benchmarking topicwise of countries

Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006PARAMETERS

USABritain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the original 13 as the nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions. The two most traumatic experiences in the nation's history were the Civil War (1861-65) and the Great Depression of the 1930s. Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the US remains the world's most powerful nation state. The economy is marked by steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, and rapid advances in technology.

Background

North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, betwe

Location:

Geographic coordinates: Map references:

38 00 N, 97 00 W North America

Assorted and Prepared by:

Irfan FarooqiKarachi Pakistan

[email protected] +92-321-3758862

Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006total: 9,631,420 sq km land: 9,161,923 sq km water: 469,497 sq km note: includes only the 50 states and District of Columbia

Area:

Area - comparative:

about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size of Africa; about half the size o total: 12,034 km border countries: Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska), Mexico 3,141 km

Land boundaries:

Coastline: Coastline:

19,924 km

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm

Maritime claims:

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: not specified

mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great p

Climate:

vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in east; rugged mountains and

Terrain:




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006lowest point: Death Valley -86 m

Elevation extremes:

highest point: Mount McKinley 6,194 m

coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, p

Natural resources:

Land use:

arable land: 18.01% permanent crops: 0.21% other: 81.78% (2005) 223,850 sq km (2003)

Irrigated land:

tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquake activity around Pacific Basin; hurricanes along the Atla

Natural hazards:

air pollution resulting in acid rain in both the US and Canada; the US is the largest single em

Environment - current issues




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, A

Environment - current issues:

Environment - international agreements:

signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile O

world's third-largest country by size (after Russia and Canada) and by population (after Chin

Geography - note:




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006PAKISTANThe separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of Pakistan (with two sections West and East) and largely Hindu India was never satisfactorily resolved, and India and Pakistan fought two wars - in 1947-48 and 1965 - over the disputed Kashmir territory. A third war between these countries in 1971 - in which India capitalized on Islamabad's marginalization of Bengalis in Pakistani politics - resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. In response to Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan conducted its own tests in 1998. The dispute over the state of Kashmir is ongoing, but discussions and confidencebuilding measures have led to decreased tensions since 2002.

U. A . EThe Trucial States of the Persian Gulf coast granted the UK control of their defense and foreign affairs in 19th century treaties. In 1971, six of these states - Abu Zaby, 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy, and Umm al Qaywayn merged to form the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They were joined in 1972 by Ra's al Khaymah. The UAE's per capita GDP is on par with those of leading West European nations. Its generosity with oil revenues and its moderate foreign policy stance have allowed the UAE to play a vital role in the affairs of the region.

Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east bordering theAfghanistan on the west and China in the north Middle East, and Iran and Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia

30 00 N, 70 00 E Asia

24 00 N, 54 00 E Middle East




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006total: 803,940 sq km land: 778,720 sq km water: 25,220 sq km total: 82,880 sq km land: 82,880 sq km water: 0 sq km

slightly less than twice the size of California total: 6,774 km

slightly smaller than Maine total: 867 km

border countries: Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km, India countries: Oman 410 km, Saudi border 2,912 km, Iran 909 km Arabia 457 km

1,046 km

1,318 km

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of continental the continental margin

mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic indesert; cooler in eastern mountains north

flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest; Balochistan plateau in west into flat, barren coastal plain merging rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 m lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Jabal Yibir 1,527 m

land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum, petroleum, natural iron ore, copper, salt, limestone poor quality coal, gas


arable land: 0.77% permanent crops: 2.27% other: 96.96% (2005) 760 sq km (2003)

frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in frequent sand and dust storms the Indus after heavy rains (July and August) north and west; flooding along

water pollution from raw sewage, industrial wastes, and agricultural runoff; limited natural fresh water resources; a majority of the populatio lack of natural freshwater resources compensated by desalination plants; desertification; beach pollution from oil spills




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion routeslocation along southern the Indian Subcontinent strategic between Central Asia and approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006MALAYSIADuring the late 18th and 19th centuries, Great Britain established colonies and protectorates in the area of current Malaysia; these were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. In 1948, the Britishruled territories on the Malay Peninsula formed the Federation of Malaya, which became independent in 1957. Malaysia was formed in 1963 when the former British colonies of Singapore and the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo joined the Federation. The first several years of the country's history were marred by Indonesian efforts to control Malaysia, Philippine claims to Sabah, and Singapore's secession from the Federation in 1965.

Southeastern Asia, peninsula bordering Thailand and northern one-third of the island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia, Brunei, and the South China Sea, south of Vietnam 2 30 N, 112 30 E Southeast Asia




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006total: 329,750 sq km land: 328,550 sq km water: 1,200 sq km

slightly larger than New Mexico total: 2,669 km border countries: Brunei 381 km, Indonesia 1,782 km, Thailand 506 km

4,675 km (Peninsular Malaysia 2,068 km, East Malaysia 2,607 km)

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation; specified boundary in the South China Sea

tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons

coastal plains rising to hills and mountains




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Gunung Kinabalu 4,100 m

tin, petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite

arable land: 5.46% permanent crops: 17.54% other: 77% (2005) 3,650 sq km (2003) flooding, landslides, forest fires

air pollution from industrial and vehicular emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; deforestation; smoke/haze from Indonesian forest fires




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006INDONESIAThe Dutch began to colonize Indonesia in the early 17th century; the islands were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. Indonesia declared its independence after Japan's surrender, but it required four years of intermittent negotiations, recurring hostilities, and UN mediation before the Netherlands agreed to relinquish its colony. Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic state and home to the world's largest Muslim population. Current issues include: alleviating poverty, preventing terrorism, consolidating democracy after four decades of authoritarianism, implementing financial sector reforms, stemming corruption, and holding the military and police accountable for human rights violations. Indonesia was the nation worst hit by the December 2004 tsunami, which particularly affected Aceh province causing over 100,000 deaths and over $4 billion in damage. An additional earthquake in March 2005 created heavy destruction on the island of Nias. Reconstruction in these areas may take up to a decade. In 2005, Indonesia reached a historic peace agreement with armed separatists in Aceh, but it continues to face a low intensity separatist guerilla movement in Papua.

Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean

5 00 S, 120 00 E Southeast Asia




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006total: 1,919,440 sq km land: 1,826,440 sq km water: 93,000 sq km

slightly less than three times the size of Texas total: 2,830 km border countries: East Timor 228 km, Malaysia 1,782 km, Papua New Guinea 820 km

54,716 km

measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior mountains




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Puncak Jaya 5,030 m

petroleum, tin, natural gas, nickel, timber, bauxite, copper, fertile soils, coal, gold, silver

arable land: 11.03% permanent crops: 7.04% other: 81.93% (2005) 45,000 sq km (2003) occasional floods, severe droughts, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes, forest fires

deforestation; water pollution from industrial wastes, sewage; air pollution in urban areas; smoke and haze from forest fires




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands


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




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006IRANKnown as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and the shah was forced into exile. Conservative clerical forces established a theocratic system of government with ultimate political authority nominally vested in a learned religious scholar. Iranian-US relations have been strained since a group of Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran on 4 November 1979 and held it until 20 January 1981. During 1980-88, Iran fought a bloody, indecisive war with Iraq that eventually expanded into the Persian Gulf and led to clashes between US Navy and Iranian military forces between 1987-1988. Iran has been designated a state sponsor of terrorism for its activities in Lebanon and elsewhere in the world and remains subject to US economic sanctions and export controls because of its continued involvement. Following the elections of a reformist president and Majlis in the late 1990s, attempts to foster political reform in response to popular dissatisfaction floundered as conservative politicians prevented reform measures from being enacted, increased repressive measures, and made electoral gains against reformers. Parliamentary elections in 2004 and the August 2005 inauguration of a conservative stalwart as president, completed the reconsolidation of conservative power in Iran's government.

Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan





Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006total: 1.648 million sq km land: 1.636 million sq km water: 12,000 sq km

slightly larger than Alaska total: 5,440 km border countries: Afghanistan 936 km, Armenia 35 km, Azerbaijanproper 432 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave 179 km, Iraq 1,458 km, Pakistan 909 km, Turkey 499 km, Turkmenistan 992 km

2,440 km; note - Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km)

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: bilateral agreements or median lines in the Persian Gulf continental shelf: natural prolongation

mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast

rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m highest point: Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m

petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur

arable land: 9.78% permanent crops: 1.29% other: 88.93% (2005) 76,500 sq km (2003) periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes

air pollution, especially in urban areas, from vehicle emissions, refinery operations, and industrial effluents; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; oil pollution in the Persian Gulf; wetland losses from drought; soil degradation (salination); inadequate supplies of potable water; water pollution from raw sewage and industrial waste; urbanization




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation

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




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006IRAQ AZERBAIJANFormerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was Azerbaijan - a nation with a Turkic and occupied by Britain during the course of World War I; majority-Muslim population - was briefly in 1920, it was declared a League of Nations mandate independent from 1918 to 1920; it under UK administration. In stages over the next regained its independence after the dozen years, Iraq attained its independence as a collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. kingdom in 1932. A "republic" was proclaimed in Despite a 1994 cease-fire, Azerbaijan has 1958, but in actuality a series of military strongmen yet to resolve its conflict with Armenia ruled the country, the latest was SADDAM Husayn. over the Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh Territorial disputes with Iran led to an inconclusive enclave (largely Armenian populated). and costly eight-year war (1980-88). In August 1990, Azerbaijan has lost 16% of its territory Iraq seized Kuwait, but was expelled by US-led, UN and must support some 528,000 coalition forces during the Gulf War of Januaryinternally displaced persons as a result of February 1991. Following Kuwait's liberation, the UN the conflict. Corruption is ubiquitous, and Security Council (UNSC) required Iraq to scrap all the promise of widespread wealth from weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles Azerbaijan's undeveloped petroleum and to allow UN verification inspections. Continued resources remains largely unfulfilled. Iraqi noncompliance with UNSC resolutions over a period of 12 years led to the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 and the ouster of the SADDAM Husayn regime. Coalition forces remain in Iraq, helping to restore degraded infrastructure and facilitating the establishment of a freely elected government, while simultaneously dealing with a robust insurgency. The Coalition Provisional Authority, which temporarily administered Iraq after the invasion, transferred full governmental authority on 28 June 2004, to the Iraqi Interim Government (IG), which governed under the Transitional Administrative Law for Iraq (TAL). Under the TAL, elections for a 275-member Transitional National Assembly (TNA) were held in Iraq on 30 January 2005. Following these elections, the Iraqi Transitional Government (ITG) assumed office. The TNA was charged with drafting Iraq's permanent constitution, which was approved in a 15 October 2005 constitutional referendum. An election under the constitution for a 275-member Council of Representatives (CoR) was held on 15 December 2005. After an official certified ballot count is released, an Iraqi Government is expected to be formed by late spring or early summer 2006. Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia, with a small European portion north of the Caucasus range


40 30 N, 47 30 E Asia




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006total: 437,072 sq km land: 432,162 sq km water: 4,910 sq km total: 86,600 sq km land: 86,100 sq km water: 500 sq km note: includes the exclave of Naxcivan Autonomous Republic and the Nagorno-Karabakh region; the region's autonomy was abolished by Azerbaijani Supreme Soviet on 26 November 1991 slightly more than twice the size of Idaho total: 3,650 km border countries: Iran 1,458 km, Jordan 181 km, Kuwait 240 km, Saudi Arabia 814 km, Syria 605 km, Turkey 352 km slightly smaller than Maine total: 2,013 km border countries: Armenia (with Azerbaijanproper) 566 km, Armenia (with AzerbaijanNaxcivan exclave) 221 km, Georgia 322 km, Iran (with Azerbaijan-proper) 432 km, Iran (with Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave) 179 km, Russia 284 km, Turkey 9 km

