuatu mostly mountainous islands of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains

Venezuela Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast

Vietnam low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest

Virgin Islands mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land

Wake Island atoll of three low coral islands, Peale, Wake, and Wilkes, built up on an underwater volcano; central lagoon is former crater, islands are part of the rim

Wallis and Futuna volcanic origin; low hills

West Bank mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east

Western Sahara mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast

World the greatest ocean depth is the Mariana Trench at 10,924 m in the Pacific Ocean

Yemen narrow coastal plain backed by flat-topped hills and rugged mountains; dissected upland desert plains in center slope into the desert interior of the Arabian Peninsula

Zambia mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains

Zimbabwe mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld); mountains in east

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007



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@2127 Total fertility rate (children born/woman)

Afghanistan 6.69 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Albania 2.03 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Algeria 1.89 children born/woman (2006 est.)

American Samoa 3.16 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Andorra 1.3 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Angola 6.35 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Anguilla 1.73 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Antigua and Barbuda 2.24 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Argentina 2.16 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Armenia 1.33 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Aruba 1.79 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Australia 1.76 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Austria 1.36 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Azerbaijan 2.46 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Bahamas, The 2.18 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Bahrain 2.6 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Bangladesh 3.11 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Barbados 1.65 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Belarus 1.43 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Belgium 1.64 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Belize 3.6 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Benin 5.2 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Bermuda 1.89 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Bhutan 4.74 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Bolivia 2.85 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.22 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Botswana 2.79 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Brazil 1.91 children born/woman (2006 est.)

British Virgin Islands 1.72 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Brunei 2.28 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Bulgaria 1.38 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Burkina Faso 6.47 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Burma 1.98 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Burundi 6.55 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Cambodia 3.37 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Cameroon 4.39 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Canada 1.61 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Cape Verde 3.38 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Cayman Islands 1.9 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Central African Republic 4.41 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Chad 6.25 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Chile 2 children born/woman (2006 est.)

China 1.73 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Christmas Island NA

Cocos (Keeling) Islands NA

Colombia 2.54 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Comoros 5.03 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the 6.45 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Congo, Republic of the 6.07 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Cook Islands 3.1 children born/woman (2001 census)

Costa Rica 2.24 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Cote d'Ivoire 4.5 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Croatia 1.4 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Cuba 1.66 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Cyprus 1.82 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Czech Republic 1.21 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Denmark 1.74 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Djibouti 5.31 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Dominica 1.94 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Dominican Republic 2.83 children born/woman (2006 est.)

East Timor 3.53 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Ecuador 2.68 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Egypt 2.83 children born/woman (2006 est.)

El Salvador 3.12 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Equatorial Guinea 4.55 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Eritrea 5.08 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Estonia 1.4 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Ethiopia 5.22 children born/woman (2006 est.)

European Union 1.47 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) NA children born/woman

Faroe Islands 2.17 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Fiji 2.73 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Finland 1.73 children born/woman (2006 est.)

France 1.84 children born/woman (2006 est.)

French Polynesia 2.01 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Gabon 4.74 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Gambia, The 5.3 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Gaza Strip 5.78 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Georgia 1.42 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Germany 1.39 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Ghana 3.99 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Gibraltar 1.65 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Greece 1.34 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Greenland 2.4 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Grenada 2.34 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Guam 2.58 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Guatemala 3.82 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Guernsey 1.39 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Guinea 5.79 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Guinea-Bissau 4.86 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Guyana 2.04 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Haiti 4.94 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Honduras 3.59 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Hong Kong 0.95 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Hungary 1.32 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Iceland 1.92 children born/woman (2006 est.)

India 2.73 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Indonesia 2.4 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Iran 1.8 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Iraq 4.18 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Ireland 1.86 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Isle of Man 1.65 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Israel 2.41 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Italy 1.28 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Jamaica 2.41 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Japan 1.4 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Jersey 1.58 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Jordan 2.63 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Kazakhstan 1.89 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Kenya 4.91 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Kiribati 4.16 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Korea, North 2.1 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Korea, South 1.27 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Kuwait 2.91 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Kyrgyzstan 2.69 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Laos 4.68 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Latvia 1.27 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Lebanon 1.9 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Lesotho 3.28 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Liberia 6.02 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Libya 3.28 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Liechtenstein 1.51 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Lithuania 1.2 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Luxembourg 1.78 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Macau 1.02 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Macedonia 1.57 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Madagascar 5.62 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Malawi 5.92 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Malaysia 3.04 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Maldives 4.9 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Mali 7.42 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Malta 1.5 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Marshall Islands 3.85 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Mauritania 5.86 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Mauritius 1.95 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Mayotte 5.79 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Mexico 2.42 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Micronesia, Federated States of 3.16 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Moldova 1.85 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Monaco 1.76 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Mongolia 2.25 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Montserrat 1.77 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Morocco 2.68 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Mozambique 4.62 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Namibia 3.06 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Nauru 3.11 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Nepal 4.1 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Netherlands 1.66 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Netherlands Antilles 1.99 children born/woman (2006 est.)

