China

East Asia

Russia

Eurasia

France

United Kingdom

Europe

United States

North America

A world map highlights permanent member countries of the U N Security Council in blue. The countries highlighted are the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China.

Countries comprising the United Nations (UN) Security Council, which is charged with maintaining international peace and security as well as accepting new members into the UN.

Countries

World

United Nations Security Council: Permanent Members

Alaska

Arizona

Utah

Yukon

Northwest Territories

District of Columbia

Florida

Idaho

New Hampshire

Rhode Island

Vermont

Washington

Wyoming

Nunavut

Montana

Maine

North Dakota

Kentucky

Nova Scotia

Virginia

Delaware

Prince Edward Island

Saskatchewan

Mississippi

West Virginia

Nebraska

Texas

Missouri

Louisiana

Hawaii

North Carolina

Oregon

New Brunswick

Alabama

New Mexico

Kansas

Wisconsin

British Columbia

Newfoundland and Labrador

New Jersey

South Carolina

Michigan

Alberta

Connecticut

Pennsylvania

Colorado

Nevada

Massachusetts

Georgia

New York

Maryland

Québec

Manitoba

Oklahoma

Tennessee

Ontario

California

Arkansas

South Dakota

Ohio

Indiana

Minnesota

Iowa

Illinois

None

A global map shows lightning flashes per square kilometer per year (flashes per square kilometer per year).

Lightning flashes per square kilometer per year (flashes/km²/year)

Lightning Frequency

The map illustrates global lightning frequency. Areas with less than 0.1 flashes per square kilometer per year are shaded in light green and include most ocean regions, northern Canada, the Sahara Desert, and parts of western and northern Europe. Areas with 0.1 flashes per square kilometer per year are shaded in light yellow and are scattered along parts of oceanic regions and coastal regions. Regions with 0.2 flashes per square kilometer per year are shaded in light purple and include parts of oceanic regions, coastal regions in the north of Canada and Russia. Areas with 0.4 flashes per square kilometer per year are shaded in red and are scattered along the Atlantic ocean, coastal regions on the north of Russia, Indian Ocean, and Pacific ocean. Areas with 0.6 flashes per square kilometer per year to 1 flash per square kilometer per year are shaded in blue to light green, covering northern Canada, the contiguous United States (excluding the Southeast), parts of South America, much of northern region of Europe, most of Africa south of the Sahara, and most of South, East, and Southeast Asia, including south of Australia. Areas experiencing 2 to 10 flashes per square kilometer per year, indicated by pink to blue shades, include the Southeastern United States, parts of Central and South America, and large areas in Africa, South, East, and Southeast Asia. High lightning frequency regions (20 to 50 flashes per square kilometer per year) are highlighted in dark pink to dark red, located in Southeastern United States, Colombia in South America, Central Africa (notably the Democratic Republic of Congo), and Southeast Asia, particularly in Indonesia, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

United Nations Security Council: Permanent Members	Lightning Frequency
Value	Lightning Frequency	<0.1 flashes/km²/year	0.1 flashes/km²/year	0.2 flashes/km²/year	0.4 flashes/km²/year	0.6 flashes/km²/year	0.8 flashes/km²/year	1 flash/km²/year	2 flashes/km²/year	4 flashes/km²/year	6 flashes/km²/year	8 flashes/km²/year	10 flashes/km²/year	20 flashes/km²/year	30 flashes/km²/year




	24.4%	16.4%	8.63%	6.27%	9.50%	4.67%	3.58%	14.1%	25.7%	10.1%	11.3%	14.8%	42.6%	30.6%	47.1%