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Afghanistan |
landlocked; the Hindu Kush mountains that run northeast to southwest divide the northern provinces from the rest of the country; the highest peaks are in the northern Vakhan (Wakhan Corridor)
|
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Egypt |
controls Sinai Peninsula, only land bridge between Africa and remainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal, a sea link between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea; size, and juxtaposition to Israel, establish its major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics; dependence on upstream neighbors; dominance of Nile basin issues; prone to influxes of refugees
|
 |
Akrotiri |
British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus
|
 |
Albania |
strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)
|
 |
Algeria |
second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan)
|
 |
American Virgin Islands |
important location along the Anegada Passage - a key shipping lane for the Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the Caribbean
|
 |
American Samoa |
Pago Pago has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the South Pacific Ocean, sheltered by shape from rough seas and protected by peripheral mountains from high winds; strategic location in the South Pacific Ocean
|
 |
Andorra |
landlocked; straddles a number of important crossroads in the Pyrenees
|
 |
Angola |
the province of Cabinda is an exclave, separated from the rest of the country by the Democratic Republic of the Congo
|
 |
Anguilla |
the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles
|
 |
Antarctica |
the coldest, windiest, highest (on average), and driest continent; during summer, more solar radiation reaches the surface at the South Pole than is received at the Equator in an equivalent period; mostly uninhabitable
|
 |
Antigua and Barbuda |
Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a very large western harbor
|
 |
Equatorial Guinea |
insular and continental regions widely separated
|
 |
Argentina |
second-largest country in South America (after Brazil); strategic location relative to sea lanes between the South Atlantic and the South Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage); diverse geophysical landscapes range from tropical climates in the north to tundra in the far south; Cerro Aconcagua is the Western Hemisphere's tallest mountain, while Laguna del Carbon is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere
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|
|
Arctic Ocean |
major chokepoint is the southern Chukchi Sea (northern access to the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait); strategic location between North America and Russia; shortest marine link between the extremes of eastern and western Russia; floating research stations operated by the US and Russia; maximum snow cover in March or April about 20 to 50 centimeters over the frozen ocean; snow cover lasts about 10 months
|
 |
Armenia |
landlocked in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains; Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan) is the largest lake in this mountain range
|
 |
Aruba |
a flat, riverless island renowned for its white sand beaches; its tropical climate is moderated by constant trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean; the temperature is almost constant at about 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit)
|
 |
Azerbaijan |
both the main area of the country and the Naxcivan exclave are landlocked
|
 |
Ashmore and Cartier Islands |
Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in August 1983
|
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Ethiopia |
landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993; the Blue Nile, the chief headstream of the Nile by water volume, rises in T'ana Hayk (Lake Tana) in northwest Ethiopia; three major crops are believed to have originated in Ethiopia: coffee, grain sorghum, and castor bean
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|
Atlantic Ocean |
major chokepoints include the Dardanelles, Strait of Gibraltar, access to the Panama and Suez Canals; strategic straits include the Strait of Dover, Straits of Florida, Mona Passage, The Sound (Oresund), and Windward Passage; the Equator divides the Atlantic Ocean into the North Atlantic Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean
|
 |
Australia |
world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country; population concentrated along the eastern and southeastern coasts; the invigorating sea breeze known as the "Fremantle Doctor" affects the city of Perth on the west coast, and is one of the most consistent winds in the world
|
 |
Bahamas, The |
strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited
|
 |
Bahrain |
close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic location in Persian Gulf, through which much of the Western world's petroleum must transit to reach open ocean
|
 |
Baker Island |
treeless, sparse, and scattered vegetation consisting of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife
|
 |
Bangladesh |
most of the country is situated on deltas of large rivers flowing from the Himalayas: the Ganges unites with the Jamuna (main channel of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna to eventually empty into the Bay of Bengal
|
 |
Barbados |
easternmost Caribbean island
|
 |
Bassas da India |
the islands emerge from a circular reef that sits atop a long-extinct, submerged volcano
|
 |
Belarus |
landlocked; glacial scouring accounts for the flatness of Belarusian terrain and for its 11,000 lakes
|
 |
Belgium |
crossroads of Western Europe; majority of West European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels, the seat of both the European Union and NATO
|
 |
Belize |
only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean
|
 |
Benin |
sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands
|
 |
Bermuda |
