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The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) is an international confederation of national amateur radio

Amateur radio

Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...

organisations that allows a forum for common matters of concern and collectively represents matters to the International Telecommunication Union

International Telecommunication Union

The International Telecommunication Union is the specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for information and communication technologies...

(ITU). Following an informal meeting in 1924 of representatives from France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, Great Britain

Great Britain

Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

, Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

, Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

, Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

, Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

, Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, and the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, a plan was formulated to hold an International Amateur Congress in Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

, France in April, 1925, for the purpose of founding an international amateur radio organization. The Congress was attended by representatives of 23 countries in Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

, North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

, South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

, and Asia

Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...

. A constitution for the IARU was adopted on April 17, and the formation of the International Amateur Radio Union was ratified on April 18, 1925. As of February, 2009, the International Amateur Radio Union is composed of 162 national member societies.

Governance

The IARU has an elected President and Vice President, an appointed Secretary and other officials (including regional representatives) forming an Administrative Council. These office holders are presently Timothy Ellam (Canada), President; Ole Garpestad (Norway), Vice-President and Rod Stafford (USA), Secretary. The IARU International Secretariat (IARUIS) is operated by a member society after election by members. Currently, the American Radio Relay League

American Radio Relay League

The American Radio Relay League is the largest membership association of amateur radio enthusiasts in the USA. ARRL is a non-profit organization, and was founded in May 1914 by Hiram Percy Maxim of Hartford, Connecticut...

(ARRL) operates the IARUIS from its headquarters in Newington, Connecticut

Newington, Connecticut

Newington is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2000 census, it had a total population of 29,306. The Connecticut Department of Transportation has its headquarters in Newington....

, USA.

Regional organisation

The IARU is organised into three regions, named Region 1, Region 2, and Region 3. These regions correspond to the regulatory regions used by the International Telecommunication Union. Each region has an Executive Committee, typically composed of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and several Directors. These regional officers are elected by representatives from the member societies at triennial regional conferences. Coordinators may be appointed by the Executive Committee of the region to support particular areas within the region, or to promote certain amateur radio activities within the region. All three regions have appointed Coordinators for Amateur Radio Direction Finding

Amateur Radio Direction Finding

Amateur radio direction finding is an amateur racing sport that combines radio direction finding with the map and compass skills of orienteering...

, emergency communications

Amateur radio emergency communications

In times of crisis and natural disasters, amateur radio is often used as a means of emergency communication when wireline, cell phones and other conventional means of communications fail....

, monitoring for electromagnetic interference

Electromagnetic interference

Electromagnetic interference is disturbance that affects an electrical circuit due to either electromagnetic induction or electromagnetic radiation emitted from an external source. The disturbance may interrupt, obstruct, or otherwise degrade or limit the effective performance of the circuit...

, and radio propagation

Radio propagation

Radio propagation is the behavior of radio waves when they are transmitted, or propagated from one point on the Earth to another, or into various parts of the atmosphere...

IARU Region 1

IARU Region 1 includes the member societies representing amateur radio operator

Amateur radio operator

An amateur radio operator is an individual who typically uses equipment at an amateur radio station to engage in two-way personal communications with other similar individuals on radio frequencies assigned to the amateur radio service. Amateur radio operators have been granted an amateur radio...

s in Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

, Europe

Europe

, the Middle East

Middle East

The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...

, and northern Asia

Asia

. IARU Region 1 has the largest number of member societies among the three IARU regions, and has been the source of several international initiatives. IARU Region 1 lobbying efforts led to the creation of the 30 meter, 17 meter, and 12 meter amateur radio bands, improving the standardization of reciprocal licensing, and promoting Amateur Radio Direction Finding

Amateur Radio Direction Finding

Amateur radio direction finding is an amateur racing sport that combines radio direction finding with the map and compass skills of orienteering...

