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Description

Afghanistan has perhaps become more familiar to the world recent years for political reasons, but it has been a significant nation in the Middle East for centuries. It shares borders with three of the major nuclear powers, China (76km) to the northeast, Iran (936km) to the west and Pakistan (2,430km) to the east, as well as Tajikistan (1,206km), Turkmenistan (744km) and Uzbekistan (137km) all to the north. With a population of 29.8 million, it is the 41st most populous nation in world.

Akrotiri

By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created the independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovereignty and jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers - Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The southernmost and smallest of these is the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Western Sovereign Base Area.

Albania

For a time, Albania was the only Balkan state, other than Greece, not to have been swallowed up by Yugoslavia. However, today, the former Communist state is bordered by Greece (282km) to the south, Montenegro (172km) to the north, Kosovo (112km) to the north east and Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (151km) to the east. On the west lies the Adriatic Sea. It is also one of the smallest nations in the region with a population of just under 3 million.

Algeria

Algeria is one of the largest countries in the world, in terms of surface area at least, with its 2.3 million sq km placing it 11th.It borders 7 other African states, Libya (982km), Mali (1,376km), Morocco (1,559km), Mauritania (463km), Niger (956km), Tunisia (965km) an Western Sahara (42km). However, most of the country is taken over by the Sahara Desert, which explains a small population of just 35 million.

American Samoa

Settled as early as 1000 B.C., Samoa was "discovered" by European explorers in the 18th century. International rivalries in the latter half of the 19th century were settled by an 1899 treaty in which Germany and the US divided the Samoan archipelago. The US formally occupied its portion - a smaller group of eastern islands with the excellent harbor of Pago Pago - the following year.

Andorra

For 715 years, from 1278 to 1993, Andorrans lived under a unique co-principality, ruled by French and Spanish leaders (from 1607 onward, the French chief of state and the Spanish bishop of Urgel). In 1993, this feudal system was modified with the titular heads of state retained, but the government transformed into a parliamentary democracy. Long isolated and impoverished, mountainous Andorra achieved considerable prosperity since World War II through its tourist industry. Many immigrants (legal and illegal) are attracted to the thriving economy with its lack of income taxes.

Angola

A former Portuguese colony, Angola is one of the giant nations on the African continent, with a surface area of 1.2 million sq km. Despite its size, it only has 4 neighbors, with Namibia (1,376km) bordering to the south, Zambia (1,110km) to the east, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2,511km) to the north. Its fourth neighbour, the Republic of the Congo (201km), borders the province of Cabinda, an exclave and Angolan province to the north. Despite its vast size, the country has a population of just 13 million.

Anguilla

Colonized by English settlers from Saint Kitts in 1650, Anguilla was administered by Great Britain until the early 19th century, when the island - against the wishes of the inhabitants - was incorporated into a single British dependency, along with Saint Kitts and Nevis. Several attempts at separation failed. In 1971, two years after a revolt, Anguilla was finally allowed to secede; this arrangement was formally recognized in 1980, with Anguilla becoming a separate British dependency.

Antarctica

Speculation over the existence of a "southern land" was not confirmed until the early 1820s when British and American commercial operators and British and Russian national expeditions began exploring the Antarctic Peninsula region and other areas south of the Antarctic Circle. Not until 1840 was it established that Antarctica was indeed a continent and not just a group of islands. Several exploration "firsts" were achieved in the early 20th century. Following World War II, there was an upsurge in scientific research on the continent. A number of countries have set up a range of year-round and seasonal stations, camps, and refuges to support scientific research in Antarctica. Seven have made territorial claims, but not all countries recognize these claims. In order to form a legal framework for the activities of nations on the continent, an Antarctic Treaty was negotiated that neither denies nor gives recognition to existing territorial claims; signed in 1959, it entered into force in 1961.

Antigua and Barbuda

The Siboney were the first to inhabit the islands of Antigua and Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but Arawak Indians populated the islands when COLUMBUS landed on his second voyage in 1493. Early settlements by the Spanish and French were succeeded by the English who formed a colony in 1667. Slavery, established to run the sugar plantations on Antigua, was abolished in 1834. The islands became an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981.

Arctic Ocean

The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and the recently delimited Southern Ocean). The Northwest Passage (US and Canada) and Northern Sea Route (Norway and Russia) are two important seasonal waterways. A sparse network of air, ocean, river, and land routes circumscribes the Arctic Ocean.

Argentina

In South America, Argentina scores a noteworthy 1-2-3. It has the longest continuous land border with one nation, sharing a 5,150km stretch with Chile; it is the 2nd largest country, behind Brazil, at 2.8 million sq km; and it has the 3rd largest population, behind Brazil and Colombia, with 41.7 million.

Armenia

Armenia prides itself on being the first nation to formally adopt Christianity (early 4th century). Despite periods of autonomy, over the centuries Armenia came under the sway of various empires including the Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Persian, and Ottoman. During World War I in the western portion of Armenia, Ottoman Turkey instituted a policy of forced resettlement coupled with other harsh practices that resulted in an estimated 1 million Armenian deaths. The eastern area of Armenia was ceded by the Ottomans to Russia in 1828; this portion declared its independence in 1918, but was conquered by the Soviet Red Army in 1920. Armenian leaders remain preoccupied by the long conflict with Muslim Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily Armenian-populated region, assigned to Soviet Azerbaijan in the 1920s by Moscow. Armenia and Azerbaijan began fighting over the area in 1988; the struggle escalated after both countries attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By May 1994, when a cease-fire took hold, Armenian forces held not only Nagorno-Karabakh but also a significant portion of Azerbaijan proper. The economies of both sides have been hurt by their inability to make substantial progress toward a peaceful resolution. Turkey imposed an economic blockade on Armenia and closed the common border because of the Armenian separatists' control of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas.

Aruba

Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was acquired by the Dutch in 1636. The island's economy has been dominated by three main industries. A 19th century gold rush was followed by prosperity brought on by the opening in 1924 of an oil refinery. The last decades of the 20th century saw a boom in the tourism industry. Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986 and became a separate, autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Movement toward full independence was halted at Aruba's request in 1990.

Ashmore and Cartier Islands

These uninhabited islands came under Australian authority in 1931; formal administration began two years later. Ashmore Reef supports a rich and diverse avian and marine habitat; in 1983, it became a National Nature Reserve. Cartier Island, a former bombing range, became a marine reserve in 2000.

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, but larger than the Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean). The Kiel Canal (Germany), Oresund (Denmark-Sweden), Bosporus (Turkey), Strait of Gibraltar (Morocco-Spain), and the Saint Lawrence Seaway (Canada-US) are important strategic access waterways. The decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth world ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Atlantic Ocean south of 60 degrees south latitude.

Australia

Australia is the 6th largest nation on earth, with a surface area of 7.7 million sq km, and the largest island nation. As an island, it has no land borders, but its nearest neighbors are Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and East Timor to the north, and New Zealand to the south east. The majority of its 21.8 million population lives on Australia’s east coast, though its capital, Canberra has a small share of just 300,000 inhabitants. Sydney is the most populated city, with 4.3 million citizens.

Austria

Austria is at the heart of the 6-nation cluster of landlocked countries in central Europe. With a population of 8.2 million, only one of that group - the Czech Republic - has a higher population. Its borders are shared with 8 neighbours: Switzerland (164km) to the west, with the tiny state of Liechtenstein (35km) between them, Germany (784km) and Czech Republic (362km) to the north, Slovakia (91km) and Hungary (366km) to the east, and Slovenia (330km) and Italy (430km) to the south.

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan - a nation with a majority-Turkic and majority-Muslim population - was briefly independent from 1918 to 1920; it regained its independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Despite a 1994 cease-fire, Azerbaijan has yet to resolve its conflict with Armenia over the Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh enclave (largely Armenian populated). Azerbaijan has lost 16% of its territory and must support some 600,000 internally displaced persons as a result of the conflict. Corruption is ubiquitous, and the government has been accused of authoritarianism. Although the poverty rate has been reduced in recent years, the promise of widespread wealth from development of Azerbaijan's energy sector remains largely unfulfilled.

Bahamas, The

One of the most well-known nations in the Caribbean region, the Bahamas is actually a Commonwealth of hundreds of island. The chief islands are Grand Bahama, Andros Island, Great Abaco and New Providence, where the national capital, Nassau, is located. The Bahamas have no borders, but to the north west is the US mainland state of Florida, to the south is Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. With a population of just 313,000 it is the 179th most populous country in the world.

Bahrain

Bahrain is one of the smallest nations in the Middle East, indeed the world, with a population of just 1.2 million and a capital city, Manama, boasting a citizenship of just 140,000. Though it appears to be an island off the coasts of Saudi Arabia, to the west and south, and Qatar to the east, Bahrain is actually an archipelago made up of 33 islands, the largest of which is Bahrain Island.

Baker Island

The US took possession of the island in 1857, and its guano deposits were mined by US and British companies during the second half of the 19th century. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization was begun on this island - as well as on nearby Howland Island - but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. Presently the island is a National Wildlife Refuge run by the US Department of the Interior; a day beacon is situated near the middle of the west coast.

Bangladesh

Formerly known as East Pakistan, Bangladesh won independence in 1971. Its southern coast faces onto the Bay of Bengal, and but it is otherwise almost completely surrounded by India (4,053km). Its only other land border is a 193km stretch in the south east with Burma. It has a population of 158 million, the 8th highest in the world, despite its size, giving it one of the highest population densities on earth, at 1,089.52 per sq km.

Barbados

One of the many island nations that make up the Carribbean region, Barbados is the farthest of the Lesser Antilles and faces onto the North Atlantic to the east. Unsurprisingly, it is one of the smallest independent nations, both in terms of surface area (430 sq km) where it ranks 190th in the world, and in population (287,000), making it the 182nd most populous nation in the world.

Bassas da India

This atoll is a volcanic rock surrounded by reefs and is awash at high tide. A French possession since 1897, it was placed under the administration of a commissioner residing in Reunion in 1968.

Belarus

After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than any of the other former Soviet republics. Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic integration. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the accord, serious implementation has yet to take place. Since his election in July 1994 as the country's first president, Alexandr LUKASHENKO has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means. Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion continue.

Belgium

Belgium sits on the northwest coastline of mainland Europe, surrounded by four nations and the North Sea. Its longest border is shared with France (620km) to the south west, with Luxembourg (148km) to the south east, Germany (167km) to the east and The Netherlands (450km) to the north east. Its capital city, Brussels, not only oversees the running of two domestic cultures - the the French-speaking Walloons to the south, and Dutch speaking Flemish in the north - but also one of the three political capitals of the European Union.

Belize

One of the smaller nations of Central America, Belize faces the Caribbean Sea on the east, but is bordered with Mexico (250km) to the north and Guatemala (280km) to the west and south. With a population of just 321,000, it ranks 178th in the world, while its capital city, Belmopan, situated in the centre of the country, has one of the smallest citizenships, with just 5,845.

Benin

Present day Benin was the site of Dahomey, a prominent West African kingdom that rose in the 15th century. The territory became a French Colony in 1872 and achieved independence on 1 August 1960, as the Republic of Benin. A succession of military governments ended in 1972 with the rise to power of Mathieu KEREKOU and the establishment of a government based on Marxist-Leninist principles. A move to representative government began in 1989. Two years later, free elections ushered in former Prime Minister Nicephore SOGLO as president, marking the first successful transfer of power in Africa from a dictatorship to a democracy. KEREKOU was returned to power by elections held in 1996 and 2001, though some irregularities were alleged. KEREKOU stepped down at the end of his second term in 2006 and was succeeded by Thomas YAYI Boni, a political outsider and independent. YAYI has begun a high profile fight against corruption and has strongly promoted accelerating Benin's economic growth.

Bermuda

Bermuda was first settled in 1609 by shipwrecked English colonists headed for Virginia. Tourism to the island to escape North American winters first developed in Victorian times. Tourism continues to be important to the island's economy, although international business has overtaken it in recent years. Bermuda has developed into a highly successful offshore financial center. Although a referendum on independence from the UK was soundly defeated in 1995, the present government has reopened debate on the issue.

Bhutan

In 1865, Britain and Bhutan signed the Treaty of Sinchulu, under which Bhutan would receive an annual subsidy in exchange for ceding some border land to British India. Under British influence, a monarchy was set up in 1907; three years later, a treaty was signed whereby the British agreed not to interfere in Bhutanese internal affairs and Bhutan allowed Britain to direct its foreign affairs. This role was assumed by independent India after 1947. Two years later, a formal Indo-Bhutanese accord returned the areas of Bhutan annexed by the British, formalized the annual subsidies the country received, and defined India's responsibilities in defense and foreign relations. A refugee issue of over 100,000 Bhutanese in Nepal remains unresolved; 90% of the refugees are housed in seven United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) camps. In March 2005, King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK unveiled the government's draft constitution - which would introduce major democratic reforms - and pledged to hold a national referendum for its approval. In December 2006, the King abdicated the throne to his son, Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK, in order to give him experience as head of state before the democratic transition. In early 2007, India and Bhutan renegotiated their treaty to allow Bhutan greater autonomy in conducting its foreign policy, although Thimphu continues to coordinate policy decisions in this area with New Delhi. In July 2007, seven ministers of Bhutan's ten-member cabinet resigned to join the political process, and the cabinet acted as a caretaker regime until democratic elections for seats to the country's first parliament were completed in March 2008. The king ratified the country's first constitution in July 2008.

Bolivia

Bolivia is one of only two counties in South America that is landlocked - the other being Paraguay. Between it at the South Pacific Ocean are Chile (860km) and Peru (1,075km), while the county is also bordered by Brazil (3,423km) to the east, and Paraguay (750km) and Argentina (832km) to the south. Though La Paz, its largest city, is generally recognised at its capital city, it is only its administrative capital with Sucre, in the centre of the country, the official capital.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Formerly key provinces of the old Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina gained independence in the 1990s after the Yugoslav Wars forming their own federation. The country is bordered by Croatia (932km) to the west and north, and by Serbia (357km) to the east and Montenegro (249km) to the south east. The country would be completely landlocked, but for the 26km of coastline on the Adriatic sea.

Botswana

Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name upon independence in 1966. Four decades of uninterrupted civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and significant capital investment have created one of the most dynamic economies in Africa. Mineral extraction, principally diamond mining, dominates economic activity, though tourism is a growing sector due to the country's conservation practices and extensive nature preserves. Botswana has one of the world's highest known rates of HIV/AIDS infection, but also one of Africa's most progressive and comprehensive programs for dealing with the disease.

Bouvet Island

This uninhabited volcanic island is almost entirely covered by glaciers and is difficult to approach. It was discovered in 1739 by a French naval officer after whom the island was named. No claim was made until 1825, when the British flag was raised. In 1928, the UK waived its claim in favor of Norway, which had occupied the island the previous year. In 1971, Norway designated Bouvet Island and the adjacent territorial waters a nature reserve. Since 1977, it has run an automated meteorological station on the island.

Brazil

By far the largest nation in South America, both in terms of surface area (8.5 million sq km) and population (203 million), it's hard not to think of Brazil in anything other than big terms. Within the Americas, it has the largest number of neighbours with 10 countries in total, sharing a border with it. They are Uruguay, Argentina (1,261km), Paragua (1,362km), Bolivia (3,423km), Peru (2,995km), Colombia (1,644km), Venezuela (2,200km), Guyana (1,606km), Suriname (593km) and French Guiana (730km). Its neighbour to the east is the Atlantic Ocean.

British Indian Ocean Territory

Formerly administered as part of the British Crown Colony of Mauritius, the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) was established as an overseas territory of the UK in 1965. A number of the islands of the territory were later transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Between 1967 and 1973, former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius, but also to the Seychelles. Negotiations between 1971 and 1982 resulted in the establishment of a trust fund by the British Government as compensation for the displaced islanders, known as Chagossians. Beginning in 1998, the islanders pursued a series of lawsuits against the British Government seeking further compensation and the right to return to the territory. In 2006 and 2007, British court rulings invalidated the immigration policies contained in the 2004 BIOT Constitution Order that had excluded the islanders from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. In 2008, the House of Lords, as the final court of appeal in the UK, ruled in favor of the British Goverment by overturning the lower court rulings and finding no right of return on the part of the Chagossians.

British Virgin Islands

First inhabited by Arawak and later by Carib Indians, the Virgin Islands were settled by the Dutch in 1648 and then annexed by the English in 1672. The islands were part of the British colony of the Leeward Islands from 1872-1960; they were granted autonomy in 1967. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency.

Brunei

The Sultanate of Brunei's influence peaked between the 15th and 17th centuries when its control extended over coastal areas of northwest Borneo and the southern Philippines. Brunei subsequently entered a period of decline brought on by internal strife over royal succession, colonial expansion of European powers, and piracy. In 1888, Brunei became a British protectorate; independence was achieved in 1984. The same family has ruled Brunei for over six centuries. Brunei benefits from extensive petroleum and natural gas fields, the source of one of the highest per capita GDPs in Asia.

