Part 380

Bermuda defense is the responsibility of the UK

Bouvet Island defense is the responsibility of Norway

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

British Virgin Islands defense is the responsibility of the UK

Cayman Islands defense is the responsibility of the UK

Christmas Island defense is the responsibility of Australia

Clipperton Island defense is the responsibility of France

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

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

Coral Sea Islands defense is the responsibility of Australia

Cuba the collapse of the Soviet Union deprived the Cuban military of its major economic and logistic support and had a significant impact on the state of Cuban equipment; the army remains well trained and professional in nature; while the lack of replacement parts for its existing equipment has increasingly affected operational capabilities, Cuba remains able to offer considerable resistance to any regional power (2010)

Curacao defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

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

European Union the five-nation Eurocorps - created in 1992 by France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, and Luxembourg - has deployed troops and police on peacekeeping missions to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and assumed command of the ISAF in Afghanistan in August 2004; Eurocorps directly commands the 5,000-man Franco-German Brigade, the Multinational Command Support Brigade, and EUFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina; in November 2004, the EU Council of Ministers formally committed to creating 13 1,500-man battle groups by the end of 2007, to respond to international crises on a rotating basis; 22 of the EU's 27 nations have agreed to supply troops; France, Italy, and the UK formed the first of three battle groups in 2005; Norway, Sweden, Estonia, and Finland established the Nordic Battle Group effective 1 January 2008; nine other groups are to be formed; a rapid-reaction naval EU Maritime Task Group was stood up in March 2007 (2007)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) defense is the responsibility of the UK

Faroe Islands defense is the responsibility of Denmark

French Polynesia defense is the responsibility of France

French Southern and Antarctic Lands defense is the responsibility of France

Georgia a CIS peacekeeping force of Russian troops is deployed in the Abkhazia region of Georgia together with a UN military observer group; a Russian peacekeeping battalion is deployed in South Ossetia

Gibraltar defense is the responsibility of the UK; the Royal Gibraltar Regiment replaced the last British regular infantry forces in 1992

Greenland defense is the responsibility of Denmark

Guam defense is the responsibility of the US

Guernsey defense is the responsibility of the UK

Heard Island and McDonald Islands defense is the responsibility of Australia; Australia conducts fisheries patrols

Holy See (Vatican City) defense is the responsibility of Italy; ceremonial and limited security duties performed by Pontifical Swiss Guard

Hong Kong defense is the responsibility of China

Iceland Iceland has no standing military force; under a 1951 bilateral agreement - still valid - its defense was provided by the US-manned Icelandic Defense Force (IDF) headquartered at Keflavik; however, all US military forces in Iceland were withdrawn as of October 2006; although wartime defense of Iceland remains a NATO commitment, in April 2007, Iceland and Norway signed a bilateral agreement providing for Norwegian aerial surveillance and defense of Icelandic airspace (2008)

Isle of Man defense is the responsibility of the UK

Jan Mayen defense is the responsibility of Norway

Jersey defense is the responsibility of the UK

Kiribati Kiribati does not have military forces; defense assistance is provided by Australia and NZ

Laos serving one of the world's least developed countries, the Lao People's Armed Forces (LPAF) is small, poorly funded, and ineffectively resourced; its mission focus is border and internal security, primarily in countering ethnic Hmong insurgent groups; together with the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and the government, the Lao People's Army (LPA) is the third pillar of state machinery, and as such is expected to suppress political and civil unrest and similar national emergencies, but the LPA also has upgraded skills to respond to avian influenza outbreaks; there is no perceived external threat to the state and the LPA maintains strong ties with the neighboring Vietnamese military (2008)

Lesotho Lesotho's declared policy is maintenance of its independent sovereignty and preservation of internal security; in practice, external security is guaranteed by South Africa; restructuring of the Lesotho Defense Force (LDF) and Ministry of Defense and Public Service over the past five years has focused on subordinating the defense apparatus to civilian control and restoring the LDF's cohesion; the restructuring has considerably improved capabilities and professionalism, but the LDF is disproportionately large for a small, poor country; the government has outlined a reduction to a planned 1,500-man strength, but these plans have met with vociferous resistance from the political opposition and from inside the LDF (2008)

