Location Geographic coordinates Area Climate Natural resources Population Population growth rate Sex ratio Religions Country name Capital Flag description GDP Industries Exports Imports Currency Airports Illicit drugs

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela 12 30 N, 69 58 W 193 tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation NEGL; white sandy beaches 69539 0.7% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish Aruba Oranjestad blue, with two narrow, horizontal, yellow stripes across the lower portion and a red, four-pointed star outlined in white in the upper hoist-side corner purchasing power parity - $1.6 billion (1998 est.) tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining $1.17 billion (including oil reexports)(1998) $1.52 billion (1998) 1 Aruban florin (Af.) = 100 cents 2 (1999 est.) drug-money-laundering center and transit point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico 17 03 N, 61 48 W 442 tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism 66422 0.73% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Anglican (predominant), other Protestant, some Roman Catholic Antigua and Barbuda Saint John's red, with an inverted isosceles triangle based on the top edge of the flag; the triangle contains three horizontal bands of black (top), light blue, and white, with a yellow rising sun in the black band purchasing power parity - $524 million (1999 est.) tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, household appliances) $38 million (1998) $330 million (1998) 1 East Caribbean dollar (EC$) = 100 cents 3 (1999 est.) considered a minor transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; more significant as a drug-money-laundering center Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran 33 00 N, 65 00 E 652000 arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones 25838797 3.54% (2000 est.) note: this rate reflects the continued return of refugees from Iran at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.12 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Sunni Muslim 84%, Shi'a Muslim 15%, other 1% Afghanistan Kabul three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a gold emblem centered on the three bands; the emblem features a temple-like structure with Islamic inscriptions above and below, encircled by a wreath on the left and right and by a bolder Islamic inscription above, all of which are encircled by two crossed scimitars note: the Taliban uses a plain white flag purchasing power parity - $21 billion (1999 est.) small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, and cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, oil, coal, copper $80 million (does not include opium) (1996 est.) $150 million (1996 est.) 1 afghani (AF) = 100 puls 46 (1999 est.) world's largest illicit opium producer, surpassing Burma (potential production in 1999 - 1,670 metric tons; cultivation in 1999 - 51,500 hectares, a 23% increase over 1998); a major source of hashish; increasing number of heroin-processing laboratories being set up in the country; major political factions in the country profit from drug trade Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia 28 00 N, 3 00 E 2381740 arid to semiarid; mild, wet winters with hot, dry summers along coast; drier with cold winters and hot summers on high plateau; sirocco is a hot, dust/sand-laden wind especially common in summer petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc 31193917 1.74% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Sunni Muslim (state religion) 99%, Christian and Jewish 1% Algeria Algiers two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and white with a red, five-pointed star within a red crescent; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam (the state religion) purchasing power parity - $147.6 billion (1999 est.) petroleum, natural gas, light industries, mining, electrical, petrochemical, food processing $13.7 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $9.3 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 Algerian dinar (DA) = 100 centimes 137 (1999 est.) Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia 40 30 N, 47 30 E 86600 dry, semiarid steppe petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals, alumina 7748163 0.27% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 93.4%, Russian Orthodox 2.5%, Armenian Orthodox 2.3%, other 1.8% (1995 est.) note: religious affiliation is still nominal in Azerbaijan; percentages for actual practicing adherents are much lower Azerbaijan Baku (Baki) three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), red, and green; a crescent and eight-pointed star in white are centered in red band purchasing power parity - $14 billion (1999 est.) petroleum and natural gas, petroleum products, oilfield equipment; steel, iron ore, cement; chemicals and petrochemicals; textiles $885 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $1.62 billion (c.i.f., 1999 est.) 1 manat = 100 gopiks 69 (1996 est.) limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for CIS consumption; limited government eradication program; transshipment point for opiates via Iran, Central Asia, and Russia to Western Europe Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece and Serbia and Montenegro 41 00 N, 20 00 E 28748 mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, timber, nickel, hydropower 3490435 0.26% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 70%, Albanian Orthodox 20%, Roman Catholic 10% note: all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice Albania Tirana red with a black two-headed eagle in the center purchasing power parity - $5.6 billion (1999 est.) food processing, textiles and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower $242 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $925 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 lek (L) = 100 qintars 10 (1999 est.) increasingly active transshipment point for Southwest Asian opiates, hashish, and cannabis transiting the Balkan route and - to a far lesser extent - cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe; limited opium and cannabis production; ethnic Albanian narcotrafficking organizations active and rapidly expanding in Europe Southwestern Asia, east of Turkey 40 00 N, 45 00 E 29800 highland continental, hot summers, cold winters small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, alumina 3344336 -0.28% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Armenian Orthodox 94% Armenia Yerevan three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, and orange purchasing power parity - $9.9 billion (1999 est.) metal-cutting machine tools, forging-pressing machines, electric motors, tires, knitted wear, hosiery, shoes, silk fabric, washing machines, chemicals, trucks, watches, instruments, microelectronics $240 million (1999 est.) $782 million (1999 est.) 1 dram = 100 luma 11 (1996 est.) illicit cultivator of cannabis mostly for domestic consumption; increasingly used as a transshipment point for illicit drugs - mostly opium and hashish - to Western Europe and the US via Iran, Central Asia, and Russia Southwestern Europe, between France and Spain 42 30 N, 1 30 E 468 temperate; snowy, cold winters and warm, dry summers hydropower, mineral water, timber, iron ore, lead 66824 1.22% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic (predominant) Andorra Andorra la Vella three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red with the national coat of arms centered in the yellow band; the coat of arms features a quartered shield; similar to the flags of Chad and Romania, which do not have a national coat of arms in the center, and the flag of Moldova, which does bear a national emblem purchasing power parity - $1.2 billion (1996 est.) tourism (particularly skiing), cattle raising, timber, tobacco, banking $58 million (f.o.b., 1998) $1.077 billion (c.i.f., 1998) 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes; 1 peseta (Pta) = 100 centimos; the French and Spanish currencies are used none Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Namibia and Democratic Republic of the Congo 12 30 S, 18 30 E 1246700 semiarid in south and along coast to Luanda; north has cool, dry season (May to October) and hot, rainy season (November to April) petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold, bauxite, uranium 10145267 2.15% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2000 est.) indigenous beliefs 47%, Roman Catholic 38%, Protestant 15% (1998 est.) Angola Luanda two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and black with a centered yellow emblem consisting of a five-pointed star within half a cogwheel crossed by a machete (in the style of a hammer and sickle) purchasing power parity - $11.6 billion (1999 est.) petroleum; diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, feldspar, bauxite, uranium, and gold; cement; basic metal products; fish processing; food processing; brewing; tobacco products; sugar; textiles $5 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $3 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 kwanza (NKz) = 100 lwei 249 (1999 est.) increasingly used as a transshipment point for cocaine and heroin destined for Western Europe and other African states Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand 14 20 S, 170 00 W 199 tropical marine, moderated by southeast trade winds; annual rainfall averages about 3 m; rainy season from November to April, dry season from May to October; little seasonal temperature variation pumice, pumicite 65446 2.53% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.1 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Christian Congregationalist 50%, Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant and other 30% American Samoa Pago Pago blue, with a white triangle edged in red that is based on the outer side and extends to the hoist side; a brown and white American bald eagle flying toward the hoist side is carrying two traditional Samoan symbols of authority, a staff and a war club purchasing power parity - $150 million (1995 est.) tuna canneries (largely dependent on foreign fishing vessels), handicrafts $313 million (1996) $471 million (1996) 1 US dollar (US$) = 100 cents 4 (1999 est.) Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Chile and Uruguay 34 00 S, 64 00 W 2766890 mostly temperate; arid in southeast; subantarctic in southwest fertile plains of the pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, manganese, petroleum, uranium 36955182 1.16% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.) nominally Roman Catholic 92% (less than 20% practicing), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, other 4% Argentina Buenos Aires three equal horizontal bands of light blue (top), white, and light blue; centered in the white band is a radiant yellow sun with a human face known as the Sun of May purchasing power parity - $367 billion (1999 est.) food processing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, textiles, chemicals and petrochemicals, printing, metallurgy, steel $23 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $25 billion (c.i.f., 1999 est.) 1 peso = 100 centavos 1,359 (1999 est.) increasing use as a transshipment country for cocaine headed for Europe and the US; increasing use as a money-laundering center; domestic consumption of drugs has skyrocketed Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean 27 00 S, 133 00 E 7686850 generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum 19169083 1.02% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Anglican 26.1%, Roman Catholic 26%, other Christian 24.3%, non-Christian 11% Australia Canberra blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large seven-pointed star in the lower hoist-side quadrant; the remaining half is a representation of the Southern Cross constellation in white with one small five-pointed star and four, larger, seven-pointed stars purchasing power parity - $416.2 billion (1999 est.) mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel $58 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $67 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents 408 (1999 est.) Tasmania is one of the world's major suppliers of licit opiate products; government maintains strict controls over areas of opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw concentrate Southeastern Asia, islands in the Indian Ocean, northwest of Australia 12 14 S, 123 05 E 5 tropical fish Ashmore and Cartier Islands the flag of Australia is used Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia 47 20 N, 13 20 E 83858 temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain in lowlands and snow in mountains; cool summers with occasional showers iron ore, oil, timber, magnesite, lead, coal, lignite, copper, hydropower 8131111 0.25% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 78%, Protestant 5%, Muslim and other 17% Austria Vienna three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red purchasing power parity - $190.6 billion (1999 est.) construction, machinery, vehicles and parts, food, chemicals, lumber and wood processing, paper and paperboard, communications equipment, tourism (1997) $62.9 billion (1999 est.) $69.9 billion (1999 est.) 1 Austrian schilling (AS) = 100 groschen 55 (1999 est.) transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for Western Europe Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, east of Puerto Rico 18 15 N, 63 10 W 91 tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds salt, fish, lobster 11797 2.93% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Anglican 40%, Methodist 33%, Seventh-Day Adventist 7%, Baptist 5%, Roman Catholic 3%, other 12% Anguilla The Valley blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Anguillan coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts three orange dolphins in an interlocking circular design on a white background with blue wavy water below purchasing power parity - $88 million (1998 est.) tourism, boat building, offshore financial services $4.5 million (1998) $57.6 million (1998) 1 East Caribbean dollar (EC$) = 100 cents 3 (1999 est.) continent mostly south of the Antarctic Circle 90 00 S, 0 00 E 14000000 severe low temperatures vary with latitude, elevation, and distance from the ocean; East Antarctica is colder than West Antarctica because of its higher elevation; Antarctic Peninsula has the most moderate climate; higher temperatures occur in January along the coast and average slightly below freezing none presently exploited; iron ore, chromium, copper, gold, nickel, platinum and other minerals, and coal and hydrocarbons have been found in small, uncommercial quantities Antarctica 18 note: 27 stations, operated by 16 national governments party to the Antarctic Treaty, have landing facilities for either helicopters and/or fixed-wing aircraft; commercial enterprises operate two additional air facilities; helicopter pads are available at 27 stations; runways at 15 locations are gravel, sea-ice, blue-ice, or compacted snow suitable for landing wheeled, fixed-wing aircraft; of these, 1 is greater than 3 km in length, 6 are between 2 km and 3 km in length, 3 are between 1 km and 2 km in length, 3 are less than 1 km in length, and 2 are of unknown length; snow surface skiways, limited to use by ski-equipped, fixed-wing aircraft,are available at another 15 locations; of these, 4 are greater than 3 km in length, 3 are between 2 km and 3 km in length, 2 are between 1 km and 2 km in length, 2 are less than 1 km in length, and 4 are of unknown length; airports generally subject to severe restrictions and limitations resulting from extreme seasonal and geographic conditions; airports do not meet ICAO standards; advance approval from the respective governmental or nongovernmental operating organization required for landing (1999 est.) Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia 26 00 N, 50 33 E 620 arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish 634137 1.78% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.46 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.04 male(s)/female total population: 1.3 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Shi'a Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim 25% Bahrain Manama red with a white serrated band (eight white points) on the hoist side purchasing power parity - $8.6 billion (1999 est.) petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, offshore banking, ship repairing; tourism $3.3 billion (f.o.b., 1998) $3.5 billion (f.o.b., 1998) 1 Bahraini dinar (BD) = 1,000 fils 3 (1999 est.) Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela 13 10 N, 59 32 W 430 tropical; rainy season (June to October) petroleum, fish, natural gas 274540 0.55% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12% Barbados Bridgetown three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold, and blue with the head of a black trident centered on the gold band; the trident head represents independence and a break with the past (the colonial coat of arms contained a complete trident) purchasing power parity - $2.9 billion (1998 est.) tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export $211.2 million (1998) $1.01 billion (1998) 1 Barbadian dollar (Bds$) = 100 cents 1 (1999 est.) one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for the US and Europe Southern Africa, north of South Africa 22 00 S, 24 00 E 600370 semiarid; warm winters and hot summers diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver 1576470 0.76% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.) indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 50% Botswana Gaborone light blue with a horizontal white-edged black stripe in the center purchasing power parity - $5.7 billion (1999 est.) diamonds, copper, nickel, coal, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock processing $2.36 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $2.05 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 pula (P) = 100 thebe 92 (1999 est.) North America, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of North Carolina (US) 32 20 N, 64 45 W 58 subtropical; mild, humid; gales, strong winds common in winter limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism 62997 0.75% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.) non-Anglican Protestant 39%, Anglican 27%, Roman Catholic 15%, other 19% Bermuda Hamilton red, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Bermudian coat of arms (white and blue shield with a red lion holding a scrolled shield showing the sinking of the ship Sea Venture off Bermuda in 1609) centered on the outer half of the flag purchasing power parity - $2 billion (1999 est.) tourism, finance, insurance, structural concrete products, paints, perfumes, pharmaceuticals, ship repairing $32 million (1998 est.) $624 million (1998 est.) 1 Bermudian dollar (Bd$) = 100 cents 1 (1999 est.) Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands 50 50 N, 4 00 E 30510 temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy coal, natural gas 10241506 0.18% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 75%, Protestant or other 25% Belgium Brussels three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red; the design was based on the flag of France purchasing power parity - $243.4 billion (1999 est.) engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, petroleum, coal $187.3 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $172.8 billion (f.o.b., 1999) 1 Belgian franc (BF) = 100 centimes 42 (1999 est.) source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors; transshipment point for cocaine, heroin, hashish, and marijuana entering Western Europe Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida 24 15 N, 76 00 W 13940 tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream salt, aragonite, timber 294982 1.01% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God 6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2% The Bahamas Nassau three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side purchasing power parity - $5.58 billion (1998 est.) tourism, banking, cement, oil refining and transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe $362.8 million (1998) $1.74 billion (1998) 1 Bahamian dollar (B$) = 100 cents 62 (1999 est.) transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; banking industry vulnerable to money laundering Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India 24 00 N, 90 00 E 144000 tropical; cool, dry winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); cool, rainy monsoon (June to October) natural gas, arable land, timber 129194224 1.59% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.19 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 88.3%, Hindu 10.5%, other 1.2% Bangladesh Dhaka green with a large red disk slightly to the hoist side of center; the red sun of freedom represents the blood shed to achieve independence; the green field symbolizes the lush countryside, and secondarily, the traditional color of Islam purchasing power parity - $187 billion (1999 est.) cotton textiles, jute, garments, tea processing, paper newsprint, cement, chemical fertilizer, light engineering, sugar $5.1 billion (1998) $8.01 billion (1998) 1 taka (Tk) = 100 poisha 16 (1999 est.) transit country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring countries Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico 17 15 N, 88 45 W 22960 tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to February) arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower 249183 2.75% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 30% (Anglican 12%, Methodist 6%, Mennonite 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Pentecostal 2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1%, other 2%), none 2%, other 6% (1980) Belize Belmopan blue with a narrow red stripe along the top and the bottom edges; centered is a large white disk bearing the coat of arms; the coat of arms features a shield flanked by two workers in front of a mahogany tree with the related motto SUB UMBRA FLOREO (I Flourish in the Shade) on a scroll at the bottom, all encircled by a green garland purchasing power parity - $740 million (1999 est.) garment production, food processing, tourism, construction $150 million (f.o.b., 1998) $320 million (c.i.f., 1998) 1 Belizean dollar (Bz$) = 100 cents 44 (1999 est.) transshipment point for cocaine; small-scale illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; minor money-laundering center Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia 44 00 N, 18 00 E 51129 hot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have short, cool summers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy winters along coast coal, iron, bauxite, manganese, forests, copper, chromium, lead, zinc, hydropower 3835777 3.1% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 40%, Orthodox 31%, Roman Catholic 15%, Protestant 4%, other 10% Bosnia and Herzegovina Sarajevo a wide medium blue vertical band on the fly side with a yellow isosceles triangle abutting the band and the top of the flag; the remainder of the flag is medium blue with seven full five-pointed white stars and two half stars top and bottom along the hypotenuse of the triangle purchasing power parity - $6.2 billion (1999 est.) steel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, manganese, bauxite, vehicle assembly, textiles, tobacco products, wooden furniture, tank and aircraft assembly, domestic appliances, oil refining (much of capacity damaged or shut down) (1995) $450 million (1997 est.) $2.95 billion (1997 est.) 1 convertible marka (KM) = 100 convertible pfenniga 27 (1999 est.) minor transit point for marijuana and opiate trafficking routes to Western Europe Central South America, southwest of Brazil 17 00 S, 65 00 W 1098580 varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold, timber, hydropower 8152620 1.83% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist) Bolivia La Paz (seat of government); Sucre (legal capital and seat of judiciary) three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with the coat of arms centered on the yellow band; similar to the flag of Ghana, which has a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band purchasing power parity - $24.2 billion (1999 est.) mining, smelting, petroleum, food and beverages, tobacco, handicrafts, clothing $1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $1.6 billion (c.i.f., 1999 est.) 1 boliviano ($B) = 100 centavos 1,109 (1999 est.) world's third-largest cultivator of coca (after Peru and Colombia) with an estimated 21,800 hectares under cultivation in 1999, a 45% decrease in overall cultivation of coca from 1998 levels; intermediate coca products and cocaine exported to or through Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile to the US and other international drug markets; alternative crop program aims to reduce illicit coca cultivation Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand 22 00 N, 98 00 E 678500 tropical monsoon; cloudy, rainy, hot, humid summers (southwest monsoon, June to September); less cloudy, scant rainfall, mild temperatures, lower humidity during winter (northeast monsoon, December to April) petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, some marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas, hydropower 41734853 0.64% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%, animist 1%, other 2% Burma Rangoon (regime refers to the capital as Yangon) red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing, all in white, 14 five-pointed stars encircling a cogwheel containing a stalk of rice; the 14 stars represent the 14 administrative divisions purchasing power parity - $59.4 billion (1999 est.) agricultural processing; textiles and footwear; wood and wood products; copper, tin, tungsten, iron; construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer $1.2 billion (1998) $2.5 billion (1998) 1 kyat (K) = 100 pyas 80 (1999 est.) world's second largest producer of illicit opium, after Afghanistan (potential production in 1999 - 1,090 metric tons, down 38% due to drought; cultivation in 1999 - 89,500 hectares, a 31% decline from 1998); surrender of drug warlord KHUN SA's Mong Tai Army in January 1996 was hailed by Rangoon as a major counternarcotics success, but lack of government will and ability to take on major narcotrafficking groups and lack of serious commitment against money laundering continues to hinder the overall antidrug effort; becoming a major source of methamphetamines for regional consumption Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Nigeria and Togo 9 30 N, 2 15 E 112620 tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber 6395919 3.03% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2000 est.) indigenous beliefs 70%, Muslim 15%, Christian 15% Benin Porto-Novo is the official capital; Cotonou is the seat of government two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red with a vertical green band on the hoist side purchasing power parity - $8.1 billion (1999 est.) textiles, cigarettes; beverages, food; construction materials, petroleum $396 million (f.o.b., 1999) $566 million (f.o.b., 1999) 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes 5 (1999 est.) transshipment point for narcotics associated with Nigerian trafficking organizations and most commonly destined for Western Europe and the US Eastern Europe, east of Poland 53 00 N, 28 00 E 207600 cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime forests, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas 10366719 -0.17% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.49 male(s)/female total population: 0.88 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.) Belarus Minsk red horizontal band (top) and green horizontal band one-half the width of the red band; a white vertical stripe on the hoist side bears the Belarusian national ornament in red purchasing power parity - $55.2 billion (1999 est.) metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earth movers, motorcycles, TV sets, chemical fibers, fertilizer, textiles, radios, refrigerators $6 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $6.4 billion (c.i.f., 1999) Belarusian rubel (BR) 118 (1996 est.) limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for the domestic market; transshipment point for illicit drugs to and via Russia, and to the Baltics and Western Europe Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea 8 00 S, 159 00 E 28450 tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel 466194 3.04% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Anglican 34%, Roman Catholic 19%, Baptist 17%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian) 11%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10%, other Protestant 5%, indigenous beliefs 4% Solomon Islands Honiara divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is blue with five white five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern; the lower triangle is green purchasing power parity - $1.21 billion (1999 est.) fish (tuna), mining, timber $142 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.) $160 million (c.i.f., 1998 est.) 1 Solomon Islands dollar (SI$) = 100 cents 33 (1999 est.) Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, about one-fourth of the way from Haiti to Jamaica 18 25 N, 75 02 W 5 marine, tropical guano Navassa Island the flag of the US is used Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean 10 00 S, 55 00 W 8511965 mostly tropical, but temperate in south bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber 172860370 0.94% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic (nominal) 80% Brazil Brasilia green with a large yellow diamond in the center bearing a blue celestial globe with 27 white five-pointed stars (one for each state and the Federal District) arranged in the same pattern as the night sky over Brazil; the globe has a white equatorial band with the motto ORDEM E PROGRESSO (Order and Progress) purchasing power parity - $1.057 trillion (1999 est.) textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment $46.9 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $48.7 billion (f.o.b., 1999) 1 real (R$) = 100 centavos 3,277 (1999 est.) limited illicit producer of cannabis, minor coca cultivation in the Amazon region, mostly used for domestic consumption; government has a large-scale eradication program to control cannabis; important transshipment country for Bolivian, Colombian, and Peruvian cocaine headed for the US and Europe; increasingly used by traffickers as a way station for narcotics air transshipments between Peru and Colombia; upsurge in drug-related violence and weapons smuggling Southern Africa, islands in the southern Mozambique Channel, about one-half of the way from Madagascar to Mozambique 21 30 S, 39 50 E 0 tropical none Bassas da India the flag of France is used Southern Asia, between China and India 27 30 N, 90 30 E 47000 varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbide 2005222 2.19% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25% Bhutan Thimphu divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the upper triangle is yellow and the lower triangle is orange; centered along the dividing line is a large black and white dragon facing away from the hoist side purchasing power parity - $2.1 billion (1999 est.) cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide $111 million (f.o.b., 1998) $136 million (c.i.f., 1998) 1 ngultrum (Nu) = 100 chetrum; note - Indian currency is also legal tender 2 (1999 est.) Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey 43 00 N, 25 00 E 110910 temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land 7796694 -1.16% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Bulgarian Orthodox 83.5%, Muslim 13%, Roman Catholic 1.5%, Jewish 0.8%, Uniate Catholic 0.2%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other 1% (1998) Bulgaria Sofia three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red; the national emblem formerly on the hoist side of the white stripe has been removed - it contained a rampant lion within a wreath of wheat ears below a red five-pointed star and above a ribbon bearing the dates 681 (first Bulgarian state established) and 1944 (liberation from Nazi control) purchasing power parity - $34.9 billion (1999 est.) machine building and metal working, food processing, chemicals, construction materials, ferrous and nonferrous metals, nuclear fuel $3.8 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $5.3 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 lev (Lv) = 100 stotinki 216 (1999 est.) major European transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and, to a lesser degree, South American cocaine for the European market; limited producer of precursor chemicals Southern Africa, island in the South Atlantic Ocean, south-southwest of the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) 54 26 S, 3 24 E 58 antarctic none Bouvet Island the flag of Norway is used Southeastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia 4 30 N, 114 40 E 5770 tropical; hot, humid, rainy petroleum, natural gas, timber 336376 2.17% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.14 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim (official) 67%, Buddhist 13%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs and other 10% Brunei Bandar Seri Begawan yellow with two diagonal bands of white (top, almost double width) and black starting from the upper hoist side; the national emblem in red is superimposed at the center; the emblem includes a swallow-tailed flag on top of a winged column within an upturned crescent above a scroll and flanked by two upraised hands purchasing power parity - $5.6 billion (1999 est.) petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction $2.04 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.) $1.38 billion (c.i.f., 1998 est.) 1 Bruneian dollar (B$) = 100 cents 2 (1999 est.) Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo 3 30 S, 30 00 E 27830 equatorial; high plateau with considerable altitude variation (772 m to 2,670 m); average annual temperature varies with altitude from 23 to 17 degrees centigrade but is generally moderate as the average altitude is about 1,700 m; average annual rainfall is about 150 cm; wet seasons from February to May and September to November, and dry seasons from June to August and December to January nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum (not yet exploited), vanadium, arable land, hydropower 6054714 3.15% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Christian 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%), indigenous beliefs 23%, Muslim 10% Burundi Bujumbura divided by a white diagonal cross into red panels (top and bottom) and green panels (hoist side and outer side) with a white disk superimposed at the center bearing three red six-pointed stars outlined in green arranged in a triangular design (one star above, two stars below) purchasing power parity - $4.2 billion (1999 est.) light consumer goods such as blankets, shoes, soap; assembly of imported components; public works construction; food processing $56 million (f.o.b., 1999) $108 million (f.o.b., 1999) 1 Burundi franc (FBu) = 100 centimes 4 (1999 est.) Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and North Pacific Ocean, north of the conterminous US 60 00 N, 95 00 W 9976140 varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, potash, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydropower 31281092 1.02% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 42%, Protestant 40%, other 18% Canada Ottawa three vertical bands of red (hoist side), white (double width, square), and red with a red maple leaf centered in the white band purchasing power parity - $722.3 billion (1999 est.) processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper products, transportation equipment, chemicals, fish products, petroleum and natural gas $277 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $259.3 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 Canadian dollar (Can$) = 100 cents 1,411 (1999 est.) illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic drug market; use of hydroponics technology permits growers to plant large quantities of high-quality marijuana indoors; growing role as a transit point for heroin and cocaine entering the US market Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos 13 00 N, 105 00 E 181040 tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season (December to April); little seasonal temperature variation timber, gemstones, some iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential 12212306 2.27% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.88 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Theravada Buddhist 95%, other 5% Cambodia Phnom Penh three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (double width), and blue with a white three-towered temple representing Angkor Wat outlined in black in the center of the red band purchasing power parity - $8.2 billion (1999 est.) garments, rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products, rubber, cement, gem mining, textiles $821 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 new riel (CR) = 100 sen 19 (1999 est.) transshipment site for Golden Triangle heroin; possible money laundering; narcotics-related corruption reportedly involving some in the government, military, and police; possible small-scale opium, heroin, and amphetamine production; large producer of cannabis for the international market Central Africa, south of Libya 15 00 N, 19 00 E 1000000 tropical in south, desert in north petroleum (unexploited but exploration under way), uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad) 8424504 3.31% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 50%, Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs (mostly animism) 25% Chad N'Djamena three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; similar to the flag of Romania; also similar to the flags of Andorra and Moldova, both of which have a national coat of arms centered in the yellow band; design was based on the flag of France purchasing power parity - $7.6 billion (1999 est.) cotton textiles, meat packing, beer brewing, natron (sodium carbonate), soap, cigarettes, construction materials $288 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $359 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes 49 (1999 est.) Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India 7 00 N, 81 00 E 65610 tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October) limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower 19238575 0.89% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Buddhist 70%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 7% (1999) Sri Lanka Colombo yellow with two panels; the smaller hoist-side panel has two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and orange; the other panel is a large dark red rectangle with a yellow lion holding a sword, and there is a yellow bo leaf in each corner; the yellow field appears as a border that goes around the entire flag and extends between the two panels purchasing power parity - $50.5 billion (1999 est.) processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, and other agricultural commodities; clothing, cement, petroleum refining, textiles, tobacco $4.7 billion (f.o.b., 1998) $5.3 billion (f.o.b., 1998) 1 Sri Lankan rupee (SLRe) = 100 cents 14 (1999 est.) Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon 1 00 S, 15 00 E 342000 tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); constantly high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, natural gas, hydropower 2830961 2.23% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2% Republic of the Congo Brazzaville divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a yellow band; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green and the lower triangle is red; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia purchasing power parity - $4.15 billion (1999 est.) petroleum extraction, cement kilning, lumbering, brewing, sugar milling, palm oil, soap, cigarette making $1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $770 million (f.o.b., 1999) 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes 36 (1999 est.) Central Africa, northeast of Angola 0 00 N, 25 00 E 2345410 tropical; hot and humid in equatorial river basin; cooler and drier in southern highlands; cooler and wetter in eastern highlands; north of Equator - wet season April to October, dry season December to February; south of Equator - wet season November to March, dry season April to October cobalt, copper, cadmium, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, germanium, uranium, radium, bauxite, iron ore, coal, hydropower, timber 51964999 3.19% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs 10% Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa light blue with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center and a columnar arrangement of six small yellow five-pointed stars along the hoist side purchasing power parity - $35.7 billion (1999 est.) mining, mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles, footwear, cigarettes, processed foods and beverages), cement, diamonds $530 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.) $460 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.) Congolese franc (CF) 232 (1999 est.) illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for domestic consumption Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam 35 00 N, 105 00 E 9596960 extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, mercury, tin, tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, uranium, hydropower potential (world's largest) 1261832482 0.9% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.15 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Muslim 2%-3%, Christian 1% (est.) note: officially atheist China Beijing red with a large yellow five-pointed star and four smaller yellow five-pointed stars (arranged in a vertical arc toward the middle of the flag) in the upper hoist-side corner purchasing power parity - $4.8 trillion (1999 est.) iron and steel, coal, machine building, armaments, textiles and apparel, petroleum, cement, chemical fertilizers, footwear, toys, food processing, automobiles, consumer electronics, telecommunications $194.9 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $165.8 billion (c.i.f., 1999) 1 yuan = 10 jiao 206 (1996 est.) major transshipment point for heroin produced in the Golden Triangle; growing domestic drug abuse problem Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean and South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru 30 00 S, 71 00 W 756950 temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central region; cool and damp in south copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum, hydropower 15153797 1.17% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 11%, Jewish NEGL Chile Santiago two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; there is a blue square the same height as the white band at the hoist-side end of the white band; the square bears a white five-pointed star in the center; design was based on the US flag purchasing power parity - $185.1 billion (1999 est.) copper, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel, wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement, textiles $15.6 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $13.9 billion (c.i.f., 1999) 1 Chilean peso (Ch$) = 100 centavos 370 (1999 est.) a growing transshipment country for cocaine destined for the US and Europe; economic prosperity has made Chile more attractive to traffickers seeking to launder drug profits; imported precursors passed on to Bolivia; domestic cocaine consumption is rising Caribbean, island group in Caribbean Sea, nearly one-half of the way from Cuba to Honduras 19 30 N, 80 30 W 259 tropical marine; warm, rainy summers (May to October) and cool, relatively dry winters (November to April) fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism 34763 2.22% (2000 est.) at birth: 0.86 male(s)/female under 15 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.) United Church (Presbyterian and Congregational), Anglican, Baptist, Roman Catholic, Church of God, other Protestant Cayman Islands George Town blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Caymanian coat of arms on a white disk centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms includes a pineapple and turtle above a shield with three stars (representing the three islands) and a scroll at the bottom bearing the motto HE HATH FOUNDED IT UPON THE SEAS purchasing power parity - $930 million (1997 est.) tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, construction materials, furniture $2.17 million (1997) $432 million (1997) 1 Caymanian dollar (CI$) = 100 cents 3 (1999 est.) vulnerable to drug money laundering and drug transshipment Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia, about one-half of the way from Australia to Sri Lanka 12 30 S, 96 50 E 14 pleasant, modified by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year; moderate rainfall fish 635 -0.21% (2000 est.) Sunni Muslim 57%, Christian 22%, other 21% (1981 est.) Cocos (Keeling) Islands West Island the flag of Australia is used purchasing power parity - $NA copra products and tourism $NA $NA 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents 1 (1999 est.) Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria 6 00 N, 12 00 E 475440 varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower 15421937 2.47% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2000 est.) indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20% Cameroon Yaounde three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), red, and yellow with a yellow five-pointed star centered in the red band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia purchasing power parity - $31.5 billion (1999 est.) petroleum production and refining, food processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber $2 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999) 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes 50 (1999 est.) Southern Africa, group of islands in the Mozambique Channel, about two-thirds of the way between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique 12 10 S, 44 15 E 2170 tropical marine; rainy season (November to May) NEGL 578400 3.05% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Sunni Muslim 98%, Roman Catholic 2% Comoros Moroni green with a white crescent in the center of the field, its points facing downward; there are four white five-pointed stars placed in a line between the points of the crescent; the crescent, stars, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam; the four stars represent the four main islands of the archipelago - Mwali, Njazidja, Nzwani, and Mayotte (a territorial collectivity of France, but claimed by Comoros); the design, the most recent of several, is described in the constitution approved by referendum on 7 June 1992 purchasing power parity - $410 million (1998 est.) tourism, perfume distillation, textiles, furniture, jewelry, construction materials, soft drinks $9.3 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.) $49.5 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.) 1 Comoran franc (CF) = 100 centimes 4 (1999 est.) Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama 4 00 N, 72 00 W 1138910 tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds, hydropower 39685655 1.68% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 90% Colombia Bogota three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double-width), blue, and red; similar to the flag of Ecuador, which is longer and bears the Ecuadorian coat of arms superimposed in the center purchasing power parity - $245.1 billion (1999 est.) textiles, food processing, oil, clothing and footwear, beverages, chemicals, cement; gold, coal, emeralds $11.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $10 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 Colombian peso (Col$) = 100 centavos 1,101 (1999 est.) illicit producer of coca, opium poppies, and cannabis; world's leading coca cultivator (cultivation of coca in 1998 - 101,500 hectares, a 28% increase over 1997); cultivation of opium in 1998 remained steady at 6,600 hectares; potential production of opium in 1997 - 66 metric tons, a 5% increase over 1996; the world's largest processor of coca derivatives into cocaine; supplier of cocaine to the US and other international drug markets, and an important supplier of heroin to the US market; active aerial eradication program Oceania, islands in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines 15 12 N, 145 45 E 477 tropical marine; moderated by northeast trade winds, little seasonal temperature variation; dry season December to June, rainy season July to October arable land, fish 71912 3.75% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Christian (Roman Catholic majority, although traditional beliefs and taboos may still be found) Northern Mariana Islands Saipan blue, with a white, five-pointed star superimposed on the gray silhouette of a latte stone (a traditional foundation stone used in building) in the center, surrounded by a wreath purchasing power parity - $524 million (1996 est.) note: GDP numbers reflect US spending tourism, construction, garments, handicrafts $1 billion (1998) $NA 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents 6 (1999 est.) Oceania, islands in the Coral Sea, northeast of Australia 18 00 S, 152 00 E tropical NEGL Coral Sea Islands the flag of Australia is used Middle America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama 10 00 N, 84 00 W 51100 tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands hydropower 3710558 1.69% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 85%, Evangelical Protestant, approximately 14%, other less than 1% Costa Rica San Jose five horizontal bands of blue (top), white, red (double width), white, and blue, with the coat of arms in a white disk on the hoist side of the red band purchasing power parity - $26 billion (1999 est.) microprocessors, food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products $6.4 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $6.5 billion (c.i.f., 1999 est.) 1 Costa Rican colon (C) = 100 centimos 155 (1999 est.) transshipment country for cocaine and heroin from South America; illicit production of cannabis on small, scattered plots; domestic cocaine consumption has risen Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo 7 00 N, 21 00 E 622984 tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower 3512751 1.77% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.) indigenous beliefs 24%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%, other 11% note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority Central African Republic Bangui four equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, green, and yellow with a vertical red band in center; there is a yellow five-pointed star on the hoist side of the blue band purchasing power parity - $5.8 billion (1999 est.) diamond mining, sawmills, breweries, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles $195 million (f.o.b., 1999) $170 million (f.o.b., 1999) 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes 52 (1999 est.) Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, south of Florida 21 30 N, 80 00 W 110860 tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October) cobalt, nickel, iron ore, copper, manganese, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land 11141997 0.39% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2000 est.) nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to CASTRO assuming power; Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also represented Cuba Havana five equal horizontal bands of blue (top and bottom) alternating with white; a red equilateral triangle based on the hoist side bears a white, five-pointed star in the center purchasing power parity - $18.6 billion (1999 est.) sugar, petroleum, food, tobacco, textiles, chemicals, paper and wood products, metals (particularly nickel), cement, fertilizers, consumer goods, agricultural machinery $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $3.2 billion (c.i.f., 1999 est.) 1 Cuban peso (Cu$) = 100 centavos 170 (1999 est.) territorial waters and air space serve as transshipment zone for cocaine bound for the US and Europe; established the death penalty for certain drug-related crimes in 1999 Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal 16 00 N, 24 00 W 4033 temperate; warm, dry summer; precipitation meager and very erratic salt, basalt rock, pozzuolana (a siliceous volcanic ash used to produce hydraulic cement), limestone, kaolin, fish 401343 0.98% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic (infused with indigenous beliefs); Protestant (mostly Church of the Nazarene) Cape Verde Praia three horizontal bands of light blue (top, double width), white (with a horizontal red stripe in the middle third), and light blue; a circle of 10 yellow five-pointed stars is centered on the hoist end of the red stripe and extends into the upper and lower blue bands purchasing power parity - $618 million (1999 est.) food and beverages, fish processing, shoes and garments, salt mining, ship repair $38 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $225 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 Cape Verdean escudo (CVEsc) = 100 centavos 6 (1999 est.) used as a transshipment point for illicit drugs moving from Latin America and Africa destined for Western Europe Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand 21 14 S, 159 46 W 240 tropical; moderated by trade winds NEGL 20407 1.6% (2000 est.) Christian (majority of populace are members of the Cook Islands Christian Church) Cook Islands Avarua blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large circle of 15 white five-pointed stars (one for every island) centered in the outer half of the flag purchasing power parity - $112 million (1998 est.) fruit processing, tourism $4.2 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.) $85 million (c.i.f., 1994) 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents 7 (1999 est.) Middle East, island in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Turkey 35 00 N, 33 00 E 9250 temperate, Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool, winters copper, pyrites, asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble, clay earth pigment 758363 0.6% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Greek Orthodox 78%, Muslim 18%, Maronite, Armenian Apostolic, and other 4% Cyprus Nicosia note: the Turkish Cypriot area's capital is Lefkosa (Nicosia) white with a copper-colored silhouette of the island (the name Cyprus is derived from the Greek word for copper) above two green crossed olive branches in the center of the flag; the branches symbolize the hope for peace and reconciliation between the Greek and Turkish communities note: the Turkish Cypriot flag has a horizontal red stripe at the top and bottom between which is a red crescent and red star on a white field Greek Cypriot area: purchasing power parity - $9 billion; Turkish Cypriot area: purchasing power parity - $820 million (1998 est.) food, beverages, textiles, chemicals, metal products, tourism, wood products Greek Cypriot area: $1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.); Turkish Cypriot area: $63.9 million (f.o.b., 1998) Greek Cypriot area: $3.5 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.); Turkish Cypriot area: $374 million (f.o.b., 1997) Greek Cypriot area: 1 Cypriot pound = 100 cents; Turkish Cypriot area: 1 Turkish lira (TL) = 100 kurus 15 (1999 est.) minor transit point for heroin and hashish via air routes and container traffic to Europe, especially from Lebanon and Turkey; some cocaine transits as well Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, on a peninsula north of Germany 56 00 N, 10 00 E 43094 temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers petroleum, natural gas, fish, salt, limestone, stone, gravel and sand 5336394 0.31% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Evangelical Lutheran 97%, other Protestant and Roman Catholic, other Denmark Copenhagen red with a white cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side, and that design element of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) was subsequently adopted by the other Nordic countries of Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden purchasing power parity - $127.7 billion (1999 est.) food processing, machinery and equipment, textiles and clothing, chemical products, electronics, construction, furniture, and other wood products, shipbuilding $49.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $43.9 billion (f.o.b., 1999) 1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 oere 118 (1999 est.) Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia 11 30 N, 43 00 E 22000 desert; torrid, dry geothermal areas 451442 1.45% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.12 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.08 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 94%, Christian 6% Djibouti Djibouti two equal horizontal bands of light blue (top) and light green with a white isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a red five-pointed star in the center purchasing power parity - $550 million (1999 est.) limited to a few small-scale enterprises, such as dairy products and mineral-water bottling $260 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $440 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 Djiboutian franc (DF) = 100 centimes 12 (1999 est.) Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago 15 25 N, 61 20 W 754 tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall timber, hydropower, arable land 71540 -1.14% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 77%, Protestant 15% (Methodist 5%, Pentecostal 3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Baptist 2%, other 2%), none 2%, other 6% Dominica Roseau green, with a centered cross of three equal bands - the vertical part is yellow (hoist side), black, and white and the horizontal part is yellow (top), black, and white; superimposed in the center of the cross is a red disk bearing a sisserou parrot encircled by 10 green, five-pointed stars edged in yellow; the 10 stars represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes) purchasing power parity - $225 million (1998 est.) soap, coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement blocks, shoes $60.8 million (1998) $120.4 million (1998) 1 East Caribbean dollar (EC$) = 100 cents 2 (1999 est.) transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; minor cannabis producer; banking industry is vulnerable to money laundering Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to the Cook Islands 0 22 S, 160 03 W 4 tropical; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun guano (deposits worked until late 1800s) Jarvis Island the flag of the US is used Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti 19 00 N, 70 40 W 48730 tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall nickel, bauxite, gold, silver 8442533 1.64% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 95% Dominican Republic Santo Domingo a centered white cross that extends to the edges divides the flag into four rectangles - the top ones are blue (hoist side) and red, and the bottom ones are red (hoist side) and blue; a small coat of arms is at the center of the cross purchasing power parity - $43.7 billion (1999 est.) tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco $5.1 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $8.2 billion (f.o.b., 1999) 1 Dominican peso (RD$) = 100 centavos 28 (1999 est.) transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru 2 00 S, 77 30 W 283560 tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower 12920092 2.04% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 95% Ecuador Quito three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double width), blue, and red with the coat of arms superimposed at the center of the flag; similar to the flag of Colombia which is shorter and does not bear a coat of arms purchasing power parity - $54.5 billion (1999 est.) petroleum, food processing, textiles, metal work, paper products, wood products, chemicals, plastics, fishing, lumber $4.1 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $2.8 billion (c.i.f., 1999) 1 sucre (S/) = 100 centavos 182 (1999 est.) significant transit country for cocaine and derivatives of coca originating in Colombia and Peru; importer of precursor chemicals used in production of illicit narcotics; important money-laundering hub; increased activity on frontiers by trafficking groups and Colombian insurgents Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip 27 00 N, 30 00 E 1001450 desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, zinc 68359979 1.72% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim (mostly Sunni) 94%, Coptic Christian and other 6% Egypt Cairo three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with the national emblem (a shield superimposed on a golden eagle facing the hoist side above a scroll bearing the name of the country in Arabic) centered in the white band; similar to the flag of Yemen, which has a plain white band; also similar to the flag of Syria, which has two green stars, and to the flag of Iraq, which has three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line centered in the white band purchasing power parity - $200 billion (1999 est.) textiles, food processing, tourism, chemicals, petroleum, construction, cement, metals $4.6 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $15.8 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 Egyptian pound = 100 piasters 90 (1999 est.) a transit point for Southwest Asian and Southeast Asian heroin and opium moving to Europe, Africa, and the US; popular transit stop for Nigerian couriers Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain 53 00 N, 8 00 W 70280 temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time zinc, lead, natural gas, barite, copper, gypsum, limestone, dolomite, peat, silver 3797257 1.16% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 91.6%, Church of Ireland 2.5%, other 5.9% (1998) Ireland Dublin three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and orange; similar to the flag of Cote d'Ivoire, which is shorter and has the colors reversed - orange (hoist side), white, and green; also similar to the flag of Italy, which is shorter and has colors of green (hoist side), white, and red purchasing power parity - $73.7 billion (1999 est.) food products, brewing, textiles, clothing; chemicals, pharmaceuticals, machinery, transportation equipment, glass and crystal; software $66 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $44 billion (c.i.f., 1999 est.) 1 Irish pound = 100 pence 44 (1999 est.) transshipment point for and consumer of hashish from North Africa to the UK and Netherlands and of European-produced synthetic drugs; minor transshipment point for heroin and cocaine destined for Western Europe Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon 2 00 N, 10 00 E 28051 tropical; always hot, humid oil, petroleum, timber, small unexploited deposits of gold, manganese, uranium 474214 2.47% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.) nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices Equatorial Guinea Malabo three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side and the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms has six yellow six-pointed stars (representing the mainland and five offshore islands) above a gray shield bearing a silk-cotton tree and below which is a scroll with the motto UNIDAD, PAZ, JUSTICIA (Unity, Peace, Justice) purchasing power parity - $960 million (1999 est.) petroleum, fishing, sawmilling, natural gas $555 million (f.o.b., 1999) $300 million (f.o.b., 1999) 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes 3 (1999 est.) Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland, between Latvia and Russia 59 00 N, 26 00 E 45226 maritime, wet, moderate winters, cool summers shale oil (kukersite), peat, phosphorite, amber, cambrian blue clay, limestone, dolomite, arable land 1431471 -0.59% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.48 male(s)/female total population: 0.87 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Evangelical Lutheran, Russian Orthodox, Estonian Orthodox, Baptist, Methodist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Word of Life, Jewish Estonia Tallinn pre-1940 flag restored by Supreme Soviet in May 1990 - three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), black, and white purchasing power parity - $7.9 billion (1999 est.) oil shale, shipbuilding, phosphates, electric motors, excavators, cement, furniture, clothing, textiles, paper, shoes, apparel $2.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $3.4 billion (f.o.b., 1999) 1 Estonian kroon (EEK) = 100 sents 5 (1997 est.) transshipment point for opiates and cannabis from Southwest Asia and the Caucasus via Russia, cocaine from Latin America to Western Europe and Scandinavia, and synthetic drugs from Western Europe to Scandinavia; possible precursor manufacturing and/or trafficking Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan 15 00 N, 39 00 E 121320 hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter in the central highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually); semiarid in western hills and lowlands; rainfall heaviest during June-September except in coastal desert gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, possibly oil and natural gas, fish 4135933 3.86% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.04 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant Eritrea Asmara (formerly Asmera) red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) dividing the flag into two right triangles; the upper triangle is green, the lower one is blue; a gold wreath encircling a gold olive branch is centered on the hoist side of the red triangle purchasing power parity - $2.9 billion (1999 est.) food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles $52.9 million (f.o.b., 1997) $489.4 million (c.i.f., 1997) 1 nafka = 100 cents 21 (1999 est.) Middle America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras 13 50 N, 88 55 W 21040 tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land 6122515 1.87% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 86% note: there is extensive activity by Protestant groups throughout the country; by the end of 1992, there were an estimated 1 million Protestant evangelicals in El Salvador El Salvador San Salvador three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL; similar to the flag of Nicaragua, which has a different coat of arms centered in the white band - it features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; also similar to the flag of Honduras, which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band purchasing power parity - $18.1 billion (1999 est.) food processing, beverages, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer, textiles, furniture, light metals $2.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $4.15 billion (c.i.f., 1999) 1 Salvadoran colon (C) = 100 centavos 85 (1999 est.) transshipment point for cocaine; marijuana produced for local consumption; domestic drug abuse on the rise Eastern Africa, west of Somalia 8 00 N, 38 00 E 1127127 tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower 64117452 2.76% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 45%-50%, Ethiopian Orthodox 35%-40%, animist 12%, other 3%-8% Ethiopia Addis Ababa three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and red with a yellow pentagram and single yellow rays emanating from the angles between the points on a light blue disk centered on the three bands; Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa, and the colors of her flag were so often adopted by other African countries upon independence that they became known as the pan-African colors purchasing power parity - $33.3 billion (1999 est.) food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, metals processing, cement $420 million (f.o.b., 1998) $1.25 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.) 1 birr (Br) = 100 cents 85 (1999 est.) transit hub for heroin originating in Southwest and Southeast Asia and destined for Europe and North America as well as cocaine destined for markets in southern Africa; cultivates qat (chat) for local use and regional export, principally to Djibouti and Somalia Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about one-half of the way from southern Madagascar to southern Mozambique 22 20 S, 40 22 E 28 tropical NEGL Europa Island the flag of France is used 1 (1999 est.) Central Europe, southeast of Germany 49 45 N, 15 30 E 78866 temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite, timber 10272179 -0.08% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.) atheist 39.8%, Roman Catholic 39.2%, Protestant 4.6%, Orthodox 3%, other 13.4% Czech Republic Prague two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side (almost identical to the flag of the former Czechoslovakia) purchasing power parity - $120.8 billion (1999 est.) fuels, ferrous metallurgy, machinery and equipment, coal, motor vehicles, glass, armaments $26.9 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $29 billion (f.o.b., 1999) 1 koruna (Kc) = 100 haleru 114 (1999 est.) major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and minor transit point for Latin American cocaine to Western Europe; domestic consumption - especially of locally produced synthetic drugs - on the rise Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of southern Argentina 51 45 S, 59 00 W 12173 cold marine; strong westerly winds, cloudy, humid; rain occurs on more than half of days in year; occasional snow all year, except in January and February, but does not accumulate fish, wildlife 2826 2.44% (2000 est.) primarily Anglican, Roman Catholic, United Free Church, Evangelist Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Lutheran, Seventh-Day Adventist Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) Stanley blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Falkland Island coat of arms in a white disk centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms contains a white ram (sheep raising is the major economic activity) above the sailing ship Desire (whose crew discovered the islands) with a scroll at the bottom bearing the motto DESIRE THE RIGHT purchasing power parity - $NA wool and fish processing; sale of stamps and coins $7.6 million (1995) $24.7 million (1995) 1 Falkland pound = 100 pence 5 (1999 est.) Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname 4 00 N, 53 00 W 91000 tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation bauxite, timber, gold (widely scattered), cinnabar, kaolin, fish 172605 2.93% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.18 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female total population: 1.13 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic French Guiana Cayenne the flag of France is used purchasing power parity - $1 billion (1998 est.) construction, shrimp processing, forestry products, rum, gold mining $155 million (f.o.b., 1997) $625 million (c.i.f., 1997) 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes 11 (1999 est.) small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption; minor transshipment point to Europe Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia 64 00 N, 26 00 E 337030 cold temperate; potentially subarctic, but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes timber, copper, zinc, iron ore, silver 5167486 0.17% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Evangelical Lutheran 89%, Greek Orthodox 1%, none 9%, other 1% Finland Helsinki white with a blue cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) purchasing power parity - $108.6 billion (1999 est.) metal products, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, copper refining, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing $43 billion (f.o.b., 1998) $30.7 billion (f.o.b., 1998) 1 markka (FMk) or Finmark = 100 pennia 157 (1999 est.) Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand 18 00 S, 175 00 E 18270 tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential, hydropower 832494 1.41% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Christian 52% (Methodist 37%, Roman Catholic 9%), Hindu 38%, Muslim 8%, other 2% note: Fijians are mainly Christian, Indians are Hindu, and there is a Muslim minority (1986) Fiji Suva light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Fijian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield depicts a yellow lion above a white field quartered by the cross of Saint George featuring stalks of sugarcane, a palm tree, bananas, and a white dove purchasing power parity - $5.9 billion (1999 est.) tourism, sugar, clothing, copra, gold, silver, lumber, small cottage industries $393 million (f.o.b., 1998) $612 million (f.o.b., 1998) 1 Fijian dollar (F$) = 100 cents 25 (1999 est.) Oceania, island group in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Indonesia 6 55 N, 158 15 E 702 tropical; heavy year-round rainfall, especially in the eastern islands; located on southern edge of the typhoon belt with occasionally severe damage forests, marine products, deep-seabed minerals 133144 3.28% (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 47%, other and none 3% Federated States of Micronesia Palikir light blue with four white five-pointed stars centered; the stars are arranged in a diamond pattern purchasing power parity - $240 million (1997 est.) note: GDP is supplemented by grant aid, averaging perhaps $100 million annually tourism, construction, fish processing, craft items from shell, wood, and pearls $73 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) $168 million (c.i.f., 1996 est.) 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents 6 (1999 est.) Northern Europe, island group between the Norwegian Sea and the north Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Iceland to Norway 62 00 N, 7 00 W 1399 mild winters, cool summers; usually overcast; foggy, windy fish, whales, hydropower 45296 0.83% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.14 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Evangelical Lutheran Faroe Islands Torshavn white with a red cross outlined in blue that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) purchasing power parity - $700 million (1996 est.) fishing, shipbuilding, construction, handicrafts $362 million (f.o.b., 1995) $315.6 million (c.i.f., 1995) 1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 oere 1 (1999 est.) Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from South America to Australia 15 00 S, 140 00 W 4167 tropical, but moderate timber, fish, cobalt, hydropower 249110 1.78% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 16% French Polynesia Papeete two narrow red horizontal bands encase a wide white band; centered on the white band is a disk with blue and white wave pattern on the lower half and gold and white ray pattern on the upper half; a stylized red, blue and white ship rides on the wave pattern; the French flag is used for official occasions purchasing power parity - $2.6 billion (1997 est.) tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts $212 million (f.o.b., 1996) $860 million (c.i.f., 1996) 1 Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes 45 (1999 est.) Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia 0 13 N, 176 31 W 1 equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun guano (deposits worked until 1891) Baker Island the flag of the US is used 1 abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m, completely covered with vegetation and unusable Western Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and English Channel, between Belgium and Spain, southeast of the UK; bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain 46 00 N, 2 00 E 547030 generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean coal, iron ore, bauxite, fish, timber, zinc, potash 59329691 0.38% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim (North African workers) 1%, unaffiliated 6% France Paris three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), white, and red; known as the French Tricouleur (Tricolor); the design and colors are similar to a number of other flags, including those of Belgium, Chad, Ireland, Cote d'Ivoire, and Luxembourg; the official flag for all French dependent areas purchasing power parity - $1.373 trillion (1999 est.) steel, machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics, mining; textiles, food processing; tourism $304.7 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $280.8 billion (f.o.b., 1999) 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes 474 (1999 est.) transshipment point for and consumer of South American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin south of Africa, islands in the southern Indian Ocean, about equidistant between Africa, Antarctica, and Australia; note - French Southern and Antarctic Lands includes Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Crozet, and Iles Kerguelen in the southern Indian Ocean, along with the French-claimed sector of Antarctica, "Adelie Land"; the US does not recognize the French claim to "Adelie Land" 43 00 S, 67 00 E 7781 antarctic fish, crayfish French Southern and Antarctic Lands the flag of France is used none Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and Senegal 13 28 N, 16 34 W 11300 tropical; hot, rainy season (June to November); cooler, dry season (November to May) fish 1367124 3.2% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.11 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 90%, Christian 9%, indigenous beliefs 1% The Gambia Banjul three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue with white edges, and green purchasing power parity - $1.4 billion (1999 est.) processing peanuts, fish, and hides; tourism; beverages; agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking; clothing $132 million (f.o.b., 1998) $201 million (f.o.b., 1998) 1 dalasi (D) = 100 butut 1 (1999 est.) Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea 1 00 S, 11 45 E 267667 tropical; always hot, humid petroleum, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower 1208436 1.08% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Christian 55%-75%, Muslim less than 1%, animist Gabon Libreville three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue purchasing power parity - $7.9 billion (1999 est.) food and beverage; textile; lumbering and plywood; cement; petroleum extraction and refining; manganese, uranium, and gold mining; chemicals; ship repair $2.4 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes 61 (1999 est.) Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia 42 00 N, 43 30 E 69700 warm and pleasant; Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast forests, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ore, copper, minor coal and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow for important tea and citrus growth 5019538 -0.62% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Georgian Orthodox 65%, Muslim 11%, Russian Orthodox 10%, Armenian Apostolic 8%, unknown 6% Georgia T'bilisi maroon field with small rectangle in upper hoist side corner; rectangle divided horizontally with black on top, white below purchasing power parity - $11.7 billion (1999 est.) steel, aircraft, machine tools, electric locomotives, trucks, tractors, textiles, shoes, chemicals, wood products, wine $330 million (1999 est.) $840 million (1999 est.) 1 lari (GEL) = 100 tetri 28 (1994 est.) limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for domestic consumption; used as transshipment point for opiates via Central Asia to Western Europe and Russia Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo 8 00 N, 2 00 W 238540 tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower 19533560 1.87% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2000 est.) indigenous beliefs 38%, Muslim 30%, Christian 24%, other 8% Ghana Accra three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Bolivia, which has a coat of arms centered in the yellow band purchasing power parity - $35.5 billion (1999 est.) mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting, food processing $1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $2.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999) 1 new cedi (C) = 100 pesewas 12 (1999 est.) illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; transit hub for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for Europe and the US Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southern coast of Spain 36 11 N, 5 22 W 6 Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers NEGL 29481 0.91% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.14 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 76.9%, Church of England 6.9%, Muslim 6.9%, Jewish 2.3%, none or other 7% (1991) Gibraltar Gibraltar two horizontal bands of white (top, double width) and red with a three-towered red castle in the center of the white band; hanging from the castle gate is a gold key centered in the red band purchasing power parity - $500 million (1997 est.) tourism, banking and finance, ship-building and repairing; support to large UK naval and air bases; tobacco, mineral water, beer, canned fish $81.1 million (f.o.b., 1997) $492 million (c.i.f., 1997) 1 Gibraltar pound = 100 pence 1 (1999 est.) Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago 12 07 N, 61 40 W 340 tropical; tempered by northeast trade winds timber, tropical fruit, deepwater harbors 89018 -0.36% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.12 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 53%, Anglican 13.8%, other Protestant 33.2% Grenada Saint George's a rectangle divided diagonally into yellow triangles (top and bottom) and green triangles (hoist side and outer side), with a red border around the flag; there are seven yellow, five-pointed stars with three centered in the top red border, three centered in the bottom red border, and one on a red disk superimposed at the center of the flag; there is also a symbolic nutmeg pod on the hoist-side triangle (Grenada is the world's second-largest producer of nutmeg, after Indonesia); the seven stars represent the seven administrative divisions purchasing power parity - $360 million (1999 est.) food and beverages, textiles, light assembly operations, tourism, construction $26.8 million (1998) $200 million (1998) 1 East Caribbean dollar (EC$) = 100 cents 3 (1999 est.) small-scale cannabis cultivation; lesser transshipment point for marijuana and cocaine to US Western Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest of France 49 28 N, 2 35 W 194 temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast cropland 64080 0.42% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist Guernsey Saint Peter Port white with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) extending to the edges of the flag and a yellow equal-armed cross of William the Conqueror superimposed on the Saint George cross purchasing power parity - $1.15 billion (1997 est.) tourism, banking $NA $NA 1 Guernsey pound = 100 pence 2 (1999 est.) Northern North America, island between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Canada 72 00 N, 40 00 W 2175600 arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters zinc, lead, iron ore, coal, molybdenum, gold, platinum, uranium, fish, seals, whales 56309 0.09% (2000 est.) at birth: 1 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.21 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 1.13 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Evangelical Lutheran Greenland Nuuk (Godthab) two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a large disk slightly to the hoist side of center - the top half of the disk is red, the bottom half is white purchasing power parity - $945 million (1997 est.) fish processing (mainly shrimp), handicrafts, furs, small shipyards $363.4 million (f.o.b., 1995) $421 million (c.i.f., 1995) 1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 oere 14 (1999 est.) Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark 51 00 N, 9 00 E 357021 temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm foehn wind iron ore, coal, potash, timber, lignite, uranium, copper, natural gas, salt, nickel, arable land 82797408 0.29% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Protestant 38%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 1.7%, unaffiliated or other 26.3% Germany Berlin three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and gold purchasing power parity - $1.864 trillion (1999 est.) among world's largest and technologically advanced producers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics, food and beverages; shipbuilding; textiles $610 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $587 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 deutsche mark (DM) = 100 pfennige 615 (1999 est.) source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors; transshipment point for and consumer of Southwest Asian heroin, Latin American cocaine, and European-produced synthetic drugs Southern Africa, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, northwest of Madagascar 11 30 S, 47 20 E 5 tropical guano, coconuts Glorioso Islands the flag of France is used 1 (1999 est.) Caribbean, islands in the eastern Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico 16 15 N, 61 35 W 1780 subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity cultivable land, beaches and climate that foster tourism 426493 1.11% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 4%, Protestant 1% Guadeloupe Basse-Terre three horizontal bands, a narrow green band (top), a wide red band, and a narrow green band; the green bands are separated from the red band by two narrow white stripes; a gold five-pointed star is centered in the red band toward the hoist side; the flag of France is used for official occasions purchasing power parity - $3.7 billion (1996 est.) construction, cement, rum, sugar, tourism $140 million (f.o.b., 1997) $1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1997) 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes 9 (1999 est.) Oceania, island in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines 13 28 N, 144 47 E 541 tropical marine; generally warm and humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season from January to June, rainy season from July to December; little seasonal temperature variation fishing (largely undeveloped), tourism (especially from Japan) 154623 1.67% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.14 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 85%, other 15% (1999 est.) Guam Hagatna (Agana) territorial flag is dark blue with a narrow red border on all four sides; centered is a red-bordered, pointed, vertical ellipse containing a beach scene, outrigger canoe with sail, and a palm tree with the word GUAM superimposed in bold red letters; US flag is the national flag purchasing power parity - $3 billion (1996 est.) US military, tourism, construction, transshipment services, concrete products, printing and publishing, food processing, textiles $86.1 million (f.o.b., 1992) $202.4 million (c.i.f., 1992) 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents 5 (1999 est.) Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey 39 00 N, 22 00 E 131940 temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers bauxite, lignite, magnesite, petroleum, marble, hydropower 10601527 0.21% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7% Greece Athens nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white; there is a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white cross; the cross symbolizes Greek Orthodoxy, the established religion of the country purchasing power parity - $149.2 billion (1999 est.) tourism; food and tobacco processing, textiles; chemicals, metal products; mining, petroleum $12.4 billion (f.o.b., 1998) $27.7 billion (c.i.f., 1998) 1 drachma (Dr) = 100 lepta 80 (1999 est.) a gateway to Europe for traffickers smuggling cannabis and heroin from the Middle East and Southwest Asia to the West and precursor chemicals to the East; some South American cocaine transits or is consumed in Greece Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Honduras and Belize and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico 15 30 N, 90 15 W 108890 tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower 12639939 2.63% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs Guatemala Guatemala three equal vertical bands of light blue (hoist side), white, and light blue with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms includes a green and red quetzal (the national bird) and a scroll bearing the inscription LIBERTAD 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821 (the original date of independence from Spain) all superimposed on a pair of crossed rifles and a pair of crossed swords and framed by a wreath purchasing power parity - $47.9 billion (1999 est.) sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism $2.4 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $4.5 billion (c.i.f., 1999) 1 quetzal (Q) = 100 centavos 477 (1999 est.) transit country for cocaine shipments; minor producer of illicit opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade; active eradication program in 1996 effectively eliminated the cannabis crop; proximity to Mexico makes Guatemala a major staging area for drugs (cocaine shipments) Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone 11 00 N, 10 00 W 245857 generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish 7466200 1.95% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7% Guinea Conakry three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), yellow, and green; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Rwanda, which has a large black letter R centered in the yellow band purchasing power parity - $9.2 billion (1999 est.) bauxite, gold, diamonds; alumina refining; light manufacturing and agricultural processing industries $695 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.) $560 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.) 