consists of about 138 coral islands and islets with ample rainfall, but no rivers or freshwater lakes; some land was leased by US Government from 1941 to 1995
|
 |
Bhutan |
landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes
|
 |
Bolivia |
landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru
|
 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina |
within Bosnia and Herzegovina's recognized borders, the country is divided into a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation (about 51% of the territory) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska or RS (about 49% of the territory); the region called Herzegovina is contiguous to Croatia and Montenegro, and traditionally has been settled by an ethnic Croat majority in the west and an ethnic Serb majority in the east
|
 |
Botswana |
landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the country
|
 |
Bouvet Island |
covered by glacial ice; declared a nature reserve
|
 |
Brazil |
largest country in South America; shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador
|
 |
British Virgin Islands |
strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
|
 |
British Indian Ocean Territory |
archipelago of 55 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility
|
 |
Brunei |
close to vital sea lanes through South China Sea linking Indian and Pacific Oceans; two parts physically separated by Malaysia; almost an enclave within Malaysia
|
 |
Bulgaria |
strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia
|
 |
Burkina Faso |
landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers of the Black, Red, and White Voltas
|
 |
Burundi |
landlocked; straddles crest of the Nile-Congo watershed; the Kagera, which drains into Lake Victoria, is the most remote headstream of the White Nile
|
 |
Chile |
strategic location relative to sea lanes between Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage); Atacama Desert is one of world's driest regions
|
 |
China |
world's fourth largest country (after Russia, Canada, and US); Mount Everest on the border with Nepal is the world's tallest peak
|
 |
Clipperton Island |
reef 12 km in circumference
|
 |
Cook Islands |
the northern Cook Islands are seven low-lying, sparsely populated, coral atolls; the southern Cook Islands, where most of the population lives, consist of eight elevated, fertile, volcanic isles, including the largest, Rarotonga, at 67 sq km
|
 |
Costa Rica |
four volcanoes, two of them active, rise near the capital of San Jose in the center of the country; one of the volcanoes, Irazu, erupted destructively in 1963-65
|
 |
Cote d'Ivoire |
most of the inhabitants live along the sandy coastal region; apart from the capital area, the forested interior is sparsely populated
|
 |
Denmark |
controls Danish Straits (Skagerrak and Kattegat) linking Baltic and North Seas; about one-quarter of the population lives in greater Copenhagen
|
 |
Germany |
strategic location on North European Plain and along the entrance to the Baltic Sea
|
 |
Dhekelia |
British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus
|
 |
Dominica |
known as "The Nature Island of the Caribbean" due to its spectacular, lush, and varied flora and fauna, which are protected by an extensive natural park system; the most mountainous of the Lesser Antilles, its volcanic peaks are cones of lava craters and include Boiling Lake, the second-largest, thermally active lake in the world
|
 |
Dominican Republic |
shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti
|
 |
Djibouti |
strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia; mostly wasteland; Lac Assal (Lake Assal) is the lowest point in Africa
|
 |
Ecuador |
Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world
|
 |
El Salvador |
smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on Caribbean Sea
|
 |
Eritrea |
strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia along the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993
|
 |
Estonia |
the mainland terrain is flat, boggy, and partly wooded; offshore lie more than 1,500 islands
|
 |
Europa Island |
wildlife sanctuary
|
 |
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) |
deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors; short growing season
|
 |
Faroe Islands |
archipelago of 17 inhabited islands and one uninhabited island, and a few uninhabited islets; strategically located along important sea lanes in northeastern Atlantic; precipitous terrain limits habitation to small coastal lowlands
|
 |
Fiji |
includes 332 islands; approximately 110 are inhabited
|
 |
Finland |
long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain
|
 |
France |
largest West European nation
|
 |
French Southern and Antarctic Lands |
islands component is widely scattered across remote locations in the southern Indian Ocean
Bassas da India (Iles Eparses): the atoll is a circular reef that sits atop a long-extinct, submerged volcano
Europa Island and Juan de Nova Island (Iles Eparses): wildlife sanctuary for seabirds and sea turtles
Glorioso Island (Iles Eparses): the islands and rocks are surrounded by an extensive reef system
Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses): climatologically important location for forecasting cyclones in the western Indian Ocean; wildlife sanctuary (seabirds, tortoises)
|
 |
French Guiana |
mostly an unsettled wilderness; the only non-independent portion of the South American continent
|
 |
French Polynesia |
includes five archipelagoes (4 volcanic, 1 coral); Makatea in French Polynesia is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Nauru
|
 |
Gabon |
a small population and oil and mineral reserves have helped Gabon become one of Africa's wealthier countries; in general, these circumstances have allowed the country to maintain and conserve its pristine rain forest and rich biodiversity
|
 |
Gambia, The |
almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country on the continent of Africa
|
 |
Gaza Strip |
strategic strip of land along Mideast-North African trade routes has experienced an incredibly turbulent history; the town of Gaza itself has been besieged countless times in its history