Member Society/web site	Abbreviation	Founded	Admit'd
Albanian Amateur Radio Association	AARA
Amateurs Radio Algeriens Amateurs Radio Algeriens The Amateurs Radio Algeriens is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Algeria...	ARA
Unió de Radioaficionats Andorrans Unió de Radioaficionats Andorrans The Unió de Radioaficionats Andorrans is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Andorra. URA operates a QSL bureau for those members who regularly communicate with amateur radio operators in other countries...	URA
Federation of Radiosport of the Republic of Armenia	FRRA
Österreichischer Versuchssenderverband Österreichischer Versuchssenderverband The Österreichischer Versuchssenderverband is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Austria...	OEVSV
Amateur Radio Association of Bahrain Amateur Radio Association of Bahrain The Amateur Radio Association of Bahrain is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Bahrain.The organization uses ARAB as its official international abbreviation, based on the English translation of the organization's name. ARAB operates a QSL bureau for those members...	ARAB
Belarussian Federation of Radioamateurs and Radiosportsmen Belarussian Federation of Radioamateurs and Radiosportsmen The Belarussian Federation of Radioamateurs and Radiosportsmen is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Belarus. The organization uses BFRR as its acronym, based on the standard Romanization of the Belarusian name of the organization...	BFRR
Royal Union of Belgian Radio Amateurs Royal Union of Belgian Radio Amateurs The Royal Union of Belgian Radio Amateurs is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Belgium...	UBA
Asocijacija Radioamatera u Bosne i Hercegovine Asocijacija Radioamatera u Bosne i Hercegovine The Asocijacija Radioamatera u Bosne i Hercegovine is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Bosnia and Herzegovina...	ARABH
Botswana Amateur Radio Society	BARS
Bulgarian Federation of Radio Amateurs Bulgarian Federation of Radio Amateurs The Bulgarian Federation of Radio Amateurs is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Bulgaria...	BFRA
Association des Radioamateurs du Burkina Faso	ARBF
Association des Radio Amateurs du Cameroun	ARTJ
Association Des Radio Amateurs Ivoiriens	ARAI
Hrvatski Radioamaterski Savez Hrvatski Radioamaterski Savez The Croatian Amateur Radio Association is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Croatia. Key membership benefits of HRS include the sponsorship of amateur radio operating awards and radio contests. HRS also supports local competitions in Amateur Radio Direction...	HRS
Cyprus Amateur Radio Society Cyprus Amateur Radio Society The Cyprus Amateur Radio Society is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in the Republic of Cyprus...	CARS
Český Radioklub Ceský Radioklub The Český Radioklub is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in the Czech Republic. The organization claims to have 2,750 members of which approximately 200 are shortwave listening enthusiasts...	CRK
Association des Radio Amateurs du Congo	ARAC
Experimenterende Danske Radioamatører Experimenterende Danske Radioamatører The Experimenterende Danske Radioamatører is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Denmark...	EDR
Association des Radioamateurs de Djibouti	ARAD
Egypt Amateurs Radio Assembly	EARA
Eesti Raadioamatööride Ühing Eesti Raadioamatööride Ühing The Eesti Raadioamatööride Ühing is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Estonia...	ERAU
Ethiopian Amateur Radio Society	EARS
Føroyskir Radioamatørar	FRA
Suomen Radioamatööriliitto Suomen Radioamatööriliitto The Suomen Radioamatööriliitto is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Finland. SRAL was founded in 1921 and has approximately 5,000 members. SRAL supports amateur radio operators in Finland by sponsoring amateur radio operating awards and radio contests...	SRAL
Réseau des Émetteurs Français Réseau des Émetteurs Français The Réseau des Émetteurs Français is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in France...	REF
Association Gabonaise des Radio-Amateurs	AGRA
Radio Society of The Gambia	RSTG
National Association Radioamateurs of Georgia	NARG
Deutscher Amateur-Radio-Club Deutscher Amateur-Radio-Club The Deutsche Amateur-Radio-Club e.V. is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Germany. As of 1 January 2008, the organization had 44,246 members, approximately 60% of all licensed amateur radio operators in Germany...	DARC
Ghana Amateur Radio Society	GARS
Gibraltar Amateur Radio Society	GARS
Radio Amateur Association of Greece Radio Amateur Association of Greece The Radio Amateur Association of Greece is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Greece. The society was founded in February 1958, facing great difficulties due to negative attitude of the Greek Government of the time towards amateur radio...	RAAG
Association des Radioamateurs de Guinea	ARGUI
Magyar Rádióamatõr Szövetséghttp://www.mrasz.hu/	MRASZ	1928	1936
Íslenskir Radíóamatörar Íslenskir Radíóamatörar The Íslenskir Radíóamatörar is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Iceland. Key membership benefits of the IRA include the sponsorship of amateur radio operating awards and radio contests, and a QSL bureau for those members who regularly communicate with amateur...	IRA
