independent states, dependencies, and areas of special sovereignty, or other geographic entities. There are a total of 266 separate geographic entities in The World Factbook that may be categorized as follows:

INDEPENDENT STATES

191 Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, 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, 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, Haiti, Holy See, 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, The Former Yugoslav
     Republic of 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, San
     Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal,
     Serbia and Montenegro, 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

OTHER

1 Taiwa n

DEPENDENCIES AND AREAS OF SPECIAL SOVEREIGNTY

6 Australia—Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island,
     Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island
     and McDonald Islands, Norfolk Island
1 China—Hong Kong
2 Denmark—Faroe Islands, Greenland
16 France—Bassas da India, Clipperton Island, Europa Island,
     French Guiana, French Polynesia, French Southern and
     Antarctic Lands, Glorioso Islands, Guadeloupe, Juan de
     Nova Island, Martinique, Mayotte, New Caledonia, Reunion,
     Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Tromelin Island, Wallis and
     Futuna
2 Netherlands—Aruba, Netherlands Antilles
3 New Zealand—Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau
3 Norway—Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard
1 Portugal—Macau
15 UK—Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory,
     British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands,
     Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Man, Montserrat,
     Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, South Georgia and the
     South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands
14 US—American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island,
     Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway
     Islands, Navassa Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palmyra
     Atoll, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Wake Atoll

MISCELLANEOUS

6 Antarctica, Gaza Strip, Paracel Islands, Spratly Islands, West Bank, Western Sahara

OTHER ENTITIES

  4 oceans—Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean,
     Pacific Ocean
  1 World

266 Tota
     l
Environment—current issues: This entry lists the most
pressing and important environmental problems.

Environment—international agreements: This entry separates country participation in international environmental agreements into two levels—party to and signed but not ratified. Agreements are listed in alphabetical order by the abbreviated form of the full name.

Environmental agreements: This information is presented in Appendix D: Selected International Environmental Agreements, which includes the name, abbreviation, date opened for signature, date entered into force, objective, and parties by category.

Ethnic groups: This entry provides a rank ordering of ethnic groups starting with the largest and normally includes the percent of total population.

Exchange rates: This entry provides the official value of a country's monetary unit at a given date or over a given period of time, as expressed in units of local currency per US dollar and as determined by international market forces or official fiat.

Executive branch: This entry includes several subfields. Chief of state includes the name and title of the titular leader of the country who represents the state at official and ceremonial functions but may not be involved with the day-to-day activities of the government. Head of government includes the name and title of the top administrative leader who is designated to manage the day-to-day activities of the government. Cabinet includes the official name for this body of high-ranking advisers and the method for selection of members. Elections includes the nature of election process or accession to power, date of the last election, and date of the next election. Election results includes the percent of vote for each candidate in the last election. In the UK, the monarch is the chief of state, and the prime minister is the head of government. In the US, the president is both the chief of state and the head of government.

Exports: This entry provides the total US dollar amount of exports on an f.o.b. (free on board) basis.

Exports—commodities: This entry provides a rank ordering of exported products starting with the most important; it sometimes includes the percent of total dollar value.

Exports—partners: This entry provides a rank ordering of trading partners starting with the most important; it sometimes includes the percent of total dollar value.

Fiscal year: This entry identifies the beginning and ending months for a country's accounting period of 12 months, which often is the calendar year but which may begin in any month. FY93/94 refers to the fiscal year that began in calendar year 1993 and ended in calendar year 1994. All yearly references are for the calendar year (CY) unless indicated as a noncalendar fiscal year (FY).

Flag description: This entry provides a written flag description produced from actual flags or the best information available at the