A country in the southern hemisphere comprising the mainland of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and a number of other islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The neighbouring countries are Indonesia, East Timor, and Papua New Guinea to the north, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia to the north-east, and New Zealand to the south-east. Australia has six states, two major mainland territories, and other minor territories. Australia Europe Part of the landmass of Eurasia, with the western portion of the latter occupied by Europe, lying east of the Suez Canal, east of the Ural Mountains, and south of the Caucasus Mountains and the Caspian and Black Seas. It is bounded on the east by the Pacific Ocean, on the south by the Indian Ocean, and on the north by the Arctic Ocean. Asia A nation in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two large islands (the North Island and the South Island) and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. New Zealand South Africa West Africa The northernmost region of the African continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Africa. North Africa A vast geographical and geological feature, approximately 6,000 km in length, which runs from northern Syria in Southwest Asia to central Mozambique in East Africa. Caused by the geological process of rifting, it is a complex feature where several plates of the earth's crust join. The rift valley varies in width from thirty to one hundred km, and in depth from a few hundred to several thousand meters. East Africa A large area in the Middle East south of the Taurus Mountains, bounded by the Mediterranean Sea on the west, and by the northern Arabian Desert and Upper Mesopotamia to the east. Anatolia A Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in western Asia and Thrace (Rumelia) in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe. Turkey borders eight countries: Bulgaria to the northwest; Greece to the west, Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, Azerbaijan (the exclave of Nakhichevan), and Iran to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the southeast. The Mediterranean Sea and Cyprus are to the south; the Aegean Sea and Archipelago are to the west; and the Black Sea is to the north. Separating Anatolia and Thrace are the Sea of Marmara and the Turkish Straits (the Bosporus and the Dardanelles), which are commonly reckoned to delineate the border between Asia and Europe, thereby making Turkey transcontinental. The territory of Turkey is subdivided into 81 provinces for administrative purposes. The provinces are organized into 7 regions for census purposes; however, they do not represent an administrative structure. Each province is divided into districts, for a total of 923 districts. Turkey Southeast Asia A country in North Africa. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, Kenya and Uganda to the southeast, Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west and Libya to the northwest. Sudan is divided into twenty-six states (wilayat, singular wilayah) which in turn are subdivided into 133 districts. Sudan A country situated on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and Libya to the southeast. Tunisia is subdivided into 24 governorates, divided into 262 "delegations" or "districts" (mutamadiyat), and further subdivided into municipalities (shaykhats). Tunisia A country in North Africa. It is bordered by Tunisia in the northeast, Libya in the east, Niger in the southeast, Mali and Mauritania in the southwest, a few km of the Western Sahara in the west, Morocco in the northwest, and the Mediterranean Sea in the north. It divided into 48 provinces (wilayas), 553 districts (dairas) and 1,541 municipalities (communes, baladiyahs). Algeria A territory of northwestern Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria in the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean on the west. Western Sahara is administratively divided into four regions. Western Sahara A country in North Africa. It has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean that reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea. Morocco has international borders with Algeria to the east, Spain to the north (a water border through the Strait and land borders with two small Spanish autonomous cities, Ceuta and Melilla), and Mauritania to the south. Morocco is divided into 16 regions, and subdivided into 62 prefectures and provinces. Because of the conflict over Western Sahara, the status of both regions of "Saguia el-Hamra" and "Rio de Oro" is disputed. Morocco A country in North Africa. Bordering the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Libya lies between Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west. There are thirty-four municipalities of Libya, known by the Arabic term sha'biyat (singular sha'biyah). These came recently (in the 1990s to replaced old Baladiyat systam. The Baladiyat system in turn was introduced to replace the system of muhafazah (governorates or provinces) that existed from the 1960s to the 1970s. Libya A country situated in the Horn of Africa that has been landlocked since the independence of its northern neighbor Eritrea in 1993. Apart from Eritrea to the north, Ethiopia is bordered by Sudan to the west, Kenya to the south, Djibouti to the northeast, and Somalia to the east. Since 1996 Ethiopia has had a tiered government system consisting of a federal government overseeing ethnically-based regional states, zones, districts (woredas), and neighborhoods (kebele). It is divided into nine ethnically-based administrative states (kililoch, singular kilil) and subdivided into sixty-eight zones and two chartered cities (astedader akababiwoch, singular astedader akababi): Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa. It is further subdivided into 550 woredas and six special woredas. Ethiopia A country situated in northern East Africa. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast. The east and northeast of the country have an extensive coastline on the Red Sea, directly across from Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The Dahlak Archipelago and several of the Hanish Islands are part of Eritrea. Eritrea is divided into six regions (zobas) and subdivided into districts ("sub-zobas"). Eritrea A country in eastern Africa. Djibouti is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. On the other side of the Red Sea, on the Arabian Peninsula, 20 km from the coast of Djibouti, is Yemen. The capital of Djibouti is the city of Djibouti. Djibouti is divided into 5 regions and one city. It is further subdivided into 11 districts. Djibouti A country in North-West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the west, by Senegal on the southwest, by Mali on the east and southeast, by Algeria on the northeast, and by Western Sahara on the northwest (most of which is occupied by Morocco). The capital and largest city is Nouakchott, located on the Atlantic coast. Mauritania is divided into 12 regions (regions) and one capital district, which in turn are subdivided into 44 departments (departements). Mauritania A landlocked country in northern Africa. It borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Cote d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Mali is divided into 8 regions (regions) and 1 district, and subdivided into 49 cercles, totalling 288 arrondissements. Mali A landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east. The capital city is Niamey. Niger is divided into 7 departments and one capital district. The departments are subdivided into 36 arrondissements and further subdivided into 129 communes. Niger A landlocked country in central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west. Chad is divided into 18 regions. The departments are divided into 200 sub-prefectures, which are in turn composed of 446 cantons. This is due to change. Chad The area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara. Geographically, the demarcation line is the southern edge of the Sahara. Sub-Saharan Africa Central Africa A country in northern Europe, comprising the island of Iceland and its outlying islands in the North Atlantic Ocean between the rest of Europe and Greenland. Iceland An island of volcanic origin and a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic Ocean. Saint Helena A country in Western Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north; its short coastline to the south leads to the Bight of Benin. Its capital is Porto Novo, but the seat of government is Cotonou. Benin is divided into 12 departments and subdivided into 77 communes. Benin A landlocked nation in West Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the south east, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Cote d'Ivoire to the south west. Burkina Faso is divided into thirteen regions, forty-five provinces, and 301 departments (communes). Burkina Faso A country in West Africa. It borders Liberia and Guinea to the west, Mali and Burkina Faso to the north, Ghana to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south. Cote d'Ivoire is divided into nineteen regions (regions). The regions are further divided into 58 departments. Cote d'Ivoire A country in Western Africa. It is the smallest country on the African continental mainland and is bordered to the north, east, and south by Senegal, and has a small coast on the Atlantic Ocean in the west. Flowing through the centre of the country and discharging to the Atlantic Ocean is the Gambia River. The Gambia is divided into five divisions and one city (Banjul). The divisions are further subdivided into 37 districts. Gambia A country in West Africa. It borders Cote d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south. Ghana is a divided into 10 regions, subdivided into a total of 138 districts. Ghana A nation in West Africa, formerly known as French Guinea. Guinea's territory has a curved shape, with its base at the Atlantic Ocean, inland to the east, and turning south. The base borders Guinea-Bissau and Senegal to the north, and Mali to the north and north-east; the inland part borders Cote d'Ivoire to the south-east, Liberia to the south, and Sierra Leone to the west of the southern tip. Guinea A country in western Africa, and one of the smallest nations in continental Africa. It is bordered by Senegal to the north, and Guinea to the south and east, with the Atlantic Ocean to its west. Formerly the Portuguese colony of Portuguese Guinea, upon independence, the name of its capital, Bissau, was added to the country's name in order to prevent confusion between itself and the Republic of Guinea. Guinea-Bissau A country on the west coast of Africa, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, and the Atlantic Ocean. Liberia A federal constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal Capital Territory. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in the north. Its coast lies on the Gulf of Guinea, part of the Atlantic Ocean, in the south. The capital city is Abuja. Nigeria is divided into thirty-six states and one Federal Capital Territory, which are further sub-divided into 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs). Nigeria A country south of the Senegal River in western Africa. Senegal is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Mauritania to the north, Mali to the east, and Guinea and Guinea-Bissau to the south. The Gambia lies almost entirely within Senegal, surrounded on the north, east and south; from its western coast Gambia's territory follows the Gambia River more than 300 km inland. Dakar is the capital city of Senegal, located on the Cape Verde Peninsula on the country's Atlantic coast. Senegal is subdivided into 11 regions and further subdivided into 34 Departements, 103 Arrondissements (neither of which have administrative function) and by Collectivites Locales. Senegal A country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea in the north and east, Liberia in the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean in the southwest and west. The Republic of Sierra Leone is composed of 3 provinces and one area called the Western Area; the provinces are further divided into 12 districts. The Western Area is also divided into 2 districts. Sierra Leone A country in West Africa bordering Ghana in the west, Benin in the east and Burkina Faso in the north. In the south, it has a short Gulf of Guinea coast, on which the capital Lome is located. Togo A country of central Africa. It borders the Central African Republic and Sudan on the north, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi on the east, Zambia and Angola on the south, the Republic of the Congo on the west, and is separated from Tanzania by Lake Tanganyika on the east. The country enjoys access to the ocean through a 40 km stretch of Atlantic coastline at Muanda and the roughly 9 km wide mouth of the Congo river which opens into the Gulf of Guinea. Congo Kinshasa is now divided into 11 Provinces, to be redistributed into 25 Provinces from 2.2009. Each Province is divided into Zones. Democratic Republic of the Congo A small landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of east-central Africa, bordered by Uganda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania. Rwanda is divided into five provinces (intara) and subdivided into thirty districts (akarere). The districts are divided into sectors (imirenge). Rwanda A country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda, and the Gulf of Guinea. The Republic of the Congo is divided into 10 regions (regions) and one commune, the capital Brazzaville. The regions are subdivided into forty-six districts. Republic of Congo A landlocked country in Central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan in the east, the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the south, and Cameroon in the west. The Central African Republic is divided into 14 administrative prefectures (prefectures), along with 2 economic prefectures (prefectures economiques) and one autonomous commune. The prefectures are further divided into 71 sub-prefectures (sous-prefectures). Central African Republic A small country in the Great Lakes region of Africa. It is bordered by Rwanda on the north, Tanzania on the south and east, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the west. Although the country is landlocked, much of its western border is adjacent to Lake Tanganyika. Burundi is divided into 17 provinces, 117 communes, and 2,638 collines. Burundi A country in Central Africa. It is one of the smallest countries in continental Africa, and comprises two regions: Rio Muni, continental region including several offshore islands; and Insular Region containing Annobon island in the South Atlantic Ocean, and Bioko island (formerly Fernando Po) that contains the capital, Malabo. Equatorial Guinea is divided into seven provinces which are divided into districts. Equatorial Guinea A country in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo and the Gulf of Guinea. The capital and largest city is Libreville. Gabon is divided into 9 provinces and further divided into 37 departments. Gabon A country of central and western Africa. It borders Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the Bight of Bonny, part of the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean. The Republic of Cameroon is divided into ten provinces and 58 divisions or departments. The divisions are further sub-divided into sub-divisions (arrondissements) and districts. Cameroon A country located at the southern tip of Africa. It borders the Atlantic and Indian oceans and Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland, and Lesotho, an independent enclave surrounded by South African territory. It is divided into nine provinces which are further subdivided into 52 districts: 6 metropolitan and 46 district municipalities. The 46 district municipalities are further subdivided into 231 local municipalities. The district municipalities also contain 20 district management areas (mostly game parks) that are directly governed by the district municipalities. The six metropolitan municipalities perform the functions of both district and local municipalities. Republic of South Africa A country in south-central Africa bordering Namibia to the south, Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, and Zambia to the east, and with a west coast along the Atlantic Ocean. The exclave province Cabinda has a border with the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Angola