Iraqi Amateur Radio Society Iraqi Amateur Radio Society The Iraqi Amateur Radio Society is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Iraq. The organization uses IARS as its official international abbreviation, based on the English translation of the organization's name...	IARS
Irish Radio Transmitters Society Irish Radio Transmitters Society The Irish Radio Transmitters Society is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Ireland. Key missions of the IRTS include promoting amateur radio experimentation and representing the interests of Irish amateur radio operators before Irish and international...	IRTS
Israel Amateur Radio Club Israel Amateur Radio Club The Israel Amateur Radio Club is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Israel. The organization uses IARC as its official international abbreviation, based on the English translation of the Hebrew name...	IARC
Associazione Radioamatori Italiani Associazione Radioamatori Italiani The Associazione Radioamatori Italiani is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Italy. ARI was founded in 1927 as the Associazione Radiotecnica Italiana by Ernesto Montù, an early amateur radio operator...	ARI
Royal Jordanian Radio Amateur Society	RJRAS
Kazakhstan Federation of Radiosport and Radio Amateur Kazakhstan Federation of Radiosport and Radio Amateur The Kazakhstan Federation of Radiosport and Radio Amateur is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Kazakhstan...	KFRR
Amateur Radio Society of Kenya	ARSK
Kuwait Amateur Radio Society Kuwait Amateur Radio Society The Kuwait Amateur Radio Society is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Kuwait. The organization uses KARS as its official international abbreviation, based on the English translation of the organization's name...	KARS
Latvijas Radio Amatieru Līga Latvijas Radio Amatieru Liga The Latvijas Radio Amatieru Līga is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Latvia...	LRAL
Radio Amateurs of Lebanon Radio Amateurs of Lebanon The Radio Amateurs of Lebanon is a non-profit organization for some amateur radio operators in Lebanon. Key membership benefits of the RAL include a QSL bureau for those amateur radio operators in regular communications with other amateur radio operators in foreign countries, and a network to...	RAL
Lesotho Amateur Radio Society Lesotho Amateur Radio Society The Lesotho Amateur Radio Society is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Lesotho. LARS operates a QSL bureau for those members who regularly communicate with amateur radio operators in other countries, and offers radio equipment to its members for their use...	LARS
Liberia Radio Amateur Association	LRAA
Amateurfunk Verein Liechtenstein	AFVL
Lietuvos Radijo Mėgėjų Draugija Lietuvos Radijo Mėgėjų Draugija The Lietuvos Radijo Mėgėjų Draugija is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Lithuania...	LRMD
Réseau Luxembourgeois des Amateurs d'Ondes Courtes Réseau Luxembourgeois des Amateurs d'Ondes Courtes The Réseau Luxembourgeois des Amateurs d'Ondes Courtes is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Luxembourg....	RL
Radioamaterski Sojuz na Makedonija Radioamaterski Sojuz na Makedonija The Radioamaterski Sojuz na Makedonija is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in the Republic of Macedonia...	RSM
Club des Radioamateurs et Affilies du Mali	CRAM
Malta Amateur Radio League Malta Amateur Radio League The Malta Amateur Radio League is a non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Malta. Since MARL was established in 1922, its aim has been to bring together people interested in amateur radio and electronics, and to discuss and defend amateur radio matters and opinions with local...	MARL
Mauritius Amateur Radio Society Mauritius Amateur Radio Society The Mauritius Amateur Radio Society is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Mauritius. The organization was founded in 1968 by a group of native Mauritians and British expatriates. The Society applied to join the International Amateur Radio Union on March 12,...	MARS
Asociatia Radioamatorilor din Moldova Asociatia Radioamatorilor din Moldova Asociaţia Radioamatorilor din Moldova is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Moldova...	ARM
Association des Radio-Amateurs de Monaco	ARM
Mongolian Radio Sport Federation Mongolian Radio Sport Federation The Mongolian Radio Sport's Federation is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Mongolia. Early activities of the organization focused on radiosport, and the MRSF was active in promoting Amateur Radio Direction Finding competitions throughout the country...	MRSF
Association Royale des Radio Amateurs du Maroc Association Royale des Radio Amateurs du Maroc The Association Royale des Radio Amateurs du Maroc is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Morocco...	ARRAM
Liga dos Rádio Emissores de Moçambique	LREM
Namibian Amateur Radio League	NARL
Vereniging voor Experimenteel Radio Onderzoek Nederland	VERON
Nigeria Amateur Radio Society	NARS
