Geography - note (2001)

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Informations about Geography - note in 2001 year

	Afghanistan	landlocked
	Albania	strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)
	Algeria	second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan)
	American Samoa	Pago Pago has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the South Pacific Ocean, sheltered by shape from rough seas and protected by peripheral mountains from high winds; strategic location in the South Pacific Ocean
	Andorra	landlocked
	Angola	Cabinda is separated from rest of country by the Democratic Republic of the Congo
	Antarctica	the coldest, windiest, highest (on average), and driest continent; during summer, more solar radiation reaches the surface at the South Pole than is received at the Equator in an equivalent period; mostly uninhabitable
	Arctic Ocean	major chokepoint is the southern Chukchi Sea (northern access to the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait); strategic location between North America and Russia; shortest marine link between the extremes of eastern and western Russia; floating research stations operated by the US and Russia; maximum snow cover in March or April about 20 to 50 centimeters over the frozen ocean; snow cover lasts about 10 months
	Argentina	second-largest country in South America (after Brazil); strategic location relative to sea lanes between South Atlantic and South Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage)
	Armenia	landlocked
	Ashmore and Cartier Islands	Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in August 1983
	Atlantic Ocean	major chokepoints include the Dardanelles, Strait of Gibraltar, access to the Panama and Suez Canals; strategic straits include the Strait of Dover, Straits of Florida, Mona Passage, The Sound (Oresund), and Windward Passage; the Equator divides the Atlantic Ocean into the North Atlantic Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean
	Australia	world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country; population concentrated along the eastern and southeastern coasts; regular, tropical, invigorating, sea breeze known as "the Doctor" occurs along the west coast in the summer
	Austria	landlocked; strategic location at the crossroads of central Europe with many easily traversable Alpine passes and valleys; major river is the Danube; population is concentrated on eastern lowlands because of steep slopes, poor soils, and low temperatures elsewhere
	Azerbaijan	landlocked
	Bahamas, The	strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain
	Bahrain	close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic location in Persian Gulf which much of Western world's petroleum must transit to reach open ocean
	Baker Island	treeless, sparse, and scattered vegetation consisting of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife
	Barbados	easternmost Caribbean island
	Belarus	landlocked
	Belgium	crossroads of Western Europe; majority of West European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels which is the seat of both the EU and NATO
	Belize	only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean
	Benin	no natural harbors
	Bermuda	consists of about 360 small coral islands with ample rainfall, but no rivers or freshwater lakes; some land, reclaimed and otherwise, was leased by US Government from 1941 to 1995
	Bhutan	landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes
	Bolivia	landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru
	Bosnia and Herzegovina	within Bosnia and Herzegovina's recognized borders, the country is divided into a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation (about 51% of the territory) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska or RS (about 49% of the territory); the region called Herzegovina is contiguous to Croatia and traditionally has been settled by an ethnic Croat majority
	Botswana	landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the country
	Bouvet Island	covered by glacial ice; declared a nature reserve
	Brazil	largest country in South America; shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador
	British Indian Ocean Territory	archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility
	British Virgin Islands	strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
	Brunei	close to vital sea lanes through South China Sea linking Indian and Pacific Oceans; two parts physically separated by Malaysia; almost an enclave of Malaysia
	Bulgaria	strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia
	Burkina Faso	landlocked
	Burma	strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes
	Burundi	landlocked; straddles crest of the Nile-Congo watershed
	Cambodia	a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and Tonle Sap
	Cameroon	sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa
	Canada	second-largest country in world (after Russia); strategic location between Russia and US via north polar route; approximately 85% of the population is concentrated within 300 km of the US/Canada border
	Cape Verde	strategic location 500 km from west coast of Africa near major north-south sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air refueling site
	Cayman Islands	important location between Cuba and Central America
	Central African Republic	landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa
	Chad	landlocked; Lake Chad is the most significant water body in the Sahel
	Chile	strategic location relative to sea lanes between Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage); Atacama Desert is one of world's driest regions
	China	world's fourth-largest country (after Russia, Canada, and US)
	Christmas Island	located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean
	Clipperton Island	reef about 8 km in circumference
	Cocos (Keeling) Islands	two coral atolls thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation
	Colombia	only South American country with coastlines on both North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea
	Comoros	important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel
	Congo, Democratic Republic of the	straddles Equator; very narrow strip of land that controls the lower Congo river and is only outlet to South Atlantic Ocean; dense tropical rain forest in central river basin and eastern highlands
	Congo, Republic of the	about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or along the railroad between them
	Coral Sea Islands	important nesting area for birds and turtles
	Croatia	controls most land routes from Western Europe to Aegean Sea and Turkish Straits
	Cuba	largest country in Caribbean
	Czech Republic	landlocked; strategically located astride some of oldest and most significant land routes in Europe; Moravian Gate is a traditional military corridor between the North European Plain and the Danube in central Europe
	Denmark	controls Danish Straits (Skagerrak and Kattegat) linking Baltic and North Seas; about one-quarter of the population lives in greater Copenhagen
	Djibouti	strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia; mostly wasteland
	Dominican Republic	shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti (eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic, western one-third is Haiti)
	Ecuador	Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world
	Egypt	controls Sinai Peninsula, only land bridge between Africa and remainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal, shortest sea link between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea; size, and juxtaposition to Israel, establish its major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics; dependence on upstream neighbors; dominance of Nile basin issues; prone to influxes of refugees
	El Salvador	smallest Central American country and only one without a coastline on Caribbean Sea
	Equatorial Guinea	insular and continental regions rather widely separated
	Eritrea	strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia along the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993
	Ethiopia	landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993
	Europa Island	wildlife sanctuary
	Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)	deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors; short growing season
	Faroe Islands	archipelago of 17 inhabited islands and one uninhabited island, and a few uninhabited islets; strategically located along important sea lanes in northeastern Atlantic; precipitous terrain limits habitation to small coastal lowlands
	Fiji	includes 332 islands of which approximately 110 are inhabited
	Finland	long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain
	France	largest West European nation
	French Guiana	mostly an unsettled wilderness
	French Polynesia	includes five archipelagoes; Makatea in French Polynesia is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Nauru
	French Southern and Antarctic Lands	islands component is widely scattered across remote locations in the southern Indian Ocean
	Gambia, The	almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country on the continent of Africa
	Gaza Strip	there are 25 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Gaza Strip (August 2000 est.)
	Germany	strategic location on North European Plain and along the entrance to the Baltic Sea
	Ghana	Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake; northeasterly harmattan wind (January to March)
	Gibraltar	strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea
	Greece	strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing an archipelago of about 2,000 islands
	Greenland	dominates North Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe; sparse population confined to small settlements along coast, but close to one-quarter of the population lives in the capital, Nuuk; world's second largest ice cap
	Grenada	the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada
	Guam	largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands archipelago; strategic location in western North Pacific Ocean
	Guatemala	no natural harbors on west coast
	Guernsey	large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port
	Haiti	shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)
	Heard Island and McDonald Islands	primarily used for research stations
	Holy See (Vatican City)	urban; landlocked; enclave of Rome, Italy; world's smallest state; outside the Vatican City, 13 buildings in Rome and Castel Gandolfo (the pope's summer residence) enjoy extraterritorial rights
	Hong Kong	more than 200 islands
	Howland Island	almost totally covered with grasses, prostrate vines, and low-growing shrubs; small area of trees in the center; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife
	Hungary	landlocked; strategic location astride main land routes between Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between Ukraine and Mediterranean basin
	Iceland	strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost European country; Reykjavik is the northernmost national capital in the world; more land covered by glaciers than in all of continental Europe
	India	dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean trade routes
	Indian Ocean	major chokepoints include Bab el Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz, Strait of Malacca, southern access to the Suez Canal, and the Lombok Strait
	Indonesia	archipelago of 17,000 islands (6,000 inhabited); straddles Equator; strategic location astride or along major sea lanes from Indian Ocean to Pacific Ocean
	Ireland	strategic location on major air and sea routes between North America and northern Europe; over 40% of the population resides within 97 km of Dublin
	Isle of Man	one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the southwest, and is a bird sanctuary
	Israel	there are 231 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the West Bank, 42 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 25 in the Gaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem (August 2000 est.)
