 |
ABU
DHABI أبو
ظبي Abū Ẓabī
Abu Dhabi
is an emirate and the capital of the
United Arab Emirates.
|

Colony

Prptectorate |
ADEN
See also YEMEN
1914 - 1937 Aden (Bombay Presidency)
1937 - 1962 Aden Colony (British),
Aden Protectorate (sheikdoms)
1963 - 1967 South Arabian Federation
1967 - 1990 South Yemen
1990 Merged with North Yemen to form Yemen |
 |
AFGHANISTAN
افغانستان,
Afġānistā
Location |
Central Asia |
Capital |
Kabul |
Religion |
Islam (80% Sunni and 20% Shia) |
Languages |
Dari, Pushtu |
History |
British occupation ended 1919. Russian
occupation 1979 - 1989. US+NATO occupation 2001
- 2015. |
Intl Oval |
AFG |
|
 |
AJMAN
عجمان
Aǧmān
Ajman
is an emirate of the United Arab Emirates. |
 |
ARMENIA
Hayastani Hanrapetut’yun
Location |
Caucasus |
Capital |
Yerevan |
Religion |
Christianity (93% Orthodox, 7% Other) |
Language |
Armenian |
History |
Armenia seceded from the Soviet Union in 1991.
|
Intl Oval |
ARM |
|
 |
AZERBAIJAN
Azərbaycan
Location |
Caucasus |
Capital |
Baki (Baku) |
Religion |
Islam (85% Shia, 15% Sunni) |
Language |
Azerbaijani, Russian |
History |
Azerbaijan seceded from the Soviet Union in
1991. . |
Intl Oval |
AZ |
|
 |
BAHRAIN البحرين
al-Baḥrayn
Location |
Arabia |
Capital |
al-Manamah [Manama] |
Religion |
Islam (70% Shia and 30% Sunni) |
Language |
Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu. |
History |
British occupation ended 1971 |
Intl Oval |
BRN |
|
 |
BANGLADESH
বাংলাদেশ
(East
Bengal, East Pakistan)
Location |
South Asia |
Capital |
Dhaka (Dacca) |
Religions |
85%
Islam (Sunni), 15% Hinduism |
Languages |
Bengali, English |
History |
Part of India until 1947. Joined Pakistan in
1947 as East Bengal province.,renamed
East Pakistan seceded from Pakistan in 1971 |
Intl Oval |
BD |
|
 |
BHUTAN
འབྲུག་ཡུལ
Dru Ü,
Location |
South Asia |
Capital |
Thimphu |
Religions |
Buddhism, Hinduism |
Languages |
Dzonghka, Tibetan, Nepalese. |
History |
Indian occupation ended 1971 |
Intl Oval |
BHT |
|
 |
BRUNEI نڬارا بروني
دارالسلام
نڬارا بروني دارالسلام
Negara
Brunei Darussalam نڬارا
برون
Location |
South Asia |
Capital |
Bandar Seri Begawan |
Religions |
Islam (Sunni),
Buddhism, |
Language |
Malay, English, Chinese. |
History |
British occupation ended 1984 |
Intl Oval |
BRU |
|
 |
CAMBODIA
ព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា
Preăh Réachéanachâk Kâmpŭchéa
(Kymer Republic)
Location |
South East Asia |
Capital |
Phnom Penh |
Religion |
Buddhism |
Language |
Khmer |
History |
French occupation ended 1954. US incursions 1964
- 1973. Vietnamese occupation 1979 - 1991. |
Intl Oval |
K |
|
 |
CHINA
中国
中國
Zhōngguó
People's Republic of China (PRC)
Location |
East Asia |
Capital |
Beijing |
Religions |
Buddhism, folk beliefs |
Language |
Chinese (Mandarin) |
History |
Partial occupation by Japan 1937 - 1945. Taiwan
seceded in 1949. Hong Kong reverted from British
rule 1997, Macau from Portuguese rule 1999.
