Part 240
Timor-Leste slightly larger than Connecticut
Togo slightly smaller than West Virginia
Tokelau about 17 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Tonga four times the size of Washington, DC
Trinidad and Tobago slightly smaller than Delaware
Tunisia slightly larger than Georgia
Turkey slightly larger than Texas
Turkmenistan slightly larger than California
Turks and Caicos Islands 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Tuvalu 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Uganda slightly smaller than Oregon
Ukraine slightly smaller than Texas
United Arab Emirates slightly smaller than Maine
United Kingdom slightly smaller than Oregon
United States about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size of Africa; about half the size of South America (or slightly larger than Brazil); slightly larger than China; more than twice the size of the European Union
United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges Baker Island: about two and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Howland Island: about three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Jarvis Island: about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Johnston Atoll: about four and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Kingman Reef: a little more than one and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Midway Islands: about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Palmyra Atoll: about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Uruguay slightly smaller than the state of Washington
Uzbekistan slightly larger than California
Vanuatu slightly larger than Connecticut
Venezuela slightly more than twice the size of California
Vietnam slightly larger than New Mexico
Virgin Islands twice the size of Washington, DC
Wake Island about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Wallis and Futuna 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
West Bank slightly smaller than Delaware
Western Sahara about the size of Colorado
World land area about 16 times the size of the US top fifteen World Factbook entities ranked by size: Pacific Ocean 155.557 million sq km; Atlantic Ocean 76.762 million sq km; Indian Ocean 68.556 million sq km; Southern Ocean 20.327 million sq km; Russia 17,098,242 sq km; Arctic Ocean 14.056 million sq km; Antarctica 14 million sq km; Canada 9,984,670 sq km; United States 9,826,675 sq km; China 9,596,961 sq km; Brazil 8,514,877 sq km; Australia 7,741,220 sq km; European Union 4,324,782 sq km; India 3,287,263 sq km; Argentina 2,780,400 sq km top ten largest islands: Greenland 2,166,086 sq km; New Guinea (Indonesia, Papua New Guinea) 785,753 sq km; Borneo (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia) 751,929 sq km; Madagascar 587,713 sq km; Baffin Island (Canada) 507,451 sq km; Sumatra (Indonesia) 472,784 sq km; Honshu (Japan) 227,963 sq km; Victoria Island (Canada) 217,291 sq km; Great Britain (United Kingdom) 209,331 sq km; Ellesmere Island (Canada) 196,236 sq km
Yemen slightly larger than twice the size of Wyoming
Zambia slightly larger than Texas
Zimbabwe slightly larger than Montana
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@2024
Field Listing :: Military service age and obligation
This entry gives the required ages for voluntary or conscript military service and the length of service obligation. Country
Military service age and obligation(years of age)
Afghanistan 22 years of age; inductees are contracted into service for a 4-year term (2005)
Albania 19 years of age (2004)
Algeria 19-30 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (6 months basic training, 12 months civil projects) (2006)
Angola 20-45 years of age for compulsory and 18-45 years for voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years; Angolan citizenship required; minimum age for women volunteers is 20; the MGA is entirely staffed with volunteers (2010)
Antigua and Barbuda 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2010)
Argentina 18-24 years of age for voluntary military service (18-21 requires parental permission); no conscription (2001)
Armenia 18-27 years of age for voluntary or compulsory military service; 2-year conscript service obligation (2010)
Australia 17 years of age for voluntary military service (with parental consent); no conscription; women allowed to serve in Army combat units in non-combat support roles (2010)
Austria 18-35 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age for male or female voluntary service; service obligation 6 months of training, followed by an 8-year reserve obligation; conscripts cannot be deployed in military operations outside Austria (2009)
Azerbaijan men between 18 and 35 are liable for military service; 18 years of age for voluntary military service; length of military service is 18 months and 12 months for university graduates (2006)
Bahamas, The 18 years of age; no conscription (2010)
Bahrain 17 years of age for voluntary military service; 15 years of age for NCOs, technicians, and cadets; no conscription (2010)
Bangladesh 16 years of age for voluntary enlisted military service (Air Force); 17 years of age (Army and Navy); conscription is by law possible in times of emergency, but has never been implemented (2010)
Barbados 18 years of age for voluntary military service (younger volunteers require parental consent); no conscription (2009)
Belarus 18-27 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 12-18 months, depending on academic qualifications (2010)
Belgium 18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription suspended (2010)