New Caledonia 2.28 children born/woman (2006 est.)

New Zealand 1.79 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Nicaragua 2.75 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Niger 7.46 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Nigeria 5.49 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Niue NA

Norfolk Island NA

Northern Mariana Islands 1.24 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Norway 1.78 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Oman 5.77 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Pakistan 4 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Palau 2.46 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Panama 2.68 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Papua New Guinea 3.88 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Paraguay 3.89 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Peru 2.51 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Philippines 3.11 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Pitcairn Islands NA

Poland 1.25 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Portugal 1.47 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Puerto Rico 1.75 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Qatar 2.81 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Romania 1.37 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Russia 1.28 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Rwanda 5.43 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Saint Helena 1.55 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Saint Kitts and Nevis 2.31 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Saint Lucia 2.18 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon 2.01 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1.83 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Samoa 2.94 children born/woman (2006 est.)

San Marino 1.34 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Sao Tome and Principe 5.62 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Saudi Arabia 4 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Senegal 4.38 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Serbia 1.78 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Seychelles 1.74 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Sierra Leone 6.08 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Singapore 1.06 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Slovakia 1.33 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Slovenia 1.25 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Solomon Islands 3.91 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Somalia 6.76 children born/woman (2006 est.)

South Africa 2.2 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Spain 1.28 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Sri Lanka 1.84 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Sudan 4.72 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Suriname 2.32 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Svalbard NA

Swaziland 3.53 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Sweden 1.66 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Switzerland 1.43 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Syria 3.4 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Taiwan 1.57 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Tajikistan 4 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Tanzania 4.97 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Thailand 1.64 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Togo 4.96 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Tokelau NA

Tonga 3 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Trinidad and Tobago 1.74 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Tunisia 1.74 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Turkey 1.92 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Turkmenistan 3.37 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Turks and Caicos Islands 3.05 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Tuvalu 2.98 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Uganda 6.71 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Ukraine 1.17 children born/woman (2006 est.)

United Arab Emirates 2.88 children born/woman (2006 est.)

United Kingdom 1.66 children born/woman (2006 est.)

United States 2.09 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Uruguay 1.89 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Uzbekistan 2.91 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Vanuatu 2.7 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Venezuela 2.23 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Vietnam 1.91 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Virgin Islands 2.17 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Wallis and Futuna NA children born/woman

West Bank 4.28 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Western Sahara NA children born/woman

World 2.59 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Yemen 6.58 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Zambia 5.39 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Zimbabwe 3.13 children born/woman (2006 est.)

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007



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@2128 Government type

Afghanistan Islamic republic

Albania emerging democracy

Algeria republic

American Samoa NA

Andorra parliamentary democracy (since March 1993) that retains as its chiefs of state a coprincipality; the two princes are the president of France and bishop of Seo de Urgel, Spain, who are represented locally by coprinces' representatives