|
 |
Georgia |
strategically located east of the Black Sea; Georgia controls much of the Caucasus Mountains and the routes through them
|
 |
Ghana |
Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake
|
 |
Gibraltar |
strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea
|
 |
Glorioso Islands |
the islands and rocks are surrounded by an extensive reef system
|
 |
Grenada |
the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada
|
 |
Greece |
strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing an archipelago of about 2,000 islands
|
 |
Greenland |
dominates North Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe; sparse population confined to small settlements along coast, but close to one-quarter of the population lives in the capital, Nuuk; world's second largest ice cap
|
 |
United Kingdom |
lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km from France and linked by tunnel under the English Channel; because of heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters
|
 |
Guadeloupe |
a narrow channel, the Riviere Salee, divides Guadeloupe proper into two islands: the larger, western Basse-Terre and the smaller, eastern Grande-Terre
|
 |
Guam |
largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands archipelago; strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean
|
 |
Guatemala |
no natural harbors on west coast
|
 |
Guernsey |
large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port
|
 |
Guinea |
the Niger and its important tributary the Milo have their sources in the Guinean highlands
|
 |
Guinea-Bissau |
this small country is swampy along its western coast and low-lying further inland
|
 |
Guyana |
the third-smallest country in South America after Suriname and Uruguay; substantial portions of its western and eastern territories are claimed by Venezuela and Suriname respectively
|
 |
Haiti |
shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)
|
 |
Honduras |
has only a short Pacific coast but a long Caribbean shoreline, including the virtually uninhabited eastern Mosquito Coast
|
 |
Hong Kong |
more than 200 islands
|
 |
Howland Island |
almost totally covered with grasses, prostrate vines, and low-growing shrubs; small area of trees in the center; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife
|
 |
India |
dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean trade routes; Kanchenjunga, third tallest mountain in the world, lies on the border with Nepal
|
|
|
Indian Ocean |
major chokepoints include Bab el Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz, Strait of Malacca, southern access to the Suez Canal, and the Lombok Strait
|
 |
Indonesia |
archipelago of 17,508 islands (6,000 inhabited); straddles equator; strategic location astride or along major sea lanes from Indian Ocean to Pacific Ocean
|
 |
Isle of Man |
one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the southwest, and is a bird sanctuary
|
 |
Iraq |
strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the Persian Gulf
|
 |
Iran |
strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport
|
 |
Ireland |
strategic location on major air and sea routes between North America and northern Europe; over 40% of the population resides within 100 km of Dublin
|
 |
Iceland |
strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost European country; Reykjavik is the northernmost national capital in the world; more land covered by glaciers than in all of continental Europe
|
 |
Israel |
there are 242 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the West Bank, 42 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 0 in the Gaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem (August 2005 est.); Sea of Galilee is an important freshwater source
|
 |
Italy |
strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe
|
 |
Jamaica |
strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal
|
 |
Jan Mayen |
barren volcanic island with some moss and grass
|
 |
Japan |
strategic location in northeast Asia
|
 |
Jarvis Island |
sparse bunch grass, prostrate vines, and low-growing shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife
|
 |
Yemen |
strategic location on Bab el Mandeb, the strait linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, one of world's most active shipping lanes
|
 |
Jersey |
largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; about 30% of population concentrated in Saint Helier
|
 |
Johnston Atoll |
strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands, which have been expanded by coral dredging; North Island (Akau) and East Island (Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral dredging; the egg-shaped reef is 34 km in circumference; closed to the public; a former US nuclear weapons test site; site of now-closed Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System (JACADS); most facilities dismantled and cleanup complete in 2004; some low-growing vegetation
|
 |
Jordan |
strategic location at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and as the Arab country that shares the longest border with Israel and the occupied West Bank
|
 |
Juan de Nova Island |
wildlife sanctuary
|
 |
Cayman Islands |
important location between Cuba and Central America
|
 |
Cambodia |
a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and Tonle Sap
|
 |
Cameroon |
sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa; throughout the country there are areas of thermal springs and indications of current or prior volcanic activity; Mount Cameroon, the highest mountain in Sub-Saharan west Africa, is an active volcano
|
 |
Canada |
second-largest country in world (after Russia); strategic location between Russia and US via north polar route; approximately 90% of the population is concentrated within 160 km of the US border
|
 |
Cape Verde |
strategic location 500 km from west coast of Africa near major north-south sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air refueling site
|
 |
Kazakhstan |
