Bahrain
close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic
location in Persian Gulf, through which much of the Western world's
petroleum must transit to reach open ocean
Baker Island
treeless, sparse, and scattered vegetation consisting
of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a
nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds,
and marine wildlife
Bangladesh
most of the country is situated on deltas of large rivers
flowing from the Himalayas: the Ganges unites with the Jamuna (main
channel of the Brahmaputra) and later joins the Meghna to eventually
empty into the Bay of Bengal
Barbados
easternmost Caribbean island
Bassas da India
the islands emerge from a circular reef that sits
atop a long-extinct, submerged volcano
Belarus
landlocked; glacial scouring accounts for the flatness of
Belarusian terrain and for its 11,000 lakes; the country is
geologically well endowed with extensive deposits of granite,
dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, and clay
Belgium
crossroads of Western Europe; majority of West European
capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels, the seat of both the European
Union and NATO
Belize
only country in Central America without a coastline on the
North Pacific Ocean
Benin
sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural
harbors, river mouths, or islands
Bermuda
consists of about 138 coral islands and islets with ample
rainfall, but no rivers or freshwater lakes; some land was leased by
US Government from 1941 to 1995