In this article, List of countries by rail transport network size will be addressed from a broad and detailed perspective, in order to provide the reader with a complete vision of this topic/person/date. Various aspects related to List of countries by rail transport network size will be explored, with the purpose of providing relevant and updated information about it. Likewise, its implications, effects and consequences will be analyzed, with the aim of offering a comprehensive and enriching vision of List of countries by rail transport network size. Throughout this writing, different approaches and points of view will be appealed to, with the purpose of building as complete and diverse a panorama as possible about List of countries by rail transport network size.
This list of countries by rail transport network size based on length of rail lines.
For the purposes of this page, railway has been defined as a fixed route laid with rails along which wagons can be transported. Wagons may be powered by various means and may be used to transport people or goods. Temporary lines laid for a specific purposes are not considered unless specified. Countries include the nations listed in the List of sovereign states along with reference ISO 3166 codes which list ISO 3166-1 numeric three-digit country codes which are maintained by the United Nations Statistics Division. And thanks
Country/Territory | Length (km) | % of the total electrified |
(per route km) | Historical peak length (km) |
Nationalized or private | Data year | References | ISO 3166-1 | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total | Electrified | Area (km2) | Population | |||||||
United States | 190,044 | 1,847 | 0.84% | 44.69 | 1,522 | 428,180 (1917) | Track ownership and freight mostly private, passenger mostly public | 2019 | 840 | |
China | 150,000 | 100,000 | 66.67% | 63.80 | 9,570 | 150,000 (2021) | Nationalized | 2021 | 156 | |
Russia | 105,000 | 54,054 | 51.48% | 162.84 | 1,367 | 150,000 | Nationalized | 2022 | 643 | |
India | 68,043 | 61,508 | 93.83% | 48.3 | 20,996 | 126,366 | Nationalized | 2023 | 356 | |
Canada | 49,422 | 129 | 0.20% | 214.48 | 674 | 69,636 (1940) | Freight - private Passenger - public |
2017 | 124 | |
Germany | 40,625 | 22,500 | 55.38% | 9.26 | 2,145 | 61,498 (1910) | Nationalized with private operators | 2017 | 276 | |
Argentina | 36,966 | 190 | 0.51% | 77.45 | 1,117 | 47,000 | Both | 2014 | 032 | |
Australia | 33,168 | 3,393 | 10.23% | 231.91 | 742 | Both | 2017 | 036 | ||
Brazil | 29,817 | 9,025 | 30.27% | 299.6 | 7,225 | Both | 2014 | 076 | ||
France | 29,273 | 15,687 | 53.59% | 22.78 | 2,374 | 42,200 (1930) | Nationalized | 2017 | 250 | |
Japan | 27,311 | 20,534 | 75.19% | 16.10 | 5,451 | Both | 2015 | 392 | ||
Mexico | 23,389 | 802.7 | 3.43% | 114.43 | 6,697 | 26,914 | Both | 2020 | 484 | |
South Africa | 20,953 | 7,413 | 46.51% | 58.28 | 2,577 | Nationalized | 2017 | 710 | ||
Romania | 20,077 | 6,600 | 30.42% | 22.13 | 1,823 | 23,955 | Nationalized with private operators | 2023 | 642 | |
Italy | 20,048 | 12,948 | 64.58% | 15.03 | 3,026 | Nationalized with private operators | 2022 | 380 | ||