Norsk Radio Relæ Liga Norsk Radio Relæ Liga The Norsk Radio Relæ Liga is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Norway. Key membership benefits of NRRL include the sponsorship of amateur radio operating awards and radio contests, and a QSL bureau for those members who regularly communicate with amateur radio...	NRRL
Royal Omani Amateur Radio Society	ROARS
Polski Związek Krótkofalowców Polski Zwiazek Krótkofalowców The Polski Związek Krótkofalowców is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Poland. Key membership benefits of the PZK include the sponsorship of amateur radio operating awards, radio contests, and a QSL bureau for members who regularly communicate with amateur radio...	PZK
Rede dos Emissores Portugueses Rede dos Emissores Portugueses The Rede dos Emissores Portugueses is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Portugal. REP was founded in 1926 by Eugenio de Avillez P1AE, and early Portuguese radio experimenter...	REP
Qatar Amateur Radio Society Qatar Amateur Radio Society The Qatar Amateur Radio Society is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Qatar. The organization uses QARS as its official international abbreviation, based on the English translation of the organization's name. QARS operates a QSL bureau for those members who...	QARS
Federaţia Română de Radioamatorism Federatia Româna de Radioamatorism The Federaţia Română de Radioamatorism is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Romania...	FRR
Russian Amateur Radio Union Russian Amateur Radio Union The Russian Amateur Radio Union is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Russia. The organization often uses SRR as its official abbreviation, based on the standard Romanization of the Russian name...	SRR
Associazione Radioamatori della Repubblica di San Marino	ARRSM
Association des Radio-Amateurs du Senegal	ARAS
Savez Radio-Amatera Srbije Savez Radio-Amatera Srbije The Savez Radio-Amatera Srbije is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Serbia...	SRS
Sierra Leone Amateur Radio Society	SLARS
Slovenský Zväz Rádioamatérov Slovenský Zväz Rádioamatérov The Slovenský Zväz Rádioamatérov is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Slovakia...	SZR
Zveza Radioamaterjev Slovenije Zveza radioamaterjev Slovenije The Zveza radioamaterjev Slovenije is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Slovenia....	ZRS
South African Radio League South African Radio League The South African Radio League , formerly known as the South African Radio Relay League , is a non-profit organization representing the interests of amateur radio enthusiasts in South Africa...	SARL
Unión de Radioaficionados Españoles Unión de Radioaficionados Españoles The Unión de Radioaficionados Españoles is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Spain. The organization has approximately 12,000 members, predominantly amateur radio operators in Spain...	URE
Radio Society of Swaziland	RSS
Föreningen Sveriges Sändareamatörer Föreningen Sveriges Sändareamatörer The Föreningen Sveriges Sändareamatörer is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Sweden...	SSA
Union of Swiss Short Wave Amateurs Union of Swiss Short Wave Amateurs The Union of Swiss Short Wave Amateurs is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Switzerland. The organization uses the German language acronym USKA...	USKA
Syrian Scientific Technical Amateur Radio Society Syrian Scientific Technical Amateur Radio Society The Syrian Scientific Technical Amateur Radio Society is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Syria. The organization was founded in 1947 as the Technical Institute of Radio by a group of amateur radio enthusiasts in Damascus. Rashid Jalal YK1AA served as the...	SSTARS
Tajik Amateur Radio League	TARL
Tanzania Amateur Radio Club	TARC
Association Tunisienne des Radioamateurs	ASTRA
Telsiz ve Radyo Amatörleri Cemiyeti Telsiz ve Radyo Amatörleri Cemiyeti The Telsiz ve Radyo Amatörleri Cemiyeti is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Turkey. The organization was founded in 1962 as the Türkiye Radyo Amatörleri Cemiyeti, adopting its current name in 1980...	TRAC
Liga Radiolyubiteley Turkmenistana	LRT
Uganda Amateur Radio Society	UARS
Ukrainian Amateur Radio League Ukrainian Amateur Radio League The Ukrainian Amateur Radio League is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Ukraine. The organization uses UARL as its official abbreviation, based on the standard abbreviation of the Ukrainian name translated into English...	UARL
Emirates Amateur Radio Society Emirates Amateur Radio Society The Emirates Amateur Radio Society is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in the United Arab Emirates. EARS is formally recognized as a national organization by the Ministry of Social Affairs in the United Arab Emirates...	EARS
Radio Society of Great Britain Radio Society of Great Britain First founded in 1913 as the London Wireless Club, the Radio Society of Great Britain is the United Kingdom's recognised national society for amateur radio operators. The society's patron is Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and it represents the interests of the UK’s 60,000 licensed radio amateurs...	RSGB
No representation—ham radio prohibited
Radio Society of Zambia	RSZ
Zimbabwe Amateur Radio Society	ZARS

