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Small Island Developing States facts for kids

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SIDS map en
A map of the Small Island Developing States.
2014 Small Island Developing States meeting in Samoa
A meeting of Small Island Developing States in Samoa, September 2014.

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are special countries that are often small islands or coastal areas. They are usually low-lying, meaning they are not very high above sea level. These countries face similar challenges because of their small size.

Some of these challenges include having small but growing populations. They also have limited natural resources, like fresh water or land for farming. Another problem is that they are often far away from other larger countries. This can make trade and travel difficult.

SIDS were first recognized as a special group of developing countries in 1992. This happened at a big meeting called the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. In 1994, a plan called the Barbados Programme of Action was created. This plan was made to help SIDS grow and develop in a sustainable way.

Where are Small Island Developing States Located?

The United Nations lists 52 Small Island Developing States. These countries are grouped into three main areas around the world:

Each of these regions has its own group that helps the countries work together. For example, the Caribbean Community helps countries in the Caribbean. The Pacific Islands Forum helps countries in the Pacific. The Indian Ocean Commission helps countries in the AIMS region.

List of SIDS Countries

Here is a list of the Small Island Developing States, grouped by their region:

Caribbean Pacific AIMS
 Anguilla American SamoaAmerican Samoa  Bahrain
 Antigua and Barbuda  Cook Islands  Cape Verde
 Aruba  Federated States of Micronesia  Comoros
 The Bahamas  Fiji  Guinea-Bissau
 Barbados  French Polynesia  Maldives
 Belize  Guam  Mauritius
 British Virgin Islands  Kiribati  São Tomé and Príncipe
 Cuba  Marshall Islands  Seychelles
 Dominica  Nauru  Singapore
 Dominican Republic  New Caledonia
 Grenada  Niue
 Guyana  Northern Mariana Islands
 Haiti  Palau
 Jamaica  Papua New Guinea
 Montserrat  Samoa
 Netherlands Antilles  Solomon Islands
 Puerto Rico  Timor-Leste
 Saint Kitts and Nevis  Tonga
 Saint Lucia  Tuvalu
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines  Vanuatu
 Suriname
 Trinidad and Tobago
 United States Virgin Islands

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Pequeños estados insulares en desarrollo para niños

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