by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as of January 23, 2023. For more information you should visit the web site of the International Olympic Committee. This list is in alphabetical order in English, based upon the name of the COUNTRY in English. The information on this page is provided as a quick reference, a starting point for your research needs. Always check our sources to see if it is up-to-date and the latest information available. Due to the enormous size of this section, we plan to divide these pages into new, separate pages in the future, eventually a single page for each nation. If you find broken links or incorrect information please send us an email with details so we may make additions or corrections. Thank you / Merci / Danke / Grazi/ Gracias. Addresses are given using the regulations of the United States Postal Service (USPS) which places the name of the country on the bottom line in CAPITAL letters. Any zip code or country code goes in the line above the country name. Europeans addresses are slightly different. |
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Our basic sources of information are: 2. CIA FACTBOOK hosted by the Central Intelligence Agency: CIA FACTBOOK The CIA FACTBOOK is a gold mine of information. We have relied upon their researchers for much of the information about each nation's size and population, languages spoken and some historical background. The information from their website is in the public domain, so we do not credit them every time we use their information. However we do provide a link for you directly to the page where we found the information. Contrary to rumor - Mr. Abrams does not work for the CIA. Even if he did, we could not tell you. 3. Websites of the various NOCS, Embassies and Consulates of the various countries. We providethe websites of the NOC's but not the embassies and consulates. We cannot provide this information - too much and too often changed. YOU search on GOOGLE for a source by using search words such as: "British embassy, Vienna, Austria" or Italian embassy, Japan." 4. United States Department of State Consular Affairs: Bureau of Consular Affairs The USA provides a guide for Americans who want to travel to other countries. We encourage you to travel and learn about the world outside the USA. This service will help you to plan your trip and will offer assistance in most countries in case you need help. Always see the "Travel Advisories" before entering any country. 5. European National Olympic Committees European National Olympic Committees This is an association of fifty (50) National Olympic Committees in Europe that works together to promote sport and the Olympic Movement within Europe. There is a lot of information available at this website including their newsletters in pdf format. If you are researching sport in this region then use this site for up-to-date events. They have a downloadable "DIRECTORY" here. Their office is in Italy: Palazzina CONI "Villino Giulio Onesti" Via della Pallacanestro, 19 00135 Rome ITALY Tel.(+39) 06 36 85 78 28 Fax (+39) 06 36 85 76 66 The fifty (50) National Olympic Committee (NOC) members are: Albania - Andorra - Armenia - Austria - Azerbaijanv Belarus - Belgium - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Bulgaria - Croatia - Cyprus - Czechia - Denmark - Estonia - Finland - France - Georgia - Germany - Great Britain - Greecev Hungary - Iceland - Ireland - Israel - Italy - Kosovo - Latvia - Liechtenstein - Lithuania - Luxembourg - Malta - Monaco - Montenegro - Netherlands - North Macedonia - Norway - Poland - Portugal - Republic of Moldova - Romania - Russian Federation - San Marino - Serbia - Slovakia - Slovenia - Spain - Sweden - Switzerland - Türkiye - Ukraine. 6. Scholarly Sports Sites: Scholarly Sports websites and the H.J. Lutcher Stark Center for Physical Culture and Sports This scholarly resource was originally organized and maintained by Gretchen Ghent, librarian at the University of Calgary, Canada. In 2010 she retired and the site moved to the University of Texas at Austin. The site is now hosted and updated by the staff at the H.J. Lutcher Stark Center for Physical Culture and Sports, a research center within the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education and the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin. Gretchen Ghent was a former American swimmer and professional librarian who worked at the University of Calgary in Canada her entire career. She made a tremendous impact in the field of sport research and sport information. She passed away October 31, 2011. Terry Todd was a co-founder of the H.J. Lutcher Stark Center, an athlete and academic at several different universities in the USA. He passed away on July 7, 2018 in Austin, Texas at the age of 80. We will make an effort to find out if it will be reposted. The IISOH is already building a similar site that will be posted in February 2023. 