1 Guinean franc (FG) = 100 centimes 15 (1999 est.) Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela 5 00 N, 59 00 W 214970 tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to mid-August, mid-November to mid-January) bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish 697286 -0.1% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Christian 50%, Hindu 33%, Muslim 9%, other 8% Guyana Georgetown green, with a red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) superimposed on a long, yellow arrowhead; there is a narrow, black border between the red and yellow, and a narrow, white border between the yellow and the green purchasing power parity - $1.86 billion (1999 est.) bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, fishing (shrimp), textiles, gold mining $574 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $620 million (c.i.f., 1999 est.) 1 Guyanese dollar (G$) = 100 cents 51 (1999 est.) transshipment point for narcotics from South America - primarily Venezuela - to Europe and the US; producer of cannabis Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Israel 31 25 N, 34 20 E 360 temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers arable land 1132063 3.97% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 98.7%, Christian 0.7%, Jewish 0.6% Gaza Strip purchasing power parity - $1.17 billion (1999 est.) generally small family businesses that produce textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale modern industries in an industrial center $682 million (includes West Bank) (f.o.b., 1998 est.) $2.5 billion (c.i.f., 1998 est.) (includes West Bank) 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot 2 (1999 est.) note: includes Gaza International Airport that opened on 24 November 1998 as part of agreements stipulated in the September 1995 Oslo II Accord and the 23 October 1998 Wye River Memorandum Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic 19 00 N, 72 25 W 27750 tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower 6867995 1.39% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3% (1982) note: roughly one-half of the population also practices Voodoo Haiti Port-au-Prince two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a centered white rectangle bearing the coat of arms, which contains a palm tree flanked by flags and two cannons above a scroll bearing the motto L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE (Union Makes Strength) purchasing power parity - $9.2 billion (1999 est.) sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement, tourism, light assembly industries based on imported parts $322 million (f.o.b., 1999) $762 million (c.i.f., 1999) 1 gourde (G) = 100 centimes 13 (1999 est.) major Caribbean transshipment point for cocaine en route to the US and Europe Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China 22 15 N, 114 10 E 1092 tropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar 7116302 1.35% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.12 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2000 est.) eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10% Hong Kong red with a stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower in the center purchasing power parity - $158.2 billion (1999 est.) textiles, clothing, tourism, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks $169.98 billion (including reexports; f.o.b., 1999 est.) $174.4 billion (c.i.f., 1999) 1 Hong Kong dollar (HK$) = 100 cents 3 (1999 est.) a hub for Southeast Asian heroin trade; transshipment and money-laundering center; increasing indigenous amphetamine abuse Southern Africa, islands in the Indian Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica 53 06 S, 72 31 E 412 antarctic none Heard Island and McDonald Islands the flag of Australia is used Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Nicaragua and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Nicaragua 15 00 N, 86 30 W 112090 subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains timber, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore, antimony, coal, fish, hydropower 6249598 2.52% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant minority Honduras Tegucigalpa three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with five blue five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band; the stars represent the members of the former Federal Republic of Central America - Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua; similar to the flag of El Salvador, which features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Nicaragua, which features a triangle encircled by the word REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom, centered in the white band purchasing power parity - $14.1 billion (1999 est.) sugar, coffee, textiles, clothing, wood products $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $2.7 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 lempira (L) = 100 centavos 119 (1999 est.) transshipment point for drugs and narcotics; illicit producer of cannabis, cultivated on small plots and used principally for local consumption; corruption is a major problem Oceania, island in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia 0 48 N, 176 38 W 1 equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun guano (deposits worked until late 1800s) Howland Island the flag of the US is used airstrip constructed in 1937 for scheduled refueling stop on the round-the-world flight of Amelia EARHART and Fred NOONAN - they left Lae, New Guinea, for Howland Island, but were never seen again; the airstrip is no longer serviceable Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia 45 10 N, 15 30 E 56538 Mediterranean and continental; continental climate predominant with hot summers and cold winters; mild winters, dry summers along coast oil, some coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium, natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, hydropower 4282216 0.93% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 76.5%, Orthodox 11.1%, Muslim 1.2%, Protestant 0.4%, others and unknown 10.8% (1991) Croatia Zagreb red, white, and blue horizontal bands with Croatian coat of arms (red and white checkered) purchasing power parity - $23.9 billion (1999 est.) chemicals and plastics, machine tools, fabricated metal, electronics, pig iron and rolled steel products, aluminum, paper, wood products, construction materials, textiles, shipbuilding, petroleum and petroleum refining, food and beverages; tourism $4.5 billion (f.o.b., 1998) $8.4 billion (c.i.f., 1998) 1 Croatian kuna (HRK) = 100 lipas 67 (1999 est.) transit point along the Balkan route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe; a minor transit point for maritime shipments of South American cocaine bound for Western Europe Central Europe, northwest of Romania 47 00 N, 20 00 E 93030 temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils, arable land 10138844 -0.33% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 67.5%, Calvinist 20%, Lutheran 5%, atheist and other 7.5% Hungary Budapest three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and green purchasing power parity - $79.4 billion (1999 est.) mining, metallurgy, construction materials, processed foods, textiles, chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals), motor vehicles $22.6 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $25.1 billion (f.o.b., 1999) 1 forint (Ft) = 100 filler 43 (1999 est.) major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and cannabis and transit point for South American cocaine destined for Western Europe; limited producer of precursor chemicals, particularly for amphetamines and methamphetamines Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the UK 65 00 N, 18 00 W 103000 temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite 276365 0.57% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Evangelical Lutheran 91%, other Protestant and Roman Catholic, none (1997) Iceland Reykjavik blue with a red cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) purchasing power parity - $6.42 billion (1999 est.) fish processing; aluminum smelting, ferrosilicon production, geothermal power; tourism $1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1998) $2.4 billion (f.o.b., 1998) 1 Icelandic krona (IKr) = 100 aurar 86 (1999 est.) Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean 5 00 S, 120 00 E 1919440 tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands petroleum, tin, natural gas, nickel, timber, bauxite, copper, fertile soils, coal, gold, silver 224784210 1.63% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 88%, Protestant 5%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 2%, Buddhist 1%, other 1% (1998) Indonesia Jakarta two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to the flag of Monaco, which is shorter; also similar to the flag of Poland, which is white (top) and red purchasing power parity - $610 billion (1999 est.) petroleum and natural gas; textiles, apparel, and footwear; mining, cement, chemical fertilizers, plywood; rubber; food; tourism $48 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $24 billion (c.i.f., 1999 est.) Indonesian rupiah (Rp) = 100 sen 446 (1999 est.) illicit producer of cannabis largely for domestic use; possible growing role as transshipment point for Golden Triangle heroin Western Europe, island in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland 54 15 N, 4 30 W 572 cool summers and mild winters; temperate; overcast about one-third of the time none 73117 0.52% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society of Friends Isle of Man Douglas red with the Three Legs of Man emblem (Trinacria), in the center; the three legs are joined at the thigh and bent at the knee; in order to have the toes pointing clockwise on both sides of the flag, a two-sided emblem is used purchasing power parity - $1.2 billion (1998 est.) financial services, light manufacturing, tourism $NA $NA 1 Manx pound = 100 pence 1 (1999 est.) Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan 20 00 N, 77 00 E 3287590 varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone, arable land 1014003817 1.58% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Hindu 80%, Muslim 14%, Christian 2.4%, Sikh 2%, Buddhist 0.7%, Jains 0.5%, other 0.4% India New Delhi three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and green with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in the white band; similar to the flag of Niger, which has a small orange disk centered in the white band purchasing power parity - $1.805 trillion (1999 est.) textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery $36.3 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $50.2 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 Indian rupee (Re) = 100 paise 346 (1999 est.) world's largest producer of licit opium for the pharmaceutical trade, but an undetermined quantity of opium is diverted to illicit international drug markets; major transit country for illicit narcotics produced in neighboring countries; illicit producer of hashish and methaqualone Southern Asia, archipelago in the Indian Ocean, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia 6 00 S, 71 30 E 60 tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds coconuts, fish British Indian Ocean Territory white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag 1 (1999 est.) Middle America, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, 1,120 km southwest of Mexico 10 17 N, 109 13 W 7 tropical, humid, average temperature 20-32 degrees C, rains May-October none Clipperton Island the flag of France is used Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan 32 00 N, 53 00 E 1000000 mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur 65619636 0.83% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.12 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 10%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 1% Iran Tehran three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red; the national emblem (a stylized representation of the word Allah) in red is centered in the white band; ALLAH AKBAR (God is Great) in white Arabic script is repeated 11 times along the bottom edge of the green band and 11 times along the top edge of the red band purchasing power parity - $347.6 billion (1999 est.) petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), metal fabricating, armaments $12.2 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.) $13.8 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.) 10 Iranian rials (IR) = 1 toman; note - domestic figures are generally referred to in terms of the toman 288 (1999 est.) despite substantial interdiction efforts, Iran remains a key transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin to Europe; domestic consumption of narcotics remains a persistent problem and Iranian press reports estimate that there are at least 1.2 million drug users in the country Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon 31 30 N, 34 45 E 20770 temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas copper, phosphates, bromide, potash, clay, sand, sulfur, asphalt, manganese, small amounts of natural gas and crude oil 5842454 1.67% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Jewish 80.1%, Muslim 14.6% (mostly Sunni Muslim), Christian 2.1%, other 3.2% (1996 est.) Israel Jerusalem note: Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as its capital in 1950, but the US, like nearly all other countries, maintains its Embassy in Tel Aviv white with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) known as the Magen David (Shield of David) centered between two equal horizontal blue bands near the top and bottom edges of the flag purchasing power parity - $105.4 billion (1999 est.) food processing, diamond cutting and polishing, textiles and apparel, chemicals, metal products, military equipment, transport equipment, electrical equipment, potash mining, high-technology electronics, tourism $23.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $30.6 billion (f.o.b., 1999) 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot 58 (1999 est.) increasingly concerned about cocaine and heroin abuse; drugs arrive in country from Lebanon and increasingly Jordan Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia 42 50 N, 12 50 E 301230 predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south mercury, potash, marble, sulfur, dwindling natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, coal, arable land 57634327 0.09% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.) predominately Roman Catholic with mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community Italy Rome three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; similar to the flag of Ireland, which is longer and is green (hoist side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of the Cote d'Ivoire, which has the colors reversed - orange (hoist side), white, and green note: inspired by the French flag brought to Italy by Napoleon in 1797 purchasing power parity - $1.212 trillion (1999 est.) tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics $242.6 billion (f.o.b., 1998) $206.9 billion (f.o.b., 1998) 1 Italian lira (Lit) = 100 centesimi 136 (1999 est.) important gateway for and consumer of Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin entering the European market Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Ghana and Liberia 8 00 N, 5 00 W 322460 tropical along coast, semiarid in far north; three seasons - warm and dry (November to March), hot and dry (March to May), hot and wet (June to October) petroleum, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper, hydropower 15980950 2.58% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 60%, Christian 22%, indigenous 18% (some of these are also numbered among the Christians and Muslims) Cote d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro note: although Yamoussoukro has been the capital since 1983, Abidjan remains the administrative center; the US, like other countries, maintains its Embassy in Abidjan three equal vertical bands of orange (hoist side), white, and green; similar to the flag of Ireland, which is longer and has the colors reversed - green (hoist side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of Italy, which is green (hoist side), white, and red; design was based on the flag of France purchasing power parity - $25.7 billion (1999 est.) foodstuffs, beverages; wood products, oil refining, automobile assembly, textiles, fertilizer, construction materials, electricity $3.9 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $2.6 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes 36 (1999 est.) illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for local consumption; minor transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin to Europe and occasionally to the US, and for Latin American cocaine destined for Europe Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait 33 00 N, 44 00 E 437072 mostly desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless summers; northern mountainous regions along Iranian and Turkish borders experience cold winters with occasionally heavy snows that melt in early spring, sometimes causing extensive flooding in central and southern Iraq petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur 22675617 2.86% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3% Iraq Baghdad three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with three green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white band; the phrase ALLAHU AKBAR (God is Great) in green Arabic script - Allahu to the right of the middle star and Akbar to the left of the middle star - was added in January 1991 during the Persian Gulf crisis; similar to the flag of Syria which has two stars but no script and the flag of Yemen which has a plain white band; also similar to the flag of Egypt which has a symbolic eagle centered in the white band purchasing power parity - $59.9 billion (1999 est.) petroleum, chemicals, textiles, construction materials, food processing $12.7 billion (1999 est.) $8.9 billion (1999 est.) 1 Iraqi dinar (ID) = 1,000 fils 113 (1999 est.) Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula 36 00 N, 138 00 E 377835 varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north negligible mineral resources, fish 126549976 0.18% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2000 est.) observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian 0.7%) Japan Tokyo white with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays) in the center purchasing power parity - $2.95 trillion (1999 est.) among world's largest and technologically advanced producers of motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals; textiles, processed foods $413 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $306 billion (c.i.f., 1999 est.) yen 171 (1999 est.) Western Europe, island in the English Channel, northwest of France 49 15 N, 2 10 W 116 temperate; mild winters and cool summers arable land 88915 0.52% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.11 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Congregational New Church, Methodist, Presbyterian Jersey Saint Helier white with a diagonal red cross extending to the corners of the flag and in the upper quadrant, surmounted by a yellow crown, a red shield holding the three lions of England in yellow purchasing power parity - $2.2 billion (1999 est.) tourism, banking and finance, dairy $NA $NA 1 Jersey pound = 100 pence 1 (1999 est.) Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba 18 15 N, 77 30 W 10990 tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior bauxite, gypsum, limestone 2652689 0.46% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Protestant 61.3% (Church of God 21.2%, Baptist 8.8%, Anglican 5.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 9%, Pentecostal 7.6%, Methodist 2.7%, United Church 2.7%, Brethren 1.1%, Jehovah's Witness 1.6%, Moravian 1.1%), Roman Catholic 4%, other, including some spiritual cults 34.7% Jamaica Kingston diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles - green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and outer side) purchasing power parity - $8.8 billion (1999 est.) tourism, bauxite, textiles, food processing, light manufactures, rum, cement, metal, paper, chemical products $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $2.7 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 Jamaican dollar (J$) = 100 cents 36 (1999 est.) transshipment point for cocaine from Central and South America to North America and Europe; illicit cultivation of cannabis; government has an active manual cannabis eradication program Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian Sea, northeast of Iceland 71 00 N, 8 00 W 373 arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog none Jan Mayen the flag of Norway is used 1 (1999 est.) Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia 31 00 N, 36 00 E 89213 mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April) phosphates, potash, shale oil 4998564 3.1% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.14 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Sunni Muslim 96%, Christian 4% (1997 est.) Jordan Amman three equal horizontal bands of black (top), white, and green with a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a small white seven-pointed star; the seven points on the star represent the seven fundamental laws of the Koran purchasing power parity - $16 billion (1999 est.) phosphate mining, petroleum refining, cement, potash, light manufacturing, tourism $1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $3.3 billion (c.i.f., 1999 est.) 1 Jordanian dinar (JD) = 1,000 fils 20 (1999 est.) Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-third of the way from Hawaii to the Marshall Islands 16 45 N, 169 30 W 2 tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds with little seasonal temperature variation NA; guano deposits worked until depletion about 1890 Johnston Atoll the flag of the US is used 1 (1999 est.) Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about one-third of the way between Madagascar and Mozambique 17 03 S, 42 45 E 4 tropical guano deposits and other fertilizers Juan de Nova Island the flag of France is used 1 (1999 est.) Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania 1 00 N, 38 00 E 582650 varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior gold, limestone, soda ash, salt barites, rubies, fluorspar, garnets, wildlife, hydropower 30339770 1.53% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Protestant 38%, Roman Catholic 28%, indigenous beliefs 26%, Muslim 7%, other 1% Kenya Nairobi three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green; the red band is edged in white; a large warrior's shield covering crossed spears is superimposed at the center purchasing power parity - $45.1 billion (1999 est.) small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries, textiles, soap, cigarettes, flour), agricultural products processing; oil refining, cement; tourism $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $3.3 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 Kenyan shilling (KSh) = 100 cents 230 (1999 est.) widespread harvesting of small, wild plots of marijuana and qat (chat); transit country for South Asian heroin destined for Europe and, sometimes, North America; Indian methaqualone also transits on way to South Africa Central Asia, west of China 41 00 N, 75 00 E 198500 dry continental to polar in high Tien Shan; subtropical in southwest (Fergana Valley); temperate in northern foothill zone abundant hydropower; significant deposits of gold and rare earth metals; locally exploitable coal, oil, and natural gas; other deposits of nepheline, mercury, bismuth, lead, and zinc 4685230 1.43% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 75%, Russian Orthodox 20%, other 5% Kyrgyzstan Bishkek red field with a yellow sun in the center having 40 rays representing the 40 Kirghiz tribes; on the obverse side the rays run counterclockwise, on the reverse, clockwise; in the center of the sun is a red ring crossed by two sets of three lines, a stylized representation of the roof of the traditional Kirghiz yurt purchasing power parity - $10.3 billion (1999 est.) small machinery, textiles, food processing, cement, shoes, sawn logs, refrigerators, furniture, electric motors, gold, rare earth metals $515 million (1999 est.) $590 million (1999 est.) 1 Kyrgyzstani som (KGS) = 100 tyiyn 54 (1994 est.) limited illicit cultivator of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for CIS consumption; limited government eradication program; increasingly used as transshipment point for illicit drugs to Russia and Western Europe from Southwest Asia Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between China and South Korea 40 00 N, 127 00 E 120540 temperate with rainfall concentrated in summer coal, lead, tungsten, zinc, graphite, magnesite, iron ore, copper, gold, pyrites, salt, fluorspar, hydropower 21687550 1.35% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.46 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.) traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, some Christian and syncretic Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way) note: autonomous religious activities now almost nonexistent; government-sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of religious freedom North Korea P'yongyang three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue; the red band is edged in white; on the hoist side of the red band is a white disk with a red five-pointed star purchasing power parity - $22.6 billion (1999 est.) military products; machine building, electric power, chemicals; mining (coal, iron ore, magnesite, graphite, copper, zinc, lead, and precious metals), metallurgy; textiles, food processing; tourism $680 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.) $954 million (c.i.f., 1998 est.) 1 North Korean won (Wn) = 100 chon 49 (1994 est.) Oceania, reef in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to American Samoa 6 24 N, 162 24 W 1 tropical, but moderated by prevailing winds none Kingman Reef the flag of the US is used lagoon was used as a halfway station between Hawaii and American Samoa by Pan American Airways for flying boats in 1937 and 1938 Oceania, group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, straddling the equator, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia; note - on 1 January 1995, Kiribati unilaterally moved the International Date Line from the middle of the country to include its easternmost islands and make it the same day throughout the country 1 25 N, 173 00 E 717 tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds phosphate (production discontinued in 1979) 91985 2.34% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 53%, Protestant (Congregational) 41%, Seventh-Day Adventist, Baha'i, Church of God, Mormon 6% (1985 est.) Kiribati Tarawa the upper half is red with a yellow frigate bird flying over a yellow rising sun, and the lower half is blue with three horizontal wavy white stripes to represent the ocean purchasing power parity - $74 million (1999 est.), supplemented by a nearly equal amount from external sources fishing, handicrafts $6 million (f.o.b., 1998) $37 million (c.i.f., 1998) 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents 21 (1999 est.) Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea 37 00 N, 127 30 E 98480 temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential 47470969 0.93% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.13 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.12 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Christian 49%, Buddhist 47%, Confucianist 3%, Shamanist, Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way), and other 1% South Korea Seoul white with a red (top) and blue yin-yang symbol in the center; there is a different black trigram from the ancient I Ching (Book of Changes) in each corner of the white field purchasing power parity - $625.7 billion (1999 est.) electronics, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel, textiles, clothing, footwear, food processing $144 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $116 billion (c.i.f., 1999) 1 South Korean won (W) = 100 chun (theoretical) 103 (1999 est.) Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia 10 30 S, 105 40 E 135 tropical; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds phosphate 2564 7.77% (2000 est.) Buddhist 55%, Christian 15%, Muslim 10%, other 20% (1991) Christmas Island The Settlement the flag of Australia is used purchasing power parity - $NA tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion) $NA $NA 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents 1 (1999 est.) Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia 29 30 N, 45 45 E 17820 dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas 1973572 3.44% (2000 est.) note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of expatriates at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.76 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.82 male(s)/female total population: 1.5 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 85% (Sunni 45%, Shi'a 40%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other 15% Kuwait Kuwait three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side purchasing power parity - $44.8 billion (1999 est.) petroleum, petrochemicals, desalination, food processing, construction materials, salt, construction $13.