Geography
States and International Organizations
There are more than 190 independent states in the world. International organizations establish cooperation among them.
States
- The largest state by area: Russia (about 17 million km²). It is followed by Canada, China, the USA and Brazil. The smallest is the Vatican.
- The first state by population: India (since 2023). According to UN estimates, India overtook China in 2023. Among the most populous states are also China, the USA and Indonesia.
- There are two types of state structure: unitary (France, Uzbekistan, Japan) and federal (the USA, Germany, Russia, Brazil, India).
- Forms of government: monarchy (the United Kingdom, Japan) and republic.
| Structure | States |
|---|---|
| Unitary | France, Uzbekistan, Japan |
| Federal | USA, Germany, Russia, Brazil, India |
International Organizations
| Organization | Year founded | Note |
|---|---|---|
| UN | 1945 | headquarters in New York |
| NATO | 1949 | military-political alliance |
| OPEC | 1960 | oil exporters |
| ASEAN | 1967 | Southeast Asia |
| CIS | 1991 | Commonwealth of Independent States |
| European Union | 1993 | centered in Brussels |
| SCO | 2001 | Shanghai, Uzbekistan is one of the founders |
| African Union | 2002 | African states |
- SCO: 2001, Shanghai. Uzbekistan is one of its founders.
- Memorize the years UN 1945, NATO 1949, CIS 1991.
- The European Union has operated since 1993 under the Maastricht Treaty. The United Kingdom left it in 2020.
- France and Japan are not federal. France and Uzbekistan are unitary, and Japan is also a unitary monarchy.
- Federal: the USA, Germany, Russia.