A country in southern Africa on the Atlantic coast. It shares borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east, and South Africa to the south. Namibia is divided into 13 regions and subdivided into 102 constituencies. Namibia A landlocked nation in Southern Africa. It is bordered by South Africa to the south and southeast, Namibia to the west, Zambia to the north, and Zimbabwe to the northeast. Botswana is divided into nine districts, which are subdivided into a total twenty-eight subdistricts. Botswana A land-locked country, entirely surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. Lesotho is divided into ten districts; these are further subdivided into 80 constituencies, which consists of 129 local community councils. Lesotho A small, landlocked country in Africa embedded between South Africa in the west, north and south and Mozambique in the east. Swaziland is divided into four districts, each of which is divided into Tinkhundla (singular, Inkhundla). Swaziland A country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest. Mozambique is divided into ten provinces (provincias) and one capital city (cidade capital) with provincial status. The provinces are subdivided into 129 districts (distritos). Districts are further divided in "Postos Administrativos" (Administrative Posts) and these in Localidades (Localities) the lowest geographical level of central state administration. Mozambique A country in Eastern Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the north, Somalia to the east, Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, and Sudan to the northwest, with the Indian Ocean running along the southeast border. Kenya comprises eight provinces each headed by a Provincial Commissioner (centrally appointed by the president). The provinces (mkoa singular mikoa plural in Swahili) are subdivided into districts (wilaya). There were 69 districts as of 1999 census. Districts are then subdivided into 497 divisions (taarafa). The divisions are then subdivided into 2,427 locations (kata) and then 6,612 sublocations (kata ndogo). The City of Nairobi enjoys the status of a full administrative province. Kenya A landlocked country in East Africa, bordered on the east by Kenya, the north by Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by Tanzania. The southern part of the country includes a substantial portion of Lake Victoria, within which it shares borders with Kenya and Tanzania. Uganda is divided into 80 districts, spread across four administrative regions: Northern, Eastern, Central and Western. The districts are subdivided into counties. Uganda A country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda on the north, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the west, and Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique on the south. To the east it borders the Indian Ocean. Tanzania is divided into 26 regions (mkoa), twenty-one on the mainland and five on Zanzibar (three on Unguja, two on Pemba). Ninety-eight districts (wilaya), each with at least one council, have been created to further increase local authority; the councils are also known as local government authorities. Currently there are 114 councils operating in 99 districts; 22 are urban and 92 are rural. The 22 urban units are further classified as city councils (Dar es Salaam and Mwanza), municipal councils (Arusha, Dodoma, Iringa, Kilimanjaro, Mbeya, Morogoro, Shinyanga, Tabora, and Tanga) or town councils (the remaining eleven communities). Tanzania A country located in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya on its southwest, the Gulf of Aden with Yemen on its north, the Indian Ocean at its east, and Ethiopia to the west. Prior to the civil war, Somalia was divided into eighteen regions (gobollada, singular gobol), which were in turn subdivided into districts. On a de facto basis, northern Somalia is now divided up among the quasi-independent states of Puntland, Somaliland, Galmudug and Maakhir. Somalia A country in southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the north-west, Tanzania to the north and Mozambique, which surrounds it on the east, south and west. Malawi is divided into three regions (the Northern, Central and Southern regions), which are further divided into twenty-seven districts, which in turn are further divided into 137 traditional authorities and 68 sub-chiefdoms. Malawi A landlocked country in the southern part of the continent of Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia to the northwest, and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe is divided into eight provinces and two cities with provincial status. The provinces are subdivided into 59 districts and 1,200 municipalities. Zimbabwe A landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west. The capital city is Lusaka. Zambia is divided into nine provinces. Each province is subdivided into several districts with a total of 73 districts. Zambia An island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa. The main island, also called Madagascar, is the fourth largest island in the world, and is home to 5% of the world's plant and animal species, of which more than 80% are endemic to Madagascar. Most notable are the lemur infraorder of primates, the carnivorous fossa, three endemic bird families and six endemic baobab species. Madagascar is divided into six autonomous provinces (faritany mizakatena), and 22 regions. The regions are further subdivided into 116 districts, 1,548 communes, and 16,969 fokontany. Madagascar A republic located on an archipelago in the Macaronesia ecoregion of the North Atlantic Ocean, off the western coast of Africa. Cape Verde is divided into 22 municipalities (concelhos), and subdivided into 32 parishes (freguesias). Cape Verde Barbados A sub-antarctic volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean, south-southwest of the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa). It is a dependent area of Norway and is not subject to the Antarctic Treaty, as it is north of the latitude south of which claims are suspended. Bouvet Island A self-governing Danish province located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland A group of islands off the French coast of Normandy, but dependent on the British Crown. Channel Islands A British Crown Dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy. Guernsey A British Crown Dependency[6] off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Ecrehous, and the Pierres de Lecq. Jersey A state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and to the south the Mexican state of Baja California. State of California Central Asia Southwest Asia A peninsula in Southwest Asia at the junction of Africa and Asia consisting mainly of desert. The coasts of the peninsula are, on the west the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba, on the southeast the Arabian Sea (part of the Indian Ocean), and on the northeast, the Gulf of Oman, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Persian Gulf. Its northern limit is defined by the Zagros collision zone, a mountainous uplift where a continental collision between the Arabian Plate and Asia is occurring. It merges with the Syrian Desert with no clear line of demarcation. Arabian Peninsula An extensive plateau and mountainous area in the Middle East, inhabited mainly by Kurds. It covers large parts of eastern Turkey, northern Iraq, northwestern Iran and smaller parts of northern Syria and Armenia. It roughly includes Zagros and eastern Taurus mountain ranges. Kurdistan East Asia South Asia A country in Southwest Asia, bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the north-east, Israel and the West Bank to the west, and Saudi Arabia to the east and south. It shares the coastlines of the Dead Sea, and the Gulf of Aqaba with Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Jordan is divided into 12 provinces called governorates. The Governorates are subdivided into approximately fifty-two nahias. Jordan A country in Southwest Asia, bordering Lebanon, the Mediterranean Sea and the island of Cyprus to the west, Israel to the southwest, Jordan to the south, Iraq to the east, and Turkey to the north. Syria has fourteen governorates, or muhafazat (singular: muhafazah). The governorates are divided into sixty districts, or manatiq (singular: mintaqah), which are further divided into sub-districts, or nawahi (singular: nahia). Syria The territory under the administration of the Palestine National Authority, as established by the Oslo Accords. The PNA divides the Palestinian territories into 16 governorates. Palestinian Territories A country in Western Asia located on the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest. The West Bank and Gaza Strip, which are partially administrated by the Palestinian National Authority, are also adjacent. The State of Israel is divided into six main administrative districts, known as mehozot (singular mahoz). Districts are further divided into fifteen sub-districts known as nafot (singular: nafa), which are themselves partitioned into fifty natural regions. Israel A small, mostly mountainous country in Western Asia, on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered by Syria to the north and east, and Israel to the south. Lebanon is divided into six governorates (mohaafazaat, which are further subdivided into twenty-five districts (aqdya, singular: qadaa). Lebanon A landlocked country in central South America. It is bordered by Brazil on the north and east, Paraguay and Argentina on the south, and Chile and Peru on the west. Bolivia is divided into 9 departments (Spanish: departamentos). Each of the departments is subdivided into provinces (provincias), which are further subdivided into municipalities (municipios). Bolivia State of New York A state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Oregon is located on the Pacific coast between Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern boundaries respectively. State of Oregon An overseas department (departement d'outre-mer) of France, located on the northern coast of South America. It is bordered by Suriname, to the E, and Brazil, to the S and W, and by the North Atlantic Ocean, to the N. French Guiana is divided into 2 departmental arrondissements, 19 cantons and 22 communes. Guyane A state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It borders New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, California, touches Colorado, and has a 626 km international border with the States of Sonora and Baja California in Mexico. State of Arizona A state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east. State of Maryland A state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. State of North Carolina A state in the United States of America, in the extreme northwest portion of the North American continent. The state is bordered by Yukon Territory and British Columbia, Canada to the east, the Gulf of Alaska and the Pacific Ocean to the south, the Bering Sea, Bering Strait, and Chukchi Sea to the west, and the Beaufort Sea and the Arctic Ocean. State of Alaska A country in the N of South America. Guyana lies north of the equator, in the tropics, and is located on the Atlantic Ocean. Guyana is bordered to the east by Suriname, to the south and southwest by Brazil and to the west by Venezuela. Guyana is divided into 10 regions. The regions of Guyana are divided into 27 neighborhood councils. Guyana A state in the southern region (Deep South) of the United States. It borders Georgia to the south and North Carolina to the north. State of South Carolina A country in northern South America. It is situated between French Guiana to the east and Guyana to the west. The southern border is shared with Brazil and the northern border is the Atlantic coast. The southernmost border with French Guiana is disputed along the Marowijne river. Suriname is divided into 10 districts, each of which is divided into Ressorten. Suriname A state in the New England region of the United States. By land Rhode Island borders Connecticut to the west and Massachusetts to the north and east. Rhode Island also shares a water border with New York to the southwest. State of Rhode Island A state in the northwestern region of the United States. Wyoming is bordered on the north by Montana, on the east by South Dakota and Nebraska, on the south by Colorado, on the southwest by Utah, and on the west by Idaho. State of Wyoming A state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north. To the east, it borders the Atlantic Ocean. Commonwealth of Massachusetts A state in the Midwestern region of the United States. The state shares a Lake Superior water border with Michigan and Wisconsin on the northeast; the remainder of the eastern border is with Wisconsin. Iowa is to the south, North Dakota and South Dakota to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba to the north. State of Minnesota A state located in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Canada to the north, and New Jersey to the east. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania A state located in the South Central region and Southern Region of the United States of America. It is bounded on the east by Arkansas and Missouri, on the north by Kansas, on the northwest by Colorado, on the far west by New Mexico, and on the south and near-west by Texas. State of Oklahoma The Northwestern-most state of the contiguous United States. Its northern border lies mostly along the 49th parallel, and then via marine boundaries through the Strait of Georgia, Haro Strait and Strait of Juan de Fuca, with the Canadian province of British Columbia to the north. Washington borders Oregon to the south, with the Columbia River forming most of the boundary and the 46th parallel forming the eastern part of the southern boundary. To the east Washington borders Idaho, bounded mostly by the meridian running north from the confluence of the Snake River and Clearwater River, except for the southernmost section where the border follows the Snake River. To the west of Washington lies the Pacific Ocean. State of Washington A state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the southwest by Delaware, and on the west by Pennsylvania. New Jersey lies within the sprawling metropolitan areas of New York and Philadelphia. State of New Jersey A country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean. Canada is a federation composed of ten provinces and three territories; in turn, these may be grouped into regions. Western Canada consists of British Columbia and the three Prairie provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba). Central Canada consists of Quebec and Ontario. Atlantic Canada consists of the three Maritime provinces (New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia), along with Newfoundland and Labrador. Eastern Canada refers to Central Canada and Atlantic Canada together. Three territories (Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut) make up Northern Canada. Canada A state located in the South Central United States. The Rio Grande, Red River and Sabine River form natural state borders, Oklahoma on the north, Louisiana and Arkansas on the east, and the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas to the south. State of Texas A State located in the north-central part of the United States. Wisconsin is bordered by the Montreal River; Lake Superior and Michigan to the north; by Lake Michigan to the east; by Illinois to the south; and by Iowa and Minnesota to the west. The state's boundaries include the Mississippi River and Saint Croix River in the west, and the Menominee River in the northeast Wisconsin's capital is Madison, and its largest city is Milwaukee. State of Wisconsin A state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state borders New York to the west and south (Long Island by sea), Massachusetts to the north, and Rhode Island to the east. Portions of southwestern Connecticut are considered part of the New York metropolitan area. State of Connecticut A state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, New Hampshire to the southwest, the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. State of Maine A state in the Western United States. To the north, Montana and Canada share a 877 km border. The state borders the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. To the east, the state borders North Dakota and South Dakota. To the south is Wyoming and to the west and southwest is Idaho. State of Montana Georgia is bordered on the