Part II - (139 less developed countries) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana,

Part I - (27 developed countries) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Eu, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Nz, Norway, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Uae, Uk, Us

International Energy Agency (IEA): established - 15 November 1974

aim - to promote cooperation on energy matters, especially emergency oil sharing and relations between oil consumers and oil producers; established by the OECD

members - (27) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy,
Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Portugal,
Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
(IFRCS): note - formerly known as League of Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies (LORCS)

established - 5 May 1919

aim - to organize, coordinate, and direct international relief actions; to promote humanitarian activities; to represent and encourage the development of National Societies; to bring help to victims of armed conflicts, refugees, and displaced people; to reduce the vulnerability of people through development programs

members - (185 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Afghanistan,
Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina,
Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain,
Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso,
Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African
Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of
the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote
d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica,
Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial
Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia,
Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-
Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia,
Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan,
Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos,
Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta,
Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova,
Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ,
Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New
Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania,
Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia,
Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,
Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan,
Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago,
Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay,
Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
Palestine Liberation Organization

observers - (2) Eritrea and Tuvalu

International Finance Corporation (IFC): established - 25 May 1955; effective - 24 July 1956

aim - to support private enterprise in international economic development; a UN specialized agency and IBRD affiliate

members - (177) includes all UN member countries except Andorra, Brunei, Cuba, Guinea, North Korea, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Montenegro, Nauru, Qatar, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Suriname, Tuvalu

International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD): established -
November 1974

aim - to promote agricultural development; a UN specialized agency

members - (165)

Category I - (23 industrialized aid contributors) Australia, Austria,
Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland,
Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Portugal,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, US

Category II - (12 petroleum-exporting aid contributors) Algeria, Gabon,
Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,
UAE, Venezuela

Category III - (130 aid recipients) Afghanistan, Albania, Angola,
Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh,
Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon,
Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia,
Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook
Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Djibouti,
Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador,
Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana,
Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras,
India, Israel, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, North
Korea, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia,
Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta,
Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique,
Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Niue, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua
New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts
and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao
Tome and Principe, Senegal, Serbia (suspended since 1992), Seychelles,
Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan,
Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo,
Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Uruguay, Vietnam,
Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

International Hydrographic Organization (IHO): note - name changed from International Hydrographic Bureau on 22 September 1970

established - June 1919; effective - June 1921

aim - to train hydrographic surveyors and nautical cartographers to achieve standardization in nautical charts and electronic chart displays; to provide advice on nautical cartography and hydrography; to develop the sciences in the field of hydrography and techniques used for descriptive oceanograrphy

members - (76) Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh,
Belgium, Brazil, Burma, Canada, Chile, China (including Hong Kong and
Macau), Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo (suspended),
Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Republic (suspended),
Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Guatemala, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Jamaica, Japan,
North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Latvia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico,
Monaco, Morocco, Mozambique, Netherlands, NZ, Nigeria, Norway, Oman,
Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal,
Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,
Suriname (suspended), Sweden, Syria, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad and
Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Venezuela

International Labor Organization (ILO): established - 28 June 1919 set up as part of Treaty of Versailles; 11 April 1919 became operative; 14 December 1946 affiliated with the UN

aim - to deal with world labor issues; a UN specialized agency

members - (179) includes all UN member countries except Andorra,
Bhutan, Brunei, North Korea, Liechtenstein, Maldives, Marshall Islands,
Federated States of Micronesia, Monaco, Nauru, Palau, Tonga, and
Tuvalu; note - includes the following dependencies: Netherlands
(Netherlands Antilles and Aruba)

International Maritime Organization (IMO): note - name changed from Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO) on 22 May 1982

established - 6 March 1948 set up as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization; effective - 17 March 1958

aim - to deal with international maritime affairs; a UN specialized agency

members - (167) includes all UN member countries except Afghanistan,
Andorra, Armenia, Belarus, Bhutan, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi,
Central African Republic, Chad, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho,
Liechtenstein, Mali, Federated States of Micronesia, Montenegro, Nauru,
Niger, Palau, Rwanda, Tajikistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Zambia

associate members - (3) Faroe Islands, Hong Kong, Macau

International Monetary Fund (IMF): established - 22 July 1944; effective - 27 December 1945

aim - to promote world monetary stability and economic development; a UN specialized agency

members - (184) includes all UN member countries except Andorra, Cuba, North Korea, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Nauru, Tuvalu; note - includes the following dependencies or areas of special interest: China (Hong Kong and Macau), Netherlands (Netherlands Antilles and Aruba)

International Olympic Committee (IOC): established - 23 June 1894

aim - to promote the Olympic ideals and administer the Olympic games: 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy; 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China; 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada; 2012 Summer Olympics in London, UK

National Olympic Committees - (201 and the Palestine Liberation
Organization) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra,
Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia,
Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados,
Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei,
Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada,
Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile,
China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of
the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba,
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican
Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea,
Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia,
Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea,
Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland,
India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan,
Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait,
Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya,
Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi,
Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania,
Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco,
Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands,
Netherlands Antilles, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman,
Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines,
Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint
Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa,
San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia,
Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon
Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname,
Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania,
Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,
Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan,
Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
Palestine Liberation Organization

International Organization for Migration (IOM): note - established as
Provisional Intergovernmental Committee for the Movement of Migrants
from Europe; renamed Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration
(ICEM) on 15 November 1952; renamed Intergovernmental Committee for
Migration (ICM) in November 1980; current name adopted 14 November 1989

established - 5 December 1951

aim - to facilitate orderly international emigration and immigration

members - (118) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina,
Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bangladesh,
Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde,
Chile, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the
Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia,
Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece,
Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iran,
Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya,
South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg,
Madagascar, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova,
Morocco, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan,
Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda,
Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain,
Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand,
Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay, Venezuela,
Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

observers - (20) Bhutan, Burundi, China, Cuba, Ethiopia, Guyana, Holy
See, India, Indonesia, Macedonia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Papua New
Guinea, Russia, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Somalia,
Turkmenistan, Vietnam

International Organization for Standardization (ISO): established -
February 1947

aim - to promote the development of international standards with a view to facilitating international exchange of goods and services and to developing cooperation in the sphere of intellectual, scientific, technological and economic activity

members - (103 national standards organizations) Algeria, Argentina,
Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados,
Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria,
Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Costa
Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana,
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland,
Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, North Korea,
South Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malaysia,
Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, NZ, Nigeria,
Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar,
Romania, Russia, Saint Lucia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore,
Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden,
Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia,
Turkey, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam,
Zimbabwe

correspondent members - (43 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization)
Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Brunei, Burkina
Faso, Burma, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia,
Georgia, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Hong Kong, Kyrgyzstan,
Latvia, Lithuania, Macau, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Moldova,
Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Papua New Guinea,
Paraguay, Peru, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Swaziland, Togo,
Turkmenistan, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia, Palestine Liberation Organization

subscriber members - (9) Antigua and Barbuda, Burundi, Cambodia, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Honduras, Lesotho, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

International Organization of the French-speaking World (OIF): note - name changed from Agency of Cultural and Technical Cooperation (ACCT) in 1997

established - 20 March 1970

aim - founded around a common language to promote and spread the cultures of its members and to reinforce cultural and technical cooperation between them

members - (55) Albania, Andorra, Belgium, Benin, Bulgaria, Burkina
Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Canada - New Brunswick,
Canada - Quebec, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros,
Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Cyprus,
Djibouti, Dominica, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, France, French Community
of Belgium, Gabon, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Laos,
Lebanon, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania,
Mauritius, Moldova, Monaco, Morocco, Niger, Romania, Rwanda, Saint
Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Switzerland, Togo,
Tunisia, Vanuatu, Vietnam

observers - (13) Armenia, Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Lithuania, Mozambique, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine

International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRM): established - 1928

aim - to promote worldwide humanitarian aid through the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in wartime, and International
Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS; formerly
League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies or LORCS) in peacetime

National Societies - (182 countries); note - same as membership for
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
(IFRCS)

International Telecommunication Union (ITU): established - 17 May 1865 set up as the International Telegraph Union; 9 December 1932 adopted present name; effective - 1 January 1934; affiliated with the UN - 15 November 1947

aim - to deal with world telecommunications issues; a UN specialized agency

members - (191) includes all UN member countries except East Timor, Palau (190 total); plus Holy See

Islamic Development Bank (IDB): established - 15 December 1973 by declaration of intent; effective - 12 August 1974

aim - to promote Islamic economic aid and social development

members - (55 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Afghanistan,
Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Brunei,
Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt,
Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq,
Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia,
Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Oman,
Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan,
Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan,
Uganda, UAE, Uzbekistan, Yemen, Palestine Liberation Organization

Latin American Economic System (LAES): note - also known as Sistema
Economico Latinoamericana (SELA)

established - 17 October 1975

aim - to promote economic and social development through regional cooperation

members - (27) Argentina, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile,
Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador,
Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico,
Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago,
Uruguay, Venezuela

Latin American Integration Association (LAIA): note - also known as
Asociacion Latinoamericana de Integracion (ALADI)

established - 12 August 1980; effective - 18 March 1981

aim - to promote freer regional trade

members - (12) Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela

observers - (26) China, Corporacion Andina de Fomento, Costa Rica,
Dominican Republic, EC, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Inter-
American Development Bank, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on
Agriculture, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Latin America Economic System,
Nicaragua, Organization of American States, Panama, Pan-American Health
Organization, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine,
United Nations Development Program, United Nations Economic Commission
for Latin America and the Caribbean

League of Arab States (LAS): note - also known as Arab League (AL)

established - 22 March 1945

aim - aim - to promote economic, social, political, and military cooperation

members - (21 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Algeria,
Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon,
Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan,
Syria, Tunisia, UAE, Yemen, Palestine Liberation Organization

least developed countries (LLDCs): that subgroup of the less developed countries (LDCs) initially identified by the UN General Assembly in 1971 as having no significant economic growth, per capita GDPs normally less than $1,000, and low literacy rates; also known as the undeveloped countries; the 42 LLDCs are: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Laos, Lesotho, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Yemen

less developed countries (LDCs): the bottom group in the hierarchy of developed countries (DCs), former USSR/Eastern Europe (former USSR/EE), and less developed countries (LDCs); mainly countries and dependent areas with low levels of output, living standards, and technology; per capita GDPs are generally below $5,000 and often less than $1,500; however, the group also includes a number of countries with high per capita incomes, areas of advanced technology, and rapid rates of growth; includes the advanced developing countries, developing countries, Four Dragons (Four Tigers), least developed countries (LLDCs), low-income countries, middle-income countries, newly industrializing economies (NIEs), the South, Third World, underdeveloped countries, undeveloped countries; the 172 LDCs are: Afghanistan, Algeria, American Samoa, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands, Fiji, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gabon, The Gambia, Gaza Strip, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Jersey, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Macau, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Oman, Palau, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Reunion, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, UAE, Uganda, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands, Wallis and Futuna, West Bank, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe; note - similar to the new International Monetary Fund (IMF) term "developing countries" which adds Malta, Mexico, South Africa, and Turkey but omits in its recently published statistics American Samoa, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, Cook Islands, Cuba, Eritrea, Falkland Islands, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gaza Strip, Gibraltar, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, North Korea, Macau, Martinique, Mayotte, Montserrat, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Saint Helena, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Tokelau, Tonga, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Virgin Islands, Wallis and Futuna, West Bank, Western Sahara

low-income countries: another term for those less developed countries with below-average per capita GDPs; see less developed countries (LDCs)

middle-income countries: another term for those less developed countries with above-average per capita GDPs; see less developed countries (LDCs)

Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA): established - 12
April 1988

aim - encourages flow of foreign direct investment among member countries by offering investment insurance, consultation, and negotiation on conditions for foreign investment and technical assistance; a UN specialized agency

members - (168) includes all UN member countries except Andorra,
Bhutan, Brunei, Burma, Comoros, Cuba, Djibouti, Iraq, Kirabati, North
Korea, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Monaco,
Montenegro, Nauru, NZ, Niger, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe,
Somalia, Tonga, Tuvalu

