A B C D FE HG JI LK M

A B C D FE HG JI LK M

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

12

13

14

15

16

17

Azores(to Portugal)

Canary Islands(to Spain)

Madeira(to Portugal)

Gough Island(to Tristan da Cunha)

Revillagigedo Islands(to Mexico)

Guadalupe(to Mexico)

Hawaii(to US)

Easter Island(to Chile)

San Felix Island(to Chile) San Ambrosio

Island (to Chile)

Sala y Gomez (to Chile)

South Shetland Islands

South Orkney Islands

Juan Fernandez Islands(to Chile)

Trindade(to Brazil)

Galápagos Is(to Ecuador)

Fernando de Noronha(to Brazil)

Aleutian Is (to US)

Chatham Islands(to NZ)

LakeSuper ior

LakeOntar io

LakeHuron

M A L I

GUINEA

GH

AN

A

IVORYCOAST

MA

UR

I TA

NI A

M

ORO

CCO

WESTERN SAHARA(occupied by Morocco)

S P A I N

UNITED KINGDOM

IRELAND

ICELAND

PO

RT

UG

AL

C A N A D A

U N I T E D S T A T E SO F A M E R I C A

CUBA

M E X I C O

BAHAMAS

BELIZE

COSTA RICA

DOM.REP.

EL SALVADOR

GUATEMALA

HAITI

HONDURAS

JAMAICA

NICARAGUA

PANAMA

B R A Z I L

BOLIVIA

VENEZUELA

GU

YA

NA

A

RG

EN

TI

NA

SURINAME

URUGUAY

PARAGUAY

PE

RU

CH

IL

E

A

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

ANTIGUA & BARBUDA

DOMINICA

ST LUCIAST VINCENT & THE GRENADINES

BARBADOSGRENADA

TONGA

ECUADOR

SAMOA

AmericanSamoa(to US)

CookIslands(to NZ)

F r e n c h P o l y n e s i a(to France)

Niue(to NZ)

Tokelau(to NZ)

Kingman Reef(to US) Palmyra Atoll

(to US)

CAPE VERDE

Ascension(to St Helena)

St Helena (to UK)

Tristan da Cunha(to St Helena)

Clipperton Island (to French Polynesia)

PitcairnIslands(to UK)

U S A(Alaska)

Johnston Atoll (to US)

Falkland Islands(to UK)

Peter I Island

(to Norway)

South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands

(to UK)

Cayman Is(to UK)

Puerto Rico (to US)

Turks & Caicos Is (to UK)

Virgin Is(to US)

Aruba(to Neth.)

St Pierre & Miquelon(to France)

Bermuda(to UK)

Wallis & Futuna (to France)

Faeroe Islands(to Denmark)

Jan Mayen(to Norway)

G r e e n l a n d(to Denmark)

British Virgin Is (to UK)Anguilla (to UK)

Guadeloupe (to France)

Martinique (to France)

Gibraltar (to UK)Ceuta (to Spain)

Melilla (to Spain)

Jarvis I(to US)

Kermadec Islands(to NZ)

Salvador

Recife

Belo Horizonte

São Paulo Rio de Janeiro

Casablanca

Guadalajara

Chicago

Los Angeles

Dallas

Havana

Monterrey

New York

Montreal

Guatemala City

Guatemala City

Tropic of Capricorn

Equator

Antarctic Circle

Arctic Circle

A T L A N T I C

O C E A N

A T L A N T I C

O C E A NP A C I F I C

O C E A N

P A C I F I CO C E A N

Caribbean Sea

A R C T I CO C E A N

S O U T H E R

G u l fo f

M e x i c o

H u d s o nB a y

B a f f i n B a y

K I R I B A T I

Baker & Howland Is

(to US)

B e r i n gSea

Midway Islands (to US)

Tropic of Cancer

Isle of Man(to UK)

Channel Islands(to UK)

Abidjan

Toronto

Ross IceShelf

Ronne IceShelf

Navassa I.(to US)

Montserrat(to UK)

ST KITTS & NEVIS

GUINEA-BISSAU

LakeTiticaca

LakeMichigan

LakeEr ie

GAMBIA

SENEGAL

SIERRA LEONE

LIBERIAFrench Guiana(to France)

COLOMBIA

BURKINA

Curaçao(to Neth.)