Bulgaria

As one of the newest members of the European Union, having joined with Romania in 2007, Bulgaria makes up the eastern frontier of the political and economic entity. Its eastern coast faces onto the Black Sea, while it is bordered to the north by Romania (608km), to the west by Serbia (318km) and Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (148km), and by Greece (494km) and Turkey (240km) to the south. Its capital city, Sofia, is one of the largest in the EU, with a population of 1.3 million, so 14% of the total population of 7.1 million.

Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) achieved independence from France in 1960. Repeated military coups during the 1970s and 1980s were followed by multiparty elections in the early 1990s. Current President Blaise COMPAORE came to power in a 1987 military coup and has won every election since then. Burkina Faso's high population density and limited natural resources result in poor economic prospects for the majority of its citizens. Recent unrest in Cote d'Ivoire and northern Ghana has hindered the ability of several hundred thousand seasonal Burkinabe farm workers to find employment in neighboring countries.

Burma

Britain conquered Burma over a period of 62 years (1824-1886) and incorporated it into its Indian Empire. Burma was administered as a province of India until 1937 when it became a separate, self-governing colony; independence from the Commonwealth was attained in 1948. Gen. NE WIN dominated the government from 1962 to 1988, first as military ruler, then as self-appointed president, and later as political kingpin. Despite multiparty legislative elections in 1990 that resulted in the main opposition party - the National League for Democracy (NLD) - winning a landslide victory, the ruling junta refused to hand over power. NLD leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient AUNG SAN SUU KYI, who was under house arrest from 1989 to 1995 and 2000 to 2002, was imprisoned in May 2003 and subsequently transferred to house arrest. After Burma's ruling junta in August 2007 unexpectedly increased fuel prices, tens of thousands of Burmese marched in protest, led by prodemocracy activists and Buddhist monks. In late September 2007, the government brutally suppressed the protests, killing at least 13 people and arresting thousands for participating in the demonstrations. Since then, the regime has continued to raid homes and monasteries and arrest persons suspected of participating in the pro-democracy protests. The junta appointed Labor Minister AUNG KYI in October 2007 as liaison to AUNG SAN SUU KYI, who remains under house arrest and virtually incommunicado with her party and supporters.

Burundi

Burundi's first democratically elected president was assassinated in October 1993 after only 100 days in office, triggering widespread ethnic violence between Hutu and Tutsi factions. More than 200,000 Burundians perished during the conflict that spanned almost a dozen years. Hundreds of thousands of Burundians were internally displaced or became refugees in neighboring countries. An internationally brokered power-sharing agreement between the Tutsi-dominated government and the Hutu rebels in 2003 paved the way for a transition process that led to an integrated defense force, established a new constitution in 2005, and elected a majority Hutu government in 2005. The new government, led by President Pierre NKURUNZIZA, signed a South African brokered ceasefire with the country's last rebel group in September of 2006 but still faces many challenges.

Cambodia

The Kingdom of Cambodia is a former part of French Indo China, which eventually gained its independence in 1953. The south east Asian nations has a south western coastline that faces the Gulf of Thailand, and shares borders with Thailand (803km) to the west and north west, Laos (541km) to the north, and Vietnam (1,228km) to the east and south. Of the four nations, Cambodia can only beat Laos in terms of population, with almost 15 million residents.

Cameroon

Former British and French colonies won independence and merged to form the present country of Cameroon in 1961, and since then has enjoy relative political and social stability. Occupying the inner corner of the western coat of the continent, the country has a coastline facing the Bight of Biafra, but borders 6 other African nations. Nigeria (2,690km)comprises its western frontier, while Chad (1,094km) and Central African Republic (797km) are to the east, while Republic of the Congo (523km), Gabon (298km) and Equitorial Guinea (189km) comprise the southern frontier. It population of 19.7 million makes the country the 14th most populated on the continent.

Canada

Canada is the 2nd largest nation with the world, with a surface area of almost 10 million sq km. It has just one neighbour, the US, which it borders on two fronts, the south (6,418km) and the the US state of Alaska in the west (2,477km). Its total of 8,893km is the longest land border between two nations in the world. Despite its size, it has a most population of just 34 million, 2.5 million of which live in the largest city Toronto. Its capital city, Ottawa, has just over 800,000 inhabitants.

Cape Verde

The uninhabited islands were discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century; Cape Verde subsequently became a trading center for African slaves and later an important coaling and resupply stop for whaling and transatlantic shipping. Following independence in 1975, and a tentative interest in unification with Guinea-Bissau, a one-party system was established and maintained until multi-party elections were held in 1990. Cape Verde continues to exhibit one of Africa's most stable democratic governments. Repeated droughts during the second half of the 20th century caused significant hardship and prompted heavy emigration. As a result, Cape Verde's expatriate population is greater than its domestic one. Most Cape Verdeans have both African and Portuguese antecedents.

Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands were colonized from Jamaica by the British during the 18th and 19th centuries, and were administered by Jamaica after 1863. In 1959, the islands became a territory within the Federation of the West Indies, but when the Federation dissolved in 1962, the Cayman Islands chose to remain a British dependency.

Central African Republic

One of the dozen landlocked nations of Africa, the former French colony of Central African Republic finds itself bordered by five neighbouring nations, only one of which, Chad (1,197km) is similarly landlocked. Cameroon (797km), the Republic of the Congo (467km) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (1,577km) all touch the South Atlantic Ocean to the west, while Sudan (1,165km) to the north east has a coastline on the Red Sea. With a population of just under 5 million, it one of the least populous counties in Africa.

Chad

Situated in the heart of the northern half of the African continent, Chad is the 20th largest nation on earth, covering some 1.2 million sq km. It is completely landlocked, with Libya (1,055km) to the north, Sudan (1,360km) to the east, Central African Republic (1,197km) to the south, Cameroon (1,094km) and Nigeria (87km) to the south west, and Niger (1,175km) to the west. Its population of just over 10.7 million is one of the lowest in the region, while its capital city, N'Djamena has a suitably modest 529,000 citizenship.

Chile

Chile has the distinction of sharing the 3rd longest land border with one nation in the world - a 5,150km-long eastern border with Argentina. Chile's only other neighbours are Bolivia (860km) to the north east, and Peru (171km) to the north. Its coastline faces the South Pacific Ocean, and stretches to the southern-most point of the South American continent. With a population of more than 16.8 million, the country the 6th most populous on the continent, while its capital city, Santiago, has an urban population of 4.6 million.

China

As the most populous nation, with some 1.34 billion citizens, and a surface area of 9.6 million sq kms, the 4th largest in the world, there is nothing small about the People's Republic of China. In fact, it boasts the largest number of neighbours, sharing borders with 16 nations, including Macau (0.34km) and Hong Kong (30km), both of which are autonomous Special Administrative Regions. Its other neighbours are Russia (2 frontiers), Mongolia and North Korea to the north, Vietnam, Laos, Burma, India (3), Bhutan and Nepal to the south, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgystan and Kazakstan to the west.

Christmas Island

Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement began by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park.

Clipperton Island

This isolated island was named for John CLIPPERTON, a pirate who made it his hideout early in the 18th century. Annexed by France in 1855, it was seized by Mexico in 1897. Arbitration eventually awarded the island to France, which took possession in 1935.

Cocos (Keeling) Islands

There are 27 coral islands in the group. Captain William KEELING discovered the islands in 1609, but they remained uninhabited until the 19th century. From the 1820s to 1978, members of the CLUNIE-ROSS family controlled the islands and the copra produced from local coconuts. Annexed by the UK in 1857, the Cocos Islands were transferred to the Australian Government in 1955. The population on the two inhabited islands generally is split between the ethnic Europeans on West Island and the ethnic Malays on Home Island.

Colombia

Colombia is considered the gateway between the South American continent and Central and North America, as it is the only country southern nation to border Panama (225km). It is also the only South American country to have two distinct coastlines, with its western front facing the Pacific Ocean and its northern facing the Caribbean Sea. As well as Panama, Colombia shares borders with Ecuador (590km) the south west, Peru (1,800km), Brazil (1,644km) and Venezuela (2,050km) to the east. Its population of 44.7 million is the 31st highest in the world.

Comoros

Comoros has endured more than 20 coups or attempted coups since gaining independence from France in 1975. In 1997, the islands of Anjouan and Moheli declared independence from Comoros. In 1999, military chief Col. AZALI seized power in a bloodless coup, and helped negotiate the 2000 Fomboni Accords power-sharing agreement in which the federal presidency rotates among the three islands, and each island maintains its own local government. AZALI won the 2002 Presidential election, and each island in the archipelago elected its own president. AZALI stepped down in 2006 and President SAMBI took office. Since 2006, Anjouan's President Mohamed BACAR has refused to work effectively with the Union presidency. In 2007, BACAR effected Anjouan's de-facto secession from the Union, refusing to step down in favor of fresh Anjouanais elections when Comoros' other islands held legitimate elections in July. The African Union (AU) initially attempted to resolve the political crisis by applying sanctions and a naval blockade on Anjouan, but in March 2008, AU and Comoran soldiers seized the island. The move was generally welcomed by the island's inhabitants.

Congo, Democratic Republic of the

In terms of surface area, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the 3rd largest nation on the African continent and the 12th on earth, and with a population of 71.7 million is the 4th most populous behind Nigeria, Ethiopia and Egypt. It also has 9 individual borders with 8 neighbouring countries. Its coastline, on the South Atlantic Ocean in the south west, divides its 2,511km border with Angola. It's other neighbours are The Republic of the Congo (2) to the west, the Central African Republic and Sudan to the north, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania to the east and Zambia to the south.

Congo, Republic of the

The Republic of the Congo is sited on the west coast of Central Africa, with a coastline on the South Atlantic Ocean to its southwest, and land borders with five neighbours. Gabon (1,903km) lies to the west, Cameroon (523km) and Central African Republic (467km) to the north, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2,410km) to the east, and Angola's exclave province of Cabina (201km) lies to the south. With a population of just over 4 million, it is one of the least populated nations in Africa.

Cook Islands

Named after Captain COOK, who sighted them in 1770, the islands became a British protectorate in 1888. By 1900, administrative control was transferred to New Zealand; in 1965, residents chose self-government in free association with New Zealand. The emigration of skilled workers to New Zealand and government deficits are continuing problems.

Coral Sea Islands

Scattered over more than three-quarters of a million square kilometers of ocean, the Coral Sea Islands were declared a territory of Australia in 1969. They are uninhabited except for a small meteorological staff on the Willis Islets. Automated weather stations, beacons, and a lighthouse occupy many other islands and reefs.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica is the 3rd smallest nation in Central America, with its 51,000 sq km surface area greater only than Belize and El Salvador. It also holds the distinction of being one of two nations to share a border with Panama (330km), to the south, the other being Colombia. To the north, meanwhile, Costa Rica shares a 309km-long border with Nicaragua. Its population of 4.6 million is also the 3rd lowest, above Belize and Panama, while its capital city, San Jose, with a population of 315,000, is larger only that Bleize;'s capital of Belmopan (20,000).

Croatia

One of the Yugoslav states to gain independence during the Balkan Wars of the 1990s, Croatia actually declared independence in 1991 but didn’t see the last Serbian troops didn't leave Croatia until 1998. The state has the 2nd biggest surface area of the states of the former Yugoslavia, with almost 57,000 sq km, with only Serbia and Montenegro larger. It also shares borders with 6 neighours, including Slovenia (455km), Hungary (329km), Serbia (241km), Bosnia and Herzegovina (932km), and Montenegro (25km). With 4.4 million inhabitants, Croatia is 3rd in population to Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Cuba

Famed as one of the islands Christopher Columbus discovered, Cuba remained a Spanish colony for almost 400 years. Although an island, Cuba does have one 29km-long land border with the US, which has a naval base at Guantanamo Bay. It is the largest island in the Caribbean region, with a surface area of almost 110,000 sq km, while its population of 11 million makes it the most populous nation in the region also. The nation's capital, Havana, is the largest in the region too, with 2.2 million citizens.

Cyprus

A former British colony, Cyprus became independent in 1960 following years of resistance to British rule. Tensions between the Greek Cypriot majority and Turkish Cypriot minority came to a head in December 1963, when violence broke out in the capital of Nicosia. Despite the deployment of UN peacekeepers in 1964, sporadic intercommunal violence continued forcing most Turkish Cypriots into enclaves throughout the island. In 1974, a Greek Government-sponsored attempt to seize control of Cyprus was met by military intervention from Turkey, which soon controlled more than a third of the island. In 1983, the Turkish-held area declared itself the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" (TRNC), but it is recognized only by Turkey. The latest two-year round of UN-brokered talks - between the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities to reach an agreement to reunite the divided island - ended when the Greek Cypriots rejected the UN settlement plan in an April 2004 referendum. The entire island entered the EU on 1 May 2004, although the EU acquis - the body of common rights and obligations - applies only to the areas under direct government control, and is suspended in the areas administered by Turkish Cypriots. However, individual Turkish Cypriots able to document their eligibility for Republic of Cyprus citizenship legally enjoy the same rights accorded to other citizens of European Union states. The election of a new Cypriot president in 2008 served as the impetus for the UN to encourage both the Turkish and Cypriot Governments to reopen unification negotiations.

Czech Republic

Formed after the Velvet Revolution saw Czechoslovakia divided into two, with Slovakia the other independent state, the Czech Republic is the most northerly landlocked country in Central Europe and, since 2004, the EU. The country is bordered by Germany (815km) to the west, Poland (615km) to the north, Slovakia (197km) to the east and Austria (362km) to the south. Its population of 10.2 million makes the country the 83rd most populated nation on earth, and the 12th in the EU. It's capital city, Prague, has 1.2 million citizens, making it the

Côte d'Ivoire

Close ties to France since independence in 1960, the development of cocoa production for export, and foreign investment made Cote d'Ivoire one of the most prosperous of the West African states, but did not protect it from political turmoil. In December 1999, a military coup - the first ever in Cote d'Ivoire's history - overthrew the government. Junta leader Robert GUEI blatantly rigged elections held in late 2000 and declared himself the winner. Popular protest forced him to step aside and brought Laurent GBAGBO into power. Ivorian dissidents and disaffected members of the military launched a failed coup attempt in September 2002. Rebel forces claimed the northern half of the country, and in January 2003 were granted ministerial positions in a unity government under the auspices of the Linas-Marcoussis Peace Accord. President GBAGBO and rebel forces resumed implementation of the peace accord in December 2003 after a three-month stalemate, but issues that sparked the civil war, such as land reform and grounds for citizenship, remained unresolved. In March 2007 President GBAGBO and former New Force rebel leader Guillaume SORO signed the Ouagadougou Political Agreement. As a result of the agreement, SORO joined GBAGBO's government as Prime Minister and the two agreed to reunite the country by dismantling the zone of confidence separating North from South, integrate rebel forces into the national armed forces, and hold elections. Several thousand French and UN troops remain in Cote d'Ivoire to help the parties implement their commitments and to support the peace process.

Denmark

One of the four nations that make up Scandinavia, the Kingdom of Denmark is also the smallest of the group with a surface area of 43,000 sq km. A combination of the peninsula of Jutland and many islands, Denmark has just one land border, a 68km-long frontier with Germany to the south. With a population of 5.5 million, the EU member state is the 110th most populous nation on earth, while its capital city, Copenhagen, has 1.3 million citizens.

Dhekelia

By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created the independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovereignty and jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers - Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The larger of these is the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Eastern Sovereign Base Area.

Djibouti

The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas became Djibouti in 1977. Hassan Gouled APTIDON installed an authoritarian one-party state and proceeded to serve as president until 1999. Unrest among the Afars minority during the 1990s led to a civil war that ended in 2001 following the conclusion of a peace accord between Afar rebels and the Issa-dominated government. In 1999, Djibouti's first multi-party presidential elections resulted in the election of Ismail Omar GUELLEH; he was re-elected to a second and final term in 2005. Djibouti occupies a strategic geographic location at the mouth of the Red Sea and serves as an important transshipment location for goods entering and leaving the east African highlands. The present leadership favors close ties to France, which maintains a significant military presence in the country, but also has strong ties with the US. Djibouti hosts the only US military base in sub-Saharan Africa and is a front-line state in the global war on terrorism.

Dominica

Dominica was the last of the Caribbean islands to be colonized by Europeans due chiefly to the fierce resistance of the native Caribs. France ceded possession to Great Britain in 1763, which made the island a colony in 1805. In 1980, two years after independence, Dominica's fortunes improved when a corrupt and tyrannical administration was replaced by that of Mary Eugenia CHARLES, the first female prime minister in the Caribbean, who remained in office for 15 years. Some 3,000 Carib Indians still living on Dominica are the only pre-Columbian population remaining in the eastern Caribbean.

