Country ranking for field: environment current issues 1990

Other rankings:

This entry lists the most pressing and important environmental problems. The following terms and abbreviations are used throughout the entry:

	World	large areas subject to severe weather
1	Maldives	1200
2	Canada	80% of population concentrated within 160 km of US border; continuous permafrost in north a serious obstacle to development
3	Turks and Caicos Islands	30 islands
4	The Netherlands	27% of the land area is below sea level and protected from the North Sea by dikes
5	Afghanistan	damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; soil degradation desertification overgrazing deforestation pollution
6	Pakistan	frequent earthquakes occasionally severe especially in north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains
7	Niger	recurrent drought and desertification severely affecting marginal agricultural activities; overgrazing; soil erosion
8	Nigeria	recent droughts in north severely affecting marginal agricultural activities; desertification; soil degradation rapid deforestation
9	Niue	subject to typhoons
10	Norfolk Island	subject to typhoons
11	North Korea	mountainous interior is isolated nearly inaccessible and sparsely populated; late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding
12	Northern Mariana Islands	Mt	. Pagan is an active volcano
13	Norway	air and water pollution; acid rain
14	Oman	summer winds often raise large sandstorms and duststorms in interior; sparse natural freshwater resources
15	Pacific Ocean	endangered marine species include the dugong sea lion sea otter seals turtles and whales; oil pollution in Philippine Sea and South China Sea; dotted with low coral islands and rugged volcanic islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean; subject to tropical cyclones
16	Panama	dense tropical forest in east and northwest
17	Palmyra Atoll	about 50 islets covered with dense vegetation coconut trees and balsa-like trees up to 30 meters tall
18	New Zealand	earthquakes are common though usually not severe
19	Papua New Guinea	one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast; some active volcanos; frequent earthquakes
20	Paracel Islands	subject to typhoons
21	Paraguay	local flooding in southeast
22	Peru	subject to earthquakes tsunamis landslides mild volcanic activity; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; air pollution in Lima
23	Philippines	astride typhoon belt usually affected by 15 and struck by five to six cyclonic storms per year; subject to landslides active volcanoes destructive earthquakes tsunami; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
24	Pitcairn Islands	subject to typhoons
25	Poland	plain crossed by a few north-flowing meandering streams; severe air and water pollution in south
26	Portugal	Azores subject to severe earthquakes
27	Puerto Rico	many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north
28	Qatar	haze duststorms sandstorms common; limited freshwater resources mean increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities
29	Romania	frequent earthquakes most severe in south and southwest; geologic structure and climate promote landslides air pollution in south
30	Rwanda	deforestation; overgrazing; soil exhaustion; soil erosion; periodic droughts
31	Nicaragua	subject to destructive earthquakes volcanoes landslides and occasional severe hurricanes; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
32	Nepal	contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
33	New Caledonia	typhoons most frequent from November to March
34	Mauritius	subject to cyclones
35	Libya	hot dry dust-laden ghibli is a southern wind lasting one to four days in spring and fall; desertification; sparse natural surface-water resources
36	Liechtenstein	variety of microclimatic variations based on elevation
37	Luxembourg	deforestation
38	Macau	essentially urban; one causeway and one bridge connect the two islands to the peninsula on mainland
39	Madagascar	subject to periodic cyclones; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
40	Malawi	deforestation
41	Malaysia	subject to flooding; air and water pollution
42	Mali	hot dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons; desertification
43	Malta	numerous bays provide good harbors; fresh water very scarce--increasing reliance on desalination
44	Marshall Islands	occasionally subject to typhoons; two archipelagic island chains of 30 atolls and 1152 islands
45	Martinique	subject to hurricanes flooding and volcanic activity that result in an average of one major natural disaster every five years
46	Mauritania	hot dry dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April; desertification; only perennial river is the Senegal
47	Mayotte	subject to cyclones during rainy season
48	Netherlands Antilles	Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean hurricane belt so rarely threatened; Sint Maarten Saba and Sint Eustatius are subject to hurricanes from July to October