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $8.1 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 Kuwaiti dinar (KD) = 1,000 fils 7 (1999 est.) Central Asia, northwest of China 48 00 N, 68 00 E 2717300 continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid major deposits of petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, manganese, chrome ore, nickel, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, lead, zinc, bauxite, gold, uranium 16733227 -0.05% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.51 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7% Kazakhstan Astana note: the government moved from Almaty to Astana in December 1998 sky blue background representing the endless sky and a gold sun with 32 rays soaring above a golden steppe eagle in the center; on the hoist side is a "national ornamentation" in gold purchasing power parity - $54.5 billion (1999 est.) oil, coal, iron ore, manganese, chromite, lead, zinc, copper, titanium, bauxite, gold, silver, phosphates, sulfur, iron and steel, nonferrous metal, tractors and other agricultural machinery, electric motors, construction materials $5.2 billion (1999 est.) $4.8 billion (1999 est.) 1 Kazakhstani tenge = 100 tiyn 10 (1997 est.) significant illicit cultivation of cannabis and limited cultivation of opium poppy and ephedra (for the drug ephedrone); limited government eradication program; cannabis consumed largely in the CIS; used as transshipment point for illicit drugs to Russia, North America, and Western Europe from Southwest Asia Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam 18 00 N, 105 00 E 236800 tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April) timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones 5497459 2.5% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Buddhist 60% (in October 1999, the regime proposed a constitutional amendment making Buddhism the state religion; the National Assembly is expected to vote on the amendment sometime in 2000), animist and other 40% Laos Vientiane three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red with a large white disk centered in the blue band purchasing power parity - $7 billion (1999 est.) tin and gypsum mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments $271 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $497 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 new kip (NK) = 100 at 52 (1999 est.) world's third-largest illicit opium producer (estimated cultivation in 1999 - 21,800 hectares, a 16% decrease over 1998; estimated potential production in 1999 - 140 metric tons, about the same as in 1998); potential heroin producer; transshipment point for heroin and methamphetamines produced in Burma; illicit producer of cannabis Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria 33 50 N, 35 50 E 10400 Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers; Lebanon mountains experience heavy winter snows limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region, arable land 3578036 1.38% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 70% (5 legally recognized Islamic groups - Shi'a, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or Nusayri), Christian 30% (11 legally recognized Christian groups - 4 Orthodox Christian, 6 Catholic, 1 Protestant), Jewish NEGL% Lebanon Beirut three horizontal bands of red (top), white (double width), and red with a green and brown cedar tree centered in the white band purchasing power parity - $16.2 billion (1999 est.) banking; food processing; jewelry; cement; textiles; mineral and chemical products; wood and furniture products; oil refining; metal fabricating $866 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $5.7 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 Lebanese pound = 100 piasters 9 (1999 est.) inconsequential producer of hashish; some heroin processing mostly in the Bekaa valley; a Lebanese/Syrian eradication campaign started in the early 1990s has practically eliminated the opium and cannabis crops Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania 57 00 N, 25 00 E 64589 maritime; wet, moderate winters minimal; amber, peat, limestone, dolomite, hydropower, arable land 2404926 -0.84% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.48 male(s)/female total population: 0.85 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox Latvia Riga three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white (half-width), and maroon purchasing power parity - $9.8 billion (1999 est.) buses, vans, street and railroad cars, synthetic fibers, agricultural machinery, fertilizers, washing machines, radios, electronics, pharmaceuticals, processed foods, textiles; dependent on imports for energy, raw materials, and intermediate products $1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $2.8 billion (f.o.b., 1998) 1 Latvian lat (LVL) = 100 santims 50 (1994 est.) transshipment point for opiates and cannabis from Central and Southwest Asia to Western Europe and Scandinavia and Latin American cocaine and some synthetics from Western Europe to CIS; limited production of illicit amphetamines, ephedrine, and ecstasy for export Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Latvia and Russia 56 00 N, 24 00 E 65200 transitional, between maritime and continental; wet, moderate winters and summers peat, arable land 3620756 -0.29% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.51 male(s)/female total population: 0.88 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic (primarily), Lutheran, Russian Orthodox, Protestant, evangelical Christian Baptist, Muslim, Jewish Lithuania Vilnius three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), green, and red purchasing power parity - $17.3 billion (1999 est.) metal-cutting machine tools, electric motors, television sets, refrigerators and freezers, petroleum refining, shipbuilding (small ships), furniture making, textiles, food processing, fertilizers, agricultural machinery, optical equipment, electronic components, computers, amber $3.3 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $4.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999) 1 Lithuanian litas = 100 centas 96 (1994 est.) transshipment point for opiates and other illicit drugs from Southwest Asia, Latin America, and Western Europe to Western Europe and Scandinavia Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone 6 30 N, 9 30 W 111370 tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower 3164156 1.94% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.) indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20% Liberia Monrovia 11 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a white five-pointed star on a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner; the design was based on the US flag purchasing power parity - $2.85 billion (1999 est.) rubber processing, palm oil processing, diamonds $39 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.) $142 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.) 1 Liberian dollar (L$) = 100 cents 45 (1999 est.) increasingly a transshipment point for Southeast and Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine for the European and US markets Central Europe, south of Poland 48 40 N, 19 30 E 48845 temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters brown coal and lignite; small amounts of iron ore, copper and manganese ore; salt; arable land 5407956 0.12% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 60.3%, atheist 9.7%, Protestant 8.4%, Orthodox 4.1%, other 17.5% Slovakia Bratislava three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red superimposed with the Slovak cross in a shield centered on the hoist side; the cross is white centered on a background of red and blue purchasing power parity - $45.9 billion (1999 est.) metal and metal products; food and beverages; electricity, gas, coke, oil, nuclear fuel; chemicals and manmade fibers; machinery; paper and printing; earthenware and ceramics; transport vehicles; textiles; electrical and optical apparatus; rubber products $10.1 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $11.2 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 koruna (Sk) = 100 halierov 36 (1999 est.) transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to American Samoa 5 52 N, 162 06 W 11 equatorial, hot, and very rainy none Palmyra Atoll the flag of the US is used 1 (1999 est.) Central Europe, between Austria and Switzerland 47 10 N, 9 32 E 160 continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain; cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers hydroelectric potential, arable land 32207 1.02% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 7.4%, unknown 7.7%, other 4.9% (1996) Liechtenstein Vaduz two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a gold crown on the hoist side of the blue band purchasing power parity - $730 million (1998 est.) electronics, metal manufacturing, textiles, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, food products, precision instruments, tourism $2.47 billion (1996) $917.3 million (1996) 1 Swiss franc, franken, or franco (SFR) = 100 centimes, rappen, or centesimi none Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa 29 30 S, 28 30 E 30355 temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers water, agricultural and grazing land, some diamonds and other minerals 2143141 1.65% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Christian 80%, indigenous beliefs 20% Lesotho Maseru divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the upper half is white, bearing the brown silhouette of a large shield with crossed spear and club; the lower half is a diagonal blue band with a green triangle in the corner purchasing power parity - $4.7 billion (1998 est.) food, beverages, textiles, handicrafts; construction; tourism $235 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.) $700 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.) 1 loti (L) = 100 lisente; note - maloti (M) is the plural form of loti 29 (1999 est.) Western Europe, between France and Germany 49 45 N, 6 10 E 2586 modified continental with mild winters, cool summers iron ore (no longer exploited), arable land 437389 1.27% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant and Jewish 3% Luxembourg Luxembourg three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and light blue; similar to the flag of the Netherlands, which uses a darker blue and is shorter; design was based on the flag of France purchasing power parity - $14.7 billion (1999 est.) banking, iron and steel, food processing, chemicals, metal products, engineering, tires, glass, aluminum $7.5 billion (f.o.b., 1998) $9.6 billion (c.i.f., 1998) 1 Luxembourg franc (LuxF) = 100 centimes; note - centimes no longer in use 2 (1999 est.) Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Tunisia 25 00 N, 17 00 E 1759540 Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior petroleum, natural gas, gypsum 5115450 2.42% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Sunni Muslim 97% Libya Tripoli plain green; green is the traditional color of Islam (the state religion) purchasing power parity - $39.3 billion (1999 est.) petroleum, food processing, textiles, handicrafts, cement $6.6 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.) $7 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.) 1 Libyan dinar (LD) = 1,000 dirhams 142 (1999 est.) Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique 20 00 S, 47 00 E 587040 tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower 15506472 3.02% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2000 est.) indigenous beliefs 52%, Christian 41%, Muslim 7% Madagascar Antananarivo two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a vertical white band of the same width on hoist side purchasing power parity - $11.5 billion (1999 est.) meat processing, soap, breweries, tanneries, sugar, textiles, glassware, cement, automobile assembly plant, paper, petroleum, tourism $600 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.) $881 million (c.i.f., 1998 est.) 1 Malagasy franc (FMG) = 100 centimes 133 (1999 est.) illicit producer of cannabis (cultivated and wild varieties) used mostly for domestic consumption; transshipment point for heroin Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Trinidad and Tobago 14 40 N, 61 00 W 1100 tropical; moderated by trade winds; rainy season (June to October); vulnerable to devastating cyclones (hurricanes) every eight years on average; average temperature 17.3 degrees C; humid coastal scenery and beaches, cultivable land 414516 0.96% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 5% Martinique Fort-de-France a light blue background is divided into four quadrants by a white cross; in the center of each rectangle is a white snake; the flag of France is used for official occasions purchasing power parity - $4.24 billion (1996 est.) construction, rum, cement, oil refining, sugar, tourism $250 million (f.o.b., 1997) $2 billion (c.i.f., 1997) 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes 2 (1999 est.) transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and Europe Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China 22 10 N, 113 33 E 21 subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers NEGL 445594 1.83% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Buddhist 50%, Roman Catholic 15%, none and other 35% (1997 est.) Macau light green with a lotus flower above a stylized bridge and water in white, beneath an arc of five gold, five-pointed stars: one large in center of arc and four smaller purchasing power parity - $7.65 billion (1998 est.) clothing, textiles, toys, electronics, footwear, tourism, gambling $1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1999) 1 pataca (P) = 100 avos 1 (1999 est.) Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania 47 00 N, 29 00 E 33843 moderate winters, warm summers lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, arable land 4430654 -0% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Eastern Orthodox 98.5%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist (only about 1,000 members) (1991) Moldova Chisinau same color scheme as Romania - three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; emblem in center of flag is of a Roman eagle of gold outlined in black with a red beak and talons carrying a yellow cross in its beak and a green olive branch in its right talons and a yellow scepter in its left talons; on its breast is a shield divided horizontally red over blue with a stylized ox head, star, rose, and crescent all in black-outlined yellow purchasing power parity - $9.7 billion (1999 est.) food processing, agricultural machinery, foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines, hosiery, sugar, vegetable oil, shoes, textiles $470 million (f.o.b., 1999) $560 million (f.o.b., 1999) Moldovan leu (MLD) (plural lei) 26 (1994 est.) limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for CIS consumption; transshipment point for illicit drugs from Southwest Asia via Central Asia to Russia, Western Europe and possibly the US Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about one-half of the way from northern Madagascar to northern Mozambique 12 50 S, 45 10 E 374 tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November) NEGL 155911 4.76% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.2 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 97%, Christian (mostly Roman Catholic) Mayotte Mamoutzou the flag of France is used purchasing power parity - $85 million (1998 est.) newly created lobster and shrimp industry, construction $3.44 million (f.o.b., 1997) $141.3 million (f.o.b., 1997) 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes 1 (1999 est.) Northern Asia, between China and Russia 46 00 N, 105 00 E 1000000 desert; continental (large daily and seasonal temperature ranges) oil, coal, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, phosphates, tin, nickel, zinc, wolfram, fluorspar, gold 2650952 1.54% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2000 est.) predominantly Tibetan Buddhist, Muslim 4% note: previously limited religious activity because of communist regime Mongolia Ulaanbaatar three equal, vertical bands of red (hoist side), blue, and red; centered on the hoist-side red band in yellow is the national emblem ("soyombo" - a columnar arrangement of abstract and geometric representation for fire, sun, moon, earth, water, and the yin-yang symbol) purchasing power parity - $6.1 billion (1999 est.) construction materials, mining (particularly coal and copper); food and beverages, processing of animal products $316.8 million (f.o.b., 1998) $472.4 million (f.o.b., 1998) 1 tughrik (Tug) = 100 mongos 34 (1994 est.) Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico 16 45 N, 62 12 W 100 tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation NEGL 6409 20.53% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.15 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Christian denominations Montserrat Plymouth (abandoned in 1997 due to volcanic activity; interim government buildings have been built at Brades, in the Carr's Bay/Little Bay vicinity at the northwest end of Montserrat) blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Montserratian coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms features a woman standing beside a yellow harp with her arm around a black cross purchasing power parity - $31 million (1998 est.) tourism, rum, textiles, electronic appliances $1.5 million (1998) $26 million (1998) 1 East Caribbean dollar (EC$) = 100 cents 1 (1999 est.) Southern Africa, east of Zambia 13 30 S, 34 00 E 118480 sub-tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November) limestone, arable land, hydropower, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite 10385849 1.61% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Protestant 55%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs Malawi Lilongwe three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with a radiant, rising, red sun centered in the black band purchasing power parity - $9.4 billion (1999 est.) tobacco, tea, sugar, sawmill products, cement, consumer goods $510 million (f.o.b., 1999) $512 million (f.o.b., 1999) 1 Malawian kwacha (MK) = 100 tambala 44 (1999 est.) Southeastern Europe, north of Greece 41 50 N, 22 00 E 25333 warm, dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall chromium, lead, zinc, manganese, tungsten, nickel, low-grade iron ore, asbestos, sulfur, timber, arable land 2041467 0.04% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Macedonian Orthodox 67%, Muslim 30%, other 3% The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Skopje a rising yellow sun with eight rays extending to the edges of the red field purchasing power parity - $7.6 billion (1999 est.) coal, metallic chromium, lead, zinc, ferronickel, textiles, wood products, tobacco $1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $1.56 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 Macedonian denar (MKD) = 100 deni 16 (1999 est.) increasing transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and hashish; minor transit point for South American cocaine destined for Europe Western Africa, southwest of Algeria 17 00 N, 4 00 W 1000000 subtropical to arid; hot and dry February to June; rainy, humid, and mild June to November; cool and dry November to February gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium, hydropower note: bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper deposits are known but not exploited 10685948 2.98% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 90%, indigenous beliefs 9%, Christian 1% Mali Bamako three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia purchasing power parity - $8.5 billion (1999 est.) minor local consumer goods production and food processing; construction; phosphate and gold mining $640 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $650 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes 28 (1999 est.) Western Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, on the southern coast of France, near the border with Italy 43 44 N, 7 24 E 1 Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers none 31693 0.48% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 90% Monaco Monaco two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to the flag of Indonesia which is longer and the flag of Poland which is white (top) and red purchasing power parity - $870 million (1999 est.) tourism, construction, small-scale industrial and consumer products $NA; full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates in EU market system through customs union with France $NA; full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates in EU market system through customs union with France 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes linked to airport in Nice, France, by helicopter service Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Western Sahara 32 00 N, 5 00 W 446550 Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt 30122350 1.74% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2% Morocco Rabat red with a green pentacle (five-pointed, linear star) known as Solomon's seal in the center of the flag; green is the traditional color of Islam purchasing power parity - $108 billion (1999 est.) phosphate rock mining and processing, food processing, leather goods, textiles, construction, tourism $7.1 billion (f.o.b., 1998) $9.5 billion (f.o.b., 1998) 1 Moroccan dirham (DH) = 100 centimes 70 (1999 est.) illicit producer of hashish; trafficking on the increase for both domestic and international drug markets; shipments of hashish mostly directed to Western Europe; transit point for cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar 20 17 S, 57 33 E 1860 tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May) arable land, fish 1179368 0.89% (2000 est.) at birth: 1 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Hindu 52%, Christian 28.3% (Roman Catholic 26%, Protestant 2.3%), Muslim 16.6%, other 3.1% Mauritius Port Louis four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green purchasing power parity - $12.3 billion (1999 est.) food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, clothing; chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery; tourism $1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $2.1 billion (f.o.b., 1998) 1 Mauritian rupee (MauR) = 100 cents 5 (1999 est.) minor consumer and transshipment point for heroin from South Asia; small amounts of cannabis produced and consumed locally Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-third of the way from Honolulu to Tokyo 28 13 N, 177 22 W 6 subtropical, but moderated by prevailing easterly winds wildlife, terrestrial and aquatic Midway Islands none; administered from Washington, DC the flag of the US is used 3 (1999 est.) Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara 20 00 N, 12 00 W 1030700 desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty iron ore, gypsum, fish, copper, phosphate 2667859 2.94% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 100% Mauritania Nouakchott green with a yellow five-pointed star above a yellow, horizontal crescent; the closed side of the crescent is down; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam purchasing power parity - $4.9 billion (1999 est.) fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum $425 million (f.o.b., 1997) $444 million (f.o.b., 1997) 1 ouguiya (UM) = 5 khoums 26 (1999 est.) Southern Europe, islands in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily (Italy) 35 50 N, 14 35 E 316 Mediterranean with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers limestone, salt, arable land 391670 0.74% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 91% Malta Valletta two equal vertical bands of white (hoist side) and red; in the upper hoist-side corner is a representation of the George Cross, edged in red purchasing power parity - $5.3 billion (1999 est.) tourism; electronics, ship building and repair, construction; food and beverages, textiles, footwear, clothing, tobacco $1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1998) $2.7 billion (f.o.b., 1998) 1 Maltese lira (LM) = 100 cents 1 (1999 est.) minor transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Western Europe Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and UAE 21 00 N, 57 00 E 212460 dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas 2533389 3.46% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.58 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.11 male(s)/female total population: 1.31 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Ibadhi Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, Hindu Oman Muscat three horizontal bands of white, red, and green of equal width with a broad, vertical, red band on the hoist side; the national emblem (a khanjar dagger in its sheath superimposed on two crossed swords in scabbards) in white is centered at the top of the vertical band purchasing power parity - $19.6 billion (1999 est.) crude oil production and refining, natural gas production, construction, cement, copper $7.2 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $5.4 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 Omani rial (RO) = 1,000 baiza 142 (1999 est.) Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India 3 15 N, 73 00 E 300 tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August) fish 301475 3.06% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.09 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Sunni Muslim Maldives Male red with a large green rectangle in the center bearing a vertical white crescent; the closed side of the crescent is on the hoist side of the flag purchasing power parity - $540 million (1999 est.) fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, garments, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining $98 million (f.o.b., 1998) $312 million (f.o.b., 1998) 1 rufiyaa (Rf) = 100 laari 5 (1999 est.) Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, between Belize and the US and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the US 23 00 N, 102 00 W 1972550 varies from tropical to desert petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber 100349766 1.53% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2000 est.) nominally Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 6%, other 5% Mexico Mexico three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; the coat of arms (an eagle perched on a cactus with a snake in its beak) is centered in the white band purchasing power parity - $865.5 billion (1999 est.) food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism $136.8 billion (f.o.b., 1999), includes in-bond industries (assembly plant operations with links to US companies) $142.1 billion (f.o.b., 1999), includes in-bond industries (assembly plant operations with links to US companies) 1 New Mexican peso (Mex$) = 100 centavos 1,806 (1999 est.) illicit cultivation of opium poppy (cultivation in 1998 - 5,500 hectares; potential production - 60 metric tons) and cannabis cultivation in 1998 - 4,600 hectares; government eradication efforts have been key in keeping illicit crop levels low; major supplier of heroin and marijuana to the US market; continues as the primary transshipment country for US-bound cocaine from South America; involved in the production and distribution of methamphetamines; upsurge in drug-related violence and official corruption; major drug syndicates growing more powerful Southeastern Asia, peninsula and northern one-third of the island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia and the South China Sea, south of Vietnam 2 30 N, 112 30 E 329750 tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons tin, petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite 21793293 2.01% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Islam, Buddhism, Daoism, Hinduism, Christianity, Sikhism; note - in addition, Shamanism is practiced in East Malaysia Malaysia Kuala Lumpur 14 equal horizontal stripes of red (top) alternating with white (bottom); there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a yellow crescent and a yellow fourteen-pointed star; the crescent and the star are traditional symbols of Islam; the design was based on the flag of the US purchasing power parity - $229.1 billion (1999 est.) Peninsular Malaysia - rubber and oil palm processing and manufacturing, light manufacturing industry, electronics, tin mining and smelting, logging and processing timber; Sabah - logging, petroleum production; Sarawak - agriculture processing, petroleum production and refining, logging $83.5 billion (1999 est.) $61.5 billion (1999 est.) 1 ringgit (M$) = 100 sen 115 (1999 est.) transit point for some illicit drugs going to Western markets; drug trafficking prosecuted vigorously and carries severe penalties Southern Africa, bordering the Mozambique Channel, between South Africa and Tanzania 18 15 S, 35 00 E 801590 tropical to subtropical coal, titanium, natural gas, hydropower 19104696 1.47% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2000 est.) indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20% Mozambique Maputo three equal horizontal bands of green (top), black, and yellow with a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; the black band is edged in white; centered in the triangle is a yellow five-pointed star bearing a crossed rifle and hoe in black superimposed on an open white book purchasing power parity - $18.7 billion (1999 est.) food, beverages, chemicals (fertilizer, soap, paints), petroleum products, textiles, cement, glass, asbestos, tobacco $300 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $1.6 billion (c.i.f., 1999 est.) 1 metical (Mt) = 100 centavos 170 (1999 est.) Southern African transit hub for South American cocaine probably destined for the European and US markets; producer of hashish and methaqualone Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia 21 30 S, 165 30 E 19060 tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper 201816 1.52% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10% New Caledonia Noumea the flag of France is used purchasing power parity - $3 billion (1998 est.) nickel mining and smelting $381 million (f.o.b., 1998) $922 million (c.i.f., 1998) 1 Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes 28 (1999 est.) Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga 19 02 S, 169 52 W 260 tropical; modified by southeast trade winds fish, arable land 2113 0.47% (2000 est.) Ekalesia Niue (Niuean Church - a Protestant church closely related to the London Missionary Society) 75%, Latter-Day Saints 10%, other 15% (mostly Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist) Niue Alofi yellow with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the flag of the UK bears five yellow five-pointed stars - a large one on a blue disk in the center and a smaller one on each arm of the bold red cross purchasing power parity - $4.5 million (1994 est.) tourism, handicrafts, food processing $117,500 (f.o.b., 1989) $4.1 million (c.i.f., 1989) 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents 1 (1999 est.) Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia 29 02 S, 167 57 E 34 subtropical, mild, little seasonal temperature variation fish 1892 -0.68% (2000 est.) Anglican 39%, Roman Catholic 11.7%, Uniting Church in Australia 16.4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 4.4%, none 9.2%, unknown 16.9%, other 2.4% (1986) Norfolk Island Kingston three vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green with a large green Norfolk Island pine tree centered in the slightly wider white band purchasing power parity - $NA tourism $1.5 million (f.o.b., FY91/92) $17.9 million (c.i.f., FY91/92) 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents 1 (1999 est.) Western Africa, southeast of Algeria 16 00 N, 8 00 E 1000000 desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, gold, petroleum 10075511 2.75% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.11 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 80%, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christians Niger Niamey three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and green with a small orange disk (representing the sun) centered in the white band; similar to the flag of India, which has a blue spoked wheel centered in the white band purchasing power parity - $9.6 billion (1999 est.) uranium mining, cement, brick, textiles, food processing, chemicals, slaughterhouses $269 million (f.o.b., 1997) $295 million (c.i.f., 1997) 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes 27 (1999 est.) Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia 16 00 S, 167 00 E 14760 tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds manganese, hardwood forests, fish 189618 1.74% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.18 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Presbyterian 36.7%, Anglican 15%, Roman Catholic 15%, indigenous beliefs 7.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6.2%, Church of Christ 3.8%, other 15.7% Vanuatu Port-Vila two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a black isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) all separated by a black-edged yellow stripe in the shape of a horizontal Y (the two points of the Y face the hoist side and enclose the triangle); centered in the triangle is a boar's tusk encircling two crossed namele leaves, all in yellow purchasing power parity - $245 million (1999 est.) food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning $33.8 million (f.o.b., 1998) $76.2 million (f.o.b., 1998) 1 vatu (VT) = 100 centimes 32 (1999 est.) Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon 10 00 N, 8 00 E 923768 varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north petroleum, tin, columbite, iron ore, coal, limestone, lead, zinc, natural gas, hydropower, arable land 123337822 2.67% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10% Nigeria Abuja note: on 12 December 1991 the capital was officially moved from Lagos to Abuja; many government offices remain in Lagos pending completion of facilities in Abuja three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green purchasing power parity - $110.5 billion (1999 est.) crude oil, coal, tin, columbite, palm oil, peanuts, cotton, rubber, wood, hides and skins, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food products, footwear, chemicals, fertilizer, printing, ceramics, steel $13.1 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $10 billion (f.o.b., 1999) 1 naira (N) = 100 kobo 71 (1999 est.) facilitates movement of heroin en route from Southeast and Southwest Asia to Western Europe and North America; increasingly a transit route for cocaine from South America intended for European, East Asian, and North American markets Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany 52 30 N, 5 45 E 41532 temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters natural gas, petroleum, arable land 15892237 0.57% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 34%, Protestant 25%, Muslim 3%, other 2%, unaffiliated 36% (1991) Netherlands Amsterdam; The Hague is the seat of government three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue; similar to the flag of Luxembourg, which uses a lighter blue and is longer purchasing power parity - $365.1 billion (1999 est.) agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, construction, microelectronics, fishing $169 billion (f.o.b., 1998) $152 billion (f.o.b., 1998) 1 Netherlands guilder, gulden, or florin (f.) = 100 cents; note - to be replaced by the euro on 1 January 2002 28 (1999 est.) major European producer of illicit amphetamines and other synthetic drugs; important gateway for cocaine, heroin, and hashish entering Europe Northern Europe, bordering the North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Sweden 62 00 N, 10 00 E 324220 temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current; colder interior; rainy year-round on west coast petroleum, copper, natural gas, pyrites, nickel, iron ore, zinc, lead, fish, timber, hydropower 4481162 0.5% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Evangelical Lutheran 86% (state church), other Protestant and Roman Catholic 3%, other 1%, none and unknown 10% (1997) Norway Oslo red with a blue cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) purchasing power parity - $111.3 billion (1999 est.) petroleum and gas, food processing, shipbuilding, pulp and paper products, metals, chemicals, timber, mining, textiles, fishing $47.3 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $38.6 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 Norwegian krone (NKr) = 100 oere 103 (1999 est.) Southern Asia, between China and India 28 00 N, 84 00 E 140800 varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore 24702119 2.34% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Hindu 90%, Buddhist 5%, Muslim 3%, other 2% (1981) note: only official Hindu state in the world Nepal Kathmandu red with a blue border around the unique shape of two overlapping right triangles; the smaller, upper triangle bears a white stylized moon and the larger, lower triangle bears a white 12-pointed sun purchasing power parity - $27.4 billion (1999 est.) tourism, carpet, textile; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarette; cement and brick production $485 million (f.o.b., 1998), but does not include unrecorded border trade with India $1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1998) 1 Nepalese rupee (NR) = 100 paisa 45 (1999 est.) illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic and international drug markets; transit point for opiates from Southeast Asia to the West Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands 0 32 S, 166 55 E 21 tropical; monsoonal; rainy season (November to February) phosphates 11845 2.05% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic) Nauru no official capital; government offices in Yaren District blue with a narrow, horizontal, yellow stripe across the center and a large white 12-pointed star below the stripe on the hoist side; the star indicates the country's location in relation to the Equator (the yellow stripe) and the 12 points symbolize the 12 original tribes of Nauru purchasing power parity - $100 million (1993 est.) phosphate mining, financial services, coconut products $25.3 million (f.o.b., 1991) $21.1 million (c.i.f., 1991) 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents 1 (1999 est.) Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana 4 00 N, 56 00 W 163270 tropical; moderated by trade winds timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold, and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore 431303 0.65% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Hindu 27.4%, Muslim 19.6%, Roman Catholic 22.8%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), indigenous beliefs 5% Suriname Paramaribo five horizontal bands of green (top, double width), white, red (quadruple width), white, and green (double width); there is a large, yellow, five-pointed star centered in the red band purchasing power parity - $1.48 billion (1999 est.) bauxite and gold mining, alumina and aluminum production, lumbering, food processing, fishing $406.1 million (f.o.b., 1998) $461.4 million (f.o.b., 1998) 1 Surinamese guilder, gulden, or florin (Sf.) = 100 cents 46 (1999 est.) transshipment point for South American drugs destined mostly for Europe Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean Sea - one includes Curacao and Bonaire north of Venezuela and the other is east of the Virgin Islands 12 15 N, 68 45 W 960 tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only) 210134 1.01% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Seventh-Day Adventist Netherlands Antilles Willemstad white, with a horizontal blue stripe in the center superimposed on a vertical red band, also centered; five white, five-pointed stars are arranged in an oval pattern in the center of the blue band; the five stars represent the five main islands of Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten purchasing power parity - $2.4 billion (1998 est.) tourism (Curacao, Sint Maarten, and Bonaire), petroleum refining (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao) $303 million (f.o.b., 1998) $1.3 billion (c.i.f., 1998) 1 Netherlands Antillean guilder, gulden, or florin (NAf.) = 100 cents 5 (1999 est.) money-laundering center; transshipment point for South American drugs bound for the US and Europe Middle America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras 13 00 N, 85 00 W 129494 tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish 4812569 2.2% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant Nicaragua Managua three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on the top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; similar to the flag of El Salvador, which features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Honduras, which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band purchasing power parity - $12.5 billion (1999 est.) food processing, chemicals, machinery and metal products, textiles, clothing, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear, wood $573 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.) $1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1999 est.) 1 gold cordoba (C$) = 100 centavos 182 (1999 est.) transshipment point for cocaine destined for the US and transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia 41 00 S, 174 00 E 268680 temperate with sharp regional contrasts natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone 3819762 1.17% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Anglican 24%, Presbyterian 18%, Roman Catholic 15%, Methodist 5%, Baptist 2%, other Protestant 3%, unspecified or none 33% (1986) New Zealand Wellington blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant with four red five-pointed stars edged in white centered in the outer half of the flag; the stars represent the Southern Cross constellation purchasing power parity - $63.8 billion (1999 est.) food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining $12.2 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.) $11.2 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.) 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents 111 (1999 est.) body of water between 60 degrees south latitude and Antarctica 65 00 S, 0 00 E (nominally), but the Southern Ocean has the unique distinction of being a large circumpolar body of water totally encircling the continent of Antarctica; this ring of water lies between 60 degrees south latitude and the coast of Antarctica, and encompasses 360 degrees of longitude 20000000 sea temperatures vary from about 10 degrees Centigrade to -2 degrees Centigrade; cyclonic storms travel eastward around the continent and frequently are intense because of the temperature contrast between ice and open ocean; the ocean area from about latitude 40 south to the Antarctic Circle has the strongest average winds found anywhere on Earth; in winter the ocean freezes outward to 65 degrees south latitude in the Pacific sector and 55 degrees south latitude in the Atlantic sector, lowering surface temperatures well below 0 degrees Centigrade; at some coastal points intense persistent drainage winds from the interior keep the shoreline ice-free throughout the winter probable large and possible giant oil and gas fields on the continental margin, manganese nodules, possible placer deposits, sand and gravel, fresh water as icebergs, squid, whales, and seals - none exploited; krill, fishes Central South America, northeast of Argentina 23 00 S, 58 00 W 406750 subtropical to temperate; substantial rainfall in the eastern portions, becoming semiarid in the far west hydropower, timber, iron ore, manganese, limestone 5585828 2.64% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 90%, Mennonite, and other Protestant Paraguay Asuncion three equal, horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue with an emblem centered in the white band; unusual flag in that the emblem is different on each side; the obverse (hoist side at the left) bears the national coat of arms (a yellow five-pointed star within a green wreath capped by the words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, all within two circles); the reverse (hoist side at the right) bears the seal of the treasury (a yellow lion below a red Cap of Liberty and the words Paz y Justicia (Peace and Justice) capped by the words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, all within two circles) purchasing power parity - $19.9 billion (1999 est.) sugar, cement, textiles, beverages, wood products $3.1 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $3.2 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 guarani (G) = 100 centimos 937 (1999 est.) illicit producer of cannabis, most or all of which is consumed in South America; transshipment country for Bolivian cocaine headed for Southern Cone markets and Europe and a limited amount to the US Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Peru to New Zealand 25 04 S, 130 06 W 47 tropical, hot, humid; modified by southeast trade winds; rainy season (November to March) miro trees (used for handicrafts), fish note: manganese, iron, copper, gold, silver, and zinc have been discovered offshore 54 -2.06% (2000 est.) Seventh-Day Adventist 100% Pitcairn Islands Adamstown blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Pitcairn Islander coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms is yellow, green, and light blue with a shield featuring a yellow anchor purchasing power parity - $NA postage stamps, handicrafts $NA $NA 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents none Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Chile and Ecuador 10 00 S, 76 00 W 1285220 varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate to frigid in Andes copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash, hydropower 27012899 1.75% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 90% Peru Lima three equal, vertical bands of red (hoist side), white, and red with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a shield bearing a llama, cinchona tree (the source of quinine), and a yellow cornucopia spilling out gold coins, all framed by a green wreath purchasing power parity - $116 billion (1999 est.) mining of metals, petroleum, fishing, textiles, clothing, food processing, cement, auto assembly, steel, shipbuilding, metal fabrication $5.9 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $8.4 billion (c.i.f., 1999 est.) 1 nuevo sol (S/.) = 100 centimos 234 (1999 est.) until recently the world's largest coca leaf producer, Peru has reduced the area of coca under cultivation by 24% to 38,700 hectares at the end of 1999; most of cocaine base is shipped to neighboring Colombia, Bolivia, and Brazil for processing into cocaine for the international drug market, but exports of finished cocaine are increasing by maritime conveyance to Mexico, US, and Europe Southeastern Asia, group of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the northern Philippines 16 30 N, 112 00 E tropical none Paracel Islands 1 (1999 est.) Southeastern Asia, group of reefs and islands in the South China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the southern Philippines 8 38 N, 111 55 E tropical fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential Spratly Islands 4 (1999 est.) Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north 30 00 N, 70 00 E 803940 mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone 141553775 2.17% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shi'a 20%), Christian, Hindu, and other 3% Pakistan Islamabad green with a vertical white band (symbolizing the role of religious minorities) on the hoist side; a large white crescent and star are centered in the green field; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam purchasing power parity - $282 billion (1999 est.) textiles, food processing, beverages, construction materials, clothing, paper products, shrimp $8.4 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $9.8 billion (f.o.b., 1999) 1 Pakistani rupee (PRe) = 100 paisa 118 (1999 est.) producer of illicit opium and hashish for the international drug trade (poppy cultivation in 1999 - 1,570 hectares, a 48% drop from 1998 because of eradication and alternative development); key transit area for Southwest Asian heroin moving to Western markets; narcotics still move from Afghanistan into Balochistan Province Central Europe, east of Germany 52 00 N, 20 00 E 312685 temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, arable land 38646023 -0.04% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 95% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, and other 5% Poland Warsaw two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; similar to the flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and white purchasing power parity - $276.5 billion (1999 est.) machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles $27.8 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $40.8 billion (f.o.b., 1999) 1 zloty (Zl) = 100 groszy 123 (1999 est.) major illicit producer of amphetamines for the international market; minor transshipment point for Asian and Latin American illicit drugs to Western Europe Middle America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica 9 00 N, 80 00 W 78200 tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May) copper, mahogany forests, shrimp, hydropower 2808268 1.34% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15% Panama Panama divided into four, equal rectangles; the top quadrants are white (hoist side) with a blue five-pointed star in the center and plain red; the bottom quadrants are plain blue (hoist side) and white with a red five-pointed star in the center purchasing power parity - $21 billion (1999 est.) construction, petroleum refining, brewing, cement and other construction materials, sugar milling $4.7 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $6.4 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 balboa (B) = 100 centesimos 105 (1999 est.) major cocaine transshipment point and major drug-money-laundering center; no recent signs of coca cultivation; monitoring of financial transactions is improving, yet Panama has failed to prosecute anyone for money laundering - official corruption remains a major problem Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain 39 30 N, 8 00 W 92391 maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south fish, forests (cork), tungsten, iron ore, uranium ore, marble, arable land, hydro power 10048232 0.18% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 94%, Protestant (1995) Portugal Lisbon two vertical bands of green (hoist side, two-fifths) and red (three-fifths) with the Portuguese coat of arms centered on the dividing line purchasing power parity - $151.4 billion (1999 est.) textiles and footwear; wood pulp, paper, and cork; metalworking; oil refining; chemicals; fish canning; wine; tourism $25 billion (f.o.b., 1998) $34.9 billion (f.o.b., 1998) 1 Portuguese escudo (Esc) = 100 centavos 66 (1999 est.) important gateway country for Latin American cocaine entering the European market; transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Europe; consumer of Southwest Asian heroin Southeastern Asia, group of islands including the eastern half of the island of New Guinea between the Coral Sea and the South Pacific Ocean, east of Indonesia 6 00 S, 147 00 E 462840 tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature variation gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil, fisheries 4926984 2.47% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 22%, Lutheran 16%, Presbyterian/Methodist/London Missionary Society 8%, Anglican 5%, Evangelical Alliance 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1%, other Protestant 10%, indigenous beliefs 34% Papua New Guinea Port Moresby divided diagonally from upper hoist-side corner; the upper triangle is red with a soaring yellow bird of paradise centered; the lower triangle is black with five white five-pointed stars of the Southern Cross constellation centered purchasing power parity - $11.6 billion (1999 est.) copra crushing, palm oil processing, plywood production, wood chip production; mining of gold, silver, and copper; crude oil production; construction, tourism $1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $1 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 kina (K) = 100 toea 492 (1999 est.) Oceania, group of islands in the North Pacific Ocean, southeast of the Philippines 7 30 N, 134 30 E 458 wet season May to November; hot and humid forests, minerals (especially gold), marine products, deep-seabed minerals 18766 1.75% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.21 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 1.15 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Christian (Catholics, Seventh-Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, the Assembly of God, the Liebenzell Mission, and Latter-Day Saints), Modekngei religion (one-third of the population observes this religion which is indigenous to Palau) Palau Koror note: a new capital is being built about 20 km northeast of Koror light blue with a large yellow disk (representing the moon) shifted slightly to the hoist side purchasing power parity - $160 million (1997 est.) note: GDP numbers reflect US spending tourism, craft items (from shell, wood, pearls), construction, garment making $14.3 million (f.o.b., 1996) $72.4 million (f.o.b., 1996) 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents 3 (1999 est.) Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Senegal 12 00 N, 15 00 W 36120 tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, unexploited deposits of petroleum 1285715 2.4% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.) indigenous beliefs 50%, Muslim 45%, Christian 5% Guinea-Bissau Bissau two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green with a vertical red band on the hoist side; there is a black five-pointed star centered in the red band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia purchasing power parity - $1.1 billion (1999 est.) agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks $26.8 million (f.o.b., 1998) $22.9 million (f.o.b., 1998) 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes 30 (1999 est.) Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia 25 30 N, 51 15 E 11437 desert; hot, dry; humid and sultry in summer petroleum, natural gas, fish 744483 3.35% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 2.48 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 2.43 male(s)/female total population: 1.93 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 95% Qatar Doha maroon with a broad white serrated band (nine white points) on the hoist side purchasing power parity - $12.3 billion (1999 est.) crude oil production and refining, fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel reinforcing bars, cement $6.7 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $4.2 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 Qatari riyal (QR) = 100 dirhams 4 (1999 est.) Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar 21 06 S, 55 36 E 2512 tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry from May to November, hot and rainy from November to April fish, arable land, hydropower 720934 1.63% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 86%, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist (1995) Reunion Saint-Denis the flag of France is used purchasing power parity - $3.4 billion (1998 est.) sugar, rum, cigarettes, handicraft items, flower oil extraction $214.162 million (f.o.b., 1997) $2.5 billion (c.i.f., 1997) 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes 2 (1999 est.) Oceania, group of atolls and reefs in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Papua New Guinea 9 00 N, 168 00 E 181 wet season from May to November; hot and humid; islands border typhoon belt phosphate deposits, marine products, deep seabed minerals 68126 3.88% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Christian (mostly Protestant) Marshall Islands Majuro blue with two stripes radiating from the lower hoist-side corner - orange (top) and white; there is a white star with four large rays and 20 small rays on the hoist side above the two stripes purchasing power parity - $105 million (1998 est.), supplemented by approximately $65 million annual US aid copra, fish, tourism, craft items from shell, wood, and pearls, offshore banking (embryonic) $28 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.) $58 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.) 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents 16 (1999 est.) Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Ukraine 46 00 N, 25 00 E 237500 temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms petroleum (reserves declining), timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore, salt, arable land, hydro power 22411121 -0.21% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Romanian Orthodox 70%, Roman Catholic 6% (of which 3% are Uniate), Protestant 6%, unaffiliated 18% Romania Bucharest three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; the national coat of arms that used to be centered in the yellow band has been removed; now similar to the flag of Chad, also resembles the flags of Andorra and Moldova purchasing power parity - $87.4 billion (1999 est.) mining, timber, construction materials, metallurgy, chemicals, machine building, food processing, petroleum production and refining $8.4 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $9.6 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 leu (L) = 100 bani 62 (1999 est.) important transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin transiting the Balkan route and small amounts of Latin American cocaine bound for Western Europe Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam 13 00 N, 122 00 E 300000 tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to October) timber, petroleum, nickel, cobalt, silver, gold, salt, copper 81159644 2.07% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 83%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 5%, Buddhist and other 3% Philippines Manila two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a white equilateral triangle based on the hoist side; in the center of the triangle is a yellow sun with eight primary rays (each containing three individual rays) and in each corner of the triangle is a small yellow five-pointed star purchasing power parity - $282 billion (1999 est.) textiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, wood products, food processing, electronics assembly, petroleum refining, fishing $34.8 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $30.7 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 Philippine peso (P) = 100 centavos 266 (1999 est.) exports locally produced marijuana and hashish to East Asia, the US, and other Western markets; serves as a transit point for heroin and crystal methamphetamine Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic 18 15 N, 66 30 W 9104 tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil 3915798 0.56% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant and other 15% Puerto Rico San Juan five equal horizontal bands of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears a large, white, five-pointed star in the center; design based on the US flag purchasing power parity - $38.1 billion (1999 est.) pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products; tourism $34.9 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $25.3 billion (c.i.f., 1999) 1 US dollar (US$) = 100 cents 30 (1999 est.) Northern Asia (that part west of the Urals is sometimes included with Europe), bordering the Arctic Ocean, between Europe and the North Pacific Ocean 60 00 N, 100 00 E 17075200 ranges from steppes in the south through humid continental in much of European Russia; subarctic in Siberia to tundra climate in the polar north; winters vary from cool along Black Sea coast to frigid in Siberia; summers vary from warm in the steppes to cool along Arctic coast wide natural resource base including major deposits of oil, natural gas, coal, and many strategic minerals, timber note: formidable obstacles of climate, terrain, and distance hinder exploitation of natural resources 146001176 -0.38% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.46 male(s)/female total population: 0.88 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Russian Orthodox, Muslim, other Russia Moscow three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red purchasing power parity - $620.3 billion (1999 est.) complete range of mining and extractive industries producing coal, oil, gas, chemicals, and metals; all forms of machine building from rolling mills to high-performance aircraft and space vehicles; shipbuilding; road and rail transportation equipment; communications equipment; agricultural machinery, tractors, and construction equipment; electric power generating and transmitting equipment; medical and scientific instruments; consumer durables, textiles, foodstuffs, handicrafts $75.4 billion (1999 est.) $48.2 billion (1999 est.) 1 ruble (R) = 100 kopeks 2,517 (1994 est.) limited cultivation of illicit cannabis and opium poppy and producer of amphetamines, mostly for domestic consumption; government has active eradication program; increasingly used as transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian opiates and cannabis and Latin American cocaine to Western Europe, possibly to the US, and growing domestic market; major source of heroin precursor chemicals Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo 2 00 S, 30 00 E 26338 temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), methane, hydropower, arable land 7229129 1.14% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 65%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 1%, indigenous beliefs and other 25% Rwanda Kigali three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), yellow, and green with a large black letter R centered in the yellow band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Guinea, which has a plain yellow band purchasing power parity - $5.9 billion (1999 est.) cement, agricultural products, small-scale beverages, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes $70.8 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $242 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 Rwandan franc (RF) = 100 centimes 8 (1999 est.) Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen 25 00 N, 45 00 E 1960582 harsh, dry desert with great extremes of temperature petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper 22023506 3.28% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.43 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.18 male(s)/female total population: 1.24 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 100% Saudi Arabia Riyadh green with large white Arabic script (that may be translated as There is no God but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God) above a white horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side); green is the traditional color of Islam purchasing power parity - $191 billion (1999 est.) crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, cement, construction, fertilizer, plastics $48 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $28 billion (f.o.b., 1999) 1 Saudi riyal (SR) = 100 halalah 205 (1999 est.) death penalty for traffickers; increasing consumption of heroin and cocaine Northern North America, islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, south of Newfoundland (Canada) 46 50 N, 56 20 W 242 cold and wet, with much mist and fog; spring and autumn are windy fish, deepwater ports 6896 0.49% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 99% Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint-Pierre a yellow sailing ship facing the hoist side rides on a dark blue background with a black wave line under the ship; on the hoist side, a vertical band is divided into three parts: the top part is red with a green diagonal cross extending to the corners overlaid by a white cross dividing the square into four sections; the middle part has a white background with an ermine pattern; the third part has a red background with two stylized yellow lions outlined in black, one on top of the other; the flag of France is used for official occasions purchasing power parity - $74 million (1996 est.); supplemented by annual payments from France of about $65 million fish processing and supply base for fishing fleets; tourism $5 million (f.o.b., 1997) $66 million (c.i.f., 1997 est.) 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes 2 (1999 est.) Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago 17 20 N, 62 45 W 261 tropical tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November) arable land 38819 -0.22% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic Saint Kitts and Nevis Basseterre divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a broad black band bearing two white, five-pointed stars; the black band is edged in yellow; the upper triangle is green, the lower triangle is red purchasing power parity - $244 million (1998 est.) sugar processing, tourism, cotton, salt, copra, clothing, footwear, beverages $42 million (1998) $160 million (1998) 1 East Caribbean dollar (EC$) = 100 cents 2 (1999 est.) transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe Eastern Africa, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar 4 35 S, 55 40 E 455 tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May) fish, copra, cinnamon trees 79326 0.49% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.51 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 90%, Anglican 8%, other 2% Seychelles Victoria five oblique bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, red, white, and green (bottom) radiating from the bottom of the hoist side purchasing power parity - $590 million (1999 est.) fishing; tourism; processing of coconuts and vanilla, coir (coconut fiber) rope, boat building, printing, furniture; beverages $91 million (f.o.b., 1998) $403 million (c.i.f., 1998) 1 Seychelles rupee (SRe) = 100 cents 14 (1999 est.) Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa 29 00 S, 24 00 E 1219912 mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas 43421021 0.5% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Christian 68% (includes most whites and Coloreds, about 60% of blacks and about 40% of Indians), Muslim 2%, Hindu 1.5% (60% of Indians), indigenous beliefs and animist 28.5% South Africa Pretoria; note - Cape Town is the legislative center and Bloemfontein the judicial center two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separated by a central green band which splits into a horizontal Y, the arms of which end at the corners of the hoist side; the Y embraces a black isosceles triangle from which the arms are separated by narrow yellow bands; the red and blue bands are separated from the green band and its arms by narrow white stripes note: prior to 26 April 1994, the flag was actually four flags in one - three miniature flags reproduced in the center of the white band of the former flag of the Netherlands, which has three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and blue; the miniature flags are a vertically hanging flag of the old Orange Free State with a horizontal flag of the UK adjoining on the hoist side and a horizontal flag of the old Transvaal Republic adjoining on the other side purchasing power parity - $296.1 billion (1999 est.) mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textile, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs $28 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $26 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 rand (R) = 100 cents 744 (1999 est.) transshipment center for heroin and cocaine; cocaine consumption on the rise; world's largest market for illicit methaqualone, usually imported illegally from India through various east African countries; illicit cultivation of marijuana Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania 14 00 N, 14 00 W 196190 tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind fish, phosphates, iron ore 9987494 2.94% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 92%, indigenous beliefs 6%, Christian 2% (mostly Roman Catholic) Senegal Dakar three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red with a small green five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia purchasing power parity - $16.6 billion (1999 est.) agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, fertilizer production, petroleum refining, construction materials $925 million (f.o.b., 1998) $1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1998) 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes 20 (1999 est.) transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin moving to Europe and North America; illicit cultivator of cannabis islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about mid-way between South America and Africa 15 56 S, 5 42 W 410 Saint Helena - tropical; marine; mild, tempered by trade winds; Tristan da Cunha - temperate; marine, mild, tempered by trade winds (tends to be cooler than Saint Helena) fish 7212 0.76% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Anglican (majority), Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic Saint Helena Jamestown blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Saint Helenian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield features a rocky coastline and three-masted sailing ship purchasing power parity - $13.9 million (FY94/95 est.) construction, crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing $704,000 (f.o.b., 1995) $14.434 million (c.i.f., 1995) 1 Saint Helenian pound = 100 pence 1 (1999 est.) Southeastern Europe, eastern Alps bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Austria and Croatia 46 00 N, 15 00 E 20253 Mediterranean climate on the coast, continental climate with mild to hot summers and cold winters in the plateaus and valleys to the east lignite coal, lead, zinc, mercury, uranium, silver, hydropower 1927593 0.12% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.57 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 70.8% (including Uniate 2%), Lutheran 1%, Muslim 1%, atheist 4.3%, other 22.9% Slovenia Ljubljana three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red, with the Slovenian seal (a shield with the image of Triglav, Slovenia's highest peak, in white against a blue background at the center; beneath it are two wavy blue lines depicting seas and rivers, and above it are three six-pointed stars arranged in an inverted triangle which are taken from the coat of arms of the Counts of Celje, the great Slovene dynastic house of the late 14th and early 15th centuries); the seal is located in the upper hoist side of the flag centered in the white and blue bands purchasing power parity - $21.4 billion (1999 est.) ferrous metallurgy and rolling mill products, aluminum reduction and rolled products, lead and zinc smelting, electronics (including military electronics), trucks, electric power equipment, wood products, textiles, chemicals, machine tools $8.4 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $9.7 billion (f.o.b., 1999) 1 tolar (SlT) = 100 stotins 14 (1999 est.) minor transit point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe, and for precursor chemicals Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia 8 30 N, 11 30 W 71740 tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April) diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite 5232624 3.67% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 60%, indigenous beliefs 30%, Christian 10% Sierra Leone Freetown three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light blue purchasing power parity - $2.5 billion (1999 est.) mining (diamonds); small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear); petroleum refining $41 million (f.o.b., 1998) $166 million (f.o.b., 1998) 1 leone (Le) = 100 cents 10 (1999 est.) Southern Europe, an enclave in central Italy 43 46 N, 12 25 E 60 Mediterranean; mild to cool winters; warm, sunny summers building stone 26937 1.49% (2000 est.) at birth: 1 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic San Marino San Marino two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and light blue with the national coat of arms superimposed in the center; the coat of arms has a shield (featuring three towers on three peaks) flanked by a wreath, below a crown and above a scroll bearing the word LIBERTAS (Liberty) purchasing power parity - $500 million (1997 est.) tourism, banking, textiles, electronics, ceramics, cement, wine trade data are included with the statistics for Italy trade data are included with the statistics for Italy 1 Italian lira (Lit) = 100 centesimi; note - also mints its own coins none Southeastern Asia, islands between Malaysia and Indonesia 1 22 N, 103 48 E 647 tropical; hot, humid, rainy; no pronounced rainy or dry seasons; thunderstorms occur on 40% of all days (67% of days in April) fish, deepwater ports 4151264 3.54% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Buddhist (Chinese), Muslim (Malays), Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Taoist, Confucianist Singapore Singapore two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; near the hoist side of the red band, there is a vertical, white crescent (closed portion is toward the hoist side) partially enclosing five white five-pointed stars arranged in a circle purchasing power parity - $98 billion (1999 est.) electronics, financial services, oil drilling equipment, petroleum refining, rubber processing and rubber products, processed food and beverages, ship repair, entrepot trade, biotechnology $114 billion (1999) $111 billion (1999) 1 Singapore dollar (S$) = 100 cents 9 (1999 est.) transit point for Golden Triangle heroin going to North America, Western Europe, and the Third World; also a money-laundering center Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia 10 00 N, 49 00 E 637657 principally desert; December to February - northeast monsoon, moderate temperatures in north and very hot in south; May to October - southwest monsoon, torrid in the north and hot in the south, irregular rainfall, hot and humid periods (tangambili) between monsoons uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt 7253137 2.9% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Sunni Muslim Somalia Mogadishu light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the center; design based on the flag of the UN (Italian Somaliland was a UN trust territory) purchasing power parity - $4.3 billion (1999 est.) a few small industries, including sugar refining, textiles, petroleum refining (mostly shut down) $187 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.) $327 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.) 1 Somali shilling (So. Sh.) = 100 cents 61 (1999 est.) Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains, southwest of France 40 00 N, 4 00 W 504782 temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast coal, lignite, iron ore, uranium, mercury, pyrites, fluorspar, gypsum, zinc, lead, tungsten, copper, kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land 39996671 0.11% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 99%, other 1% Spain Madrid three horizontal bands of red (top), yellow (double width), and red with the national coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band; the coat of arms includes the royal seal framed by the Pillars of Hercules, which are the two promontories (Gibraltar and Ceuta) on either side of the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar purchasing power parity - $677.5 billion (1999 est.) textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages, metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine tools, tourism $112.3 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $137.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 peseta (Pta) = 100 centimos 105 (1999 est.) key European gateway country for Latin American cocaine and North African hashish entering the European market; transshipment point for and consumer of Southwest Asian heroin Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina 44 00 N, 21 00 E 102350 in the north, continental climate (cold winters and hot, humid summers with well distributed rainfall); central portion, continental and Mediterranean climate; to the south, Adriatic climate along the coast, hot, dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall inland oil, gas, coal, antimony, copper, lead, zinc, nickel, gold, pyrite, chrome, hydro power 10662087 Serbia - 0.739%; Montenegro - -12.22% (2000 est.) at birth: Serbia - 1.08 male(s)/female; Montenegro - 1.09 male(s)/female under 15 years: Serbia - 1.07 male(s)/female; Montenegro - 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: Serbia - 0.96 male(s)/female; Montenegro - 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: Serbia - 0.76 male(s)/female; Montenegro - 0.68 male(s)/female total population: Serbia - 0.95 male(s)/female; Montenegro - 0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Orthodox 65%, Muslim 19%, Roman Catholic 4%, Protestant 1%, other 11% Serbia and Montenegro Belgrade (Serbia), Podgorica (Montenegro) purchasing power parity - $20.6 billion (1999 est.) machine building (aircraft, trucks, and automobiles; tanks and weapons; electrical equipment; agricultural machinery); metallurgy (steel, aluminum, copper, lead, zinc, chromium, antimony, bismuth, cadmium); mining (coal, bauxite, nonferrous ore, iron ore, limestone); consumer goods (textiles, footwear, foodstuffs, appliances); electronics, petroleum products, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals $1.5 billion (1999) $3.3 billion (1999) 1 Yugoslav New Dinar (YD) = 100 paras; Montenegro made the German deutsche mark (1 deutsche mark (DM) = 100 pfennige) legal tender alongside the Yugoslav dinar (1999) 48 (Serbia 43, Montenegro 5) (1999 est.) transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin moving to Western Europe on the Balkan route Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago 13 53 N, 60 68 W 620 tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season from January to April, rainy season from May to August forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential 156260 1.21% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 7%, Anglican 3% Saint Lucia Castries blue, with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border purchasing power parity - $656 million (1998 est.) clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, tourism, lime processing, coconut processing $75 million (1998) $290 million (1998) 1 East Caribbean dollar (EC$) = 100 cents 2 (1999 est.) transit point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe Northern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea 15 00 N, 30 00 E 2505810 tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season (April to October) petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold, hydropower 35079814 2.84% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.33 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), indigenous beliefs 25%, Christian 5% (mostly in south and Khartoum) Sudan Khartoum three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist side purchasing power parity - $32.6 billion (1999 est.) cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap distilling, shoes, petroleum refining $580 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $1.4 billion (c.i.f., 1999 est.) 1 Sudanese dinar (SD) = 100 piastres; note - in July 1999 the Sudanese Central Bank made the formal declaration that all dealings with the Sudanese pound should stop 61 (1999 est.) Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway 78 00 N, 20 00 E 62049 arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current; cool summers, cold winters; North Atlantic Current flows along west and north coasts of Spitsbergen, keeping water open and navigable most of the year coal, copper, iron ore, phosphate, zinc, wildlife, fish 2416 -3.55% (2000 est.) Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitzbergen) Longyearbyen the flag of Norway is used $NA $NA $NA 1 Norwegian krone (NKr) = 100 oere 4 (1999 est.) Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, Kattegat, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway 62 00 N, 15 00 E 449964 temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north zinc, iron ore, lead, copper, silver, timber, uranium, hydropower 8873052 0.02% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Lutheran 87%, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist Sweden Stockholm blue with a yellow cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) purchasing power parity - $184 billion (1999 est.) iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor vehicles $85.7 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $67.9 billion (f.o.b., 1999) 1 Swedish krona (SKr) = 100 oere 256 (1999 est.) Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of the tip of South America 54 30 S, 37 00 W 4066 variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year interspersed with periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls as snow fish South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands none; Grytviken on South Georgia is the garrison town the flag of the UK is used none Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey 35 00 N, 38 00 E 185180 mostly desert; hot, dry, sunny summers (June to August) and mild, rainy winters (December to February) along coast; cold weather with snow or sleet periodically hitting Damascus petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower 16305659 2.58% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%, Christian (various sects) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo) Syria Damascus three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black, with two small green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white band; similar to the flag of Yemen, which has a plain white band, and of Iraq, which has three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Egypt, which has a heraldic eagle centered in the white band purchasing power parity - $42.2 billion (1999 est.) petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining $3.3 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $3.2 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 Syrian pound = 100 piastres 104 (1999 est.) a transit point for opiates and hashish bound for regional and Western markets Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy 47 00 N, 8 00 E 41290 temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers hydropower potential, timber, salt 7262372 0.3% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 46.1%, Protestant 40%, other 5%, none 8.9% (1990) Switzerland Bern red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center that does not extend to the edges of the flag purchasing power parity - $197 billion (1999 est.) machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments $98.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $99 billion (f.o.b., 1999) 1 Swiss franc, franken, or franco (SFR) = 100 centimes, rappen, or centesimi 67 (1999 est.) because of more stringent government regulations, used significantly less as a money-laundering center; transit country for and consumer of South American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia 24 00 N, 54 00 E 82880 desert; cooler in eastern mountains petroleum, natural gas 2369153 1.61% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.77 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 2.26 male(s)/female total population: 1.51 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 96% (Shi'a 16%), Christian, Hindu, and other 4% United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a thicker vertical red band on the hoist side purchasing power parity - $41.5 billion (1999 est.) petroleum, fishing, petrochemicals, construction materials, some boat building, handicrafts, pearling $34 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $27.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 Emirian dirham (Dh) = 100 fils 40 (1999 est.) growing role as heroin transshipment and money-laundering center due to its proximity to southwest Asian producing countries and the bustling free trade zone in Dubai Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela 11 00 N, 61 00 W 5128 tropical; rainy season (June to December) petroleum, natural gas, asphalt 1175523 -0.49% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 29.4%, Hindu 23.8%, Anglican 10.9%, Muslim 5.8%, Presbyterian 3.4%, other 26.7% Trinidad and Tobago Port-of-Spain red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side purchasing power parity - $9.41 billion (1999 est.) petroleum, chemicals, tourism, food processing, cement, beverage, cotton textiles $2.4 billion (f.o.b., 1998) $3 billion (c.i.f., 1998) 1 Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TT$) = 100 cents 6 (1999 est.) transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; producer of cannabis Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar 15 52 S, 54 25 E 1 tropical fish Tromelin Island the flag of France is used 1 (1999 est.) Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma 15 00 N, 100 00 E 514000 tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite, arable land 61230874 0.93% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Buddhism 95%, Muslim 3.8%, Christianity 0.5%, Hinduism 0.1%, other 0.6% (1991) Thailand Bangkok five horizontal bands of red (top), white, blue (double width), white, and red purchasing power parity - $388.7 billion (1999 est.) tourism; textiles and garments, agricultural processing, beverages, tobacco, cement, light manufacturing, such as jewelry; electric appliances and components, computers and parts, integrated circuits, furniture, plastics; world's second-largest tungsten producer and third-largest tin producer $58.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $45 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 baht (B) = 100 satang 106 (1999 est.) a minor producer of opium, heroin, and marijuana; major illicit transit point for heroin en route to the international drug market from Burma and Laos; eradication efforts have reduced the area of cannabis cultivation and shifted some production to neighboring countries; opium poppy cultivation has been reduced by eradication efforts; also a drug money-laundering center; minor role in amphetamine production for regional consumption; increasing indigenous abuse of methamphetamines and heroin Central Asia, west of China 39 00 N, 71 00 E 143100 midlatitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains hydropower, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten 6440732 2.12% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Sunni Muslim 80%, Shi'a Muslim 5% Tajikistan Dushanbe three horizontal stripes of red (top), a wider stripe of white, and green; a gold crown surmounted by seven gold, five-pointed stars is located in the center of the white stripe purchasing power parity - $6.2 billion (1999 est.) aluminum, zinc, lead, chemicals and fertilizers, cement, vegetable oil, metal-cutting machine tools, refrigerators and freezers $634 million (1999 est.) $770 million (1999 est.) Tajikistani ruble (TJR) = 100 tanga 59 (1994 est.) limited illicit cultivation of cannabis, mostly for domestic consumption; opium poppy cultivation negligible in 1998 because of government eradication program; major transshipment point for illicit drugs from Southwest Asia to Russia and Western Europe Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas 21 45 N, 71 35 W 430 tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry spiny lobster, conch 17502 3.55% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Baptist 41.2%, Methodist 18.9%, Anglican 18.3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.7%, other 19.9% (1980) Turks and Caicos Islands Cockburn Town (on Grand Turk) blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the colonial shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield is yellow and contains a conch shell, lobster, and cactus purchasing power parity - $117 million (1997 est.) tourism, offshore financial services $4.7 million (1993) $46.6 million (1993) 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents 7 (1999 est.) transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US Oceania, group of three islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand 9 00 S, 172 00 W 10 tropical; moderated by trade winds (April to November) NEGL 1458 -0.89% (2000 est.) Congregational Christian Church 70%, Roman Catholic 28%, other 2% note: on Atafu, all Congregational Christian Church of Samoa; on Nukunonu, all Roman Catholic; on Fakaofo, both denominations, with the Congregational Christian Church predominant Tokelau none; each atoll has its own administrative center the flag of New Zealand is used purchasing power parity - $1.5 million (1993 est.) small-scale enterprises for copra production, wood work, plaited craft goods; stamps, coins; fishing $98,000 (f.o.b., 1983) $323,400 (c.i.f., 1983) 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents none; lagoon landings by amphibious aircraft from Samoa Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand 20 00 S, 175 00 W 748 tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December) fish, fertile soil 102321 1.91% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Christian (Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents) Tonga Nuku'alofa red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner purchasing power parity - $238 million (1998 est.) tourism, fishing $8 million (f.o.b., 1998) $69 million (f.o.b., 1998) 1 pa'anga (T$) = 100 seniti 6 (1999 est.) Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and Ghana 8 00 N, 1 10 E 56785 tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land 5018502 2.7% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2000 est.) indigenous beliefs 70%, Christian 20%, Muslim 10% Togo Lome five equal horizontal bands of green (top and bottom) alternating with yellow; there is a white five-pointed star on a red square in the upper hoist-side corner; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia purchasing power parity - $8.6 billion (1999 est.) phosphate mining, agricultural processing, cement; handicrafts, textiles, beverages $400 million (f.o.b., 1999) $450 million (f.o.b., 1999) 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes 9 (1999 est.) transit hub for Nigerian heroin and cocaine traffickers Western Africa, islands in the Gulf of Guinea, straddling the Equator, west of Gabon 1 00 N, 7 00 E 1001 tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May) fish, hydropower 159883 3.16% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Christian 80% (Roman Catholic, Evangelical Protestant, Seventh-Day Adventist) Sao Tome and Principe Sao Tome three horizontal bands of green (top), yellow (double width), and green with two black five-pointed stars placed side by side in the center of the yellow band and a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia purchasing power parity - $169 million (1999 est.) light construction, textiles, soap, beer; fish processing; timber $4.9 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $19.5 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 dobra (Db) = 100 centimos 2 (1999 est.) Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya 34 00 N, 9 00 E 163610 temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt, arable land 9593402 1.17% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1% Tunisia Tunis red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent nearly encircling a red five-pointed star; the crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam purchasing power parity - $52.6 billion (1999 est.) petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, food, beverages $5.8 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $8.3 billion (c.i.f., 1999 est.) 1 Tunisian dinar (TD) = 1,000 millimes 32 (1999 est.) 39 00 N, 35 00 E 780580 temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior antimony, coal, chromium, mercury, copper, borate, sulfur, iron ore, arable land, hydropower 65666677 1.27% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (Christian and Jews) Turkey Ankara red with a vertical white crescent (the closed portion is toward the hoist side) and white five-pointed star centered just outside the crescent opening purchasing power parity - $409.4 billion (1999 est.) textiles, food processing, autos, mining (coal, chromite, copper, boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper $26 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $40 billion (c.i.f., 1999 est.) Turkish lira (TL) = 100 kurus (theoretical) 118 (1999 est.) key transit route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe and - to a far lesser extent the US - via air, land, and sea routes; major Turkish, Iranian, and other international trafficking organizations operate out of Istanbul; laboratories to convert imported morphine base into heroin are in remote regions of Turkey as well as near Istanbul; government maintains strict controls over areas of legal opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw concentrate Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia 8 00 S, 178 00 E 26 tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March) fish 10838 1.41% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6% Tuvalu Funafuti light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the outer half of the flag represents a map of the country with nine yellow five-pointed stars symbolizing the nine islands purchasing power parity - $7.8 million (1995 est.) fishing, tourism, copra $165,000 (f.o.b., 1989) $4.4 million (c.i.f., 1989) 1 Tuvaluan dollar ($T) or 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents 1 (1999 est.) Eastern Asia, islands bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, north of the Philippines, off the southeastern coast of China 23 30 N, 121 00 E 35980 tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos 22191087 0.81% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.12 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2000 est.) mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5% Taiwan Taipei red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays purchasing power parity - $357 billion (1999 est.) electronics, petroleum refining, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing $121.6 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $101.7 billion (c.i.f., 1999) 1 New Taiwan dollar (NT$) = 100 cents 38 (1999 est.) considered an important heroin transit point; major problem with domestic consumption of methamphetamines and heroin Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan 40 00 N, 60 00 E 488100 subtropical desert petroleum, natural gas, coal, sulfur, salt 4518268 1.87% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 89%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2% Turkmenistan Ashgabat green field with a vertical red stripe near the hoist side, containing five carpet guls (designs used in producing rugs) stacked above two crossed olive branches similar to the olive branches on the UN flag; a white crescent moon and five white stars appear in the upper corner of the field just to the fly side of the red stripe purchasing power parity - $7.7 billion (1999 est.) natural gas, oil, petroleum products, textiles, food processing $1.1 billion (1999 est.) $1.25 billion (1999 est.) 1 Turkmen manat (TMM) = 100 tenesi 64 (1994 est.) limited illicit cultivator of opium poppy, mostly for domestic consumption; limited government eradication program; increasingly used as transshipment point for illicit drugs from Southwest Asia to Russia and Western Europe; also a transshipment point for acetic anhydride destined for Afghanistan Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Kenya and Mozambique 6 00 S, 35 00 E 945087 varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands hydropower, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones, gold, natural gas, nickel 35306126 2.57% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2000 est.) mainland - Christian 45%, Muslim 35%, indigenous beliefs 20%; Zanzibar - more than 99% Muslim Tanzania Dar es Salaam note: some government offices have been transferred to Dodoma, which is planned as the new national capital; the National Assembly now meets there on regular basis divided diagonally by a yellow-edged black band from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green and the lower triangle is blue purchasing power parity - $23.3 billion (1999 est.) primarily agricultural processing (sugar, beer, cigarettes, sisal twine), diamond and gold mining, oil refining, shoes, cement, textiles, wood products, fertilizer, salt $828 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $1.44 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 Tanzanian shilling (TSh) = 100 cents 129 (1999 est.) growing role in transshipment of Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for European and US markets and of South Asian methaqualone bound for Southern Africa Eastern Africa, west of Kenya 1 00 N, 32 00 E 236040 tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August); semiarid in northeast copper, cobalt, hydropower, limestone, salt, arable land 23317560 2.72% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 33%, Protestant 33%, Muslim 16%, indigenous beliefs 18% Uganda Kampala six equal horizontal bands of black (top), yellow, red, black, yellow, and red; a white disk is superimposed at the center and depicts a red-crested crane (the national symbol) facing the hoist side purchasing power parity - $24.2 billion (1999 est.) sugar, brewing, tobacco, cotton textiles, cement $471 million (f.o.b., 1999) $1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1999) 1 Ugandan shilling (USh) = 100 cents 26 (1999 est.) Western Europe, islands including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, northwest of France 54 00 N, 2 00 W 244820 temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast coal, petroleum, natural gas, tin, limestone, iron ore, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, lead, silica, arable land 59511464 0.25% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Anglican 27 million, Roman Catholic 9 million, Muslim 1 million, Presbyterian 800,000, Methodist 760,000, Sikh 400,000, Hindu 350,000, Jewish 300,000 (1991 est.) United Kingdom London blue with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) edged in white superimposed on the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick (patron saint of Ireland) and which is superimposed on the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland); known as the Union Flag or Union Jack; the design and colors (especially the Blue Ensign) have been the basis for a number of other flags including other Commonwealth countries and their constituent states or provinces, as well as British overseas territories purchasing power parity - $1.29 trillion (1999 est.) production machinery including machine tools, electric power equipment, automation equipment, railroad equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, electronics and communications equipment, metals, chemicals, coal, petroleum, paper and paper products, food processing, textiles, clothing, and other consumer goods $271 billion (f.o.b., 1998) $305.9 billion (f.o.b., 1998) 1 British pound = 100 pence 498 (1999 est.) gateway country for Latin American cocaine entering the European market; producer and major consumer of synthetic drugs, synthetic precursor chemicals; major consumer of Southwest Asian heroin; money-laundering center Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland and Russia 49 00 N, 32 00 E 603700 temperate continental; Mediterranean only on the southern Crimean coast; precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest in west and north, lesser in east and southeast; winters vary from cool along the Black Sea to cold farther inland; summers are warm across the greater part of the country, hot in the south iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber, arable land 49153027 -0.83% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.49 male(s)/female total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Ukrainian Orthodox - Moscow Patriarchate, Ukrainian Orthodox - Kiev Patriarchate, Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox, Ukrainian Catholic (Uniate), Protestant, Jewish Ukraine Kiev (Kyyiv) two equal horizontal bands of azure (top) and golden yellow represent grainfields under a blue sky purchasing power parity - $109.5 billion (1999 est.) coal, electric power, ferrous and nonferrous metals, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food-processing (especially sugar) $11.6 billion (1999 est.) $11.8 billion (1999 est.) 1 hryvna = 100 kopiykas 706 (1994 est.) limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for CIS consumption; some synthetic drug production for export to West; limited government eradication program; used as transshipment point for opiates and other illicit drugs from Africa, Latin America, and Turkey, and to Europe and Russia; drug-related money laundering a minor, but growing, problem North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico 38 00 N, 97 00 W 9629091 mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber 275562673 0.91% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Protestant 56%, Roman Catholic 28%, Jewish 2%, other 4%, none 10% (1989) United States Washington, DC thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars; the 50 stars represent the 50 states, the 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies; known as Old Glory; the design and colors have been the basis for a number of other flags, including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico purchasing power parity - $9.255 trillion (1999 est.) leading industrial power in the world, highly diversified and technologically advanced; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining $663 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.) $912 billion (c.i.f., 1998 est.) 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents 14,572 (1999 est.) consumer of cocaine shipped from Colombia through Mexico and the Caribbean; consumer of heroin, marijuana, and increasingly methamphetamines from Mexico; consumer of high-quality Southeast Asian heroin; illicit producer of cannabis, marijuana, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and methamphetamines; drug-money-laundering center Western Africa, north of Ghana 13 00 N, 2 00 W 274200 tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, antimony, copper, nickel, bauxite, lead, phosphates, zinc, silver 11946065 2.71% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.) indigenous beliefs 40%, Muslim 50%, Christian (mainly Roman Catholic) 10% Burkina Faso Ouagadougou two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a yellow five-pointed star in the center; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia purchasing power parity - $12.4 billion (1999 est.) cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes, textiles, gold $311 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.) $572 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.) 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes 33 (1999 est.) Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil 33 00 S, 56 00 W 176220 warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fisheries 3334074 0.77% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Roman Catholic 66% (less than one-half of the adult population attends church regularly), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, nonprofessing or other 30% Uruguay Montevideo nine equal horizontal stripes of white (top and bottom) alternating with blue; there is a white square in the upper hoist-side corner with a yellow sun bearing a human face known as the Sun of May and 16 rays alternately triangular and wavy purchasing power parity - $28 billion (1999 est.) food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, textiles, chemicals, beverages $2.1 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $3.4 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 Uruguayan peso ($Ur) = 100 centesimos 65 (1999 est.) Central Asia, north of Afghanistan 41 00 N, 64 00 E 447400 mostly midlatitude desert, long, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid grassland in east natural gas, petroleum, coal, gold, uranium, silver, copper, lead and zinc, tungsten, molybdenum 24755519 1.6% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 88% (mostly Sunnis), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3% Uzbekistan Tashkent (Toshkent) three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and green separated by red fimbriations with a white crescent moon and 12 white stars in the upper hoist-side quadrant purchasing power parity - $59.3 billion (1999 est.) textiles, food processing, machine building, metallurgy, natural gas $2.9 billion (1999 est.) $3.1 billion (1999 est.) Uzbekistani som (UKS) 3 (1997 est.) limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and very small amounts of opium poppy, mostly for domestic consumption, almost entirely eradicated by an effective government eradication program; increasingly used as transshipment point for illicit drugs from Afghanistan to Russia and Western Europe and for acetic anhydride destined for Afghanistan Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, north of Trinidad and Tobago 13 15 N, 61 12 W 389 tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November) hydropower, cropland 115461 0.43% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%, Roman Catholic 13%, Seventh-Day Adventist, Hindu, other Protestant Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Kingstown three vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold (double width), and green; the gold band bears three green diamonds arranged in a V pattern purchasing power parity - $309 million (1999 est.) food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch $47.8 million (1998 est.) $180 million (1998 est.) 1 East Caribbean dollar (EC$) = 100 cents 6 (1999 est.) transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana 8 00 N, 66 00 W 912050 tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds 23542649 1.6% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2000 est.) nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2% Venezuela Caracas three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), blue, and red with the coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band and an arc of seven white five-pointed stars centered in the blue band purchasing power parity - $182.8 billion (1999 est.) petroleum, iron ore mining, construction materials, food processing, textiles, steel, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly $20.9 billion (f.o.b., 1999) $11.8 billion (f.o.b., 1999) 1 bolivar (Bs) = 100 centimos 366 (1999 est.) illicit producer of opium for the international drug trade on a small scale; however, large quantities of cocaine and heroin transit the country from Colombia bound for US and Europe; important money-laundering hub; active eradication program primarily targeting opium; increasing signs of drug-related activities by Colombian insurgents on border Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico 18 30 N, 64 30 W 150 subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds NEGL 19615 2.34% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.2 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Protestant 86% (Methodist 45%, Anglican 21%, Church of God 7%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 2%), Roman Catholic 6%, none 2%, other 6% (1981) British Virgin Islands Road Town blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful) purchasing power parity - $287 million (1999 est.) tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center $6 million (1998) $175 million (1998) 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents 3 (1999 est.) Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia 16 00 N, 106 00 E 329560 tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (mid-May to mid-September) and warm, dry season (mid-October to mid-March) phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, forests, hydropower 78773873 1.49% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Buddhist, Taoist, Roman Catholic, indigenous beliefs, Muslim, Protestant, Cao Dai, Hoa Hao Vietnam Hanoi red with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center purchasing power parity - $143.1 billion (1999 est.) food processing, garments, shoes, machine building, mining, cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, coal, steel, paper $11.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $11.6 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 new dong (D) = 100 xu 48 (1999 est.) minor producer of opium poppy with 2,100 hectares cultivated in 1999, capable of producing 11 metric tons of opium; probably minor transit point for Southeast Asian heroin destined for the US and Europe; growing opium/heroin addiction; possible small-scale heroin production Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico 18 20 N, 64 50 W 352 subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season May to November sun, sand, sea, surf 120917 1.07% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.83 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.88 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7% Virgin Islands Charlotte Amalie white, with a modified US coat of arms in the center between the large blue initials V and I; the coat of arms shows a yellow eagle holding an olive branch in one talon and three arrows in the other with a superimposed shield of vertical red and white stripes below a blue panel purchasing power parity - $1.8 billion (1999 est.) tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics $NA $NA 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents 2 note: international airports on Saint Thomas and Saint Croix (1999 est.) Southern Europe, an enclave of Rome (Italy) 41 54 N, 12 27 E 0 temperate; mild, rainy winters (September to mid-May) with hot, dry summers (May to September) none 880 1.15% (2000 est.) Roman Catholic Holy See (Vatican City) Vatican City two vertical bands of yellow (hoist side) and white with the crossed keys of Saint Peter and the papal miter centered in the white band printing and production of a small amount of mosaics and staff uniforms; worldwide banking and financial activities 1 Vatican lira (VLit) = 100 centesimi none Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and South Africa 22 00 S, 17 00 E 825418 desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, zinc, salt, vanadium, natural gas, hydropower, fish note: suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore 1771327 1.57% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Christian 80% to 90% (Lutheran 50% at least), indigenous beliefs 10% to 20% Namibia Windhoek a large blue triangle with a yellow sunburst fills the upper left section and an equal green triangle (solid) fills the lower right section; the triangles are separated by a red stripe that is contrasted by two narrow white-edge borders purchasing power parity - $7.1 billion (1999 est.) meat packing, fish processing, dairy products; mining (diamond, lead, zinc, tin, silver, tungsten, uranium, copper) $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 Namibian dollar (N$) = 100 cents 135 (1999 est.) Middle East, west of Jordan 32 00 N, 35 15 E 5860 temperate, temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters arable land 2020298 3.38% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8% West Bank purchasing power parity - $3.3 billion (1999 est.) generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale, modern industries in the settlements and industrial centers $682 million (includes Gaza Strip) (f.o.b., 1998 est.) $2.5 billion (includes Gaza Strip) (c.i.f., 1998 est.) 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot; 1 Jordanian dinar (JD) = 1,000 fils 2 (1999 est.) Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand 13 18 S, 176 12 W 274 tropical; hot, rainy season (November to April); cool, dry season (May to October); rains 2,500-3,000 mm per year (80% humidity); average temperature 26.6 degrees C NEGL 15283 NA% Roman Catholic 100% Wallis and Futuna Mata-Utu (on Ile Uvea) a large white modified Maltese cross centered on a red background; the flag of France outlined in white on two sides is in the upper hoist quadrant; the flag of France is used for official occasions purchasing power parity - $28.7 million (1995 est.) copra, handicrafts, fishing, lumber $370,000 (f.o.b., 1995 est.) $13.5 million (c.i.f., 1995 est.) 1 Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes 2 (1999 est.) Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco 24 30 N, 13 00 W 266000 hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew phosphates, iron ore 244943 2.29% (2000 est.) Muslim Western Sahara none purchasing power parity - $NA phosphate mining, handicrafts $NA $NA 1 Moroccan dirham (DH) = 100 centimes 12 (1999 est.) Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to the Northern Mariana Islands 19 17 N, 166 36 E 6 tropical none Wake Island the flag of the US is used 1 (1999 est.) Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand 13 35 S, 172 20 W 2860 tropical; rainy season (October to March), dry season (May to October) hardwood forests, fish, hydropower 179466 -0.22% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.72 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female total population: 1.39 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Christian 99.7% (about one-half of population associated with the London Missionary Society; includes Congregational, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Latter-Day Saints, Seventh-Day Adventist) Samoa Apia red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation purchasing power parity - $485 million (1998 est.) timber, tourism, food processing, fishing $20.3 million (f.o.b., 1998) $96.6 million (f.o.b., 1998) 1 tala (WS$) = 100 sene 3 (1999 est.) Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa 26 30 S, 31 30 E 17363 varies from tropical to near temperate asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc 1083289 2.02% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Christian 60%, indigenous beliefs 40% Swaziland Mbabane; note - Lobamba is the royal and legislative capital three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue; the red band is edged in yellow; centered in the red band is a large black and white shield covering two spears and a staff decorated with feather tassels, all placed horizontally purchasing power parity - $4.2 billion (1999 est.) mining (coal and asbestos), wood pulp, sugar, soft drink concentrates $825 million (f.o.b., 1999) $1.05 billion (f.o.b., 1999) 1 lilangeni (E) = 100 cents 18 (1999 est.) body of water between Africa, the Southern Ocean, Asia, and Australia 20 00 S, 80 00 E 68000000 northeast monsoon (December to April), southwest monsoon (June to October); tropical cyclones occur during May/June and October/November in the northern Indian Ocean and January/February in the southern Indian Ocean oil and gas fields, fish, shrimp, sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules body of water mostly north of the Arctic Circle 90 00 N, 0 00 E 14000000 polar climate characterized by persistent cold and relatively narrow annual temperature ranges; winters characterized by continuous darkness, cold and stable weather conditions, and clear skies; summers characterized by continuous daylight, damp and foggy weather, and weak cyclones with rain or snow sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules, oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales) Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea, between Oman and Saudi Arabia 15 00 N, 48 00 E 527970 mostly desert; hot and humid along west coast; temperate in western mountains affected by seasonal monsoon; extraordinarily hot, dry, harsh desert in east petroleum, fish, rock salt, marble, small deposits of coal, gold, lead, nickel, and copper, fertile soil in west 17479206 3.36% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.04 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Muslim including Shaf'i (Sunni) and Zaydi (Shi'a), small numbers of Jewish, Christian, and Hindu Yemen Sanaa three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; similar to the flag of Syria which has two green stars and of Iraq which has three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Egypt which has a heraldic eagle centered in the white band purchasing power parity - $12.7 billion (1999 est.) crude oil production and petroleum refining; small-scale production of cotton textiles and leather goods; food processing; handicrafts; small aluminum products factory; cement $2 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $2.3 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) Yemeni rial (YER) = 100 fils 50 (1999 est.) Southern Africa, east of Angola 15 00 S, 30 00 E 752614 tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April) copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium, hydropower 9582418 1.95% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Christian 50%-75%, Muslim and Hindu 24%-49%, indigenous beliefs 1% Zambia Lusaka green with a panel of three vertical bands of red (hoist side), black, and orange below a soaring orange eagle, on the outer edge of the flag purchasing power parity - $8.5 billion (1999 est.) copper mining and processing, construction, foodstuffs, beverages, chemicals, textiles, fertilizer $900 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $1.15 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) 1 Zambian kwacha (ZK) = 100 ngwee 112 (1999 est.) transshipment point for methaqualone, heroin, and cocaine bound for Southern Africa and Europe; regional money-laundering center body of water between Africa, Europe, the Southern Ocean, and the Western Hemisphere 0 00 N, 25 00 W 76000000 tropical cyclones (hurricanes) develop off the coast of Africa near Cape Verde and move westward into the Caribbean Sea; hurricanes can occur from May to December, but are most frequent from August to November oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales), sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules, precious stones Southern Africa, between South Africa and Zambia 20 00 S, 30 00 E 390580 tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to March) coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore, vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals 11342521 0.26% (2000 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2000 est.) syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs) 50%, Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs 24%, Muslim and other 1% Zimbabwe Harare seven equal horizontal bands of green, yellow, red, black, red, yellow, and green with a white isosceles triangle edged in black with its base on the hoist side; a yellow Zimbabwe bird is superimposed on a red five-pointed star in the center of the triangle purchasing power parity - $26.5 billion (1999 est.) mining (coal, gold, copper, nickel, tin, clay, numerous metallic and nonmetallic ores), steel, wood products, cement, chemicals, fertilizer, clothing and footwear, foodstuffs, beverages $2 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) $2 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.) 1 Zimbabwean dollar (Z$) = 100 cents 459 (1999 est.) significant transit point for African cannabis and South Asian heroin, mandrax, and methamphetamines destined for the South African and European markets body of water between the Southern Ocean, Asia, Australia, and the Western Hemisphere 0 00 N, 160 00 W 155000000 planetary air pressure systems and resultant wind patterns exhibit remarkable uniformity in the south and east; trade winds and westerly winds are well-developed patterns, modified by seasonal fluctuations; tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico from June to October and affect Mexico and Central America; continental influences cause climatic uniformity to be much less pronounced in the eastern and western regions at the same latitude in the North Pacific Ocean; the western Pacific is monsoonal - a rainy season occurs during the summer months, when moisture-laden winds blow from the ocean over the land, and a dry season during the winter months, when dry winds blow from the Asian landmass back to the ocean; tropical cyclones (typhoons) may strike southeast and east Asia from May to December oil and gas fields, polymetallic nodules, sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, fish