Near Abroad: Russian term for the 14 non-Russian successor states of the USSR, in which 25 million ethnic Russians live and in which Moscow has expressed a strong national security interest; the 14 countries are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan

new independent states (NIS): a term referring to all the countries of the FSU except the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania)

newly industrializing countries (NICs): former term for the newly industrializing economies; see newly industrializing economies (NIEs)

newly industrializing economies (NIEs): that subgroup of the less developed countries (LDCs) that has experienced particularly rapid industrialization of their economies; formerly known as the newly industrializing countries (NICs); also known as advanced developing countries; usually includes the Four Dragons (Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan), and Brazil

Nonaligned Movement (NAM): established - 1-6 September 1961

aim - to establish political and military cooperation apart from the traditional East or West blocs

members - (114 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Afghanistan,
Algeria, Angola, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus,
Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Burma,
Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic,
Chad, Chile, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Djibouti, Dominican
Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon,
The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana,
Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, North
Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar,
Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius,
Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger,
Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines,
Qatar, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia,
Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, South
Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tanzania,
Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uganda,
UAE, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
Palestine Liberation Organization

observers - (15) Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Dominica, El Salvadore, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Paraguay, Ukraine, Uruguay

guests - (24) Australia, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria,
Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Greece, Holy See, Hungary,
Italy, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland

Nordic Council (NC): established - 16 March 1952; effective - 12
February 1953

aim - to promote regional economic, cultural, and environmental cooperation

members - (5) Denmark (including Faroe Islands and Greenland), Finland (including Aland Islands), Iceland, Norway, Sweden

observers - (3) the Sami (Lapp) local parliaments of Finland, Norway, and Sweden

Nordic Investment Bank (NIB): established - 4 December 1975; effective - 1 June 1976

aim - to promote economic cooperation and development

members - (8) Denmark (including Faroe Islands and Greenland), Estonia, Finland (including Aland Islands), Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden

North: a popular term for the rich industrialized countries generally located in the northern portion of the Northern Hemisphere; the counterpart of the South; see developed countries (DCs)

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA): established - 17 December 1992

aim - to eliminate trade barriers, promote fair competition, increase investment opportunities, provide protection of intellectual property rights, and create procedures to settle disputes

members - (3) Canada, Mexico, US

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO): established - 4 April 1949

aim - to promote mutual defense and cooperation

members - (26) Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, UK, US

Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA): note - also known as OECD Nuclear Energy
Agency

established - 1 February 1958

aim - to promote the peaceful uses of nuclear energy; associated with OECD

members - (28) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland,
Italy, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway,
Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US

Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG): note - also known as the London
Suppliers Group or the London Group

established - 1974; effective - 1975

aim - to establish guidelines for exports of nuclear materials, processing equipment for uranium enrichment, and technical information to countries of proliferation concern and regions of conflict and instability

members - (45) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil,
Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy,
Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta,
Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia,
Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine,
UK, US

observer - (1) European Commission (a policy-planning body for the EU)

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD): established - 14 December 1960; effective - 30 September 1961

aim - to promote economic cooperation and development

members - (30) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland,
Italy, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, NZ, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US

special member - (1) EC

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE): note - formerly the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) established 3 July 1975

established - 1 January 1995

aim - to foster the implementation of human rights, fundamental freedoms, democracy, and the rule of law; to act as an instrument of early warning, conflict prevention, and crisis management; and to serve as a framework for conventional arms control and confidence building measures

members - (56) Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus,
Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus,
Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany,
Greece, Holy See, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia,
Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine,
UK, US, Uzbekistan

partners for cooperation - (11) Afghanistan, Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Mongolia, Morocco, Thailand, Tunisia

Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW): established - 29 April 1997

aim - to enforce the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling, and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction; to provide a forum for consultation and cooperation among the signatories of the Convention

members (countries that have ratified the Convention) - (180)
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina,
Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus,
Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia,
Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile,
China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cook
Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Djibouti, East Timor, Ecuador, El
Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland,
France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada,
Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland,
India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan,
Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos,
Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg,
Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta,
Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of
Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia,
Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norway,
Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru,
Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint
Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa,
San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia,
Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon
Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland,
Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga,
Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda,
Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam,
Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

signatory states (countries that have signed, but not ratified, the Convention) - (6) The Bahamas, Burma, Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, Guinea-Bissau, Israel

Organization of African Unity (OAU): see African Union

Organization of American States (OAS): established - 14 April 1890 as the International Union of American Republics; 30 April 1948 adopted present charter; effective - 13 December 1951

aim - to promote regional peace and security as well as economic and social development

members - (35) Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba (excluded from formal participation since 1962), Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, US, Uruguay, Venezuela

observers - (60) Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan,
Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Cyprus,
Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, EU,
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Holy See, Hungary,
India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Latvia,
Lebanon, Luxembourg, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan,
Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia,
Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland,
Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, UK, Yemen

Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC): established - 9 January 1968

aim - to promote cooperation in the petroleum industry

members - (11) Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia (suspended), UAE

Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS): established - 18 June 1981; effective - 4 July 1981

aim - to promote political, economic, and defense cooperation

members - (7) Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

associate member - (2) Anguilla, British Virgin Islands

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC): established - 14
September 1960

aim - to coordinate petroleum policies

members - (11) Algeria, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Venezuela

Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC): established - 22-25
September 1969

aim - to promote Islamic solidarity in economic, social, cultural, and political affairs

members - (56 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Afghanistan,
Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Brunei,
Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt,
Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Indonesia, Iran,
Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia,
Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Oman,
Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan,
Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan,
Uganda, UAE, Uzbekistan, Yemen, Palestine Liberation Organization

observers - (11) AU, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Central African Republic, ECO, LAS, Moro National Liberation Front, NAM, Russia, Thailand, Turkish Muslim Community of Kibris, UN

Pacific Community (SPC): note - formerly known as the South Pacific
Commission (SPC)

established - 6 February 1947; effective - 29 July 1948

aim - to promote regional cooperation in economic and social matters

members - (26) American Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, France, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, NZ, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, US, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna; note - UK withdrew in January 2005

Pacific Islands Forum (PIF): note - formerly known as South Pacific
Forum (SPF)

established - 5 August 1971

aim - to promote regional cooperation in political matters

members - (16) Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, NZ, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu

observers - (4) East Timor, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Tokelau

Paris Club: established - 1956

aim - to provide a forum for debtor countries to negotiate rescheduling of debt service payments or loans extended by governments or official agencies of participating countries; to help restore normal trade and project finance to debtor countries

members - (19) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, US

Partnership for Peace (PFP): established - 10-11 January 1994

aim - to expand and intensify political and military cooperation throughout Europe, increase stability, diminish threats to peace, and build relationships by promoting the spirit of practical cooperation and commitment to democratic principles that underpin NATO; program under the auspices of NATO

members - (20) Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Croatia, Finland, Georgia, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan; note - a nation that becomes a member of NATO is no longer a member of PFP

Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA): established - 29 July 1899

aim - to facilitate the settlement of international disputes

members - (105) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium,
Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon,
Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Costa
Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican
Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia,
Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti,
Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy,
Japan, Jordan, Kenya, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia,
Lebanon, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia,
Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, NZ,
Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland,
Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia,
Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan,
Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Togo, Turkey,
Uganda, Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay, Venezuela, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Rio Group (RG): note - formerly known as Grupo de los Ocho, established NA December 1986; composed of the Contadora Group and the Lima Group

established - 1988

aim - to consult on regional Latin American issues

members - (20) Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, CARICOM, Chile, Colombia,
Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala,
Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay,
Venezuela

Second World: another term for the traditionally Marxist-Leninist states of the USSR and Eastern Europe, with authoritarian governments and command economies based on the Soviet model; the term is fading from use; see centrally planned economies

Secretariat of the Pacific Communities (SPC): established - 6 February 1947

aim - to serve island development in 22 Pacific countries; to develop technical assistance and professional, scientific, and research support; to build planning and management capability

members - (26) America Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, France,
French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of
Micronesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, NZ,
Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands,
Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, US, Wallis and Futuna

Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO): established - 15 June 1901

aim - to combat terrorism, extremism, and separatism; to safeguard regional security through mutual trust, disarmament, and cooperative security; and to increase cooperation in political, trade, economic, scientific and technological, cultural, and educational fields

members - (6) China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan

observer - (4) India, Iran, Mongolia, Pakistan

socialist countries: in general, countries in which the government owns and plans the use of the major factors of production; note - the term is sometimes used incorrectly as a synonym for Communist countries

South: a popular term for the poorer, less industrialized countries generally located south of the developed countries; the counterpart of the North; see less developed countries (LDCs)

South American Community of Nations (CSN): established - 9 December 2004

aim - to coordinate common policies regarding multilateral organizations, to integrate physical infrastructure, and to consolidate the merger of CAN and Mercosur

members - (12) Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam, Uruguay, Venezuela

observers - (2) Mexico, Panama

South Asia Co-operative Environment Program (SACEP): established -
January 1983

aim - to promote regional cooperation in South Asia in the field of environment, both natural and human, and on issues of economic and social development; to support conservation and management of natural resources of the region

members - (7) Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC): established - 8 December 1985

aim - to promote economic, social, and cultural cooperation

members - (8) Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka

observers - (2) China, Japan

South Pacific Forum (SPF): note - see Pacific Island Forum

South Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement
(Sparteca): established - 1981

aim - to redress unequal trade relationships of Australia and New Zealand with small island economies in the Pacific region

members - (16) Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, NZ, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu

Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI): established - 6
December 1996

aim - to encourage cooperation among participating states and to facilitate their integration into European structures

members - (12) Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey

observers - (15) Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Canada, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Ukraine, UK, US

Southern African Customs Union (SACU): established - 11 December 1969

aim - to promote free trade and cooperation in customs matters

members - (5) Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland

Southern African Development Community (SADC): note - evolved from the
Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC)

established - 17 August 1992

aim - to promote regional economic development and integration

members - (14) Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Southern Cone Common Market (Mercosur) or Southern Common Market: note - also known as Mercado Comun del Cono Sur (Mercosur)

established - 26 March 1991

aim - to increase regional economic cooperation

members - (5) Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela

associate members - (5) Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru; note - Mexico is to become an associate member by the end of 2006

Third World: another term for the less developed countries; the term is obsolescent; see less developed countries (LDCs)

underdeveloped countries: refers to those less developed countries with the potential for above-average economic growth; see less developed countries (LDCs)

undeveloped countries: refers to those extremely poor less developed countries (LDCs) with little prospect for economic growth; see least developed countries (LLDCs)

United Nations (UN): established - 26 June 1945; effective - 24
October 1945

aim - to maintain international peace and security and to promote cooperation involving economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian problems

constituent organizations - the UN is composed of six principal organs and numerous subordinate agencies and bodies as follows:

1) Secretariat

2) General Assembly: Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UN
AIDS), International Research and Training Institute for the
Advancement of Women (INSTRAW), Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Organization for the Prohibition
of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Preparation Commission for the Nuclear-Ban-
Treaty Operation ((CTBTU), United Nations Center for Human Settlements
(UN-Habitat), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), United Nations
Development Program (UNDP), United Nations Drug Control Program
(UNDCP), United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations Institute for
Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), United Nations Institute for Training
and Research (UNITAR), United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice
Research Institute (UNICRI), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA),
United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS), United Nations
Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
(UNRWA), United Nations Research Institute for Social Development
(UNRISD), United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC), United Nations
University (UNU), World Food Program (WFP)

3) Security Council: International Criminal Tribunal for the Former
Yugoslavia (ICTY), International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR),
United Nations Compensation Commission, United Nations Disengagement
Observer Force (UNDOF), United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-
Leste (UNMIT), United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo
(UNMIK), United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), United
Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), United Nations Military Observer
Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), United Nations Operation in
Burundi (ONUB), United Nations Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI),
United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO),
United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), United Nations
Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS), United Nations Monitoring and
Verification Commission (UNMOVIC), United Nations Observer Mission in
Georgia (UNOMIG), United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (MONUC), United Nations Peace-Keeping Force in
Cyprus (UNFICYP), United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti
(MINUSTAH), and United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO)

4) Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC): Commission for Social
Development, Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice,
Commission on Narcotics Drugs, Commission on Population and
Development, Commission on Science and Technology for Development,
Commission on Sustainable Development, Commission on the Status of
Women, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP),
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), Economic
Commission for Africa (ECA), Economic Commission for Europe (ECE),
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Food
and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (IBRD), International Center for Secretariat of Investment
Disputes (ICSID), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO),
International Development Association (IDA), International Finance
Corporation (IFC), International Fund for Agricultural Development
(IFAD), International Labor Organization (ILO), International Maritime
Organization (IMO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), International
Telecommunication Union (ITU), Multilateral Investment Geographic
Agency (MIGA), Statistical Commission, United Nations Educational,
Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations Forum on
Forests, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO),
Universal Postal Union (UPU), World Health Organization (WHO), World
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), World Meteorological
Organization (WMO), World Tourism Organization (WToO), and World Trade
Organization (WTO)

5) Trusteeship Council (inactive; no trusteeships at this time)

6) International Court of Justice (ICJ)

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF): note - acronym retained from the predecessor organization, UN International Children's Emergency Fund

established - 11 December 1946

aim - to help establish child health and welfare services

members - (36) selected on a rotating basis from all regions

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD): established - 30 December 1964

aim - to promote international trade

members - (193) all UN members plus Holy See

United Nations Development Program (UNDP): established - 22 November 1965

aim - to provide technical assistance to stimulate economic and social development

members (executive board) - (36) selected on a rotating basis from all regions

United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF): established - 31
May 1974

aim - to observe the 1973 Arab-Israeli cease-fire; established by the UN Security Council

members - (7) Austria, Canada, India, Japan, Nepal, Poland, Slovakia

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO): established - 16 November 1945; effective - 4 November 1946

aim - to promote cooperation in education, science, and culture

members - (191) includes all UN member countries except Liechtenstein, Montenegro, and Singapore (188 total); plus Cook Islands and Niue

associate members - (6) Aruba, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Macau, Netherlands Antilles, Tokelau

United Nations Environment Program (UNEP): established - 15 December 1972

aim - to promote international cooperation on all environmental matters

members - (58) selected on a rotating basis from all regions

United Nations General Assembly: established - 26 June 1945; effective - 24 October 1945

aim - to function as the primary deliberative organ of the UN

members - (192) all UN members are represented in the General Assembly

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): established - 3
December 1949; effective - 1 January 1951

aim - to ensure the humanitarian treatment of refugees and find permanent solutions to refugee problems

members (executive committee) - (70) Algeria, Argentina, Australia,
Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia,
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Cyprus, Denmark,
Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece,
Guinea, Holy See, Hungary, India, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan,
Jordan, Kenya, South Korea, Lebanon, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mexico,
Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Nigeria,
Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia,
Serbia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland,
Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UK, US, Venezuela, Yemen,
Zambia

United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO): established - 17 November 1966; effective - 1 January 1967

aim - UN specialized agency that promotes industrial development especially among the members

members - (171) includes all UN member countries except Andorra,
Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Estonia, Iceland,
Kiribati, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Marshall Islands, Federated States of
Micronesia, Montenegro, Nauru, Palau, Samoa, San Marino, Singapore,
Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, US

United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR): established - 11 December 1963 adoption of the resolution establishing the Institute; effective - 24 March 1965

aim - to help the UN become more effective through training and research

members (Board of Trustees) - (18) Belgium, Brazil, China, Czech
Republic, Egypt, France, Ghana, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco,
Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland, US; note - the UN
Secretary General can appoint up to 30 members

United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK): established - 10 June 1999

aim - to promote the establishment of substantial autonomy and self- government in Kosovo; to perform basic civilian administrative functions; to support the reconstruction of key infrastructure and humanitarian and disaster relief

note - gives civilian support only; works closely with NATO Kosovo Force (KFOR)

United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL): established - 19
March 1978

aim - to confirm the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and assist in reestablishing Lebanese authority in southern Lebanon; established by the UN Security Council

members - (11) Belgium, China, Finland, France, Ghana, India, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Spain

United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP): established - 24 January 1949

aim - to observe the 1949 India-Pakistan cease-fire; established by the UN Security Council

members - (8) Chile, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Italy, South Korea, Sweden, Uruguay

United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO): established - 29 April 1991

aim - to supervise the cease-fire and conduct a referendum in Western Sahara; established by the UN Security Council

members - (25) Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, China, Croatia, Denmark,
Egypt, El Slavador, France, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Honduras, Hungary,
Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland,
Russia, Sri Lanka, Uruguay

United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE): established - 31 July 2000

aim - to monitor the cessation of hostilities

members - (39) Algeria, Austria, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France,
Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, India, Iran, Jordan, Kenya,
Malaysia, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Poland,
Romania, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania,
Tunisia, Ukraine, US, Uruguay, Zambia

United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL): established - 19 September 2003

aim - to support the cease-fire agreement and peace process, protect UN facilities and people, support humanitarian activities, and assist in national security reform

Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Finland,
France, The Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Kenya,
South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Moldova, Mongolia,
Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines,
Poland, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Serbia, Sweden, Togo, Ukraine, UK,
US, Zambia

United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL): established on 22 October 1999; aim was to to cooperate with the Government of Sierra Leone and the other parties to the Peace Agreement in the implementation of the agreement; to monitor the military and security situation in Sierra Leone; to monitor the disarmament and demobilization of combatants and members of the Civil Defense Forces (CFD); to assist in monitoring respect for international humanitarian law; mandate ended 31 December 2005; members were Bangladesh, Bolivia, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, The Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Guinea, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Tanzania, Thailand, Ukraine, UK, Uruguay, Zambia

United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS): established - March 2005

aim - to support implementation of the comprehensive Peace Agreement by Monitoring and verifying the implementation of the Cease Fire Agreement, by observing and monitoring movements of armed groups, and by helping disarm, demobilizing and reintegrating armed bands

members - (59) Australia, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil,
Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Canada, China, Croatia, Denmark, Ecuador,
Egypt, El Salvador, Fiji, Finland, Gabon, Germany, Greece, Guatemala,
Guinea, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan,
Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Moldova, Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal,
Netherland, NZ, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines,
Poland, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Tanzania, Thailand,
Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, UK, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor (UNMISET): established on 17 May 2002 to provide assistance to structures critical to public security and to assist in the development of law enforcement agencies; to contribute to extenal security; members were Australia, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Denmark, Fiji, Jordan, Malaysia, Mozambique, Nepal, NZ, Pakistan, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Sweden; completed its mandate 20 May 2005

United Nations Monitoring, Verification, and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC): note - formerly known as United Nations Special Commission for the Elimination of Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction (UNSCOM)

established - December 1999

aim - to identify, account for, and eliminate Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and the capacity to produce them

commissioners - (16) Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, UN Department for Disarmament Affairs, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, Senegal, Ukraine, UK, US

United Nations Operation in Burundi (ONUB): established - 21 May 2004

aim - to support and help implement the efforts undertaken by Burundians to restore lasting peace and bring about national reconciliation

members - (30) Algeria, Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Egypt,
Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Jordan, Kenya, South
Korea, Malawi, Mali, Nambia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan,
Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Senegal, South Africa, Thailand, Togo,
Tunisia, Yemen

United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG): established - 24
August 1993

aim - to verify compliance with the cease-fire agreement, to monitor weapons exclusion zone, and to supervise CIS peacekeeping force for Abkhazia; established by the UN Security Council

members - (26) Albania, Austria, Bangladesh, Croatia, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia,
Jordan, South Korea, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Russia, Sweden,
Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay

United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (MONUC): established - 30 November 1999

aim - to establish contacts with the signatories to the cease-fire agreement and to plan for the observation of the cease-fire and disengagement of forces

members - (51) Algeria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, China, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Egypt, France, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, India, Indonesia,
Ireland, Jordan, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mongolia, Morocco,
Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Paraguay,
Peru, Poland, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Serbia, South Africa, Spain,
Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Togo, Tunisia, Ukraine, UK, Uruguay,
Zambia

United Nations Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI): established - 27
February 2004

aim - to facilitate the implementation by the Ivorian parties of the peace agreement signed by them in January 2003

members - (41) Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Chad, China,
Croatia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, France,
The Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, India, Ireland, Jordan, Kenya,
Moldova, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Paraguay,
Peru, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Serbia, Tanzania,
Togo, Turkey, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Yemen

United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP): established - 4 March 1964

aim - to serve as a peacekeeping force between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in Cyprus; established by the UN Security Council

members - (7) Argentina, Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia, UK, Uruguay

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA): note - acronym retained from predecessor organization UN Fund for Population Activities

established - July 1967

aim - to assist both developed and developing countries to deal with their population problems

members (executive board ) - (36) selected on a rotating basis from all regions

United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the
Near East (UNRWA): established - 8 December 1949

aim - to provide assistance to Palestinian refugees

members (advisory commission) - (22) Australia, Belgium, Canada,
Denmark, EC, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon,
Netherlands, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria,
Turkey, UK, US

United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD): established - 1963

aim - to conduct research into the problems of economic development during different phases of economic growth

members - no country members, but a Board of Directors consisting of a chairman appointed by the UN secretary general and 10 individual members

United Nations Secretariat: established - 26 June 1945; effective - 24
October 1945

aim - to serve as the primary administrative organ of the UN; a Secretary General is appointed for a five-year term by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council

members - the UN Secretary General and staff

United Nations Security Council (UNSC): established - 26 June 1945; effective - 24 October 1945

aim - to maintain international peace and security

permanent members - (5) China, France, Russia, UK, US

nonpermanent members - (10) elected for two-year terms by the UN
General Assembly; Argentina (2005-06), Republic of the Congo (2006-07),
Denmark (2005-06), Ghana (2006-07), Greece (2005-06), Japan (2005-06),
Peru (2006-07), Qatar (2006-07), Slovakia (2006-07), Tanzania (2005-06)

United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH): established - 30 April 2004

aim - to stabilize Haiti in many areas for at least six months

members - (19) Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Ecuador, France, Guatemala, Jordan, Morocco, Nepal, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Sri Lanka, US, Uruguay

United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO): established -
June 1948

aim - to supervise the 1948 Arab-Israeli cease-fire; currently supports timely deployment of reinforcements to other peacekeeping operations in the region as needed; initially established by the UN Security Council

members - (23) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile,
China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Nepal,
Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden,
Switzerland, US

United Nations Trusteeship Council: established on 26 June 1945, effective on 24 October 1945, to supervise the administration of the 11 UN trust territories; members were China, France, Russia, UK, US; it formally suspended operations 1 November 1995 after the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Palau) became the Republic of Palau, a constitutional government in free association with the US; the Trusteeship Council was not dissolved

United Nations University (UNU): established - 3 December 1973

aim - to conduct research in development, welfare, and human survival and to train scholars

members - (24 members of UNU Council and the Rector are appointed by the Secretary General of the United Nations and the Director General of UNESCO)

Universal Postal Union (UPU): established - 9 October 1874, affiliated with the UN 15 November 1947; effective - 1 July 1948

aim - to promote international postal cooperation; a UN specialized agency

members - (189) includes all UN member countries except Andorra,
Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau (188
total); plus Holy See; note - includes the following dependencies or
areas of special interest: Australia (Norfolk Island), China (Hong
Kong, Macau), Denmark (Faroe Islands, Greenland), France (French
Guiana, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands,
Guadeloupe, Iles Eparses, Martinique, Mayotte, New Caledonia, Reunion,
Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna), Netherlands (Aruba,
Netherlands Antilles), NZ (Cook Island, Niue, Tokelau), UK (Guernsey,
Isle of Man, Jersey; Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory,
British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar,
Montserrat, Pitcairn, Saint Helena, Turks and Caicos), US (American
Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, South Georgia and
South Sandwich Islands, Virgin Islands)

Warsaw Pact (WP): established 14 May 1955 to promote mutual defense; members met 1 July 1991 to dissolve the alliance; member states at the time of dissolution were: Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the USSR; earlier members included German Democratic Republic (GDR) and Albania

West African Development Bank (WADB): note - also known as Banque
Ouest-Africaine de Developpement (BOAD); is a financial institution of
WAEMU

established - 14 November 1973

aim - to promote regional economic development and integration

regional members - (9) Central Bank of West African States, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo

international/nonregional members - (6) African Development Bank, Belgium, European Investment Bank, France, Germany, People's Bank of China