IARU Region 2

IARU Region 2 includes the member societies representing amateur radio operators in North

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

and South America

South America

. The organization of IARU Region 2 was founded in 1964 when representatives from 15 national radio societies attended the First Panamerican Radio Amateur Congress in Mexico City

Mexico City

Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...

, Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

. Antonio Pita, XE1CCP was the region's first elected President.

Country	Member Society	Abbreviation
	Anguilla Amateur Radio Society	AARS
	Antigua and Barbuda Amateur Radio Society	ABARS
	Radio Club Argentino Radio Club Argentino The Radio Club Argentino is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Argentina. RCA was founded in Buenos Aires on October 21, 1921...	RCA
	Aruba Amateur Radio Club Aruba Amateur Radio Club The Aruba Amateur Radio Club is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Aruba. AARC operates a QSL bureau for those members who regularly communicate with amateur radio operators in other countries...	AARC
	Bahamas Amateur Radio Society	BARS
	Amateur Radio Society of Barbados	ARSB
	Belize Amateur Radio Club	BARC
	Radio Society of Bermuda	RSB
	Radio Club Boliviano	RCB
	Liga de Amadores Brasileiros de Rádio Emissão Liga de Amadores Brasileiros de Rádio Emissão The Liga de Amadores Brasileiros de Rádio Emissão is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Brazil. LABRE has separate organizations for each state of Brazil. LABRE is recognized by the Brazilian Ministry of Communications...	LABRE
	British Virgin Islands Radio League	BVIRL
	Radio Amateurs of Canada Radio Amateurs of Canada Radio Amateurs of Canada , known in French as Radio Amateurs du Canada, is a member-based, non-profit organization of amateur radio enthusiasts in Canada...	RAC
	Cayman Amateur Radio Society	CARS
	Radio Club de Chile Radio Club de Chile The Radio Club de Chile is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Chile. Key membership benefits of RCCH include the sponsorship of amateur radio operating awards and radio contests, and a QSL bureau for those members who regularly communicate with amateur radio...	RCCH
	Liga Colombiana de Radioaficionados Liga Colombiana de Radioaficionados The Liga Colombiana de Radioaficionados is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Colombia. The organization was founded in 1933 by Italo Amore, Gustavo Uribe, Roberto Jaramillo Ferro, and other radio enthusiasts...	LCRA
	Radio Club de Costa Rica Radio Club de Costa Rica The Radio Club de Costa Rica is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Costa Rica...	RCCR
	Federacion de Radioaficionados de Cuba Federacion de Radioaficionados de Cuba The Federacion de Radioaficionados de Cuba is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Cuba. The FRC claims that 98% of all Cuban amateur radio operators belong to the organization...	FRC
	Dominica Amateur Radio Club	DARCI
	Radio Club Dominicano	RCD
	Guayaquil Radio Club	GRC
	Club de Radio Aficionados de El Salvador Club de Radio Aficionados de El Salvador The Club de Radio Aficionados de El Salvador is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in El Salvador...	CRAS
	Grenada Amateur Radio Club	GARC
	Club de Radioaficionados de Guatemala Club de Radioaficionados de Guatemala The Club de Radioaficionados de Guatemala is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Guatemala...	CRAG
	Guyana Amateur Radio Association	GARA
	Radio Club d'Haïti	RCH
	Radio Club de Honduras Radio Club de Honduras The Radio Club de Honduras is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Honduras. RCH was founded on July 26, 1958, to support the scientific and technical interests of those in Honduras with an interest in radio...	RCH
	Jamaica Amateur Radio Association	JARA
	Federacion Mexicana de Radio Experimentadores Federacion Mexicana de Radio Experimentadores The Federacion Mexicana de Radio Experimentadores, A.C. is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Mexico...	FMRE
	Montserrat Amateur Radio Society	MARS
	Vereniging voor Experimenteel Radio Onderzoek in de Nederlandse Antillen	VERONA
	Club de Radioexperimentadores de Nicaragua Club de Radioexperimentadores de Nicaragua The Club de Radioexperimentadores de Nicaragua is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Nicaragua...	CREN
	Liga Panameña de Radioaficionados Liga Panameña de Radioaficionados The Liga Panameña de Radioaficionados is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Panama...	LPRA
	Radio Club Paraguayo Radio Club Paraguayo The Radio Club Paraguayo is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Paraguay. The RCP operates a QSL bureau for those amateur radio operators in regular contact with amateur radio operators in other countries, and supports amateur radio operating awards and radio...	RCP
	Radio Club Peruano Radio Club Peruano The Radio Club Peruano is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Peru. RCP was founded on December 6, 1930 and the first General Meeting of the organization was held in the halls of the Library of the Geographical Society in Lima, Peru in January, 1931....	RCP
	Vereniging van Radio Amateurs in Suriname	VRAS
	Trinidad and Tobago Amateur Radio Society Trinidad and Tobago Amateur Radio Society The Trinidad and Tobago Amateur Radio Society, Inc. is the national amateur radio organization in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is a member society of the International Amateur Radio Union .- History :...	TTARS
	Turks and Caicos Amateur Radio Society	TACARS
	American Radio Relay League American Radio Relay League The American Radio Relay League is the largest membership association of amateur radio enthusiasts in the USA. ARRL is a non-profit organization, and was founded in May 1914 by Hiram Percy Maxim of Hartford, Connecticut...	ARRL
	Radio Club Uruguayo Radio Club Uruguayo The Radio Club Uruguayo is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Uruguay. RCU was founded on August 23, 1933. The RCU operates a QSL bureau for those amateur radio operators in regular contact with amateur radio operators in other countries...	RCU
	Radio Club Venezolano Radio Club Venezolano The Radio Club Venezolano is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Venezuela. Key membership benefits of RCV include the sponsorship of amateur radio operating awards and radio contests, and a QSL bureau for those members who regularly communicate with amateur radio...	RCV

