er (most frequent from July to October);
tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico and strike
Central America and Mexico from June to October (most common in
August and September); cyclical El Nino/La Nina phenomenon occurs in
the equatorial Pacific, influencing weather in the Western
Hemisphere and the western Pacific; ships subject to superstructure
icing in extreme north from October to May; persistent fog in the
northern Pacific can be a maritime hazard from June to December

Environment - current issues: endangered marine species include the
dugong, sea lion, sea otter, seals, turtles, and whales; oil
pollution in Philippine Sea and South China Sea

Geography - note: the major chokepoints are the Bering Strait,
Panama Canal, Luzon Strait, and the Singapore Strait; the Equator
divides the Pacific Ocean into the North Pacific Ocean and the South
Pacific Ocean; dotted with low coral islands and rugged volcanic
islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean Economy

Economy - overview: The Pacific Ocean is a major contributor to the
world economy and particularly to those nations its waters directly
touch. It provides low-cost sea transportation between East and
West, extensive fishing grounds, offshore oil and gas fields,
minerals, and sand and gravel for the construction industry. In
1996, over 60% of the world's fish catch came from the Pacific
Ocean. Exploitation of offshore oil and gas reserves is playing an
ever-increasing role in the energy supplies of Australia, NZ, China,
US, and Peru. The high cost of recovering offshore oil and gas,
combined with the wide swings in world prices for oil since 1985,
has slowed but not stopped new drillings.

Pacific Ocean Transportation

Ports and harbors: Bangkok (Thailand), Hong Kong, Kao-hsiung
(Taiwan), Los Angeles (US), Manila (Philippines), Pusan (South
Korea), San Francisco (US), Seattle (US), Shanghai (China),
Singapore, Sydney (Australia), Vladivostok (Russia), Wellington
(NZ), Yokohama (Japan)

Transportation - note: Inside Passage offers protected waters from
southeast Alaska to Puget Sound (Washington state)

Pacific Ocean Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: some maritime disputes (see littoral
states)

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@Pakistan

Pakistan Introduction

Background: The separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim
state o