Belize 18 years of age for voluntary military service; laws allow for conscription only if volunteers are insufficient; conscription has never been implemented; volunteers typically outnumber available positions by 3:1 (2008)
Benin 21 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; in practice, volunteers may be taken at the age of 18; both sexes are eligible for military service; conscript tour of duty - 18 months (2006)
Bermuda 18-30 years of age for voluntary or compulsory enlistment in the Bermuda Regiment; males must register at age 18; term of service is 38 months (2009)
Bhutan 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2010)
Bolivia 18-49 years of age for 12-month compulsory military service; when annual number of volunteers falls short of goal, compulsory recruitment is effected, including conscription of boys as young as 14; 15-19 years of age for voluntary premilitary service, provides exemption from further military service (2009)
Bosnia and Herzegovina 18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in January 2006; 4-month service obligation; mandatory retirement at age 35 or after 15 years of service (2010)
Botswana 18 is the apparent age of voluntary military service; official minimum age is unknown (2001)
Brazil 21-45 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 9 to 12 months; 17-45 years of age for voluntary service; an increasing percentage of the ranks are "long-service" volunteer professionals; women were allowed to serve in the armed forces beginning in early 1980s when the Brazilian Army became the first army in South America to accept women into career ranks; women serve in Navy and Air Force only in Women's Reserve Corps (2001)
Brunei 18 years of age (est.) for voluntary military service; non-Malays are ineligible to serve (2007)
Bulgaria 18-27 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription ended in January 2008; service obligation 6-9 months (2010)
Burkina Faso 18 years of age for voluntary military service; women may serve in supporting roles (2009)
Burma 18-35 years of age (men) and 18-27 years of age (women) for compulsory military service; service obligation 2 years; male (ages 18-45) and female (ages 18-35) professionals (including doctors, engineers, mechanics) serve up to 3 years; service terms may be streched to 5 years in an officially declared emergency; forced conscription of children, although officially prohibited, reportedly continues (2011)
Burundi military service is voluntary; the armed forces law of 31 December 2004 did not specify a minimum age for enlistment, but the government had previously said each recruit must have a primary school-leaving certificate; mandatory retirement age 45 (enlisted), 50 (NCOs), and 55 (officers) (2010)
Cambodia conscription law of October 2006 requires all males between 18-30 to register for military service; 18-month service obligation (2006)
Cameroon 18-23 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription; high school graduation required; service obligation 4 years; the government makes periodic calls for volunteers (2010)
Canada 17 years of age for male and female voluntary military service (with parental consent); 16 years of age for reserve and military college applicants; Canadian citizenship or permanent residence status required; maximum 34 years of age; service obligation 3-9 years (2008)
Cape Verde 18 years of age (est.) for selective compulsory military service; 14-month conscript service obligation (2006)
Central African Republic 18 years of age for selective military service; 2-year conscript service obligation (2010)
Chad 20 years of age for conscripts, with 3-year service obligation; 18 years of age for volunteers; no minimum age restriction for volunteers with consent from a guardian; women are subject to 1 year of compulsory military or civic service at age of 21 (2004)
Chile 18-45 years of age for voluntary male and female military service, although the right to compulsory recruitment is retained; service obligation - 12 months for Army, 22 months for Navy and Air Force (2008)
China 18-22 years of age for selective compulsory military service, with 24-month service obligation; no minimum age for voluntary service (all officers are volunteers); 18-19 years of age for women high school graduates who meet requirements for specific military jobs; in 2010, a decision was made to allow women in combat roles (2010)
Colombia 18-24 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; service obligation - 18 months (2004)
Comoros 18 years of age for 2-year voluntary military service; no conscription; women first inducted into the Army in 2004 (2010)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the 18-45 years of age for voluntary military service (2009)
Congo, Republic of the 18 years of age for voluntary military service; women allowed to serve (2007)
Cote d'Ivoire 18-25 years of age for compulsory and voluntary male and female military service; voluntary recruitment of former rebels into the new national army is restricted to ages 22-29 (2010)
Croatia 18-27 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age with consent for voluntary service; 6-month conscript service obligation; full conversion to voluntary military service by 2010 (2006)
Cuba 17-28 years of age for compulsory military service; 2-year service obligation; both sexes subject to military service (2006)
Curacao no conscription (2010)
Cyprus Greek Cypriot National Guard (GCNG): 18-50 years of age for compulsory military service for all Greek Cypriot males; 17 years of age for voluntary service; women may volunteer for a 3-year term; length of normal service is 25 months (2009)