IARU Region 3

IARU Region 3 includes the member societies representing amateur radio operators in Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, most of Asia

Asia

, and the Pacific Islands

Pacific Islands

The Pacific Islands comprise 20,000 to 30,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. The islands are also sometimes collectively called Oceania, although Oceania is sometimes defined as also including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago....

. Although most of their membership is located in other IARU regions, the American Radio Relay League

American Radio Relay League

and the Radio Society of Great Britain

Radio Society of Great Britain

First founded in 1913 as the London Wireless Club, the Radio Society of Great Britain is the United Kingdom's recognised national society for amateur radio operators. The society's patron is Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and it represents the interests of the UK’s 60,000 licensed radio amateurs...

are full member societies of IARU Region 3. The ARRL represents amateur radio operators in American Samoa

American Samoa

American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...

, Guam

Guam

Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...

, the Northern Marianas, and other dependent territories

Dependent territory

A dependent territory, dependent area or dependency is a territory that does not possess full political independence or sovereignty as a State, and remains politically outside of the controlling state's integral area....

in the Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...

. The RSGB represents amateur radio operators in the British Indian Ocean Territory

British Indian Ocean Territory

The British Indian Ocean Territory or Chagos Islands is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom situated in the Indian Ocean, halfway between Africa and Indonesia...

. IARU Region 3 has a special emphasis on promoting the harmonization of license qualifications in an effort to promote easier reciprocal operations by amateur radio operators in the region.