Dominican Republic

Occupying just over half the island of Hispaniola, the Dominican Republic has one land border, with Haiti (360km) to its west. Its northern shores face onto the North Atlantic Ocean, while its southern shores face the Caribbean Sea. Despite having a surface area of 48,700 sq km it boasts a population of almost 10 million. Its capital city, Santo Domingo, is one of the densely populated in the region with 2.1 million people living there.

East Timor

Having being recognised as an independent nation in 1999, East Timor is one of the world’s newest countries. It is also amongst the smallest, with a population of just 1.2 million. Comprising mainly the eastern half of Timor Island, the only border is with Indonesia (228km), but the country also includes the exclave of Oecusse in the west.

Ecuador

Of the 13 nations that make up the South American continent, Ecuador is one of the smallest with only French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana and Uruguay boasting a smaller surface area than Ecuador's 283,560 sq km. It is also the smallest nation on the content to face the Pacific Ocean, with Colombia (590km) and Peru (1,420km) sharing borders to the north and south respectively. The country ranks a bit higher in the population stakes, with Bolivia and Paraguay joining the other four with populations lower than Ecuador's 15 million.

Egypt

One of the most recognised African nations, Egypt was a powerful force in ancient history before falling under the control of a number of empires, eventually gaining independence from the British Empire in 1936. With a population of more than 82 million, it is the 16th most populous nation on earth, with only Ethiopia (90.8m) and Nigeria (155.2m) out-populating it in Africa. Egypt also provides the only land border with another region, with Gaza (11km) and Israel (266km) marking the frontier to the Middle East. Its other neighbours are Libya (1,115km) to the west and Sudan (1,273km) to the south.

El Salvador

With a surface area of just over 21,000 sq km, El Salvador is the smallest of the 7 nations that make up Central America, though only edging Belize out by 74 sq km. Its population of just over 6 million, however, is the 3rd highest in the region, with only Guatemala (13.8 million) and Honduras (8.1 million). El Salvador faces onto the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, but shares borders with Guatemala (203km) to the north west, and Honduras (342km) to the north and north east.

Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea gained independence in 1968 after 190 years of Spanish rule. This tiny country, composed of a mainland portion plus five inhabited islands, is one of the smallest on the African continent. President Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO has ruled the country since 1979 when he seized power in a coup. Although nominally a constitutional democracy since 1991, the 1996 and 2002 presidential elections - as well as the 1999 and 2004 legislative elections - were widely seen as flawed. The president exerts almost total control over the political system and has discouraged political opposition. Equatorial Guinea has experienced rapid economic growth due to the discovery of large offshore oil reserves, and in the last decade has become Sub-Saharan Africa's third largest oil exporter. Despite the country's economic windfall from oil production resulting in a massive increase in government revenue in recent years, there have been few improvements in the population's living standards.

Eritrea

Eritrea was awarded to Ethiopia in 1952 as part of a federation. Ethiopia's annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later sparked a 30-year struggle for independence that ended in 1991 with Eritrean rebels defeating governmental forces; independence was overwhelmingly approved in a 1993 referendum. A two-and-a-half-year border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN auspices in December 2000. Eritrea currently hosts a UN peacekeeping operation that is monitoring a 25 km-wide Temporary Security Zone (TSZ) on the border with Ethiopia. An international commission, organized to resolve the border dispute, posted its findings in 2002. However, both parties have been unable to reach agreement on implementing the decision. On 30 November 2007, the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission remotely demarcated the border by coordinates and dissolved itself, leaving Ethiopia still occupying several tracts of disputed territory, including the town of Badme. Eritrea accepted the EEBC's "virtual demarcation" decision and called on Ethiopia to remove its troops from the TSZ which it states is Eritrean territory. Ethiopia has not accepted the virtual demarcation decision.

Estonia

After centuries of Danish, Swedish, German, and Russian rule, Estonia attained independence in 1918. Forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US - it regained its freedom in 1991, with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since the last Russian troops left in 1994, Estonia has been free to promote economic and political ties with Western Europe. It joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.

Ethiopia

Unlike other African nations, Ethiopia's monarchy managed to keep European colonialists at bay, except for a brief period just before World War II when the Italian occupied the country, then known internationally as Abyssinia. Located on the north eastern side of the African Continent, Ethiopia is completely landlocked - only just. Neighbours Eritrea (912km), Djibouti (349km) and Somalia (1,600km) stand between it and the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, to the north east, and the Indian Ocean to the east. Also sharing its borders are Sudan (1,606km) to the west, and Kenya (861km) to the south. With a population of 90.8 million, Ethiopia is the most populous landlocked country in the world.

Europa Island

A French possession since 1897, the island is heavily wooded; it is the site of a small military garrison that staffs a weather station.

European Union

Following the two devastating World Wars of the first half of the 20th century, a number of European leaders in the late 1940s became convinced that the only way to establish a lasting peace was to unite the two chief belligerent nations - France and Germany - both economically and politically. In 1950, the French Foreign Minister Robert SCHUMAN proposed an eventual union of all Europe, the first step of which would be the integration of the coal and steel industries of Western Europe. The following year the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was set up when six members, Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, signed the Treaty of Paris.
The ECSC was so successful that within a few years the decision was made to integrate other parts of the countries' economies. In 1957, the Treaties of Rome created the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), and the six member states undertook to eliminate trade barriers among themselves by forming a common market. In 1967, the institutions of all three communities were formally merged into the European Community (EC), creating a single Commission, a single Council of Ministers, and the European Parliament. Members of the European Parliament were initially selected by national parliaments, but in 1979 the first direct elections were undertaken and they have been held every five years since.
In 1973, the first enlargement of the EC took place with the addition of Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The 1980s saw further membership expansion with Greece joining in 1981 and Spain and Portugal in 1986. The 1992 Treaty of Maastricht laid the basis for further forms of cooperation in foreign and defense policy, in judicial and internal affairs, and in the creation of an economic and monetary union - including a common currency. This further integration created the European Union (EU). In 1995, Austria, Finland, and Sweden joined the EU, raising the membership total to 15.
A new currency, the euro, was launched in world money markets on 1 January 1999; it became the unit of exchange for all of the EU states except the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Denmark. In 2002, citizens of the 12 euro-area countries began using the euro banknotes and coins. Ten new countries joined the EU in 2004 - Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia - and in 2007 Bulgaria and Romania joined, bringing the current membership to 27. In order to ensure that the EU can continue to function efficiently with an expanded membership, the Treaty of Nice (in force as of 1 February 2003) set forth rules streamlining the size and procedures of EU institutions. An effort to establish an EU constitution, begun in October 2004, failed to attain unanimous ratification. A new effort, undertaken in June 2007, calls for the creation of an Intergovernmental Conference to form a political agreement, known as the Reform Treaty, which is to serve as a constitution. Unlike the constitution, however, the Reform Treaty would amend existing treaties rather than replace them.

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

Although first sighted by an English navigator in 1592, the first landing (English) did not occur until almost a century later in 1690, and the first settlement (French) was not established until 1764. The colony was turned over to Spain two years later and the islands have since been the subject of a territorial dispute, first between Britain and Spain, then between Britain and Argentina. The UK asserted its claim to the islands by establishing a naval garrison there in 1833. Argentina invaded the islands on 2 April 1982. The British responded with an expeditionary force that landed seven weeks later and after fierce fighting forced an Argentine surrender on 14 June 1982.

Faroe Islands

The population of the Faroe Islands is largely descended from Viking settlers who arrived in the 9th century. The islands have been connected politically to Denmark since the 14th century. A high degree of self government was attained in 1948.

Fiji

A former British colony, Fiji only gained independence 1970. Situated in the South Pacific Ocean, with Australia to the west and New Zealand to the south, Fiji is actually a collection of island with the main island being Viti Levu. It is here that the nation's capital city, Suva, is found, which boasts just 200,000 citizens. The country itself has a population of less than a million people, with recent census figures putting the number at 883,125.

Finland

Once a province of the Kingdom of Sweden, Finland has managed to negotiate its way to independence, finally breaking from Russia in 1917. The 4th nation of Scandinavia, Finland borders Norway (727km) to the north, Sweden (614km) to the west and Russia (1,313km) to the east, with the Gulf of Finland to the south dividing it and the Baltic state of Estonia. It has a modest national population of just 5.2 million people, with its capital city, Helsinki, home to 10% of that figure.

France

One of the most influential nations in western Europe for the last few centuries, France remains a key player in the European Union. With a surface area of 551,500 sq km, it is the largest country in western Europe, while its borders are shared by Spain and Andorra to the south, Italy, Monaco, Switzerland and Germany to the east, and Luxembourg and Belgium to the north east. However, France considers many of its dominions to be part of the French Republic, which means that France also has borders with Brazil and Suriname, because of French Guiana in South America.

French Guiana

First settled by the French in 1604, French Guiana was the site of notorious penal settlements until 1951. The European Space Agency launches its communication satellites from Kourou.

French Polynesia

The French annexed various Polynesian island groups during the 19th century. In September 1995, France stirred up widespread protests by resuming nuclear testing on the Mururoa atoll after a three-year moratorium. The tests were suspended in January 1996. In recent years, French Polynesia's autonomy has been considerably expanded.

French Southern and Antarctic Lands

In February 2007, the Iles Eparses became an integral part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF). The Southern Lands are now divided into five administrative districts, two of which are archipelagos, Iles Crozet and Iles Kerguelen; the third is a district composed of two volcanic islands, Ile Saint-Paul and Ile Amsterdam; the fourth, Iles Eparses, consists of five scattered tropical islands around Madagascar. They contain no permanent inhabitants and are visited only by researchers studying the native fauna, scientists at the various scientific stations, fishermen, and military personnel. The fifth district is the Antarctic portion, which consists of "Adelie Land," a thin slice of the Antarctic continent discovered and claimed by the French in 1840.

Gabon

Only two autocratic presidents have ruled Gabon since independence from France in 1960. The current president of Gabon, El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba - one of the longest-serving heads of state in the world - has dominated the country's political scene for four decades. President BONGO introduced a nominal multiparty system and a new constitution in the early 1990s. However, allegations of electoral fraud during local elections in 2002-03 and the presidential elections in 2005 have exposed the weaknesses of formal political structures in Gabon. Gabon's political opposition remains weak, divided, and financially dependent on the current regime. Despite political conditions, a small population, abundant natural resources, and considerable foreign support have helped make Gabon one of the more prosperous and stable African countries.

Gambia, The

The Gambia gained its independence from the UK in 1965. Geographically surrounded by Senegal, it formed a short-lived federation of Senegambia between 1982 and 1989. In 1991 the two nations signed a friendship and cooperation treaty, but tensions have flared up intermittently since then. Yahya A. J. J. JAMMEH led a military coup in 1994 that overthrew the president and banned political activity. A new constitution and presidential elections in 1996, followed by parliamentary balloting in 1997, completed a nominal return to civilian rule. JAMMEH has been elected president in all subsequent elections, including most recently in late 2006.

Gaza Strip

The September 1993 Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements provided for a transitional period of Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Under a series of agreements signed between May 1994 and September 1999, Israel transferred to the Palestinian Authority (PA) security and civilian responsibility for Palestinian-populated areas of the West Bank and Gaza. Negotiations to determine the permanent status of the West Bank and Gaza stalled following the outbreak of an intifada in September 2000, as Israeli forces reoccupied most Palestinian-controlled areas. In April 2003, the Quartet (US, EU, UN, and Russia) presented a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict by 2005 based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two states, Israel and a democratic Palestine. The proposed date for a permanent status agreement was postponed indefinitely due to violence and accusations that both sides had not followed through on their commitments. Following Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT's death in late 2004, Mahmud ABBAS was elected PA president in January 2005. A month later, Israel and the PA agreed to the Sharm el-Sheikh Commitments in an effort to move the peace process forward. In September 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew all its settlers and soldiers and dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip and withdrew settlers and redeployed soldiers from four small northern West Bank settlements. Nonetheless, Israel controls maritime, airspace, and most access to the Gaza Strip. A November 2005 PA-Israeli agreement authorized the reopening of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt under joint PA and Egyptian control. In January 2006, the Islamic Resistance Movement, HAMAS, won control of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). The international community refused to accept the HAMAS-led government because it did not recognize Israel, would not renounce violence, and refused to honor previous peace agreements between Israel and the PA. HAMAS took control of the PA government in March 2006, but President ABBAS had little success negotiating with HAMAS to present a political platform acceptable to the international community so as to lift economic sanctions on Palestinians. The PLC was unable to convene throughout most of 2006 as a result of Israel's detention of many HAMAS PLC members and Israeli-imposed travel restrictions on other PLC members. Violent clashes took place between Fatah and HAMAS supporters in the Gaza Strip in 2006 and early 2007, resulting in numerous Palestinian deaths and injuries. ABBAS and HAMAS Political Bureau Chief MISHAL in February 2007 signed the Mecca Agreement in Saudi Arabia that resulted in the formation of a Palestinian National Unity Government (NUG) headed by HAMAS member Ismail HANIYA. However, fighting continued in the Gaza Strip, and in June, HAMAS militants succeeded in a violent takeover of all military and governmental institutions in the Gaza Strip. ABBAS dismissed the NUG and through a series of Presidential decrees formed a PA government in the West Bank led by independent Salam FAYYAD. HAMAS rejected the NUG's dismissal and has called for resuming talks with Fatah, but ABBAS has ruled out negotiations until HAMAS agrees to a return of PA control over the Gaza Strip and recognizes the FAYYAD-led government. FAYYAD and his PA government initiated a series of security and economic reforms to improve conditions in the West Bank. ABBAS participated in talks with Israel's Prime Minister OLMERT and secured the release of some Palestinian prisoners and previously withheld customs revenue. During a November 2007 international meeting in Annapolis Maryland, ABBAS and OLMERT agreed to resume peace negotiations with the goal of reaching a final peace settlement by the end of 2008.

Georgia

The region of present-day Georgia contained the ancient kingdoms of Colchis and Kartli-Iberia. The area came under Roman influence in the first centuries A.D. and Christianity became the state religion in the 330s. Domination by Persians, Arabs, and Turks was followed by a Georgian golden age (11th-13th centuries) that was cut short by the Mongol invasion of 1236. Subsequently, the Ottoman and Persian empires competed for influence in the region. Georgia was absorbed into the Russian Empire in the 19th century. Independent for three years (1918-1921) following the Russian revolution, it was forcibly incorporated into the USSR until the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. An attempt by the incumbent Georgian government to manipulate national legislative elections in November 2003 touched off widespread protests that led to the resignation of Eduard SHEVARDNADZE, president since 1995. New elections in early 2004 swept Mikheil SAAKASHVILI into power along with his National Movement party. Progress on market reforms and democratization has been made in the years since independence, but this progress has been complicated by Russian assistance and support to the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Georgian military action in South Ossetia in early August 2008 led to a Russian military response that not only occupied the breakaway areas, but large portions of Georgia proper as well. Russian troops pulled back from most occupied Georgian territory, but in late August 2008 Russia unilaterally recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. This action was strongly condemned by most of the world's nations and international organizations.

Germany

Despite being on the losing side of two world wars, Germany remains one of the most influential powers in Europe, boasting the 4th largest country in terms of surface area of the EU with 357,000 sq km, behind France, Spain and Sweden. However, with a population of almost 81.5 million, it is most populous nation in the EU. With the Baltic Sea to its north east, and the North Sea to the north west, Germany is bordered by a total of 9 countries. Denmark (68km) lies to the north, Poland (456km) and the Czech Republic (646km) to the east, Austria (784km) and Switzerland (334km) to the south, France (451km), Luxembourg (138km), Belgium (167km) and the Netherlands (577km) to the west.

Ghana

Situated on the southern end of the region of Western Africa, Ghana is a a former British colony which gained independence in 1957, the 1st sub-Saharan nation to do so. The country's coastline in the south faces onto the Gulf of Guinea, but it has three neighbours, with Cote d'Ivoire (688km) bordering it to the west, Burkina Faso (549km) to the north and Togo (877km) to the east. Its population of 24.8 million makes it 48th most populous nation in the world. Its capital city, Accra, on the coast has just under 2 million citizens, making it one of the biggest capitals on the continent.

Gibraltar

Strategically important, Gibraltar was reluctantly ceded to Great Britain by Spain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht; the British garrison was formally declared a colony in 1830. In a referendum held in 1967, Gibraltarians voted overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency. The subsequent granting of autonomy in 1969 by the UK led to Spain closing the border and severing all communication links. A series of talks were held by the UK and Spain between 1997 and 2002 on establishing temporary joint sovereignty over Gibraltar. In response to these talks, the Gibraltar Government called a referendum in late 2002 in which the majority of citizens voted overwhelmingly against any sharing of sovereignty with Spain. Since the referendum, tripartite talks on other issues have been held with Spain, the UK, and Gibraltar, and in September 2006 a three-way agreement was signed. Spain agreed to remove restrictions on air movements, to speed up customs procedures, to implement international telephone dialing, and to allow mobile roaming agreements. Britain agreed to pay increased pensions to Spaniards who had been employed in Gibraltar before the border closed. Spain will be allowed to open a cultural institute from which the Spanish flag will fly. A new noncolonial constitution came into effect in 2007, but the UK retains responsibility for defense, foreign relations, internal security, and financial stability.