	Italy	strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe
	Jamaica	strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for Panama Canal
	Jan Mayen	barren volcanic island with some moss and grass
	Japan	strategic location in northeast Asia
	Jarvis Island	sparse bunch grass, prostrate vines, and low-growing shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife
	Jersey	largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; about 30% of population concentrated in Saint Helier
	Johnston Atoll	strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands, which have been expanded by coral dredging; North Island (Akau) and East Island (Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral dredging; egg-shaped reef is 34 km in circumference; closed to the public; former US nuclear weapons test site; site of Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System (JACADS); some low-growing vegetation
	Juan de Nova Island	wildlife sanctuary
	Kazakhstan	landlocked; Russia leases approximately 6,000 sq km of territory enclosing the Baykonur Cosmodrome
	Kenya	the Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful agricultural production regions in Africa; glaciers on Mt. Kenya; unique physiography supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic value
	Kingman Reef	barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; closed to the public
	Kiribati	20 of the 33 islands are inhabited; Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Makatea in French Polynesia, and Nauru
	Korea, North	strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and Russia; mountainous interior is isolated and sparsely populated
	Kuwait	strategic location at head of Persian Gulf
	Kyrgyzstan	landlocked
	Laos	landlocked
	Lebanon	Nahr al Litani only major river in Near East not crossing an international boundary; rugged terrain historically helped isolate, protect, and develop numerous factional groups based on religion, clan, and ethnicity
	Lesotho	landlocked; surrounded by South Africa
	Liechtenstein	along with Uzbekistan, one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world; variety of microclimatic variations based on elevation
	Luxembourg	landlocked
	Macau	essentially urban; one causeway and two bridges connect the two islands of Coloane and Taipa to the peninsula on mainland
	Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of	landlocked; major transportation corridor from Western and Central Europe to Aegean Sea and Southern Europe to Western Europe
	Madagascar	world's fourth-largest island; strategic location along Mozambique Channel
	Malawi	landlocked
	Malaysia	strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea
	Maldives	1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls (200 inhabited islands, plus 80 islands with tourist resorts); archipelago of strategic location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean
	Mali	landlocked
	Malta	the country comprises an archipelago, with only the three largest islands (Malta, Ghawdex or Gozo, and Kemmuna or Comino) being inhabited; numerous bays provide good harbors; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration
	Marshall Islands	two archipelagic island chains of 30 atolls and 1,152 islands; Bikini and Enewetak are former US nuclear test sites; Kwajalein, the famous World War II battleground, is now used as a US missile test range
	Mauritania	most of the population concentrated in the cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the southern part of the country
	Mayotte	part of Comoro Archipelago; 18 islands
	Mexico	strategic location on southern border of US
	Micronesia, Federated States of	four major island groups totaling 607 islands
	Midway Islands	a coral atoll managed as a national wildlife refuge and open to the public for wildlife-related recreation in the form of wildlife observation and photography, sport fishing, snorkeling, and scuba diving
	Moldova	landlocked
	Monaco	second smallest independent state in the world (after Holy See); almost entirely urban
	Mongolia	landlocked; strategic location between China and Russia
	Morocco	strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar
	Nauru	Nauru is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Makatea in French Polynesia; only 53 km south of Equator
	Navassa Island	strategic location 160 km south of the US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; mostly exposed rock, but enough grassland to support goat herds; dense stands of fig-like trees, scattered cactus
	Nepal	landlocked; strategic location between China and India; contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks
	Netherlands	located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse, and Schelde)
	New Zealand	about 80% of the population lives in cities; Wellington is the southernmost national capital in the world
	Niger	landlocked
	Niue	one of world's largest coral islands
	Northern Mariana Islands	strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean
	Norway	about two-thirds mountains; some 50,000 islands off its much indented coastline; strategic location adjacent to sea lanes and air routes in North Atlantic; one of most rugged and longest coastlines in world; Norway is the only NATO member having a land boundary with Russia
	Oman	strategic location on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil
	Pacific Ocean	the major chokepoints are the Bering Strait, Panama Canal, Luzon Strait, and the Singapore Strait; the Equator divides the Pacific Ocean into the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean; dotted with low coral islands and rugged volcanic islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean
	Pakistan	controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion routes between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent
	Palau	includes World War II battleground of Beliliou (Peleliu) and world-famous rock islands; archipelago of six island groups totaling over 200 islands in the Caroline chain
	Palmyra Atoll	about 50 islets covered with dense vegetation, coconut trees, and balsa-like trees up to 30 meters tall