7. Western European Studies Section/WESSWEB: (archived, migrated to a new site - see below) Association of College & Research Libraries -- Western European Studies Links This scholarly site will give you many hundreds of links to resources in various European countries for historical, educational and many other resources. BUT it migrated to another location and combined to make a MUCH LARGER resource. So click on the link below. NEW LINK: European Studies Section of the Association of College & Research Libraries 8. Library of Congress, Federal Research Division: Country Studies. Library of Congress Federal Research Division: Country Studies. In-depth research conducted by scholars for the US Army. 9. World Newspapers.com - links to newspapers around the world: World newspapers.com - LINKS News sources in every country in their own words. Go here for daily news reports via links. You should read as much as you can from different sources in order to piece together a whole story -- because no matter where you look there will be some bias or error. Do your research, and do it well! The link below is their "SITEMAP" and makes it easier to find what interests you - check it out. https://www.world-newspapers.com/sitemap-index. Alphabetical list of Countries, States, Subjects, Topics, etc. 10. WORLD INFO ZONE -- WIZ Around the World: World Info Zone -- LINKS Very nice source to begin research on a country; brief descriptions; links. British host. 11. World Olympians Association: World Olympians Association. This is an association for former Olympic athletes from every country of the world. There are ten thousand athletes at every olympic celebration - so this group could potentially be huge. 12. Embassy.Org: the Electronic Embassy Foreign Embassies in the Washington DC area This site gives information about all foreign embassies that are in Washington, D.C. - a source that you should use for current information about a specific nation, especially if you want to travel there. 13. Radio Free Europe & Radio Liberty: Radio Free Europe & Radio Liberty Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is a private, international communications service to Eastern and Southeastern Europe, Russia, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Middle East, funded by the United States Congress. They broadcast into nations that do not have a free and independent press. They have a strict journalistic standard that can provide useful information as a background to sport. It is NOT funded by the CIA. 14. Enchanted Learning web site: US States Area and Ranking US States: Area in square miles This page lists all the states of the USA with their size in square miles which allows you to compare the size of the countries below to your home state. You may have to convert "kilometers" to "miles" so pay attention to what you are comparing! The site is free, you do NOT have to pay unless you want to avoid all the ads. |
You can see from the information presented here what we are trying to do -- and if you wish to help -- please do so. This is an educational, public service of the International Institute for Sport History Library & Museum. |
AFGANISTAN (AFG) [Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ] Formerly: Republic of Afghanistan; Afghan Persian or Dari (official) 50%, Pashto (official) 35%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism. Afganistan National Olympic Committee [National Olympic Committee of the Islamic Republic of Afganistan] The various sources give different addresses and telephone numbers, so it is difficult to know which are accurate. P.O Box 5790 Kabul Central Post Office Kabul Afghanistan Phone: +937 993 13030 Phone: +93799313030 Email: afgnoc1920@gmail.com Website: http://www.olympic.af Our older address was: P.O. Box 1824 GPO Kabul Afghanistan tel: (93) 752 060 849 fax: (93) 202 102 470 email: afghanistan.olympic@gmail.com email: zahiraghbar@hotmail.com email: afgnoc1920@gmail.com web site: Official Website of the Olympic Movement in Afganistan See numerous articles on the Afgan NOC website here: Sitemap - Main Menu 2nd web site: National Olympic Committee of the Islamic Republic of Afganistan The second website of the Afganistan NOC is not up to date. The English page refers to the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. To obtain recent information do a web search using Google and the search words "Afghanistan at the Olympics." Also try "Afghanistan National Olympic Committee." You should be careful about your sources, of course. For a lengthy history of Afganistan from ancient times to the present see: History of Afganistan. Wikipedia has improved a lot but should still be used only as a basic start in your research. Find more sources here and continue your research - sometimes trolls fill the page with disinformation. The country is slightly smaller than Texas with a population of approximately 34 million people. The last census was in 1979 and was not completed because of the Soviet invasion of Afganistan that led to the US boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. Since 2001 the US has led a coalition of nations in a war against terrorism (Taliban and Osama bin Laden) that has kept this country in turmoil. Afganistan has had very few athletes compete in the Olympic Games and no Olympic champions. In recent years women have competed in spite of threats from radical Muslims. Some very interesting stories available for your research.
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Netherlands Antilles (AHO) The NOC Logo at left, the flag at right On October 10, 2010, the Netherlands Antilles, consisting of six islands in the Caribbean Sea, was dissolved and ceased to exist. The people had voted to change their legal status after Aruba became a separate nation. The larger islands of Sint Maarten and Curacao also joined the Netherlands as constituent countries. Therefore, the Kingdom of the Netherlands consists of four separate countries: the Netherlands, Aruba, Sint Maarten and Curacao (similar to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland). The three smallest islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba are special municipalities of the Netherlands - not the Kingdom of the Netherlands. There are now two NOC's, Aruba and the Netherlands.