Angola republic; multiparty presidential regime

Anguilla NA

Antarctica Antarctic Treaty Summary - the Antarctic Treaty, signed on 1 December 1959 and entered into force on 23 June 1961, establishes the legal framework for the management of Antarctica; the 28th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting was held in Stockholm, Sweden in June 2005; at these periodic meetings, decisions are made by consensus (not by vote) of all consultative member nations; at the end of 2005, there were 45 treaty member nations: 28 consultative and 17 non-consultative; consultative (decision-making) members include the seven nations that claim portions of Antarctica as national territory (some claims overlap) and 21 non-claimant nations; the US and Russia have reserved the right to make claims; the US does not recognize the claims of others; Antarctica is administered through meetings of the consultative member nations; decisions from these meetings are carried out by these member nations (with respect to their own nationals and operations) in accordance with their own national laws; the years in parentheses indicate when a consultative member-nation acceded to the Treaty and when it was accepted as a consultative member, while no date indicates the country was an original 1959 treaty signatory; claimant nations are - Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, NZ, Norway, and the UK. Nonclaimant consultative nations are - Belgium, Brazil (1975/1983), Bulgaria (1978/1998) China (1983/1985), Ecuador (1987/1990), Finland (1984/1989), Germany (1979/1981), India (1983/1983), Italy (1981/1987), Japan, South Korea (1986/1989), Netherlands (1967/1990), Peru (1981/1989), Poland (1961/1977), Russia, South Africa, Spain (1982/1988), Sweden (1984/1988), Ukraine (1992/2004), Uruguay (1980/1985), and the US; non-consultative members, with year of accession in parentheses, are - Austria (1987), Canada (1988), Colombia (1989), Cuba (1984), Czech Republic (1962/1993), Denmark (1965), Estonia (2001), Greece (1987), Guatemala (1991), Hungary (1984), North Korea (1987), Papua New Guinea (1981), Romania (1971), Slovakia (1962/1993), Switzerland (1990), Turkey (1996), and Venezuela (1999); note - Czechoslovakia acceded to the Treaty in 1962 and separated into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993; Article 1 - area to be used for peaceful purposes only; military activity, such as weapons testing, is prohibited, but military personnel and equipment may be used for scientific research or any other peaceful purpose; Article 2 - freedom of scientific investigation and cooperation shall continue; Article 3 - free exchange of information and personnel, cooperation with the UN and other international agencies; Article 4 - does not recognize, dispute, or establish territorial claims and no new claims shall be asserted while the treaty is in force; Article 5 - prohibits nuclear explosions or disposal of radioactive wastes; Article 6 - includes under the treaty all land and ice shelves south of 60 degrees 00 minutes south and reserves high seas rights; Article 7 - treaty-state observers have free access, including aerial observation, to any area and may inspect all stations, installations, and equipment; advance notice of all expeditions and of the introduction of military personnel must be given; Article 8 - allows for jurisdiction over observers and scientists by their own states; Article 9 - frequent consultative meetings take place among member nations; Article 10 - treaty states will discourage activities by any country in Antarctica that are contrary to the treaty; Article 11 - disputes to be settled peacefully by the parties concerned or, ultimately, by the ICJ; Articles 12, 13, 14 - deal with upholding, interpreting, and amending the treaty among involved nations; other agreements - some 200 recommendations adopted at treaty consultative meetings and ratified by governments include - Agreed Measures for Fauna and Flora (1964) which were later incorporated into the Environmental Protocol; Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (1972); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (1980); a mineral resources agreement was signed in 1988 but remains unratified; the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was signed 4 October 1991 and entered into force 14 January 1998; this agreement provides for the protection of the Antarctic environment through six specific annexes: 1) environmental impact assessment, 2) conservation of Antarctic fauna and flora, 3) waste disposal and waste management, 4) prevention of marine pollution, 5) area protection and management and 6) liability arising from environmental emergencies; it prohibits all activities relating to mineral resources except scientific research; a permanent Antarctic Treaty Secretariat was established in 2004 in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Antigua and Barbuda constitutional parliamentary democracy

Argentina republic

Armenia republic

Aruba parliamentary democracy

Australia federal parliamentary democracy

Austria federal republic

Azerbaijan republic

Bahamas, The constitutional parliamentary democracy

Bahrain constitutional hereditary monarchy

Bangladesh parliamentary democracy

Barbados parliamentary democracy

Belarus republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship

Belgium federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy

Belize parliamentary democracy

Benin republic

Bermuda parliamentary; self-governing territory

Bhutan monarchy; special treaty relationship with India

Bolivia republic

Bosnia and Herzegovina emerging federal democratic republic

Botswana parliamentary republic

Brazil federative republic

British Virgin Islands NA

Brunei constitutional sultanate

Bulgaria parliamentary democracy

Burkina Faso parliamentary republic

Burma military junta

Burundi republic

Cambodia multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy

Cameroon republic; multiparty presidential regime

Canada constitutional monarchy that is also a parliamentary democracy and a federation

Cape Verde republic

Cayman Islands British crown colony

Central African Republic republic

Chad republic

Chile republic

China Communist state

Christmas Island NA

Cocos (Keeling) Islands NA

Colombia republic; executive branch dominates government structure

Comoros republic

Congo, Democratic Republic of the transitional government

Congo, Republic of the republic

Cook Islands self-governing parliamentary democracy

Costa Rica democratic republic

Cote d'Ivoire republic; multiparty presidential regime established 1960 note: the government is currently operating under a power-sharing agreement mandated by international mediators