Seattle

San Francisco

Rabat

Accra

Yamoussoukro

Dakar

Brasilia

Montevideo

La Paz

Asuncion

Washington, DC

Reykjavik

Ottawa

Buenos Aires

Santiago

Lima

Bogotá

Caracas

Mexico City

Quito

Madrid

London

Lisbon

Bamako

Nouakchott

Georgetown

T H E W O R L D

Map key

xxviii

The political worldMost densely populated country

Monaco: 40,680 people per sq mile (15,646 people per sq km)

Smallest country

Vatican City: 0.17 sq miles (0.44 sq km) Longest land borders

Russian Federation: 12,427 miles (20,000 km)

Largest country

Russian Federation: 6,592,735 sq miles (17,075,200 sq km)

Most sparsely populated country

Mongolia: 5 people per sq mile (2 people per sq km)

Smallest island country

Nauru: 8.2 sq miles(21.2 sq km)

Largest island country

Australia: 2,967,893 sq miles (7,686,850 sq km)

Most populous country

China: 1,347,350,000 people

Most populous City

Tokyo: 36,900,000 people

Longest single land border

Canada/USA: 5526 miles (8893 km)

There are 196 independent countries in the world today. With the exception of Antarctica, where territorial claims have been deferred by international treaty, every land area of the Earth’s surface either belongs to, or is claimed by, one country or another. The largest country in the world is the Russian Federation, the smallest is Vatican City. Some 60 overseas dependent territories remain, administered variously by France, Australia, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, the UK, the US, and the Netherlands.

International bordersThe map shows three main types of boundary between states. Full borders represent internationally agreed and recognized territorial boundaries. Undefined borders exist where no fixed boundary between states has been demarcated; the boundaries indicated in this way show approximate areas of sovereignty. A disputed border is indicated where a de facto territorial boundary exists, which is not agreed or is subject to arbitration.

Political statusSettlementsM E X I C O : independent state

Gibraltar (to UK): self-governing dependent territory

Laccadive Is (to India): non self-governing dependent territory, with parent state indicated

full borders

undefined borders

disputed borders

indication of country extent(island territories only)

indication of dependent territory extent(island territories only)

Borders

capital city

major city

other city

N PO Q R S T U V W X Y Z

N PO Q R S T U V W X Y Z

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

12

13

14

15

16

17

Lord HoweIsland

(to Australia)

Macquarie Island(to Australia)

Auckland Islands(to NZ)

Campbell Island(to NZ)

Bounty Islands (to NZ)Antipodes Islands (to NZ)

Prince Edward Islands(to South Africa)

Ryukyu Is(to Japan)

Laccadive Is (to India)

Andaman Is(to India)

Nicobar Is(to India)

Socotra (to Yemen)

Kurile Is

(to Russian Fed.)

Tromelin(to Réunion)

Agalega Islands(to Mauritius)

C H A D

L I B Y A

S U D A N

ALGERIA

A N G O L A

E T H I O P I A

GABON

K E N Y A

N I G E R

N I G E R I A

S O U T HA F R I C A

T A N Z A N I A

Z A M B I A

MA

DA

GA

SC

AR

S OM

AL

I A

BURUNDI

DJIBOUTI

LESOTHO

RWANDA

SWAZILAND

ZIMBABWE

BOTSWANA

BE

NI

N

CA

ME

RO

ON

CO

NG

O

ERITREA

EQUATORIAL GUINEA

SAO TOME & PRINCIPE

TU

NISIA

TOGO

NA

MI

BI

A

UGA

ND

A

MO

ZA

M

BIQUE

FRANCE

I T A L Y

FINLAND

DENMARK

NETH.

BELGIUMLUX.

ANDORRA

MONACO

VATICANCITY

SAN MARINO

POLAND

SW

ED

EN

NO

RW

A

Y

GERMANYBELARUS

ESTONIALATVIA

LITHUANIARUSS. FED.

U K R A I N E

BULGARIA

GREECE

HUNGARY

MALTA

ROMANIA

CZECH REP.SLOVAKIA

SWITZ.

LIECH.

SLOVENIA

B-HCROATIA

ALBANIAMACEDONIA

MOLDOVA

CYPRUS

JORDAN

SYRIA

BAHRAIN

KUWAIT

UAE

ARMENIA

GEORGIA

AZERBAIJAN

AZERB.

I R A N

S A U D I A R A B I A

T U R K E Y

OM

AN

Y E M E N

MALAWI

M O N G O L I AK A Z A K H S T A N

KYRGYZSTAN

TAJIKISTAN

PA K I S TA N A

FGH

AN

ISTA

N

TURKMENISTAN

UZBEKISTAN

R U S S I A N F E D E R A T I O N

C H I N A

M A L A Y S I A

I N D I A

SRI LANKA

JAPAN

PHILIPPINES

TAIWAN

BHUTAN

CAMBODIA

SOUTH KOREA

LAOS

THAILAND

BANGLADESH

VIET

NA

M

N E P A L

A U S T R A L I A

NEW ZEALAND

P A P U A N E W

G U I N E A

I N D O N E S I A

N T A R C T I C A

French Southern &Antarctic Territories

(to France)

COMOROS

MAURITIUS

SEYCHELLES

Mayotte(to France)

British Indian Ocean Territory

(to UK)

Réunion(to France)

MALDIVES

Heard & McDonald Islands ( to Australia)

VANUATU

NAURUKIRIBATI

TUVALUSOLOMON ISLANDS

F I J I

Norfolk Island (to Australia)

C o r a l S e a I s l a n d s

(to Australia) New

Caledonia(to France)

BRUNEIM I C R O N E S I A

M A R S H A L LI S L A N D S

P A L A U

Ashmore &Cartier Islands

(to Australia)

ChristmasIsland

(to Australia)

Cocos(Keeling)

Islands(to Australia)

Guam (to US)

N o r t h e r nM a r i a n a I s

(to US)

Wake Island(to US)

Svalbard(to Norway)

Spratly Is (disputed)

Paracel Is (disputed)

Bouvet Island (to Norway)

ANGOLA(Cabinda)

Melbourne

Sydney

Jakarta

Surabaya

KinshasaBrazzaville

Chennai(Madras)Bangalore

Yangon(Rangoon)

Chongqing

Chengdu

Nanjing

Wuhan

Taipei

Hanoi

Vientiane

Jinan

Qingdao

Tianjin

Tokyo

YokohamaXi’an

NORTH KOREA

Pyongyang

Nagoya

Busan Osaka

SeoulDalianBeijing

Shenyang

Harbin

Shanghai

Guangzhou

Bangkok

Phnom Penh

Manila

Ho Chi Minh City

Davao

Mumbai(Bombay)

Hyderabad

Kolkata(Calcutta)Ahmadabad

Karachi

Tashkent

St Petersburg

Athens

AnkaraIstanbul

Lahore

Dhaka

Alexandria

Tropic of Cancer

Tropic of Capricorn

Crozet Islands

AmsterdamIsland

St Paul Island

Kerguelen

Antarctic Circle

Barents Sea

LakeBaikal

LakeBalkash

Arctic Circle

P A C I F I C

O C E A NM e d i t e r r a n e a n

S e a

A r a b i a nS e a

Black Sea

I N D I A N

O C E A N

Re

d

Se

a

Persian Gulf

AralS e a

S e a o f O k h o t s k

A R C T I C

O C E A N

N O C E A N

B a yo f

B e n g a l

Sea ofJapan

(East Sea)

(All territorial claims are held inabeyance under the 1959 Antarctic Treaty)

ƒzmir

Kánpur

Pune

Chittagong

Daegu

Rodrigues(to Mauritius)

Giza

Caspian Sea

Hong Kong

D E M . R E P.C O N G O

Ross IceShelf

SERBIA

EAST TIMOR

J a v a S e a

S o u t h

C h i n a

S e a

E G Y P T

IR AQ

LEBANONISRAEL

QATAR

LakeVic tor ia

LakeNyasa

CENTRALAFRICANREPUBLIC

SINGAPORE

MON. KOS.

AUSTRIA

LakeTangany ika

MYANMAR(BURMA)

SOUTHSUDAN

Urumqi

Nay Pyi Taw

Asgabat

Bishkek

Lagos

Warsaw

OsloStockholm

Helsinki

Algiers

Tunis

Tripoli

Sarajevo

Niamey

Yaounde

Khartoum

Bangui

Abuja

Nairobi

Addis Ababa

Luanda

Dar Es Salaam

Lusaka

Harare

PretoriaGaborone

Sanaa

Cape Town

Johannesburg

Colombo

Muscat

Mogadishu

Antananarivo

Riyadh

New Delhi

Delhi

Tehran

BaghdadDamascus

Cairo

Moscow

BudapestVienna

Bucharest

Berlin

Paris

Kiev

Rome

Copenhagen

Ulan BatorAstana

IslamabadKabul

Dushanbe

Ndjamena

Kuala Lumpar

Almaty

Canberra

Wellington

Juba

Maputo

Windhoek

Bloemfontein

Lilongwe

Libreville

T H E P O L I T I C A L W O R L D

Scale 1:66,000,000

projection: Wagner VII

Miles

Km0 1500 2000

1500 20000

1000500

1000500

250

250

xxix

Colonial Empires in 1914

BelgianBritishChineseDanishDutchFrenchGermanItalian

JapaneseOttomanPortuguese RussianSpanishUnited StatesIndependentDisputed

Percentage of Earth’s land surface controlled by colonial empires in 1914

Independent: 29.8%

French: 7.7%

Belgian: 1.6%

Italian: 1.8%

German: 1.6%

Japanese: 0.4%

United States: 7.6% Danish: 1.5%

Dutch: 1.4% British: 21.5%

Spanish: 1%

Portuguese: 1%

Russian: 15%

Ottoman: 1.5%

Chinese: 6%

Colonial empires in 1914The world in 1914The early years of the 20th century saw the mainly European colonial empires reaching their greatest extents by 1914. Two world wars inaugurated their disintegration, but even in 1950 there were only 82 independent countries. Since then, over 100 have gained their independence, culminating in the breakup of the Soviet Union and former Yugoslavia in the early 1990s.