West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU): note - also known as
Union Economique et Monetaire Ouest Africaine (UEMOA)

established - 1 August 1994

aim - to increase competitiveness of members' economic markets; to create a common market

members - (8) Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo

Western European Union (WEU): established - 23 October 1954; effective - 6 May 1955

aim - to provide mutual defense and to move toward political unification

members - (10) Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK

associate members - (6) Czech Republic, Hungary, Iceland, Norway, Poland, Turkey

associate partners - (7) Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia

observers - (5) Austria, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Sweden

World Bank Group: includes International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (IBRD), International Development Association (IDA),
International Finance Corporation (IFC), and Multilateral Investment
Guarantee Agency (MIGA)

World Confederation of Labor (WCL): established - 19 June 1920 as the
International Federation of Christian Trade Unions (IFCTU), renamed 4
October 1968

aim - to promote the trade union movement

members - (105 national organizations) Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina,
Aruba, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil,
Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic,
Chad, Chile, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of
the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France,
French Guiana, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guinea,
Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran,
Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta,
Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal,
Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Niger, Pakistan, Panama,
Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania,
Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and
Principe, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, South
Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand,
Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, US, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam,
Zambia, Zimbabwe

World Customs Organization (WCO): note - began as the Customs
Cooperation Council (CCC)

established - 15 December 1950

aim - to promote international cooperation in customs matters

members - (168) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola,
Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas,
Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bermuda,
Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso,
Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African
Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of
the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia,
Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, East Timor,
Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland,
France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala,
Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India,
Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan,
Kazakhstan, Kenya, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon,
Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia,
Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania,
Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia,
Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger,
Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay,
Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda,
Saint Lucia, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra
Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,
Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania,
Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,
Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan,
Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU): established - 3 October 1945

aim - to promote the trade union movement

members - (125 and the Palestine Liberation Organization) Afghanistan,
Albania, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia,
Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Benin,
Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon,
Canada, Chile, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of
the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea,
Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, The Gambia, Ghana,
Greece, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti,
Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Japan,
Jordan, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon,
Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali,
Martinique, Mauritius, Mexico, Mozambique, Nepal, New Caledonia, NZ,
Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru,
Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Romania, Russia,
Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Solomon
Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Syria,
Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia,
Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu,
Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe, Palestine Liberation Organization

World Food Program (WFP): established - 24 November 1961

aim - to provide food aid in support of economic development or disaster relief; an ECOSOC organization

members - (36) selected on a rotating basis from all regions

World Health Organization (WHO): established - 22 July 1946; effective - 7 April 1948

aim - to deal with health matters worldwide; a UN specialized agency

members - (193) includes all UN member countries except Liechtenstein (191 total); plus Cook Islands and Niue

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO): established - 14 July 1967; effective - 26 April 1970

aim - to furnish protection for literary, artistic, and scientific works; a UN specialized agency

members - (183) includes all UN member countries except East Timor,
Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Montenegro,
Nauru, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu (182 total); plus Holy
See

World Meteorological Organization (WMO): established - 11 October 1947; effective - 4 April 1951

aim - to sponsor meteorological cooperation; a UN specialized agency

members - (188) includes all UN member countries except Andorra, East
Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Grenada, Liechtenstein, Marshall Islands,
Montenegro, Nauru, Palau, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines, San Marino, Tuvalu (179 total); plus Aruba, British
Caribbean Territories, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Hong Kong,
Macau, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, and Niue

World Tourism Organization (WToO): established - 2 January 1975

aim - to promote tourism as a means of contributing to economic development, international understanding, and peace

members - (150) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola,
Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas,
Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi,
Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad,
Chile, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of
the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El
Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, France, Gabon,
The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-
Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel,
Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, North Korea, South
Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya,
Lithuania, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali,
Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia,
Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Niger,
Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru,
Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, San
Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia,
Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri
Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo,
Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, UK, Uruguay,
Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

associate members - (7) Aruba, Flanders, Hong Kong, Macau, Madeira Islands, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico

observers - (1 plus Palestine Liberation Organization) Holy See, Palestine Liberation Organization

World Trade Organization (WTO): note - succeeded General Agreement on
Tariff and Trade (GATT)

established - 15 April 1994; effective - 1 January 1995

aim - to provide a forum to resolve trade conflicts between members and to carry on negotiations with the goal of further lowering and/or eliminating tariffs and other trade barriers

members - (149) Albania, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina,
Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium,
Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina
Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African
Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba,
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican
Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, EC, Fiji, Finland,
France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada,
Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong,
Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica,
Japan, Jordan, Kenya, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lesotho,
Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar,
Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico,
Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands,
NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua
New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar,
Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,
Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand,
Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UAE, UK, US,
Uruguay, Venezuela, Zambia, Zimbabwe

observers - (32) Afghanistan, Algeria, Andorra, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Belarus, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Holy See, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Montenegro, Russia, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Serbia, Seychelles, Sudan, Tajikistan, Tonga, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Yemen; note - with the exception of the Holy See, an observer must start accession negotiations within five years of becoming observers; Montenegro and Serbia each sent observers

Zangger Committee (ZC): established - early 1970s

aim - to establish guidelines for the export control provisions of the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty (NPT)

members - (36) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France,
Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea,
Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia,
Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey,
Ukraine, UK, US

observers - (1) EC

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

Appendix C - Selected International Environmental Agreements

Air Pollution

see Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution

Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides

see Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Concerning the Control of Emissions of Nitrogen Oxides or Their Transboundary Fluxes

Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

see Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on Persistent Organic Pollutants

Air Pollution-Sulphur 85

see Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on the Reduction of Sulphur Emissions or Their Transboundary Fluxes by at least 30%

Air Pollution-Sulphur 94

see Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on Further Reduction of Sulphur Emissions

Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds

see Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Concerning the Control of Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds or Their Transboundary Fluxes

Antarctic - Environmental Protocol

see Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty

Antarctic Treaty

opened for signature - 1 December 1959

entered into force - 23 June 1961

objective - to ensure that Antarctica is used for peaceful purposes only (such as international cooperation in scientific research); to defer the question of territorial claims asserted by some nations and not recognized by others; to provide an international forum for management of the region; applies to land and ice shelves south of 60 degrees south latitude

parties - (45) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil,
Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala,
Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Netherlands,
NZ, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia,
South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, UK, US,
Uruguay, Venezuela

Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous
Wastes and Their Disposal

note - abbreviated as Hazardous Wastes

opened for signature - 22 March 1989

entered into force - 5 May 1992

objective - to reduce transboundary movements of wastes subject to the Convention to a minimum consistent with the environmentally sound and efficient management of such wastes; to minimize the amount and toxicity of wastes generated and ensure their environmentally sound management as closely as possible to the source of generation; and to assist LDCs in environmentally sound management of the hazardous and other wastes they generate

parties - (149) Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda,
Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas,
Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin,
Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina
Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China,
Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote
d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica,
Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, EU,
Finland, France, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala,
Guinea, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran,
Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea,
Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Liechtenstein,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia,
Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States
of Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia,
Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman,
Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines,
Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint
Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia,
Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri
Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and
Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK,
Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia

countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (3) Afghanistan, Haiti, US

Biodiversity

see Convention on Biological Diversity

Climate Change

see United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

see Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals

note - abbreviated as Antarctic Seals

opened for signature - 1 June 1972

entered into force - 11 March 1978

objective - to promote and achieve the protection, scientific study, and rational use of Antarctic seals, and to maintain a satisfactory balance within the ecological system of Antarctica

parties - (16) Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Poland, Russia, South Africa, UK, US

countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (1) NZ

Convention on Biological Diversity

note - abbreviated as Biodiversity

opened for signature - 5 June 1992

entered into force - 29 December 1993

objective - to develop national strategies for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity

parties - (182) Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda,
Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas,
Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan,
Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi,
Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad,
Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire,
Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica,
Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea,
Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, EU, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The
Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea,
Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India,
Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan,
Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan,
Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia,
Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico,
Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco,
Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger,
Nigeria, Niue, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea,
Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia,
Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia,
Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname,
Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo,
Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda,
Ukraine, UAE, UK, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam,
Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (6) Afghanistan, Kuwait, Serbia, Thailand, Tuvalu, US

Convention on Fishing and Conservation of Living Resources of the High
Seas

note - abbreviated as Marine Life Conservation

opened for signature - 29 April 1958

entered into force - 20 March 1966

objective - to solve through international cooperation the problems involved in the conservation of living resources of the high seas, considering that because of the development of modern technology some of these resources are in danger of being overexploited

parties - (37) Australia, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burkina
Faso, Cambodia, Colombia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Fiji, Finland,
France, Haiti, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia,
Mauritius, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Portugal, Senegal, Serbia,
Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland,
Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, UK, US, Venezuela

countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (21) Afghanistan,
Argentina, Bolivia, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ghana, Iceland,
Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Lebanon, Liberia, Nepal, NZ,
Pakistan, Panama, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Uruguay

Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution

note - abbreviated as Air Pollution

opened for signature - 13 November 1979

entered into force - 16 March 1983

objective - to protect the human environment against air pollution and to gradually reduce and prevent air pollution, including long-range transboundary air pollution

parties - (48) Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Estonia, EU, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia,
Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova,
Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, UK, US

countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (2) Holy See, San Marino

Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as
Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar)

note - abbreviated as Wetlands

opened for signature - 2 February 1971

entered into force - 21 December 1975

objective - to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural, scientific, and recreational value

parties - (125) Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Australia,
Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus,
Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana,
Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Canada, Chad, Chile, China,
Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the
Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon,
The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-
Bissau, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland,
Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, South Korea, Latvia,
Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar,
Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco,
Mongolia, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger,
Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru,
Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra
Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname,
Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and
Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan,
Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia

Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources

note - abbreviated as Antarctic-Marine Living Resources

opened for signature - 5 May 1980

entered into force - 7 April 1982

objective - to safeguard the environment and protect the integrity of the ecosystem of the seas surrounding Antarctica, and to conserve Antarctic marine living resources

parties - (31) Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada,
Chile, EU, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, South
Korea, Namibia, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Peru, Poland, Russia, South
Africa, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay, Vanuatu

Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Flora and Fauna (CITES)

note - abbreviated as Endangered Species

opened for signature - 3 March 1973

entered into force - 1 July 1975

objective - to protect certain endangered species from overexploitation by means of a system of import/export permits

parties - (156) Afghanistan, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina,
Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados,
Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei,
Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada,
Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros,
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica,
Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador,
Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France,
Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala,
Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India,
Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan,
Kenya, South Korea, Latvia, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta,
Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco,
Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria,
Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru,
Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint
Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao
Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone,
Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,
Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand,
Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK,
US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia,
Zimbabwe

countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (3) Ireland, Kuwait, Lesotho

Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping Wastes and
Other Matter (London Convention)

note - abbreviated as Marine Dumping

opened for signature - 29 December 1972

entered into force - 30 August 1975

objective - to control pollution of the sea by dumping and to encourage regional agreements supplementary to the Convention

parties - (78) Afghanistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia,
Azerbaijan, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde,
Chile, China, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote
d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt,
Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras,
Hong Kong (associate member), Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Ireland, Italy,
Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, Libya,
Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Nauru, Netherlands, NZ,
Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Philippines,
Poland, Portugal, Russia, Saint Lucia, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovenia,
Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland,
Tonga, Tunisia, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Vanuatu

Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of
Environmental Modification Techniques

note - abbreviated as Environmental Modification

opened for signature - 10 December 1976

entered into force - 5 October 1978

objective - to prohibit the military or other hostile use of environmental modification techniques in order to further world peace and trust among nations

parties - (66) Afghanistan, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina,
Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Brazil,
Bulgaria, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Egypt, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Greece,
Guatemala, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, North Korea, South
Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Malawi, Mauritius, Mongolia, Netherlands, NZ,
Niger, Norway, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Romania, Russia,
Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe,
Slovakia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland,
Tajikistan, Tunisia, Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vietnam,
Yemen

countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (17) Bolivia,
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Holy See, Iceland, Iran,
Iraq, Lebanon, Liberia, Luxembourg, Morocco, Nicaragua, Portugal,
Sierra Leone, Syria, Turkey, Uganda

Desertification

see United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa

Endangered Species

see Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES)

Environmental Modification

see Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques

Hazardous Wastes

see Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal

International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling

note - abbreviated as Whaling

opened for signature - 2 December 1946

entered into force - 10 November 1948

objective - to protect all species of whales from overhunting; to establish a system of international regulation for the whale fisheries to ensure proper conservation and development of whale stocks; and to safeguard for future generations the great natural resources represented by whale stocks

parties - (42) Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria,
Brazil, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Denmark, Dominica, Finland, France,
Germany, Grenada, Guinea, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, South
Korea, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Oman, Panama,
Peru, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines, Senegal, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, UK, US