Czech Republic 18-28 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription (2010)
Denmark 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscripts serve an initial training period that varies from 4 to 12 months according to specialization; reservists are assigned to mobilization units following completion of their conscript service; women eligible to volunteer for military service (2004)
Djibouti 18 years of age for voluntary military service; 16-25 years of age for voluntary military training; no conscription (2008)
Dominican Republic 16-21 years of age for compulsory military service; recruits must be Dominican Republic citizens; women may volunteer (2010)
Ecuador 20 years of age for selective conscript military service; 12-month service obligation (2008)
Egypt 18-30 years of age for male conscript military service; service obligation 12-36 months, followed by a 9-year reserve obligation (2008)
El Salvador 18 years of age for selective compulsory military service; 16-22 years of age for voluntary male or female service; service obligation - 12 months, with 11 months for officers and NCOs (2009)
Equatorial Guinea 18 years of age for selective compulsory military service; service obligation 2 years; women hold only administrative positions in the Coast Guard (2011)
Eritrea 18-40 years of age for male and female voluntary and compulsory military service; 16-month conscript service obligation (2006)
Estonia obligation for compulsory service ages 16-60, with conscription "likely" ages 18-27; service requirement 8-11 months (2009)
Ethiopia 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no compulsory military service, but the military can conduct call-ups when necessary and compliance is compulsory (2009)
Fiji 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2010)
Finland 18 years of age for male voluntary and compulsory - and female voluntary - national military and nonmilitary service; service obligation 6-12 months; mandatory retirement at age 60 (2010)
France 17-40 years of age for male or female voluntary military service (with parental consent); no conscription; 12-month service obligation; women serve in noncombat military posts (2010)
Gabon 20 years of age for voluntary military service; there is no conscription (2009)
Gambia, The 18 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription (2010)
Georgia 18 to 34 years of age for compulsory and voluntary active duty military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (2005)
Germany 18 years of age (conscripts serve a 9-month tour of compulsory military service) (2004)
Ghana 18 years of age for voluntary military service, with basic education certificate; no conscription (2010)
Greece 19-45 years of age for compulsory military service; during wartime the law allows for recruitment beginning January of the year of inductee's 18th birthday, thus including 17 year olds; 17 years of age for volunteers; conscript service obligation - 1 year for all services; women are eligible for voluntary military service (2008)
Guatemala all male citizens between the ages of 18 and 50 are liable for military service; conscript service obligation varies from 12 to 24 months; women can serve as officers (2009)
Guinea 18-25 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; 18-month conscript service obligation (2009)
Guinea-Bissau 18-25 years of age for selective compulsory military service (Air Force service is voluntary); 16 years of age or younger with parental consent, for voluntary service (2010)
Guyana 18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2008)
Honduras 18 years of age for voluntary 2 to 3-year military service (2004)
Hungary 18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; 6-month service obligation (2010)
India 17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; women may join as officers, but for noncombat roles only (2010)
Indonesia 18 years of age for selective compulsory and voluntary military service; 2-year conscript service obligation, with reserve obligation to age 45 (officers); Indonesian citizens only (2008)
Iran 19 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age for volunteers; 17 years of age for Law Enforcement Forces; 15 years of age for Basij Forces (Popular Mobilization Army); conscript military service obligation - 18 months; women exempt from military service (2008)
Iraq 18-40 years of age for voluntary military service (2010)
Ireland 17-25 years of age for male or female voluntary military service (17-27 years of age for the Naval Service); enlistees 16 years of age can be recruited for apprentice specialist positions; 17-35 years of age for the Reserve Defense Forces (RDF); maximum obligation 12 years (5 years IDF, 7 years RDF); EU citizenship or 5-year residence in Ireland required (2010)
Israel 18 years of age for compulsory (Jews, Druzes) and voluntary (Christians, Muslims, Circassians) military service; both sexes are obligated to military service; conscript service obligation - 36 months for enlisted men, 21 months for enlisted women, 48 months for officers; pilots commit to 9 years service; reserve obligation to age 41-51 (men), 24 (women) (2010)
Italy 18-27 year of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished January 2005; women may serve in any military branch; 10-month service obligation, with a reserve obligation to age 45 (Army and Air Force) or 39 (Navy) (2006)
Jamaica 18 years of age for voluntary military service; younger recruits may be conscripted with parental consent (2001)
Japan 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
