The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is an intergovernmental organization consisting of 12 oil-producing countries in Africa, Asia, and South America. OPEC was founded in 1960 in Baghdad by five countries - Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela - to coordinate and unify petroleum policies among member countries. The main goals of OPEC are to maintain a stable oil market with reasonable prices and steady supplies for consumers, and to ensure member countries receive a fair profit from international oil sales previously dominated by major multinational companies. Current OPEC member countries are shown on a map in blue.