h for peaceful purposes only

members - (20) Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK

observers - (8) European Commission, India, Israel, Japan, Russia,
Turkey, United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO), US

European Space Agency (ESA): established - 31 May 1975

aim - to promote peaceful cooperation in space research and technology

members - (15) Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,
Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, UK

cooperating states - (2) Canada, Hungary

European Union (EU): note - see European Union entry at the end of the
"country" listings

First World: another term for countries with advanced, industrialized
economies; this term is fading from use; see developed countries (DCs)

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): established - 16 October 1945

aim - to raise living standards and increase availability of
agricultural products; a UN specialized agency

members - (187) includes all UN member countries except Andorra,
Belarus, Brunei, Liechtenstein, Russia, and Singapore (185 total); plus
Cook Islands and Niue

Four Dragons: the four small Asian less developed countries (LDCs)
that have experienced unusually rapid economic growth; also known as
the Four Tigers; this group consists of Hong Kong, South Korea,
Singapore, Taiwan; these countries are included in the IMF's "advanced
economies" group

Franc Zone (FZ): note - also known as Conference des Ministres des
Finances des Pays de la Zone Franc

established - 1964

aim - to form a monetary union among countries whose currencies are
linked to the French franc

members - (16) Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic,
Chad, Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea,
France, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo

Front Line States (FLS): established to achieve black majority rule in
South Africa; has since gone out of existence; members included Angola,
Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

GUUAM: note-acronym standing for the member countries, Georgia,
Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Moldova

established - 7 June 2001

aim - commits the countries to cooperation and assistance in social and
economic development, the strengtheni