Poland | 19,886 | 12,174 | 62.53% | 16.28 | 2,001 | 27,000 (1954) | Nationalized with private operators | 2022 | 616 | |
Ukraine | 19,787 | 9,319 | 46.78% | 28.81 | 2,140 | Nationalized | 2019 | 804 | ||
Iran | 16,998 | 2,200 | 12.94% | 148.41 | 6,816 | Nationalized | 2014 | 364 | ||
Spain | 16,355 | 11,127 | 68.03% | 31.73 | 2,920 | 18,000+ (in 1950s) | Nationalized with private operators | 2017 | 724 | |
United Kingdom | 16,231 | 6,065 | 38% | 14.94 | 4,126 | 34,075 (1929) | State owned infrastructure with passenger operations contracted out in Britain and publicly run in Northern Ireland. | 2022 | 826 | |
Kazakhstan | 15,530 | 4,200 | 27.04% | 175 | 1,146 | Nationalized | 2016 | 398 | ||
Turkey | 13,128 | 6,244 | 47.6% | 76 | 7,821 | Nationalized | 2022 | 792 | ||
Myanmar | 11,025 | 0 | 0.00% | 171.07 | 12,127 | Nationalized | 2006 | 104 | ||
Sweden | 10,912 | 8,186 | 75.02% | 41 | 958 | 16,900 (around 1938) | Nationalized with private operators Most services subject to franchising. |
2021 | 752 | |
Czech Republic | 9,567 | 3,237 | 33.84% | 8.24 | 1,106 | Nationalized with private operators | 2017 | 203 | ||
Indonesia | 8,260 | 621 | 7.51% | 219.31 | 32,712 | 8,260 | Nationalized | 2023 | 360 | |
Hungary | 7,945 | 2,889 | 36.36% | 11.71 | 1,233 | Nationalized with private operators | 2017 | 348 | ||
Pakistan | 7,791 | 285 | 3.65% | 117.74 | 32,433 | 8,122 (in 1947) | Nationalized | 2015 | 586 | |
Egypt | 7,024 | 62 | 0.88% | 153.43 | 13,888 | Nationalized | 2017 | 818 | ||
Chile | 6,634 | 0 | 0.00% | 128.2 | 2,931 | 8,930 (1930) | Nationalized | 2006 | 152 | |
Sudan | 6,084 | 0 | 0.00% | 339.81 | 5,640 | Nationalized | 2006 | 729 | ||
Finland | 5,926 | 3,270 | 55.18% | 57.06 | 929 | Nationalized | 2017 | 246 | ||
North Korea | 5,735 | 3,894 | 61.03% | 23.03 | 4,595 | Nationalized | 2006 | 408 | ||
Saudi Arabia | 5,590 | 453 | 8.10% | 384.56 | 6,254 | Nationalized | 2019 | 682 | ||
Cuba | 5,476 | 0 | 0.00% | 21.84 | 2,215 | Nationalized | 2007 | 192 | ||
Belarus | 5,459 | 874 | 16.01% | 38.03 | 1,741 | Nationalized | 2016 | 112 | ||
Switzerland | 5,317 | 5,317 | 100.00% | 7.76 | 1,631 | 5,868 (1930) | Both, but majority is nationalized | 2020 | 756 | |
Turkmenistan | 5,080 | 0 | 0.00% | 153.44 | 1,585 | Nationalized | 2014 | 795 | ||
Austria | 4,859 | 3,650 | 75.12% | 15.18 | 1,587 | 7,166 (1930) | Nationalized with private operators | 2022 | 040 | |
South Korea | 4,837 | 3,787 | 78.29% | 20.76 | 10,716 | Nationalized | 2020 | 410 | ||
Uzbekistan | 4,669 | 2,500 | 38.65% | 94.8 | 6,969 | 6,950 | Nationalized | 2020 | 860 | |
Algeria | 4,560 | 480 | 10.53% | 522.31 | 9,061 | 4,815 (1930) | Nationalized | 2022 | 012 | |
Norway | 4,240 | 2,895 | 68.3% | 76.36 | 1291 | 4,471 (1950) | Nationalized with private operators | 2023 | 578 | |
New Zealand | 4,128 | 506 | 12.26% | 64.64 | 1,070 | 5,681 (1950) | Nationalized | 2018 | 554 | |
DR Congo | 4,096 | 852 | 11.20% | 585.19 | 16,463 | 2008 | 180 | |||
Thailand | 4,044 | 107 | 2.18% | 126.04 | 16,084 | Nationalized | 2017 | 764 | ||
Bulgaria | 4,030 | 2,880 | 71.46% | 27.54 | 1,762 | 6507 | Nationalized | 2017 | 100 | |
Serbia | 3,764 | 1,279 | 33.98% | 23.48 | 1,866 | Nationalized | 2017 | 688 | ||