south by Florida; on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and South Carolina; on the west by Alabama and by Florida in the extreme southwest; and on the north by Tennessee and North Carolina. The northern part of the state is in the Blue Ridge Mountains, a mountain range in the vast mountain system of the Appalachians. The central piedmont extends from the foothills to the fall line, where the rivers cascade down in elevation to the continental coastal plain of the southern part of the state. State of Georgia A sovereign island country located off the northwestern coast of mainland Europe comprising of the four constituent countries; England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It comprises the island of Great Britain, the northeast part of the island of Ireland and many small islands. Apart from Northern Ireland the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea. The largest island, Great Britain, is linked to France by the Channel Tunnel. United Kingdom A country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the southwest. In addition to the mainland, Scotland includes over 790 islands including the Northern Isles and the Hebrides. Scotland One of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is located in the south-west of the island of Great Britain and is bordered by England to the east, the Bristol Channel (Mor Hafren) to the south and the Irish Sea (Mor Iwerddon) to the west and north, and also by the estuary of the River Dee (Afon Dyfrdwy) in the north-east. Wales is divided into 22 unitary authorities. There are nine counties, three cities, and ten county boroughs, although all have equal powers. Collectively these are known as the principal areas of Wales. They came into being on 1996-04-01. Wales The largest and most populous constituent country of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The subdivisions of England consists of as many as four levels of subnational division and at some levels there are a variety of types of administrative entity. They have been created for the purposes of local government in England. England A country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Germany comprises 16 states (Lander, Bundeslander), which are further subdivided into 439 districts (Kreise/Landkreise) and cities (kreisfreie Stadte). Germany A country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. The independent states of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within the Italian Peninsula, while Campione d'Italia is an Italian exclave in Switzerland. Italy is subdivided into 20 regions (regioni, singular regione). Five of these regions have a special autonomous status that enables them to enact legislation on some of their local matters. It is further divided into 109 provinces (province) and 8,101 municipalities (comuni). Italy A country at the crossroads of the Mediterranean, Central Europe, and the Balkans. Its capital is Zagreb. Croatia borders with Slovenia and Hungary to the north, Serbia to the northeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the east, Montenegro to the far southeast, and the Adriatic Sea to the south. Croatia is divided into 21 counties (zupanija) and the capital Zagreb's city district. Croatia A transcontinental country extending over much of northern Eurasia. Russia shares land borders with the following countries (counter-clockwise from northwest to southeast): Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania (Kaliningrad Oblast), Poland (Kaliningrad Oblast), Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia and North Korea. The Russian Federation comprises 83 federal subjectsm 46 oblasts(provinces), 21 republics, 9 krais (territories), 4 autonomous okrugs (autonomous districts), one autonomous oblast, and two federal cities. The federal subjects are grouped into seven federal districts. These subjects are divided into districts (raions), cities/towns and urban-type settlements, and, at level 4, selsovets (rural councils), towns and urban-type settlements under the jurisdiction of the district and city districts. Russia A country in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the east, Belarus to the north, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary to the west, Romania and Moldova to the southwest, and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. Ukraine is subdivided into twenty-four oblasts (provinces) and one autonomous republic (avtonomna respublika), Crimea. Additionally, the cities of Kiev, the capital, and Sevastopol, both have a special legal status. The 24 oblasts and Crimea are subdivided into 490 raions (districts), or second-level administrative units. Ukraine A Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It has borders with Norway (west and north) and Finland (northeast). Sweden is a unitary state, currently divided into twenty-one counties (lan). Each county further divides into a number of municipalities or kommuner, with a total of 290 municipalities in 2004. Sweden A country consisting of two thousand cays and seven hundred islands that form an archipelago. It is located in the Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida and the United States, north of Cuba, the island of Hispanola and the Caribbean, and northwest of the British overseas territory of the Turks and Caicos Islands. It is divided into 32 districts, plus New Providence, whose affairs are handled directly by the central government. The Bahamas An island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of China, Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea in the south. Japan A state in East Asia in the northern half of the Korean Peninsula, with its capital in the city of Pyongyang. To the south and separated by the Korean Demilitarized Zone is South Korea, with which it formed one nation until division following World War II. At its northern Amnok River border are China and, separated by the Tumen River in the extreme north-east, Russia. North Korea A republic in East Asia, occupying the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. South Korea is divided into 8 provinces (do), 1 special autonomous province (teukbyeol jachido), 6 metropolitan cities (gwangyeoksi), and 1 special city (teukbyeolsi). These are further subdivided into a variety of smaller entities, including cities (si), counties (gun), districts (gu), towns (eup), townships (myeon), neighborhoods (dong) and villages (ri). South Korea A country in South America occupying a long and narrow coastal strip wedged between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific forms the country's entire western border, with Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage at the country's southernmost tip. Chile claims 1,250,000 km2 of territory in Antarctica. Chile is divided into 15 regions. Every region is further divided into provinces. Finally each province is divided into communes. Each region is designated by a name and a Roman numeral, assigned from north to south. The only exception is the region housing the nation's capital, which is designated RM, that stands for Region Metropolitana (Metropolitan Region). Two new regions were created in 2006: Arica-Parinacota in the north, and Los Rios in the south. Both became operative in 2007-10. Chile A country in South America. Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and by Venezuela, Suriname, Guyana and the department of French Guiana to the north, Colombia to the northwest, Bolivia and Peru to the west, Argentina and Paraguay to the southwest, and Uruguay to the south. Federation of twenty-six states (estados) and one federal district (Distrito Federal). The states are subdivided into municipalities. For statistical purposes, the States are grouped into five main regions: North, Northeast, Central-West, Southeast and South. Brazil A country in South Asia. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal on the east, India has a coastline of 7,517 km. It borders Pakistan to the west; China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north-east; and Bangladesh and Burma to the east. India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Indonesia in the Indian Ocean. India is a federal republic of twenty-eight states and seven Union Territories. Each state or union territory is divided into basic units of government and administration called districts. There are nearly 600 districts in India. The districts in turn are further divided into tehsils and eventually into villages. India A large country in Northeast Asia. China borders 14 nations (counted clockwise from south): Vietnam, Laos, Burma, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia and North Korea. Additionally the border between PRC and ROC is located in territorial waters. The People's Republic of China has administrative control over twenty-two provinces and considers Taiwan to be its twenty-third province. There are also five autonomous regions, each with a designated minority group; four municipalities; and two Special Administrative Regions that enjoy considerable autonomy. The People's Republic of China administers 33 province-level regions, 333 prefecture-level regions, 2,862 county-level regions, 41,636 township-level regions, and several village-level regions. China Northeast Asia A federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bounded on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the North Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico. The United Mexican States comprise a federation of thirty-one states and a federal district, the capital Mexico City. Mexico A state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Delaware is located in the eastern section of the Delmarva Peninsula, between Delaware Bay and Chesapeake Bay. Delaware is bounded to the north by Pennsylvania; to the east by the Delaware River, Delaware Bay, New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean; and to the west and south by Maryland. State of Delaware A state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the northeast. Much of the land mass of the state is a large peninsula with the Gulf of Mexico to the west and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. State of Florida A very narrow isthmus of southern North America extending from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Mexico southeastward to the Isthmus of Panama where it connects to the Colombian Pacific Lowlands in northwestern South America. Central America The southernmost country of Central America. Situated on an isthmus, some categorize it as a transcontinental nation connecting the north and south part of America. It borders Costa Rica to the north-west, Colombia to the south-east, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. Panama's major divisions are nine provinces and five indigenous territories (comarcas indigenas). The provincial borders have not changed since they were determined at independence in 1903. The provinces are divided into districts, which in turn are subdivided into sections called corregimientos. Configurations of the corregimientos are changed periodically to accommodate population changes as revealed in the census reports. Panama A republic in Central America. The country is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, and to the north by the Gulf of Honduras, a large inlet of the Caribbean Sea. Honduras is divided into 18 departments. The capital city is Tegucigalpa Central District of the department of Francisco Morazan. Honduras A republic in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the east-southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, and the Caribbean Sea to the east. Costa Rica is composed of seven provinces, which in turn are divided into 81 cantons. Costa Rica A country in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, by Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. The country also includes the Galapagos Islands (Archipelago de Colon) in the Pacific, about 965 km west of the mainland. Ecuador is divided into 24 provinces, divided into 199 cantons and subdivided into parishes (or parroquias). Ecuador A South American country, constituted as a federation of twenty-three provinces and an autonomous city. It is bordered by Paraguay and Bolivia in the north, Brazil and Uruguay in the northeast, and Chile in the west and south. The country claims the British controlled territories of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. Argentina also claims 969,464 km2 of Antarctica, known as Argentine Antarctica, overlapping other claims made by Chile and the United Kingdom. Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces (Spanish: provincias, singular provincia) and one federal district (Capital de la Republica or Capital de la Nacion, informally the Capital Federal). The federal district and the provinces have their own constitutions, but exist under a federal system. Provinces are then divided into departments (Spanish: departamentos, singular departamento), except for Buenos Aires Province, which is divided into partidos. Argentina A country located in the northwestern region of South America. Colombia is bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the North by the Atlantic Ocean, through the Caribbean Sea; to the north-west by Panama; and to the west by the Pacific Ocean. Besides the countries in South America, the Republic of Colombia is recognized to share maritime borders with the Caribbean countries of Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and the Central American countries of Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Colombia is divided into 32 departments and one capital district which is treated as a department. There are in total 10 districts assigned to cities in Colombia including Bogota, Barranquilla, Cartagena, Santa Marta, Tunja, Cucuta, Popayan, Buenaventura, Tumaco and Turbo. Colombia is also subdivided into some municipalities which form departments, each with a municipal seat capital city assigned. Colombia is also subdivided into corregimientos which form municipalities. Colombia A country located in the southeastern part of South America. It is bordered by Brazil to the north, by Argentina across the bank of both the Uruguay River to the west and the estuary of Rio de la Plata to the southwest, and the South Atlantic Ocean to the southeast. Uraguay consists of 19 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento). Uruguay A country on the northern coast of South America. The country comprises a continental mainland and numerous islands located off the Venezuelan coastline in the Caribbean Sea. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela possesses borders with Guyana to the east, Brazil to the south, and Colombia to the west. Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, St. Lucia, Barbados, Curacao, Bonaire, Aruba, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the Leeward Antilles lie just north, off the Venezuelan coast. Venezuela is divided into twenty-three states (Estados), a capital district (distrito capital) corresponding to the city of Caracas, the Federal Dependencies (Dependencias Federales, a special territory), and Guayana Esequiba (claimed in a border dispute with Guyana). Venezuela is further subdivided into 335 municipalities (municipios); these are subdivided into over one thousand parishes (parroquias). Venezuela A country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. Peru is divided into 25 regions and the province of Lima. These regions are subdivided into provinces, which are composed of districts (provincias and distritos). There are 195 provinces and 1833 districts in Peru. The Lima Province, located in the central coast of the country, is unique in that it doesn't belong to any of the twenty-five regions. The city of Lima, which is the nation's capital, is located in this province. Callao is its own region, even though it only contains one province, the Constitutional Province of Callao. Peru A landlocked country in South America. It lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, bordering Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest, and is located in the very heart of South America. Paraguay consists of seventeen departments and one capital district (distrito capital). Each department is divided into districts. Paraguay A country in Central America. It is the only officially English speaking country in the region. Belize was a British colony for more than a century and was known as British Honduras until 1973. It became an independent nation within The Commonwealth in 1981. Belize is divided into 6 districts, which are further divided into 31 constituencies. Belize A country in Central America, bordering the Pacific Ocean between Guatemala and Honduras. El Salvador is divided into 14 departments (departamentos), which, in turn, are subdivided into 267 municipalities (municipios). El Salvador A country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the northwest, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize and the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast. Guatemala is divided into 22 departments (departamentos) and sub-divided into about 332 municipalities (municipios). Guatemala A Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It has borders with Sweden to the west, Russia to the east, and Norway to the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland. The capital city is Helsinki. Finland is divided into six administrative provinces (laani, plural laanit). These are divided into 20 regions (maakunt), 77 subregions (seutukunta) and then into municipalities (kunta). Finland A country in northwest Europe. Belgium shares borders with France (620 km), Germany (167 km), Luxembourg (148 km) and the Netherlands (450 km). The Flemish Region (Flanders) and the Walloon Region (Wallonia) each comprise five provinces; the third region, Brussels-Capital Region, is not a province, nor does it contain any Together, these comprise 589 municipalities, which in general consist of several sub-municipalities (which were independent municipalities before the municipal merger operation mainly in 1977). Belgium A country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north. The administrative division of Poland since 1999 has been based on three levels of subdivision. The territory of Poland is divided into voivodeships (provinces); these are further divided into powiats (counties), and these in turn are divided into gminas (communes or municipalities). Major cities normally have the status of both gmina and powiat. Poland currently has 16 voivodeships, 379 powiats (including 65 cities with powiat status), and 2,478 gminas. Poland A federal republic in Europe. Switzerland is bordered by Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein. The Swiss Confederation consists of 26 cantons. The Cantons comprise a total of 2,889 municipalities. Within Switzerland there are two enclaves: Busingen belongs to Germany, Campione d'Italia belongs to Italy. Switzerland A landlocked country in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The capital is the city of Vienna on the Danube River. Austria is divided into nine states (Bundeslander). These states are then divided into districts (Bezirke) and cities (Statutarstadte). Districts are subdivided into municipalities (Gemeinden). Cities have the competencies otherwise granted to both districts and municipalities. Austria A country in north-western Europe. The modern sovereign state occupies five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned in 1921. It is bordered by Northern Ireland (part of the United Kingdom) to the north, by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and by the Irish Sea to the east. Administration follows the 34 "county-level" counties and cities of Ireland. Of these twenty-nine are counties, governed by county councils while the five cities of Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford have city councils, (previously known as corporations), and are administered separately from the counties bearing those names. The City of Kilkenny is the only city in the republic which does not have a "city council"; it is still a borough but not a county borough and is administered as part of County Kilkenny. Ireland is split into eight regions for NUTS statistical purposes. These are not related to the four traditional provinces but are based on the administrative counties. Republic of Ireland A country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula. It has borders with Albania, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the east. The Aegean Sea lies to the east and south of mainland Greece, while the Ionian Sea lies to the west. Both parts of the Eastern Mediterranean basin feature a vast number of islands. Greece consists of thirteen peripheries subdivided into a total of fifty-one prefectures (nomoi, singular nomos). There is also one autonomous area, Mount Athos, which borders the periphery of Central Macedonia. Greece The European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east. The Netherlands is divided into twelve administrative regions, called provinces. All provinces of the Netherlands are divided into municipalities (gemeenten), together 443 (2007). The Netherlands A small landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. Luxembourg is divided into 3 districts, which are further divided into 12 cantons and then 116 communes. Twelve of the communes have city status, of which the city of Luxembourg is the largest. Luxembourg A small landlocked country in western Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain (Catalonia) and France. Andorra consists of seven communities known as parishes (Catalan: parroquies, singular - parroquia). Until relatively recently, it had only six parishes; the seventh, Escaldes-Engordany, was created in 1978. Some parishes have a further territorial subdivision. Ordino, La Massana and Sant Julia de Loria are subdivided into quarts (quarters), while Canillo is subdivided into veinats (neighborhoods). Those mostly coincide with villages, which are found in all parishes. Andorra A country in Southeastern Europe, borders five other countries; Romania to the north (mostly along the Danube), Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south. The Black Sea defines the extent of the country to the east. Since 1999, it has consisted of twenty-eight provinces. The provinces subdivide into 264 municipalities. Bulgaria A country in Southeastern Europe. It shares a border with Hungary and Serbia to the west, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova to the northeast, and Bulgaria to the south. Romania has a stretch of sea coast along the Black Sea. It is located roughly in the lower basin of the Danube and almost all of the Danube Delta is located within its territory. Romania is divided into forty-one counties (judete), as well as the municipality of Bucharest (Bucuresti) - which is its own administrative unit. The country is further subdivided into 319 cities and 2686 communes (rural localities). Romania A landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is divided into 19 counties (megyek, singular: megye). In addition, the capital city (fovaros), Budapest, is independent of any county government. The counties are further subdivided into 173 subregions (kistersegek), and Budapest is comprised of its own subregion. Since 1996, the counties and City of Budapest have been grouped into 7 regions for statistical and development purposes. These seven regions constitute NUTS second-level units of Hungary. Hungary A country in South Eastern Europe. Albania is bordered by Greece to the south-east, Montenegro to the north, Kosovo to the northeast, and the Republic of Macedonia to the east. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the west, and on the Ionian Sea to the southwest. From the Strait of Otranto, Albania is less than 100 km from Italy. Albania is divided into 12 administrative divisions called (Albanian: official qark/qarku, but often prefekture/prefektura Counties), 36 districts (Rrethe) and 351 municipalities (Bashkia) and communes (Komuna). Albania A landlocked country in Central Europe. It has borders with Poland to the north, Germany to the northwest and southwest, Austria to the south, and Slovakia to the east. The capital and largest city is Prague. The country is composed of the historic regions of Bohemia and Moravia, as well as parts of Silesia. Since 2000, the Czech Republic is divided into thirteen regions (kraje, singular kraj) and the capital city of Prague. The older seventy-six districts (okresy, singular okres) including three 'statutory cities' (without Prague, which had special status) were disbanded in 1999 in an administrative reform; they remain as territorial division and seats of various branches of state administration. Since 2003-01-01, the regions have been divided into around 203 Municipalities with Extended Competence (unofficially named "Little Districts" (Czech: 'male okresy') which took over most of the administration of the former District Authorities. Some of these are further divided into Municipalities with Commissioned Local Authority. However, the old districts still exist as territorial units and remain as seats of some of the offices. Czech Republic A country in southern Central Europe bordering Italy to the west, the Adriatic Sea to the southwest, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north. The capital of Slovenia is Ljubljana. As of 2005-05 Slovenia is divided into 12 statistical regions for legal and statistical purposes. Slovenia is divided into 210 local municipalities, eleven of which have urban status. Slovenia A landlocked country in Central Europe. The Slovak Republic borders the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south. The largest city is its capital, Bratislava. Slovakia is subdivided into 8 kraje (singular - kraj, usually translated as regions. The kraje are subdivided into many okresy (singular okres, usually translated as districts). Slovakia currently has 79 districts. Slovak Republic A landlocked country in Central and Southeastern Europe, covering the southern part of the Pannonian Plain and the central part of the Balkan Peninsula. It is bordered by Hungary to the north; Romania and Bulgaria to the east; Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro to the south; Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina to the west. The capital is Belgrade. Serbia is divided into 29 districts plus the City of Belgrade. The districts and the city of Belgrade are further divided into municipalities. Serbia has two autonomous provinces: Kosovo and Metohija in the south (5 districts, 30 municipalities), and Vojvodina in the north (7 districts, 46 municipalities). Serbia A country in Northern Europe. Latvia shares land borders with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south, and both Russia and Belarus to the east. It is separated from Sweden in the west by the Baltic Sea. The capital of Latvia is Riga. Latvia is divided into 26 districts (raioni). There are also seven cities (lielpilsetas) that have a separate status. Latvia is also historically, culturally and constitutionally divided in four or more distinct regions. Latvia A country in Northern Europe. Estonia has land borders to the south with Latvia and to the east with Russia. It is separated from Finland in the north by the Gulf of Finland and from Sweden in the west by the Baltic Sea. Estonia is divided into 15 counties. (maakonnad; sing. - maakond). Estonian counties are divided into rural (vallad, singular vald) and urban (linnad, singular linn; alevid, singular alev; alevikud, singular alevik) municipalities. The municipalities comprise populated places (asula or asustusuksus) - various settlements and territorial units that have no administrative function. A group of populated places form a rural municipality with local administration. Most towns constitute separate urban municipalities, while some have joined with surrounding rural municipalities. Estonia A country located along the south-eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, sharing borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the southeast, Poland, and the Russian exclave of the Kaliningrad Oblast to the southwest. Lithuania has a three-tier administrative division: the country is divided into 10 counties (singular apskritis, plural, apskritys) that are further subdivided into 60 municipalities (singular savivaldybe, plural savivaldybes) which consist of over 500 elderates (singular seniunija, plural seniunijos). Lithuania A republic in Central America. It is also the least densely populated with a demographic similar in size to its smaller neighbors. The country is bordered by Honduras to the north and by Costa Rica to the south. The Pacific Ocean lies to the west of the country, while the Caribbean Sea lies to the east. For administrative purposes it is divided into 15 departments (departamentos) and two self-governing regions (autonomous communities) based on the Spanish model. The departments are then subdivided into 153 municipios (municipalities). The two autonomous regions are Region Autonoma del Atlantico Norte and Region Autonoma del Atlantico Sur, often referred to as RAAN and RAAS, respectively. Until they were granted autonomy in 1985 they formed the single department of Zelaya. Nicaragua A country in the Apennine Mountains. It is a landlocked enclave, completely surrounded by Italy. San Marino is an enclave in Italy, on the border between the regioni of Emilia Romagna and Marche. Its topography is dominated by the Apennines mountain range. San Marino is divided into nine municipalities, known locally as Castelli (singular castello). San Marino A landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the City of Rome. It includes extraterritorial buildings and property in Rome and elsewhere it Italy. Vatican City A midwestern state of the United States of America. The Northeastern border of Illinois is Lake Michigan. Its eastern border with Indiana is all of the land west of the Wabash River, and a north-south line above Post Vincennes, or 87deg31min30secW. Its northern border with Wisconsin is fixed at 42deg30minN. Its western border with Missouri and Iowa is the Mississippi River. Its southern border with Kentucky is the Ohio River. Illinois also borders Michigan, but only via a water boundary in Lake Michigan. State of Illinois A Midwestern state of the United States of America. Michigan consists of two peninsulas that lie between 82deg30minW to about 90deg30minW longitude, and are separated by the Straits of Mackinac. With the exception of two small areas that are drained by the Mississippi River by way of the Wisconsin River in the Upper Peninsula and by way of the Kankakee-Illinois River in the Lower Peninsula, Michigan is drained by the Great Lakes-Saint Lawrence watershed. The Great Lakes that border Michigan from east to west are Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. The state is bounded on the south by the states of Ohio and Indiana, sharing land and water boundaries with both. State of Michigan A state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is bordered by Maryland and the District of Columbia to the north and east; the Atlantic Ocean to the east; by North Carolina and Tennessee to the south; by Kentucky to the west and by West Virginia to the north and west. Due to a peculiarity of Virginia's original charter, its boundary with Maryland does not extend past the low-water mark of the southern shore of the Potomac River, so Maryland and the District of Columbia contain the whole width of the river rather than splitting it between them and Virginia. The southern border is defined as the 36deg30min parallel north. Commonwealth of Virginia The area which constitutes of, and is coextensive with, the city of Washington, the Capital of the United States. The District of Columbia is not a state. District of Columbia An archipelagic state in Southeast Asia. The country shares land borders with Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Malaysia. Other neighboring countries include Singapore, the Philippines, Australia, and the Indian territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Indonesia consists of 33 provinces, five of which have special status. The provinces are subdivided into regencies (kabupaten, distrik in Papua and West Papua Provinces) and cities (kota), which are further subdivided into subdistricts (kecamatan), and again into village groupings (either desa or kelurahan). Indonesia A country in Southeast Asia. To its east lie Laos and Cambodia; to its south, the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia; and to its west, the Andaman Sea and Burma. Its capital and largest city is Bangkok. Thailand is divided into 75 provinces (changwat), which are gathered into 5 groups of provinces by location. There are also 2 special governed districts: the capital Bangkok (Krung Thep Maha Nakhon) and Pattaya, of which Bangkok is at provincial level and thus often counted as a 76th