58 km

0 km (landlocked); note - Azerbaijan borders the Caspian Sea (800 km est.)

territorial sea: 12 nm

none (landlocked)

mostly desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless dry, semiarid steppe summers; northern mountainous regions along Iranian and Turkish borders experience cold winters with occasionally heavy snows that melt in early spring, sometimes causing extensive flooding in central and southern Iraq

mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey

large, flat Kur-Araz Ovaligi (Kura-Araks Lowland) (much of it below sea level) with Great Caucasus Mountains to the north, Qarabag Yaylasi (Karabakh Upland) in west; Baku lies on Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) that juts into Caspian Sea




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: unnamed peak; 3,611 m; note - this peak is not Gundah Zhur 3,607 m or Kuh-e Hajji-Ebrahim 3,595 m petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m highest point: Bazarduzu Dagi 4,485 m

petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals, alumina

arable land: 13.12% permanent crops: 0.61% other: 86.27% (2005) 35,250 sq km (2003) dust storms, sandstorms, floods

arable land: 20.62% permanent crops: 2.61% other: 76.77% (2005) 14,550 sq km (2003) droughts

government water control projects have drained most of the inhabited marsh areas east of An Nasiriyah by drying up or diverting the feeder streams and rivers; a once sizable population of Marsh Arabs, who inhabited these areas for thousands of years, has been displaced; furthermore, the destruction of the natural habitat poses serious threats to the area's wildlife populations; inadequate supplies of potable water; development of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers system contingent upon agreements with upstream riparian Turkey; air and water pollution; soil degradation (salination) and erosion; desertification

local scientists consider the Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) (including Baku and Sumqayit) and the Caspian Sea to be the ecologically most devastated area in the world because of severe air, soil, and water pollution; soil pollution results from oil spills, from the use of DDT as a pesticide, and from toxic defoliants used in the production of cotton




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006party to: Law of the Sea party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the both the main area of the country and the Naxcivan Persian Gulf exclave are landlocked




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006KAZAKISTANNative Kazakhs, a mix of Turkic and Mongol nomadic tribes who migrated into the region in the 13th century, were rarely united as a single nation. The area was conquered by Russia in the 18th century, and Kazakhstan became a Soviet Republic in 1936. During the 1950s and 1960s agricultural "Virgin Lands" program, Soviet citizens were encouraged to help cultivate Kazakhstan's northern pastures. This influx of immigrants (mostly Russians, but also some other deported nationalities) skewed the ethnic mixture and enabled non-Kazakhs to outnumber natives. Independence in 1991 caused many of these newcomers to emigrate. Current issues include: developing a cohesive national identity; expanding the development of the country's vast energy resources and exporting them to world markets; achieving a sustainable economic growth outside the oil, gas, and mining sectors; and strengthening relations with neighboring states and other foreign powers.

Central Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural River in eastern-most Europe

48 00 N, 68 00 E Asia





slightly less than four times the size of Texas total: 12,012 km border countries: China 1,533 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,051 km, Russia 6,846 km, Turkmenistan 379 km, Uzbekistan 2,203 km

0 km (landlocked); note - Kazakhstan borders the Aral Sea, now split into two bodies of water (1,070 km), and the Caspian Sea (1,894 km) none (landlocked)

continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid

extends from the Volga to the Altai Mountains and from the plains in western Siberia to oases and desert in Central Asia




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006lowest point: Vpadina Kaundy -132 m highest point: Khan Tangiri Shyngy (Pik Khan-Tengri) 6,995 m

major deposits of petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, manganese, chrome ore, nickel, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, lead, zinc, bauxite, gold, uranium

arable land: 8.28% permanent crops: 0.05% other: 91.67% (2005) 35,560 sq km (2003) earthquakes in the south, mudslides around Almaty

radioactive or toxic chemical sites associated with former defense industries and test ranges scattered throughout the country pose health risks for humans and animals; industrial pollution is severe in some cities; because the two main rivers which flowed into the Aral Sea have been diverted for irrigation, it is drying up and leaving behind a harmful layer of chemical pesticides and natural salts; these substances are then picked up by the wind and blown into noxious dust storms; pollution in the Caspian Sea; soil pollution from overuse of agricultural chemicals and salination from poor infrastructure and wasteful irrigation practices




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution

signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

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




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006JAPANIn 1603, a Tokugawa shogunate (military dictatorship) ushered in a long period of isolation from foreign influence in order to secure its power. For 250 years this policy enabled Japan to enjoy stability and a flowering of its indigenous culture. Following the Treaty of Kanagawa with the US in 1854, Japan opened its ports and began to intensively modernize and industrialize. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Japan became a regional power that was able to defeat the forces of both China and Russia. It occupied Korea, Formosa (Taiwan), and southern Sakhalin Island. In 1931-32 Japan occupied Manchuria, and in 1937 it launched a full-scale invasion of China. Japan attacked US forces in 1941 - triggering America's entry into World War II - and soon occupied much of East and Southeast Asia. After its defeat in World War II, Japan recovered to become an economic power and a staunch ally of the US. While the emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national unity, actual power rests in networks of powerful politicians, bureaucrats, and business executives. The economy experienced a major slowdown starting in the 1990s following three decades of unprecedented growth, but Japan still remains a major economic power, both in Asia and globally. In 2005, Japan began a two-year term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula

36 00 N, 138 00 E Asia




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006total: 377,835 sq km land: 374,744 sq km water: 3,091 sq km note: includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto, Minami-jima, Okino-torishima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)

slightly smaller than California 0 km

29,751 km

territorial sea: 12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the international straits - La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and Eastern and Western Channels of the Korea or Tsushima Strait contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north

mostly rugged and mountainous




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006lowest point: Hachiro-gata -4 m highest point: Mount Fuji 3,776 m

negligible mineral resources, fish

arable land: 11.64% permanent crops: 0.9% other: 87.46% (2005) 25,920 sq km (2003) many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; tsunamis; typhoons

air pollution from power plant emissions results in acid rain; acidification of lakes and reservoirs degrading water quality and threatening aquatic life; Japan is one of the largest consumers of fish and tropical timber, contributing to the depletion of these resources in Asia and elsewhere




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

strategic location in northeast Asia




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006CHINAFor centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the Communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978, his successor DENG Xiaoping and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight.

Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam

35 00 N, 105 00 E Asia





slightly smaller than the US total: 22,117 km border countries: Afghanistan 76 km, Bhutan 470 km, Burma 2,185 km, India 3,380 km, Kazakhstan 1,533 km, North Korea 1,416 km, Kyrgyzstan 858 km, Laos 423 km, Mongolia 4,677 km, Nepal 1,236 km, Pakistan 523 km, Russia (northeast) 3,605 km, Russia (northwest) 40 km, Tajikistan 414 km, Vietnam 1,281 km regional borders: Hong Kong 30 km, Macau 0.34 km

14,500 km

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north

mostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains, deltas, and hills in east




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006lowest point: Turpan Pendi -154 m highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m

coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, mercury, tin, tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, uranium, hydropower potential (world's largest) arable land: 14.86% permanent crops: 1.27% other: 83.87% (2005) 545,960 sq km (2003) frequent typhoons (about five per year along southern and eastern coasts); damaging floods; tsunamis; earthquakes; droughts; land subsidence

air pollution (greenhouse gases, sulfur dioxide particulates) from reliance on coal produces acid rain; water shortages, particularly in the north; water pollution from untreated wastes; deforestation; estimated loss of one-fifth of agricultural land since 1949 to soil erosion and economic development; desertification; trade in endangered species




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling


world's fourth largest country (after Russia, Canada, and US); Mount Everest on the border with Nepal is the world's tallest peak




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006ISREALFollowing World War II, the British withdrew from their mandate of Palestine, and the UN partitioned the area into Arab and Jewish states, an arrangement rejected by the Arabs. Subsequently, the Israelis defeated the Arabs in a series of wars without ending the deep tensions between the two sides. The territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 war are not included in the Israel country profile, unless otherwise noted. On 25 April 1982, Israel withdrew from the Sinai pursuant to the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty. Israel and Palestinian officials signed on 13 September 1993 a Declaration of Principles (also known as the "Oslo Accords") guiding an interim period of Palestinian self-rule. Outstanding territorial and other disputes with Jordan were resolved in the 26 October 1994 Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace. In addition, on 25 May 2000, Israel withdrew unilaterally from southern Lebanon, which it had occupied since 1982. In keeping with the framework established at the Madrid Conference in October 1991, bilateral negotiations were conducted between Israel and Palestinian representatives and Syria to achieve a permanent settlement. In April 2003, US President BUSH, working in conjunction with the EU, UN, and Russia - the "Quartet" - took the lead in laying out a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict by 2005, based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two states, Israel and a democratic Palestine. However, progress toward a permanent status agreement was undermined by Palestinian-Israeli violence between September 2000 and February 2005. An agreement reached at Sharm alSheikh in February 2005 significantly reduced the violence. The election in January 2005 of Mahmud ABBAS as the new Palestinian leader following the November 2004 death of Yasir ARAFAT, the formation of a Likud-Labor-United Torah Judaism coalition government in January 2005, and the successful Israeli disengagement from the Gaza Strip (August-September 2005), presented an opportunity for a renewed peace effort. However, internal Israeli political events between October and December 2005 have destabilized the political situation and forced early elections, scheduled for March 2006.

Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon





Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006total: 20,770 sq km land: 20,330 sq km water: 440 sq km

slightly smaller than New Jersey total: 1,017 km border countries: Egypt 266 km, Gaza Strip 51 km, Jordan 238 km, Lebanon 79 km, Syria 76 km, West Bank 307 km

273 km

territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: to depth of exploitation

temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas

Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m highest point: Har Meron 1,208 m

timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand

arable land: 15.45% permanent crops: 3.88% other: 80.67% (2005) 1,940 sq km (2003) sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes

limited arable land and natural fresh water resources pose serious constraints; desertification; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; groundwater pollution from industrial and domestic waste, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


there are 242 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the West Bank, 42 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 0 in the Gaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem (August 2005 est.); Sea of Galilee is an important freshwater source




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006RUSSIAFounded in the 12th century, the Principality of Muscovy, was able to emerge from over 200 years of Mongol domination (13th-15th centuries) and to gradually conquer and absorb surrounding principalities. In the early 17th century, a new Romanov Dynasty continued this policy of expansion across Siberia to the Pacific. Under PETER I (ruled 1682-1725), hegemony was extended to the Baltic Sea and the country was renamed the Russian Empire. During the 19th century, more territorial acquisitions were made in Europe and Asia. Repeated devastating defeats of the Russian army in World War I led to widespread rioting in the major cities of the Russian Empire and to the overthrow in 1917 of the imperial household. The Communists under Vladimir LENIN seized power soon after and formed the USSR. The brutal rule of Iosif STALIN (1928-53) strengthened communist rule and Russian dominance of the Soviet Union at a cost of tens of millions of lives. The Soviet economy and society stagnated in the following decades until General Secretary Mikhail GORBACHEV (1985-91) introduced glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) in an attempt to modernize Communism, but his initiatives inadvertently released forces that by December 1991 splintered the USSR into Russia and 14 other independent republics. Since then, Russia has struggled in its efforts to build a democratic political system and market economy to replace the strict social, political, and economic controls of the Communist period. While some progress has been made on the economic front, recent years have seen a recentralization of power under Vladimir PUTIN and the erosion of nascent democratic institutions. A determined guerrilla conflict still plagues Russia in Chechnya and threatens to destabilize the North Caucasus region.