49	Mexico	subject to tsunamis along the Pacific coast and destructive earthquakes in the center and south; natural water resources scarce and polluted in north inaccessible and poor quality in center and extreme southeast; deforestation; erosion widespread; desertification; serious air pollution in Mexico City and urban centers along US-Mexico border
50	Midway Islands	coral atoll
51	Monaco	almost entirely urban
52	Mongolia	harsh and rugged
53	Montserrat	subject to severe hurricanes from June to November
54	Morocco	northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes; desertification
55	Mozambique	severe drought and floods occur in south; desertification
56	Myanmar	subject to destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides common during rainy season
57	Namibia	inhospitable with very limited natural water resources; desertification
58	Nauru	only 53 km south of Equator
59	Navassa Island	mostly exposed rock but enough grassland to support goat herds; dense stands of fig-like trees scattered cactus
60	Saint Helena	very few perennial streams
61	Réunion	periodic devastating cyclones
62	Saint Lucia	subject to hurricanes and volcanic activity; deforestation; soil erosion
63	Saint Kitts and Nevis	subject to hurricanes
64	United Kingdom	pollution control measures improving air water quality; because of heavily indented coastline no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters
65	Togo	hot dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during winter; recent droughts affecting agriculture; deforestation
66	Tokelau	lies in Pacific typhoon belt
67	Tonga	archipelago of 170 islands
68	Trinidad and Tobago	outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms
69	Tromelin Island	wildlife sanctuary
70	Tunisia	deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
71	Turkey	subject to severe earthquakes especially along major river valleys in west; air pollution; desertification
72	Tuvalu	severe tropical storms are rare
73	U.S. Virgin Islands	rarely affected by hurricanes; subject to frequent severe droughts floods earthquakes; lack of natural freshwater resources
74	Uganda	straddles Equator; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion
75	United Arab Emirates	frequent dust and sand storms; lack of natural freshwater resources being overcome by desalination plants; desertification
76	United States	pollution control measures improving air and water quality; acid rain; agricultural fertilizer and pesticide pollution; management of sparse natural water resources in west; desertification; tsunamis volcanoes and earthquake activity around Pacific Basin; continuous permafrost in northern Alaska is a major impediment to development
77	The Bahamas	subject to hurricanes and other tropical storms that cause extensive flood damage
78	Uruguay	subject to seasonally high winds droughts floods
79	Vanuatu	subject to tropical cyclones or typhoons
80	Venezuela	subject to floods rockslides mudslides; periodic droughts; increasing industrial pollution in Caracas and Maracaibo
81	Vietnam	occasional typhoons
82	Wake Island	subject to occasional typhoons
83	Wallis and Futuna	both island groups have fringing reefs
84	West Bank	highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers
85	Western Sahara	hot dry dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time often severely restricting visibility; sparse water and arable land: geoad2
86	Western Samoa	subject to occasional typhoons; active volcanism
87	Yugoslavia	subject to frequent and destructive earthquakes
88	Zaire	dense tropical rainforest in central river basin and eastern highlands; periodic droughts in south
89	Zambia	deforestation; soil erosion; desertification
90	The Gambia	deforestation
91	Thailand	air and water pollution; land subsidence in Bangkok area
92	Lesotho	population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing severe soil erosion soil exhaustion; desertification
93	South Korea	occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; earthquakes in southwest; air pollution in large cities
94	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	subject to hurricanes; Soufriere volcano is a constant threat
95	Saint-Pierre and Miquelon	vegetation scanty
96	San Marino	dominated by the Appenines
97	Saudi Arabia	no perennial rivers or permanent water bodies; developing extensive coastal seawater desalination facilities; desertification
98	Senegal	lowlands seasonally flooded; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
99	Seychelles	lies outside the cyclone belt so severe storms are rare; short droughts possible; no fresh water catchements collect rain; 40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands
100	Sierra Leone	extensive mangrove swamps hinder access to sea; deforestation; soil degradation
101	Singapore	mostly urban and industrialized