Country	Member Society	Abbreviation
	Wireless Institute of Australia Wireless Institute of Australia The Wireless Institute of Australia was formed in 1910, and is the first and oldest national amateur radio society in the world. 2010 is the 100th anniversary of its formation...	WIA
	Bangladesh Amateur Radio League Bangladesh Amateur Radio League The Bangladesh Amateur Radio League is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Bangladesh. BARL is the national member society representing Bangladesh in the International Amateur Radio Union, which it joined in 1982....	BARL
	Brunei Darussalam Amateur Radio Association	BDARA
	Chinese Radio Sports Association Chinese Radio Sports Association The Chinese Radio Sports Association is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in the People's Republic of China. The CRSA's primary mission is to popularize and promote amateur radio in China...	CRSA
	Chinese Taipei Amateur Radio League Chinese Taipei Amateur Radio League The Chinese Taipei Amateur Radio League is a national non-profit organization based in Taiwan for amateur radio enthusiasts in the Republic of China...	CTARL
	Fiji Association of Radio Amateurs	FARA
	Club Oceanien de Radio et d'Astronomie	CORA
	Hong Kong Amateur Radio Transmitting Society Hong Kong Amateur Radio Transmitting Society The Hong Kong Amateur Radio Transmitting Society is an organization representing a majority of the amateur radio operators in Hong Kong, China. HARTS is a charitable institution recognized by the Inland Revenue Department since early 2008...	HARTS
	Amateur Radio Society of India Amateur Radio Society of India The Amateur Radio Society of India is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in India. ARSI is recognized by the Indian government under the provisions of Section 13 of the Indian Societies Registration Act as amended and extended...	ARSI
	Organisasi Amatir Radio Indonesia Organisasi Amatir Radio Indonesia The Organisasi Amatir Radio Indonesia is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Indonesia. According to a 2000 census compiled by the International Amateur Radio Union, Indonesia has the thirteenth-largest population of amateur radio operators in the world...	ORARI
	Japan Amateur Radio League Japan Amateur Radio League The Japan Amateur Radio League is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Japan. JARL was founded in 1926 by Japanese radio communication enthusiasts whose stated aim was to promote the development and utilization of radio wave technology as a medium...	JARL
	Associação dos Radioamadores de Macau Associação dos Radioamadores de Macau The Associação dos Radioamadores de Macau is a non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Macau, China. ARM was established in Macau when the Special Administrative Region was still a dependent territory of Portugal...	ARM
	Malaysian Amateur Radio Transmitters' Society Malaysian Amateur Radio Transmitters' Society The Malaysian Amateur Radio Transmitters' Society is a non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Malaysia. MARTS was founded in 1952. The organization's primary mission is to popularize and promote amateur radio in Malaysia...	MARTS
	Burma Amateur Radio Transmitting Society	BARTS
	Association des Radio-Amateurs de Nouvelle-Calédonie	ARANC
	New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters The New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters, or NZART, is a non-profit organization of amateur radio enthusiasts in New Zealand. NZART represents New Zealand amateur radio operators nationally and internationally. NZART is a founding member of the International Amateur Radio Union...	NZART
	No representation—ham radio prohibited
	Pakistan Amateur Radio Society Pakistan Amateur Radio Society The Pakistan Amateur Radio Society is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Pakistan. PARS operates a QSL bureau for those amateur radio operators in regular contact with amateur radio operators in other countries, and supports amateur radio operating awards and...	PARS
	Papua New Guinea Amateur Radio Society	PNGARS
	Philippine Amateur Radio Association Philippine Amateur Radio Association The Philippine Amateur Radio Association is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in the Philippines. Key membership benefits of PARA include the sponsorship of amateur radio operating awards and radio contests, and a QSL bureau for those members who regularly...	PARA
	Pitcairn Island Amateur Radio Association	PIARA
	Samoa Amateur Radio Club	SARC
	Singapore Amateur Radio Transmitting Society Singapore Amateur Radio Transmitting Society The Singapore Amateur Radio Transmitting Society is a non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Singapore. The organization's primary mission is to popularize and promote amateur radio in Singapore. SARTS sponsors amateur radio operating awards and operates special event stations...	SARTS
	Solomon Islands Radio Society	SIRS
	Korean Amateur Radio League Korean Amateur Radio League The Korean Amateur Radio League is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in South Korea. KARL was founded in 1955 by Korean radio communication enthusiasts. Due to advocacy efforts of KARL, the first amateur radio station in South Korea, HL2AA is Seoul, was licensed...	KARL
	Radio Society of Sri Lanka Radio Society of Sri Lanka The Radio Society of Sri Lanka is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Sri Lanka. RSSL was founded on July 1, 1950 as the Radio Society of Ceylon by amateur radio operators, most of whom had originally been licensed under the authority of the British colonial...	RSSL
	Radio Amateur Society of Thailand Radio Amateur Society of Thailand The Radio Amateur Society of Thailand is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Thailand. The organization is founded under the royal patronage of the King of Thailand, and qualifies as a charitable entity pursuant to a Thai Ministry of Finance declaration...	RAST
	Amateur Radio Club of Tonga	ARCOT
	Radio Society of Great Britain Radio Society of Great Britain First founded in 1913 as the London Wireless Club, the Radio Society of Great Britain is the United Kingdom's recognised national society for amateur radio operators. The society's patron is Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and it represents the interests of the UK’s 60,000 licensed radio amateurs...	RSGB
	American Radio Relay League American Radio Relay League The American Radio Relay League is the largest membership association of amateur radio enthusiasts in the USA. ARRL is a non-profit organization, and was founded in May 1914 by Hiram Percy Maxim of Hartford, Connecticut...	ARRL
	Vanuatu Amateur Radio Society	VARS
	Vietnam Amateur Radio Club	VARC