Liechtenstein Liechtenstein has no military forces but is interested in European security policy and is an active member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)

Macau defense is the responsibility of China

Maldives the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF), with its small size and with little serviceable equipment, is inadequate to prevent external aggression and is primarily tasked to reinforce the Maldives Police Service (MPS) and ensure security in the exclusive economic zone (2008)

Marshall Islands defense is the responsibility of the US

Mayotte defense is the responsibility of France; a small contingent of French forces is stationed on the island

Micronesia, Federated States of defense is the responsibility of the US

Monaco defense is the responsibility of France

Montserrat defense is the responsibility of the UK

Nauru Nauru maintains no defense forces; under an informal agreement, defense is the responsibility of Australia

Navassa Island defense is the responsibility of the US

New Caledonia defense is the responsibility of France

Niue defense is the responsibility of New Zealand

Norfolk Island defense is the responsibility of Australia

Northern Mariana Islands defense is the responsibility of the US

Palau defense is the responsibility of the US; under a Compact of Free Association between Palau and the US, the US military is granted access to the islands for 50 years, but it has not stationed any military forces there (2008)

Panama on 10 February 1990, the government of then President ENDARA abolished Panama's military and reformed the security apparatus by creating the Panamanian Public Forces; in October 1994, Panama's Legislative Assembly approved a constitutional amendment prohibiting the creation of a standing military force but allowing the temporary establishment of special police units to counter acts of "external aggression"

Paracel Islands occupied by China

Pitcairn Islands defense is the responsibility of the UK

Puerto Rico defense is the responsibility of the US

Saint Barthelemy defense is the responsibility of France

Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha defense is the responsibility of the UK

Saint Martin defense is the responsibility of France

Saint Pierre and Miquelon defense is the responsibility of France

Samoa Samoa has no formal defense structure or regular armed forces; informal defense ties exist with NZ, which is required to consider any Samoan request for assistance under the 1962 Treaty of Friendship

San Marino defense is the responsibility of Italy

Sao Tome and Principe Sao Tome and Principe's army is a tiny force with almost no resources at its disposal and would be wholly ineffective operating unilaterally; infantry equipment is considered simple to operate and maintain but may require refurbishment or replacement after 25 years in tropical climates; poor pay, working conditions, and alleged nepotism in the promotion of officers have been problems in the past, as reflected in the 1995 and 2003 coups; these issues are being addressed with foreign assistance aimed at improving the army and its focus on realistic security concerns; command is exercised from the president, through the Minister of Defense, to the Chief of the Armed Forces staff (2005)

Sint Maarten defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

South Africa with the end of apartheid and the establishment of majority rule, former military, black homelands forces, and ex-opposition forces were integrated into the South African National Defense Force (SANDF); as of 2003 the integration process was considered complete

South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands defense is the responsibility of the UK

Spratly Islands Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs of which about 45 are claimed and occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam

Svalbard Svalbard is a territory of Norway, demilitarized by treaty on 9 February 1920; Norwegian military activity is limited to fisheries surveillance by the Norwegian Coast Guard

Tokelau defense is the responsibility of New Zealand

Turkey a "National Security Policy Document" adopted in October 2005 increases the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) role in internal security, augmenting the General Directorate of Security and Gendarmerie General Command (Jandarma); the TSK leadership continues to play a key role in politics and considers itself guardian of Turkey's secular state; in April 2007, it warned the ruling party about any pro-Islamic appointments; despite on-going negotiations on EU accession since October 2005, progress has been limited in establishing required civilian supremacy over the military; primary domestic threats are listed as fundamentalism (with the definition in some dispute with the civilian government), separatism (the Kurdish problem), and the extreme left wing; Ankara strongly opposed establishment of an autonomous Kurdish region; an overhaul of the Turkish Land Forces Command (TLFC) taking place under the "Force 2014" program is to produce 20-30% smaller, more highly trained forces characterized by greater mobility and firepower and capable of joint and combined operations; the TLFC has taken on increasing international peacekeeping responsibilities, and took charge of a NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) command in Afghanistan in April 2007; the Turkish Navy is a regional naval power that wants to develop the capability to project power beyond Turkey's coastal waters; the Navy is heavily involved in NATO, multinational, and UN operations; its roles include control of territorial waters and security for sea lines of communications; the Turkish Air Force adopted an "Aerospace and Missile Defense Concept" in 2002 and has initiated project work on an integrated missile defense system; Air Force priorities include attaining a modern deployable, survivable, and sustainable force structure, and establishing a sustainable command and control system (2008)