102	Solomon Islands	subject to typhoons which are rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors
103	Somalia	recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
104	South Africa	lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water conservation and control measures
105	South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands	reindeer introduced early in this century live on South Georgia; weather conditions generally make it difficult to approach the South Sandwich Islands; the South Sandwich Islands are subject to active volcanism
106	Soviet Union	despite size and diversity small percentage of land is arable and much is too far north; some of most fertile land is water deficient or has insufficient growing season; many better climates have poor soils; hot dry desiccating sukhovey wind affects south; desertification; continuous permafrost over much of Siberia is a major impediment to development
107	Tanzania	lack of water and tsetse fly limit agriculture; recent droughts affected marginal agriculture; Kilimanjaro is highest point in Africa
108	Spain	deforestation; air pollution
109	Spratly Islands	subject to typhoons; includes numerous small islands atolls shoals and coral reefs
110	Sri Lanka	occasional cyclones tornados; deforestation; soil erosion
111	Sudan	dominated by the Nile and its tributaries; dust storms; desertification
112	Suriname	mostly tropical rain forest
113	Svalbard	great calving glaciers descend to the sea
114	Swaziland	overgrazing; soil degradation; soil erosion
115	Sweden	water pollution; acid rain
116	Switzerland	dominated by Alps
117	Syria	deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
118	São Tomé and Príncipe	deforestation; soil erosion
119	Taiwan	subject to earthquakes and typhoons
120	Liberia	West Africa's largest tropical rain forest subject to deforestation
121	Laos	deforestation; soil erosion; subject to floods
122	Lebanon	rugged terrain historically helped isolate protect and develop numerous factional groups based on religion clan ethnicity; deforestation; soil erosion; air and water pollution; desertification
123	Christmas Island	almost completely surrounded by a reef
124	Brunei	typhoons earthquakes and severe flooding are rare
125	Bulgaria	subject to earthquakes landslides; deforestation; air pollution
126	Burkina Faso	recent droughts and desertification severely affecting marginal agricultural activities population distribution economy; overgrazing; deforestation
127	Burundi	soil exhaustion; soil erosion; deforestation
128	Cabo Verde	subject to prolonged droughts; harmattan wind can obscure visibility; volcanically and seismically active; deforestation; overgrazing
129	Cambodia	a land of paddies and forests dominated by Mekong River and Tonle Sap
130	Cameroon	recent volcanic activity with release of poisonous gases; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification
131	Cayman Islands	within the Caribbean hurricane belt
132	Central African Republic	hot dry dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; poaching has diminished reputation as one of last great wildlife refuges; desertification
133	Chad	hot dry dusty harmattan winds occur in north; drought and desertification adversely affecting south; subject to plagues of locusts
134	Chile	subject to severe earthquakes active volcanism tsunami; Atacama Desert one of world's driest regions; desertification
135	China	frequent typhoons
136	Clipperton Island	reef about 8 km in circumference
137	British Indian Ocean Territory	archipelago of 2300 islands
138	Cocos Islands	two coral atolls thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation
139	Colombia	highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; deforestation; soil damage from overuse of pesticides; periodic droughts
140	Comoros	soil degradation and erosion; deforestation; cyclones possible during rainy season
141	Congo	deforestation; about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville Pointe Noire or along the railroad between them
142	Cook Islands	subject to typhoons from November to March
143	Coral Sea Islands	subject to occasional tropical cyclones; no permanent fresh water; important nesting area for birds and turtles
144	Costa Rica	subject to occasional earthquakes hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season; active volcanoes; deforestation; soil erosion
145	Cuba	averages one hurricane every other year
146	Cyprus	moderate earthquake activity; water resource problems
147	Côte d'Ivoire	coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; severe deforestation
148	Denmark	air and water pollution
149	Djibouti	vast wasteland
150	British Virgin Islands	subject to hurricanes and tropical storms from July to October
151	Brazil	recurrent droughts in northeast; floods and frost in south; deforestation in Amazon basin; air and water pollution in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo
152	Dominican Republic	subject to occasional hurricanes