Jordan 17 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription at age 18 was suspended in 1999, although all males under age 37 are required to register; women not subject to conscription, but can volunteer to serve in non-combat military positions in the Royal Jordanian Arab Army Women's Corps; conscription for males only resurrected in July 2007 in order to provide youth training necessary for job market needs (2010)
Kazakhstan 18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years; minimum age for volunteers NA (2004)
Kenya 18-26 years of age for voluntary service (less than 18 with parental consent), with a 9-year obligation (7 years for Kenyan Navy); applicants must be Kenyan citizens and provide a national identity card (obtained at age 18) and a school-leaving certificate (2010)
Korea, North 17 years of age (2004)
Korea, South 20-30 years of age for compulsory military service, with middle school education required; conscript service obligation - 21 months (Army, Marines), 23 months (Navy), 24 months (Air Force); 18-26 years of age for voluntary military service; women, in service since 1950, admitted to 7 service branches, including infantry, but excluded from artillery, armor, anti-air, and chaplaincy corps; some 4,000 women serve as commissioned and noncommissioned officers, approx. 2.3% of all officers; HIV-positive individuals are exempt from military service (2010)
Kuwait 18-30 years of age for compulsory and 18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; women age 18-30 may be subject to compulsory military service; conscription suspended in 2001 (2009)
Kyrgyzstan 18 years of age for compulsory male military service in the armed forces or Interior Ministry; service obligation 1 year; women may volunteer at age 19; 16-17 years of age for military cadets, who cannot take part in military operations (2010)
Laos 18 years of age for compulsory military service; minimum 18-month conscript service obligation (2010)
Latvia 18 years of age for voluntary male and female military service; conscription abolished January 2007; under current law, every citizen is entitled to serve in the armed forces for life (2009)
Lebanon 18-30 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2007)
Lesotho 18-24 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; women serve as commissioned officers (2009)
Liberia 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2010)
Libya 17 years of age (2004)
Lithuania 19-26 years of age for compulsory military service; 18 years of age for volunteers; 12-month conscript service obligation; male registration required at age 16 (2009)
Luxembourg 17-25 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; soldiers under 18 are not deployed into combat or with peacekeeping missions; no conscription; Luxembourg citizen or EU citizen with 3-year residence in Luxembourg (2010)
Macedonia 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2010)
Madagascar 18-25 years of age for male-only voluntary military service; no conscription; service obligation - 18 months (either military or equivalent civil service); 20-30 years of age for National Gendarmerie recruits (35 years of age for those with military experience) (2010)
Malawi 18 years of age for voluntary military service; standard obligation is 2 years of active duty and 5 years of reserve service (2007)
Malaysia 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2005)
Maldives 18-28 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2010)
Mali 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2010)
Malta 17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2010)
Mauritania 18 years of age (est.); conscript service obligation - 2 years; majority of servicemen believed to be volunteers; service in Air Force and Navy is voluntary (2006)
Mexico 18 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript service obligation - 12 months; 16 years of age with consent for voluntary enlistment; conscripts serve only in the Army; Navy and Air Force service is all voluntary; women are eligible for voluntary military service (2007)
Moldova 18 years of age for compulsory military service; 17 years of age for voluntary service; male registration required at age 16; 12-month service obligation (2009)
Mongolia 18-25 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 12 months in land or air defense forces or police; a small portion of Mongolian land forces (2.5 percent) is comprised of contract soldiers; women cannot be deployed overseas for military operations (2006)
Montenegro compulsory national military service abolished August 2006
Morocco 18 years of age for voluntary military service; service obligation - 18 months (2010)
Mozambique registration for military service is mandatory for all males and females at 18 years of age; 18-35 years of age for selective compulsory military service; 18 years of age for voluntary service; 2-year service obligation; women may serve as officers or enlisted (2010)
Namibia 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2010)
Nepal 18 years of age for voluntary military service; 15 years of age for military training; no conscription (2010)
Netherlands 20 years of age for an all-volunteer force (2004)
New Zealand 17 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers cannot be deployed until the age of 18; no conscription (2010)
Nicaragua 17 years of age for voluntary military service; tour of duty 18-36 months (2008)
Niger 17-21 years of age for selective compulsory or voluntary military service; enlistees must be Nigerien citizens and unmarried; 2-year service term; women may serve in health care (2009)
Nigeria 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2007)