Croatia presidential/parliamentary democracy

Cuba Communist state

Cyprus republic note: a separation of the two ethnic communities inhabiting the island began following the outbreak of communal strife in 1963; this separation was further solidified after the Turkish intervention in July 1974 that followed a Greek junta-supported coup attempt gave the Turkish Cypriots de facto control in the north; Greek Cypriots control the only internationally recognized government; on 15 November 1983 Turkish Cypriot "President" Rauf DENKTASH declared independence and the formation of a "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" (TRNC), which is recognized only by Turkey

Czech Republic parliamentary democracy

Denmark constitutional monarchy

Djibouti republic

Dominica parliamentary democracy

Dominican Republic representative democracy

East Timor republic

Ecuador republic

Egypt republic

El Salvador republic

Equatorial Guinea republic

Eritrea transitional government note: following a successful referendum on independence for the Autonomous Region of Eritrea on 23-25 April 1993, a National Assembly, composed entirely of the People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ, was established as a transitional legislature; a Constitutional Commission was also established to draft a constitution; ISAIAS Afworki was elected president by the transitional legislature; the constitution, ratified in May 1997, did not enter into effect, pending parliamentary and presidential elections; parliamentary elections had been scheduled in December 2001, but were postponed indefinitely; currently the sole legal party is the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ)

Estonia parliamentary republic

Ethiopia federal republic

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) NA

Faroe Islands NA

Fiji republic

Finland republic

France republic

French Polynesia NA

Gabon republic; multiparty presidential regime

Gambia, The republic

Georgia republic

Germany federal republic

Ghana constitutional democracy

Gibraltar NA

Greece parliamentary republic

Greenland parliamentary democracy within a constitutional monarchy

Grenada parliamentary democracy

Guam NA

Guatemala constitutional democratic republic

Guernsey parliamentary democracy

Guinea republic

Guinea-Bissau republic

Guyana republic

Haiti elected government

Holy See (Vatican City) ecclesiastical

Honduras democratic constitutional republic

Hong Kong limited democracy

Hungary parliamentary democracy

Iceland constitutional republic

India federal republic

Indonesia republic

Iran theocratic republic

Iraq parliamentary democracy

Ireland republic, parliamentary democracy

Isle of Man parliamentary democracy

Israel parliamentary democracy

Italy republic

Jamaica constitutional parliamentary democracy

Japan constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government

Jersey parliamentary democracy

Jordan constitutional monarchy

Kazakhstan republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch

Kenya republic

Kiribati republic

Korea, North Communist state one-man dictatorship

Korea, South republic

Kuwait constitutional hereditary emirate

Kyrgyzstan republic

Laos Communist state

Latvia parliamentary democracy

Lebanon republic

Lesotho parliamentary constitutional monarchy

Liberia republic

Libya Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the populace through local councils; in practice, an authoritarian state

Liechtenstein constitutional monarchy

Lithuania parliamentary democracy

Luxembourg constitutional monarchy

Macau limited democracy

Macedonia parliamentary democracy

Madagascar republic

Malawi multiparty democracy

Malaysia constitutional monarchy note: nominally headed by paramount ruler and a bicameral Parliament consisting of a nonelected upper house and an elected lower house; all Peninsular Malaysian states have hereditary rulers except Melaka and Pulau Pinang (Penang); those two states along with Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia have governors appointed by government; powers of state governments are limited by federal constitution; under terms of federation, Sabah and Sarawak retain certain constitutional prerogatives (e.g., right to maintain their own immigration controls); Sabah holds 25 seats in House of Representatives; Sarawak holds 28 seats in House of Representatives

Maldives republic

Mali republic

Malta republic

Marshall Islands constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 21 October 1986 and the Amended Compact entered into force in May 2004

Mauritania republic

Mauritius parliamentary democracy

Mayotte NA

Mexico federal republic

Micronesia, Federated States of constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 3 November 1986 and the Amended Compact entered into force May 2004

Moldova republic

Monaco constitutional monarchy

Mongolia mixed parliamentary/presidential

Montenegro republic

Montserrat NA

Morocco constitutional monarchy

Mozambique republic

Namibia republic

Nauru republic

Nepal parliamentary democracy

Netherlands constitutional monarchy

Netherlands Antilles parliamentary

New Caledonia NA

New Zealand parliamentary democracy

Nicaragua republic

Niger republic

Nigeria federal republic

Niue self-governing parliamentary democracy

Norfolk Island NA

Northern Mariana Islands commonwealth; self-governing with locally elected governor, lieutenant governor, and legislature