province. Thailand An island nation off the coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about 900 km east of Madagascar. In addition to the island of Mauritius, the republic includes the islands of St. Brandon, Rodrigues and the Agalega Islands. Mauritius A country in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Myanmar to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south. Bangladesh is divided into six administrative divisions. Divisions are subdivided into districts (zila). There are 64 districts in Bangladesh, each further subdivided into upazila (subdistricts) or thana ("police stations"). Bangladesh The easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It borders the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia. Viet Nam A country that consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles), Isla de la Juventud and several adjacent small islands. Fourteen provinces and one special municipality (the Isla de la Juventud) now compose Cuba. Cuba An archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying northeast of the South American nation of Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles. It also shares maritime boundaries with Barbados to the northeast and Guyana to the southeast. The country covers an area of 5,128 km2and consists of two main islands, Trinidad and Tobago, and 21 smaller islands. Trinidad and Tobago A nation of the Greater Antilles. Jamaica is divided into 14 parishes, which are grouped into three historic counties that have no administrative relevance. Jamaica A small country that is completely bordered by France to the north, west, and south; to the east it is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of a single municipality (commune) currently divided into 4 quartiers and 10 wards. Monaco A tiny, doubly landlocked alpine country in Western Europe, bordered by Switzerland to its west and by Austria to its east. The principality of Liechtenstein is divided into 11 municipalities called Gemeinden (singular Gemeinde). The Gemeinden mostly consist only of a single town. Five of them fall within the electoral district Unterland (the lower county), and the remainder within Oberland (the upper county). Liechtenstein A landlocked country in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east and south. Moldova is divided into thirty-two districts (raioane, singular raion); three municipalities (Balti, Chisinau, Tighina); and two autonomous regions (Gagauzia and Transnistria). The cities of Comrat and Tiraspol also have municipality status, however not as first-tier subdivisions of Moldova, but as parts of the regions of Gagauzia and Transnistria, respectively. The status of Transnistria is however under dispute. Although it is de jure part of Moldova and is recognized as such by the international community, Transnistria is not de facto under the control of the central government of Moldova. It is administered by an unrecognized breakaway authority under the name Pridnestrovian Moldovan Republic. Moldova A country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia. Apart from its coastline with the South China Sea it is completely surrounded by the State of Sarawak, Malaysia, and in fact it is separated into two parts by Limbang, which is part of Sarawak. Brunei is divided into four districts (daerah), the districts are subdivided into thirty-eight mukims, which are then divided into kampong (villages). Brunei Darussalam A country that consists of thirteen states and three federal territories in Southeast Asia. The country is separated into two regions, Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo, by the South China Sea. Malaysia borders Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei and the Philippines. Malaysia consists of 13 states (Negeri) and 3 federal territories. Malaysia A landlocked nation in South Asia. It is located amidst the eastern end of the Himalaya Mountains and is bordered to the south, east and west by India and to the north by Tibet. Bhutan is separated from Nepal by the Indian State of Sikkim. Bhutan is divided into four dzongdey (administrative zones). Each dzongdey is further divided into dzongkhag (districts). There are twenty dzongkhag in Bhutan. Large dzongkhags are further divided into subdistricts known as dungkhag. At the basic level, groups of villages form a constituency called gewog. Bhutan Papua New Guinea An island nation located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. It lies 137 km north of the Equator, south of the Malaysian State of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands. Singapore consists of 63 islands, including mainland Singapore. There are two man-made connections to Johor, Malaysia, Johor-Singapore Causeway in the north, and Tuas Second Link in the west. Since 2001-11-24, Singapore has had an administrative subdivision into 5 districts. It is also divided into five Regions, urban planning subdivisions with no administrative role. Singapore An island nation in South Asia, located about 31 km off the southern coast of India. Sri Lanka is divided into 9 provinces and 25 districts. Districts are divided into Divisional Secretariats. Sri Lanka That part of the Kingdom of Spain that occupies the Iberian Peninsula plus the Balaeric Islands. The Spanish mainland is bordered to the south and east almost entirely by the Mediterranean Sea (except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar); to the north by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the west by the Atlantic Ocean and Portugal. Metropolitan Spain A state in the United States, located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia. State of Hawaii A part of the country of France that extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. Metropolitan France is bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra, and Spain. Due to its overseas departments. Metropolitan France An island, located in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar, about 200 km south west of Mauritius, the nearest island. Reunion Island A country in the West Indies that occupies the E two-thirds of the Hispaniola island. The Dominican Republic's shores are washed by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and the Caribbean Sea to the south. The Mona Passage, a channel about 130 km wide, separates the country (and the Hispaniola) from Puerto Rico. The Dominican Republic is divided into 31 provinces. Additionally, the national capital, Santo Domingo, is contained within its own Distrito Nacional (National District). The provinces are divided into municipalities (municipios; singular municipio). Dominican Republic A country located in the Greater Antilles archipelago on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Haiti is divided into 10 departments. The departments are further divided into 41 arrondissements, and 133 communes which serve as second and third level administrative divisions. Haiti A group of 15 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines. Northern Mariana Islands The third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily and Sardinia), Cyprus is situated in the eastern Mediterranean, just south of the Anatolian peninsula (or Asia Minor) of the Asian mainland; thus, it is often included in the Middle East (see also Western Asia and Near East). Turkey is 75 km north; other neighbouring countries include Syria and Lebanon to the east, Israel to the southeast, Egypt to the south, and Greece to the west-north-west. Island of Cyprus A Southern European country and consists of an archipelago situated centrally in the Mediterranean. Malta A part of the Lesser Antilles and consists of two groups of islands in the Caribbean Sea: Curacao and Bonaire, just off the Venezuelan coast, and Sint Eustatius, Saba and Sint Maarten, located southeast of the Virgin Islands. The islands form an autonomous part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Netherlands Antilles Curacao Island An autonomous region within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Aruba has no administrative subdivisions. Aruba A landlocked mountainous country in Eurasia between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea in the Southern Caucasus. It borders Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north, Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran and the Nakhchivan exclave of Azerbaijan to the south. A transcontinental country at the juncture of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. A former republic of the Soviet Union. Armenia is divided into ten marzes (provinces, singular marz), with the city (kaghak) of Yerevan having special administrative status as the country's capital. Armenia That part of the Portugese Republic that occupies the W part of the Iberian Peninsula, and immediately adjacent islands. Metropolitan Portugal A landlocked nation in South Asia. It is bordered by the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China to the northeast and India to the south and west; it is separated from Bhutan by the Indian State of Sikkim and from Bangladesh by a small strip of the Indian State of West Bengal, known as the "Chicken's Neck". The Himalaya mountain range runs across Nepal's north and western parts, and eight of the world's ten highest mountains, including the highest, Mount Everest are situated within its territory. Nepal is divided into 14 zones and 75 districts, grouped into 5 development regions. Nepal A state located in the Southern United States. The capital city is Nashville, and the largest city is Memphis. Tennessee borders eight other states: Kentucky and Virginia to the north; North Carolina to the east; Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi on the south; Arkansas and Missouri on the Mississippi River to the west. State of Tennessee A western state of the United States. Utah has three distinct geological regions: the Rocky Mountains, the Great Basin, and the Colorado Plateau. State of Utah A state in the Appalachian, Upland South, and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia on the southeast, Kentucky on the southwest, Ohio on the northwest, and Pennsylvania and Maryland on the northeast. The capital and largest city is Charleston. State of West Virginia A Midwestern state of the United States. Ohio's southern border is defined by the Ohio River (with the border being at the 1793 low-water mark on the north side of the river), and much of the northern border is defined by Lake Erie. Ohio's neighbors are Pennsylvania to the east, Michigan to the northwest, Ontario Canada, to the north, Indiana to the west, Kentucky on the south, and West Virginia on the southeast. State of Ohio A state located in the southwestern region of the United States. State of New Mexico A state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the north. State of New Hampshire A state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the north. State of Vermont A state located in the Deep South of the United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. Mississippi is bordered on the north by Tennessee, on the east by Alabama, on the south by Louisiana and a narrow coast on the Gulf of Mexico, and on the west, across the Mississippi River, by Louisiana and Arkansas. State of Mississippi A state in the Midwest region of the United States. Missouri is bounded on the north by Iowa; on the east, across the Mississippi River, by Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee; on the south by Arkansas; and on the west by Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska (the last across the Missouri River). State of Missouri A state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Louisiana is bordered to the west by the State of Texas; to the north by Arkansas; to the east by the State of Mississippi; and to the south by the Gulf of Mexico. State of Louisiana A state in the central region of the United States of America. Kansas is bordered by Nebraska on the north; Missouri on the east; Oklahoma on the south; and Colorado on the west. State of Kansas A state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America. Iowa is bordered by the Mississippi River on the east; the Missouri River and the Big Sioux River on the west; the northern boundary is a line along 43 degrees, 30 minutes north latitude. The southern border is the Des Moines River and a line along approximately 40 degrees 35 minutes north. State of Iowa A midwestern state of the United States of America. Indiana is bounded on the north by Lake Michigan and the state of Michigan; on the east by Ohio; on the south by Kentucky, with which it shares the Ohio River as a border; and on the west by Illinois. Indiana is one of the Great Lakes states. State of Indiana A state located in the East Central United States of America. Kentucky borders on seven states, from both the Midwest and the Southeast. West Virginia lies to the east, Virginia to the southeast, Tennessee to the south, Missouri to the west, Illinois and Indiana to the northwest, and Ohio to the north and northeast. Commonwealth of Kentucky A state located in the southern region of the United States. Arkansas shares a border with six states, with its eastern border largely defined by the Mississippi River. Arkansas shares its southern border with Louisiana, its northern border with Missouri, its eastern border with Tennessee and Mississippi, and its western border with Texas and Oklahoma. State of Arkansas A state located in the Midwestern and Western regions of the United States of America. State of North Dakota A state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America. State of South Dakota A state located in the western region of the United States of America. Nevada is almost entirely within the Basin and Range Province, and is broken up by many north-south mountain ranges. Most of these ranges have endorheic valleys between them, which belies the image portrayed by the term Great Basin. The southern third of the state, where the Las Vegas area is situated, is within the Mojave Desert. State of Nevada A country in Central Eurasia. Iran is bounded by the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf to the south and the Caspian Sea to its north. It borders Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan to the north, Afghanistan and Pakistan to the east, and Turkey and Iraq to the west. Iran is divided into 30 provinces (ostan). The provinces are divided into counties (shahrestan), and subdivided into districts (bakhsh) and sub-districts (dehestan). Iran A country in the Middle East spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert. It shares borders with Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to the south, Jordan to the west, Syria to the northwest, Turkey to the north, and Iran to the east. It has a very narrow section of coastline at Umm Qasr on the Persian Gulf. There are two major flowing rivers: the Tigris and the Euphrates. Iraq is divided into 18 governorates (or provinces) (muhafazah). The governorates are divided into qadhas (or districts). Iraq An archipelagic nation located in Southeast Asia. The Philippine archipelago comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean, bordering countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Palau and the Republic of China, although it is the only Southeast Asian country to share no land borders with its neighbors. The Philippines is divided into three island groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. These are divided into 17 regions, 81 provinces, 136 cities, 1,494 municipalities and 41,995 barangays. The Philippines The southern portion of the Caucasus region between Europe and Asia, extending from the Greater Caucasus to the Turkish and Iranian borders, between the Black and Caspian Seas. The area includes the Colchis Lowland, Kura Lowland, Talysh Mountains, Lenkoran Lowland, Caucasus Minor, and Javakheti-Armenian Uplands. All of Armenia is in Transcaucasia; the majority of Georgia and Azerbaijan, including the exclave of Naxcivan, fall within this area. South Caucasus A country in the he South Caucasus region of Eurasia, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to the south. The Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan is bordered by Armenia to the north and east, Iran to the south and west, and Turkey to the northwest. Nagorno-Karabakh, along with 7 other districts in Azerbaijan's southwest, have been controlled by Armenia since the end of the Nagorno-Karabakh War in 1994. Azerbaijan is divided into 59 rayons 11 city districts (saharlar), and one autonomous republic (muxtar respublika). Azerbaijan A Eurasian country in the Caucasus located at the east coast of the Black Sea. In the north, Georgia has a 723 km common border with Russia, specifically with the Northern Caucasus federal district. The following Russian republics/subdivisions: from west to east: border Georgia: Krasnodar Krai, Karachay-Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia-Alania, Ingushetia, Chechnya, Dagestan. Georgia also shares borders with Azerbaijan (322 km) to the south-east, Armenia (164 km) to the south, and Turkey (252 km) to the south-west. It is a transcontinental country, located at the juncture of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. Georgia is divided into 9 regions, 2 autonomous republics (avtonomiuri respublika), and 1 city (k'alak'i). The regions are further subdivided into 69 districts (raioni). Georgia A doubly landlocked country in Central Asia, formerly part of the Soviet Union. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south. Uzbekistan is divided into twelve provinces (viloyatlar) one autonomous republic (respublika and one independent city (shahar). Uzbekistan A country in Central Asia and Europe. It is bordered by Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and China. The country also borders on a significant part of the Caspian Sea. Kazakhstan is divided into 14 provinces and two municipal districts. The provinces of Kazakhstan are divided into raions. Kazakhstan A country in Central Asia. It is bordered by Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the southwest, Uzbekistan to the northeast, Kazakhstan to the northwest, and the Caspian Sea to the west. It was a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic. Turkmenistan is divided into five provinces or welayatlar (singular - welayat) and one independent city. Turkmenistan A state located on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States and Western United States. State of Nebraska A country in Middle East which lies on the Iranian Plateau and some parts of South Asia. It is located in the region where South Asia converges with Central Asia and the Middle East. It has a 1,046 km coastline along the Arabian Sea in the south, and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. Pakistan is subdivided into four provinces and two territories. In addition, the portion of Kashmir that is administered by the Pakistani government is divided into two separate administrative units. The provinces are divided into a total of 105 zillas (districts). A zilla is further subdivided into tehsils (roughly equivalent to counties). Tehsils may contain villages or municipalities. There are over five thousand local governments in Pakistan. Pakistan A nation in Melanesia, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. Together they cover a land mass of 28,400 km2. The capital is Honiara, located on the island of Guadalcanal. Solomon Islands A country on the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Jordan on the northwest, Iraq on the north and northeast, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates on the east, Oman on the southeast, and Yemen on the south. The Persian Gulf lies to the northeast and the Red Sea to its west. Saudi Arabia is divided into 13 provinces or regions (manatiq; singular mintaqah). Each is then divided into Governorates. Saudi Arabia A borderless island country in the Persian Gulf. Saudi Arabia lies to the west and is connected to Bahrain by the King Fahd Causeway, and Qatar is to the south across the Gulf of Bahrain. Bahrain is split into five governorates. Bahrain A Middle Eastern federation of seven states situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman and Saudi Arabia. The seven states, termed emirates, are Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain. United Arab Emirates A country in southwest Asia, on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It borders the United Arab Emirates on the northwest, Saudi Arabia on the west, and Yemen on the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the south and east, and the Gulf of Oman on the northeast. The country also contains Madha, an exclave enclosed by the United Arab Emirates, and Musandam, an exclave also separated by Emirati territory. Oman is divided into four governorates (muhafazah) and five regions (mintaqat). The regions are subdivided into provinces (wilayat). Oman A country located on the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia. Yemen is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the North, the Red Sea to the West, the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden to the South, and Oman to the east. Yemen's territory includes over 200 islands, the largest of which is Socotra, about 415 km to the south of Yemen, off the coast of Somalia. As of 2004-02, Yemen is divided into twenty governorates (muhafazah) and one municipality. The population of each governorate is listed in the table below. The governorates of Yemen are divided into 333 districts (muderiah). The districts are subdivided into 2,210 sub-districts, and then into 38,284 villages (as of 2001). Yemen A sovereign emirate on the coast of the Persian Gulf, enclosed by Saudi Arabia to the south and Iraq to the north and west. Kuwait is divided into six governorates (muhafazat, singular muhafadhah). Kuwait An Arab emirate in Southwest Asia, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the larger Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south; otherwise the Persian Gulf surrounds the state. Qatar is divided into ten municipalities (Arabic: baladiyah), which are further divided into zones (districts). Qatar The largest island in the Windward group of the French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. Tahiti is some 45 km long at the widest point and covers 1,045 km2, with the highest elevation being at 2,241 m) above sea level (Mount Orohena). The island consists of two roughly round portions centered on volcanic mountains, connected by a short isthmus named after the small town of Taravao, which sits there. The northwestern part is known as Tahiti Nui ("big Tahiti"), and the southeastern part, much smaller, is known as Tahiti Iti ("small Tahiti") or Taiarapu. Tahiti A state in East Asia with de facto rule of the island of Tawain and adjacent territory. The Republic of China currently administers two historical provinces of China (one completely and a small part of another one) and centrally administers two direct-controlled municipalities. Republic of China An archipelago of continental islands lying in the Arctic Ocean north of mainland Europe, about midway between Norway and the North Pole. Svalbard Archipelago A group of islands in the southern Indian Ocean. It is a territory of France. They are composed primarily of Tertiary flood basalts and a complex of plutonic rocks. The trachybasaltic-to-trachytic Mount Ross stratovolcano at the southern end was active during the late Pleistocene. The Rallier du Baty Peninsula on the SW tip of the island contains two youthful subglacial eruptive centers, Mont St. Allouarn and Mont Henri Rallier du Baty. An active fumarole field is related to a series of Holocene trachytic lava flows and lahars that extend beyond the icecap. Kerguelen Archipelago A group of islands and rocks totalling 5 km2, in the northern Mozambique channel, about 160 km northwest of Madagascar. Glorioso Islands A 4.4 km2 low, flat, tropical island in the narrowest part of the Mozambique Channel, about one-third of the way between Madagascar and Mozambique. JIle uan de Nova A roughly circular atoll about 10 km in diameter, which corresponds to a total size (including lagoon) of 80 km2. It is located in the southern Mozambique Channel, about half-way between Madagascar (which is 385 km to the east) and Mozambique, and 110 km northwest of Europa Island. It rises steeply from the seabed 3000 m below. Ile Bassas da India A 28 km2 low-lying tropical island in the Mozambique Channel, about a third of the way from southern Madagascar to southern Mozambique. Ile Europa A low, flat 0.8 km2 island in the Indian Ocean, about 350 km east of Madagascar. Tromelin is a low, scrub-covered sandbank about 1,700 m long and 700 m wide, surrounded by coral reefs. The island is 7 m high at its highest point. Ile Tromelin An island nation in the Indian Ocean, located off the eastern coast of Africa on the northern end of the Mozambique Channel between northern Madagascar and northeastern Mozambique. Comoros A nine-square km coral atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, southwest of Mexico and west of Costa Rica. Clipperton Island That part of the Kingdom of Denmark located in continental Europe. The mainland is bordered to the south by Germany; Denmark is located to the southwest of Sweden and the south of Norway. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea. The country consists of a large peninsula, Jutland (Jylland) and a large number of islands, most notably Zealand (Sjaelland), Funen (Fyn), Vendsyssel-Thy, Lolland, Falster and Bornholm as well as hundreds of minor islands often referred to as the Danish Archipelago. Metropolitan Denmark A volcanic island that is part of the Kingdom of Norway, It has two parts: larger Nord-Jan and smaller Sor-Jan, linked by an isthmus 2.5 km wide. It lies 600 km north of Iceland, 500 km east of Greenland and 1,000 km west of the Norwegian mainland. The island is mountainous, the highest summit being the Beerenberg volcano in the north. The isthmus is the location of the two largest lakes of the island, Sorlaguna (South Lagoon), and Nordlaguna (North Lagoon). A third lake is called Ullerenglaguna (Ullereng Lagoon). Jan Mayen was formed by the Jan Mayen hotspot. Jan Mayen A region extending from the western side of the West Pacific to the Arafura Sea, north and north-east of Australia. Melanesia A subregion of Oceania, comprising a large grouping of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The region is anchoredby three island groups: Hawai'i, Easter Island (Rapa Nui) and New Zealand. Polynesia A subregion of Oceania, comprising hundreds of small islands in the Pacific Ocean. The Philippines lie to the northwest, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Melanesia to the west and southwest, and Polynesia to the east. Micronesia A region of Oceania including New Zealand, Australia. Some definitions include Papua New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. Australasia An island in the Indian Ocean, 500 km south of Indonesia and about 2600 km northwest of Perth. The island is the flat summit of a submarine mountain. Christmas Island A state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. State of Colorado A state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. Idaho borders six states and one Canadian province, but does not border the Pacific Ocean at any point and is not, as such, a coastal state. The states of Washington and Oregon are to the west, Nevada and Utah are to the south, and Montana and Wyoming are to the east. The province of British Columbia, to the north, also shares a small (77 km) border with Idaho. State of Idaho A state located in the southern region of the United States of America. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. State of Alabama A landlocked country that is located approximately in the center of Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan in the south and east Iran in the west, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in the north, and China in the far northeast. Afghanistan is administratively divided into thirty-four (34) provinces (welayats). Each province is then divided into many provincial districts, and each district normally covers a city or several townships. Afghanistan An island nation located on the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean. Antigua and Barbuda A landlocked country in Eastern Europe, that borders Russia to the north and east, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the north. Its capital is Minsk. Belarus is divided into six voblasts, or provinces. Voblasts are further subdivided into raions (commonly translated as districts or regions). As of 2002, there are six voblasts, 118 raions, 102 towns and 108 urbanized settlements. Minsk is given a special status, due to the city serving as the national capital. Belarus A country on the Balkan peninsula of Southern Europe. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the south, Bosnia and Herzegovina is mostly landlocked, except for 26 km of the Adriatic Sea coastline. Bosnia and Herzegovina is now divided into three political regions of which one, the Brcko District is part of the other two, the Federacija Bosne i Hercegovine and the Republika Srpska. All three have an equal constitutional status on the whole territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bosnia and Herzegovina A country in Southeast Asia. The country borders Thailand to its west and northwest, Laos to its northeast, and Vietnam to its east and southeast. In the south it faces the Gulf of Thailand. Cambodia A landlocked country in southeast Asia, bordered by Burma (Myanmar) and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south, and Thailand to the west. Laos is divided into sixteen provinces (qwang) and Vientiane Capital (Na Kone Luang Vientiane). The provinces further divided into districts (muang). Laos An island nation in the Caribbean Sea. Dominica is divided into ten parishes. Dominica An island nation in the South Pacific Ocean east of Vanuatu, west of Tonga and south of Tuvalu. The country occupies an archipelago of about 322 islands, of which 106 are permanently inhabited, and 522 islets. The two major islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, account for 87% of the population. Fiji A country in Central Asia. Landlocked and mountainous, it is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east. Kyrgyzstan is divided into seven provinces (oblast. The capital, Bishkek, and the second large city Osh are administratively the independent cities (shaar) with a status equal to a province. Each province comprises a number of districts (raions). Kyrgyzstan An island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. It is composed of 32 atolls and one raised coral island dispersed over 3,500,000 km2 straddling the equator and bordering the International Date Line to the east. It is divided into three island groups which have no administrative function, including a group which unites the Line Islands and the Phoenix Islands (ministry at London, Christmas). Each inhabited island has its own council (three councils on Tarawa: Betio, South-Tarawa, North-Tarawa; two councils on Tabiteuea). Kiribati A landlocked country on the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Serbia and Kosovo to the north, Albania to the west, Greece to the south, and Bulgaria to the east. In 2004-08, the Republic of Macedonia was reorganised into 85 municipalities (opstini; singular opstina), 10 of which comprise Greater Skopje. This is reduced from the previous 123 municipalities established in 1996-09. Prior to this, local government was organised into 34 administrative districts. Macedonia A country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south and borders Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia and its partially recognized breakaway southern province of Kosovo to the northeast and Albania to the southeast. Its capital and largest city is Podgorica. Montenegro is divided into twenty-one municipalities (opstina), and two urban municipalities, subdivisions of Podgorica municipality. Montenegro A country in SE Asia that is bordered by China on the north, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, and India on the northwest, with the Bay of Bengal to the southwest. Myanmar is divided into seven states and seven divisions. The administrative divisions are further subdivided into districts, which are further subdivided into townships, wards, and villages. Myanmar An island nation in the Micronesian South Pacific. The nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in the Republic of Kiribati, 300 km due east. Nauru is divided into fourteen administrative districts which are grouped into eight electoral constituencies. Nauru An island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. Although self-governing, Niue is in free association with New Zealand, meaning that the Sovereign in Right of New Zealand is also Niue's head of state. Niue Fekai A nation that consists of