rom June to December

Environment--current issues: endangered marine species include the
dugong, sea lion, sea otter, seals, turtles, and whales; oil
pollution in Philippine Sea and South China Sea

Environment--international agreements:
party to: none of the selected agreements
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography--note: the major chokepoints are the Bering Strait,
Panama Canal, Luzon Strait, and the Singapore Strait; the Equator
divides the Pacific Ocean into the North Pacific Ocean and the South
Pacific Ocean; dotted with low coral islands and rugged volcanic
islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean

Government

Data code: none; the US Government has not approved a standard
for hydrographic codes--see the Cross-Reference List of Hydrographic
Codes appendix

Economy

Economy--overview: The Pacific Ocean is a major contributor to the
world economy and particularly to those nations its waters directly
touch. It provides low-cost sea transportation between East and
West, extensive fishing grounds, offshore oil and gas fields,
minerals, and sand and gravel for the construction industry. In
1996, over 60% of the world's fish catch came from the Pacific
Ocean. Exploitation of offshore oil and gas reserves is playing an
ever-increasing role in the energy supplies of Australia, NZ, China,
US, and Peru. The high cost of recovering offshore oil and gas,
combined with the wide swings in world prices for oil since 1985,
has slowed but not stopped new drillings.

Communications

Telephone system:
international: several submarine cables with network nodal points on
Guam and Hawaii

Transportation

Ports and harbors: Bangkok (Thailand), Hong Kong, Kao-hsiung
(Taiwan), Los Angeles (US), Manila (Philippines), Pusan (South
Korea), San Francisco (US), Seattle (US), Shanghai (China),
Singapore, Sydney (Australia), Vladivostok (Russia), Wellington
(NZ), Yokohama (Japan)

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: some maritime disputes (see littoral
states)

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@Pakistan
--------

Geography

Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India
on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the
north

Geographic coordinates: 30 00 N, 70 00 E

Map references: A