Norway constitutional monarchy

Oman monarchy

Pakistan federal republic

Palau constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 1 October 1994

Panama constitutional democracy

Papua New Guinea constitutional parliamentary democracy

Paraguay constitutional republic

Peru constitutional republic

Philippines republic

Pitcairn Islands NA

Poland republic

Portugal parliamentary democracy

Puerto Rico commonwealth

Qatar traditional emirate

Romania republic

Russia federation

Rwanda republic; presidential, multiparty system

Saint Helena NA

Saint Kitts and Nevis parliamentary democracy

Saint Lucia parliamentary democracy

Saint Pierre and Miquelon NA

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines parliamentary democracy

Samoa mix of parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy

San Marino independent republic

Sao Tome and Principe republic

Saudi Arabia monarchy

Senegal republic

Serbia republic

Seychelles republic

Sierra Leone constitutional democracy

Singapore parliamentary republic

Slovakia parliamentary democracy

Slovenia parliamentary republic

Solomon Islands parliamentary democracy

Somalia no permanent national government; transitional, parliamentary federal government

South Africa republic

Spain parliamentary monarchy

Sri Lanka republic

Sudan Government of National Unity (GNU) - the National Congress Party (NCP) and Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) formed a power-sharing government under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA); the NCP, which came to power by military coup in 1989, is the majority partner; the agreement stipulates national elections for the 2008 - 2009 timeframe.

Suriname constitutional democracy

Svalbard NA

Swaziland monarchy

Sweden constitutional monarchy

Switzerland formally a confederation, but similar in structure to a federal republic

Syria republic under an authoritarian, military-dominated regime

Taiwan multiparty democracy

Tajikistan republic

Tanzania republic

Thailand constitutional monarchy

Togo republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule

Tokelau NA

Tonga constitutional monarchy

Trinidad and Tobago parliamentary democracy

Tunisia republic

Turkey republican parliamentary democracy

Turkmenistan republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch

Turks and Caicos Islands NA

Tuvalu constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy

Uganda republic

Ukraine republic

United Arab Emirates federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE federal government and other powers reserved to member emirates

United Kingdom constitutional monarchy

United States Constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic tradition

Uruguay constitutional republic

Uzbekistan republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch

Vanuatu parliamentary republic

Venezuela federal republic

Vietnam Communist state

Virgin Islands NA

Wallis and Futuna NA

Western Sahara legal status of territory and issue of sovereignty unresolved; territory contested by Morocco and Polisario Front (Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro), which in February 1976 formally proclaimed a government-in-exile of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), led by President Mohamed ABDELAZIZ; territory partitioned between Morocco and Mauritania in April 1976, with Morocco acquiring northern two-thirds; Mauritania, under pressure from Polisario guerrillas, abandoned all claims to its portion in August 1979; Morocco moved to occupy that sector shortly thereafter and has since asserted administrative control; the Polisario's government-in-exile was seated as an Organization of African Unity (OAU) member in 1984; guerrilla activities continued sporadically, until a UN-monitored cease-fire was implemented 6 September 1991

Yemen republic

Zambia republic

Zimbabwe parliamentary democracy

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007



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@2129 Unemployment rate (%)

Afghanistan 40% (2005 est.)

Albania 14.3% official rate, but may exceed 30% due to preponderance of near-subsistence farming (2005 est.)

Algeria 15.7% (2006 est.)

American Samoa 29.8% (2005)

Andorra 0% (1996 est.)

Angola extensive unemployment and underemployment affecting more than half the population (2001 est.)

Anguilla 8% (2002)

Antigua and Barbuda 11% (2001 est.)

Argentina 10.2% (3rd quarter)

Armenia 7.6% (2004 est.)

Aruba 6.9% (2005 est.)

Australia 4.9% (2006 est.)

Austria 4.9% (2006 est.)

Azerbaijan 1.2% official rate (2006 est.)

Bahamas, The 10.2% (2005 est.)

Bahrain 15% (2005 est.)

Bangladesh 2.5% (includes underemployment) (2006 est.)

Barbados 10.7% (2003 est.)

Belarus 1.6% officially registered unemployed; large number of underemployed workers (2005)

Belgium 8.1% (2006 est.)

