Eritrea, situated by the Red Sea, is bordering Djibouti, Ethiopia and Sudan. This is a beneficial geopolitical position as it provides direct access to the world’s busiest shipping lane. The climate is hot; dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter in the central highlands. In terms of natural resources, Eritrea is rich in gold, potash, zinc and copper.
Burundi is a landlocked state, bordered by Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Tanzania. The climate is equatorial which, due to considerable altitude variation, results in a great variety of mean temperature across the country. There are two wet seasons (February to May and September to November), and two dry seasons (June to August and December to January). Burundi has large deposits of e.g. nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper and platinum.
Ukraine, situated by the Black Sea is bordering Belarus, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia and Slovakia. It is the second largest country in Europe, placed in the crossroads between Europe and Asia, giving it a very strategic position. The climate is temperate continental (although Mediterranean in the southern Crimean coast). The precipitation is disproportionally distributed being the highest in west and north; summers are warm across the country. Most of Ukraine consists of fertile plains and plateaus. In terms of natural resources, it is among other materials rich in iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas and oil.
Slovenia, situated by the Adriatic Sea is bordered by Austria, Croatia, Hungary and Italy. In terms of terrain, it has an alpine mountain region adjacent to Italy and Austria and mixed mountains and valleys with numerous rivers to the east. The climate is Mediterranean on the coast whereas the eastern region is experiencing a continental climate with mild to hot summers and cold winters. Slovenia is rich in lignite coal, lead, zinc and building stone.
Slovakia is a landlocked state, bordered by Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Ukraine. Most of the terrain is rugged and mountainous, especially in the central and northern part. It has a temperate climate with cool summers and cold humid winters. Slovakia possesses reserves of brown coal and lignite, as well as small reserves of iron ore, copper and manganese ore.
Situated in the Southeastern Europe by the Black Sea, Romania borders Bulgaria, Hungary, Moldova, Serbia, and Ukraine. It has a temperate climate with cold winters, frequently accompanied by snow and sunny summers. In terms of terrain, the central Transylvanian Basin is separated from the Moldavian Plateau on the east by the Eastern Carpathian Mountains and separated from the Walachian Plain on the south by the Transylvanian Alps. Romania has substantial natural reserves, including petroleum (declining reserve), timber, natural gas, coal and iron ore.
Poland is situated by the Baltic Sea and borders Belarus, Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania, Russia, Slovakia and Ukraine. Poland’s climate is temperate with cold moderately severe winters and mild summers. Precipitation is frequent in both summer and winter. It is rich in, among other things, coal, sulfur, copper and natural gas.
Moldova is a landlocked state, located in Eastern Europe, bordering Romania and Ukraine. It has moderate climate. Moldova is well endowed with various sedimentary rocks and minerals including sand, gravel, gypsum, and limestone as well as other natural resources such as phosphorites. Natural hazards include landslides.
Latvia is located in Eastern Europe, bordering Belarus, Russia and the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania. Latvia has a maritime climate with wet moderate winters. The country is rich in peat, limestone, timber and arable land.
Located in Central Europe, northwest of Romania, Hungary is a landlocked state bordering Austria, Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine. As such, it has a strategic location astride main land routes between Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between Ukraine and Mediterranean basin. Hungary has a temperate climate with cold and humid winters and warm summers. The north-south flowing Duna (Danube) and Tisza Rivers divide the country into three large regions.