Tibet occupied by China in 1950. |
Intl Oval |
PRC |
|
 |
DUBAI
دبي
Dubayy
Dubai
is an emirate of the United Arab Emirates. |
 |
FUJEIRAH
الفجيرة
Al Fuǧaira
Fujeirah
is an emirate of the United Arab Emirates. |
 |
HONG KONG
香港
Hong
Kong reverted to China from British rule in 1997,
Japanese occupation 1941 - 1945. |
 |
INDIA
Bhārat
Gaṇarājya
Location |
South Asia |
Capital |
New Delhi |
Religions |
80%
Hinduism, 14% Islam (Sunni) |
Languages |
Hindi, English, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil,
Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya,
Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, Sanskrit.
|
History |
British occupation ended 1947. Partitioned into
India, Pakistan and East Bengal (East Pakistan)
in 1947. Kashmir is
disputed between India, Pakistan, China. Sikkin
annexed in 1975, Portuguese Goa in 1961.
|
Intl Oval |
IND |
|
 |
INDONESIA
Republik
Indonesia
(Java, Netherlands
India, Dutch East Indies
Location |
South East Asia |
Capital |
Jakarta
|
Religion |
87%
Islam (Sunni), 10% Christian |
Language |
Bahasa Indonesia, Javanese. |
History |
Japanese occupation 1941 - 1945.
Dutch occupation ended 1949. |
Intl Oval |
RI |
|
 |
IRAN
ایران
al-Irān
(Persia)
Location |
Central Asia |
Capital |
Tehran (Teheran) |
Religion |
Islam (95% Shia, 5% Sunni) |
Languages |
Farsi, Turkic languages, Kurdish
|
History |
Persia was renamed Iran in 1935 |
Intl Oval |
IR |
|
 |
IRAQ
لعراق
al-‘Irāq
Êraq
Location |
Central Asia |
Capital |
Baghdad |
Religion |
Islam (65% Shia, 35% Ssunni) |
Language |
Arabic, Kurdish |
History |
British occupation ended 1932. Kurdistan became
self-governing region 1992. US + NATO occupation
2003 - 2011. Partial ISIL occupation 2011 -
present. |
Intl Oval |
IRQ |
|
 |
ISRAEL
מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל
Yisrā'el دولة
إِسرائيل
(Palestine)
Location |
West Asia
|
Capital |
Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) |
Religions |
80%
Judaism, 16% Islam (Sunni) |
Language |
Hebrew, Arabic |
History |
British occupation ended 1948 with partition
into Israel and Palestine. West Bank (part of
Jordan), Gaza (part of Egypt), Golan Heights
(part of Syria) occupied by Israel 1967. |
Intl Oval |
IL |
|
 |
JAPAN 日本
Nippon
or Nihon
Location |
East Asia |
Capital |
Tokyo |
Religion |
Shintoism, Buddhism |
Language |
Japanese |
History |
US occupation 1945 - 1952 |
Intl Oval |
J |
|
 |
JORDAN الأردن
al-Urdun
(Transjordan)
Location |
Asia |
Capital |
Amman |
Religion |
Islam (sunni) |
Language |
Arabic |
History |
British occupation ended 1946. Name changed
1949. |
Intl Oval |
JOR |
|
 |
KAZAKHSTAN Қазақстан
Qazaqstan,
Казахстан
Kəzɐxˈstan
Location |
Central Asia |
Capital |
Astana |
Religions |
26%
Christianity, 70% Islam (Sunni) |
Languages |
Kazakh, Russian |
History |
Russian occupation ended 1991. |
Intl Oval |
KZ |
|
 |
KUWAIT
دولة
الكويت)
Location |
Arabia |
Capital |
al-Kuwait |
Religion |
Islam (65% Sunni, 35% Shia) |
Language |
Arabic |
History |
British occupation ended 1961. Iraq occupation
1990 - 1991. |
Intl Oval |
KWT |
|
 |
KYRGYZSTAN
Кыргызстан
Kyrgyzstan Киргизия
or Кыргызстан),
Location |
Central Asia |
Capital |
Bishkek |
Religions |
80%
Islam (Sunni), 17% Christianity |
Languages |
Kyrgyz, Russian |
History |
Russian occupation ended 1991 |
Intl Oval |
KS |
|
 |
LAOS
ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ
Location |
East Asia |
Capital |
Vientiane |
Religions |
67%
Buddhism, 30% local religions |
Language |
Laotian |
History |
French occupation ended 1954 |
Intl Oval |
LAO |
|
 |
LEBANON لبنان
Libnān or
Lubnān
לבנאנ; Liban
Location |
West Asia |
Capital |
Beirut |
Religions |
54%
Islam (50:50 Sunni-Shia), 40% Christianity |
Language |
Arabic |
History |
French occupation ended 1943 |
Intl Oval |
RL |
|
 |
MACAU
or MACAO
澳門
澳门
(Portuguese Macao)
Portuguese occupation ended 1999,
reverted to China.