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ALBANIA (ALB) [Republic of Albania] Formerly: People's Socialist Republic of Albania; Albanian (Tosk dialect), Greek. [Republika e Shqiperise] Albanian National Olympic Committee [aka] (National Olympic Committee of Albania) (Komiteti Olimpik Kombëtar Shqiptar) Rruga "Muhamet Gjollesha" mailing address: P.O. Box 63 Sheshi Mustafa K. Ataturk (ish 21 Dhjetori) Tirana, ALBANIA tel: (355.42} 235 249 tel: (355.42) 240 602 fax: (355.42) 240 565 email: secretariat@nocalbania.org.al web site: web site English version: Albanian NOC English start page This "English page" does not have much in English on the day I retrieved it...August 15, 2018. HOWEVER, there are articles in English if you check all the linked categories, such as this one: Olympic Week and Days in Albania 2017 Albania has a population of slightly over 3.0 million in an area smaller than Maryland. A little over 50 percent of the nation is Muslim. All mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited as Albania became officially atheist. In November 1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice again. The area was known as Illyria in ancient days, and was conquered by the Romans. Later it was conquered by the Turks and became part of the Ottoman empire. After the 1912-1913 Balkans wars, it gained independence. During World War II it was invaded by the Italians. After WWII Albania alligned itself with the Soviet Union and later with Communist China. A very repressive dictatorship ended in 1990 when Albania became a democracy. The country is struggling to overcome serious internal problems including crime and unemployment. It is one of the poorest countries in Europe with approximately two telephones per 100 inhabitants, and in some villages there is no telephone service at all. Albania has turned to the "West" and joined NATO. The nation is currently trying to achieve the required elements in order to join the European Union. Albanians love football (soccer to Americans). Albanian athletes have competed in the Olympic Games starting in 1972
Read more at the CIA Factbook: Albania Search on Google or other search engines with keywords such as: "Ministry of Education and Sport of Albania," "Sport in Albania," "Olympic Games Albania" or other word combinations. This NOC was updated and all links were working on August 15, 2018. |
ARGENTINA (ARG) [Argentine Republic] Spanish (official), English, Italian, German, French. [Republica Argentina] Argentine Olympic Committee [or] Olympic Committee of Argentina Comite Olimpico Argentino Juncal 1662 Buenos Aires 1062 ARGENTINA (Address in Spanish): COMITE OLIMPICO ARGENTINO Juncal 1662 Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires C1062ABV Republica Argentina tel: (54 11) 48 19 17 00 fax: (54 11) 48 19 17 03 email: coarg@coarg.org.ar web site: Comité Olimpico Argentino (In Spanish) As of August 17, 2018 there was no English language version of the website for the NOC of Argentina. Argentina is approximately four times bigger than Texas, or approximately 22 times larger than Pennsylvania. The population is approximately 44.3 million people. One third of the country lives in or around Buenos Aires. Originally the ancient land of the INCA Indians. Spanish explorers arrived in the 1500's. Argentina is the second largest country in South America and gained independence from Spain in 1816. Its history as a nation is full of revolutions and civil wars, military and civilian governments. After World War II it was ruled by the authoritarian dictator Juan Peron and his wife Eva, made famous in an American broadway show and movie entitled EVITA. Numerous German Nazis escaped from Europe after world war II to hide in Argentina. It was here in 1960 that Israeili agents kidnapped the notorious Adolf Eichmann and flew him back to Israel where he was tried and executed for war crimes. In 1982 Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands (called Maldives by Argentina) in the South Atlantic ocean and had a brief but nasty war with Great Britain. Since 1983 Argentina has progressed towards a full democracy with varying degrees of success. Argentinians love soccer and have won the World Cup twice (1978, 1986). Polo is popular as well as rugby, tennis, golf, hiking in the Andes mountains and water sports -- especially along the long Atlantic coastline.