153	Australia	subject to severe droughts and floods; cyclones along coast; limited freshwater availability; irrigated soil degradation; regular tropical invigorating sea breeze known as the doctor occurs along west coast in summer; desertification
154	Algeria	mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; desertification
155	American Samoa	typhoons common from December to March
156	Andorra	deforestation overgrazing
157	Angola	locally heavy rainfall causes periodic flooding on plateau; desertification
158	Anguilla	frequent hurricanes other tropical storms
159	Antarctica	mostly uninhabitable; katabatic
160	Antigua and Barbuda	subject to hurricanes and tropical storms
161	Arctic Ocean	endangered marine species include walruses and whales; ice islands occasionally break away from northern Ellesmere Island; icebergs calved from western Greenland and extreme northeastern Canada; maximum snow cover in March or April about 20 to 50 centimeters over the frozen ocean and lasts about 10 months; permafrost in islands; virtually icelocked from October to June; fragile ecosystem slow to change and slow to recover from disruptions or damage
162	Argentina	Tucuman and Mendoza areas in Andes subject to earthquakes; pamperos are violent windstorms that can strike Pampas and northeast; irrigated soil degradation; desertification; air and water pollution in Buenos Aires
163	Aruba	lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt
164	Ashmore and Cartier Islands	surrounded by shoals and reefs; Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in August 1983
165	Atlantic Ocean	endangered marine species include the manatee seals sea lions turtles and whales; municipal sludge pollution off eastern US southern Brazil and eastern Argentina; oil pollution in Caribbean Sea Gulf of Mexico Lake Maracaibo Mediterranean Sea and North Sea; industrial waste and municipal sewage pollution in Baltic Sea North Sea and Mediterranean Sea; icebergs common in Davis Strait Denmark Strait and the northwestern Atlantic from February to August and have been spotted as far south as Bermuda and the Madeira Islands; icebergs from Antarctica occur in the extreme southern Atlantic
166	Austria	because of steep slopes poor soils and cold temperatures population is concentrated on eastern lowlands
167	Bouvet Island	covered by glacial ice
168	Bahrain	subsurface water sources being rapidly depleted
169	Baker Island	treeless sparse and scattered vegetation consisting of grasses prostrate vines and low growing shrubs; lacks fresh water; primarily a nesting roosting and foraging habitat for seabirds shorebirds and marine wildlife
170	Bangladesh	vulnerable to droughts; much of country routinely flooded during summer monsoon season; overpopulation; deforestation
171	Barbados	subject to hurricanes
172	Bassas da India	surrounded by reefs; subject to periodic cyclones
173	Belgium	air and water pollution
174	Belize	frequent devastating hurricanes
175	Benin	hot dry dusty harmattan wind may affect north in winter; deforestation; desertification
176	Bermuda	ample rainfall but no rivers or freshwater lakes; consists of about 360 small coral islands
177	Bhutan	violent storms coming down from the Himalayas were the source of the country name which translates as Land of the Thunder Dragon
178	Bolivia	cold thin air of high plateau is obstacle to efficient fuel combustion; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
179	Botswana	rains in early 1988 broke six years of drought that had severely affected the important cattle industry; overgrazing; desertification
180	Dominica	flash floods a constant hazard; occasional hurricanes
181	Ecuador	subject to frequent earthquakes landslides volcanic activity; deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; periodic droughts
182	Albania	subject to destructive earthquakes; tsunami occur along southwestern coast; deforestation seems to be slowing
183	Israel	sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; limited arable land: and natural water resources pose serious constraints; deforestation;
184	Honduras	subject to frequent but generally mild earthquakes; damaging hurricanes along Caribbean coast; deforestation; soil erosion
185	Hong Kong	more than 200 islands; occasional typhoons geoad2
186	Howland Island	almost totally covered with grasses prostrate vines and low-growing shrubs; small area of trees in the center; lacks fresh water; primarily a nesting roosting and foraging habitat for seabirds shorebirds and marine wildlife; feral cats
187	Hungary	levees are common along many streams but flooding occurs almost every year
188	Iceland	subject to earthquakes and volcanic activity
189	India	droughts flash floods severe thunderstorms common; deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; air and water pollution; desertification
190	Indian Ocean	endangered marine species include the dugong seals turtles and whales; oil pollution in the Arabian Sea Persian Gulf and Red Sea