Northern Asia (the area west of the Urals is considered part of Europe), bordering the Arctic Ocean, between Europe and the North Pacific Ocean

60 00 N, 100 00 E Asia





approximately 1.8 times the size of the US total: 20,017 km border countries: Azerbaijan 284 km, Belarus 959 km, China (southeast) 3,605 km, China (south) 40 km, Estonia 294 km, Finland 1,340 km, Georgia 723 km, Kazakhstan 6,846 km, North Korea 19 km, Latvia 217 km, Lithuania (Kaliningrad Oblast) 227 km, Mongolia 3,485 km, Norway 196 km, Poland (Kaliningrad Oblast) 206 km, Ukraine 1,576 km

37,653 km

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

ranges from steppes in the south through humid continental in much of European Russia; subarctic in Siberia to tundra climate in the polar north; winters vary from cool along Black Sea coast to frigid in Siberia; summers vary from warm in the steppes to cool along Arctic coast

broad plain with low hills west of Urals; vast coniferous forest and tundra in Siberia; uplands and mountains along southern border regions




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m highest point: Gora El'brus 5,633 m

wide natural resource base including major deposits of oil, natural gas, coal, and many strategic minerals, timber

arable land: 7.17% permanent crops: 0.11% other: 92.72% (2005) 46,000 sq km (2003) permafrost over much of Siberia is a major impediment to development; volcanic activity in the Kuril Islands; volcanoes and earthquakes on the Kamchatka Peninsula; spring floods and summer/autumn forest fires throughout Siberia and parts of European Russia

air pollution from heavy industry, emissions of coal-fired electric plants, and transportation in major cities; industrial, municipal, and agricultural pollution of inland waterways and seacoasts; deforestation; soil erosion; soil contamination from improper application of agricultural chemicals; scattered areas of sometimes intense radioactive contamination; groundwater contamination from toxic waste; urban solid waste management; abandoned stocks of obsolete pesticides




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulfur 94

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




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006UKRAINUkraine was the center of the first Slavic state, Kievan Rus, which during the 10th and 11th centuries was the largest and most powerful state in Europe. Weakened by internecine quarrels and Mongol invasions, Kievan Rus was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and eventually into the PolishLithuanian Commonwealth. The cultural and religious legacy of Kievan Rus laid the foundation for Ukrainian nationalism through subsequent centuries. A new Ukrainian state, the Cossack Hetmanate, was established during the mid-17th century after an uprising against the Poles. Despite continuous Muscovite pressure, the Hetmanate managed to remain autonomous for well over 100 years. During the latter part of the 18th century, most Ukrainian ethnographic territory was absorbed by the Russian Empire. Following the collapse of czarist Russia in 1917, Ukraine was able to bring about a short-lived period of independence (1917-20), but was reconquered and forced to endure a brutal Soviet rule that engineered two artificial famines (1921-22 and 1932-33) in which over 8 million died. In World War II, German and Soviet armies were responsible for some 7 to 8 million more deaths. Although final independence for Ukraine was achieved in 1991 with the dissolution of the USSR, democracy remained elusive as the legacy of state control and endemic corruption stalled efforts at economic reform, privatization, and civil liberties. A peaceful mass protest "Orange Revolution" in the closing months of 2004 forced the authorities to overturn a rigged presidential election and to allow a new internationally monitored vote that swept into power a reformist slate under Viktor YUSHCHENKO. The new government presents its citizens with hope that the country may at last attain true freedom and prosperity.

Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland, Romania, and Moldova in the west and Russia in the east

49 00 N, 32 00 E Asia, Europe





slightly smaller than Texas total: 4,663 km border countries: Belarus 891 km, Hungary 103 km, Moldova 939 km, Poland 526 km, Romania (south) 169 km, Romania (west) 362 km, Russia 1,576 km, Slovakia 97 km

2,782 km

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m or to the depth of exploitation

temperate continental; Mediterranean only on the southern Crimean coast; precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest in west and north, lesser in east and southeast; winters vary from cool along the Black Sea to cold farther inland; summers are warm across the greater part of the country, hot in the south

most of Ukraine consists of fertile plains (steppes) and plateaus, mountains being found only in the west (the Carpathians), and in the Crimean Peninsula in the extreme south




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006lowest point: Black Sea 0 m highest point: Hora Hoverla 2,061 m

iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber, arable land

arable land: 53.8% permanent crops: 1.5% other: 44.7% (2005) 22,080 sq km (2003) NA

inadequate supplies of potable water; air and water pollution; deforestation; radiation contamination in the northeast from 1986 accident at Chornobyl' Nuclear Power Plant




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds

strategic position at the crossroads between Europe and Asia; second-largest country in Europe




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006POLANDPoland is an ancient nation that was conceived near the middle of the 10th century. Its golden age occurred in the 16th century. During the following century, the strengthening of the gentry and internal disorders weakened the nation. In a series of agreements between 1772 and 1795, Russia, Prussia, and Austria partitioned Poland amongst themselves. Poland regained its independence in 1918 only to be overrun by Germany and the Soviet Union in World War II. It became a Soviet satellite state following the war, but its government was comparatively tolerant and progressive. Labor turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the independent trade union "Solidarity" that over time became a political force and by 1990 had swept parliamentary elections and the presidency. A "shock therapy" program during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe, but Poland still faces the lingering challenges of high unemployment, underdeveloped and dilapidated infrastructure, and a poor rural underclass. Solidarity suffered a major defeat in the 2001 parliamentary elections when it failed to elect a single deputy to the lower house of Parliament, and the new leaders of the Solidarity Trade Union subsequently pledged to reduce the Trade Union's political role. Poland joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004. With its transformation to a democratic, market-oriented country largely completed, Poland is an increasingly active member of EuroAtlantic organizations.