	Panama	strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming land bridge connecting North and South America; controls Panama Canal that links North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean
	Papua New Guinea	shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia; one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast
	Paraguay	landlocked; lies between Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil
	Peru	shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake, with Bolivia
	Poland	historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain
	Portugal	Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations along western sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar
	Puerto Rico	important location along the Mona Passage - a key shipping lane to the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural harbors in the Caribbean; many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north
	Qatar	strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits
	Romania	controls most easily traversable land route between the Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine
	Russia	largest country in the world in terms of area but unfavorably located in relation to major sea lanes of the world; despite its size, much of the country lacks proper soils and climates (either too cold or too dry) for agriculture
	Rwanda	landlocked; predominantly rural population
	Saint Helena	harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown anywhere else in the world; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles and sooty terns
	Saint Pierre and Miquelon	vegetation scanty
	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada
	San Marino	landlocked; smallest independent state in Europe after the Holy See and Monaco; dominated by the Apennines
	Saudi Arabia	extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal
	Senegal	The Gambia is almost an enclave of Senegal
	Seychelles	40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands
	Singapore	focal point for Southeast Asian sea routes
	Slovakia	landlocked
	Somalia	strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal
	South Africa	South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Swaziland
	South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands	the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which provide good anchorage; reindeer, introduced early in this century, live on South Georgia
	Southern Ocean	the major chokepoint is the Drake Passage between South America and Antarctica; the Polar Front (Antarctic Convergence) is the best natural definition of the northern extent of the Southern Ocean; it is a distinct region at the middle of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current that separates the very cold polar surface waters to the south from the warmer waters to the north; the Front and the Current extend entirely around Antarctica, reaching south of 60 degrees south near New Zealand and near 48 degrees south in the far South Atlantic coinciding with the path of the maximum westerly winds
	Spain	strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar
	Spratly Islands	strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs
	Sri Lanka	strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes
	Sudan	largest country in Africa; dominated by the Nile and its tributaries
	Suriname	mostly tropical rain forest; great diversity of flora and fauna that, for the most part, is increasingly threatened by new development; relatively small population, most of which lives along the coast
	Svalbard	northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area
	Swaziland	landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa
	Sweden	strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas
	Switzerland	landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe; along with southeastern France and northern Italy, contains the highest elevations in Europe
	Syria	there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (August 1999 est.)
	Tajikistan	landlocked
	Tanzania	Kilimanjaro is highest point in Africa
	Thailand	controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore
	Tonga	archipelago of 170 islands (36 inhabited)
	Tromelin Island	climatologically important location for forecasting cyclones; wildlife sanctuary
	Tunisia	strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration
	Turkey	strategic location controlling the Turkish Straits (Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link Black and Aegean Seas
	Turkmenistan	landlocked
	Turks and Caicos Islands	30 islands (eight inhabited)
	Uganda	landlocked
	Ukraine	strategic position at the crossroads between Europe and Asia; second-largest country in Europe
	United Arab Emirates	strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil
	United Kingdom	lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km from France and now linked by tunnel under the English Channel; because of heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters
	United States	world's third-largest country (after Russia and Canada)
	Uzbekistan	along with Liechtenstein, one of the only two doubly landlocked countries in the world
	Venezuela	on major sea and air routes linking North and South America
	Virgin Islands	important location along the Anegada Passage - a key shipping lane for the Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the best natural, deepwater harbors in the Caribbean
	Wake Island	strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; emergency landing location for transpacific flights
	Wallis and Futuna	both island groups have fringing reefs
	West Bank	landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are 231 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the West Bank and 29 in East Jerusalem (August 1999 est.)
	Yemen	strategic location on Bab el Mandeb, the strait linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, one of world's most active shipping lanes
	Yugoslavia	controls one of the major land routes from Western Europe to Turkey and the Near East; strategic location along the Adriatic coast
	Zambia	landlocked
	Zimbabwe	landlocked