191	Indonesia	archipelago of 13500 islands
192	Iran	deforestation; overgrazing; desertification
193	Iraq	development of Tigris-Euphrates river systems contingent upon agreements with upstream riparians
194	Ireland	deforestation
195	Isle of Man	strong westerly winds prevail
196	Italy	regional risks include landslides mudflows snowslides earthquakes volcanic eruptions flooding pollution; land sinkage in Venice
197	Heard Island and McDonald Islands	primarily used as research stations
198	Jamaica	subject to hurricanes
199	Jan Mayen	barren volcanic island with some moss and grass; volcanic activity resumed in 1970
200	Japan	many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1500 seismic occurrences
201	Jarvis Island	sparse bunch grass prostrate vines and low-growing shrubs; lacks fresh water; primarily a nesting roosting and foraging habitat for seabirds shorebirds and marine wildlife; feral cats
202	Jersey	about 30% of population concentrated in Saint Helier
203	Johnston Atoll	some low-growing vegetation
204	Jordan	lack of natural water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
205	Juan de Nova Island	subject to periodic cyclones; wildlife sanctuary
206	Kenya	unique physiography supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic value; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; glaciers on Mt	. Kenya
207	Kingman Reef	barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; wet or awash most of the time
208	Kiribati	typhoons can occur any time but usually November to March; 20 of the 33 islands are inhabited
209	Kuwait	some of world's largest and most sophisticated desalination facilities provide most of water; air and water pollution; desertification
210	Holy See	urban
211	Haiti	lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding and earthquakes; deforestation
212	Egypt	Nile is only perennial water source; increasing soil salinization below Aswan High Dam; hot driving windstorm called khamsin occurs in spring; water pollution; desertification
213	French Southern and Antarctic Lands	Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul are extinct volcanoes
214	El Salvador	The Land of Volcanoes; subject to frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
215	Equatorial Guinea	subject to violent windstorms
216	Ethiopia	geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes volcanic eruptions; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; frequent droughts; famine
217	Europa Island	wildlife sanctuary
218	Falkland Islands	poor soil fertility and a short growing season
219	Faroe Islands	precipitous terrain limits habitation to small coastal lowlands; archipelago of 18 inhabited islands and a few uninhabited islets
220	Federated States of Micronesia	subject to typhoons from June to December; four major island groups totaling 607 islands
221	Fiji	subject to hurricanes from November to January; includes 332 islands of which approximately 110 are inhabited
222	Finland	permanently wet ground covers about 30% of land; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain
223	France	most of large urban areas and industrial centers in Rhone Garonne Seine or Loire River basins; occasional warm tropical wind known as mistral
224	French Guiana	mostly an unsettled wilderness
225	French Polynesia	occasional cyclonic storm in January; includes five archipelagoes
226	Gabon	deforestation geoad2
227	Guyana	flash floods a constant threat during rainy seasons; water pollution
228	Gaza Strip	desertification
229	Ghana	recent drought in north severely affecting marginal agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; dry northeasterly harmattan wind
230	Gibraltar	natural freshwater sources are meager so large water catchments
231	Glorioso Islands	subject to periodic cyclones
232	Greece	subject to severe earthquakes; air pollution; archipelago of 2000 islands
233	Greenland	sparse population confined to small settlements along coast; continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of the island
234	Grenada	lies on edge of hurricane belt; hurricane season lasts from June to November
235	Guadeloupe	subject to hurricanes
236	Guam	frequent squalls during rainy season; subject to relatively rare but potentially very destructive typhoons
237	Guatemala	numerous volcanoes in mountains with frequent violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast subject to hurricanes and other tropical storms; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
238	Guernsey	large deepwater harbor at St	. Peter Port
239	Guinea-Bissau	hot dry dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season
240	Guinea	hot dry dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; deforestation
241	Zimbabwe	recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare; deforestation; soil erosion; air and water pollution; desertification

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