Glorioso Islands

A French possession since 1892, the Glorioso Islands are composed of two lushly vegetated coral islands (Ile Glorieuse and Ile du Lys) and three rock islets. A military garrison operates a weather and radio station on Ile Glorieuse.

Greece

One of the oldest known civilisations, modern Greece emerged from the remnants of a dying Ottoman Empire, gaining independence in 1829. It has around 1,400 islands, the highest number of any European country and, understandably, one of the longest coastlines in the world. However, it's surface area 131,960 km makes it the 96th largest nation on earth though its modest 10.7 million population means there is certainly no crush on the mainland. Greece borders 4 countries: Albania (282km), Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (246km) and Bulgaria (494km) to the north, and Turkey (206km) to the north east. It also faces onto the Ionian and Mediterranean Sea to the west and south, and the Aegean Sea to the east.

Greenland

Greenland, the world's largest island, is about 81% ice-capped. Vikings reached the island in the 10th century from Iceland; Danish colonization began in the 18th century, and Greenland was made an integral part of Denmark in 1953. It joined the European Community (now the EU) with Denmark in 1973, but withdrew in 1985 over a dispute centered on stringent fishing quotas. Greenland was granted self-government in 1979 by the Danish parliament; the law went into effect the following year. Denmark continues to exercise control of Greenland's foreign affairs in consultation with Greenland's Home Rule Government.

Grenada

Carib Indians inhabited Grenada when COLUMBUS discovered the island in 1498, but it remained uncolonized for more than a century. The French settled Grenada in the 17th century, established sugar estates, and imported large numbers of African slaves. Britain took the island in 1762 and vigorously expanded sugar production. In the 19th century, cacao eventually surpassed sugar as the main export crop; in the 20th century, nutmeg became the leading export. In 1967, Britain gave Grenada autonomy over its internal affairs. Full independence was attained in 1974, making Grenada one of the smallest independent countries in the Western Hemisphere. Grenada was seized by a Marxist military council on 19 October 1983. Six days later the island was invaded by US forces and those of six other Caribbean nations, which quickly captured the ringleaders and their hundreds of Cuban advisers. Free elections were reinstituted the following year and have continued since that time. Hurricane Ivan struck Grenada in September of 2004 causing severe damage.

Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe has been a French possession since 1635. The island of Saint Martin is shared with the Netherlands; its southern portion is named Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles and its northern portion is named Saint-Martin and is part of Guadeloupe

Guam

Guam was ceded to the US by Spain in 1898. Captured by the Japanese in 1941, it was retaken by the US three years later. The military installation on the island is one of the most strategically important US bases in the Pacific.

Guatemala

Guatemala is the third largest country by surface area in Central America, with its 108,890 sq km bettered only by Nicaragua (130,373 sq km) and Honduras (112,090 sq km). With coasts on both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, it has 4 neighbours, sharing borders with Mexico (962km) to the north, Belize (266km) to the north east, Honduras (256km) and El Salvador (203km) to the south. With a population of 13.8 million, Guatemala is the most populous country in the region.

Guernsey

Guernsey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy, which held sway in both France and England. The islands were the only British soil occupied by German troops in World War II. Guernsey is a British crown dependency, but is not part of the UK. However, the UK Government is constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation.

Guinea

Guinea has had only two presidents since gaining its independence from France in 1958. Lansana CONTE came to power in 1984 when the military seized the government after the death of the first president, Sekou TOURE. Guinea did not hold democratic elections until 1993 when Gen. CONTE (head of the military government) was elected president of the civilian government. He was reelected in 1998 and again in 2003, though all the polls have been marred by irregularities. Guinea has maintained its internal stability despite spillover effects from conflict in Sierra Leone and Liberia. As those countries have rebuilt, Guinea's own vulnerability to political and economic crisis has increased. Declining economic conditions and popular dissatisfaction with corruption and bad governance prompted two massive strikes in 2006; a third nationwide strike in early 2007 sparked violent protests in many Guinean cities and prompted two weeks of martial law. To appease the unions and end the unrest, CONTE named a new prime minister in March 2007.

Guinea-Bissau

Since independence from Portugal in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has experienced considerable political and military upheaval. In 1980, a military coup established authoritarian dictator Joao Bernardo 'Nino' VIEIRA as president. Despite setting a path to a market economy and multiparty system, VIEIRA's regime was characterized by the suppression of political opposition and the purging of political rivals. Several coup attempts through the 1980s and early 1990s failed to unseat him. In 1994 VIEIRA was elected president in the country's first free elections. A military mutiny and resulting civil war in 1998 eventually led to VIEIRA's ouster in May 1999. In February 2000, a transitional government turned over power to opposition leader Kumba YALA, after he was elected president in transparent polling. In September 2003, after only three years in office, YALA was ousted by the military in a bloodless coup, and businessman Henrique ROSA was sworn in as interim president. In 2005, former President VIEIRA was re-elected president pledging to pursue economic development and national reconciliation.

Guyana

Originally a Dutch colony in the 17th century, by 1815 Guyana had become a British possession. The abolition of slavery led to black settlement of urban areas and the importation of indentured servants from India to work the sugar plantations. This ethnocultural divide has persisted and has led to turbulent politics. Guyana achieved independence from the UK in 1966, and since then it has been ruled mostly by socialist-oriented governments. In 1992, Cheddi JAGAN was elected president in what is considered the country's first free and fair election since independence. After his death five years later, his wife, Janet JAGAN, became president but resigned in 1999 due to poor health. Her successor, Bharrat JAGDEO, was reelected in 2001 and again in 2006.

Haiti

Haiti is one of the few nations in the Caribbean Sea to have a land border. It shares a 360km-long frontier with the Dominican Republic on the island of Hispaniola, which Christopher Columbus himself discovered in 1492. Haiti occupies the western third of the island, with a total surface area of just under 28,000 sq km, while its neighbour has 49,000 sq km. Despite its significantly smaller size, it has just 240,000 fewer citizens with a population of some 9.7 million. Interestingly, Haiti is the only French-speaking nation in the region.

Heard Island and McDonald Islands

These uninhabited, barren, sub-Antarctic islands were transferred from the UK to Australia in 1947. Populated by large numbers of seal and bird species, the islands have been designated a nature preserve.

Holy See (Vatican City)

Popes in their secular role ruled portions of the Italian peninsula for more than a thousand years until the mid 19th century, when many of the Papal States were seized by the newly united Kingdom of Italy. In 1870, the pope's holdings were further circumscribed when Rome itself was annexed. Disputes between a series of "prisoner" popes and Italy were resolved in 1929 by three Lateran Treaties, which established the independent state of Vatican City and granted Roman Catholicism special status in Italy. In 1984, a concordat between the Holy See and Italy modified certain of the earlier treaty provisions, including the primacy of Roman Catholicism as the Italian state religion. Present concerns of the Holy See include religious freedom, international development, the environment, the Middle East, China, the decline of religion in Europe, terrorism, interreligious dialogue and reconciliation, and the application of church doctrine in an era of rapid change and globalization. About one billion people worldwide profess the Catholic faith.

Honduras

Once part of Spain's vast empire in the New World, Honduras became an independent nation in 1821. After two and a half decades of mostly military rule, a freely elected civilian government came to power in 1982. During the 1980s, Honduras proved a haven for anti-Sandinista contras fighting the Marxist Nicaraguan Government and an ally to Salvadoran Government forces fighting leftist guerrillas. The country was devastated by Hurricane Mitch in 1998, which killed about 5,600 people and caused approximately $2 billion in damage.

Hong Kong

Occupied by the UK in 1841, Hong Kong was formally ceded by China the following year; various adjacent lands were added later in the 19th century. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and the UK on 19 December 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 1 July 1997. In this agreement, China promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's socialist economic system would not be imposed on Hong Kong and that Hong Kong would enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years.

Howland Island

Discovered by the US early in the 19th century, the island was officially claimed by the US in 1857. Both US and British companies mined for guano until about 1890. Earhart Light is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast that was partially destroyed during World War II, but has since been rebuilt; it is named in memory of the famed aviatrix Amelia EARHART. The island is administered by the US Department of the Interior as a National Wildlife Refuge.

Hungary

The southern-most landlocked EU member state since it joined in 2004, Hungary finds itself surrounded by 7 countries. Only 4 of them are fellow EU members - Slovenia (102km) and Austria (366km) to the west, Slovakia (676km) to the north, and Romania (443km) to the east - while Hungary also shares borders are the Ukraine (103km) to the north east, and Serbia (166km) and Croatia (329km) to the south. With a population just under 10 million, it is the 85th most populous nation of earth.

Iceland

A former protectorate of the Kingdom of Denmark, Iceland didn't win complete independence status as a Reoublic in 1944. It is the 2nd largest island in Europe, with a surface area of 103,000 sq km, beating Ireland (84,421 sq km) ,and trailing Great Britain (218,595 sq km). However, with a population of just over 311,000, it is one of the smallest nations in the world, in fact the 180th. Exactly one-third of that population live in its capital city, Reykjavik, with 103,000 citizens.

India

India is the largest country in South Asia but only the 7th largest in the world, with a surface area of 3.2 million sq km. The former British colony, however, the 2nd highest population on earth, with some 1.19 billion people, a figure only beaten only by China's population of 1.34 billion. The country has an extensive coastline, with the western coast facing onto the Arabian Sea, the southern facing onto the Indian Ocean, an the eastern facing the Bay of Bengal. India has land borders with Pakistan (2,912km) to the north west, China (3,380km), Nepal (1,690km) and Bhutan (605km) to the north, Bangladesh (4,053km) and Burma (1,463km) to the east.

Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, but larger than the Southern Ocean and Arctic Ocean). Four critically important access waterways are the Suez Canal (Egypt), Bab el Mandeb (Djibouti-Yemen), Strait of Hormuz (Iran-Oman), and Strait of Malacca (Indonesia-Malaysia). The decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Indian Ocean south of 60 degrees south latitude.

Indonesia

A former Dutch colony, Indonesia declared independence after the Japanese occupation during World War II in 1945, though it wasn't until 1949 that the Netherlands accepted it. Though the country boasts more than 17,000 islands it, but significant land borders with Malaysia (on the island of Borneo), Papua New Guinea (on the island of New Guinea), and east Timor (on the island of Timor). With a population of 245.6 million people, it is the 4th most populous nation in the world, behind China, India and the US.

Iran

The Islamic Republic of Iran has a close relationship with the number 2. With a surface area of 1.65 million sq km, the country is the 2nd largest in the Middle East region, after Saudi Arabia, while with a population of 77.9 million, it is the 2nd most populous country in the region, behind Egypt (82 million). In Tehran, its capital city of 7.2 million citizens, it has the 2nd biggest city in the region, with Turkey's capital, Istanbul, having 8.8 million. And finally, Iran borders Azerbaijan twice, with the main state (432km) and its exclave, Naxcivan (179km), frontiers divided by Armenia (35km) to the north.

Iraq

Situated in the heart of the Middle East region, Iraq finds itself surrounded by 3 of the 5 largest states in the region. Iran (1,458km) shares its eastern border, with Saudi Arabia (814km) to the south and Turkey (352km) to the north. Its other neighbours are Jordan (181km) and Syria (605km) to the west, and Kuwait (240km) to the south east. The country would be completely landlocked but for the port of Umm Qasr on the Persian Gulf between Kuwait and Iran. With more than 438,000 sq km in surface area, Iraq is the 6th largest country in the region, and 57th in the world, its population of 30.4 million makes it the 40th most populous in the world.

Ireland

The island of Ireland is the most westerly point of Europe, but is divided in two. Northern Ireland, covering 13,843 sq km in the north east corner of the island, is part of the UK, while the remaining 70.273 sq km surface area of the island is the Republic of Ireland, which gained independence from Britain in 1921. As a result of the divide, Ireland only has one land border that stretches for 360km. With a population of 4.6 million, Ireland is the 120th most populous nation on earth.

Israel

Established in 1948 by the British as a new Jewish homeland, Israel has had a tenuous relationship with its Arab neighbours. Israel has borders with 6 nations in total, with Egypt (266km), Gaza Strip (51km), Lebanon (79km), Syria (76km), the West Bank (307km) and Jordan (238km). Other than a north western coastline on Mediterranean Sea, Israel also has a narrow coastline on the Gulf of Aqaba in the south. Despite its small size, with a surface area of just 22,070 sq km, its population is just under 7.5 million, making it 3rd amongst its immediate neighbours, behind Egypt (82 million) and Syria (22 million).

Italy

One of the most recognisable countries in Europe, Italy is one of the leading forces in the European Union, and was a founding member. Italy has 6 neighbours, with which it shares land borders, with France (488km) in the north west, Switzerland (740m) and Austria (430km) in the north and Slovenia (199km) in the north east. Both the Vatican City (3.2km) and San Marino (39km) are completely surrounded by Italy, situated in Rome and the north east respectively. With a national population of just over 61 million, Italy is the 24th most populous nation on earth, and the 4th in the EU behind Germany (81 million), France (65 million) and the UK (62 million).

Jamaica

A former British colony, the island of Jamaica was one of the islands of the Caribbean that was discovered by Christopher Columbus himself, though in 1494. The island eventually gained complete independence in 1962. The island lies south of Cuba and west of Haiti, and with a surface area of 10,990 sq km is about 10% and 35% the size of its neighbours respectively. With a population of just 2.9 million people, it is 139th most populous country, while its capital city, Kingston, has just 104,000 citizens, making it one of the smallest official capitals in the world.

Jan Mayen

This desolate, arctic, mountainous island was named after a Dutch whaling captain who indisputably discovered it in 1614 (earlier claims are inconclusive). Visited only occasionally by seal hunters and trappers over the following centuries, the island came under Norwegian sovereignty in 1929. The long dormant Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg volcano resumed activity in 1970; the most recent eruption occurred in 1985. It is the northernmost active volcano on earth.

Japan

Japan isolated itself from the rest of the world before opening its ports to the US for trade in the 1840s. Since its defeat to the Allies in WWII, however, Japan has grown to become a major international power, both economically and culturally. An archipelago of over 6,800 islands, Japan has a total surface area of 377,910 sq km, making it the 61st largest country on earth. However, its population total is over 126.5 million, making it the 11th most populous nation. Its capital, Tokyo, is the largest capital city in the world, with some 12.5 million citizens.

Jarvis Island

First discovered by the British in 1821, the uninhabited island was annexed by the US in 1858, but abandoned in 1879 after tons of guano had been removed. The UK annexed the island in 1889, but never carried out plans for further exploitation. The US occupied and reclaimed the island in 1935. Abandoned after World War II, the island is currently a National Wildlife Refuge administered by the US Department of the Interior.

Jersey

Jersey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy that held sway in both France and England. These islands were the only British soil occupied by German troops in World War II. Jersey is a British crown dependency but is not part of the UK. However, the UK Government is constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation.

Johnston Atoll

Both the US and the Kingdom of Hawaii annexed Johnston Atoll in 1858, but it was the US that mined the guano deposits until the late 1880s. Johnston and Sand Islands were designated wildlife refuges in 1926. The US Navy took over the atoll in 1934, and subsequently the US Air Force assumed control in 1948. The site was used for high-altitude nuclear tests in the 1950s and 1960s, and until late in 2000 the atoll was maintained as a storage and disposal site for chemical weapons. Munitions destruction is now complete. Cleanup and closure of the facility was completed by May 2005.

Jordan

Once under the protection of the British Empire, Jordan declared itself an independent nation in 1946, joining the UN as such soon afterwards. With a surface area of 88,780 sq km, it is the 111th largest nation on earth, and the 8th largest of the Middle East. The state, which lies on the eastern bank of the Jordan river, is bordered by Israel (238km) and the West Bank (97km) lie to the west, Syria (375km) to the north, Iraq (181km) to the north east, and Saudi Arabia (744km) to the east. Jordan would be landlocked but for a landlocked but for a tiny coastline facing the Gulf or Aqaba in the south. With a population of 6.5 million, it’s the 103rd most populous state on earth.

Juan de Nova Island

Named after a famous 15th century Spanish navigator and explorer, the island has been a French possession since 1897. It has been exploited for its guano and phosphate. Presently a small military garrison oversees a meteorological station.