Read more at the CIA FACTBOOK: Argentina This NOC was updated and all links were working on August 17, 2018. |
ARMENIA (ARM) [Republic of Armenia] Armenian, Kurdish (Yezidi), Russian. [Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun] formerly known as: Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic; Armenian Republic. National Olympic Committee of Armenia Abovyan Street 9 0001 Yerevan ARMENIA tel: (374 10) 529-797 fax: (374 10) 545 789 email: armnoc@arminco.com web site: (In Kurdish) (National Olympic Committee of Armenia) in Kurdish web site: (In English) National Olympic Committee of Armenia web site: (In Russian) (National Olympic Committee of Armenia) in Russian [Note]: A review was made on September 16, 2018 that found the three versions of the web site to be slightly different. Some of the links do not work and photos do not load because the html format is missing or incorrect. To be thorough, we suggest that you compare all three pages, especially for images. Armenia is a small country of just over 3.0 million people, east of Turkey in southwest Asia. The country is slightly smaller than the state of Maryland. Armenia is an ancient land, the first nation to adopt Christianity in the 4th century CE. It has been repeatedly conquered and occupied by various invaders including the Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Persian, Ottoman and Russian empires. It was incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1920 and regained independence September 21, 1991 from the Soviet Union. Armenia is primarily a Christian nation which is currently having conflicts with its primarily Muslim neighbor Azerbaijan, which also gained its independence from the Soviet Union. They are fighting over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is in Azerbaijani territory but primarily Armenian-populated. There has been a long-standing historical antagonism with Turkey. The issue of massacres to the Armenian community in the first part of the 20th century has never been addressed by the Turkish government, which at the time was the Ottoman empire. I cannot begin to explain these still hot issues! But they are great topics for your further research -- because sport, religion and politics do mix. Read a nice description at the CIA website (link below). I am also adding some news links so you can follow in English. Here is a short descrition from the CIA page on the current international tension in this area: "The dispute over the break-away Nagorno-Karabakh region and the Armenian military occupation of surrounding lands in Azerbaijan remains the primary focus of regional instability; residents have evacuated the former Soviet-era small ethnic enclaves in Armenia and Azerbaijan; Turkish authorities have complained that blasting from quarries in Armenia might be damaging the medieval ruins of Ani, on the other side of the Arpacay valley; in 2009, Swiss mediators facilitated an accord reestablishing diplomatic ties between Armenia and Turkey, but neither side has ratified the agreement and the rapprochement effort has faltered; local border forces struggle to control the illegal transit of goods and people across the porous, undemarcated Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Georgian borders; ethnic Armenian groups in the Javakheti region of Georgia seek greater autonomy from the Georgian Government."
This NOC was updated and all links were working on September 16, 2018. |
AUSTRALIA (AUS) [COMMONWEALTH OF Australia] English, native languages. [Note: The AOC moved their office to a new address in 2013]. Australian Olympic Committee Museum of Contemporary Art SYDNEY NSW 2000 PO Box R1788 Royal Exchange NSW 1225 tel: +61 (02) 9247 2000 fax: +61 (02) 8436 2198 email: aoc@olympics.com.au web site: Australian Olympic Committee The Australian Olympic Committee has a number of regional offices around the country - you will find their addresses here: Australian Olympic & Media Contacts Australia is the only country in the world that is also a single continent. The continent of Australia has been inhabited by ancient civilizations for at least sixty thousand years. European settlers first arrived on the continent on January 26, 1788. Part of the British Commonwealth of Nations, the head of state was England's Queen Elizabeth until her death in 2022. The head of state is now King Charles III since September 8, 2022. In 1999 the Australians went to the polls and voted to remain in the British Commonwealth rather than become an independent Republic. In size the Australian continent is slightly smaller than the 48 states of the continental USA with a population of approximately 26 million people. Australian athletes have participated in the Olympic Games since they began in 1896. Melbourne hosted the 1956 summer Olympic Games and Sydney hosted the 2000 summer Olympic Games. There is a vast amount of information about the 2000 Olympic Games available for your use -- in English -- on the web and in libraries. At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio there was a lot of controversy with the Australian Olympic team. They refused to move into their building at the Olympic Village because of numerous defects such as electrical and plumbing problems, toilets that did not function and other health hazards. The NOC itself has had some problems with staff complaints about a harsh work environment. Australia with be the site of the 2032 summer Olympic Games. Brisbane, Queensland was selected to be the host city. These Olympic Games are officially known as the Games of the XXXV Olympiad and are also known as "Brisbane 2032."