Japanese occupation 1941 - 1945. |
 |
MALAYA
Persekutuan
Tanah Melayu
ڤرسكوتوان تانه ملايو)
British controlled federation of 9
Malay states
and two of the British
Straits Settlements
(Penang
and
Malacca),
1948 - 1963. British control ended 1957. Renamed as
Malaysia
1963. See below.
|
 |
MALAYSIA
(Malaya+Sabah+Sarawak)
Location |
South East Asia |
Capital |
Kuala Lumpur |
Religions |
60 %
Islam, 20% Buddhist, 10% Christian |
Languages |
Malay, Chinese |
History |
Japanese occupation 1941 - 1945.
British occupation ended 1957. Malaya merged
with British North Borneo (Sabah), Sarawak,
Singapore into Malaysia in 1963. Singapore
seceded from Malaysia in 1965. |
Intl Oval |
MAL |
|
 |
MONGOLIA
ᠮᠤᠩᠭᠤᠯ
ᠤᠯᠤᠰ
Monggol Ulus
Монгол Улс
Location |
Central Asia |
Capital |
Ulaan Bataar |
Religion |
Buddhism, shamanism |
Language |
Mongolian |
History |
Mongolia seceded from China in 1923 |
Intl Oval |
MGL |
|

Old ^
New v
 |
MYANMAR
Myăma (Burma, Burmah)
Location |
South East Asia |
Capital |
Yangon (Rangoon) |
Religion |
Buddhism, (Islam suppressed) |
Language |
Burmese |
History |
British occupation 1824 - 1948. Japanese
occupation 1941 - 1945. |
Intl Oval |
MYA |
|
 |
NEPAL नेपाल
Neˈpal
Location |
South Asia |
Capital |
Kathmandu |
Religions |
Hinduism, Buddhism |
Languages |
Nepalese, Maithili, Bhojpuri |
History |
Kingdom from 1779, now a Republic |
Intl Oval |
NEP |
|
 |
NORTH BORNEO (British North Borneo,
Sabah)
Bristish colony 1882. Japanese occupatopn
1942 - 1945.
British control ended 1963. Joined
Malaysia
1963.
|
 |
NORTH KOREA
조선민주주의인민공화국
Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk
Location |
East Asia |
Capital |
Pyongyang |
Religions |
Buddhism, officially non-religious |
Language |
Korean |
History |
Japanese occupation 1910 - 1945. Split
into North Korea and South Korea 1948. US
intervention 1950 - 1953+ |
Intl Oval |
none |
|
 |
NORTH YEMEN
Turkish
occupation ended 1918.
Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen
1918–1962.
Yemen Arab Republic
1962–1990.