International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1983

note - abbreviated as Tropical Timber 83

opened for signature - 18 November 1983

entered into force - 1 April 1985; this agreement expired when the International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994, went into force

objective - to provide an effective framework for cooperation between tropical timber producers and consumers and to encourage the development of national policies aimed at sustainable utilization and conservation of tropical forests and their genetic resources

parties - (54) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma,
Cameroon, Canada, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, EU,
Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guyana, Honduras,
India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Liberia,
Luxembourg, Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Panama, Papua New
Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, US, Venezuela

International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994

note - abbreviated as Tropical Timber 94

opened for signature - 26 January 1994

entered into force - 1 January 1997

objective - to ensure that by the year 2000 exports of tropical timber originate from sustainably managed sources; to establish a fund to assist tropical timber producers in obtaining the resources necessary to reach this objective

parties - (58) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma,
Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, China, Colombia,
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire,
Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, EU, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany,
Ghana, Greece, Guyana, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy,
Japan, South Korea, Liberia, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands,
NZ, Norway, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Portugal,
Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and
Tobago, UK, US, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela

countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (1) Ireland

Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change

note - abbreviated as Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

opened for signature - 16 March 1998

entered into force - 23 February 2005

objective - to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions by enhancing the national programs of developed countries aimed at this goal and by establishing percentage reduction targets for the developed countries

parties - (144) Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia,
Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium,
Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burma,
Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cook
Island, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti,
Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial
Guinea, Estonia, EU, Fiji, Finland, France, The Gambia, Georgia,
Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Honduras,
Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica,
Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia,
Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia,
Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands,
Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia,
Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger,
Nigeria, Niue, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea,
Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia,
Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Saudi
Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South
Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania,
Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu,
Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela,
Vietnam, Yemen

countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (6) Australia, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Monaco, US, Zambia

Law of the Sea

see United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOS)

Marine Dumping

see Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping Wastes and Other Matter (London Convention)

Marine Life Conservation

see Convention on Fishing and Conservation of Living Resources of the High Seas

Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer

< I>note - abbreviated as Ozone Layer Protection

opened for signature - 16 September 1987

entered into force - 1 January 1989

objective - to protect the ozone layer by controlling emissions of substances that deplete it

parties - (183) Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda,
Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas,
Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin,
Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria,
Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde,
Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros,
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica,
Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador,
Estonia, Ethiopia, EU, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia,
Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana,
Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland,
Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati,
North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon,
Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg,
Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta,
Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of
Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia,
Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman,
Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines,
Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and
Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome
and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone,
Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa,
Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland,
Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and
Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE,
UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen,
Zambia, Zimbabwe

Nuclear Test Ban

see Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapons Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space, and Under Water

Ozone Layer Protection

see Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer

Protocol of 1978 Relating to the International Convention for the
Prevention of Pollution From Ships, 1973 (MARPOL)

note - abbreviated as Ship Pollution

opened for signature - 17 February 1978

entered into force - 2 October 1983

objective - to preserve the marine environment through the complete elimination of pollution by oil and other harmful substances and the minimization of accidental discharge of such substances

parties - (119) Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina,
Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize,
Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burma, Cambodia, Canada,
Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus,
Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic,
Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon, The
Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras,
Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica,
Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Latvia, Lebanon,
Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Marshall
Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Netherlands,
NZ, Nicaragua, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru,
Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis,
Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe,
Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia,
Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden,
Switzerland, Syria, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,
Tuvalu, Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam

Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty

note - abbreviated as Antarctic-Environmental Protocol

opened for signature - 4 October 1991

entered into force - 14 January 1998

objective - to provide for comprehensive protection of the Antarctic environment and dependent and associated ecosystems; applies to the area covered by the Antarctic Treaty

consultative parties - (27) Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil,
Bulgaria, Chile, China, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, India,
Italy, Japan, South Korea, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Peru, Poland,
Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, UK, US, Uruguay

non consultative parties - (16) Austria, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, North Korea, Papua New Guinea, Romania, Slovakia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine

Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air
Pollution Concerning the Control of Emissions of Nitrogen Oxides or
Their Transboundary Fluxes

note - abbreviated as Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides

opened for signature - 31 October 1988

entered into force - 14 February 1991

objective - to provide for the control or reduction of nitrogen oxides and their transboundary fluxes

parties - (28) Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, EU, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands,
Norway, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, UK, US

countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (1) Poland

Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air
Pollution Concerning the Control of Emissions of Volatile Organic
Compounds or Their Transboundary Fluxes

note - abbreviated as Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds

opened for signature - 18 November 1991

entered into force - 29 September 1997

objective - to provide for the control and reduction of emissions of volatile organic compounds in order to reduce their transboundary fluxes so as to protect human health and the environment from adverse effects

parties - (21) Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein,
Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, UK

countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (6) Canada, EU, Greece, Portugal, Ukraine, US

Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air
Pollution on Further Reduction of Sulphur Emissions

note - abbreviated as Air Pollution-Sulphur 94

opened for signature - 14 June 1994

entered into force - 5 August 1998

objective - to provide for a further reduction in sulfur emissions or transboundary fluxes

parties - (23) Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic,
Denmark, EU, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy,
Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK

countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (5) Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Ukraine

Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air
Pollution on Persistent Organic Pollutants

note - abbreviated as Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

opened for signature - 24 June 1998

entered into force - 23 October 2003

objective - to provide for the control and reduction of emissions of persistent organic pollutants in order to reduce their transboundary fluxes so as to protect human health and the environment from adverse effects

parties - (22) Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Denmark, EU, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia,
Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Romania,
Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland

countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (14) Armenia, Belgium, Croatia, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Ukraine, UK, US

Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air
Pollution on the Reduction of Sulphur Emissions or Their Transboundary
Fluxes by at Least 30%

note - abbreviated as Air Pollution-Sulphur 85

opened for signature - 8 July 1985

entered into force - 2 September 1987

objective - to provide for a 30% reduction in sulfur emissions or transboundary fluxes by 1993

parties - (22) Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy,
Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Slovakia,
Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine

Ship Pollution

see Protocol of 1978 Relating to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships, 1973 (MARPOL)

Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space, and Under Water

note - abbreviated as Nuclear Test Ban

opened for signature - 5 August 1963

entered into force - 10 October 1963

objective - to obtain an agreement on general and complete disarmament under strict international control in accordance with the objectives of the United Nations; to put an end to the armaments race and eliminate incentives for the production and testing of all kinds of weapons, including nuclear weapons

parties - (113) Afghanistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia,
Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan,
Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burma,
Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Colombia, Democratic
Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus,
Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El
Salvador, Fiji, Finland, Gabon, The Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece,
Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq,
Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, South Korea,
Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi,
Malaysia, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal,
Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Papua New
Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Samoa, San
Marino, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia,
Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland,
Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago,
Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UK, US, Venezuela, Zambia

countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (17) Algeria,
Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chile, Ethiopia, Haiti, Libya, Mali,
Pakistan, Paraguay, Portugal, Somalia, Tanzania, Uruguay, Vietnam,
Yemen

Tropical Timber 83

see International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1983

Tropical Timber 94

see International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOS)

note - abbreviated as Law of the Sea

opened for signature - 10 December 1982

entered into force - 16 November 1994

objective - to set up a comprehensive new legal regime for the sea and oceans; to include rules concerning environmental standards as well as enforcement provisions dealing with pollution of the marine environment

parties - (148) Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda,
Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Bahrain,
Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma,
Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Comoros, Democratic
Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire,
Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica,
Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, EU, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia,
Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-
Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia,
Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, South
Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia,
Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands,
Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Monaco,
Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ,
Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New
Guinea, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania,
Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal,
Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan,
Suriname, Sweden, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia,
Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, UK, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia,
Zimbabwe

countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (29) Afghanistan,
Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African
Republic, Chad, Colombia, Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, El
Salvador, Ethiopia, Iran, North Korea, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya,
Liechtenstein, Madagascar, Malawi, Morocco, Niger, Niue, Rwanda,
Swaziland, Switzerland, Thailand, UAE

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries
Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in
Africa

note - abbreviated as Desertification

opened for signature - 14 October 1994

entered into force - 26 December 1996

objective - to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought through national action programs that incorporate long-term strategies supported by international cooperation and partnership arrangements

parties - (178) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and
Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The
Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize,
Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma,
Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African
Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of
the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote
d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti,
Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial
Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, EU, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The
Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea,
Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India,
Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan,
Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos,
Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg,
Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands,
Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova,
Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal,
Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norway, Oman,
Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines,
Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint
Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome
and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone,
Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain,
Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria,
Thailand, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago,
Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay,
Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

note - abbreviated as Climate Change

opened for signature - 9 May 1992

entered into force - 21 March 1994

objective - to achieve stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a low enough level to prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system

parties - (189) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and
Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The
Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize,
Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil,
Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon,
Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China,
Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the
Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus,
Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic,
Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia,
Ethiopia, EU, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia,
Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau,
Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran,
Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya,
Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia,
Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg,
Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta,
Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of
Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia,
Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norway,
Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru,
Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint
Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa,
San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia,
Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon
Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland,
Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo,
Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu,
Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela,
Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Wetlands

see Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially As Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar)

Whaling

see International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

Appendix D - Cross-Reference List of Country Data Codes

FIPS 10: Countries, Dependencies, Areas of Special Sovereignty, and
Their Principal Administrative Divisions (FIPS 10) is maintained by
the Office of Targeting and Transnational Issues, National
Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and published by the National
Institute of Standards and Technology (Department of Commerce).
FIPS 10 codes are intended for general use throughout the US
Government, especially in activities associated with the mission
of the Department of State and national defense programs.

ISO 3166: Codes for the Representation of Names of Countries (ISO 3166) is prepared by the International Organization for Standardization. ISO 3166 includes two- and three-character alphabetic codes and three-digit numeric codes that may be needed for activities involving exchange of data with international organizations that have adopted that standard. Except for the numeric codes, ISO 3166 codes have been adopted in the US as FIPS 104-1: American National Standard Codes for the Representation of Names of Countries, Dependencies, and Areas of Special Sovereignty for Information Interchange.

Internet: The Internet country code is the two-letter digraph maintained by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in the ISO 3166 Alpha-2 list and used by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) to establish country-coded top-level domains (ccTLDs).

Entity FIPS 10 ISO 3166 Internet Comment

Afghanistan AF AF AFG 004 .af
Albania AL AL ALB 008 .al
Algeria AG DZ DZA 012 .dz
American Samoa AQ AS ASM 016 .as
Andorra AN AD AND 020 .ad
Angola AO AO AGO 024 .ao
Anguilla AV AI AIA 660 .ai
Antarctica AY AQ ATA 010 .aq
ISO defines as the territory south of 60 degrees south latitude

Antigua and Barbuda AC AG ATG 028 .ag
Argentina AR AR ARG 032 .ar
Armenia AM AM ARM 051 .am
Aruba AA AW ABW 533 .aw
Ashmore and
Cartier Islands AT - - -
ISO includes with Australia

Australia AS AU AUS 036 .au
ISO includes Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Coral Sea Islands

Austria AU AT AUT 040 .at
Azerbaijan AJ AZ AZE 031 .az
Bahamas, The BF BS BHS 044 .bs
Bahrain BA BH BHR 048 .bh
Baker Island FQ - - -
ISO includes with the US Minor Outlying Islands

Bangladesh BG BD BGD 050 .bd Barbados BB BB BRB 052 .bb Bassas da India BS - - - - administered as part of French Southern and Antarctic Lands; no ISO codes assigned

Belarus BO BY BLR 112 .by
Belgium BE BE BEL 056 .be
Belize BH BZ BLZ 084 .bz
Benin BN BJ BEN 204 .bj
Bermuda BD BM BMU 060 .bm
Bhutan BT BT BTN 064 .bt
Bolivia BL BO BOL 068 .bo
Bosnia and
Herzegovina BK BA BIH 070 .ba
Botswana BC BW BWA 072 .bw
Bouvet Island BV BV BVT 074 .bv
Brazil BR BR BRA 076 .br
British Indian
Ocean Territory IO IO IOT 086 .io
British Virgin
Islands VI VG VGB 092 .vg
Brunei BX BN BRN 096 .bn
Bulgaria BU BG BGR 100 .bg
Burkina Faso UV BF BFA 854 .bf
Burma BM MM MMR 104 .mm
ISO uses the name Myanmar

