  The chemical structure of neutral clouds in low metallicity environments is
examined with particular emphasis on the H to H_2 and C+ to CO transitions. We
observed near-IR H_2 lines and the CO J=1-0 line from 30 Doradus and N159/N160
in the Large Magellanic Cloud and from DEM S 16, DEM S 37, and LI-SMC 36 in the
Small Magellanic Cloud. We find that the H_2 emission is UV-excited and that
(weak) CO emission always exists (in our surveyed regions) toward positions
where H_2 and [CII] emission have been detected. Using a PDR code and a
radiative transfer code, we simulate the emission of line radiation from
spherical clouds and from large planar clouds. Because the [CII] emission and
H_2 emission arise on the surface of the cloud and the lines are optically
thin, these lines are not affected by changes in the relative sizes of the
neutral cloud and the CO bearing core, while the optically thick CO emission
can be strongly affected. The sizes of clouds are estimated by measuring the
deviation of CO emission strength from that predicted by a planar cloud model
of a given size. The average cloud column density and therefore size increases
as the metallicity decreases. Our result agrees with the photoionization
regulated star formation theory by Mc Kee (1989).