Turks and Caicos Islands defense is the responsibility of the UK

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges defense is the responsibility of the US

Virgin Islands defense is the responsibility of the US

Wake Island defense is the responsibility of the US; the US Air Force is responsible for overall administration and operation of the island facilities; the launch support facility is administered by the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA)

Wallis and Futuna defense is the responsibility of France

Yemen a Coast Guard was established in 2002

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Field Listing :: Communications - note

This entry includes miscellaneous communications information of significance not included elsewhere. Country

Communications - note

Afghanistan Internet access is growing through Internet cafes as well as public "telekiosks" in Kabul (2005)

Bouvet Island automatic meteorological station

Coral Sea Islands there are automatic weather stations on many of the isles and reefs relaying data to the mainland

French Southern and Antarctic Lands one or more meteorological stations on each possession; note - meteorological station on Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses) is important for forecasting cyclones

Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha South Africa maintains a meteorological station on Gough Island

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@2140

Field Listing :: Government - note

This entry includes miscellaneous government information of significance not included elsewhere. Country

Government - note

French Polynesia under certain acts of France, French Polynesia has acquired autonomy in all areas except those relating to police and justice, monetary policy, tertiary education, immigration, and defense and foreign affairs; the duties of its president are fashioned after those of the French prime minister

New Zealand while not an official symbol, the Kiwi, a small native flightless bird, represents New Zealand

Solomon Islands by the end of 2007, the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) - originally made up of police and troops from Australia, NZ, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga - had been scaled back to 303 police officers, 197 civilian technical advisers, and 72 military advisers from 15 countries across the region

Somalia although an interim government was created in 2004, other regional and local governing bodies continue to exist and control various regions of the country, including the self-declared Republic of Somaliland in northwestern Somalia and the semi-autonomous State of Puntland in northeastern Somalia

