Part 339

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

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors; short growing season

Faroe Islands archipelago of 17 inhabited islands and one uninhabited island, and a few uninhabited islets; strategically located along important sea lanes in northeastern Atlantic; precipitous terrain limits habitation to small coastal lowlands

Fiji includes 332 islands; approximately 110 are inhabited

Finland long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain

France largest West European nation

French Polynesia includes five archipelagoes (four volcanic, one coral); Makatea in French Polynesia is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Nauru

French Southern and Antarctic Lands islands component is widely scattered across remote locations in the southern Indian Ocean Bassas da India (Iles Eparses): the atoll is a circular reef that sits atop a long-extinct, submerged volcano Europa Island and Juan de Nova Island (Iles Eparses): wildlife sanctuary for seabirds and sea turtles Glorioso Island (Iles Eparses): the islands and rocks are surrounded by an extensive reef system Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses): climatologically important location for forecasting cyclones in the western Indian Ocean; wildlife sanctuary (seabirds, tortoises)

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

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

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

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

Germany strategic location on North European Plain and along the entrance to the Baltic Sea

Ghana Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake

Gibraltar strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea

Greece strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing an archipelago of about 2,000 islands

Greenland dominates North Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe; sparse population confined to small settlements along coast; close to one-quarter of the population lives in the capital, Nuuk; world's second largest ice cap

Grenada the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada

Guam largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands archipelago; strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean

Guatemala no natural harbors on west coast

Guernsey large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port

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

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

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

Haiti shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)

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

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

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

Hong Kong more than 200 islands

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

Iceland strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost European country; Reykjavik is the northernmost national capital in the world; more land covered by glaciers than in all of continental Europe

India dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean trade routes; Kanchenjunga, third tallest mountain in the world, lies on the border with Nepal

Indian Ocean major chokepoints include Bab el Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz, Strait of Malacca, southern access to the Suez Canal, and the Lombok Strait

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

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

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

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

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

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

Italy strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe

Jamaica strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal

Jan Mayen barren volcanic island with some moss and grass

Japan strategic location in northeast Asia

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

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

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

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

Kiribati 21 of the 33 islands are inhabited; Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Makatea in French Polynesia, and Nauru

Korea, North strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and Russia; mountainous interior is isolated and sparsely populated

Korea, South strategic location on Korea Strait

Kuwait strategic location at head of Persian Gulf

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

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

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

Lebanon Nahr el Litani is the only major river in Near East not crossing an international boundary; rugged terrain historically helped isolate, protect, and develop numerous factional groups based on religion, clan, and ethnicity

Lesotho landlocked, completely surrounded by South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 m above sea level

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

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

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

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

Luxembourg landlocked; the only Grand Duchy in the world

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

Macedonia landlocked; major transportation corridor from Western and Central Europe to Aegean Sea and Southern Europe to Western Europe

Madagascar world's fourth-largest island; strategic location along Mozambique Channel

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

Malaysia strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea

Maldives 1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls (200 inhabited islands, plus 80 islands with tourist resorts); archipelago with strategic location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean

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

Malta the country comprises an archipelago, with only the three largest islands (Malta, Ghawdex or Gozo, and Kemmuna or Comino) being inhabited; numerous bays provide good harbors; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration

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

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

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

Mayotte part of Comoro Archipelago (18 islands)

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

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

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

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

Mongolia landlocked; strategic location between China and Russia

Montenegro strategic location along the Adriatic coast

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

Morocco strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar

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

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

Nauru Nauru is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Makatea in French Polynesia; only 53 km south of Equator

Navassa Island strategic location 160 km south of the US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; mostly exposed rock with numerous solution holes but with enough grassland to support goat herds; dense stands of fig trees, scattered cactus

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Niue one of world's largest coral islands

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

Northern Mariana Islands strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean

Norway about two-thirds mountains; some 50,000 islands off its much-indented coastline; strategic location adjacent to sea lanes and air routes in North Atlantic; one of the most rugged and longest coastlines in the world

Oman strategic location on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil

Pacific Ocean the major chokepoints are the Bering Strait, Panama Canal, Luzon Strait, and the Singapore Strait; the Equator divides the Pacific Ocean into the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean; dotted with low coral islands and rugged volcanic islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean

Pakistan controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion routes between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent

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

Panama strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming land bridge connecting North and South America; controls Panama Canal that links North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean

Papua New Guinea shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia; one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast

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

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

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

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

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

Poland historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain

Portugal Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations along western sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar

Puerto Rico important location along the Mona Passage - a key shipping lane to the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural harbors in the Caribbean; many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north

Qatar strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits

Romania controls most easily traversable land route between the Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine

Russia largest country in the world in terms of area but unfavorably located in relation to major sea lanes of the world; despite its size, much of the country lacks proper soils and climates (either too cold or too dry) for agriculture; Mount El'brus is Europe's tallest peak

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

Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha Saint Helena harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown anywhere else in the world; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles and sooty terns; Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha is the highest island mountain in the South Atlantic and a prominent landmark on the sea lanes around southern Africa

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

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

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

Saint Pierre and Miquelon vegetation scanty

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is comprised of 32 islands and cays

Samoa occupies an almost central position within Polynesia

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

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

Saudi Arabia extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal

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

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

Seychelles 41 granitic and about 75 coralline islands

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

Singapore focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes

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

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

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

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

Somalia strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal

South Africa South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Swaziland

South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which provide good anchorage; reindeer, introduced early in the 20th century, live on South Georgia

Southern Ocean the major chokepoint is the Drake Passage between South America and Antarctica; the Polar Front (Antarctic Convergence) is the best natural definition of the northern extent of the Southern Ocean; it is a distinct region at the middle of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current that separates the cold polar surface waters to the south from the warmer waters to the north; the Front and the Current extend entirely around Antarctica, reaching south of 60 degrees south near New Zealand and near 48 degrees south in the far South Atlantic coinciding with the path of the maximum westerly winds

Spain strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar; Spain controls a number of territories in northern Morocco including the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, and the islands of Penon de Velez de la Gomera, Penon de Alhucemas, and Islas Chafarinas

Spratly Islands strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs

Sri Lanka strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes

Sudan largest country in Africa; dominated by the Nile and its tributaries

Suriname smallest independent country on South American continent; mostly tropical rain forest; great diversity of flora and fauna that, for the most part, is increasingly threatened by new development; relatively small population, mostly along the coast

Svalbard northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area; Spitsbergen Island is the site of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a seed repository established by the Global Crop Diversity Trust and the Norwegian Government