Slovakia | 3,626 | 1,587 | 43.77% | 13.52 | 1,499 | Nationalized | 2017 | 703 | ||
Portugal | 3,622 | 1,794 | 49.53% | 36.13 | 4,049 | 3,592 (Around 1949) | Nationalized | 2022 | 620 | |
Belgium | 3,607 | 2,960 | 82.06% | 8.48 | 3,140 | 5,081 (1940) | Nationalized | 2018 | 056 | |
Nigeria | 3,600 | 0 | 0.00% | 261.84 | 44,904 | Nationalized | 2006 | 566 | ||
Vietnam | 3,364 | 0 | 0.00% | 141.12 | 27,765 | Nationalized | 2007 | 704 | ||
Mozambique | 3,249 | 0 | 0.00% | 256.54 | 6,604 | 2008 | 508 | |||
Zimbabwe | 3,136 | 313 | 9.98% | 130.25 | 4,190 | Nationalized | 2010 | 716 | ||
Netherlands | 3,055 | 2,314 | 75.74% | 13.59 | 5,591 | 3,407 (1920) | Nationalized with private operators Rural lines subject to franchising. |
2017 | 528 | |
Uruguay | 2,993 | 0 | 0.00% | 58.88 | 1,121 | Nationalized | 2006 | 858 | ||
Bolivia | 2,866 | 0 | 0.00% | 383.32 | 3,638 | Nationalized | 2007 | 068 | ||
Bangladesh | 3,600 | 0 | 0.00% | 50.79 | 53,392 | Nationalized | 2008 | 050 | ||
Malaysia | 2,783 | 767 | 27.56% | 118.52 | 11,732 | Nationalized | 2018 | 458 | ||
Angola | 2,761 | 0 | 0.00% | 451.54 | 6,911 | 2,764 | Nationalized | 2006 | 024 | |
Syria | 2,750 | 0 | 0.00% | 86.57 | 11,078 | Nationalized | 2010 | 760 | ||
Tanzania | 2,600 | 0 | 0.00% | 348.02 | 15,866 | Nationalized | 2006 | 834 | ||
Croatia | 2,604 | 985 | 37.83% | 21.71 | 1,595 | Nationalized | 2017 | 191 | ||
Kenya | 2,541 | 0 | 0.00% | 228.4 | 17,643 | Nationalized | 2013 | 404 | ||
Namibia | 2,382 | 0 | 0.00% | 346.05 | 877 | Nationalized | 2006 | 516 | ||
Greece | 2,240 | 764 | 34.11% | 58.91 | 4,808 | 2,632 (1940) | Semi-Privatized | 2017 | 300 | |
Ethiopia | 2,185 | 1,401 | 64.12% | 1,675.72 | 150,935 | Nationalized | 2016 | 231 | ||
Tunisia | 2,165 | 0 | 0.00% | 75.57 | 5,326 | 2,173 (1950) | Nationalized | 2018 | 788 | |
Morocco | 2,109 | 1,022 | 48.46% | 211.74 | 16,946 | Nationalized | 2017 | 504 | ||
Azerbaijan | 2,068 | 1,278 | 61.80% | 41.88 | 4,666 | Nationalized | 2015 | 031 | ||
Iraq | 2,032 | 0 | 0.00% | 215.71 | 15,587 | Nationalized | 2006 | 368 | ||
Peru | 2,020 | 0 | 0.00% | 636.25 | 14,585 | 4,205 (1930) | Private | 2008 | 604 | |
Denmark | 1,987 | 640 | 32.21% | 21.69 | 2,893 | 5,290 (1931) | Nationalized , rural lines franchised | 2017 | 208 | |
Lithuania | 1,910 | 156 | 6.38% | 33.8 | 1,490 | Nationalized | 2021 | 440 | ||
Latvia | 1,860 | 257 | 13.82% | 35.11 | 1,048 | Nationalized | 2017 | 428 | ||
Mongolia | 1,810 | 0 | 0.00% | 864.15 | 1,560 | Nationalized | 2008 | 496 | ||
Taiwan | 1,782 | 1,300 | 72.95% | 21.25 | 13,638 | 5,000 | Nationalized (Conventional network) Private (High-Speed network) |
2018 | 158 | |
Ireland | 1,680 | 53 | 3.15% | 41.83 | 3,065 | 4,354 (1921) | Nationalized | 2016 | 372 | |
Colombia | 1,663 | 0 | 0.00% | 648.85 | 27,770 | Private | 2007 | 170 | ||
Georgia | 1,576 | 1,288 | 81.73% | 44.23 | 2,360 | Nationalized | 2016 | 268 | ||
Sri Lanka | 1,508 | 0 | 0.00% | 43.51 | 13,696 | 1,530 (1930-1940) | Nationalized | 2010 | 144 | |
Israel | 1,511 | 250 | 16.55% | 14.61 | 6,487 | Nationalized | 2022 | excludes urban rail | 376 | |
Uganda | 1,244 | 0 | 0.00% | 930.65 | 122,780 | Nationalized | 2002 | 800 | ||
Zambia | 1,237 | 0 | 0.00% | 608.42 | 10,547 | 2006 | 894 | |||