Read more at the CIA FACTBOOK: CIA FACTBOOK - Australia This NOC was updated and all links were working on September 16, 2018. |
AUSTRIA (AUT) [Republic of Austria] German [Republik Österreich] Österreichisches Olympischen Comité Rennweg 46-50 / Stiege 1 / Top 7 1030 Wien tel: +43 (0) 1 799 55 11 fax: +43 (0) 1 799 55 11-20 email: office@olympia.at Office hours: not posted on their web site web site: Österreichisches Olympischen Comité (Austrian Olympic Committee) in GERMAN only web site: Site Map (many links) Facebook page: Olympic Team Austria Facebook Page Austria is located in central Europe north of Italy and is slightly smaller than the state of Maine, (two-thirds the size of Pennsylvania), with a population of approximately 8.7 million people. This region of central Europe has been inhabited since prehistoric times. The Roman empire extended this far east and was a trading center with the local Celtic population. The Romans ruled over the region by the Danube (Donau) for almost 500 years and they founded numerous settlements. The Romans eventually withdrew from the Danube region, abandoning their once-flourishing cities, such as Carnuntum in Pannonia, due to invasions. Ruins of a Roman fort have been uncovered in present-day Vienna after subway construction led to finding the ruins. Recent excavations in the center of the city have found ruins of a settlement dating back 5,000 years. For centuries waves of migrants moved into the area of present-day Austria including Germanic tribes and Hunnic horsemen from the east. Later, eastern Austria was settled by the Avars while Baiuvarii, from the southern German, advanced along the Danube. Slavic peoples settled in northern Lower Austria, Carinthia and southern Styria. At the end of the 8th century, Charlemagne established the Carolingian East March between the rivers Enns, Raab and Drau (Drava) as a bulwark against further Avar advance. During the Middle Ages (in 976) the Babenbergs, a Bavarian noble family, were entrusted with the administration of the region. They expanded their power over the next few centuries through planned marriages and became one of the empire’s leading families. In 1156, Austria was elevated to the status of a duchy and was granted important privileges. By the time the last male Babenberg died in the mid-13th century, the dynasty had significantly expanded their dominion. The Habsburgs, originally from Swabia, were "enfeoffed" with the Duchy of Austria in 1282. That means that they were given land in exchange for their pledge of service to the emperor. They did not get to own the land - it belonged to the emperor, they got to control it, live on it, farm it, make money from it. Duke Albert V, who had married the daughter of Emperor Sigismund, became the first Habsburg to actually wear the imperial crown - he become emperor in 1437. Over the centuries that followed his successors wore the crown of the Holy Roman Empire with only short interruptions. The House of Habsburg used skilful marital policies to expand its territory, adding Burgundy and the Netherlands, and also ruling Spain. In 1522, the Habsburg dynasty was divided into a Spanish and an Austrian line, and the latter also acquired Bohemia and Hungary when the last Jagiellonian king died in 1526. The 16th and 17th centuries were marked by conflict with the Ottoman Empire, whose vast armies advanced through Austria and were defeated twice in military battles at Vienna. Having successfully pushed back the Ottoman expansion, Austria acquired additional territories, and emerged as a great European power. For this reason Europeans speak a variety of native languages instead of Arabic. And through this military event, Austrians learned about coffee beans, taken from the invading Turkish armies, and created coffee "houses" that evolved into the famous cafes throughout Europe today. In the second half of the 18th century, Empress Maria Theresa and her son Joseph II introduced sweeping reforms that provided the basis for a modern administrative government. As a result of the French Revolution and then the Napoleonic Wars the Holy Roman Empire dissolved. In 1806 Emperor Francis II renounced the Roman imperial crown. Two years earlier he had followed the lead of Napoleon and declared Austria an empire. Europe then had three major empires, French, Austrian and Russian. The German Empire (Deutsches Reich) came later, created in 1871 after the Franco-Prussian War and lasted until 1918. In 1867, Emperor Francis Joseph approved the establishment of the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary. This multinational state existed from 1867 to 1918 and then collapsed after the First World War. Read the wikipedia article for a good summary of the history of Austria-Hungary and how this empire collapsed at the end of World War I. Americans, who usually read about the trench warfare of Word War I in France and Belgium, know little to nothing about the battles in central and eastern Europe that caused both the Russian and the Austro-Hungarian empires to collapse. New countries came into being after the "great war" and led to more tension that resulted in World War II. Lots of research and reading on this topic - so spend time to understand how complex history has been. Austria was proclaimed a republic in 1918, but after the collapse of the empire it remained weak and fragile politically. In 1938 the country was absorbed into Germany by Hitler's aggression and was treated as an enemy when the war ended in 1945. Like defeated Germany, Austria was occupied by Allied forces from the United States, Britain, France and Russia. In 1955, the Austrian Parliament passed a constitutional law to guarantee permanent Austrian neutrality, and in the same year the country became a member of the United Nations. With the guarantee of neutrality (like Switzerland) the four occupying nations withdrew and Austria became a free and independent nation. Austria became a member of the European Union on January 1, 1995. The winter Olympic Games were hosted at Innsbruck in 1964 and again in 1976. The host city for the 1976 winter Olympic Games was supposed to be Denver but the public rallied to protest and after a state-wide referendum barred any Colorado money from being spent on the Games the IOC moved them to Innsbruck. In the Olympic Games Austria has a long and strong history in the sport of skiing. Americans fell in love with Austria in 1965 when the film The Sound of Music became a hit and won ten Academy Awards, including best film. The opening scenes were breathtaking as the camera closed in from above to the top of an Alpine meadow where actress Julie Andrews sang the opening song "The hills are alive with the sound of music...." However, most Austrians have never seen the movie. The International Institute for Sport History (IISOH) plans to open a European office in Vienna, Austria, in 2019 to further advance the collection development of the Institute's Library and Museum collections. Large collections of literature will be acquired and shipped back to Pennsylvania in order to develop the comprehensive collections needed for its mission.