Belize 12.9% (2003)

Benin NA%

Bermuda 2.1% (2004 est.)

Bhutan

Bolivia 7.8% in urban areas; widespread underemployment (2006 est.)

Bosnia and Herzegovina 45.5% official rate; grey economy may reduce actual unemployment to 25-30% (31 December 2004 est.)

Botswana 23.8% (2004)

Brazil 9.6% (2006 est.)

British Virgin Islands 3.6% (1997)

Brunei 4.8% (2004)

Bulgaria 9.6% (2006 est.)

Burkina Faso NA%

Burma 10.2% (2006 est.)

Burundi NA%

Cambodia 2.5% (2000 est.)

Cameroon 30% (2001 est.)

Canada 6.4% (2006 est.)

Cape Verde 21% (2000 est.)

Cayman Islands 4.4% (2004)

Central African Republic 8% (23% for Bangui) (2001 est.)

Chad NA%

Chile 8.3% (2006 est.)

China 4.2% official registered unemployment in urban areas in 2005; substantial unemployment and underemployment in rural areas

Cocos (Keeling) Islands 60% (2000 est.)

Colombia 11.1% (2006 est.)

Comoros 20% (1996 est.)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the NA%

Congo, Republic of the NA%

Cook Islands 13.1% (2005)

Costa Rica 6.6% (2006 est.)

Cote d'Ivoire 13% in urban areas (1998)

Croatia 17.2% official rate; labor force surveys indicate unemployment around 14% (2006 est.)

Cuba 1.9% (2006 est.)

Cyprus Republic of Cyprus: 5.5% (2005 est.); north Cyprus: 5.6% (2004 est.)

Czech Republic 8.4% (2006 est.)

Denmark 4.5% (2006 est.)

Djibouti 50% (2004 est.)

Dominica 23% (2000 est.)

Dominican Republic 16% (2006 est.)

East Timor 50% estimated; note - unemployment in urban areas reached 20%; data do not include underemployed (2001 est.)

Ecuador 10.6% official rate; but underemployment of 47% (2006 est.)

Egypt 10.3% (2006 est.)

El Salvador 6% official rate; but the economy has much underemployment (2006 est.)

Equatorial Guinea 30% (1998 est.)

Eritrea NA%

Estonia 5.8% (2006 est.)

Ethiopia NA%

European Union 8.8% (2005 est.)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) full employment; labor shortage (2001)

Faroe Islands 1% (October 2000)

Fiji 7.6% (1999)

Finland 7% (2006 est.)

France 9.1% (2006 est.)

French Polynesia 11.8%

Gabon 21% (1997 est.)

Gambia, The NA%

Gaza Strip 31% (includes West Bank) (January-September 2005 avg.)

Georgia 12.6% (2004 est.)

Germany 7.1% note: this is the International Labor Organization's estimated rate for international comparisons; Germany's Federal Employment Office estimated a seasonally adjusted rate of 9.8% (2006 est.)

Ghana 20% (1997 est.)

Gibraltar 2% (2001 est.)

Greece 9.2% (2006 est.)

Greenland 10% (2000 est.)

Grenada 12.5% (2000)

Guam 11.4% (2002 est.)

Guatemala 7.5% (2003 est.)

Guernsey 0.9% (March 2006 est.)

Guinea NA%

Guinea-Bissau NA%

Guyana 9.1% (understated) (2000)

Haiti widespread unemployment and underemployment; more than two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs (2002 est.)

Honduras 27.9% (2006 est.)

Hong Kong 4.9% (2006 est.)

Hungary 7.4% (2006 est.)

Iceland 1.3% (2006 est.)

India 7.8% (2006 est.)

Indonesia 12.5% (2006 est.)

Iran 11.2% (2004 est.)

Iraq 25% to 30% (2005 est.)

Ireland 4.3% (2006 est.)

Isle of Man 0.6% (2004 est.)

Israel 8.5% (2006 est.)

Italy 7% (2006 est.)

Jamaica 11% (2006 est.)

Japan 4.1% (2006 est.)

Jersey 0.9% (2004 est.)

Jordan 15% official rate; unofficial rate is approximately 30% (2006 est.)

Kazakhstan 7.4% (2006 est.)

Kenya 40% (2001 est.)

Kiribati 2% official rate; underemployment 70% (1992 est.)

Korea, North NA%

Korea, South 3.6% (2006 est.)

Kuwait 2.2% (2004 est.)

