Islands
Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve
established in August 1983

Atlantic Ocean
major chokepoints include the Dardanelles, 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;
the invigorating sea breeze known as the "Fremantle Doctor" affects
the city of Perth on the west coast, and is one of the most
consistent winds in the world

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
both the main area of the country and the Naxcivan
exclave are landlocked

Bahamas, The
strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive
island chain of which 30 are inhabited

Bahrain
close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic
location in Persian Gulf, through which much of the 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

Bangladesh
most of the country is situated on deltas of large rivers
flowing from the Himalayas: the Ganges unites with the Jamuna (main
channel of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna to eventually
empty into the Bay of Bengal

Barbados
easternmost Caribbean island

Bassas da India
the islands emerge from a circular reef that sits
atop a long-extinct, submerged volcano

Belarus
landlocked; glacial scouring accounts for the flatness of
Belarusian terrain and for its 11,000 lakes

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

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

Benin
sandbanks create difficult access to a coast wi