Kazakhstan

Native Kazakhs, a mix of Turkic and Mongol nomadic tribes who migrated into the region in the 13th century, were rarely united as a single nation. The area was conquered by Russia in the 18th century, and Kazakhstan became a Soviet Republic in 1936. During the 1950s and 1960s agricultural "Virgin Lands" program, Soviet citizens were encouraged to help cultivate Kazakhstan's northern pastures. This influx of immigrants (mostly Russians, but also some other deported nationalities) skewed the ethnic mixture and enabled non-Kazakhs to outnumber natives. Independence in 1991 caused many of these newcomers to emigrate. Kazakhstan's economy is larger than those of all the other Central Asian states combined, largely due to the country's vast natural resources and a recent history of political stability. Current issues include: developing a cohesive national identity; expanding the development of the country's vast energy resources and exporting them to world markets; achieving a sustainable economic growth; diversifying the economy outside the oil, gas, and mining sectors; enhancing Kazakhstan's competitiveness; and strengthening relations with neighboring states and other foreign powers.

Kenya

Sitting on the western coast of Africa, Kenya faces the Indian Ocean. It shares a border with 5 other countries: Sudan (232km), Somalia (682km) and Ethiopia (861km) to the north; Uganda (933km) to the east; and Tanzania (769km) to the south. It has the 34th largest national population in the world, with more than 41 million, although just 2 million are estimated to live in the capital city, Nairobi.

Kingman Reef

The US annexed the reef in 1922. Its sheltered lagoon served as a way station for flying boats on Hawaii-to-American Samoa flights during the late 1930s. There are no terrestrial plants on the reef, which is frequently awash, but it does support abundant and diverse marine fauna and flora. In 2001, the waters surrounding the reef out to 12 nm were designated a US National Wildlife Refuge.

Kiribati

The Gilbert Islands became a British protectorate in 1892 and a colony in 1915; they were captured by the Japanese in the Pacific War in 1941. The islands of Makin and Tarawa were the sites of major US amphibious victories over entrenched Japanese garrisons in 1943. The Gilbert Islands were granted self-rule by the UK in 1971 and complete independence in 1979 under the new name of Kiribati. The US relinquished all claims to the sparsely inhabited Phoenix and Line Island groups in a 1979 treaty of friendship with Kiribati.

Korea, North

As one of the most mysterious nations in the world, there are many facts about the ultra-secretive Communist state that is unknown. However, we do know that the north east Asian country borders three countries: China (1,416km), South Korea (238km) and Russia (19km). With a reported population of almost 24.5 million, it is the 49th most populous country. Its capital, Pyongyang, has 2.7million inhabitants.

Korea, South

South Korea is bordered by just one country - North Korea - and has been since the eastern peninsula was divided at the end of the Korean War in 1953. However, the democratic state as made all the headway, with twice the population of its northern neighbors, at 48.7million and a GDP per capita 14 times that of its cousins, at $18,340 per person.

Kuwait

Situated in the middle of the Middle East, Kuwait is one of the smallest nations in the region with a population of just over 2.5 million. However, but is bordered by two of the regional giants. Saudi Arabia (222km) lies to the south and Iraq (240km) is to the north, with Iran lying to the east on the other side of the Persian Gulf.

Kyrgyzstan

A Central Asian country of incredible natural beauty and proud nomadic traditions, most of Kyrgyzstan was formally annexed to Russia in 1876. The Kyrgyz staged a major revolt against the Tsarist Empire in 1916 in which almost one-sixth of the Kyrgyz population was killed. Kyrgyzstan became a Soviet republic in 1936 and achieved independence in 1991 when the USSR dissolved. Nationwide demonstrations in the spring of 2005 resulted in the ouster of President Askar AKAYEV, who had run the country since 1990. Subsequent presidential elections in July 2005 were won overwhelmingly by former prime minister Kurmanbek BAKIEV. The political opposition organized demonstrations in Bishkek in April, May, and November 2006 resulting in the adoption of a new constitution that transferred some of the president's powers to parliament and the government. In December 2006, the Kyrgyz parliament voted to adopt new amendments, restoring some of the presidential powers lost in the November 2006 constitutional change. By late-September 2007, both previous versions of the constitution were declared illegal, and the country reverted to the AKAYEV-era 2003 constitution, which was subsequently modified in a flawed referendum initiated by BAKIEV. The president then dissolved parliament, called for early elections, and gained control of the new parliament through his newly-created political party, Ak Jol, in December 2007 elections. Current concerns include: privatization of state-owned enterprises, negative trends in democracy and political freedoms, reduction of corruption, improving interethnic relations, and combating terrorism.

Laos

Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, established in the 14th Century under King FA NGUM. For 300 years Lan Xang had influence reaching into present-day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as over all of what is now Laos. After centuries of gradual decline, Laos came under the domination of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century until the late 19th century when it became part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current Lao border with Thailand. In 1975, the Communist Pathet Lao took control of the government ending a six-century-old monarchy and instituting a strict socialist regime closely aligned to Vietnam. A gradual return to private enterprise and the liberalization of foreign investment laws began in 1986. Laos became a member of ASEAN in 1997.

Latvia

The middle state in the trinity of Baltic states to gain independence from the USSR in 1991, Latvia is also the middle in population with just 2.2 million inhabitants. With the Baltic Sea on its west coast, it is bordered by four states: Estonia (343km) to the north, Lithuania (576km) to the south and Belarus (171km) to the south east, and Russia (292km) to the east. http://www.nationmaster.com/country/lh-lithuania The most populous of the three former USSR Baltic States, with a population of 3.5 million. However, it is the only one of the three to have Russia on its western frontier, with the Russian port and administrative centre of Kaliningrad Oblast stretching for 227km. Other neighbors are Poland (91km), Belarus (680km) and Latvia (576km). http://www.nationmaster.com/country/lo-slovakia Part of the European cluster of 9 landlocked countries (including Kosovo), Slovakia finds itself in the heart of the old Eastern Europe. It has five neighbors on its borders: namely, the Czech Republic (their former state partners in the old Czechoslovakia) and Austria to the west, Ukraine to the east, Poland to the north and Hungary to the south. It is the smallest of the group, with a population of just 5.5 million. http://www.nationmaster.com/country/lu-luxembourg Until Malta joined the EU in 2004, Luxembourg was the smallest member both in population and area. However, it does hold the distinction of being one of the six founding members of the original EEC in 1957. It is bordered by just three nations; France (73km), Belgium (148km) and Germany (138km). http://www.nationmaster.com/country/lu-luxembourg/eco-economy Despite its size, Luxembourg boasts one of the most successful economies in the world with a GDP of more than $41 billion. In fact, its citizens are the most productive globally, topping both the GDP per capita PPP table ahead of the US and Norway, and the Overall Productivity PPP ahead of the US and Ireland. Citizens are also the best off in the world with an Gross National Income of $37,499 per person.

Lebanon

Following the capture of Syria from the Ottoman Empire by Anglo-French forces in 1918, France received a mandate over this territory and separated out the region of Lebanon in 1920. France granted this area independence in 1943. A lengthy civil war (1975-1990) devastated the country, but Lebanon has since made progress toward rebuilding its political institutions. Under the Ta'if Accord - the blueprint for national reconciliation - the Lebanese established a more equitable political system, particularly by giving Muslims a greater voice in the political process while institutionalizing sectarian divisions in the government. Since the end of the war, Lebanon has conducted several successful elections. Most militias have been disbanded, and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) have extended authority over about two-thirds of the country. Hizballah, a radical Shia organization listed by the US State Department as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, retains its weapons. During Lebanon's civil war, the Arab League legitimized in the Ta'if Accord Syria's troop deployment, numbering about 16,000 based mainly east of Beirut and in the Bekaa Valley. Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon in May 2000 and the passage in October 2004 of UNSCR 1559 - a resolution calling for Syria to withdraw from Lebanon and end its interference in Lebanese affairs - encouraged some Lebanese groups to demand that Syria withdraw its forces as well. The assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq HARIRI and 20 others in February 2005 led to massive demonstrations in Beirut against the Syrian presence ("the Cedar Revolution"), and Syria withdrew the remainder of its military forces in April 2005. In May-June 2005, Lebanon held its first legislative elections since the end of the civil war free of foreign interference, handing a majority to the bloc led by Saad HARIRI, the slain prime minister's son. Lebanon continues to be plagued by violence - Hizballah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers in July 2006 leading to a 34-day conflict with Israel. The LAF in May-September 2007 battled Sunni extremist group Fatah al-Islam in the Nahr al-Barid Palestinian refugee camp; and the country has witnessed a string of politically motivated assassinations since the death of Rafiq HARIRI. Lebanese politicians in November 2007 were unable to agree on a successor to Emile LAHUD when he stepped down as president, creating a political vacuum until the election of Army Commander Michel SULAYMAN in May 2008 and the formation of a new cabinet in July 2008.

Lesotho

Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. The Basuto National Party ruled for the first two decades. King MOSHOESHOE was exiled in 1990, but returned to Lesotho in 1992 and was reinstated in 1995. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after seven years of military rule. In 1998, violent protests and a military mutiny following a contentious election prompted a brief but bloody intervention by South African and Botswanan military forces under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community. Subsequent constitutional reforms restored relative political stability. Peaceful parliamentary elections were held in 2002, but the National Assembly elections of February 2007 were hotly contested and aggrieved parties continue to periodically demonstrate their distrust of the results.

Liberia

Settlement of freed slaves from the US in what is today Liberia began in 1822; by 1847, the Americo-Liberians were able to establish a republic. William TUBMAN, president from 1944-71, did much to promote foreign investment and to bridge the economic, social, and political gaps between the descendents of the original settlers and the inhabitants of the interior. In 1980, a military coup led by Samuel DOE ushered in a decade of authoritarian rule. In December 1989, Charles TAYLOR launched a rebellion against DOE's regime that led to a prolonged civil war in which DOE himself was killed. A period of relative peace in 1997 allowed for elections that brought TAYLOR to power, but major fighting resumed in 2000. An August 2003 peace agreement ended the war and prompted the resignation of former president Charles TAYLOR, who faces war crimes charges in The Hague related to his involvement in Sierra Leone's civil war. After two years of rule by a transitional government, democratic elections in late 2005 brought President Ellen JOHNSON SIRLEAF to power. The UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) maintains a strong presence throughout the country, but the security situation is still fragile and the process of rebuilding the social and economic structure of this war-torn country will take many years.

Libya

One of 5 African nations with a coastline on the Mediterranean Sea, Libya is the second largest state, behind Algeria, but has the longest coastline. However, the majority of its area is taken up by the Sahara Desert and, so it has by far the smallest population of the group, with 6.6million, Its capital, Tripoli, boasts a mere 496,000 inhabitants. http://www.nationmaster.com/country/ma-madagascar The largest island in off the coast of Africa, Madagascar is also amongst the larger independent states in the region. In fact, in terms of land area, it’s the 44th largest country in the world. And yet, it has a modest population of 22 million, meaning it is also one of the least densely populated countries with just 25.58 people per sqkm. http://www.nationmaster.com/country/mg-mongolia Despite its considerable size, Mongolia is one of the quietest nations in Asia. Perhaps that is understandable given that it is shared vast borders with two of the largest powers in the world. The border with Russia, to the north, stretches for 3,543km, while China’s to the south, runs for 4,677km. It modest population of 3.1million means it has one of the smallest population densities on earth with just 1.6 people per sqkm. http://www.nationmaster.com/country/mh-montserrat/cri-crimeWith a population of just 5,000, there can be little surprise that crime figures are fairly low. In fact, recent figures place Montserrat last in a list of 82 nations, as it has the least number of crimes - just 751. Surprisingly, of those crimes that reach court, some 105 cases end in an acquittal.

Liechtenstein

The Principality of Liechtenstein was established within the Holy Roman Empire in 1719. Occupied by both French and Russian troops during the Napoleanic wars, it became a sovereign state in 1806 and joined the Germanic Confederation in 1815. Liechtenstein became fully independent in 1866 when the Confederation dissolved. Until the end of World War I, it was closely tied to Austria, but the economic devastation caused by that conflict forced Liechtenstein to enter into a customs and monetary union with Switzerland. Since World War II (in which Liechtenstein remained neutral), the country's low taxes have spurred outstanding economic growth. In 2000, shortcomings in banking regulatory oversight resulted in concerns about the use of financial institutions for money laundering. However, Liechtenstein implemented anti-money-laundering legislation and a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with the US went into effect in 2003.

Lithuania

Lithuanian lands were united under MINDAUGAS in 1236; over the next century, through alliances and conquest, Lithuania extended its territory to include most of present-day Belarus and Ukraine. By the end of the 14th century Lithuania was the largest state in Europe. An alliance with Poland in 1386 led the two countries into a union through the person of a common ruler. In 1569, Lithuania and Poland formally united into a single dual state, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This entity survived until 1795, when its remnants were partitioned by surrounding countries. Lithuania regained its independence following World War I but was annexed by the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US and many other countries. On 11 March 1990, Lithuania became the first of the Soviet republics to declare its independence, but Moscow did not recognize this proclamation until September of 1991 (following the abortive coup in Moscow). The last Russian troops withdrew in 1993. Lithuania subsequently restructured its economy for integration into Western European institutions; it joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.

Luxembourg

Founded in 963, Luxembourg became a grand duchy in 1815 and an independent state under the Netherlands. It lost more than half of its territory to Belgium in 1839, but gained a larger measure of autonomy. Full independence was attained in 1867. Overrun by Germany in both World Wars, it ended its neutrality in 1948 when it entered into the Benelux Customs Union and when it joined NATO the following year. In 1957, Luxembourg became one of the six founding countries of the European Economic Community (later the European Union), and in 1999 it joined the euro currency area.

Macau

Colonized by the Portuguese in the 16th century, Macau was the first European settlement in the Far East. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and Portugal on 13 April 1987, Macau became the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 20 December 1999. In this agreement, China promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's socialist economic system would not be practiced in Macau, and that Macau would enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years.

Macedonia, Republic of

Macedonia gained its independence peacefully from Yugoslavia in 1991, but Greece's objection to the new state's use of what it considered a Hellenic name and symbols delayed international recognition, which occurred under the provisional designation of "the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia." In 1995, Greece lifted a 20-month trade embargo and the two countries agreed to normalize relations. The United States began referring to Macedonia by its constitutional name, Republic of Macedonia, in 2004 and negotiations continue between Greece and Macedonia to resolve the name issue. Some ethnic Albanians, angered by perceived political and economic inequities, launched an insurgency in 2001 that eventually won the support of the majority of Macedonia's Albanian population and led to the internationally-brokered Framework Agreement, which ended the fighting by establishing a set of new laws enhancing the rights of minorities. Fully implementating the Framework Agreement and stimulating economic growth and development continue to be challenges for Macedonia, although progress has been made on both fronts over the past several years.

Madagascar

Formerly an independent kingdom, Madagascar became a French colony in 1896 but regained independence in 1960. During 1992-93, free presidential and National Assembly elections were held ending 17 years of single-party rule. In 1997, in the second presidential race, Didier RATSIRAKA, the leader during the 1970s and 1980s, was returned to the presidency. The 2001 presidential election was contested between the followers of Didier RATSIRAKA and Marc RAVALOMANANA, nearly causing secession of half of the country. In April 2002, the High Constitutional Court announced RAVALOMANANA the winner. RAVALOMANANA is now in his second term following a landslide victory in the generally free and fair presidential elections of 2006.

Malawi

Established in 1891, the British protectorate of Nyasaland became the independent nation of Malawi in 1964. After three decades of one-party rule under President Hastings Kamuzu BANDA the country held multiparty elections in 1994, under a provisional constitution that came into full effect the following year. Current President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA, elected in May 2004 after a failed attempt by the previous president to amend the constitution to permit another term, struggled to assert his authority against his predecessor and subsequently started his own party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 2005. As president, MUTHARIKA has overseen substantial economic improvement but because of political deadlock in the legislature, his minority party has been unable to pass significant legislation, and anti-corruption measures have stalled. Population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, corruption, and the spread of HIV/AIDS pose major problems for Malawi.

Malaysia

During the late 18th and 19th centuries, Great Britain established colonies and protectorates in the area of current Malaysia; these were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. In 1948, the British-ruled territories on the Malay Peninsula formed the Federation of Malaya, which became independent in 1957. Malaysia was formed in 1963 when the former British colonies of Singapore and the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo joined the Federation. The first several years of the country's history were marred by a Communist insurgency, Indonesian confrontation with Malaysia, Philippine claims to Sabah, and Singapore's secession from the Federation in 1965. During the 22-year term of Prime Minister MAHATHIR bin Mohamad (1981-2003), Malaysia was successful in diversifying its economy from dependence on exports of raw materials to expansion in manufacturing, services, and tourism.

Maldives

The Maldives was long a sultanate, first under Dutch and then under British protection. It became a republic in 1968, three years after independence. President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM dominated the islands' political scene for 30 years, elected to six successive terms by single-party referendums. Following riots in the capital Male in August 2004, the president and his government pledged to embark upon democratic reforms including a more representative political system and expanded political freedoms. Progress was sluggish, however, and many promised reforms were slow to be realized. Nonetheless, political parties were legalized in 2005. In June 2008, a constituent assembly - termed the "Special Majlis" - finalized a new constitution, which was ratified by the president in August. The first-ever presidential elections under a multi-candidate, multi-party system were held in October 2008. GAYOOM was defeated in a runoff poll by Mohamed NASHEED, a political activist who had been jailed several years earlier by the former regime. Challenges facing the new president include strengthening democracy and combating poverty and drug abuse.

