aim — to promote freer regional trade
members — (11) Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador,
Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela
observers — (16) Commission of the European Communities, Costa Rica,
Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras,
Inter-American Development Bank, Italy, Nicaragua, Organization of
American States, Panama, Portugal, Spain, United Nations Development
Program, United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the
Caribbean
League of Arab States (LAS)
see — Arab League (AL)
League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (LORCS)
see — International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS)
least developed countries (LLDCs)
that subgroup of the less developed countries (LDCs) initially identified by the UN General Assembly in 1971 as having no significant economic growth, per capita GDPs normally less than $1,000, and low literacy rates; also known as the undeveloped countries. The 42 LLDCs are: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burkina, Burma, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Laos, Lesotho, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Western Samoa, Yemen
less developed countries (LDCs)