nelles, Strait of
Gibraltar, access to the Panama and Suez Canals; strategic straits
include the Strait of Dover, Straits of Florida, Mona Passage, The
Sound (Oresund), and Windward Passage; the Equator divides the
Atlantic Ocean into the North Atlantic Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean

Australia:
world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country;
population concentrated along the eastern and southeastern coasts;
regular, tropical, invigorating, sea breeze known as "the Doctor"
occurs along the west coast in the summer

Austria:
landlocked; strategic location at the crossroads of central
Europe with many easily traversable Alpine passes and valleys; major
river is the Danube; population is concentrated on eastern lowlands
because of steep slopes, poor soils, and low temperatures elsewhere

Azerbaijan:
landlocked

Bahamas, The:
strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive
island chain

Bahrain:
close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources;
strategic location in Persian Gulf which much of Western world's
petroleum must transit to reach open ocean

Baker Island:
treeless, sparse, and scattered vegetation consisting
of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a
nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds,
and marine wildlife

Barbados:
easternmost Caribbean island

Belarus:
landlocked

Belgium:
crossroads of Western Europe; majority of West European
capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels which is the seat of both the
EU and NATO

Belize:
only country in Central America without a coastline on the
North Pacific Ocean

Benin:
no natural harbors

Bermuda:
consists of about 360 small coral islands with ample
rainfall, but no rivers or freshwater lakes; some land, reclaimed
and otherwise, was leased by US Government from 1941 to 1995

Bhutan:
landlocked; strategic location between China and India;
controls several key Himalayan mountain passes

Bolivia:
landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's
highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru

Bosnia and Herzegovina:
within Bosnia and Herzegovina's recognized
borders, the country is divided into a joint Bosniak/Croat
Federation (about 51% of the territory) and the Bosnian Serb-led
Republika Srpska or RS (about 49% of the territory); the region
called Herzegovina is contiguous to Croatia and trad