Central Europe, east of Germany

52 00 N, 20 00 E Europe





slightly smaller than New Mexico total: 2,788 km border countries: Belarus 407 km, Czech Republic 658 km, Germany 456 km, Lithuania 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 206 km, Slovakia 444 km, Ukraine 526 km

491 km

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: defined by international treaties

temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers

mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006lowest point: near Raczki Elblaskie -2 m highest point: Rysy 2,499 m

coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, amber, arable land

arable land: 40.25% permanent crops: 1% other: 58.75% (2005) 1,000 sq km (2003) flooding

situation has improved since 1989 due to decline in heavy industry and increased environmental concern by post-Communist governments; air pollution nonetheless remains serious because of sulfur dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, and the resulting acid rain has caused forest damage; water pollution from industrial and municipal sources is also a problem, as is disposal of hazardous wastes; pollution levels should continue to decrease as industrial establishments bring their facilities up to EU code, but at substantial cost to business and the government




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94

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




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006ITALYItaly became a nation-state in 1861 when the regional states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL II. An era of parliamentary government came to a close in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI established a Fascist dictatorship. His disastrous alliance with Nazi Germany led to Italy's defeat in World War II. A democratic republic replaced the monarchy in 1946 and economic revival followed. Italy was a charter member of NATO and the European Economic Community (EEC). It has been at the forefront of European economic and political unification, joining the Economic and Monetary Union in 1999. Persistent problems include illegal immigration, organized crime, corruption, high unemployment, sluggish economic growth, and the low incomes and technical standards of southern Italy compared with the prosperous north.

FINLANDFinland was a province and then a grand duchy under Sweden from the 12th to the 19th centuries and an autonomous grand duchy of Russia after 1809. It won its complete independence in 1917. During World War II, it was able to successfully defend its freedom and resist invasions by the Soviet Union - albeit with some loss of territory. In the subsequent half century, the Finns made a remarkable transformation from a farm/forest economy to a diversified modern industrial economy; per capita income is now on par with Western Europe. As a member of the European Union, Finland was the only Nordic state to join the euro system at its initiation in January 1999.

Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia

Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia

42 50 N, 12 50 E Europe

64 00 N, 26 00 E Europe




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006total: 301,230 sq km land: 294,020 sq km water: 7,210 sq km note: includes Sardinia and Sicily total: 338,145 sq km land: 304,473 sq km water: 33,672 sq km

slightly larger than Arizona total: 1,932.2 km border countries: Austria 430 km, France 488 km, Holy See (Vatican City) 3.2 km, San Marino 39 km, Slovenia 232 km, Switzerland 740 km

slightly smaller than Montana total: 2,681 km border countries: Norway 727 km, Sweden 614 km, Russia 1,340 km

7,600 km

1,250 km

territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

territorial sea: 12 nm (in the Gulf of Finland - 3 nm) continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm; extends to continental shelf boundary with Sweden

predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry cold temperate; potentially subarctic but comparatively in south mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes

mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands

mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m highest point: Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) de Courmayeur highest point: Haltiatunturi 1,328 m 4,748 m (a secondary peak of Mont Blanc) coal, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice, fluorospar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, arable land timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, limestone


arable land: 6.54% permanent crops: 0.02% other: 93.44% (2005) 640 sq km (2003)

regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches, NA earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venice

air pollution from industrial emissions such as sulfur dioxide; coastal and inland rivers polluted from industrial and agricultural effluents; acid rain damaging lakes; inadequate industrial waste treatment and disposal facilities

air pollution from manufacturing and power plants contributing to acid rain; water pollution from industrial wastes, agricultural chemicals; habitat loss threatens wildlife populations




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air PollutionVolatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, AntarcticEnvironmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost as southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006TAJIKISTANThe Tajik people came under Russian rule in the 1860s and 1870s, but Russia's hold on Central Asia weakened following the Revolution of 1917. Bolshevik control of the area was fiercely contested and not fully reestablished until 1925. Tajikistan became independent in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union, and it is now in the process of strengthening its democracy and transitioning to a free market economy after its 1992-1997 civil war. There have been no major security incidents in recent years, although the country remains the poorest in the former Soviet sphere. Attention by the international community in the wake of the war in Afghanistan has brought increased economic development assistance, which could create jobs and increase stability in the long term. Tajikistan is in the early stages of seeking World Trade Organization membership and has joined NATO's Partnership for Peace.

Central Asia, west of China

39 00 N, 71 00 E Asia





slightly smaller than Wisconsin total: 3,651 km border countries: Afghanistan 1,206 km, China 414 km, Kyrgyzstan 870 km, Uzbekistan 1,161 km

0 km (landlocked)

none (landlocked)

midlatitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains

Pamir and Alay Mountains dominate landscape; western Fergana Valley in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006lowest point: Syr Darya (Sirdaryo) 300 m highest point: Qullai Ismoili Somoni 7,495 m

hydropower, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten, silver, gold

arable land: 6.52% permanent crops: 0.89% other: 92.59% (2005) 7,220 sq km (2003) earthquakes and floods

inadequate sanitation facilities; increasing levels of soil salinity; industrial pollution; excessive pesticides




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands


landlocked; mountainous region dominated by the Trans-Alay Range in the north and the Pamirs in the southeast; highest point, Qullai Ismoili Somoni (formerly Communism Peak), was the tallest mountain in the former USSR




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006BOSNIA HARZEGOVINABosnia and Herzegovina's declaration of sovereignty in October 1991 was followed by a declaration of independence from the former Yugoslavia on 3 March 1992 after a referendum boycotted by ethnic Serbs. The Bosnian Serbs - supported by neighboring Serbia and Montenegro - responded with armed resistance aimed at partitioning the republic along ethnic lines and joining Serb-held areas to form a "Greater Serbia." In March 1994, Bosniaks and Croats reduced the number of warring factions from three to two by signing an agreement creating a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 21 November 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, the warring parties initialed a peace agreement that brought to a halt three years of interethnic civil strife (the final agreement was signed in Paris on 14 December 1995). The Dayton Peace Accords retained Bosnia and Herzegovina's international boundaries and created a joint multi-ethnic and democratic government charged with conducting foreign, diplomatic, and fiscal policy. Also recognized was a second tier of government comprised of two entities roughly equal in size: the Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska (RS). The Federation and RS governments were charged with overseeing most government functions. The Office of the High Representative (OHR) was established to oversee the implementation of the civilian aspects of the agreement. In 1995-96, a NATO-led international peacekeeping force (IFOR) of 60,000 troops served in Bosnia to implement and monitor the military aspects of the agreement. IFOR was succeeded by a smaller, NATO-led Stabilization Force (SFOR) whose mission was to deter renewed hostilities. European Union peacekeeping troops (EUFOR) replaced SFOR in December 2004; their mission is to maintain peace and stability throughout the country.