Slovenia | 1,209 | 503 | 41.60% | 16.75 | 1,709 | Nationalized | 2017 | 705 | ||
Estonia | 1,161 | 132 | 11.37% | 38.96 | 1,134 | 3,000 | Both | 2017 | 233 | |
Moldova | 1,151 | 0 | 0.00% | 29.4 | 3,084 | Nationalized | 2017 | 498 | ||
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1,018 | 565 | 55.50% | 50.29 | 3,445 | Nationalized | 2017 | 070 | ||
Cameroon | 977 | 0 | 0.00% | 486.63 | 23,367 | 1,104 | 2015 | 120 | ||
Ecuador | 966 | 0 | 0.00% | 293.54 | 14,810 | 1,131 (1930) | 2006 | Services ceased 2020 | 218 | |
Ghana | 953 | 0 | 0.00% | 250.30 | 25,429 | 2006 | 288 | |||
Senegal | 906 | 0 | 0.00% | 217.12 | 16,534 | 2015 | 686 | |||
Botswana | 888 | 0 | 0.00% | 655.1 | 2,488 | 2014 | 072 | |||
Guatemala | 885 | 0 | 0.00% | 123.04 | 16,228 | Private | 2004 | Service halted since 2006 | 320 | |
United Arab Emirates | 869 | 0 | 0.00% | 96.2 | 10,681 | 869 | Nationalized | 2023 | 784 | |
Madagascar | 848 | 0 | 0.00% | 692.27 | 28,573 | 2015 | 450 | |||
Guinea | 837 | 0 | 0.00% | 293.74 | 11,926 | 2006 | 324 | |||
Gabon | 810 | 0 | 0.00% | 330.45 | 1,858 | 2007 | 266 | |||
Malawi | 797 | 0 | 0.00% | 148.66 | 18,696 | 2007 | 454 | |||
Congo | 795 | 0 | 0.00% | 430.19 | 5086 | Nationalized | 2006 | 178 | ||
Benin | 758 | 0 | 0.00% | 148.58 | 11,581 | 2006 | 204 | |||
Mali | 729 | 0 | 0.00% | 1,701.22 | 22,606 | 2013 | 466 | |||
Mauritania | 728 | 0 | 0.00% | 1,415.80 | 4,753 | Nationalized | 2008 | 478 | ||
Armenia | 703 | 703 | 100.00% | 42.31 | 4,168 | Nationalized | 2016 | 051 | ||
Honduras | 699 | 0 | 0.00% | 160.36 | 11,753 | 2006 | 340 | |||
North Macedonia | 683 | 313 | 45.83% | 37.65 | 3,037 | Nationalized | 2017 | 807 | ||
Cambodia | 650 | 0 | 0.00% | 278.52 | 24,994 | Nationalized | 2018 | 116 | ||
Ivory Coast | 639 | 0 | 0.00% | 504.64 | 30,889 | 2007 | 384 | |||
Burkina Faso | 622 | 0 | 0.00% | 440.84 | 25,291 | 2006 | 854 | |||
Jordan | 622 | 0 | 0.00% | 143.64 | 15,598 | 2017 | 400 | |||
Tajikistan | 616 | 0 | 0.00% | 232.31 | 11,167 | Nationalized | 2007 | 762 | ||
Fiji | 597 | 0 | 0.00% | 30.61 | 1,442 | 2006 | 242 | |||
Togo | 568 | 0 | 0.00% | 100 | 10,613 | 2006 | 768 | |||
El Salvador | 562 | 0 | 0.00% | 37.44 | 10,221 | 2007 | 222 | |||
Philippines | 532 | 53 | 10.01% | 560.15 | 211,800 | 1,352 (1940) | Nationalized | 2021 | 608 | |
Dominican Republic | 517 | 0 | 0.00% | 94.14 | 18,141 | 2006 | 214 | |||
Liberia | 490 | 0 | 0.00% | 227.28 | 8,151 | Private | 2006 | 430 | ||
Laos | 424 | 414 | 97.64% | 561.2 | 17,587 | Nationalized (operated by China) | 2021 | 418 | ||
Kyrgyzstan | 417 | 0 | 0.00% | 479.38 | 13,446 | 2012 | 417 | |||
Panama | 355 | 0 | 0.00% | 212.45 | 9,594 | 2006 | 591 | |||
Venezuela | 336 | 0 | 0.00% | 2,714.43 | 87,458 | 1020 (1950) | 2006 | 862 | ||
Albania | 334 | 0 | 0.00% | 86.07 | 8,602 | Nationalized with private operators | 2016 | 008 | ||
Eritrea | 306 | 0 | 0.00% | 384.31 | 17,170 | Nationalized | 2006 | 232 | ||
Eswatini | 301 | 0 | 0.00% | 57.69 | 3,940 | 2008 | 748 | |||
Costa Rica | 278 | 0 | 0.00% | 183.81 | 16,416 | 2007 | 188 | |||
Luxembourg | 275 | 275 | 100.00% | 9.4 | 2,148 | 534 (1920-1940) | Nationalized | 2017 | 442 | |