Kyrgyzstan 18% (2004 est.)

Laos 2.4% (2005 est.)

Latvia 6.7% (2006 est.)

Lebanon 20% (2006 est.)

Lesotho 45% (2002)

Liberia 85% (2003 est.)

Libya 30% (2004 est.)

Liechtenstein 1.3% (September 2002)

Lithuania 4.5% (2006 est.)

Luxembourg 4.1% (2006 est.)

Macau 4.1% (2005)

Macedonia 35% (2006 est.)

Malawi NA%

Malaysia 3.5% (2006 est.)

Maldives NEGL% (2003 est.)

Mali 14.6% (2001 est.)

Malta 7.8% (2005 est.)

Marshall Islands 30.9% (2000 est.)

Mauritania 20% (2004 est.)

Mauritius 9.4% (2006 est.)

Mayotte 32.8% (2003)

Mexico 3.2% plus underemployment of perhaps 25% (2006 est.)

Micronesia, Federated States of 22% (2000 est.)

Moldova 8%; note - roughly 25% of working age Moldovans are employed abroad (2002 est.)

Monaco 22% (1999)

Mongolia 6.7% (2003)

Montenegro 27.7% (2005)

Montserrat 6% (1998 est.)

Morocco 7.7% (2006 est.)

Mozambique 21% (1997 est.)

Namibia 5.3% (2006 est.)

Nauru 90% (2004 est.)

Nepal 42% (2004 est.)

Netherlands 5.5% (2006 est.)

Netherlands Antilles 17% (2002 est.)

New Caledonia 17.1% (2004)

New Zealand 8.3% (2006 est.)

Nicaragua 3.8% plus underemployment of 46.5% (2006 est.)

Niger NA%

Nigeria 5.8% (2006 est.)

Niue 12% (2001)

Norfolk Island 0%

Northern Mariana Islands 3.9% (2001)

Norway 3.5% (2006 est.)

Oman 15% (2004 est.)

Pakistan 6.5% plus substantial underemployment (2006 est.)

Palau 4.2% (2005 est.)

Panama 8.8% (2006 est.)

Papua New Guinea 2% up to 80% in urban areas (2004)

Paraguay 9.4% (2005 est.)

Peru 7.2% in metropolitan Lima; widespread underemployment (2006 est.)

Philippines 8.4% (2006 est.)

Poland 14.9% (November 2006 est.)

Portugal 7.5% (2006 est.)

Puerto Rico 12% (2002)

Qatar 3.2% (2006 est.)

Romania 6.1% (2006 est.)

Russia 6.6% plus considerable underemployment (2006 est.)

Rwanda NA%

Saint Helena 14% (1998 est.)

Saint Kitts and Nevis 4.5% (1997)

Saint Lucia 20% (2003 est.)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon 10.3% (1999)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 15% (2001 est.)

Samoa NA%

San Marino 2.6% (2001)

Sao Tome and Principe NA%

Saudi Arabia 13% among Saudi males only (local bank estimate; some estimates range as high as 25%) (2004 est.)

Senegal 48%; note - urban youth 40% (2001 est.)

Serbia 31.6% note: unemployment is approximately 50% in Kosovo (2005 est.)

Seychelles NA%

Sierra Leone NA%

Singapore 3.1% (2006 est.)

Slovakia 10.2% (2006 est.)

Slovenia 9.6% (2006 est.)

Solomon Islands NA%

Somalia NA%

South Africa 25.5% (2006 est.)

Spain 8.7% (2006 est.)

Sri Lanka 7.6% (2006 est.)

Sudan 18.7% (2002 est.)

Suriname 9.5% (2004)

Swaziland 40% (2005 est.)

Sweden 5.6% (2006 est.)

Switzerland 3.3% (2006 est.)

Syria 8% (2005 est.)

Taiwan 3.9% (2006 est.)

Tajikistan 12% (2004 est.)

Tanzania NA%

Thailand 2.1% (2006 est.)

Togo NA%

Tokelau NA%

Tonga 13% (FY03/04 est.)

Trinidad and Tobago 7% (2006 est.)

Tunisia 13.9% (2006 est.)

Turkey 10.2% plus underemployment of 4% (2006 est.)

Turkmenistan 60% (2004 est.)

Turks and Caicos Islands 10% (1997 est.)

Tuvalu NA%

Uganda NA%

Ukraine 2.9% officially registered; large number of unregistered or underemployed workers; the International Labor Organization calculates that Ukraine's real unemployment level is around 9-10% (2006 est.)