Burundi BY BI BDI 108 .bi
Cambodia CB KH KHM 116 .kh
Cameroon CM CM CMR 120 .cm
Canada CA CA CAN 124 .ca
Cape Verde CV CV CPV 132 .cv
Cayman Islands CJ KY CYM 136 .ky
Central African
Republic CT CF CAF 140 .cf
Chad CD TD TCD 148 .td
Chile CI CL CHL 152 .cl
China CH CN CHN 156 .cn
see also Taiwan

Christmas Island KT CX CXR 162 .cx
Clipperton Island IP - - -
ISO includes with French Polynesia

Cocos (Keeling) IslandsCK CC CCK 166 .cc
Colombia CO CO COL 170 .co
Comoros CN KM COM 174 .km
Congo, Democratic
Republic of the CG CD COD 180 .cd
formerly Zaire

Congo, Republic of theCF CG COG 178 .cg
Cook Islands CW CK COK 184 .ck
Coral Sea Islands CR - - -
ISO includes with Australia

Costa Rica CS CR CRI 188 .cr
Cote d'Ivoire IV CI CIV 384 .ci
Croatia HR HR HRV 191 .hr
Cuba CU CU CUB 192 .cu
Cyprus CY CY CYP 196 .cy
Czech Republic EZ CZ CZE 203 .cz
Denmark DA DK DNK 208 .dk
Djibouti DJ DJ DJI 262 .dj
Dominica DO DM DMA 212 .dm
Dominican Republic DR DO DOM 214 .do
East Timor TT TL TLS 626 .tl
Ecuador EC EC ECU 218 .ec
Egypt EG EG EGY 818 .eg
El Salvador ES SV SLV 222 .sv
Equatorial Guinea EK GQ GNQ 226 .gq
Eritrea ER ER ERI 232 .er
Estonia EN EE EST 233 .ee
Ethiopia ET ET ETH 231 .et
Europa Island EU - - - -
administered as part of French Southern and Antarctic Lands;
no ISO codes assigned

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)FKFKFLK 238 .fk
Faroe Islands FO FO FRO 234 .fo
Fiji FJ FJ FJI 242 .fj
Finland FI FI FIN 246 .fi
France FR FR FRA 250 .fr
France, Metropolitan- FX FXX 249 .fx
ISO limits to the European part of France, excluding French
Guiana, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands,
Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, New Caledonia, Reunion, Saint
Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna

French Guiana FG GF GUF 254 .gf
French Polynesia FP PF PYF 258 .pf
ISO includes Clipperton Island

French Southern and Antarctic LandsFSTFATF260 .tf
FIPS 10-4 does not include the French-claimed portion of
Antarctica (Terre Adelie)

Gabon GB GA GAB 266 .ga
Gambia, The GA GM GMB 270 .gm
Gaza Strip GZ PS PSE 275 .ps
ISO identifies as Occupied Palestinian Territory

Georgia GG GE GEO 268 .ge Germany GM DE DEU 276 .de Ghana GH GH GHA 288 .gh Gibraltar GI GI GIB 292 .gi Glorioso Islands GO - - - - administered as part of French Southern and Antarctic Lands; no ISO codes assigned

Greece GR GR GRC 300 .gr
Greenland GL GL GRL 304 .gl
Grenada GJ GD GRD 308 .gd
Guadeloupe GP GP GLP 312 .gp
Guam GQ GU GUM 316 .gu
Guatemala GT GT GTM 320 .gt
Guernsey GK GG GGY 831 .gg
Guinea GV GN GIN 324 .gn
Guinea-Bissau PU GW GNB 624 .gw
Guyana GY GY GUY 328 .gy
Haiti HA HT HTI 332 .ht
Heard Island and
McDonald Islands HM HM HMD 334 .hm
Holy See
(Vatican City) VT VA VAT 336 .va
Honduras HO HN HND 340 .hn
Hong Kong HK HK HKG 344 .hk
Howland Island HQ - - -
ISO includes with the US Minor Outlying Islands

Hungary HU HU HUN 348 .hu
Iceland IC IS ISL 352 .is
India IN IN IND 356 .in
Indonesia ID ID IDN 360 .id
Iran IR IR IRN 364 .ir
Iraq IZ IQ IRQ 368 .iq
Ireland EI IE IRL 372 .ie
Isle of Man IM IM IMN 833 .im
Israel IS IL ISR 376 .il
Italy IT IT ITA 380 .it
Jamaica JM JM JAM 388 .jm
Jan Mayen JN - - -
ISO includes with Svalbard

Japan JA JP JPN 392 .jp
Jarvis Island DQ - - -
ISO includes with the US Minor Outlying Islands

Jersey JE JE JEY 832 .je
Johnston Atoll JQ - - -
ISO includes with the US Minor Outlying Islands

Jordan JO JO JOR 400 .jo
Juan de Nova Island JU - - - -
administered as part of French Southern and Antarctic Lands;
no ISO codes assigned

Kazakhstan KZ KZ KAZ 398 .kz
Kenya KE KE KEN 404 .ke
Kingman Reef KQ - - -
ISO includes with the US Minor Outlying Islands

Kiribati KR KI KIR 296 .ki
Korea, North KN KP PRK 408 .kp
Korea, South KS KR KOR 410 .kr
Kuwait KU KW KWT 414 .kw
Kyrgyzstan KG KG KGZ 417 .kg
Laos LA LA LAO 418 .la
Latvia LG LV LVA 428 .lv
Lebanon LE LB LBN 422 .lb
Lesotho LT LS LSO 426 .ls
Liberia LI LR LBR 430 .lr
Libya LY LY LBY 434 .ly
Liechtenstein LS LI LIE 438 .li
Lithuania LH LT LTU 440 .lt
Luxembourg LU LU LUX 442 .lu
Macau MC MO MAC 446 .mo
Macedonia MK MK MKD 807 .mk
Madagascar MA MG MDG 450 .mg
Malawi MI MW MWI 454 .mw
Malaysia MY MY MYS 458 .my
Maldives MV MV MDV 462 .mv
Mali ML ML MLI 466 .ml
Malta MT MT MLT 470 .mt
Marshall Islands RM MH MHL 584 .mh
Martinique MB MQ MTQ 474 .mq
Mauritania MR MR MRT 478 .mr
Mauritius MP MU MUS 480 .mu
Mayotte MF YT MYT 175 .yt
Mexico MX MX MEX 484 .mx
Micronesia,
Federated
States of FM FM FSM 583 .fm
Midway Islands MQ - - -
ISO includes with the US Minor Outlying Islands

Moldova MD MD MDA 498 .md
Monaco MN MC MCO 492 .mc
Mongolia MG MN MNG 496 .mn
Montenegro MJ ME MNE 499 .me
new ccTLD takes effect in 2007, in the interim .cg.yu remains current

Montserrat MH MS MSR 500 .ms
Morocco MO MA MAR 504 .ma
Mozambique MZ MZ MOZ 508 .mz
Myanmar - - - -
see Burma

Namibia WA NA NAM 516 .na
Nauru NR NR NRU 520 .nr
Navassa Island BQ - - - -
ISO includes with the US Minor Outlying Islands

Nepal NP NP NPL 524 .np
Netherlands NL NL NLD 528 .nl
Netherlands
Antilles NT AN ANT 530 .an
New Caledonia NC NC NCL 540 .nc
New Zealand NZ NZ NZL 554 .nz
Nicaragua NU NI NIC 558 .ni
Niger NG NE NER 562 .ne
Nigeria NI NG NGA 566 .ng
Niue NE NU NIU 570 .nu
Norfolk Island NF NF NFK 574 .nf
Northern Mariana
Islands CQ MP MNP 580 .mp
Norway NO NO NOR 578 .no
Oman MU OM OMN 512 .om
Pakistan PK PK PAK 586 .pk
Palau PS PW PLW 585 .pw
Palmyra Atoll LQ - - -
ISO includes with the US Minor Outlying Islands

Panama PM PA PAN 591 .pa
Papua New Guinea PP PG PNG 598 .pg
Paracel Islands PF - - -
Paraguay PA PY PRY 600 .py
Peru PE PE PER 604 .pe
Philippines RP PH PHL 608 .ph
Pitcairn Islands PC PN PCN 612 .pn
Poland PL PL POL 616 .pl
Portugal PO PT PRT 620 .pt
Puerto Rico RQ PR PRI 630 .pr
Qatar QA QA QAT 634 .qa
Reunion RE RE REU 638 .re
Romania RO RO ROU 642 .ro
Russia RS RU RUS 643 .ru
Rwanda RW RW RWA 646 .rw
Saint Helena SH SH SHN 654 .sh
Saint Kitts
and Nevis SC KN KNA 659 .kn
Saint Lucia ST LC LCA 662 .lc
Saint Pierre
and Miquelon SB PM SPM 666 .pm
Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines VC VC VCT 670 .vc
Samoa WS WS WSM 882 .ws
San Marino SM SM SMR 674 .sm
Sao Tome and
Principe TP ST STP 678 .st
Saudi Arabia SA SA SAU 682 .sa
Senegal SG SN SEN 686 .sn
Serbia RB RS SRB 688 .rs
.yu remains in service until the end of 2006

Seychelles SE SC SYC 690 .sc
Sierra Leone SL SL SLE 694 .sl
Singapore SN SG SGP 702 .sg
Slovakia LO SK SVK 703 .sk
Slovenia SI SI SVN 705 .si
Solomon Islands BP SB SLB 090 .sb
Somalia SO SO SOM 706 .so
South Africa SF ZA ZAF 710 .za
South Georgia and
the Islands SX GS SGS 239 .gs
Spain SP ES ESP 724 .es
Spratly Islands PG - - -
Sri Lanka CE LK LKA 144 .lk
Sudan SU SD SDN 736 .sd
Suriname NS SR SUR 740 .sr
Svalbard SV SJ SJM 744 .sj
ISO includes Jan Mayen

Swaziland WZ SZ SWZ 748 .sz
Sweden SW SE SWE 752 .se
Switzerland SZ CH CHE 756 .ch
Syria SY SY SYR 760 .sy
Taiwan TW TW TWN 158 .tw
Tajikistan TI TJ TJK 762 .tj
Tanzania TZ TZ TZA 834 .tz
Thailand TH TH THA 764 .th
Togo TO TG TGO 768 .tg
Tokelau TL TK TKL 772 .tk
Tonga TN TO TON 776 .to
Trinidad and Tobago TD TT TTO 780 .tt
Tromelin Island TE - - - -
administered as part of French Southern and Antarctic Lands;
no ISO codes assigned

Tunisia TS TN TUN 788 .tn
Turkey TU TR TUR 792 .tr
Turkmenistan TX TM TKM 795 .tm
Turks and Caicos IslandsTK TC TCA 796 .tc
Tuvalu TV TV TUV 798 .tv
Uganda UG UG UGA 800 .ug
Ukraine UP UA UKR 804 .ua
United Arab EmiratesAE AE ARE 784 .ae
United Kingdom UK GB GBR 826 .uk
United States US US USA 840 .us
United States
Minor Outlying
Islands - UM UMI 581 .um
ISO includes Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island,
Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island,
Palmyra Atoll, Wake Island

Uruguay UY UY URY 858 .uy
Uzbekistan UZ UZ UZB 860 .uz
Vanuatu NH VU VUT 548 .vu
Venezuela VE VE VEN 862 .ve
Vietnam VM VN VNM 704 .vn
Virgin Islands VQ VI VIR 850 .vi
Virgin Islands (UK) - - - .vg
see British Virgin Islands

Virgin Islands (US) - - - .vi
see Virgin Islands

Wake Island WQ - - - -
ISO includes with the US Minor Outlying Islands

Wallis and Futuna WF WF WLF 876 .wf
West Bank WE PS PSE 275 .ps
ISO identifies as Occupied Palestinian Territory

Western Sahara WI EH ESH 732 .eh Western Samoa - - - .ws see Samoa

World - - - -
the Factbook uses the W data code from DIAM 65-18 Geopolitical
Data Elements and Related Features, Data Standard No. 3,
December 1994, published by the Defense Intelligence Agency

Yemen YM YE YEM 887 .ye Zaire - - - - see Democratic Republic of the Congo

Zambia ZA ZM ZMB 894 .zm
Zimbabwe ZI ZW ZWE 716 .zw

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

Appendix E - Cross-Reference List of Hydrographic Data Codes

IHO 23-4th: Limits of Oceans and Seas, Special Publication 23, Draft 4th Edition 1986, published by the International Hydrographic Bureau of the International Hydrographic Organization

IHO 23-3rd: Limits of Oceans and Seas, Special Publication 23, 3rd
Edition 1953, published by the International Hydrographic Organization

ACIC M 49-1: Chart of Limits of Seas and Oceans, revised January 1958,
published by the Aeronautical Chart and Information Center (ACIC),
United States Air Force; note - ACIC is now part of the National
Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA)

DIAM 65-18: Geopolitical Data Elements and Related Features, Data Standard No. 4, Defense Intelligence Agency Manual 65-18, December 1994, published by the Defense Intelligence Agency

The US Government has not yet adopted a standard for hydrographic codes similar to the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 10-4 country codes. The names and limits of the following oceans and seas are not always directly comparable because of differences in the customers, needs, and requirements of the individual organizations. Even the number of principal water bodies varies from organization to organization. Factbook users, for example, find the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean entries useful, but none of the following standards include those oceans in their entirety. Nor is there any provision for combining codes or overcodes to aggregate water bodies. The recently delimited Southern Ocean is not included.

