| Field Listing - Military - note
Home Reference Maps Appendixes
Country | Military - note
American Samoa | defense is the responsibility of the US
Andorra | defense is the responsibility of France and Spain
Anguilla | defense is the responsibility of the UK
Antarctica | the Antarctic Treaty prohibits any measures of a military nature, such as the establishment of military bases and fortifications, the carrying out of military maneuvers, or the testing of any type of weapon; it permits the use of military personnel or equipment for scientific research or for any other peaceful purposes
Aruba | defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Ashmore and Cartier Islands | defense is the responsibility of Australia; periodic visits by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force
Baker Island | defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US Coast Guard
Bassas da India | defense is the responsibility of France
Bermuda | defense is the responsibility of the UK
Bouvet Island | defense is the responsibility of Norway
British Indian Ocean Territory | defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016
British Virgin Islands | defense is the responsibility of the UK
Cayman Islands | defense is the responsibility of the UK
Christmas Island | defense is the responsibility of Australia
Clipperton Island | defense is the responsibility of France
Cocos (Keeling) Islands | defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory does have a five-person police force
Cook Islands | defense is the responsibility of New Zealand, in consultation with the Cook Islands and at its request
Coral Sea Islands | defense is the responsibility of Australia; visited regularly by the Royal Australian Navy; Australia has control over the activities of visitors
Cuba | Moscow, for decades the key military supporter and supplier of Cuba, cut off almost all military aid by 1993
Europa Island | defense is the responsibility of France
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) | defense is the responsibility of the UK
Faroe Islands | defense is the responsibility of Denmark
French Guiana | defense is the responsibility of France
French Polynesia | defense is the responsibility of France
French Southern and Antarctic Lands | defense is the responsibility of France
Georgia | a CIS peacekeeping force of Russian troops is deployed in the Abkhazia region of Georgia together with a UN military observer group; a Russian peacekeeping battalion is deployed in South Ossetia
Gibraltar | defense is the responsibility of the UK
Glorioso Islands | defense is the responsibility of France
Greenland | defense is the responsibility of Denmark
Guadeloupe | defense is the responsibility of France
Guam | defense is the responsibility of the US
Guernsey | defense is the responsibility of the UK
Heard Island and McDonald Islands | defense is the responsibility of Australia; Australia conducts fisheries patrols
Holy See (Vatican City) | defense is the responsibility of Italy; Swiss Papal Guards are posted at entrances to the Vatican City to provide security and protect the Pope
Hong Kong | defense is the responsibility of China
Howland Island | defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US Coast Guard
Iceland | defense is provided by the US-manned Icelandic Defense Force (IDF) headquartered at Keflavik
Jan Mayen | defense is the responsibility of Norway
Jarvis Island | defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US Coast Guard
Jersey | defense is the responsibility of the UK
Johnston Atoll | defense is the responsibility of the US
Juan de Nova Island | defense is the responsibility of France
Kingman Reef | defense is the responsibility of the US
Kiribati | Kiribati does not have military forces; defense assistance is provided by Australia and NZ
Lesotho | the Lesotho Government in 1999 began an open debate on the future structure, size, and role of the armed forces, especially considering the Lesotho Defense Force's (LDF) history of intervening in political affairs
Liechtenstein | defense is the responsibility of Switzerland
Man, Isle of | defense is the responsibility of the UK
Marshall Islands | defense is the responsibility of the US
Martinique | defense is the responsibility of France
Mayotte | defense is the responsibility of France; small contingent of French forces stationed on the island
Micronesia, Federated States of | Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is a sovereign, self-governing state in free association with the US; FSM is totally dependent on the US for its defense
Midway Islands | defense is the responsibility of the US
Monaco | defense is the responsibility of France
Montserrat | defense is the responsibility of the UK
Nauru | Nauru maintains no defense forces; under an informal agreement, defense is the responsibility of Australia
Navassa Island | defense is the responsibility of the US
Netherlands Antilles | defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
New Caledonia | defense is the responsibility of France
Niue | defense is the responsibility of New Zealand
Norfolk Island | defense is the responsibility of Australia
Northern Mariana Islands | defense is the responsibility of the US
Palau | defense is the responsibility of the US; under a Compact of Free Association between Palau and the US, the US military is granted access to the islands for 50 years
Palmyra Atoll | defense is the responsibility of the US
Panama | on 10 February 1990, the government of then President ENDARA abolished Panama's military and reformed the security apparatus by creating the Panamanian Public Forces; in October 1994, Panama's Legislative Assembly approved a constitutional amendment prohibiting the creation of a standing military force, but allowing the temporary establishment of special police units to counter acts of "external aggression"
Paracel Islands | occupied by China
Pitcairn Islands | defense is the responsibility of the UK
Puerto Rico | defense is the responsibility of the US
Reunion | defense is the responsibility of France
Saint Helena | defense is the responsibility of the UK
Saint Pierre and Miquelon | defense is the responsibility of France
Samoa | Samoa has no formal defense structure or regular armed forces; informal defense ties exist with NZ, which is required to consider any Samoan request for assistance under the 1962 Treaty of Friendship
South Africa | with the end of Apartheid and the establishment of majority rule, former military, black homelands forces, and ex-opposition forces were integrated into the South African National Defense Force (SANDF); as of 2003 the integration process was considered complete
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | defense is the responsibility of the UK
Spratly Islands | Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs, of which about 45 are claimed and occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam
Svalbard | demilitarized by treaty (9 February 1920)
Tokelau | defense is the responsibility of New Zealand
Tromelin Island | defense is the responsibility of France
Turks and Caicos Islands | defense is the responsibility of the UK
United States | note: 2002 estimates for military manpower are based on projections that do not take into consideration the results of the 2000 census
Virgin Islands | defense is the responsibility of the US
Wake Island | defense is the responsibility of the US
Wallis and Futuna | defense is the responsibility of France
Yemen | establishment of a Coast Guard, scheduled for May 2001, has been delayed
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003