Mali

The Sudanese Republic and Senegal became independent of France in 1960 as the Mali Federation. When Senegal withdrew after only a few months, what formerly made up the Sudanese Republic was renamed Mali. Rule by dictatorship was brought to a close in 1991 by a military coup - led by the current president Amadou TOURE - enabling Mali's emergence as one of the strongest democracies on the continent. President Alpha KONARE won Mali's first democratic presidential election in 1992 and was reelected in 1997. In keeping with Mali's two-term constitutional limit, KONARE stepped down in 2002 and was succeeded by Amadou TOURE, who was subsequently elected to a second term in 2007. The elections were widely judged to be free and fair.

Malta

Great Britain formally acquired possession of Malta in 1814. The island staunchly supported the UK through both World Wars and remained in the Commonwealth when it became independent in 1964. A decade later Malta became a republic. Since about the mid-1980s, the island has transformed itself into a freight transshipment point, a financial center, and a tourist destination. Malta became an EU member in May 2004 and began to use the euro as currency in 2008.

Man, Isle of

Part of the Norwegian Kingdom of the Hebrides until the 13th century when it was ceded to Scotland, the isle came under the British crown in 1765. Current concerns include reviving the almost extinct Manx Gaelic language. Isle of Man is a British crown dependency but is not part of the UK. However, the UK Government remains constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation.

Marshall Islands

After almost four decades under US administration as the easternmost part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the Marshall Islands attained independence in 1986 under a Compact of Free Association. Compensation claims continue as a result of US nuclear testing on some of the atolls between 1947 and 1962. The Marshall Islands hosts the US Army Kwajalein Atoll (USAKA) Reagan Missile Test Site, a key installation in the US missile defense network.

Martinique

The French began to settle this island in 1635, overcoming resistance from the local Carib inhabitants. In 1660, the suviving natives were rounded up and permanently expelled. The island has subsequently remained a French possession except for three brief periods of foreign occupation.

Mauritania

Independent from France in 1960, Mauritania annexed the southern third of the former Spanish Sahara (now Western Sahara) in 1976, but relinquished it after three years of raids by the Polisario guerrilla front seeking independence for the territory. Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA seized power in a coup in 1984 and ruled Mauritania with a heavy hand for over two decades. A series of presidential elections that he held were widely seen as flawed. A bloodless coup in August 2005 deposed President TAYA and ushered in a military council that oversaw a transition to democratic rule. Independent candidate Sidi Ould Cheikh ABDALLAHI was inaugurated in April 2007 as Mauritania's first freely and fairly elected president. His term ended prematurely in August 2008 when a coup deposed him and ushered in a military council government. Meanwhile, the country continues to experience ethnic tensions among its black population (Afro-Mauritanians) and White and Black Moor (Arab-Berber) communities.

Mauritius

Although known to Arab and Malay sailors as early as the 10th century, Mauritius was first explored by the Portuguese in the 16th century and subsequently settled by the Dutch - who named it in honor of Prince Maurits van NASSAU - in the 17th century. The French assumed control in 1715, developing the island into an important naval base overseeing Indian Ocean trade, and establishing a plantation economy of sugar cane. The British captured the island in 1810, during the Napoleonic Wars. Mauritius remained a strategically important British naval base, and later an air station, playing an important role during World War II for anti-submarine and convoy operations, as well as the collection of signals intelligence. Independence from the UK was attained in 1968. A stable democracy with regular free elections and a positive human rights record, the country has attracted considerable foreign investment and has earned one of Africa's highest per capita incomes. Recent poor weather, declining sugar prices, and declining textile and apparel production, have slowed economic growth, leading to some protests over standards of living in the Creole community.

Mayotte

Mayotte was ceded to France along with the other islands of the Comoros group in 1843. It was the only island in the archipelago that voted in 1974 to retain its link with France and forego independence.

Mexico

The site of advanced Amerindian civilizations, Mexico came under Spanish rule for three centuries before achieving independence early in the 19th century. A devaluation of the peso in late 1994 threw Mexico into economic turmoil, triggering the worst recession in over half a century. The nation continues to make an impressive recovery. Ongoing economic and social concerns include low real wages, underemployment for a large segment of the population, inequitable income distribution, and few advancement opportunities for the largely Amerindian population in the impoverished southern states. The elections held in 2000 marked the first time since the 1910 Mexican Revolution that an opposition candidate - Vicente FOX of the National Action Party (PAN) - defeated the party in government, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). He was succeeded in 2006 by another PAN candidate Felipe CALDERON.

Micronesia, Federated States of

In 1979 the Federated States of Micronesia, a UN Trust Territory under US administration, adopted a constitution. In 1986 independence was attained under a Compact of Free Association with the US, which was amended and renewed in 2004. Present concerns include large-scale unemployment, overfishing, and overdependence on US aid.

Midway Islands

The US took formal possession of the islands in 1867. The laying of the trans-Pacific cable, which passed through the islands, brought the first residents in 1903. Between 1935 and 1947, Midway was used as a refueling stop for trans-Pacific flights. The US naval victory over a Japanese fleet off Midway in 1942 was one of the turning points of World War II. The islands continued to serve as a naval station until closed in 1993. Today the islands are a national wildlife refuge. From 1996 to 2001 the refuge was open to the public; it is now temporarily closed.

Moldova

Formerly part of Romania, Moldova was incorporated into the Soviet Union at the close of World War II. Although independent from the USSR since 1991, Russian forces have remained on Moldovan territory east of the Dniester River supporting the Slavic majority population, mostly Ukrainians and Russians, who have proclaimed a "Transnistria" republic. One of the poorest nations in Europe, Moldova became the first former Soviet state to elect a Communist as its president in 2001.

Monaco

The Genoese built a fortress on the site of present-day Monaco in 1215. The current ruling Grimaldi family secured control in the late 13th century, and a principality was established in 1338. Economic development was spurred in the late 19th century with a railroad linkup to France and the opening of a casino. Since then, the principality's mild climate, splendid scenery, and gambling facilities have made Monaco world famous as a tourist and recreation center.

Mongolia

The Mongols gained fame in the 13th century when under Chinggis KHAN they conquered a huge Eurasian empire. After his death the empire was divided into several powerful Mongol states, but these broke apart in the 14th century. The Mongols eventually retired to their original steppe homelands and in the late 17th century came under Chinese rule. Mongolia won its independence in 1921 with Soviet backing. A Communist regime was installed in 1924. Following a peaceful democratic revolution, the ex-Communist Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) won elections in 1990 and 1992, but was defeated by the Democratic Union Coalition (DUC) in the 1996 parliamentary election. Since then, parliamentary elections returned the MPRP overwhelmingly to power in 2000, but 2004 elections reduced MPRP representation and, therefore, its authority.

Montenegro

The use of the name Montenegro began in the 15th century when the Crnojevic dynasty began to rule the Serbian principality of Zeta; over subsequent centuries Montenegro was able to maintain its independence from the Ottoman Empire. From the 16th to 19th centuries, Montenegro became a theocracy ruled by a series of bishop princes; in 1852, it was transformed into a secular principality. After World War I, Montenegro was absorbed by the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, which became the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929; at the conclusion of World War II, it became a constituent republic of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. When the latter dissolved in 1992, Montenegro federated with Serbia, first as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and, after 2003, in a looser union of Serbia and Montenegro. In May 2006, Montenegro invoked its right under the Constitutional Charter of Serbia and Montenegro to hold a referendum on independence from the state union. The vote for severing ties with Serbia exceeded 55% - the threshold set by the EU - allowing Montenegro to formally declare its independence on 3 June 2006.

Montserrat

English and Irish colonists from St. Kitts first settled on Montserrat in 1632; the first African slaves arrived three decades later. The British and French fought for possession of the island for most of the 18th century, but it finally was confirmed as a British possession in 1783. The island's sugar plantation economy was converted to small farm landholdings in the mid 19th century. Much of this island was devastated and two-thirds of the population fled abroad because of the eruption of the Soufriere Hills Volcano that began on 18 July 1995. Montserrat has endured volcanic activity since, with the last eruption occurring in July 2003.

Morocco

Morocco is one of the best known North African countries, thanks in the main to films that feature cities like Marrakech, Tangier and Casablanca. It’s perhaps not surprising given the fact that it is the closest African nation to the western world, with just the 14km Strait of Gibraltar dividing it from mainland Spain. In fact, technically it borders Europe, with two autonomous Spanish cities to the north: Cueta (6.3km) and Melilla (9.6km). Morocco’s other neighbors are Algeria (1,559km) and Western Sahara (443km).

Mozambique

Squeezed onto the east coast of Southern Africa, Mozambique is bordered by a total of six nations. Tanzania (756km) lies to the north, Zambia and Zimbabwe (1,231km) to the west and South Africa (491km) to the south, with Malawi (1,569km) jutting in from the north east. It’s smallest neighbor is tiny, and locked Africa state of Swaziland (105km).

Namibia

One of the youngest nations in the world, Namibia sits on the south western coast of the African continent, facing the South Atlantic ocean. It shares its borders with four neighbours, South Africa (967km) to the south, Angola (1,376km) to the north, Botswana (1,360km) to the east, and Zambia (233km) north of the Caprivi region that juts deep inland. Boasting a population of just 2.1 million, it has the 3rd lowest population density on earth, behind Greenland and Mongolia.

Nauru

The exact origins of the Nauruans are unclear, since their language does not resemble any other in the Pacific. The island was annexed by Germany in 1888 and its phosphate deposits began to be mined early in the 20th century by a German-British consortium. Nauru was occupied by Australian forces in World War I and subsequently became a League of Nations mandate. After the Second World War - and a brutal occupation by Japan - Nauru became a UN trust territory. It achieved its independence in 1968 and joined the UN in 1999 as the world's smallest independent republic.

Navassa Island

This uninhabited island was claimed by the US in 1857 for its guano. Mining took place between 1865 and 1898. The lighthouse, built in 1917, was shut down in 1996 and administration of Navassa Island transferred from the Coast Guard to the Department of the Interior. A 1998 scientific expedition to the island described it as a unique preserve of Caribbean biodiversity; the following year it became a National Wildlife Refuge and annual scientific expeditions have continued.

Nepal

In 1951, the Nepalese monarch ended the century-old system of rule by hereditary premiers and instituted a cabinet system of government. Reforms in 1990 established a multiparty democracy within the framework of a constitutional monarchy. An insurgency led by Maoist extremists broke out in 1996. The ensuing nine-year civil war between insurgents and government forces witnessed the dissolution of the cabinet and parliament and assumption of absolute power by the king. Several weeks of mass protests in April 2006 were followed by several months of peace negotiations between the Maoists and government officials, and culminated in a November 2006 peace accord and the promulgation of an interim constitution. The newly formed interim parliament declared Nepal a democratic federal republic at its first meeting in May 2008, the king vacated the throne in mid-June 2008, and parliament elected the country's first president the following month.

Netherlands

The Netherlands is also popularly known as Holland, and is one of the old kingdom nations of Europe. It’s west and north costs face onto the North Sea, with its eastern border meeting Germany (577km) and its southern border shared with Belgium (450km). Interestingly, its official capital is Amsterdam, also its most populated city with 724,000 inhabitants, but its administrative capital is The Hague, a city of a little more than half the size.

Netherlands Antilles

Once the center of the Caribbean slave trade, the island of Curacao was hard hit by the abolition of slavery in 1863. Its prosperity (and that of neighboring Aruba) was restored in the early 20th century with the construction of oil refineries to service the newly discovered Venezuelan oil fields. The island of Saint Martin is shared with France; its southern portion is named Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles; its northern portion, called Saint Martin, is an overseas collectivity of France.

New Caledonia

Settled by both Britain and France during the first half of the 19th century, the island was made a French possession in 1853. It served as a penal colony for four decades after 1864. Agitation for independence during the 1980s and early 1990s ended in the 1998 Noumea Accord, which over a period of 15 to 20 years will transfer an increasing amount of governing responsibility from France to New Caledonia. The agreement also commits France to conduct as many as three referenda between 2013 and 2018, to decide whether New Caledonia should assume full sovereignty and independence.

New Zealand

New Zealand hold the distinction of having the southern most national capital in the world, Wellington. With less than 10% of the country’s population living there, its 370,000 is just under a third the size of New Zealand’s largest city,

Nicaragua

The central nation in the Central American region, Nicaragua finds itself squeezed between the Pacific Ocean on the west, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and sharing borders with Honduras (922km) to the north and Costa Rica (309km) to the south. However, though it has the largest area of the 7 regional countries, boasts on of the lowest populations at just 5.67million.

Niger

Niger became independent from France in 1960 and experienced single-party and military rule until 1991, when Gen. Ali SAIBOU was forced by public pressure to allow multiparty elections, which resulted in a democratic government in 1993. Political infighting brought the government to a standstill and in 1996 led to a coup by Col. Ibrahim BARE. In 1999 BARE was killed in a coup by military officers who promptly restored democratic rule and held elections that brought Mamadou TANDJA to power in December of that year. TANDJA was reelected in 2004. Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world with minimal government services and insufficient funds to develop its resource base. The largely agrarian and subsistence-based economy is frequently disrupted by extended droughts common to the Sahel region of Africa. A predominately Tuareg ethnic group emerged in February 2007, the Nigerien Movement for Justice (MNJ), and attacked several military targets in Niger's northern region throughout 2007. Events have since evolved into a budding insurrection.

Nigeria

Nigeria may boast one of the biggest populations on the continent of Africa, with 155 million citizens, but it also boasts one the smallest capital cities, Abuja, which is home to only 0.25% of the population. Lagos, often mistaken as the nation’s capital, is the largest city with a population that experts can only estimate to be between 10 million and 15 million.

Niue

Niue's remoteness, as well as cultural and linguistic differences between its Polynesian inhabitants and those of the rest of the Cook Islands, have caused it to be separately administered. The population of the island continues to drop (from a peak of 5,200 in 1966 to an estimated 1,444 in 2008), with substantial emigration to New Zealand, 2,400 km to the southwest.

Norfolk Island

Two British attempts at establishing the island as a penal colony (1788-1814 and 1825-55) were ultimately abandoned. In 1856, the island was resettled by Pitcairn Islanders, descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions.

Northern Mariana Islands

Under US administration as part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific, the people of the Northern Mariana Islands decided in the 1970s not to seek independence but instead to forge closer links with the US. Negotiations for territorial status began in 1972. A covenant to establish a commonwealth in political union with the US was approved in 1975, and came into force on 24 March 1976. A new government and constitution went into effect in 1978.

Norway

One of four nations that make up Scandinavia, Norway is the only one of that geographical region to have resisted the temptation to join the EU. It is also boasts the most northerly city in the world, with Hammerfest located in the very northern tip of the Scandinavian Peninsula. That city has a low population of just 5,000, which is in keeping with the modest population of the nation’s capital, Oslo, which has 483,000 inhabitants.

Oman

The inhabitants of the area of Oman have long prospered on Indian Ocean trade. In the late 18th century, a newly established sultanate in Muscat signed the first in a series of friendship treaties with Britain. Over time, Oman's dependence on British political and military advisors increased, but it never became a British colony. In 1970, QABOOS bin Said al-Said overthrew the restrictive rule of his father; he has ruled as sultan ever since. His extensive modernization program has opened the country to the outside world while preserving the longstanding close ties with the UK. Oman's moderate, independent foreign policy has sought to maintain good relations with all Middle Eastern countries.

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the world's five oceans (followed by the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean). Strategically important access waterways include the La Perouse, Tsugaru, Tsushima, Taiwan, Singapore, and Torres Straits. The decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Pacific Ocean south of 60 degrees south.

Pakistan

Pakistan has the distinction of dividing three worlds from each other, with the Asian and global giants China (523km) on its northern border, the Middle Eastern states of Iran (909km) and Afghanistan (2,430km) to its west, and the world’s 2nd most populous nation, India (2,912km) to its east. Pakistan itself has the 7th largest population on earth, with 187 million inhabitants.

Palau

After three decades as part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific under US administration, this westernmost cluster of the Caroline Islands opted for independence in 1978 rather than join the Federated States of Micronesia. A Compact of Free Association with the US was approved in 1986, but not ratified until 1993. It entered into force the following year, when the islands gained independence.

Palmyra Atoll

The Kingdom of Hawaii claimed the atoll in 1862, and the US included it among the Hawaiian Islands when it annexed the archipelago in 1898. The Hawaii Statehood Act of 1959 did not include Palmyra Atoll, which is now privately owned by the Nature Conservancy. This organization is managing the atoll as a nature preserve. The lagoons and surrounding waters within the 12 nautical mile US territorial seas were transferred to the US Fish and Wildlife Service and were designated a National Wildlife Refuge in January 2001.