Principal Oceans and Seas of the World
With Hydrographic Codes by Institution

IHO 23-4th IHO 23-3rd* ACIC M 49-1 DIAM 65-18

Arctic Ocean 9 17 A 5A
Atlantic Ocean - - - -
Baltic Sea 2 1 B26 7B
Eastern Mediterranean 3.1.2 28 B - 8E
Indian Ocean 5 45 F 6A
Mediterranean Sea 3.1 28 B11 -
North Atlantic Ocean 1 23 B 1A
North Pacific Ocean 7 57 D 3A
Pacific Ocean - - - -
South Atlantic Ocean 4 32 C 2A
South China and Eastern
Archipelagic Seas 6 49, 48 D18 plus 3U plus
others others
South Pacific Ocean 8 61 E 4A
Western Mediterranean 3.1.1 28 A - 8W

*The letters after the numbers are subdivisions, not footnotes.

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

Appendix F - Cross-Reference List of Geographic Names

Name Entry in The Latitude Longitude
World Factbook (deg min) (deg min)

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

Appendix G - Weights and Measures

Note: At this time, only three countries - Burma, Liberia, and the US - have not adopted the International System of Units (SI, or metric system) as their official system of weights and measures. Although use of the metric system has been sanctioned by law in the US since 1866, it has been slow in displacing the American adaptation of the British Imperial System known as the US Customary System. The US is the only industrialized nation that does not mainly use the metric system in its commercial and standards activities, but there is increasing acceptance in science, medicine, government, and many sectors of industry.

Mathematical Notation

Mathematical Power Name

10^18 or 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 one quintillion 10^15 or 1,000,000,000,000,000 one quadrillion 10^12 or 1,000,000,000,000 one trillion 10^9 or 1,000,000,000 one billion 10^6 or 1,000,000 one million 10^3 or 1,000 one thousand 10^2 or 100 one hundred 10^1 or 10 ten 10^0 or 1 one 10^-1 or 0.1 one-tenth 10^-2 or 0.01 one-hundredth 10^-3 or 0.001 one-thousandth 10^-6 or 0.000 001 one-millionth 10^-9 or 0.000 000 001 one-billionth 10^-12 or 0.000 000 000 001 one-trillionth 10^-15 or 0.000 000 000 000 001 one-quadrillionth 10^-18 or 0.000 000 000 000 000 001 one-quintillionth

Metric Interrelationships

Prefix Symbol Length, weight, Area Volume or capacity

exa E 10^18 10^36 10^54 peta P 10^15 10^30 10^45 tera T 10^12 10^24 10^36 giga G 10^9 10^18 10^27 mega M 10^6 10^12 10^18 hectokilo hk 10^5 10^10 10^15 myria ma 10^4 10^8 10^12 kilo k 10^3 10^6 10^9 hecto h 10^2 10^4 10^6 basic unit - 1 meter, 1 gram, 1 meter^2 1 meter^3 1 liter deci d 10^-1 10^-2 10^-3 centi c 10^-2 10^-4 10^-6 milli m 10^-3 10^-6 10^-9 decimilli dm 10^-4 10^-8 10^-12 centimilli cm 10^-5 10^-10 10^-15 micro u 10^-6 10^-12 10^-18 nano n 10^-9 10^-18 10^-27 pico p 10^-12 10^-24 10^-36 femto f 10^-15 10^-30 10^-45 atto a 10^-18 10^-36 10^-54