eight principal islands and more than 250 smaller ones lying roughly 500 miles southeast of the Philippines. Palau A federal two-island nation in the West Indies. Located in the Leeward Islands. Saint Kitts and Nevis are geographically part of the Leeward Islands. To the north-northwest lie the islands of Saint Eustatius, Saba, Saint Barthelemy, and Saint-Martin/Sint Maarten. To the east and northeast are Antigua and Barbuda, and to the southeast is the small uninhabited island of Redonda, and the island of Montserrat. The federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis is divided into fourteen parishes: nine divisions on Saint Kitts and five on Nevis. Saint Kitts-Nevis An island nation in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Saint Lucia A country governing the western part of the Samoan Islands archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean. Samoa is made up of eleven itumalo (political districts). Samoa A mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and People's Republic of China to the east. Tajikistan consists of 4 administrative divisions. These are the provinces (viloyat) of Sughd and Khatlon, the autonomous province of Gorno-Badakhshan (abbreviated as GBAO), and the Region of Republican Subordination (RRP, Raiony Respublikanskogo Podchineniya in Russian; formerly known as Karotegin Province). Each region is divided into several districts (nohiya or raion). Tajikistan A country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecussi-Ambeno, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor. The small country of 15,410 km2 is located about 640 km northwest of Darwin, Australia. East Timor is divided into thirteen administrative districts, are subdivided into 65 subdistricts, 443 sucos and 2,336 towns, villages and hamlets. Timor-Leste An island nation in the Pacific Ocean. Tonga An island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. Vanuatu The Seychelles An archipelago which consists of approximately 1,196 coral islands grouped in a double chain of 27 atolls, spread over roughly 90,000 km2. Maldives Archipelago An island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Africa. It consists of two islands: Sao Tome and Principe, located about 140 km apart and about 250 and 225 km respectively, off of the northwestern coast of Gabon. Both islands are part of an extinct volcanic mountain range. Sao Tome and Principe is divided into 2 provinces: Principe, Sao Tome. The provinces are further divided into seven districts, six on Sao Tome and one on Principe (with Principe having self-government since 1995-04-29). Sao Tome and Principe A coral atoll (despite its name) having a coastline of 19 km in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu (3,700 km west) to Guam (2,430 km east). Wake Island A 6.2 km2 atoll located in the North Pacific Ocean (near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago). It is an unincorporated territory of the United States, designated an insular area under the authority of the US Department of the Interior. Midway Atoll A 130 km2 atoll in the North Pacific Ocean about 1400 km (750 nm) west of Hawaii. There are four islands located on the coral reef platform, two natural islands, Johnston Island and Sand Island, which have been expanded by coral dredging, as well as North Island (Akau) and East Island (Hikina), artificial islands formed from coral dredging. Johnston is an unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior as part of the United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges. Sits atop Johnston Seamount. Johnston Atoll A largely submerged, uninhabited tropical atoll located in the North Pacific Ocean, roughly half way between Hawaiian Islands and American Samoa. It is the northernmost of the Northern Line Islands and lies 65 km NNW of Palmyra Atoll, the next closest island, and has the status of an unincorporated territory of the United States, administered from Washington, DC by the US Navy. Sits atop Kingman Reef Seamount. Kingman Reef An uninhabited atoll located just north of the equator in the central Pacific Ocean about 3,100 km southwest of Honolulu. Baker Island is an unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US. Baker Island An uninhabited 4.5 km2 coral atoll located in the South Pacific Ocean about halfway between Hawaii and the Cook Islands. It is an unincorporated territory of the United States administered from Washington, DC by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service of the United States Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system. Jarvis is one of the southern Line Islands and for statistical purposes is also grouped as one of the United States Minor Outlying Islands. Sits atop the Jarvis Seamount. Jarvis Island A small, uninhabited island in the Caribbean Sea, and is an unorganized unincorporated territory of the United States, which administers it through the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The island is also claimed by Haiti. Navassa Island An uninhabited coral island located just north of the equator in the central Pacific Ocean, about 3,100 km (1,670 nm) southwest of Honolulu. The island is almost half way between Hawaii and Australia and is an unincorporated, unorganized territory of the United States, and is often included as one of the Phoenix Islands. For statistical purposes, Howland is grouped as one of the United States Minor Outlying Islands. Howland Island A group of eleven atolls and low coral islands in the central Pacific Ocean south of the Hawaiian Islands, eight of which belong to Kiribati, while three are United States territories that are grouped with the United States Minor Outlying Islands. Line Islands An archipelago that consists of twenty-nine atolls and five isolated islands. The most important atolls and islands form two groups: the Ratak Chain and the Ralik Chain (meaning "sunrise" and "sunset" chains). Two-thirds of the nation's population lives on Majuro (which is also the capital) and Ebeye. The outer islands are sparsely populated. Marshall Islands Groups of volcanic islands. Wallis and Futuna islands A country in East-Central Asia. The landlocked country borders Russia to the north and China to the south. The capital and largest city is Ulan Bator. Mongolia is divided into 21 aimags (provinces), which are in turn divided into 315 sums (districts). The capital Ulan Bator is administrated separately as a khot (municipality) with provincial status. Mongolia Heard and McDonald islands Islands that located in the Indian Ocean, about halfway between Australia and Sri Lanka. A territory of Australia. There are two atolls and twenty-seven coral islands in the group. Cocos Islands A group of >100 islands located in the Southeastern Asian group of reefs and islands in the South China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the southern Philippines. Spratly Islands A group of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, about one-third of the way from Vietnam to the Philippines. Paracel Islands A country on the Balkan Peninsula. Kosovo borders Central Serbia to the north and east, Montenegro to the northwest, Albania to the west and the Republic of Macedonia to the south. Kosovo is divided into 7 districts (Rreth) and 30 municipalities. Serbia does not recognise the unilateral secession of Kosovo[8] and considers it a United Nations-governed entity within its sovereign territory, the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija. Kosovo One of five island areas (Eilandgebieden) of the Netherlands Antilles, encompassing the southern half of the island of Saint Martin/Sint Maarten. Sint Maarten A large embayment of the Southern Ocean, extending deeply into Antarctica between Cape Adare, at 170degE, on the west and Cape Colbeck on the east, at 158degW. Ross Sea An island of Indonesia and the site of its capital city, Jakarta. It lies between Sumatra to the northwest and Bali to the east. Borneo lies to the north and Christmas Island to the south. Java is almost entirely of volcanic origin; it contains no fewer than thirty-eight mountains forming an east-west spine which have at one time or another been active volcanoes. Java An Indonesian island that runs approximately 1,790 km northwest - southeast, crossing the equator near the center. At its widest point the island spans 435 km. The interior of the island is dominated by two geographical regions: the Barisan Mountains in the west and swampy plains in the east. To the southeast is Java, separated by the Sunda Strait. To the north is the Malay Peninsula, separated by the Straits of Malacca. To the east is Borneo, across the Karimata Strait. West of the island is the Indian Ocean. The backbone of the island is the Barisan mountains chain, with the active volcano Mount Kerinci's 3,805 m the highest point, located at about the midpoint of the range. The volcanic activity of this region endowed the region with fertile land and beautiful sceneries, for instance around the Lake Toba. It also contains deposits of coal and gold. Sumatra One of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. Sulawesi straddles Wallace's Line meaning that it has a mix of both Asian and Austronesian species. However, the majority of Sulawesi's wildlife belongs to the Australasia region. Sulawesi Borneo A Crown dependency of the United Kingdom in the centre of the Irish Sea. It is not part of the United Kingdom, European Union or United Nations. Isle of Man A former state. The six countries that were once part of Yugoslavia are Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia. [Former] Yugoslavia A self-governing parliamentary democracy in free association with New Zealand. The fifteen small islands in this South Pacific Ocean country have a total land area of 240 km2, but the Cook Islands Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covers 1.8 million km2 of ocean. Cook Islands A major peninsula located in Southeast Asia. It is also known as the Kra Peninsula and runs approximately north-south through the Kra Isthmus. The area is divided politically: the northwest is the extreme south part of Myanmar (Burma); the central region and northeast is the south part of Thailand; the south is the part of Malaysia called Peninsular Malaysia or West Malaysia (which should not be confused with the larger Malay Peninsula). Malay Peninsula An autonomous province of the Kingdom of Denmark since 1948 located in the Faroes. Administratively, the islands are divided into 34 municipalities (kommunur) within which 120 or so cities and villages lie. Faroe Islands A state located in Africa with Juba as its capital city. It's bordered by Ethiopia to the east, Kenya, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the south, and the Central African Republic to the west and Sudan to the North. Southern Sudan includes the vast swamp region of the Sudd formed by the White Nile, locally called the Bahr el Jebel. South Sudan A populated place. A village. Tokelau A group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, and over six thousand smaller islands. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. The British Isles also include two dependencies of the United Kingdom: the Isle of Man and, by tradition, the Channel Islands, although the latter are not physically a part of the island group. British Isles Caribbean Region An island nation in the Lesser Antilles chain of the Caribbean Sea. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Grenada One of the large, unbroken masses of land into which the Earth's surface is divided. continent Africa A continent that is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Suez Canal and the Red Sea to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. There are 46 countries including Madagascar, and 53 including all the island groups. North America A continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with about a quarter in the Northern Hemisphere. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east by the Atlantic Ocean. North America and the Caribbean Sea lie to the northwest. South America Eurasia The convention used in gaz.obo is that the Europe-Asia boundary follows the watershed of the Ural Mountains from near Kara, Russia on the Kara Sea to the source of the Ural River, then follows that river to the Caspian Sea. The border then follows the watershed of the Caucasus Mountains from the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea. The Earth's southernmost continent, overlying the South Pole. It is situated in the southern hemisphere, almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle, and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean. Antarctica A grouping term including Australia, New Zealand, the southwestern islands of the Pacific Ocean and the eastern islands of the Australasian Mediterranean Sea. Oceania Oceans and Seas A British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, it is situated around 1770 km NE of Miami, Florida and 1350 km S of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Comprised of approximately 138 islands. Bermuda Falkland Islands An archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located 483 km from the coast of Argentina, 1,080 km west of the Shag Rocks (South Georgia), and 940 km north of Antarctica (Elephant Island). They consist of two main islands, East Falkland and West Falkland, together with 776 smaller islands. North Sea A sea situated between the eastern coasts of the British Isles and the western coast of Europe, are the following: On the North: A line joining position 61 Degrees N - 0 Degrees 53 Minutes W, on the Hebridean Shelf, eastward, along the parallel of 61 Degrees N, to the coast of Norway (the common limit with the Arctic Ocean). On the East: The coast of Norway, from the parallel of 61 Degrees N southward to Lindesnes Lighthouse (57 Degrees 58min55 Seconds N - 7 Degrees 03 Minutes E); thence a line joining Lindesnes Lighthouse southeastward to Hanstholm Lighthouse (57 Degrees 07min20 Seconds N - 8 Degrees 36min40 Seconds E), in Denmark (the common limit with the Skagerrak); and thence from Hanstholm Lighthouse southward, along the coasts of Denmark, Federal Republic of Germany, Netherlands, Belgium and France, to Walde Lighthouse (50 Degrees 59min40 Seconds N - 1 Degrees 54min58 Seconds E), on the northern coast of France. On the South: A line joining Walde Lighthouse, in France, northwestward to Hope Point (51 Degrees 10 Minutes N - 1 Degrees 24min14 Seconds E), on the southeastern coast of England (see common limit with the English Channel). On the West: From Hope Point northward, along the eastern coasts of England and Scotland, to Dunnet Head (58 Degrees 40min20 Seconds N - 3 Degrees 22min30 Seconds W), the northern extremity of Scotland; thence a line joining Dunnet Head northward to Tor Ness (58 Degrees 46min40 Seconds N - 3 Degrees 17min30 Seconds W), the southwestern extremity of Island of Hoy, in the Orkney Islands; thence from Tor Ness northward, through Island of Hoy, to the Kame of Hoy (58 Degrees 55min30 Seconds N - 3 Degrees 23min40 Seconds W), the northwestern extremity of this island; thence a line joining the Kame of Hoy northeastward to Breck Ness (58 Degrees 57min50 Seconds N - 3 Degrees 21min10 Seconds W), on the southwestern coast of Mainland Island; thence from Breck Ness northward, through Mainland Island, to Costa Head (59 Degrees 09min15 Seconds N - 3 Degrees 12min50 Seconds W), the northern extremity of this island; thence a line joining Costa Head northeastward to Inga Ness (59 Degrees &-'45 Seconds N - 3 Degrees 01min18 Seconds W), on the southwestern coast of Westray Island; thence from Inga Ness northeastward, through Westray Island, to Bow Head (59 Degrees 21min35 Seconds N - 2 Degrees 57min25 Seconds W), the northern extremity of this island; thence a line joining Bow Head northeastward to Mull Head (59 Degrees 23min10 Seconds N - 2 Degrees 52min40 Seconds W), the northern extremity of Papa Westray Island; thence a line joining Mull Head eastward to Seal Skerry (59 Degrees 23min54 Seconds N - 2 Degrees 23min10 Seconds W), a reef off the northern extremity of North Ronaldsay Island; thence a line joining Seal Skerry northeastward to Horse Island (59 Degrees 51 Minutes N - 1 Degrees 19 Minutes W), off the southern extremity of Mainland Island, in the Shetland Islands; thence from Horse Island northward, through Mainland Island, to Point of Fethaland (60 Degrees 38min20 Seconds N - 1 Degrees 18min25 Seconds W), the northern extremity of this island; thence a line joining Point of Fethaland eastward to