Panama

The southern most nation of Central America, Panama is the gateway to the South American continent. It shares borders with Costa Rica (330km) to the north and Colombia (225km) to the south. However, it is effectively divided by the famed Panama Canal, which links the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

Papua New Guinea

The eastern half of the island of New Guinea - second largest in the world - was divided between Germany (north) and the UK (south) in 1885. The latter area was transferred to Australia in 1902, which occupied the northern portion during World War I and continued to administer the combined areas until independence in 1975. A nine-year secessionist revolt on the island of Bougainville ended in 1997 after claiming some 20,000 lives.

Paracel Islands

The Paracel Islands are surrounded by productive fishing grounds and by potential oil and gas reserves. In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island; maintenance was continued by its successor, Vietnam. China has occupied the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. China built a military installation on Mischief Reef in 1999. The islands are claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam.

Paraguay

Paraguay is one of only two landlocked South American countries, sharing that distinction with its neighbor Bolivia. It also shares borders with Brazil (1,365km) and Argentina (1,880km), but with a population of just 6.5 million its is one of the smallest counties. In fact, just 4 of the other 12 continental nations are smaller.

Peru

Peru is one of only 4 South American nations to face the Pacific Ocean, but is the only one to share a border with each of the other three: Colombia (1,800km), Equador (1,420km) and Chile (171km). It also shares borders with Bolivia (1,075km) and Brazil (2,995km).

Philippines

The Philippines has the 13th highest population in the world, with 101 million citizens. It’s capital city, Manila (1.6m), is around three quarters the population of the highest populated city, Quezon City (2.1m). But both are part of Metro Manila, which has the 12th largest city population in the world, with some 9.2 million citizens.

Pitcairn Islands

Pitcairn Island was discovered in 1767 by the British and settled in 1790 by the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions. Pitcairn was the first Pacific island to become a British colony (in 1838) and today remains the last vestige of that empire in the South Pacific. Outmigration, primarily to New Zealand, has thinned the population from a peak of 233 in 1937 to less than 50 today.

Poland

Poland has the distinction of being Russia’s most westerly European neighbor, thanks to its border with Kaliningrad Oblast (432km) to the north. The former Soviet state has six other neighbors, with Lithuania (91km), Belarus (605km), Ukraine (428km), Slovakia (420km), Czech Republic (615km) and Germany (456km).

Portugal

Portugal shares the Iberian Peninsula with its much larger neighbor Spain, with whom it shares a 1,214km frontier. Portugal is dwarfed by their neighbor in in almost everything - population, area, GDP - but beats them in population density, 107.86 people per sqkm to Spain’s 78.43.

Puerto Rico

A former Caribbean island of the Spanish empire, Puerto Rico is now a protectorate of the US with the right of self government. With a national population of 3.9million, with some 97% of them living in urban areas.

Qatar

Qatar is the smallest independent state on the Saudi Peninsula, with a population of less than 1 million people and a capital city, Doha, with just 300,000 inhabitants. A peninsuls itself, Qatar just into the Persian Gulf, and shares a border of just 60km with Saudi Arabia to the south.

Romania

Romania holds the distinction of the only European country to share a border with the same neighbor on two separate frontiers; Ukraine to the north (326km) and the east (169km). Moldova break their frontier line for 450km. It’s other neighbors are Serbia (476km), Bulgaria (608km) and Hungary (443km).

Russia

As the largest country in the world, Russians have the most amount of neighbors, with 14 nations in total sharing a border with them. However, despite its size, it is only the 10th most populous nation with 138 million citizens.

Rwanda

Rwanda is one of Africa’s smalled countries, with a population of just over 11 million people. Positioned in the heart of Central Africa, and has borders with Tanzania (217km) to the east, Burundi (290km) to the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (217km) to the west, and Uganda (169km) to the north.

Réunion

The Portuguese discovered the uninhabited island in 1513. From the 17th to the 19th centuries, French immigration, supplemented by influxes of Africans, Chinese, Malays, and Malabar Indians, gave the island its ethnic mix. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 cost the island its importance as a stopover on the East Indies trade route.

Saint Barthelemy

Discovered in 1493 by Christopher COLUMBUS who named it for his brother Bartolomeo, St. Barthelemy was first settled by the French in 1648. In 1784, the French sold the island to Sweden, who renamed the largest town Gustavia, after the Swedish King GUSTAV III, and made it a free port; the island prospered as a trade and supply center during the colonial wars of the 18th century. France repurchased the island in 1878 and placed it under the administration of Guadeloupe. St. Barthelemy retained its free port status along with various Swedish appelations such as Swedish street and town names, and the three-crown symbol on the coat of arms. In 2003, the populace of the island voted to secede from Guadeloupe and in 2007, the island became a French overseas collectivity.

Saint Helena

Saint Helena is a British Overseas Territory consisting of Saint Helena and Ascension Islands, and the island group of Tristan da Cunha.

Saint Kitts and Nevis

First settled by the British in 1623, the islands became an associated state with full internal autonomy in 1967. The island of Anguilla rebelled and was allowed to secede in 1971. Saint Kitts and Nevis achieved independence in 1983. In 1998, a vote in Nevis on a referendum to separate from Saint Kitts fell short of the two-thirds majority needed. Nevis continues in its efforts to try and separate from Saint Kitts.

Saint Lucia

The island, with its fine natural harbor at Castries, was contested between England and France throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries (changing possession 14 times); it was finally ceded to the UK in 1814. Even after the abolition of slavery on its plantations in 1834, Saint Lucia remained an agricultural island, dedicated to producing tropical commodity crops. Self-government was granted in 1967 and independence in 1979.

Saint Martin

Although sighted by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 and claimed for Spain, it was the Dutch who occupied the island in 1631 and set about exploiting its salt deposits. The Spanish retook the island in 1633, but continued to be harassed by the Dutch. The Spanish finally relinquished St. Martin to the French and Dutch, who divided it amongst themselves in 1648. The cultivation of sugar cane introduced slavery to the island in the late 18th century; the practice was not abolished until 1848. The island became a free port in 1939; the tourism industry was dramatically expanded during the 1970s and 1980s. In 2003, the populace of St. Martin voted to secede from Guadeloupe and in 2007, the northern portion of the island became a French overseas collectivity.

Saint Pierre and Miquelon

First settled by the French in the early 17th century, the islands represent the sole remaining vestige of France's once vast North American possessions.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Resistance by native Caribs prevented colonization on St. Vincent until 1719. Disputed between France and the United Kingdom for most of the 18th century, the island was ceded to the latter in 1783. Between 1960 and 1962, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was a separate administrative unit of the Federation of the West Indies. Autonomy was granted in 1969 and independence in 1979.

Samoa

New Zealand occupied the German protectorate of Western Samoa at the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It continued to administer the islands as a mandate and then as a trust territory until 1962, when the islands became the first Polynesian nation to reestablish independence in the 20th century. The country dropped the "Western" from its name in 1997.

San Marino

The third smallest state in Europe (after the Holy See and Monaco), San Marino also claims to be the world's oldest republic. According to tradition, it was founded by a Christian stonemason named Marinus in A.D. 301. San Marino's foreign policy is aligned with that of Italy; social and political trends in the republic also track closely with those of its larger neighbor.

Saudi Arabia

The giant of the Middle East, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia boasts the largest surface area in the region, with 2 million sq km, with Iran the next highest. However, it falls way behind Iran in terms of population, with their modest 26 million inhabitants a staggering 51 million less than their rivals.

Senegal

A former French colony, Senegal is the most westerly state on the African continent, with its capital city, Dakar, jutting into the North Atlantic, the most westerly city. The state holds the distinction of being The Gambia’s only neighbour (740km), surrounding it on three sides with the ocean to the west. However, Senegal shares its borders with four other neighbours, with Guinea-Bissau (338km) and Guinea (330km) to the south, Mali (419km) to the east and Mauritania (813km) to the north.

Serbia and Montenegro

Serbia and Montenegro separated in 2006, to form two independent states, placing the two former Yugoslavia provinces amongst the youngest countries in the world. Montenegro faces the Adriatic Sea, with borders with Croatia and Boznia-Herzegovina to the west, Serbia to the north and east, and Albania to the south. Serbia, landlocked since 2006, shares the same neighbours but for Hungary to the north, Romania and Bulgaria to the east and Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the south east.

Seychelles

A lengthy struggle between France and Great Britain for the islands ended in 1814, when they were ceded to the latter. Independence came in 1976. Socialist rule was brought to a close with a new constitution and free elections in 1993. President France-Albert RENE, who had served since 1977, was re-elected in 2001, but stepped down in 2004. Vice President James MICHEL took over the presidency and in July 2006 was elected to a new five-year term.

Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone is one of a cluster of states on the north west reaches of the continent. It’s also one of the most modestly sized, with a population of just over 5.4 million and a capital in Freetown that has just 1.3 million. Nevertheless, it’s almost 2 million bigger that Liberia, which lies on its eastern border (306km) and around half the population of Guinea (652km), to its north.

Singapore

Singapore might have been the most significant city in Malaysia, but as fate would have it, their partnership ended after two years, in 1965. Instead, it is one of the most significant city states in the world, occupying 63 islands off the tip of the Malaysian Peninsula, just north of Indonesia. Singapore, the city, is home to 3 million of the country’s 4.7 million population.

Slovakia

The dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the close of World War I allowed the Slovaks to join the closely related Czechs to form Czechoslovakia. Following the chaos of World War II, Czechoslovakia became a Communist nation within Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe. Soviet influence collapsed in 1989 and Czechoslovakia once more became free. The Slovaks and the Czechs agreed to separate peacefully on 1 January 1993. Slovakia joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.

Slovenia

The Slovene lands were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the latter's dissolution at the end of World War I. In 1918, the Slovenes joined the Serbs and Croats in forming a new multinational state, which was named Yugoslavia in 1929. After World War II, Slovenia became a republic of the renewed Yugoslavia, which though Communist, distanced itself from Moscow's rule. Dissatisfied with the exercise of power by the majority Serbs, the Slovenes succeeded in establishing their independence in 1991 after a short 10-day war. Historical ties to Western Europe, a strong economy, and a stable democracy have assisted in Slovenia's transformation to a modern state. Slovenia acceded to both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.

Solomon Islands

The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s. Some of the bitterest fighting of World War II occurred on this archipelago. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence two years later. Ethnic violence, government malfeasance, and endemic crime have undermined stability and civil society. In June 2003, then Prime Minister Sir Allan KEMAKEZA sought the assistance of Australia in reestablishing law and order; the following month, an Australian-led multinational force arrived to restore peace and disarm ethnic militias. The Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) has generally been effective in restoring law and order and rebuilding government institutions.

Somalia

Somalia is the most easterly state on the African continent, extending into the Indian Ocean and south of Yemen. It shares its 2,300km of land borders with Djibouti (58km) to the north west, Ethiopia (1,600km) to the west, and Kenya (682km) to the south west. Despite its vast surface area, it has a relatively small population of 9.9 million, ensuring one of the lowest population densities in the world.

South Africa

South Africa is one of the few nations in the world where the functions of its capital is divided between three cities. Pretoria is South Africa’s official capital with an estimated 1 million population, with Cape Town (2.9 million) the legislative and Bloemfontein (369,568) the judicial capitals. However, the largest city is Johannesburg with 3.2 million inhabitants.

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

The islands, which have large bird and seal populations, lie approximately 1,000 km east of the Falkland Islands and have been under British administration since 1908 - except for a brief period in 1982 when Argentina occupied them. Grytviken, on South Georgia, was a 19th and early 20th century whaling station. Famed explorer Ernest SHACKLETON stopped there in 1914 en route to his ill-fated attempt to cross Antarctica on foot. He returned some 20 months later with a few companions in a small boat and arranged a successful rescue for the rest of his crew, stranded off the Antarctic Peninsula. He died in 1922 on a subsequent expedition and is buried in Grytviken. Today, the station houses scientists from the British Antarctic Survey. Recognizing the importance of preserving the marine stocks in adjacent waters, the UK, in 1993, extended the exclusive fishing zone from 12 nm to 200 nm around each island.

Southern Ocean

A large body of recent oceanographic research has shown that the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), an ocean current that flows from west to east around Antarctica, plays a crucial role in global ocean circulation. The region where the cold waters of the ACC meet and mingle with the warmer waters of the north defines a distinct border - the Antarctic Convergence - which fluctuates with the seasons, but which encompasses a discrete body of water and a unique ecologic region. The Convergence concentrates nutrients, which promotes marine plant life, and which in turn allows for a greater abundance of animal life. In the spring of 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization decided to delimit the waters within the Convergence as a fifth world ocean - the Southern Ocean - by combining the southern portions of the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean. The Southern Ocean extends from the coast of Antarctica north to 60 degrees south latitude, which coincides with the Antarctic Treaty Limit and which approximates the extent of the Antarctic Convergence. As such, the Southern Ocean is now the fourth largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and Indian Ocean, but larger than the Arctic Ocean). It should be noted that inclusion of the Southern Ocean does not imply recognition of this feature as one of the world's primary oceans by the US Government.

Spain

Spain is the largest of the two countries that comprise the Iberian Peninsula, and also the most significant. It borders three nations - France (623km) and Andorra (63.7km) to the north, and Portugal (1,214km) to the west. However, it also borders the UK thanks to the British Territory of Gibraltar (1.2km) on its southern tip, and Morocco on mainland Africa, through the autonomous Spanish cities of Ceuta (6.3km) and Melilla (9.6km).

Spratly Islands

The Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs. They are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and potentially by gas and oil deposits. They are claimed in their entirety by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, while portions are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines. About 45 islands are occupied by relatively small numbers of military forces from China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Brunei has established a fishing zone that overlaps a southern reef but has not made any formal claim.

Sri Lanka

By far the largest island off the coast of India, Sri Lanka was part of the British Empire until gaining independence as Ceylon, in 1948. The island faces the Bay on Bengal to the east, the Indian Ocean to the south an the Gulf of Mannar to the west. With a surface area of 65,610 sq km, Sri Lanka is the 21st largest island in the world, and the 7th largest island nation, behind Australia, Madagascar, great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), Cuba, Iceland and Ireland.

Sudan

Sudan is the largest country in Africa, boasting the 10th largest surface area in the world. There can be little surprise then, that Sudan also has one of the largest number of neighbours, with its borders shared by nine countries - Egypt (1,273km), Libya (383km), Chad (1,360km), Central African Rep (1,165km), Democratic Rep of the Congo (628km), Uganda (435km), Kenya (232km), Eritrea (605km) and Ethiopia (1,606km).

Suriname

First explored by the Spaniards in the 16th century and then settled by the English in the mid-17th century, Suriname became a Dutch colony in 1667. With the abolition of slavery in 1863, workers were brought in from India and Java. Independence from the Netherlands was granted in 1975. Five years later the civilian government was replaced by a military regime that soon declared a socialist republic. It continued to exert control through a succession of nominally civilian administrations until 1987, when international pressure finally forced a democratic election. In 1990, the military overthrew the civilian leadership, but a democratically elected government - a four-party New Front coalition - returned to power in 1991 and has ruled since; the coalition expanded to eight parties in 2005.

Svalbard

First discovered by the Norwegians in the 12th century, the islands served as an international whaling base during the 17th and 18th centuries. Norway's sovereignty was recognized in 1920; five years later it officially took over the territory.

Swaziland

Autonomy for the Swazis of southern Africa was guaranteed by the British in the late 19th century; independence was granted in 1968. Student and labor unrest during the 1990s pressured King MSWATI III, the world's last absolute monarch, to grudgingly allow political reform and greater democracy, although he has backslid on these promises in recent years. A constitution came into effect in 2006, but political parties remain banned. The African United Democratic Party tried unsuccessfully to register as an official political party in mid 2006. Talks over the constitution broke down between the government and progressive groups in 2007. Swaziland recently surpassed Botswana as the country with the world's highest known HIV/AIDS prevalence rate.

Sweden

Sweden is Norway only neighbour on the Scandinavian peninsula, sharing a 1,619km border to the west and north. Sweden’s only other neighbour is Finland (614km) to the north east. With a modest population of 9 million, it also has one of the smallest capital city populations, with just over 700,000 inhabitants.

Switzerland

Switzerland would hold the distinction of being the only country in Western Europe to be completely surrounded by the EU, but for the intervention of the tiny state of Liechtenstein (41km) bordering it to the east. All of its other neighbours are full members - Germany (334km) to the north, France (573km) to the west, Italy (740km) to the south and Austria (164km) also to its east.

Syria

Syria is one of the key Arab nations in the heart of the Middle East, despite the fact it is only 50 years old. However, its geographical position sees Syria face the Mediterranean Sea to the west, but bordered by Turkey (822km) to the north, Iraq (605km) to the east, Jordan (375km) to the south, and Isreal (76km) and Lebanon (375km) to the south west. With a population of 19.7 million (2008), only Turkey and Iraq are more populous in the region.