Read more at the CIA FACTBOOK: Austria This NOC was updated and all links were working on September 17, 2018. |
AZERBAIJAN (AZE) [Republic of Azerbaijan] Formerly: Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic; Azerbaijani (Azeri) 90.3%, Russian 1.8%, Armenian 1.5%, other 3.9% (1999 census). [Azarbaycan Respublikasi] National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan Olympic street 9 Baku AZ1072 AZERBAIJAN tel: (994-12) 465 1323 (and) 441-04-24 fax: (994-12) 465 4225 e-mail: info@noc-aze.org Official Twitter account: Official Twitter Account of the National Olympic Committee of Azerbaijan web site: NOC of Azerbaijan in their language, Azerbaijani (Azeri) web site : NOC of Azerbaijan in ENGLISH Try this link for additional information at the website of the International Olympic Committee (IOC): NOC Azerbaijan NOC Azerbaijan Azerbaijan is a small country of slightly more than 10 million people, and it is slightly smaller than the state of Maine. The country considers itself European but is located in Southwest Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia, with a small European portion north of the Caucasus mountain range. This is a nation that was part of the Soviet Union -- with a Turkic and majority-Muslim population (93.4%). It only regained its independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Azerbaijan has yet to resolve its conflict with Armenia over the Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh enclave (largely Armenian populated). Azerbaijan has lost 16% of its territory and must support some 800,000 refugees and internally displaced persons as a result of the conflict. There is potential for great wealth from petroleum resources which are as yet undeveloped. Local scientists consider the Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) (including Baku and Sumqayit) and the Caspian Sea to be the ecologically most devastated area in the world because of severe air, soil, and water pollution; soil pollution results from oil spills, from the use of DDT as a pesticide, and from toxic defoliants used in the production of cotton. Sport in Azerbaijan dates to antiquity. Horseback riding and sports included both men and women. Wrestling was one of the most ancient sports practiced. Since 1952 athletes from Azerbaijan were part of the Olympic team of the Soviet Union, which placed mostly Russian athletes on the teams for many years. Some athletes from Azerbaijan distinguished themselves in the Olympic Games but are recorded in history books as athletes from the Soviet Union. The independence of Azerbaijan led to the creation of its own Olympic Committee in 1992. A number of athletes have won medals in the Olympic Games since then.
Read more at the CIA Factbook: Azerbaijan This NOC was updated and all links were working on November 20, 2018. |
BELARUS (BLR) [Republic of Belarus] Belarusian, Russian, Polish, Ukrainian. National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus Raduzhnaja str., 27-2 220020, Minsk BELARUS (former address was:) Y. Kolasa str. 2 BY-220005 Minsk BELARUS email: nocbelarus@noc.by Tel.: +375 (17) 309-25-02 Fax: +375 (17) 309-25-37 web site: The NOC of the Republic of Belarus Belarus was part of the Soviet Union and is now an independant nation with very close ties to Russia. It is a country of 9.5 million people east of Poland, north of the Ukraine, with northern neighbors Lithuania and Latvia and eastern neighbor Russia. The country is slightly smaller than Kansas. Although the country is a republic in name, it remains in fact a dictatorship and is considered to be the least democratic nation in Europe. Many athletes from Belarus have won medals in the Olympic Games since 1952, but they were part of the team from the Soviet Union (USSR) including gymnast Olga Korbut, 1972 Munich. At the NOC of the Republic of Belarus website you can read about their success.