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@2141

Field Listing :: Group

Country

Group

Afghanistan All, NESA, Near East/South Asia, South Asia

Akrotiri All, Europe, Europe/French Dependencies, Europe

Albania All, OREA, Europe/French Dependencies, Europe

Algeria All, NESA, Near East/South Asia, Africa

American Samoa All, APLAA, Caribbean/Oceania, Australia - Oceania

Andorra All, OREA, Europe/French Dependencies, Europe

Angola All, APLAA, Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa

Anguilla All, APLAA, North America/Caribbean, Central America

Antarctica All, APLAA, South America/Global, Antarctica

Antigua and Barbuda All, APLAA, North America/Caribbean, Central America

Arctic Ocean All, APLAA, South America/Global, Oceans

Argentina All, APLAA, South America/Global, South America

Armenia All, OREA, Russia/Eurasia, Middle East

Aruba All, APLAA, North America/Caribbean, Central America

Ashmore and Cartier Islands All, APLAA, Caribbean/Oceania, Australia - Oceania

Atlantic Ocean All, APLAA, South America/Global, Oceans

Australia All, APLAA, Caribbean/Oceania, Australia - Oceania

Austria All, OREA, Europe/French Dependencies, European Union, Europe

Azerbaijan All, OREA, Russia/Eurasia, Middle East

Bahamas, The All, APLAA, North America/Caribbean, Central America

Bahrain All, NESA, Near East/South Asia, Middle East

Bangladesh All, NESA, Near East/South Asia, South Asia

Barbados All, APLAA, North America/Caribbean, Central America

Belarus All, OREA, Russia/Eurasia, Europe

Belgium All, OREA, Europe/French Dependencies, European Union, Europe

Belize All, APLAA, South America/Meso America, Central America

Benin All, APLAA, Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa

Bermuda All, APLAA, North America/Caribbean, North America

Bhutan All, NESA, Near East/South Asia, South Asia

Bolivia All, APLAA, South America/Global, South America

Bosnia and Herzegovina All, OREA, Europe/French Dependencies, Europe

Botswana All, APLAA, Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa

Bouvet Island All, OREA, Europe/French Dependencies, Antarctica

Brazil All, APLAA, South America/Global, South America

British Indian Ocean Territory All, APLAA, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia

British Virgin Islands All, APLAA, North America/Caribbean, Central America

Brunei All, APLAA, East Asia/Southeast Asia, Southeast Asia

Bulgaria All, OREA, Russia/Eurasia, European Union, Europe

Burkina Faso All, APLAA, Sahel Region Africa, Africa

Burma All, APLAA, East Asia/Southeast Asia, Southeast Asia

Burundi All, APLAA, Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa

Cambodia All, APLAA, East Asia/Southeast Asia, Southeast Asia

Cameroon All, APLAA, Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa

Canada All, APLAA, Eurasia/North America, North America

Cape Verde All, APLAA, Sahel Region Africa, Africa

Cayman Islands All, APLAA, North America/Caribbean, Central America

Central African Republic All, APLAA, Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa

Chad All, APLAA, Sahel Region Africa, Africa

Chile All, APLAA, South America/Global, South America

China All, APLAA, East Asia/Southeast Asia, Southeast Asia

Christmas Island All, APLAA, Caribbean/Oceania, Australia - Oceania

Clipperton Island All, OREA, Europe/French Dependencies, North America

Cocos (Keeling) Islands All, APLAA, Caribbean/Oceania, Australia - Oceania

Colombia All, APLAA, South America/Global, South America

Comoros All, APLAA, Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa

Congo, Democratic Republic of the All, APLAA, Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa

Congo, Republic of the All, APLAA, Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa

Cook Islands All, APLAA, Caribbean/Oceania, Australia - Oceania

Coral Sea Islands All, APLAA, Caribbean/Oceania, Australia - Oceania

Costa Rica All, APLAA, South America/Meso America, Central America

Cote d'Ivoire All, APLAA, Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa

Croatia All, OREA, Europe/French Dependencies, Europe

Cuba All, APLAA, North America/Caribbean, Central America

Cyprus All, OREA, Europe/French Dependencies, European Union, Europe

Czech Republic All, OREA, Russia/Eurasia, European Union, Europe

Denmark All, OREA, Europe/French Dependencies, European Union, Europe

Dhekelia All, Europe, Europe/French Dependencies, Europe

Djibouti All, APLAA, Sahel Region Africa, Africa

Dominica All, APLAA, North America/Caribbean, Central America

Dominican Republic All, APLAA, North America/Caribbean, Central America

Ecuador All, APLAA, South America/Global, South America

Egypt All, NESA, Near East/South Asia, Africa

El Salvador All, APLAA, North America/Caribbean, Central America

Equatorial Guinea All, APLAA, Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa

Eritrea All, APLAA, Sahel Region Africa, Africa

Estonia All, OREA, Russia/Eurasia, European Union, Europe

Ethiopia All, APLAA, Sahel Region Africa, Africa

European Union All, Europe, Europe

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) All, APLAA, South America/Global, South America

Faroe Islands All, OREA, Europe/French Dependencies, Europe

Fiji All, APLAA, Caribbean/Oceania, Australia - Oceania

Finland All, OREA, Europe/French Dependencies, European Union, Europe

France All, OREA, Europe/French Dependencies, European Union, Europe

French Polynesia All, OREA, Europe/French Dependencies, Australia - Oceania

French Southern and Antarctic Lands All, OREA, Europe/French Dependencies, Antarctica