United Arab Emirates 2.4% (2001)

United Kingdom 5.4% (2006 est.)

United States 4.6% (2006)

Uruguay 10.5% (2006 est.)

Uzbekistan 0.8% officially, plus another 20% underemployed (2006 est.)

Vanuatu 1.7% (1999)

Venezuela 8.9% (October 2006 est.)

Vietnam 2% (2006 est.)

Virgin Islands 6.2% (2004)

Wallis and Futuna 15.2% (2003)

West Bank 20.3% (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)

Western Sahara NA%

World 30% combined unemployment and underemployment in many non-industrialized countries; developed countries typically 4%-12% unemployment

Yemen 35% (2003 est.)

Zambia 50% (2000 est.)

Zimbabwe 80% (2005 est.)

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007



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@2137 Military - note

Akrotiri Akrotiri has a full RAF base, Headquarters for British Forces on Cyprus, and Episkopi Support Unit

American Samoa defense is the responsibility of the US

Andorra defense is the responsibility of France and Spain

Anguilla defense is the responsibility of the UK

Antarctica the Antarctic Treaty prohibits any measures of a military nature, such as the establishment of military bases and fortifications, the carrying out of military maneuvers, or the testing of any type of weapon; it permits the use of military personnel or equipment for scientific research or for any other peaceful purposes

Argentina the Argentine military is a well-organized force constrained by the country's prolonged economic hardship; the country has recently experienced a strong recovery, and the military is now implementing "Plan 2000," aimed at making the ground forces lighter and more responsive (2005)

Aruba defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Ashmore and Cartier Islands defense is the responsibility of Australia; periodic visits by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force

Baker Island defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US Coast Guard

Barbados the Royal Barbados Defense Force includes a land-based Troop Command and a small Coast Guard; the primary role of the land element is to defend the island against external aggression; the Command consists of a single, part-time battalion with a small regular cadre that is deployed throughout the island; it increasingly supports the police in patrolling the coastline to prevent smuggling and other illicit activities (2005)

Bassas da India defense is the responsibility of France

Bermuda defense is the responsibility of the UK

Bouvet Island defense is the responsibility of Norway

British Indian Ocean Territory defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016

British Virgin Islands defense is the responsibility of the UK

Cayman Islands defense is the responsibility of the UK

Christmas Island defense is the responsibility of Australia

Clipperton Island defense is the responsibility of France

Cocos (Keeling) Islands defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory has a five-person police force

Cook Islands defense is the responsibility of New Zealand, in consultation with the Cook Islands and at its request

Coral Sea Islands defense is the responsibility of Australia; visited regularly by the Royal Australian Navy; Australia has control over the activities of visitors

Cuba Moscow, for decades the key military supporter and supplier of Cuba, cut off almost all military aid by 1993

Dhekelia includes Dhekelia Garrison and Ayios Nikolaos Station connected by a roadway

Europa Island defense is the responsibility of France

European Union In November 2004, the European Union heads of government signed a "Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe" that offers possibilities - with some limits - for increased defense and security cooperation. If ratified, in a process that may take some two years, this treaty will in effect make operational the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) approved in the 2000 Nice Treaty. Despite limits of cooperation for some EU members, development of a European military planning unit is likely to continue. So is creation of a rapid-reaction military force and a humanitarian aid system, which the planning unit will support. France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Italy continue to press for wider coordination. The five-nation Eurocorps - created in 1992 by France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, and Luxembourg - has already deployed troops and police on peacekeeping missions to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo and assumed command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan in August 2004. Eurocorps directly commands the 5,000-man Franco-German Brigade, the Multinational Command Support Brigade, and EUFOR, which took over from SFOR in Bosnia in December 2004. Other troop contributions are under national command - commitments to provide 67,100 troops were made at the Helsinki EU session in 2000. Some 56,000 EU troops were actually deployed in 2003. In August 2004, the new European Defense Agency, tasked with promoting cooperative European defense capabilities, began operations. In November 2004, the EU Council of Ministers formally committed to creating thirteen 1,500-man "battle groups" by the end of 2007, to respond to international crises on a rotating basis. Twenty-two of the EU's 25 nations have agreed to supply troops. France, Italy, and the UK are to form the first three battle groups in 2005, with Spain to follow. In May 2005, Norway, Sweden, and Finland agreed to establish one of the battle groups, possibly to include Estonian forces. The remaining groups are to be formed by 2007. (2005)