Many links at the bottom of this page for the history of Belarus and other topics including Statehood, Culture, Law and Politics, Cities, Nature and Geography, Travel, Global Resources, Dictionaries, Chernobyl, Genealogy, Industry each with many links. This site is published by Belarusians living outside their country. In their own words: "Belarus Digest was launched in Washington, D.C. in 2008. Today our authors write on Belarus from London, Boston, Berlin, Moscow and Minsk. Belarus Digest provides non-partisan analysis of Belarus-related events written by Belarusians specifically for an English-language readership. Belarus regime's conduct and poor reputation provides a fertile ground for all kinds of myths and speculations. Belarus Digest tries to de-mystify Belarus and write about what is actually going on in the country. The project's contributors regularly appear as commentators on Belarus-related topics for leading international media such as BBC World TV, AlJazeera, Radio Liberty and others." There are several links within including Digest, Politics, Economy, Security, Social and Myths. This site is the official government version of the news from Belarus. According to the CIA Belarus is a dictatorship. US-Belarus relations are strained and since 2008 the nations have removed their ambassadors from their respective missions. Read more at the CIA FACTBOOK: Belarus. This NOC was updated and all links were working on January 3, 2019. |
BELGIUM (BEL) [Kingdom of Belgium] Dutch (Flemish), French, German [Koninkrijk Belgie / Royaume de Belgique] National Olympic Committee of Belgium (new logo for BOIC and their commercial logo) (old logo) Dutch version of their address: Belgisch Olympisch en Interfederaal Comité Boechoutlaan 9, 1020 BRUSSEL BELGIUM (or the French version)... Comité Olympique et Interfédéral Belge Avenue de Bouchout 9, 1020 BRUXELLES BELGIUM tel: +32 (0)2 474 51 50 fax: +32 (0)2 479 46 56 email: info@olympic.be web site: Belgisch Olympisch en Interfederaal Comité (Belgian Olympic Committee front page in Dutch (Flemish) web site: Belgian NOC French language page The web site of the Belgian NOC is in Dutch (Flemish) and French so you may have trouble using this site without these language skills. It is interesting to note that this is one of very few NOC's that have not yet created English language versions of their web site. Belgium is a bilingual nation where both Dutch and French are the official languages. "Dutch" is the same language that is used in the Netherlands however this northern part of the country is "Flanders" and the difference in dialect leads to the name "Flemish." German is used by only 1% of the nation. There is historical friction between the Dutch speaking northern section (Flemings) and the French speaking southern section (Walloons). As a result of the 1993 constitutional revision that furthered devolution into a federal state, there are now three levels of government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a complex division of responsibilities. Belgium has a long history of being in the middle of conflicts. The region was conquered by the Roman armies under Julius Caesar around 50 BCE, and changed hands several times under the control of other invaders. Napoleon was defeated at the battle of Waterloo, near Brussels in 1814, and the United Kingdom of the Netherlands was created from Belgium and Luxembourg. But the Belgians revolted and declared independence from the Netherlands in 1830. They remained neutral until the German invasion of 1914 and the battles of World War I. Immediately after the war ANTWERP hosted the 1920 Olympic Games. Then the Germans invaded again in 1940 and Belgium suffered greatly through World War II. Belgium today has has a population of over 11.5 million people and is about the same size as the state of Maryland. Belgium is a coastal city and mostly flat, so bicycling is the most popular sport followed by football (soccer) and tennis.
Read more at the CIA FACTBOOK: Belgium This NOC was updated and all links were working on January 4, 2019. |
CANADA (CAN) [CANADA] English, French. Canadian Olympic Committee Corporate Office 21 St.Clair Avenue E., Suite 900 Toronto, (Ontario) M4T 1L9 CANADA tel: (416) 962-0262 fax: (416) 967-4902 Canadian Olympic Committee Montreal Office 4141 Pierre de-Coubertin Montréal (Québec) H1V 3N7 CANADA tel: (514) 861-3371 fax: (514) 861-2896 Canadian Olympic Committee Ottawa Office 85 rue Albert Street 14th Floor Ottawa, (Ontario) K1P 6A4 CANADA tel: (613) 244-2020 fax: (613) 244-0169 NOC of Canada web site: Canadian NOC website front page for the English language. Canada is the large country that borders the United States to the north, a huge nation that has a population of over 32 million people, of whom 85 percent live within 300 kilometers of the United States/Canadian border. Canada is a bi-lingual nation where English is the primary language in most provinces and French is the primary language in the province of Quebec. Canada gained its independence from Great Britain in 1867 but remains part of the British Commonwealth with Queen Elizabeth II as Head of State. Canada created their National Olympic Committee in 1907 and has a long history of participation in the Olympic Games. Montreal hosted the 1976 summer Olympic Games and Calgary hosted the 1988 winter Games. Vancouver, British Columbia (BC) hosted the 2010 winter Games.