Merged in 1990 with South Yemen
to become unified Yemen. Civil war still in progress. |
 |
OKINAWA 沖縄本島
Okinawa-hontō
Ryukyu Islands Senkaku Islands
Okinawa Prefecture is Japan's southern
prefectures, and consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu
Islands in a chain over 1,000 km long, extending
southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. The disputed Senkaku Islands are also administered as part of Okinawa
Prefecture. |
 |
OMAN
عمان
ʻUmān
Location |
Arabia |
Capital |
Muscat |
Religion |
Islam (75%
Ibadi) |
Language |
Arabic |
History |
Muskat and Oman became an independent state in
1744 |
Intl Oval |
OM |
|
 |
PAKISTAN پاكستان
Pākistān
(British India)
Location |
Central Asia |
Capital |
Islamabad |
Religion |
Islam (80% Sunni, 20% Shia) |
Languages |
Punjan, Urdu, Pushtu, Sindh |
History |
British occupation ended 1947. Created by
partition of India 1947. East Pakistan
seceded from Pakistan in 1971 and became
Bangladesh. |
Intl Oval |
PK |
|
 |
KASHMIR
کٔشِیر
कॅशीर
कश्मीर
کشمیر
کشمیر
Kashmir is disputed between India, Pakistan,
China. Sikkin
annexed in 1975, |


|
PALESTINE
فلسطين
Filasṭīn
or
Falasṭīn
Παλαιστίνη
פלשתינה
See also Israel
Location |
West Asia
Click map for detail
view |
Capital |
Ramallah |
Religions |
Islam (Sunni) |
Language |
Arabic |
History |
British occupation ended 1948 with partition
into Israel and Palestine. Israeli occupation
1962 - present. Palestinian National Authority
established 1994 controls West Bank and Gaza. |
Intl Oval |
IL |
|
 |
PARACEL
ISLANDS Xisha Islands
Hoang Sa Archipelago
The Paracel Islands are a group of small
islands and reefs in the South China Sea administered by
the People's Republic of China but also claimed by
Vietnam |
 |
PORTUGUESE
GOA Portuguese India
Estado Português da Índia
Portuguese Goa
was annexed in the 15th century by Portuguese merchants.
It was annexed by
India in 1961, but was not recognized by Portugal
until 1973. |
 |
PHILIPPINES
Pilipinas
Location |
East Asia |
Capital |
Manila |
Religion |
85%
Christianity, 11% Islam (Sunni) |
Languages |
Philipino, Tagalog, Cebuano. English |
History |
Spanish occupation ended 1898. US occupation
1898 - 1941.
Japanese occupation 1941 - 1945.
US occupation ended 1946 |
Intl Oval |
RP |
|
 |
QATAR
قطر
Qatar
Location |
Arabia |
Capital |
Doha |
Religion |
Islam (90% Sunni, 10% Shia) |
Language |
Arabic |
History |
British occupation 1916 - 1971 |
Intl Oval |
Q |
|
 |
RAS-AL-KHAIMAH
رأس
الخيمة
Rā's al-Ḫaymah
Ras al Khaimah
is an emirate of the United Arab Emirates. |
 |
RUSSIA
Россия
Rossiya
Russian Federation (Soviet Union)
Location |
Eastern Europe and North Asia (Siberia)
|
Capital |
Moskva (Moscow) |
Religion |
70%
Christianity, 30% Islam (Sunni) |
Language |
Russian. Many others |
History |
Russia was formed in 1521, became the main
constituent part of the Soviet Union 1922, which
broke up 1991. |
|
Russian Federation includes the following
autonomous republics:
Adygeya, Altai, Bashkortostan, Burjatia,
Chakasia, Chechnia, Chuvasia, Dagestan,
Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Kalmukia,
Karacha-Cherkesia, Karelia, Komi, Mari El,
Mordovia, North-Ossetia, Sacha (Jakutia),
Tatarstan, Tuva and Udmurtia. Chechnia and
Tatarstan did not sign the federation treaty.
Tatarstan (Tatar Republic) declared independence
1994. |
Intl Oval |
RUS |
|
 |
SARAWAK
Autonymous to 1941. Japanese occupation
1941 - 1945.
