European Space Agency (ESA): established - 31 May 1975
aim - to promote peaceful cooperation in space research and technology
members - (17) Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK
cooperating states - (5) Canada, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania
European Union (EU): note - see European Union entry at the end of the "country" listings
First World: another term for countries with advanced, industrialized economies; this term is fading from use; see developed countries (DCs)
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): established - 16 October 1945
aim - to raise living standards and increase availability of agricultural products; a UN specialized agency
members - (192) includes all UN member countries except Brunei, Liechtenstein, and Singapore (189 total); plus Cook Islands, EC, Faroe Islands, and Niue
former Soviet Union (FSU): former term often used to identify as a group the successor nations to the Soviet Union or USSR; this group of 15 countries consists of: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan