Introduction and Abbreviations

The majority of the information in these volumes was provided by the U.S. Department of State and is the most recent release of that information as of March 2008. However, changes in countries and governments occur rapidly. Therefore, the reader is advised to check directly with the consulate of the country he or she intends to visit before making final plans. The reader is also advised to visit www.state.gov for more detailed and current information on travel to the countries of the world.

Events in all parts of the world—Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Africa—demonstrate the dynamic changes that quickly change the world's political and economic structures. This 2009 edition continues the tradition of Countries of the World in meeting the need for current information by monitoring and presenting pertinent U.S. government publications. The U.S. Department of State (State Department) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) publications present current basic information available on the countries of the world, their leaders, and U.S. embassies worldwide. Key government reports from these and other federal agencies have been gathered together in these volumes.

Beginning with the 2004 edition, Countries of the World has been re-structured to make the information more accessible to the reader. In past editions, separate sections were devoted to:

• Key Officers of Foreign Service Posts
• Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments
• Travel Warnings and Consular Information Sheets from U.S. State Department

The information in these sections was presented country by country. In this edition, the individual country information in these sections has been moved to each country's “Background Note.”

Beginning in the 2006 edition, general sections on “International Adoption” and “International Parental Child Abduction” were added and country specific information concerning international adoption and international parental child abduction was included in the appropriate country “Background Notes.”

For this 2009 edition, all 201 “Background Notes” from the previous publication of Countries of the World 2008 have been updated and a separate entry was added for the newest independent state of Kosovo. In addition, the sections on International Treaty Organizations and Foreign Travel have been updated, revised, and reformatted as new information has been made available through the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Customs, the Office of U.S. Trade Representative, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The sections on “Visa Requirements of Foreign Governments” and “Tips for Travelers” are no longer published by the Department of State. However, readers may find country specific information on entry requirements and special circumstances (as applicable) within the “Background Notes.” Country specific information on international adoption procedures and international parental child abduction has been updated as well and can again be found within the “Background Notes” of those countries to which this information is pertinent.

ORGANIZATION

The two volumes in this set contain four sections:

• Status of the World's Nations
• Background Notes
• International Treaty Organizations
• Foreign Travel

A comprehensive index is included at the end of volume two.

Status of the World's Nations

This section begins the set by providing tables listing the independent nations of the world and the dependencies and areas of special sovereignty. Also included are alphabetical and chronological checklists of new nations since 1943.

Background Notes

This section contains the “Background Notes” on the countries of the world compiled by the State Department. These concise guides provide information on a country's leaders, politics, economy, and relations with the United States. “Background Notes” appear on the State Department's web site at http://www.state.gov. The maps appearing in the “Background Notes” were created by Maryland Cartographics, Inc. and were added by the editors to supplement the government information. They were not part of the original government publication. In this edition, the “Background Notes” have also been supplemented by the editors with the following additional State Department and CIA information: Principal U.S. Embassy Officials; Principal Government Officials; and Travel Warnings and Consular Information Sheets.

Principal U.S. Embassy Officials

This section contains information from the State Department's report Key Officers of Foreign Service Posts. The address and telephone number of each embassy, consulate, or foreign service post are listed. Names and assignments are shown for principal U.S. embassy officials to aid in making direct inquiry. A key to abbreviations related to foreign service assignments follows:

Principal Government Officials

The information in this part of the “Background Note” is taken from the Central Intelligence Agency directory, Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments, which is updated monthly. The directory is intended to be used primarily as a reference aid and includes as many governments of the world as is considered practicable, some of them not officially recognized by the United States. In the directory, regimes with which the United States has no diplomatic exchanges are indicated by the initials NDE (no diplomatic exchange). The spelling of personal names follows transliteration systems generally agreed upon by government agencies, except in the case in which officials have stated a preference for alternate spellings of their names.

Although the head of the central bank is listed for each country, in most cases he or she is not a Cabinet member. Ambassadors to the United States and Permanent Representatives to the United Nations in New York have also been included. A key to the abbreviations related to members of foreign governments follows:

Consular Information Sheets, Travel Warnings, and Travel Alerts

Consular Information Sheets (also referred to as Country Specific Information) are available for every country of the world. These pages include such information as location of the U.S. embassy or consulate in the subject country, unusual immigration practices, health conditions, minor political disturbances, unusual currency and entry regulations, crime and security information, and drug penalties. Consular Information Sheets generally do not include advice, but present information in a factual manner so the traveler can make his or her own decisions concerning travel to a particular country.

Where applicable, country entries will also include information concerning international parental child abduction laws and/or international adoption requirements and procedures. This country specific information provides only a general look at what are often very complex policies and procedures of a particular country. Readers should consult the website of the State Department at http://www.state.gov for more details and updated information.

Travel Warnings are issued to describe long-term, protracted conditions that make a country dangerous or unstable. A Travel Warning is also issued when the U.S. Government's ability to assist American citizens is constrained due to the closure of an embassy or consulate or because of a drawdown of its staff. Travel Alerts (formerly known as Public Announcements) are issued to disseminate information about short-term conditions, generally within a particular country, that pose imminent risks to the security of U.S. citizens. Natural disasters, terrorist attacks, coups, anniversaries of terrorist events, election-related demonstrations or violence, and high-profile events such as international conferences or regional sports events are examples of conditions that might generate a Travel Alert.

International Treaty Organizations

This section provides information in “Background Note” format on important international organizations of which many of the world's nations are members.

Foreign Travel

This section provides useful information on travel to the countries of the world. Information is provided on customs, passports and visas, health concerns, vaccination requirements, international parental child abduction laws, international adoption regulations, and numerous other travel related topics. A new section has been added containing an abridged version of the State Department's Foreign Embassies and Consulates in the United States. Travelers may wish to contact the offices of the country to which they wish to travel for specific information on entry requirements, customs, laws, and safety issues. Also included in this section is important U.S. government advice on global terrorism and its prevalence in countries and regions of the world.

Government Advice: How and Where to Seek the State Department's Assistance When Doing Business Abroad

This section, primarily in question and answer format, provides explanations of the U.S. government services available to those engaged in business activities in other countries. Information on who to contact and how to make contacts by mail and telephone is outlined. In addition, contact information for the state and regional offices of the U.S. Department of Commerce devoted to international trade is provided.

Country Reports on Terrorism: 2007

This section, previously called Patterns of Global Terrorism (in the 2006 edition), presents a summary of the status of the U.S. government's efforts to combat international terrorism and summarizes the acts of terrorism recorded during 2006–07. It also provides descriptions of terrorist activities in the regions of the world and profiles active terrorist organizations.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Government data presented in these volumes represents the most current release of such data as of March 2008. However, some articles have been condensed and edited to be suitable for book format. Also, it must again be emphasized that because events and conditions in the world can change dramatically and quickly, readers should consult the web site of the State Department at http://www.state.gov for the latest information releases.

The State Department has also established a toll-free number to assist individuals who need additional information or do not have access to the website. This toll-free number, 1-888-407-4747, is available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. holidays). Callers who are unable to use toll-free numbers, such as those calling from overseas, may obtain information and assistance during these hours by calling 1-317-472-2328.

Persons seeking information or assistance outside of these hours, including on weekends or holidays, should call 1-202-647-5225.