British
control 1946 - 1963. Joined
Malaysia
1963.
|
 |
SAUDI ARABIA
المملكة العربية السعودية
al-Arabiyah as-Sa'ūdiyah
(Nedjed, Nedjed and Asir, Hedshas)
Location |
Arabia |
Capital |
Riyadh |
Religion |
Islam (80% Sunnu, 20% Shia) |
Language |
Arabic |
History |
British influence 1916 - 1927. Annexed Nedjed and Asir as Hedshas-Nedjed 1927. Renamed
Saudi Arabia 1932. |
Intl Oval |
KSA |
|
 |
SINGAPORE
新加坡共和国
சிங்கப்பூர்
குடியரசு
Location |
South East Asia |
Capital |
Singapore |
Religions |
33%
Buddhism, 18% Christianity,
15% Islam |
Languages |
Chinese, Malay, English |
History |
Japanese occupation 1941 - 1945.
British occupation ended 1963. Joined Malaysia
1963, seceded 1965. |
Intl Oval |
SGP |
|
 |
SHARJAH
الشارقة
aš-Šāriqah
Sharjah
is an emirate of the United Arab
Emirates. |
 |
SOUTH KOREA
대한민국
大韓民國
Daehan Minguk Republic of Great
Han
Location |
East Asia |
Capital |
Seoul |
Religions |
30%
Christianity, 22% Buddhism |
Language |
Korean |
History |
Japanese occupation 1910 - 1945, split into
North Korea and South Korea 1948. US
intervention 1950 - 1953+.
|
Intl Oval |
ROC |
|
 |
SOUTH YEMEN
(Aden)
1914 - 1937 Aden (Bombay Presidency)
1937 - 1962 Aden Colony (British),
Aden Protectorate (sheikdoms)
1963 - 1967 South Arabian Federation
1967 - 1990 South Yemen
1990 Merged with North Yemen to form Yemen
|
 |
SOVIET
UNION (USSR, CCCP)
See RUSSIA
Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics
Сою́з Сове́тских Социалисти́ческих
Респу́блик
Soyuz
Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik
In 1991, the
Soviet Union (USSR.) split into the following now
independent countries: +Armenia, *Azerbaijan,
+Belarus, +Estonia, +Georgia, *Kazakhstan, *Kyrgystan,
+Latvia, +Lithuania, +Moldova, +*Russia, *Tajikistan,
*Turkmenistan, +Ukraine, *Uzbekistan.
* = Asia (This Page),
+ = Europe
International Oval: SU |
 |
SPRATLY
ISLANDS
The Spratly Islands are a group of more
than 100 reefs and islands in the South China Sea
between the Philippines and Vietnam. Various claims by
all surrounding nations.
|
 |
SRI
LANKA
සමාජවාදී ජනරජය
சோசலிசக் குடியர
(Ceylon)
Location |
South Asia |
Capital |
Colombo |
Religions |
70%
Buddhism, 13% Hinduism |
Languages |
Sinhala, Tamil |
History |
British occupation ended 1948, renamed 1972.
Separatist Tamil state not recognized, now
reunified. |
Intl Oval |
CL
|
|
 |
SYRIA
سوريا
or سورية,
Sūriyā or Sūrīyah
Location |
West Asia |
Capital |
Damascus |
Religion |
Islam (60% Sunni, 13% Shia) |
Language |
Arabic |
History |
French occupation ended 1941.
Partial ISIL occupation 2011 - present. |
Intl Oval |
SYR |
|
 |
TAIWAN
中華民國
Zhōnghuá Mínguó
Republic of China (ROC)
Location |
East Asia |
Capital |
Taipeh |
Religions |
35%
Buddhism, 33% Daoism |
Language |
Chinese |
History |
De-facto independence from China (PRC) 1949.