Gabon All, APLAA, Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa

Gambia, The All, APLAA, Sahel Region Africa, Africa

Gaza Strip All, NESA, Near East/South Asia, Middle East

Georgia All, OREA, Russia/Eurasia, Middle East

Germany All, OREA, Europe/French Dependencies, European Union, Europe

Ghana All, APLAA, Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa

Gibraltar All, OREA, Europe/French Dependencies, Europe

Greece All, OREA, Europe/French Dependencies, European Union, Europe

Greenland All, OREA, Europe/French Dependencies, North America

Grenada All, APLAA, North America/Caribbean, Central America

Guam All, APLAA, Caribbean/Oceania, Australia - Oceania

Guatemala All, APLAA, South America/Meso America, Central America

Guernsey All, OREA, Europe/French Dependencies, Europe

Guinea All, APLAA, Sahel Region Africa, Africa

Guinea-Bissau All, APLAA, Sahel Region Africa, Africa

Guyana All, APLAA, South America/Global, South America

Haiti All, APLAA, North America/Caribbean, Central America

Heard Island and McDonald Islands All, APLAA, Caribbean/Oceania, Antarctica

Holy See (Vatican City) All, OREA, Europe/French Dependencies, Europe

Honduras All, APLAA, North America/Caribbean, Central America

Hong Kong All, APLAA, East Asia/Southeast Asia, Southeast Asia

Hungary All, OREA, Russia/Eurasia, European Union, Europe

Iceland All, OREA, Europe/French Dependencies, Europe

India All, NESA, Near East/South Asia, South Asia

Indian Ocean All, APLAA, South America/Global, Oceans

Indonesia All, APLAA, East Asia/Southeast Asia, Southeast Asia

Iran All, NESA, Near East/South Asia, Middle East

Iraq All, NESA, Near East/South Asia, Middle East

Ireland All, OREA, Europe/French Dependencies, European Union, Europe

Isle of Man All, OREA, Europe/French Dependencies, Europe

Israel All, NESA, Near East/South Asia, Middle East

Italy All, OREA, Europe/French Dependencies, European Union, Europe

Jamaica All, APLAA, North America/Caribbean, Central America

Jan Mayen All, OREA, Europe/French Dependencies, Europe

Japan All, APLAA, East Asia/Southeast Asia, Southeast Asia

Jersey All, OREA, Europe/French Dependencies, Europe

Jordan All, NESA, Near East/South Asia, Middle East

Kazakhstan All, OREA, Russia/Eurasia, Central Asia

Kenya All, APLAA, Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa

Kiribati All, APLAA, Caribbean/Oceania, Australia - Oceania

Korea, North All, APLAA, East Asia/Southeast Asia, Southeast Asia

Korea, South All, APLAA, East Asia/Southeast Asia, Southeast Asia

Kosovo All, Europe

Kuwait All, NESA, Near East/South Asia, Middle East

Kyrgyzstan All, OREA, Russia/Eurasia, Central Asia

Laos All, APLAA, East Asia/Southeast Asia, Southeast Asia

Latvia All, OREA, Russia/Eurasia, European Union, Europe

Lebanon All, NESA, Near East/South Asia, Middle East

Lesotho All, APLAA, Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa

Liberia All, APLAA, Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa

Libya All, NESA, Near East/South Asia, Africa

Liechtenstein All, OREA, Europe/French Dependencies, Europe

Lithuania All, OREA, Russia/Eurasia, European Union, Europe

Luxembourg All, OREA, Europe/French Dependencies, European Union, Europe

Macau All, APLAA, East Asia/Southeast Asia, Southeast Asia

Macedonia All, OREA, Europe/French Dependencies, Europe

Madagascar All, APLAA, Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa

Malawi All, APLAA, Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa

Malaysia All, APLAA, East Asia/Southeast Asia, Southeast Asia

Maldives All, NESA, Near East/South Asia, South Asia

Mali All, APLAA, Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa

Malta All, OREA, Europe/French Dependencies, European Union, Europe

Marshall Islands All, APLAA, Caribbean/Oceania, Australia - Oceania