GAREC - Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conferences

The Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conference

Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conference

The Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conference or GAREC is a yearly conference held by the International Amateur Radio Union for discussion of amateur radio operation during natural disasters and other emergencies with the motto, "Saving lives through emergency communications"...

or 'GAREC' is a yearly conference held by the International Amateur Radio Union for discussion of amateur radio

Amateur radio

operation during natural disaster

Natural disaster

A natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard . It leads to financial, environmental or human losses...

s and other emergencies

Emergency

An emergency is a situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property or environment. Most emergencies require urgent intervention to prevent a worsening of the situation, although in some situations, mitigation may not be possible and agencies may only be able to offer palliative...

with the motto, "Saving lives through emergency communications". GAREC was first held in Tampere, Finland in 2005, coinciding with the adoption of the Tampere Convention

Tampere Convention

The Tampere Convention is a multilateral treaty governing the provision and availability of communications equipment during disaster relief operations, particularly as regards the transport of radio and related equipment over international boundaries by...

, a globally binding emergency communications treaty that had been signed in Tampere in 1998. In later conferences, the venue has attempted to rotate in sequence through ITU Regions 1, 2 and 3

Radiosport

The IARU organises and promotes radiosport

Radiosport

The term radiosport is of modern Eastern European origin and is used to describe any of several competitive amateur radio activities. It is most often written as a single word, as in radiosport, but can be found as two separate words, as in radio sport.The Friendship Radiosport Games is a...

activities throughout the world. The rules used for High Speed Telegraphy

High Speed Telegraphy

High Speed Telegraphy competitions challenge individuals to correctly receive and copy Morse code transmissions sent at very high speeds. It is most popular in Eastern Europe, where it is one of several activities collectively referred to as radiosport...

are maintained by a Working Group of the IARU, and regional and world championships in the sport are sponsored by the IARU. Amateur Radio Direction Finding

Amateur Radio Direction Finding

Amateur radio direction finding is an amateur racing sport that combines radio direction finding with the map and compass skills of orienteering...

is similarly supported by the organisation, with a standing Working Group responsible for maintaining the rules used by most international events, including IARU-sponsored regional and world championships. The IARU is less directly involved in the sport of contesting

Contesting

Contesting is a competitive activity pursued by amateur radio operators. In a contest, an amateur radio station, which may be operated by an individual or a team, seeks to contact as many other amateur radio stations as possible in a given period of time and exchange information...

, but does sponsor an annual competition known as the IARU HF World Championship. The IARU does not directly administer any of these sporting events, but authorises and sponsors them through host organisations.

Operating Station and the WAC Award

The IARU maintains a radio station at its headquarters in Newington, Connecticut. Its callsign is NU1AW. As an amateur radio station licensed by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission

Federal Communications Commission

The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...

the "1" stands for its location in the New England

New England

New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...

area. "NU" were taken from the pre-1928 era when amateurs made up their own prefixes, and informally used these letters to show they were in "North America--USA". The "AW" suffix represents the connection with the American Radio Relay League, whose own station is W1AW. NU1AW is frequently active during amateur radio contests.

For many years the IARU has issued the Worked All Continents

Worked All Continents

Worked All Continents, or WAC, is an amateur radio award given to those amateur radio operators who successfully complete two-way amateur radio communications with other amateur radio stations located in each of six continental areas of the world...

certificate to amateurs who contact fellow hams in the six permanently populated continental areas of the world. Special awards and endorsements for various bands and modes are also available.

International Amateur Radio Union

Governance

Regional organisation

IARU Region 1

IARU Region 2

IARU Region 3

GAREC - Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conferences

Radiosport

Operating Station and the WAC Award

External links