Hong Kong | 268 | 268 | 100.00% | 5.08 | 33,165 | De facto Nationalized | 2014 | 344 | ||
Montenegro | 250 | 225 | 90.00% | 55.25 | 2,490 | Nationalized | 2017 | 499 | ||
South Sudan | 248 | 0 | 0.00% | 2,598.10 | 48,864 | 728 | ||||
Singapore | 240 | 240 | 100.00% | 2.95 | 24,776 | De facto Nationalized | 2021 | 702 | ||
Suriname | 166 | 0 | 0.00% | 986.87 | 3,163 | 2001 | activity ceased 1980's | 740 | ||
Niger | 143 | 0 | 0.00% | 8,860.14 | 171,220 | Private | 562 | |||
Guyana | 127 | 0 | 0.00% | 1,149.57 | 4,197 | 166 (1920) | 2001 est. | activity ceased around 2007 | 328 | |
Djibouti | 92 | 0 | 0.00% | 252.17 | 9,203 | 80 | 2016 | 262 | ||
Sierra Leone | 84 | 0 | 0.00% | 854.05 | 69,857 | 544 (1920) | 2001 | 694 | ||
Qatar | 82 | 82 | 100.00% | 141.11 | 34,091 | 634 | ||||
Afghanistan | 75 | 0 | 0.00% | 8,696.40 | 418,827 | Nationalized (operated by neighbouring countries) | 2011 | 004 | ||
Jamaica | 65 | 0 | 0.00% | 40.41 | 9,948 | 348 (1950) | 2003 | 388 | ||
Saint Kitts and Nevis | 58 | 0 | 0.00% | 5.22 | 1,040 | 2006 | 659 | |||
Nepal | 57 | 0 | 0.00% | 2,582.12 | 514,035 | 146 | 2017 | 524 | ||
Paraguay | 38 | 0 | 0.00% | 11,298.67 | 173,056 | 2006 | 600 | |||
Mauritius | 30 | 30 | 100.00% | 68 | 42,182 | 30 | Nationalized | 2022 | 480 | |
Puerto Rico | 17 | 17 | 100.00% | 143.65 | 38,810 | 370 | 2006 | 630 | ||
Brunei | 13 | 0 | 0.00% | 443.46 | 30,692 | 2001 est. | see next table | 096 | ||
Macau | 12 | 12 | 100.00% | 9.83 | 6,200 | Nationalized | 2019 | LRT | 446 | |
Liechtenstein | 9.5 | 9.5 | 100.00% | 17.78 | 4,017 | Nationalized (operated by Switzerland and Austria) | 2017 | 438 | ||
Nauru | 3.9 | 0 | 0.00% | 4.20 | 2,000 | 2001 | 520 | |||
Monaco | 1.7 | 1.7 | 100.00% | 1.18 | 20,588 | Nationalized (operated by France) | 2019 | 492 | ||
Lesotho | 1.6 | 0 | 0.00% | 10,118.33 | 723,667 | 1995 | 426 | |||
Vatican City | 0.3 | 0 | 0.00% | 1.47 | 3,333 | 0.3 | Nationalized (operated by Italy) | 2019 | 336 | |
European Union | 211,430 | 118,363 | 55.98% | 20.33 | 2,113.37 | Both | 2017 | |||
World | 1,374,001 | 426,313 | 31.03% | 107.95 | 372.12 | 4,814 | 2006 |
Country | Comment | ISO 3166-1 | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Antigua and Barbuda | Had agricultural / industrial lines | 028 |
2 | Bahamas | Had a plantation railway | 044 |
3 | Barbados | Had a public railway. Has a 3 km tourist line opened in 2019. | 052 |
4 | Belize | Had a minor railway | 084 |
5 | Brunei | Has a 4 km section of pier railway (so is outside the definition for this article) | 096 |
6 | Burundi | Had an internal port railway | 108 |
7 | Cape Verde | Had a harbour railway | 132 |
8 | Central African Republic | Had a short portage railway | 140 |
9 | Comoros | Had plantation railways | 174 |
10 | Cyprus | Cyprus Government Railway operated 1905 to 1951 | 196 |
11 | Dominica | Had a forestry railway | 212 |
12 | Equatorial Guinea | Had a line on Isla de Boiko | 226 |
13 | Gambia | Had minor port / industrial lines | 270 |
14 | Grenada | Had a very minor industrial line | 308 |
15 | Guinea-Bissau | 624 | |
16 | Guatemala | Ceased operating around 2006; rebuilt to standard gauge in 2019 | 320 |
