Marines

List of National marine corps, by country.

Current

United States

• United States Marine Corps - (established as the Continental Marines on November 10, 1775 in Tun Tavern Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). This is largest military organization designated as "Marine" in the world, and the majority of the world's "Marine" troops are American. They are the United States's elite fighting force, always the first to fight. United States Marines are also known as "Devil Dogs," "Leathernecks," and "Jarheads" (see Military slang).

China

• China's People's Liberation Army Marine Corps

France

• The French Navy is called the Marine Nationale, including the Troupes de Marine (French Marines); two types of which exist:

1. French Army units which were formerly titled Colonial Troops and were army troops who wore an anchor patch and served overseas, but were the responsibility of the French Navy for administration. Nowadays, Marine troops consist Marine Infantry (Infanterie de Marine), Marine Artillery (Artillerie de Marine), Marine Armor (Chars de Marine). Marine troops wear an anchor patch but belong nowadays to the French Army.
2. The Naval Fusiliers, Fusiliers de Marine or FUSMAR, who protected naval bases and served on capital ships. Currently the Naval Fusiliers consists of 14 Companies of Fusiliers and a small commando battalion (FUSCO, or fusiliers/commandos). They are under the common command of the FORFUSCO.

Italy

• The Italian Navy (Marina Militare) has a marine unit, the San Marco Regiment, based in Brindisi.
• The Italian Army (Esercito Italiano) has his own marine infantry unit, the Serenissima Regiment, based in Venice. The soldiers that serve in the Serenissima Regiment are called Lagunari.

Japan

• In Japan:
  • Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces - existed from 1928 to 1945
  • Also the Imperial Japanese Navy Land Forces - some with marine-like duties.

Korean

• Republic of Korea Marine Corps

Indonesia

• Korps Marinir TNI AL Indonesian Marine Corps, branches of Indonesia Navy Force established on 15 November 1945.

Netherlands

• The Royal Netherlands Navy is called the Koninklijke Marine in Dutch, not to be confused with the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps which is part of it.

Norway

• The Royal Norwegian Navy is called Den Kongelige Norske Marine in Norwegian. The Royal Norwegian Navy unit responsible for naval infantry and ISTAR operations (equivalent to other countries' marine corps) is the Norwegian Coastal Ranger Command (Kystjegerkommandoen).

Russia

• Russian Naval Infantry (Морская пехота)

Spain

• Spain's Infanteria de Marina - The oldest Marine Corps in the world was established on February 27, 1537 by Charles V when he permanently assigned the Compañías Viejas del Mar de Nápoles (Naples Old Sea Companies) to the Escuadras de Galeras del Mediterráneo (Mediterranean Galley Squadrons).

Taiwan

• Taiwan's Republic of China Marine Corps

Thailand

• Royal Thai Marine Corps

United Kingdon

• The Royal Marines of the United Kingdom were formed in 1664 and are administered by the Royal Navy

Note that some countries do not differentiate branches of their armed forces, as Israeli Defense Forces.

Historical

United Kingdom

• Corps of Colonial Marines - Formed by the British during the mid 1840s to serve in the remaining British America colonies (mainly the West Indies), The Colonial Marines were controlled by the Royal Marines as an auxiliary force. Initially recruited from freed or escaped slaves from the United States and later from local inhabitants, these units were either disbanded or absorbed by the West Indies Regiment.

United States

• During the American Civil War, the Confederate Marine Corps.

See Also

Marine Corps