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia

44 00 N, 18 00 E Europe





slightly smaller than West Virginia total: 1,459 km border countries: Croatia 932 km, Serbia and Montenegro 527 km

20 km

no data available

hot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have short, cool summers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy winters along coast

mountains and valleys




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m highest point: Maglic 2,386 m

coal, iron ore, bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, cobalt, manganese, nickel, clay, gypsum, salt, sand, forests, hydropower

arable land: 19.61% permanent crops: 1.89% other: 78.5% (2005) 30 sq km (2003) destructive earthquakes

air pollution from metallurgical plants; sites for disposing of urban waste are limited; water shortages and destruction of infrastructure because of the 1992-95 civil strife; deforestation




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands


within Bosnia and Herzegovina's recognized borders, the country is divided into a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation (about 51% of the territory) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska or RS (about 49% of the territory); the region called Herzegovina is contiguous to Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro (Montenegro), and traditionally has been settled by an ethnic Croat majority in the west and an ethnic Serb majority in the east




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006CROTIAThe lands that today comprise Croatia were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the close of World War I. In 1918, the Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes formed a kingdom known after 1929 as Yugoslavia. Following World War II, Yugoslavia became a federal independent Communist state under the strong hand of Marshal TITO. Although Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, it took four years of sporadic, but often bitter, fighting before occupying Serb armies were mostly cleared from Croatian lands. Under UN supervision, the last Serb-held enclave in eastern Slavonia was returned to Croatia in 1998.

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia

45 10 N, 15 30 E Europe





slightly smaller than West Virginia total: 2,197 km border countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina 932 km, Hungary 329 km, Serbia and Montenegro (north) 241 km, Serbia and Montenegro (south) 25 km, Slovenia 670 km

5,835 km (mainland 1,777 km, islands 4,058 km)

territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Mediterranean and continental; continental climate predominant with hot summers and cold winters; mild winters, dry summers along coast

geographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian border, low mountains and highlands near Adriatic coastline and islands




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m highest point: Dinara 1,830 m

oil, some coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium, gypsum, natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, hydropower


air pollution (from metallurgical plants) and resulting acid rain is damaging the forests; coastal pollution from industrial and domestic waste; landmine removal and reconstruction of infrastructure consequent to 1992-95 civil strife




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

controls most land routes from Western Europe to Aegean Sea and Turkish Straits




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006CZECH REPUBLICFollowing the First World War, the closely related Czechs and Slovaks of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire merged to form Czechoslovakia. During the interwar years, the new country's leaders were frequently preoccupied with meeting the demands of other ethnic minorities within the republic, most notably the Sudeten Germans and the Ruthenians (Ukrainians). After World War II, a truncated Czechoslovakia fell within the Soviet sphere of influence. In 1968, an invasion by Warsaw Pact troops ended the efforts of the country's leaders to liberalize Communist party rule and create "socialism with a human face." Anti-Soviet demonstrations the following year ushered in a period of harsh repression. With the collapse of Soviet authority in 1989, Czechoslovakia regained its freedom through a peaceful "Velvet Revolution." On 1 January 1993, the country underwent a "velvet divorce" into its two national components, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004.

Central Europe, southeast of Germany

49 45 N, 15 30 E Europe





slightly smaller than South Carolina total: 1,881 km border countries: Austria 362 km, Germany 646 km, Poland 658 km, Slovakia 215 km

0 km (landlocked)

none (landlocked)

temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters

Bohemia in the west consists of rolling plains, hills, and plateaus surrounded by low mountains; Moravia in the east consists of very hilly country




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006lowest point: Elbe River 115 m highest point: Snezka 1,602 m

hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite, timber

arable land: 38.82% permanent crops: 3% other: 58.18% (2005) 240 sq km (2003) flooding

air and water pollution in areas of northwest Bohemia and in northern Moravia around Ostrava present health risks; acid rain damaging forests; efforts to bring industry up to EU code should improve domestic pollution




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air PollutionPersistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


landlocked; strategically located astride some of oldest and most significant land routes in Europe; Moravian Gate is a traditional military corridor between the North European Plain and the Danube in central Europe




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006SERBIA & MONTENEGROThe Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes was formed in 1918; its name was changed to Yugoslavia in 1929. Occupation by Nazi Germany in 1941 was resisted by various paramilitary bands that fought each other as well as the invaders. The group headed by Josip TITO took full control of Yugoslavia upon German expulsion in 1945. Although Communist, his new government and its successors (he died in 1980) managed to steer their own path between the Warsaw Pact nations and the West for the next four and a half decades. In the early 1990s, post-TITO Yugoslavia began to unravel along ethnic lines: Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina were recognized as independent states in 1992. The remaining republics of Serbia and Montenegro declared a new "Federal Republic of Yugoslavia" (FRY) in April 1992 and, under President Slobodan MILOSEVIC, Serbia led various military intervention efforts to unite ethnic Serbs in neighboring republics into a "Greater Serbia." These actions led to Yugoslavia being ousted from the UN in 1992, but Serbia continued its campaign until signing the Dayton Peace Accords in 1995. In 1998-99, massive expulsions by FRY forces and Serb paramilitaries of ethnic Albanians living in Kosovo provoked an international response, including the NATO bombing of Belgrade and the stationing of a NATO-led force (KFOR), in Kosovo. Federal elections in the fall of 2000, brought about the ouster of MILOSEVIC and installed Vojislav KOSTUNICA as president. The arrest of MILOSEVIC in 2001 allowed for his subsequent transfer to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague to be tried for crimes against humanity. In 2001, the country's suspension from the UN was lifted, and it was once more accepted into UN organizations under the name of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Kosovo has been governed by the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) since June 1999, under the authority of UN Security Council Resolution 1244, pending a determination by the international community of its future status. In 2002, the Serbian and Montenegrin components of Yugoslavia began negotiations to forge a looser relationship. In February 2003 lawmakers restructured the country into a loose federation of two republics called Serbia and Montenegro. The Constitutional Charter of Serbia and Montenegro includes a provision that allows either republic to hold a referendum after three years that would allow for their independence from the state union. In 2003 Svetozar MAROVIC was elected president of Serbia Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina

44 00 N, 21 00 E Europe





slightly smaller than Kentucky total: 2,246 km border countries: Albania 287 km, Bosnia and Herzegovina 527 km, Bulgaria 318 km, Croatia (north) 241 km, Croatia (south) 25 km, Hungary 151 km, Macedonia 221 km, Romania 476 km

199 km

NA

in the north, continental climate (cold winters and hot, humid summers with well distributed rainfall); central portion, continental and Mediterranean climate; to the south, Adriatic climate along the coast, hot, dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall inland

extremely varied; to the north, rich fertile plains; to the east, limestone ranges and basins; to the southeast, ancient mountains and hills; to the southwest, extremely high shoreline with no islands off the coast




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m highest point: Daravica 2,656 m

oil, gas, coal, iron ore, bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, antimony, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, magnesium, pyrite, limestone, marble, salt, hydropower, arable land


pollution of coastal waters from sewage outlets, especially in tourist-related areas such as Kotor; air pollution around Belgrade and other industrial cities; water pollution from industrial wastes dumped into the Sava which flows into the Danube




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


controls one of the major land routes from Western Europe to Turkey and the Near East; strategic location along the Adriatic coast




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006UZBAKISTAN CANADARussia conquered Uzbekistan in the late 19th A land of vast distances and rich natural century. Stiff resistance to the Red Army after resources, Canada became a self-governing World War I was eventually suppressed and a dominion in 1867 while retaining ties to the socialist republic set up in 1924. During the British crown. Economically and technologically Soviet era, intensive production of "white gold" the nation has developed in parallel with the (cotton) and grain led to overuse of US, its neighbor to the south across an agrochemicals and the depletion of water unfortified border. Canada's paramount political supplies, which have left the land poisoned and problem is meeting public demands for quality the Aral Sea and certain rivers half dry. improvements in health care and education Independent since 1991, the country seeks to services after a decade of budget cuts. Canada gradually lessen its dependence on agriculture also faces questions about integrity in while developing its mineral and petroleum government following revelations regarding a reserves. Current concerns include terrorism by corruption scandal in the federal government Islamic militants, economic stagnation, and the that has helped revive the fortunes of curtailment of human rights and separatists in predominantly francophone democratization. Quebec.

Central Asia, north of Afghanistan

Northern North America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean on the east, North Pacific Ocean on the west, and the Arctic Ocean on the north, north of the conterminous US

41 00 N, 64 00 E Asia

60 00 N, 95 00 W North America




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006total: 447,400 sq km land: 425,400 sq km water: 22,000 sq km total: 9,984,670 sq km land: 9,093,507 sq km water: 891,163 sq km

slightly larger than California total: 6,221 km border countries: Afghanistan 137 km, Kazakhstan 2,203 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,099 km, Tajikistan 1,161 km, Turkmenistan 1,621 km

somewhat larger than the US total: 8,893 km border countries: US 8,893 km (includes 2,477 km with Alaska)

0 km (doubly landlocked); note - Uzbekistan includes the southern portion of the Aral Sea with a 420 km shoreline

202,080 km

none (doubly landlocked)

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

mostly midlatitude desert, long, hot summers, mild winters; varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in semiarid grassland in east north

mostly flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes; broad, flat mostly plains with mountains in west and lowlands in intensely irrigated river valleys along course of Amu Darya, southeast Syr Darya (Sirdaryo), and Zarafshon; Fergana Valley in east surrounded by mountainous Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan; shrinking Aral Sea in west




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006lowest point: Sariqarnish Kuli -12 m highest point: Adelunga Toghi 4,301 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Logan 5,959 m

natural gas, petroleum, coal, gold, uranium, silver, copper, iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, lead and zinc, tungsten, molybdenum potash, diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydropower

arable land: 10.51% permanent crops: 0.76% other: 88.73% (2005) 42,810 sq km (2003) NA

arable land: 4.57% permanent crops: 0.65% other: 94.78% (2005) 7,850 sq km (2003) continuous permafrost in north is a serious obstacle to development; cyclonic storms form east of the Rocky Mountains, a result of the mixing of air masses from the Arctic, Pacific, and North American interior, and produce most of the country's rain and snow east of the mountains

shrinkage of the Aral Sea is resulting in growing concentrations of chemical pesticides and natural salts; these substances are then blown from the increasingly exposed lake bed and contribute to desertification; water pollution from industrial wastes and the heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides is the cause of many human health disorders; increasing soil salination; soil contamination from buried nuclear processing and agricultural chemicals, including DDT

air pollution and resulting acid rain severely affecting lakes and damaging forests; metal smelting, coal-burning utilities, and vehicle emissions impacting on agricultural and forest productivity; ocean waters becoming contaminated due to agricultural, industrial, mining, and forestry activities




Country wise World Statistics Bench mark report. Released: Oct 19 2006 Made july 2006party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate ChangeKyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air PollutionSulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Marine Life Conservation

along with Liechtenstein, one of the only two doubly landlocked countries in the world

seco

benchmarking topicwise of countries

Documents