landlocked; Russia leases approximately 6,000 sq km of territory enclosing the Baykonur Cosmodrome; in January 2004, Kazakhstan and Russia extended the lease to 2050
|
 |
Qatar |
strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits
|
 |
Kenya |
the Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful agricultural production regions in Africa; glaciers are found on Mount Kenya, Africa's second highest peak; unique physiography supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic value
|
 |
Kingman Reef |
barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; closed to the public
|
 |
Kyrgyzstan |
landlocked; entirely mountainous, dominated by the Tien Shan range; many tall peaks, glaciers, and high-altitude lakes
|
 |
Kiribati |
21 of the 33 islands are inhabited; Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Makatea in French Polynesia, and Nauru
|
 |
Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation
|
 |
Colombia |
only South American country with coastlines on both the North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea
|
 |
Comoros |
important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel
|
 |
Congo, Republic of the |
about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or along the railroad between them
|
 |
Congo, Democratic Republic of the |
straddles equator; has very narrow strip of land that controls the lower Congo River and is only outlet to South Atlantic Ocean; dense tropical rain forest in central river basin and eastern highlands
|
 |
Coral Sea Islands |
important nesting area for birds and turtles
|
 |
Korea, North |
strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and Russia; mountainous interior is isolated and sparsely populated
|
 |
Korea, South |
strategic location on Korea Strait
|
 |
Croatia |
controls most land routes from Western Europe to Aegean Sea and Turkish Straits; the vast majority of Adriatic Sea islands lie off the coast of Croatia - some 1,200 islands, islets, ridges, and rocks
|
 |
Cuba |
largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles
|
 |
Kuwait |
strategic location at head of Persian Gulf
|
 |
Laos |
landlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thickly forested; the Mekong River forms a large part of the western boundary with Thailand
|
 |
Lesotho |
landlocked, completely surrounded by South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 meters above sea level
|
 |
Latvia |
most of the country is composed of fertile, low-lying plains, with some hills in the east
|
 |
Lebanon |
Nahr el Litani is the only major river in Near East not crossing an international boundary; rugged terrain historically helped isolate, protect, and develop numerous factional groups based on religion, clan, and ethnicity
|
 |
Liberia |
facing the Atlantic Ocean, the coastline is characterized by lagoons, mangrove swamps, and river-deposited sandbars; the inland grassy plateau supports limited agriculture
|
 |
Libya |
more than 90% of the country is desert or semidesert
|
 |
Liechtenstein |
along with Uzbekistan, one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world; variety of microclimatic variations based on elevation
|
 |
Lithuania |
fertile central plains are separated by hilly uplands that are ancient glacial deposits
|
 |
Luxembourg |
landlocked; the only Grand Duchy in the world
|
 |
Macau |
essentially urban; an area of land reclaimed from the sea measuring 5.2 sq km and known as Cotai now connects the islands of Coloane and Taipa; the island area is connected to the mainland peninsula by three bridges
|
 |
Madagascar |
world's fourth-largest island; strategic location along Mozambique Channel
|
 |
Malawi |
landlocked; Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's most prominent physical feature
|
 |
Malaysia |
strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea
|
 |
Maldives |
1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls (200 inhabited islands, plus 80 islands with tourist resorts); archipelago with strategic location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean
|
 |
Mali |
landlocked; divided into three natural zones: the southern, cultivated Sudanese; the central, semiarid Sahelian; and the northern, arid Saharan
|
 |
Malta |
the country comprises an archipelago, with only the three largest islands (Malta, Ghawdex or Gozo, and Kemmuna or Comino) being inhabited; numerous bays provide good harbors; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration
|
 |
Morocco |
strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar
|
 |
Marshall Islands |
Bikini and Enewetak are former US nuclear test sites; Kwajalein, the famous World War II battleground, is used as a US missile test range; island city of Ebeye is the second largest settlement in the Marshall Islands, after the capital of Majuro, and one of the most densely populated locations in the Pacific
|
 |
Martinique |
the island is dominated by Mount Pelee, which on 8 May 1902 erupted and completely destroyed the city of Saint Pierre, killing 30,000 inhabitants
|
 |
Mauritania |
most of the population concentrated in the cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the southern part of the country
|
 |
Mauritius |
the main island, from which the country derives its name, is of volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs
|
 |
Mayotte |
part of Comoro Archipelago; 18 islands
|
 |
Macedonia |
landlocked; major transportation corridor from Western and Central Europe to Aegean Sea and Southern Europe to Western Europe
|
 |
Mexico |
strategic location on southern border of US; corn (maize), one of the world's major grain crops, is thought to have originated in Mexico
|
 |
Midway Islands |
a coral atoll managed as a national wildlife refuge and open to the public for wildlife-related recreation in the form of wildlife observation and photography, sport fishing, snorkeling, and scuba diving; the refuge is temporarily closed for reorganization at present (2004)
|
 |
Micronesia, Federated States of |
four major island groups totaling 607 islands
|
 |
Moldova |
landlocked; |