17 | Guyana | Had a number of public lines until the 1970's and industrial lines until around 2007 | 328 |
18 | Haiti | Rails still in Port-au-Prince from railway from factories to port, left out of service since the 1970s. | 332 |
19 | Iceland | Had short industrial lines, see Rail transport in Iceland for proposals | 352 |
20 | Kiribati | Had industrial lines | 296 |
21 | Lebanon | Had from 1890 until 1970 (future projects to build a railway from Tyr to Tripoli) | 422 |
22 | Libya | 1912 to 1965 (peak length of 399 km); (network under construction in 2008–2011, but works stopped, see Libyan Railways) | 434 |
23 | Malta | Operated 1883 to 1931 | 470 |
24 | Micronesia | 583 | |
25 | Nicaragua | Suspended in September 2001 | 558 |
26 | Oman | Proposals as part of Gulf Railway. Has a short tourist line at the Al Hoota Cave. | 512 |
27 | Palau | Had an industrial line. Has a short tourist monorail (of small “gauge”) | 585 |
28 | Papua New Guinea | Had numerous plantation and mining railways, all closed by the early 1990s. Line from Lae to Vanimo proposed (see Transport in Papua New Guinea). | 598 |
29 | Rwanda | Had industrial lines, out of use since the 1990s. Lines to Uganda and/or Tanzania (see Isaka–Kigali Standard Gauge Railway) proposed | 646 |
30 | Saint Lucia | 662 | |
31 | Samoa | 882 | |
32 | San Marino | A short section (800 metres or 0.5 miles) of the electric railway that linked Rimini (Italy) and San Marino City until 1944 has been restored. | 674 |
33 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 678 | |
34 | Solomon Islands | Small railways used to transport bananas and copra, all closed by 1970. | 090 |
35 | Somalia | Mogadishu–Villabruzzi Railway existed from 1914 to 1941 | 706 |
36 | Suriname | 740 | |
37 | Tonga | 776 | |
38 | Trinidad and Tobago | Trinidad Government Railway from 1876 until 1968; Trinidad Rapid Railway was planned but cancelled | 780 |
39 | Vanuatu | Suggested to have had a line on Efate | 548 |
40 | Yemen | Had lines from the mountains to Aden and Al Hudaydah, all closed by 1929 | 887 |
Bermuda, a British overseas territory, had a railway operating from 1931 to 1948.
Country | Comment | ISO 3166-1 | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Andorra | There are proposals to construct a line | 020 |
2 | Bahrain | Proposed as part of Gulf Railway | 048 |
3 | Bhutan | A link to India is proposed | 064 |
4 | Chad | See Rail transport in Chad for proposals | 148 |
5 | East Timor | 626 | |
6 | Kuwait | Proposed as part of Gulf Railway | 414 |
7 | Maldives | 462 | |
8 | Marshall Islands | 584 | |
9 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 670 | |
10 | Seychelles | 690 | |
11 | Tuvalu | Planned but cancelled | 798 |
Although the EU is not a federation in the strict sense, it is far more than a free-trade association such as ASEAN, NAFTA, or Mercosur, and it has certain attributes associated with independent nations: its own flag, currency (for some members), and law-making abilities, as well as diplomatic representation and a common foreign and security policy in its dealings with external partners. Thus, inclusion of basic intelligence on the EU has been deemed appropriate as a new, separate entity in The World Factbook.