egic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar

Spratly Islands:
strategically located near several primary shipping
lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small
islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs

Sri Lanka:
strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes

Sudan:
largest country in Africa; dominated by the Nile and its
tributaries

Suriname:
mostly tropical rain forest; great diversity of flora and
fauna that, for the most part, is increasingly threatened by new
development; relatively small population, most of which lives along
the coast

Svalbard:
northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of
nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total
area

Swaziland:
landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa

Sweden:
strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and
North Seas

Switzerland:
landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe;
along with southeastern France and northern Italy, contains the
highest elevations in Europe

Syria:
there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites
in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (August 1999 est.)

Tajikistan:
landlocked

Tanzania:
Kilimanjaro is highest point in Africa

Thailand:
controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia and
Singapore

Tonga:
archipelago of 170 islands (36 inhabited)

Tromelin Island:
climatologically important location for forecasting
cyclones; wildlife sanctuary

Tunisia:
strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and
Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the
continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil
exploration

Turkey:
strategic location controlling the Turkish Straits
(Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link Black and Aegean
Seas

Turkmenistan:
landlocked

Turks and Caicos Islands:
30 islands (eight inhabited)

Uganda:
landlocked

Ukraine:
strategic position at the crossroads between Europe and
Asia; second-largest country in Europe

United Arab Emirates:
strategic location along southern approaches
to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil

United Kingdom:
lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km
from France and now linked by tunnel under the English Channel;
because of heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125