Conversion Factors

To Convert From To Multiply By

acres ares 40.468 564 224 acres hectares 0.404 685 642 24 acres square feet 43,560 acres square kilometers 0.004 046 856 422 4 acres square meters 4,046.856 422 4 acres square miles (statute) 0.001 562 50 acres square yards 4,840 ares square meters 100 ares square yards 119.599 barrels, US beer gallons 31 barrels, US beer liters 117.347 77 barrels, US petroleum gallons (British) 34.97 barrels, US petroleum gallons (US) 42 barrels, US petroleum liters 158.987 29 barrels, US proof spirits gallons 40 barrels, US proof spirits liters 151.416 47 bushels (US) bushels (British) 0.968 9 bushels (US) cubic feet 1.244 456 bushels (US) cubic inches 2,150.42 bushels (US) cubic meters 0.035 239 07 bushels (US) cubic yards 0.046 090 96 bushels (US) dekaliters 3.523 907 bushels (US) dry pints 64 bushels (US) dry quarts 32 bushels (US) liters 35.239 070 17 bushels (US) pecks 4 cables fathoms 120 cables meters 219.456 cables yards 240 carat milligrams 200 centimeters feet 0.032 808 40 centimeters inches 0.393 700 8 centimeters meters 0.01 centimeters yards 0.010 936 13 centimeters, cubic cubic inches 0.061 023 744 centimeters, square square feet 0.001 076 39 centimeters, square square inches 0.155 000 31 centimeters, square square meters 0.000 1 centimeters, square square yards 0.000 119 599 chains, square surveyor's ares 4.046 86 chains, square surveyor's square feet 4,356 chains, surveyor's feet 66 chains, surveyor's meters 20.116 8 chains, surveyor's rods 4 cords of wood cubic feet 128 cords of wood cubic meters 3.624 556 cords of wood cubic yards 4.740 7 cups liquid ounces (US) 8 cups liters 0.236 588 2 degrees Celsius degrees Fahrenheit multiply by 1.8 and add 32 degrees Fahrenheit degrees Celsius subtract 32 and divide by 1.8 dekaliters bushels 0.283 775 9 dekaliters cubic feet 0.353 146 7 dekaliters cubic inches 610.237 4 dekaliters dry pints 18.161 66 dekaliters dry quarts 9.080 829 8 dekaliters liters 10 dekaliters pecks 1.135 104 drams, avoirdupois avoirdupois ounces 0.062 55 drams, avoirdupois grains 27.344 drams, avoirdupois grams 1.771 845 2 drams, troy grains 60 drams, troy grams 3.887 934 6 drams, troy scruples 3 drams, troy troy ounces 0.125 drams, liquid (US) cubic inches 0.226 drams, liquid (US) liquid drams (British) 1.041 drams, liquid (US) liquid ounces 0.125 drams, liquid (US) milliliters 3.696 69 drams, liquid (US) minims 60 fathoms feet 6 fathoms meters 1.828 8 feet centimeters 30.48 feet inches 12 feet kilometers 0.000 304 8 feet meters 0.304 8 feet statute miles 0.000 189 39 feet yards 0.333 333 3 feet, cubic bushels 0.803 563 95 feet, cubic cubic decimeters 28.316 847 feet, cubic cubic inches 1,728 feet, cubic cubic meters 0.028 316 846 592 feet, cubic cubic yards 0.037 037 04 feet, cubic dry pints 51.428 09 feet, cubic dry quarts 25.714 05 feet, cubic gallons 7.480 519 feet, cubic gills 239.376 6 feet, cubic liquid ounces 957.506 5 feet, cubic liquid pints 59.844 16 feet, cubic liquid quarts 29.922 08 feet, cubic liters 28.316 846 592 feet, cubic pecks 3.214 256 feet, square acres 0.000 022 956 8 feet, square square centimeters 929.030 4 feet, square square decimeters 9.290 304 feet, square square inches 144 feet, square square meters 0.092 903 04 feet, square square yards 0.111 111 1 furlongs feet 660 furlongs inches 7,920 furlongs meters 201.168 furlongs statute miles 0.125 furlongs yards 220 gallons, liquid (US) cubic feet 0.133 680 6 gallons, liquid (US) cubic inches 231 gallons, liquid (US) cubic meters 0.003 785 411 784 gallons, liquid (US) cubic yards 0.004 951 13 gallons, liquid (US) gills (US) 32 gallons, liquid (US) liquid gallons (British) 0.832 67 gallons, liquid (US) liquid ounces 128 gallons, liquid (US) liquid pints 8 gallons, liquid (US) liquid quarts 4 gallons, liquid (US) liters 3.785 411 784 gallons, liquid (US) milliliters 3,785.411 784 gallons, liquid (US) minims 61,440 gills (US) centiliters 11.829 4 gills (US) cubic feet 0.004 177 517 gills (US) cubic inches 7.218 75 gills (US) gallons 0.031 25 gills (US) gills (British) 0.832 67 gills (US) liquid ounces 4 gills (US) liquid pints 0.25 gills (US) liquid quarts 0.125 gills (US) liters 0.118 294 118 25 gills (US) milliliters 118.294 118 25 gills (US) minims 1,920 grains avoirdupois drams 0.036 571 43 grains avoirdupois ounces 0.002 285 71 grains avoirdupois pounds 0.000 142 86 grains grams 0.064 798 91 grains kilograms 0.000 064 798 91 grains milligrams 64.798 910 grains pennyweights 0.042 grains scruples 0.05 grains troy drams 0.016 6 grains troy ounces 0.002 083 33 grains troy pounds 0.000 173 61 grams avoirdupois drams 0.564 383 39 grams avoirdupois ounces 0.035 273 961 grams avoirdupois pounds 0.002 204 622 6 grams grains 15.432 361 grams kilograms 0.001 grams milligrams 1,000 grams troy ounces 0.032 150 746 6 grams troy pounds 0.002 679 23 hands (height of horse) centimeters 10.16 hands (height of horse) inches 4 hectares acres 2.471 053 8 hectares square feet 107,639.1 hectares square kilometers 0.01 hectares square meters 10,000 hectares square miles 0.003 861 02 hectares square yards 11,959.90 hundredweights, long avoirdupois pounds 112 hundredweights, long kilograms 50.802 345 hundredweights, long long tons 0.05 hundredweights, long metric tons 0.050 802 345 hundredweights, long short tons 0.056 hundredweights, short avoirdupois pounds 100 hundredweights, short kilograms 45.359 237 hundredweights, short long tons 0.044 642 86 hundredweights, short metric tons 0.045 359 237 hundredweights, short short tons 0.05 inches centimeters 2.54 inches feet 0.083 333 33 inches meters 0.025 4 inches millimeters 25.4 inches yards 0.027 777 78 inches, cubic bushels 0.000 465 025 inches, cubic cubic centimeters 16.387 064 inches, cubic cubic feet 0.000 578 703 7 inches, cubic cubic meters 0.000 016 387 064 inches, cubic cubic yards 0.000 021 433 47 inches, cubic dry pints 0.029 761 6 inches, cubic dry quarts 0.014 880 8 inches, cubic gallons 0.004 329 0 inches, cubic gills 0.138 528 1 inches, cubic liquid ounces 0.554 112 6 inches, cubic liquid pints 0.034 632 03 inches, cubic liquid quarts 0.017 316 02 inches, cubic liters 0.016 387 064 inches, cubic milliliters 16.387 064 inches, cubic minims (US) 265.974 0 inches, cubic pecks 0.001 860 10 inches, square square centimeters 6.451 600 inches, square square feet 0.006 944 44 inches, square square meters 0.000 645 16 inches, square square yards 0.000 771 605 kilograms avoirdupois drams 564.383 4 kilograms avoirdupois ounces 35.273 962 kilograms avoirdupois pounds 2.204 622 622 kilograms grains 15,432.36 kilograms grams 1,000 kilograms long tons 0.000 984 2 kilograms metric tons 0.001 kilograms short hundredweights 0.022 046 23 kilograms short tons 0.001 102 31 kilograms troy ounces 32.150 75 kilograms troy pounds 2.679 229 kilometers meters 1,000 kilometers statute miles 0.621 371 192 kilometers, square acres 247.105 38 kilometers, square hectares 100 kilometers, square square meters 1,000,000 kilometers, square statute miles 0.386 102 16 knots (nautical mi/hr) kilometers/hour 1.852 knots (nautical mi/hr) statute miles/hour 1.151 leagues, nautical kilometers 5.556 leagues, nautical nautical miles 3 leagues, statute kilometers 4.828 032 leagues, statute statute miles 3 links, square surveyor's square centimeters 404.686 links, square surveyor's square inches 62.726 4 links, surveyor's centimeters 20.116 8 links, surveyor's chains 0.01 links, surveyor's inches 7.92 liters bushels 0.028 377 59 liters cubic feet 0.035 314 67 liters cubic inches 61.023 74 liters cubic meters 0.001 liters cubic yards 0.001 307 95 liters dekaliters 0.1 liters dry pints 1.816 166 liters dry quarts 0.908 082 98 liters gallons 0.264 172 052 liters gills (US) 8.453 506 liters liquid ounces 33.814 02 liters liquid pints 2.113 376 liters liquid quarts 1.056 688 2 liters milliliters 1,000 liters pecks 0.113 510 4 meters centimeters 100 meters feet 3.280 839 895 meters inches 39.370 079 meters kilometers 0.001 meters millimeters 1,000 meters statute miles 0.000 621 371 meters yards 1.093 613 298 meters, cubic bushels 28.377 59 meters, cubic cubic feet 35.314 666 7 meters, cubic cubic inches 61,023.744 meters, cubic cubic yards 1.307 950 619 meters, cubic gallons 264.172 05 meters, cubic liters 1,000 meters, cubic pecks 113.510 4 meters, square acres 0.000 247 105 38 meters, square hectares 0.000 1 meters, square square centimeters 10,000 meters, square square feet 10.763 910 4 meters, square square inches 1,550.003 1 meters, square square yards 1.195 990 046 microns meters 0.000 001 microns inches 0.000 039 4 mils inches 0.001 mils millimeters 0.025 4 miles, nautical kilometers 1.852 0 miles, nautical statute miles 1.150 779 4 miles, statute centimeters 160,934.4 miles, statute feet 5,280 miles, statute furlongs 8 miles, statute inches 63,360 miles, statute kilometers 1.609 344 miles, statute meters 1,609.344 miles, statute rods 320 miles, statute yards 1,760 miles, square nautical square kilometers 3.429 904 miles, square nautical square statute miles 1.325 miles, square statute acres 640 miles, square statute hectares 258.998 811 033 6 miles, square statute sections 1 miles, square statute square kilometers 2.589 988 110 336 miles, square statute square nautical miles 0.755 miles miles, square statute square rods 102,400 milligrams grains 0.015 432 358 35 milliliters cubic inches 0.061 023 744 milliliters gallons 0.000 264 17 milliliters gills (US) 0.008 453 5 milliliters liquid ounces 0.033 814 02 milliliters liquid pints 0.002 113 4 milliliters liquid quarts 0.001 056 7 milliliters liters 0.001 milliliters minims 16.230 73 millimeters inches 0.039 370 078 7 minims (US) cubic inches 0.003 759 77 minims (US) gills (US) 0.000 520 83 minims (US) liquid ounces 0.002 083 33 minims (US) milliliters 0.061 611 52 minims (US) minims (British) 1.041 ounces, avoirdupois avoirdupois drams 16 ounces, avoirdupois avoirdupois pounds 0.062 5 ounces, avoirdupois grains 437.5 ounces, avoirdupois grams 28.349 523 125 ounces, avoirdupois kilograms 0.028 349 523 125 ounces, avoirdupois troy ounces 0.911 458 3 ounces, avoirdupois troy pounds 0.075 954 86 ounces, liquid (US) cubic feet 0.001 044 38 ounces, liquid (US) centiliters 2.957 35 ounces, liquid (US) cubic inches 1.804 687 5 ounces, liquid (US) gallons 0.007 812 5 ounces, liquid (US) gills (US) 0.25 ounces, liquid (US) liquid drams 8 ounces, liquid (US) liquid ounces (British) 1.041 ounces, liquid (US) liquid pints 0.062 5 ounces, liquid (US) liquid quarts 0.031 25 ounces, liquid (US) liters 0.029 573 53 ounces, liquid (US) milliliters 29.573 529 6 ounces, liquid (US) minims 480 ounces, troy avoirdupois drams 17.554 29 ounces, troy avoirdupois ounces 1.097 143 ounces, troy avoirdupois pounds 0.068 571 43 ounces, troy grains 480 ounces, troy grams 31.103 476 8 ounces, troy pennyweights 20 ounces, troy troy drams 8 ounces, troy troy pounds 0.083 333 3 paces (US) centimeters 76.2 paces (US) inches 30 pecks (US) bushels 0.25 pecks (US) cubic feet 0.311 114 pecks (US) cubic inches 537.605 pecks (US) cubic meters 0.008 809 77 pecks (US) cubic yards 0.011 522 74 pecks (US) dekaliters 0.880 976 75 pecks (US) dry pints 16 pecks (US) dry quarts 8 pecks (US) liters 8.809 767 5 pecks (US) pecks (British) 0.968 9 pennyweights grains 24 pennyweights grams 1.555 173 84 pennyweights troy ounces 0.05 pints, dry (US) bushels 0.015 625 pints, dry (US) cubic feet 0.019 444 63 pints, dry (US) cubic inches 33.600 312 5 pints, dry (US) dekaliters 0.055 061 05 pints, dry (US) dry pints (British) 0.968 9 pints, dry (US) dry quarts 0.5 pints, dry (US) liters 0.550 610 47 pints, liquid (US) cubic feet 0.016 710 07 pints, liquid (US) cubic inches 28.875 pints, liquid (US) deciliters 4.731 76 pints, liquid (US) gallons 0.125 pints, liquid (US) gills (US) 4 pints, liquid (US) liquid ounces 16 pints, liquid (US) liquid pints (British) 0.832 67 pints, liquid (US) liquid quarts 0.5 pints, liquid (US) liters 0.473 176 473 pints, liquid (US) milliliters 473.176 473 pints, liquid (US) minims 7,680 points (typographical) inches 0.013 837 points (typographical) millimeters 0.351 459 8 pounds, avoirdupois avoirdupois drams 256 pounds, avoirdupois avoirdupois ounces 16 pounds, avoirdupois grains 7,000 pounds, avoirdupois grams 453.592 37 pounds, avoirdupois kilograms 0.453 592 37 pounds, avoirdupois long tons 0.000 446 428 6 pounds, avoirdupois metric tons 0.000 453 592 37 pounds, avoirdupois quintals 0.004 535 92 pounds, avoirdupois short tons 0.000 5 pounds, avoirdupois troy ounces 14.583 33 pounds, avoirdupois troy pounds 1.215 278 pounds, troy avoirdupois drams 210.651 4 pounds, troy avoirdupois ounces 13.165 71 pounds, troy avoirdupois pounds 0.822 857 1 pounds, troy grains 5,760 pounds, troy grams 373.241 721 6 pounds, troy kilograms 0.373 241 721 6 pounds, troy pennyweights 240 pounds, troy troy ounces 12 quarts, dry (US) bushels 0.031 25 quarts, dry (US) cubic feet 0.038 889 25 quarts, dry (US) cubic inches 67.200 625 quarts, dry (US) dekaliters 0.110 122 1 quarts, dry (US) dry pints 2 quarts, dry (US) dry quarts (British) 0.968 9 quarts, dry (US) liters 1.101 221 quarts, dry (US) pecks 0.125 quarts, dry (US) pints, dry (US) 2 quarts, liquid (US) cubic feet 0.033 420 14 quarts, liquid (US) cubic inches 57.75 quarts, liquid (US) deciliters 9.463 53 quarts, liquid (US) gallons 0.25 quarts, liquid (US) gills (US) 8 quarts, liquid (US) liquid ounces 32 quarts, liquid (US) liquid pints (US) 2 quarts, liquid (US) liquid quarts (British) 0.832 67 quarts, liquid (US) liters 0.946 352 946 quarts, liquid (US) milliliters 946.352 946 quarts, liquid (US) minims 15,360 quintals avoirdupois pounds 220.462 26 quintals kilograms 100 quintals metric tons 0.1 rods feet 16.5 rods meters 5.029 2 rods yards 5.5 rods, square acres 0.006 25 rods, square square meters 25.292 85 rods, square square yards 30.25 scruples grains 20 scruples grams 1.295 978 2 scruples troy drams 0.333 sections (US) square kilometers 2.589 988 1 sections (US) square statute miles 1 spans centimeters 22.86 spans inches 9 steres cubic meters 1 steres cubic yards 1.307 95 tablespoons milliliters 14.786 76 tablespoons teaspoons 3 teaspoons milliliters 4.928 922 teaspoons tablespoons 0.333 333 ton-miles, long metric ton-kilometers 1.635 169 ton-miles, short metric ton-kilometers 1.459 972 tons, gross register cubic feet of permanently 100 enclosed space tons, gross register cubic meters of 2.831 684 7 permanently enclosed space tons, long (deadweight) avoirdupois ounces 35,840 tons, long (deadweight) avoirdupois pounds 2,240 tons, long (deadweight) kilograms 1,016.046 909 8 tons, long (deadweight) long hundredweights 20 tons, long (deadweight) metric tons 1.016 046 908 8 tons, long (deadweight) short hundredweights 22.4 tons, long (deadweight) short tons 1.12 tons, metric avoirdupois pounds 2,204.623 tons, metric kilograms 1,000 tons, metric long hundredweights 19.684 130 3 tons, metric long tons 0.984 206 5 tons, metric quintals 10 tons, metric short hundredweights 22.046 23 tons, metric short tons 1.102 311 3 tons, metric troy ounces 32,150.75 tons, net register cubic feet of permanently 100 enclosed space for cargo and passengers tons, net register cubic meters of 2.831 684 7 permanently enclosed space for cargo and passengers tons, shipping cubic feet of permanently 42 enclosed cargo space

tons, shipping cubic meters of 1.189 307 574 permanently enclosed cargo space

tons, short avoirdupois pounds 2,000 tons, short kilograms 907.184 74 tons, short long hundredweights 17.857 14 tons, short long tons 0.892 857 1 tons, short metric tons 0.907 184 74 tons, short short hundredweights 20 townships (US) sections 36 townships (US) square kilometers 93.239 572 townships (US) square statute miles 36 miles, square statute acres 640 miles, square statute hectares 258.998 811 033 6 miles, square statute square feet 27,878,400 miles, square statute square meters 2,589,988.110 336 miles, square statute square yards 3,097,600 yards centimeters 91.44 yards feet 3 yards inches 36 yards meters 0.914 4 yards miles 0.000 568 18 yards, cubic bushels 21.696 227 yards, cubic cubic feet 27 yards, cubic cubic inches 46,656 yards, cubic cubic meters 0.764 554 857 984 yards, cubic gallons 201.974 0 yards, cubic liters 764.554 857 984 yards, cubic pecks 86.784 91 yards, square acres 0.000 206 611 6 yards, square hectares 0.000 083 612 736 yards, square square centimeters 8,361.273 6 yards, square square feet 9 yards, square square inches 1,296 yards, square square meters 0.836 127 36 yards, square square miles 0.000 000 322 830 6

This page was last updated on 11 July, 2006