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CHINA (CHN) [People's Republic of China] Chinese in various dialects. Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages (Han Chinese 91.9%, Zhuang, Uygur, Hui, Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Manchu, Mongol, Buyi, Korean, and other nationalities 8.1%). [Country's formal name in Chinese: Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo; Short form: Zhong Guo]. Chinese Olympic Committee Tiyuguan Road 9 Beijing 100763 CHINA tel: (86 10) 671 16 669 fax: (86 10) 671 15 858 email: coc@olympic.cn web site: Official Website of the Chinese Olympic Committee China is the world's fourth largest country, slightly smaller than the USA. But the population is huge -- over one billion, three hundred-million people. That means for every American there are 4.6 Chinese. Imagine how hard it is to make their Olympic team! The 2012 Olympic Games were celebrated in China in the capital city of BEIJING (formerly known as PEKING). China's history is very long, fascinating and complicated. The language is difficult for westerners. Unlike western languages such as English, French, German, Greek and Latin -- Chinese does not use an alphabet. Instead there are written symbols -- as many as fifty thousand -- that are used to communicate concepts, not sounds. The average Chinese person can read and write about 6,000 symbols -- enough to read a newspaper. China is an ancient civilization, several thousand years old. For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. Americans study very little about China in school -- but you may recognize some of the names and events: the Boxer Rebellion, the excellent 1987 movie The Last Emperor about Pu Yi, China's last emperor, who was overthrown in 1911 by Sun Yat-sen, and his United Revolutionary League, the forerunner of the Kuomintang. This group eventually lost the civil war in China and fled to the island of Taiwan off the coast of China. Political leaders are known to most American students through World War II and cold war politics. Chiang Kai-shek, followed Sun Yat-sen and in 1927 he ended the alliance with the Communists led by Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai. Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931 while the Chinese political parties, Kuomintang and Communists, were fighting for control. Full scale war with Japan erupted in 1937 and ended in 1945. During the war, in 1942, Chiang Kai-shek became supreme allied commander of the Allied (USA and allies) forces in the China theatre. But when the Japanese surrendered -- civil war erupted between the Chinese factions and in 1949 the Communists won control of the entire country. Chiang and his army fled to the island of Taiwan, which has acted as an independent nation, but don't say that to China, because they still consider Taiwan to be a renegade province. This whole question is a flashpoint of political and military conflict to this day. Taiwan is protected by defense treaties with the United States. China has a border with North Korea, the most politically repressive and hostile nation on earth. North and South Korea have a common border (the infamous "38th parallel") with the US military camping out right in the middle. In the early 1950's the Korean War entangled all these parties when North Korea invaded South Korea. The United States military, led by General Douglas McArthur, came to aid of South Korea. China came to the aid of North Korea. McArthur wanted to nuke the Chinese. President Truman -- who gave the go-ahead to nuke the Japanese to end World War II -- fired him. A truce was declared and hostilities ceased -- -- but the war never "officially" ended. Then there is the issue of Hong Kong. This tiny seaport and island group was conquered by the British in 1841 and became part of the British Empire. In 1984 the British and Chinese governments signed a treaty that reverted Hong Kong back to China starting in 1997. Today Hong Kong is a special administrative unit (SAR) of China, but it remains a semi-autonomous region until 2047. Today China has become a major economic trading partner of the USA -- and tensions have declined dramatically. China's economy is booming and imported goods flow into the USA every day. This does not diminish the fact that this region is a potential flashpoint. Both "countries" of China and Taiwan send teams to the Olympic Games, but Taiwan can no longer use the "Chinese" flag. Hong Kong has its own National Olympic Committee, so you can read more at their listing, above. WOW -- great research stuff here for Olympic and sports students. Politics does indeed effect sport. And, of course, you know something about Chinese sport -- kung fu is an ancient Chinese martial art (actually called "Wu Shu"). Read all about it!
Read more at the CIA FACTBOOK: CHINA |
then you should "cite" the source of the information as follows: ~ Last name, First Name. Title of page. Date or latest update of page. The full URL address. The date that you viewed the page. So, cite this page as: Abrams, Harvey. National Olympic Committee Directory, Page 4. February 5, 2023. https://www.sportlibrary.org/nocdirectorypage4.html And the date that you viewed this page. Web pages change frequently -- and sometimes they disappear. I always put the original date that I created the page PLUS the date of the most recent updates near the bottom of each page in the lower left corner. You cite this page (and all your sources) so a reader can return in order to check the accuracy of your work. |