Nev of Stuis (60 Degrees 39min30 Seconds N - 1 Degrees 09min15 Seconds W), on the western coast of Yell Island; thence from Nev of Stuis northeastward, through Yell Island, to Gloup Ness (60deg 44min N - 1deg 04min24sec W) the northern extremity of this island; thence a line joining Gloup Ness eastward to Spoo Ness (60deg 44min40secN - 0deg 57min25sec W), on the western coast of Unst Island; thence from Spoo Ness northward, through Unst Island, to Herma Ness (60deg 50min30sec N - 0deg 53min50sec W), on the northwestern coast of this island; thence a line joining Herma Ness northeastward to the southwestern point of Rumblings Islands (60 Degrees 514N - 0deg 53min3min50sec W) and, through these islands, to Muckle Flugga (60deg 51min24sec N - 0 Degrees 53 Minutes W), all these being included in the North Sea area; and thence from Muckle Flugga northward, along the meridian of 0deg 53min W, to position 61deg N - 0deg 53min W, on the Hebridean Shelf. A federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, DC, the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The State of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to its east and Russia to the west across the Bering Strait, and the State of Hawaii is in the mid-Pacific. The United States also possesses several territories, or insular areas, that are scattered around the Caribbean and Pacific. The states are divided into smaller administrative regions, called counties in most states, exceptions being Alaska (parts of the state are organized into subdivisions called boroughs; the rest of the state's territory that is not included in any borough is divided into "census areas"), and Louisiana (which is divided into county-equivalents that are called parishes). There are also independent cities which are within particular states but not part of any particular county or consolidated city-counties. Another type of organization is where the city and county are unified and function as an independent city. There are thirty-nine independent cities in Virginia and other independent cities or city-counties are San Francisco, California, Baltimore, Maryland, St. Louis, Missouri, Denver, Colorado and Carson City, Nevada. Counties can include a number of cities, towns, villages, or hamlets, or sometimes just a part of a city. Counties have varying degrees of political and legal significance, but they are always administrative divisions of the state. Counties in many states are further subdivided into townships, which, by definition, are administrative divisions of a county. In some states, such as Michigan, a township can file a charter with the state government, making itself into a "charter township", which is a type of mixed municipal and township status (giving the township some of the rights of a city without all of the responsibilities), much in the way a metropolitan municipality is a mixed municipality and county. United States of America Province (Canada) The westernmost of Canada's provinces. British Columbia is bordered by the Pacific Ocean on the west, by the American State of Alaska on the northwest, and to the north by the Yukon and the Northwest Territories, on the east by the province of Alberta, and on the south by the States of Washington, Idaho, and Montana. The current southern border of British Columbia was established by the 1846 Oregon Treaty, although its history is tied with lands as far south as the California border. British Columbia's rugged coastline stretches for more than 27,000 km, and includes deep, mountainous fjords and about 6,000 islands, most of which are uninhabited. British Columbia is carved into 27 regional districts. These regional districts are federations of member municipalities and electoral areas. The unincorporated area of the regional district is carved into electoral areas. Province of British Columbia A province located in the central part of Canada. Ontario is bordered by the provinces of Manitoba to the west, Quebec to the east, and the States of Michigan, New York, and Minnesota. Most of Ontario's borders with the United States are natural, starting at the Lake of the Woods and continuing through the four Great Lakes: Superior, Huron (which includes Georgian Bay), Erie, and Ontario (for which the province is named), then along the Saint Lawrence River near Cornwall. Ontario is the only Canadian Province that borders the Great Lakes. There are three different types of census divisions: single-tier municipalities, upper-tier municipalities (which can be regional municipalities or counties) and districts. Province of Ontario Province of Saskatchewan A prairie province in Canada. Saskatchewan is bounded on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the States of Montana and North Dakota. It is divided into 18 census divisions according to Statistics Canada. Province of Nova Scotia A Canadian province located on Canada's southeastern coast. The province's mainland is the Nova Scotia peninsula surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, including numerous bays and estuaries. No where in Nova Scotia is more than 67 km from the ocean. Cape Breton Island, a large island to the northeast of the Nova Scotia mainland, is also part of the province, as is Sable Island. Province of Alberta One of Canada's prairie provinces. It became a province on 1905-09-01. Alberta is located in western Canada, bounded by the provinces of British Columbia to the west and Saskatchewan to the east, Northwest Territories to the north, and by the State of Montana to the south. Statistics Canada divides the province of Alberta into nineteen census divisions, each with one or more municipal governments overseeing county municipalities, improvement districts, special areas, specialized municipalities, municipal districts, regional municipalities, cities, towns, villages, summer villages, Indian settlements, and Indian reserves. Census divisions are not a unit of local government in Alberta. A province of Canada, the tenth and latest to join the Confederation. Geographically, the province consists of the island of Newfoundland and the mainland Labrador, on Canada's Atlantic coast. Province of Newfoundland and Labrador A province in the central part of Canada. Quebec is Canada's largest province by area and its second-largest administrative division; only the territory of Nunavut is larger. It is bordered to the west by the province of Ontario, James Bay and Hudson Bay, to the north by Hudson Strait and Ungava Bay, to the east by the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick. It is bordered on the south by the American states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. It also shares maritime borders with the Territory of Nunavut, the Province of Prince Edward Island and the Province of Nova Scotia. Province of Quebec Province of New Brunswick One of Canada's three Maritime provinces. New Brunswick is bounded on the north by Quebec's Gaspe Peninsula and by Chaleur Bay. Along the east coast, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and Northumberland Strait form the boundaries. In the south-east corner of the province, the narrow Isthmus of Chignecto connects New Brunswick to the Nova Scotia peninsula. The south of the province is bounded by the Bay of Fundy, which has the highest tides in the world with a rise of 16 m. To the west, the province borders the American State of Maine. New Brunswick is divided into 15 counties, which no longer have administrative roles except in the court system. The counties are divided into parishes. One of Canada's 10 provinces. Manitoba is located at the longitudinal centre of Canada, although it is considered to be part of Western Canada. It borders Saskatchewan to the west, Ontario to the east, Nunavut and Hudson Bay to the north, and the American states of North Dakota and Minnesota to the south. Statistics Canada divides the province of Manitoba into 23 census divisions. Census divisions are not a unit of local government in Manitoba. Province of Manitoba A Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name. It is divided into 3 counties. Province of Prince Edward Island A nation situated in Scandinavia in northern Europe (Metropolitan Denmark) plus its two autonomous provinces, Greenland and The Faroe Islands. Denmark is divided into five regions and a total of 98 municipalities, plus two autonomous provinces. Kingdom of Denmark Kingdom of Norway A country and constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. It is bordered by Sweden, Finland, and Russia. The Kingdom of Norway also includes the Arctic island territories of Svalbard and Jan Mayen. Norwegian sovereignty over Svalbard is based upon the Svalbard Treaty, but that treaty does not apply to Jan Mayen. Bouvet Island in the South Atlantic Ocean and Peter I Island and Queen Maud Land in Antarctica are external dependencies, but those three entities do not form part of the kingdom. A French overseas collectivity in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands. French Polynesia has five administrative subdivisions (French: subdivisions administratives). French Polynesia Region (contiguous United States of America) West Region One of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China, the other being Hong Kong. Macau lies on the western side of the Pearl River Delta, bordering Guangdong province in the north and facing the South China Sea in the east and south. Macau is situated 60 kmsouthwest of Hong Kong and 145 km from Guangzhou. It consists of the Macau Peninsula itself and the islands of Taipa and Coloane. The peninsula is formed by the Zhujiang (Pearl River) estuary on the east and the Xijiang (West River) on the west. It borders the Zhuhai Special Economic Zone in mainland China. Macau Hong Kong A special administrative region of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The territory lies on the eastern side of the Pearl River Delta, bordering Guangdong province in the north and facing the South China Sea in the east, west and south. Hong Kong was a crown colony of the United Kingdom from 1842 until the transfer of its sovereignty to the People's Republic of China in 1997. Territory of Guam An unincorporated territory of the United States. Province (Indonesia) A province of Indonesia with the provincial capital at Denpasar towards the south of the island. Located on the island of Bali and satellite islands. Bali Province A country in North Africa that includes the Sinai Peninsula, a land bridge to Asia. Egypt borders Libya to the west, Sudan to the south, and the Gaza Strip and Israel to the east. The northern coast borders the Mediterranean Sea and the island of Cyprus; the eastern coast borders the Red Sea. Egypt is divided into 26 governorates (in Arabic, called muhafazat, singular muhafazah). The governorates are further divided into regions (markazes). Egypt Saint-Pierre and Miquelon An Overseas Collectivity of France located in a group of small islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, the main ones being Saint Pierre and Miquelon, 25 km off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. Saint Pierre and Miquelon became an overseas department in 1976, but its status changed to that of an Overseas collectivity in 1985. Mayotte An overseas collectivity of France consisting of a main island, Grande-Terre (or Mahore), a smaller island, Petite-Terre (or Pamanzi), and several islets around these two. Turks and Caicos Islands A British Overseas Territory consisting of two groups of tropical islands in the West Indies. The Turks and Caicos Islands are divided into six administrative districts (two in the Turks Islands and four in the Caicos Islands. American Samoa An unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign State of Samoa. The main (largest and most populous) island is Tutuila, with the Manu'a Islands, Rose Atoll, and Swains Island also included in the territory. A group of islands in the Caribbean that are an insular area of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles. The US Virgin Islands are an organized, unincorporated United States territory. The US Virgin Islands are administratively divided into two districts and subdivided into 20 sub-districts. United States Virgin Islands A British overseas territory, located in the Caribbean to the east of Puerto Rico. The islands make up part of the Virgin Islands archipelago, the remaining islands constituting the US Virgin Islands. The British Virgin Islands consist of the main islands of Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada and Jost Van Dyke, along with over fifty other smaller islands and cays. Approximately fifteen of the islands are inhabited. British Virgin Islands An overseas territory of the United Kingdom situated in the Indian Ocean, halfway between Africa and Indonesia. The territory comprises the six atolls of the Chagos Archipelago with over 1,000 individual islands. British Indian Ocean Territory A British overseas territory located in the western Caribbean Sea, comprising the islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman. The Cayman Islands are divided into seven districts. Cayman Islands Gibraltar A British overseas territory located near the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar. The territory shares a border with Spain to the north. Montserrat A British overseas territory located in the Leeward Islands. Montserrat is divided into three parishes. A "sui generis collectivity" (in practice an overseas territory) of France, made up of a main island (Grande Terre), the Loyalty Islands, and several smaller islands. It is located in the region of Melanesia in the southwest Pacific. Administratively, the archipelago is divided into three provinces, and then into 33 communes. New Caledonia An overseas collectivity of France that came into being on 2007-02-22, encompassing the northern parts of the island of Saint Martin and neighboring islets. The southern part of the island, Sint Maarten, is part of the Netherlands Antilles. Formerly, with Saint-Barthelemy, an arrondissement of Guadeloupe. Saint Martin Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands A group of four islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. The Pitcairn Islands form the southeasternmost extension of the geological archipelago of the Tuamotus of French Polynesia. A Territory of Australia that includes two groups of small low-lying uninhabited tropical islands in the Indian Ocean situated on the edge of the continental shelf north-west of Australia and south of the Indonesian island of Roti. Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands Territory of Norfolk Island A Territory of Australia that includes Norfolk Island and neighboring islands. A Territory of Australia which includes a group of small and mostly uninhabited tropical islands and reefs in the Coral Sea, northeast of Queensland, Australia. The only inhabited island is Willis Island. The territory covers 780,000 km2, extending east and south from the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef, and including Heralds Beacon Island, Osprey Reef, the Willis Group, and fifteen other reef/island groups. Coral Sea Islands Territory Commonwealth of Puerto Rico A semi-autonomous territory composed of an archipelago in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands, approximately 2,000 km off the coast of Florida (the nearest of the mainland United States). United States Minor Outlying Islands A statistical designation defined by ISO3166-1, consists of nine insular United States possessions. Palmyra Atoll is the only incorporated territory of the United States. Currently, none of the islands have any permanent residents. Anguilla A British overseas territory in the Caribbean, one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles. It consists of the main island of Anguilla itself, approximately 26 km long by 5 km wide at its widest point, together with a number of much smaller islands and cays with no permanent population. Gaza Strip West Bank A Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean midway between Hawaii and Australia. Tuvalu An overseas Region of France. Guadeloupe Region Martinique Region Papua Province The largest province of Indonesia, comprising a majority part of the western half of the island of New Guinea and nearby islands (see also Western New Guinea). The province originally covered the entire western half of New Guinea, but in 2003, the western portion of the province, on the Bird's Head Peninsula, was declared by the Indonesian Government as a separate province named West Papua.