the country into three large regions

Iceland
strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost
European country; Reykjavik is the northernmost national capital in
the world; more land covered by glaciers than in all of continental
Europe

India
dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian
Ocean trade routes; Kanchenjunga, third tallest mountain in the
world, lies on the border with Nepal

Indian Ocean
major chokepoints include Bab el Mandeb, Strait of
Hormuz, Strait of Malacca, southern access to the Suez Canal, and
the Lombok Strait

Indonesia
archipelago of 17,508 islands (6,000 inhabited); straddles
equator; strategic location astride or along major sea lanes from
Indian Ocean to Pacific Ocean

Iran
strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz,
which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport

Iraq
strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of
the Persian Gulf

Ireland
strategic location on major air and sea routes between North
America and northern Europe; over 40% of the population resides
within 100 km of Dublin

Isle of Man
one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the southwest
and is a bird sanctuary

Israel
there are about 340 Israeli civilian sites - including 100
small outpost communities in the West Bank - as well as 42 sites in
the Golan Heights, 0 in the Gaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem
(July 2008 est.); Lake Tiberias (Sea of Galilee) is an important
freshwater source

Italy
strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as
southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe

Jamaica
strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica
Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal

Jan Mayen
barren volcanic island with some moss and grass

Japan
strategic location in northeast Asia

Jersey
largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; about 30% of
population concentrated in Saint Helier

Jordan
strategic location at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and as
the Arab country that shares the longest border with Israel and the
occupied West Bank

Kazakhstan
landlocked; Russia leases approximately 6,000 sq km of
territory enclosing the Baykonur Cosmodrome; in January 2004,
Kazakhstan and Russia extended the lease to 2050

Kenya
the Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful
agricultural production