São Tomé and Príncipe

Discovered and claimed by Portugal in the late 15th century, the islands' sugar-based economy gave way to coffee and cocoa in the 19th century - all grown with plantation slave labor, a form of which lingered into the 20th century. While independence was achieved in 1975, democratic reforms were not instituted until the late 1980s. The country held its first free elections in 1991, but frequent internal wrangling between the various political parties precipitated repeated changes in leadership and two failed coup attempts in 1995 and 2003. The recent discovery of oil in the Gulf of Guinea promises to attract increased attention to the small island nation.

Taiwan

Situated some 120km off the coast of south east China, the island of Taiwan was under the rule of Japan from 1895 to the end WWII. With a population of more than 23 million, it is the 51st most populous nation on earth, and one of the most highly populated islands of its size. Its capital city, Taipei, however, has a modest 2.6 million.

Tajikistan

The Tajik people came under Russian rule in the 1860s and 1870s, but Russia's hold on Central Asia weakened following the Revolution of 1917. Bolshevik control of the area was fiercely contested and not fully reestablished until 1925. Much of present-day Sughd province was transferred from the Uzbekistan SSR to newly formed Tajikistan SSR in 1929. Ethnic Uzbeks form a substantial minority in Sughd province. Tajikistan became independent in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union, and it is now in the process of strengthening its democracy and transitioning to a free market economy after its 1992-97 civil war. There have been no major security incidents in recent years, although the country remains the poorest in the former Soviet sphere. Attention by the international community in the wake of the war in Afghanistan has brought increased economic development and security assistance, which could create jobs and increase stability in the long term. Tajikistan is in the early stages of seeking World Trade Organization membership and has joined NATO's Partnership for Peace.

Tanzania

Situated on Africa’s east coast, Tanzania faces on the Indian Ocean and borders 8 other countries. Kenya and Uganda are to the north, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Rep of the Congo are to the west, Zambia and Malawi are to the south east, and Mozambique is to the south. It has the distinction of having two capital cities. The larger Dar es Salaam (1,3 million) on the coast, is the administrative capital, with Dodoma (45,807) in central Tanzania, is the official capital.

Thailand

Thailand is one of the most prominent nations of South East Asia. Its northern provinces are bordered by Burma (1,800km) to the north and west, Laos (1,754km) to north and east, Cambodia (803km) to the south east. It’s southern provinces, meanwhile, occupy the spine of the Malaya peninsula, where Malaysia (506km) borders it in the south. One of the largest nations in terms of surface area in the region, it’s population of 66.7 million makes Thailand the 21st most populous nation.

Togo

French Togoland became Togo in 1960. Gen. Gnassingbe EYADEMA, installed as military ruler in 1967, ruled Togo with a heavy hand for almost four decades. Despite the facade of multiparty elections instituted in the early 1990s, the government was largely dominated by President EYADEMA, whose Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) party has maintained power almost continually since 1967 and maintains a majority of seats in today's legislature. Upon EYADEMA's death in February 2005, the military installed the president's son, Faure GNASSINGBE, and then engineered his formal election two months later. Democratic gains since then allowed Togo to hold its first relatively free and fair legislative elections in October 2007. After years of political unrest and fire from international organizations for human rights abuses, Togo is finally being re-welcomed into the international community.

Tokelau

Originally settled by Polynesian emigrants from surrounding island groups, the Tokelau Islands were made a British protectorate in 1889. They were transferred to New Zealand administration in 1925. Referenda held in 2006 and 2007 to change the status of the islands from that of a New Zealand territory to one of free association with New Zealand did not meet the needed threshold for approval.

Tonga

Tonga - unique among Pacific nations - never completely lost its indigenous governance. The archipelagos of "The Friendly Islands" were united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. Tonga became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900; it withdrew from the protectorate and joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970. Tonga remains the only monarchy in the Pacific.

Trinidad and Tobago

As its name suggests, Trinidad and Tobago is a country comprising two main islands, with Trinidad the largest. The Caribbean islands lie just off the coast of Venezuela in South America. With a population of just 1.2 million, the country is 155th most populated in the world, while its capital, Port-of-Spain, has just 52,000 inhabitants.

Tromelin Island

First explored by the French in 1776, the island came under the jurisdiction of Reunion in 1814. At present, it serves as a sea turtle sanctuary and is the site of an important meteorological station.

Tunisia

Tunisia is one of five African nations have a coastline on the Mediterranean Sea. It has just two neighbours, with Algeria (965km) bordering it to the west and Libya (459km) to the south east. But while it is significantly smaller in size to both, it boasts a larger population that Libya (10.6 million citizens to 6.6 million) with its capital Tunis, almost double that its eastern neighbour’s (889,000 to Tripoli’s 496,000).

Turkey

Turkey, born out of the remnants of the Ottoman Empire, stands at the gateway between east and west, dividing Europe and Asia. On its eastern borders are the chiefly Muslim-populated states of Georgia (252km), Armenia (268km), Azerbijan (9km) - thanks to the Azerbijani exclave of Nakhchavin - and Iran (499km), with Iraq (352km) and Syria (822km) lying to the south. To the west, is the Greece (206km) and Bulgaria (240km).

Turkmenistan

Eastern Turkmenistan for centuries formed part of the Persian province of Khurasan; in medieval times Merv (today known as Mary) was one of the great cities of the Islamic world and an important stop on the Silk Road. Annexed by Russia between 1865 and 1885, Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic in 1924. It achieved independence upon the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. Extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves could prove a boon to this underdeveloped country if extraction and delivery projects were to be expanded. The Turkmenistan Government is actively seeking to develop alternative petroleum transportation routes to break Russia's pipeline monopoly. President for Life Saparmurat NYYAZOW died in December 2006, and Turkmenistan held its first multi-candidate presidential electoral process in February 2007. Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOW, a vice premier under NYYAZOW, emerged as the country's new president.

Turks and Caicos Islands

The islands were part of the UK's Jamaican colony until 1962, when they assumed the status of a separate crown colony upon Jamaica's independence. The governor of The Bahamas oversaw affairs from 1965 to 1973. With Bahamian independence, the islands received a separate governor in 1973. Although independence was agreed upon for 1982, the policy was reversed and the islands remain a British overseas territory.

Tuvalu

In 1974, ethnic differences within the British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands caused the Polynesians of the Ellice Islands to vote for separation from the Micronesians of the Gilbert Islands. The following year, the Ellice Islands became the separate British colony of Tuvalu. Independence was granted in 1978. In 2000, Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name ".tv" for $50 million in royalties over a 12-year period.

Uganda

A former British colony colony, Uganda is one of the few landlocked nations in Africa to have a significant shoreline. The nation’s capital, Kampala sits on the north shore of Lake Victoria, the largest lake on the continent. Its borders are shared by Sudan (435km) to the north, Kenya (933km) to the east, Tanzania (396km) and Rwanda (169km) to the south and Democratic Rep of the Congo (765km) to the west. http://www.nationmaster.com/country/uk-united-kingdomAs the core of the British Empire, an empire that once covered one quarter of the earth, the United Kingdom (UK) retains a significance in world politics. Comprising just four states - England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland - it has just one border, with the Republic or Ireland (360km). With a population of 62.7 million, its the 3rd most populated country in the EU, behind Germany and France, and the 23rd in the world.

Ukraine

With most of Russia stretching across Asia, Ukraine is actually the largest country in Europe by surface area at 603,000 sq km, over 50,000 sq km larger than France. Its borders are shared by 7 other states, Russia (1,576km), Belarus (891km) Poland (428km), Slovakia (90km), Hungary (103km), and Romania (362km, southwest, and 176km, south), whose border in broken by Moldova (940km). Despite its size, it still trails several of its fellow European states in population, with just 45 million to its credit.

United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates is one of the youngest countries in the Middle Eastern region, having been formed in just 1971. The UAE has two distinct coastlines, the largest facing the Persian Gulf to the north, and the other facing the Gulf of Oman to the east. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia (457km) to the south and west and Oman (410km) to the east.

United Kingdom

As the dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th century, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw the UK's strength seriously depleted in two World Wars and the Irish republic withdraw from the union. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation. As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council, a founding member of NATO, and of the Commonwealth, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy; it currently is weighing the degree of its integration with continental Europe. A member of the EU, it chose to remain outside the Economic and Monetary Union for the time being. Constitutional reform is also a significant issue in the UK. The Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1999, but the latter was suspended until May 2007 due to wrangling over the peace process.

United States

The United States is the most significant nation in political, economic and military sense. However, in surface area, is 3rd in the world behind its old enemy Russia and its northern neighbour, Canada. Despite its size, however, it only has two borders, with Canada (8,893km) in the north (and east from Alaska) and Mexico (3,141km) in the south. Its population, meanwhile, is also 3rd in the world, behind China and India.

Uruguay

Uruguay is almost hidden from view, given that it finds itself squeezed between the two giants of South America. To the west, it shares a border with Argentina (580km) and, to the east, it shares one with Brazil (1,068km). Its population of 3.3 million is somewhat modest compared to its neighbours (Brazil 203 million; Argentina 42 million), with a capital city, Montevideo, boasting a similarly small population of 1.3 million.

Uzbekistan

Russia conquered Uzbekistan in the late 19th century. Stiff resistance to the Red Army after World War I was eventually suppressed and a socialist republic set up in 1924. During the Soviet era, intensive production of "white gold" (cotton) and grain led to overuse of agrochemicals and the depletion of water supplies, which have left the land poisoned and the Aral Sea and certain rivers half dry. Independent since 1991, the country seeks to gradually lessen its dependence on agriculture while developing its mineral and petroleum reserves. Current concerns include terrorism by Islamic militants, economic stagnation, and the curtailment of human rights and democratization.

Vanuatu

Multiple waves of colonizers, each speaking a distinct language, migrated to the New Hebrides in the millennia preceding European exploration in the 18th century. This settlement pattern accounts for the complex linguistic diversity found on the archipelago to this day. The British and French, who settled the New Hebrides in the 19th century, agreed in 1906 to an Anglo-French Condominium, which administered the islands until independence in 1980, when the new name of Vanuatu was adopted.

Venezuela

Venezuela sits on the northern coast of the South American continent. It has three borders, with Colombia (2,050km) to the west, Brazil (2,200km) to the south and Guyana (743km) to the west. With a population of just over 27 million, it is the 5th most populous country in South America, behind Brazil, Colombia, Argentina and Peru. However, its capital city, Caracas, has one of the largest metropolitan populations in the region, with 5.1 million.

Vietnam

Vietnam is one of the most well-known nations of south east Asia, thanks in the main to the Vietnam War (1955-75). The main spine French Indo-China, two of its bordering neighbours, Laos (2,130km) and Cambodia (1,228km) also comprised the colony, which declared independence after WWII. Its only other neighbour is China (1,281km) to the north. Its population of 90 million makes Vietnam the 15th most populous nation in the world.

Virgin Islands

During the 17th century, the archipelago was divided into two territorial units, one English and the other Danish. Sugarcane, produced by slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish portion, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848.

Wake Island

The US annexed Wake Island in 1899 for a cable station. An important air and naval base was constructed in 1940-41. In December 1941, the island was captured by the Japanese and held until the end of World War II. In subsequent years, Wake was developed as a stopover and refueling site for military and commercial aircraft transiting the Pacific. Since 1974, the island's airstrip has been used by the US military, as well as for emergency landings. All operations on the island were suspended and all personnel evacuated in August 2006 with the approach of super typhoon IOKE (category 5), which struck the island with sustained winds of 250 kph and a 6 m storm surge inflicting major damage. A US Air Force assessment and repair team returned to the island in September and restored limited function to the airfield and facilities. The future status of activities on the island will be determined upon completion of the survey and assessment.

Wallis and Futuna

The Futuna island group was discovered by the Dutch in 1616 and Wallis by the British in 1767, but it was the French who declared a protectorate over the islands in 1842. In 1959, the inhabitants of the islands voted to become a French overseas territory.

West Bank

The September 1993 Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements provided for a transitional period of Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Under a series of agreements signed between May 1994 and September 1999, Israel transferred to the Palestinian Authority (PA) security and civilian responsibility for Palestinian-populated areas of the West Bank and Gaza. Negotiations to determine the permanent status of the West Bank and Gaza stalled following the outbreak of an intifada in September 2000, as Israeli forces reoccupied most Palestinian-controlled areas. In April 2003, the Quartet (US, EU, UN, and Russia) presented a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict by 2005 based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two states, Israel and a democratic Palestine. The proposed date for a permanent status agreement was postponed indefinitely due to violence and accusations that both sides had not followed through on their commitments. Following Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT's death in late 2004, Mahmud ABBAS was elected PA president in January 2005. A month later, Israel and the PA agreed to the Sharm el-Sheikh Commitments in an effort to move the peace process forward. In September 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew all its settlers and soldiers and dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip and withdrew settlers and redeployed soldiers from four small northern West Bank settlements. Nonetheless, Israel controls maritime, airspace, and most access to the Gaza Strip. A November 2005 PA-Israeli agreement authorized the reopening of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt under joint PA and Egyptian control. In January 2006, the Islamic Resistance Movement, HAMAS, won control of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). The international community refused to accept the HAMAS-led government because it did not recognize Israel, would not renounce violence, and refused to honor previous peace agreements between Israel and the PA. HAMAS took control of the PA government in March 2006, but President ABBAS had little success negotiating with HAMAS to present a political platform acceptable to the international community so as to lift economic sanctions on Palestinians. The PLC was unable to convene throughout most of 2006 as a result of Israel's detention of many HAMAS PLC members and Israeli-imposed travel restrictions on other PLC members. Violent clashes took place between Fatah and HAMAS supporters in the Gaza Strip in 2006 and early 2007, resulting in numerous Palestinian deaths and injuries. ABBAS and HAMAS Political Bureau Chief MISHAL in February 2007 signed the Mecca Agreement in Saudi Arabia that resulted in the formation of a Palestinian National Unity Government (NUG) headed by HAMAS member Ismail HANIYA. However, fighting continued in the Gaza Strip, and in June, HAMAS militants succeeded in a violent takeover of all military and governmental institutions in the Gaza Strip. ABBAS dismissed the NUG and through a series of presidential decrees formed a PA government in the West Bank led by independent Salam FAYYAD. HAMAS rejected the NUG's dismissal and has called for resuming talks with Fatah, but ABBAS has ruled out negotiations until HAMAS agrees to a return of PA control over the Gaza Strip and recognizes the FAYYAD-led government. FAYYAD and his PA government initiated a series of security and economic reforms to improve conditions in the West Bank. ABBAS participated in talks with Israel's Prime Minister OLMERT and secured the release of some Palestinian prisoners and previously withheld customs revenue. During a November 2007 international meeting in Annapolis Maryland, ABBAS and OLMERT agreed to resume peace negotiations with the goal of reaching a final peace settlement by the end of 2008.

Western Sahara

Morocco virtually annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara) in 1976, and the rest of the territory in 1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the Polisario Front contesting Rabat's sovereignty ended in a 1991 UN-brokered cease-fire; a UN-organized referendum on final status has been repeatedly postponed. In April 2007, Morocco presented an autonomy plan for the territory to the UN, which the U.S. considers serious and credible. The Polisario also presented a plan to the UN in 2007. Since June 2007, representatives from the Government of Morocco and the Polisario Front have met four times to negotiate the status of Western Sahara.

Yemen

Yemen sits at the end of the Arabian peninsula, sharing a border with Saudi Arabia (1,458km) to the north, and Oman (288km) to the east. Almost a perfect rectangle in shape, the country faces the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea to the south and Red Sea to west. With a population of 24.1 million, Yemen has just 2 million less than Saudi Arabia, but 8 times the population of Oman.

Zambia

The territory of Northern Rhodesia was administered by the [British] South Africa Company from 1891 until it was taken over by the UK in 1923. During the 1920s and 1930s, advances in mining spurred development and immigration. The name was changed to Zambia upon independence in 1964. In the 1980s and 1990s, declining copper prices and a prolonged drought hurt the economy. Elections in 1991 brought an end to one-party rule, but the subsequent vote in 1996 saw blatant harassment of opposition parties. The election in 2001 was marked by administrative problems with three parties filing a legal petition challenging the election of ruling party candidate Levy MWANAWASA. The new president launched an anticorruption investigation in 2002 to probe high-level corruption during the previous administration. In 2006-07, this task force successfully prosecuted four cases, including a landmark civil case in the UK in which former President CHILUBA and numerous others were found liable for USD 41 million. MWANAWASA was reelected in 2006 in an election that was deemed free and fair.

Zimbabwe

A former British colony, originally known as Rhodesia, Zimbabwe is a landlocked state surrounded by four other states. South Africa (225km) borders the country to the south, Mozambique (1,231km) to the east, Zambia (797k) to the north west and Botswana (813km) to the west. With a population of 12 million, it has one of the lowest population densities in the continent.

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