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Small Marine Corps

Several countries vie for the honor of the "World's Smallest Marine Corps". The Phillipines Marine Corps reports that "The smallest Marine Corps is that of Madagascar with barely 100 men organized into a single company." Janes reports that as of 2011 Madagascar had a "Marine company of 120 personnel whose role is undefined." The most unusual of Marine Corps are undoubtedly those of Bolivia (1,000 marines) and Paraguay (500 marines), both landlocked countries.

Bolivia - Naval Infantry

Bolivia and Paraguay are the two land-locked countries in South America. Both of these land-locked countries have access to the ocean along wide navigable rivers, both have navies, and both have marine corps.

Bolivia, a land-locked country, has a small navy, which in 1989 had approximately 3,800 personnel, including 2,000 naval infantry personnel and marines, as well as about 1,800 conscripts. By 2011 the naval infantry had declined to 1,700 troops. The navy's small motor launches operated mainly on Lake Titicaca and the numerous navigable rivers of the sparsely populated northeastern portion of the country. The navy's riverine patrol duties included dislodging Brazilian and other foreign gold miners and interdicting smugglers of narcotics and contraband. Its areas of operation were divided into five (or possibly six) naval districts--Lake Titicaca, Río Beni, Río Madre de Dios, Río Mamoré, and Río Paraguay--each with one flotilla.

The five naval headquarters were located in Guaqui (on Lake Titicaca's southern shore), Puerto Guayaramerín (on Río Mamoré), Puerto Suárez, Riberalta, and San Pedro de Tiquina (on Lake Titicaca's eastern shore). Other bases were in Puerto Busch, Puerto Horquilla, Puerto Villarroel (on Río Ichilo), Trinidad, and Rurrenabaque. The "Admiral Grau" Marine Infantry Battalion (Batallón de Infantería de Marina "Almirante Grau") was based at the Fourth Naval District, Titicaca, in Tiquina.

In the late 1980s, the navy had several dozen boats in service, including about ten river patrol craft. It received its first United States-built, river-patrol launch, the twenty-meter Santa Cruz de la Sierra, in 1985. In 1986 the navy acquired nineteen outboard motors for its five- and six-meter patrol boats, effectively doubling its reconnaissance capability. Bolivia's only seagoing vessel, the Libertador Bolívar, was normally docked at Rosario on the Río de la Plata (Plate River) in Argentina and was used to and from Bolivian free zones in Argentina and Uruguay.

Cambodia - Naval Infantry

Cambodia's Naval Infantry has a total strength of about 2,000 troops. Janes reports that as of 2011 Cambodia's Coastal Division of naval infantry had nine "battalions" and the River Division had seven "battalions". With an average strength of only 125 troops, these "battalions" are really just comapanies. Janes reports that it was believed that these were organised along Soviet Naval Infantry lines and thus each battalion would nominally consist of three infantry companies, a mortar and anti-tank platoon. They would have access to the PT-76 and BTR-60 amphibious tanks and transporters.

Honduras - Infanteria de Marina

Before the early 1970s, Honduras did not have an independent navy. The country had only one utility boat twelve meters in length, which allowed personnel from the army to patrol coastal waters intermittently. In 1972 the Navy of Honduras (Marina de Honduras) became a separate service with its own mission and general staff.

The navy had a personnel strength of 1,200, including 600 marines, in 1993. By 2011 the Naval Infantry was estimated to have a strengty of 830. The navy had doubled in size since 1983 because of changing military perspectives concerning the importance of naval forces in Central America and because of an increase of United States aid. The navy is headquartered at three bases: Amapala on Isla del Tigre in the Golfo de Fonseca on the Pacific coast, Puerto Cortés on the western Caribbean coast, and Puerto Castilla on the central Caribbean coast. In 1993 the fleet consisted of five fast-attack craft, eight river- and seven coastal-patrol craft, nine landing craft, and six auxiliary craft. In addition, the navy controls the First Naval Infantry Battalion, based at Puerto Cortés.

El Salvador - Naval Commando Company

Tonga - Royal Tonga Marines

Upon independence the small nation (2000 population- 110,000) formed the Tonga Defense Service (TDS), which includes an infantry company referred to as the Royal Tonga Marines; a platoon-sized Guard of Honor for the king, and a reserve territorial defense force. The Tongan Defense Service, with a total of 500 service members, also maintains a two aircraft air arm, and a six ship maritime force, which includes landing craft. Tonga has a relationship with the U.S. 1st Marine Division that stretches to World War II and the battle at Guadalcanal, where Tongans fought beside the Marines against the Japanese.