Families of Countries
You're not the only one with relatives; countries have them, too. Families of countries exist for several reasons: location, trade, or politics, for example. Like any family, countries that are related don't always agree with one another.
The Low Countries
Much of the land in this geographical family of European countries is located at or below sea level: the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg.
Although Holland is a popular name for the Netherlands, North and South Holland are actually two provinces in the Netherlands.
NATO Countries
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), formed in 1949, has one goal: to protect democratic systems of government. Today, the member countries are: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. In 1999, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Hungary became the newest members of NATO.
Polynesia
Polynesia, “many islands,” is a collective term for the islands of the east-central Pacific Ocean, which include Cook, Easter, Pitcairn, Samoa, Tahiti, and Tuvalu, as well as the Hawaiian islands.
Scandinavia
This family has many ties: geographical, cultural, political, and historical. These countries occupy a region of northern Europe: Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Sometimes Finland, Iceland, and the Faeroe Islands are included.
The Middle East
These countries of western Asia, northern Africa, and the Arabian Peninsula are related geographically: Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Quatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
Central America
Central America refers to the seven countries of North America between Mexico and South America: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)
The USSR, 15 republics in eastern Europe and northern Asia, was formed in 1922, after the Russian Revolution. Until 1991 it was the world's largest country, covering one-sixth of the land area of the world. Many people thought that the USSR and Russia were the same thing. But Russia was really only one of its republics. As of December 31, 1991, the USSR no longer existed as a single country. Instead, it became 15 independent countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus (Byelorussia), Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.
The United Arab Emirates
This group of seven kingdoms was created in 1971 on the Persian Gulf coast of the Arabian Peninsula. They are ruled by sheiks. In the Muslim world, an emir is a ruler or prince; an emirate is his state. The kingdoms are: Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Qaiwain.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
These countries are ruled by the British royal family and Parliament: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
Great Britain includes England, Scotland, and Wales. The British Isles include Great Britain, the Republic of Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands.
The Warsaw Pact Countries
This political family was composed of communist countries that were united in 1955 to keep communism alive. Since the collapse of communism, they have been struggling to find their way: Albania (withdrew in 1968), Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic and Slovakia), East Germany (now united with West Germany), Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the USSR.
The Southeast Asian Countries
The countries that make up Southeast Asia are: Brunei, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), Vietnam, Singapore, and Thailand.
Latin America
Latin America refers to all countries south of the U.S.—the nations of Central and South America and Mexico.
Sub-Saharan Africa
The 42 African countries below the Sahara Desert, plus the island nations of Madagascar, Mauritius, and the Comoros Islands, are usually grouped together.