Claimed by China. |
Intl Oval |
RC |
|
 |
TAJIKISTAN
Тоҷикистон
Таджикистан
Location |
Central Asia |
Capital |
Dushanbe |
Religions |
Islam (95% Sunni, 5% Shia), Christianity |
Languages |
Tadzhik, Russian |
History |
Russian occupation ended 1991 |
Intl Oval |
TJ |
|
 |
THAILAND
ประเทศไทย Prathet
Thai
(Siam)
Location |
South East Asia |
Capital |
Bangkok |
Religion |
Buddhism |
Language |
Thai |
History |
Renamed to Thailand 1939. |
Intl Oval |
T |
|
 |
TIBET
藏区
藏區
Zàngqū
Location |
Central Asia |
Capital |
Lhasa |
Religion |
Buddhism |
Languages |
Tibetan, Chinese |
History |
Chinese occupation 1950 - present. |
Intl Oval |
none |
|

Portuguese
 |
TIMOR
LESTE
(East Timor, Portuguese Timor)
Location |
South East Asia |
Capital |
Dili |
Religion |
Christianity |
Languages |
Tetum, Portuguese |
History |
Portuguese occupation ended 1976, Indonesian
occupation ended 1999, independent as
Timor Leste 2002. |
Intl Oval |
TL |
|
 |
TURKEY
Türkiye
(Ottoman
Empire)
Location |
Europe (Thrace) and Asia Minor (Anatolia)
|
Capital |
Ankara |
Religion |
Islam (95%Sunni, 5% Shia) |
Language |
Turkish, Kurdish. |
History |
Independent since 1327. |
Intl Oval |
TR |
|
 |
TURKMENISTAN
Туркмения
Turkmeniya
Location |
Central Asia |
Capital |
Ashgabat |
Religion |
Islam (Sunni) |
Language |
Turkmenian |
History |
Russian occupation ended 1991 |
Intl Oval |
TM |
|
 |
Umm
al-Quwain
أمّ القيوين
Umm al Qaiwain
is an emirate of the United Arab Emirates. |
 |
UNITED
ARAB EMIRATES (UAE)
الإمارات العربية المتحدة
(Trucial Oman)
al-Imārāt al-‘Arabīyah al-Muttaḥhidah
Location |
Arabia |
Capital |
Abu Dhabi |
Religion |
Islam (85% Sunni, 15% Shia) |
Language |
Arabic |
History |
Federation of absolute monarchies: Abu Dhabi,
Ajman, Dubai, Fujeirah, Ras al Khaimah, Sharjahi,
Umm al Qaiwain. |
Intl Oval |
UAE |
|
 |
UZBEKISTAN
Oʻzbekiston
Location |
Central Asia |
Capital |
Tashkent |
Religions |
Islam (15% Sunni, 1% Shia, 84%
non-denominational), Christianity |
Languages |
Uzbek, Russian |
History |
Russian occupation ended 1991 |
Intl Oval |
UZ |
|
 |
VIETNAM
Việt Nam
Location |
South East Asia |
Capital |
Hanoi |
Religions |
15%
Buddhism, 45% indiginous |
Language |
Vietnamese |
History |
French occupation ended 1945, US intervention
1963 - 1976. Partitioned into
North and South Vietnam 1961, reunited 1976. |
Intl Oval |
VN |
|
 |
YEMEN
اليَمَن
al-Yaman
(North Yemen + South Yeman)
Location |
Arabia |
Capital |
Sana'a |
Religion |
Islam (60% Sunni, 40% Shia) |
Language |
Arabic |
History |
Turkish occupation ended 1918, British ended
1967. North and South Yemen became unified Yemen
1990. Civil war 2008 - present and Saudi
intervention 2014 - present. |
Intl Oval |
YE |
|
 |
Islamic
State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)
لدولة الإسلامية
في العراق والشام
Islamic State of
Iraq and Syria or Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham
(ISIS)
This is not a country but an extremist Sunni Muslim
group that controls territory in Iraq and Syria and also
has terrorist-style operations in eastern Libya, Sinai Peninsula, and other areas of the Middle East, North Africa,
South Asia, and Southeast Asia. As a Caliphate, it
claims religious, political, and military authority over
all
Muslims worldwide. Not accepted by most Muslims.
|