This is a modern-English version of The 1991 CIA World Factbook, originally written by United States. Central Intelligence Agency.
It has been thoroughly updated, including changes to sentence structure, words, spelling,
and grammar—to ensure clarity for contemporary readers, while preserving the original spirit and nuance. If
you click on a paragraph, you will see the original text that we modified, and you can toggle between the two versions.
Scroll to the bottom of this page and you will find a free ePUB download link for this book.
Produced by Dr. Gregory B. Newby
15 October 1991
The CIA World Factbook 1991
Some helpful tags for searching the factbook are as follows:
@ the first three characters in each country heading;
for example, _@Afghanistan
@Albania
@Algeria
@_American Samoa
* the first three characters in each section heading;
for example, _*Geography
*People
*Government
*_Economy
# the first three characters in each individual entry;
for example, _#Total area
#Comparative area
#Land boundaries
#_Coastline
% the first three characters in the first line following
the end of a country section or an appendix
%
THE WORLD FACTBOOK 1991
The World Factbook is created every year by the Central Intelligence Agency for the use of U.S. government officials, and the style, format, coverage, and content are tailored to meet their specific needs.
Information was provided by the Census Bureau, Central Intelligence Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, Defense Nuclear Agency, Department of State, Foreign Broadcast Information Service, Maritime Administration, National Science Foundation (Polar Information Program), Navy Operational Intelligence Center, Office of Territorial and International Affairs, United States Board on Geographic Names, United States Coast Guard, and others.
Comments and questions are welcome and can be sent to:
Central Intelligence Agency
Attn: Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20505
(703) 351-2053
*************************************************************************
US Government officials should get copies of The World Factbook directly from their own organizations or through liaison channels from the Central Intelligence Agency. This publication is also available in microfiche, magnetic tape, or diskettes for personal computers.
This publication can be purchased by phone (VISA or MasterCard)
or by mail from:
Superintendent of Documents
US Government Printing Office
Washington, DC 20402-9325
Tel: (202) 783-3238
A subscription to this publication can be bought from:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Tel: (703) 487-4630
or: Document Expediting (DOCEX) Project
Exchange and Gift Division
Library of Congress
Washington, DC 20540
Tel: (202) 707-9527
This publication can be bought as a photocopy, microfiche, magnetic
tape, or on diskettes for personal computers at:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Tel: (703) 487-4650
This publication can be bought in photocopy or microform from:
Photoduplication Service
Library of Congress
Washington, DC 20540
Tel: (202) 707-5640
*************************************************************************
Table of Contents
Notes, Definitions, and Abbreviations
Text (247 nations, dependent areas, and other entities)
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antarctica
Antigua and Barbuda
Arctic Ocean
Argentina
Aruba
Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Atlantic Ocean
Australia
Austria
Bahamas, The
Bahrain
Baker Island
Bangladesh
Barbados
Bassas da India
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Botswana
Bouvet Island
Brazil
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina
Burma
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China (also see separate Taiwan entry)
Christmas Island
Clipperton Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Cook Islands
Coral Sea Islands
Costa Rica
Cuba
Cyprus
Czechoslovakia
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Ethiopia
Europa Island
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
French Guiana
French Polynesia
French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Gabon
Gambia, The
Gaza Strip
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Glorioso Islands
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Honduras
Hong Kong
Howland Island
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indian Ocean
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Iraq-Saudi Arabia Neutral Zone
Ireland
Israel (also see separate entries for Gaza Strip and West Bank)
Italy
Ivory Coast
Jamaica
Jan Mayen
Japan
Jarvis Island
Jersey
Johnston Atoll
Jordan (also see separate West Bank entry)
Juan de Nova Island
Kenya
Kingman Reef
Kiribati
Korea, North
Korea, South
Kuwait
Laos
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Macau
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Isle of Man
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Federated States of Micronesia
Midway Islands
Monaco
Mongolia
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Nauru
Navassa Island
Nepal
Netherlands
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
Northern Mariana Islands
Norway
Oman
Pacific Islands, Trust Territory of the
(Palau)
Pacific Ocean
Pakistan
Palmyra Atoll
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paracel Islands
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn Islands
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Reunion
Romania
Rwanda
Saint Helena
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Soviet Union
Spain
Spratly Islands
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Svalbard
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Taiwan entry follows Zimbabwe
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tromelin Island
Tunisia
Turkey
Turks and Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
Uganda
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
Virgin Islands
Wake Island
Wallis and Futuna
West Bank
Western Sahara
Western Samoa
World
Yemen
Yugoslavia
Zaire
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Taiwan
Appendix A: The United Nations System
Appendix B: International Organization and Group Abbreviations
Appendix C: International Organizations and Groups
Appendix D: Weights and Measures
Appendix E: Cross-Reference List of Geographic Names
Notes, Definitions, and Abbreviations
There have been some important updates in this edition. The Literacy section now includes statistics for males, females, and both genders. Appendix C: International Organizations and Groups is new and lists the date established, goals, and member organizations. This year, three maps of particular interest have been added—republics of the Soviet Union, ethnic groups in the Soviet Union, and ethnic groups in Eastern Europe.
_#_Abbreviations: (see Appendix B for international organizations and groups)
avdp. avoirdupois c.i.f. cost, insurance, and freight CY calendar year DWT deadweight ton est. estimate Ex-Im Export-Import Bank of the United States f.o.b. free on board FRG Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany); used for information dated before 3 October 1990 or CY91 FY fiscal year GDP gross domestic product GDR German Democratic Republic (East Germany); used for information dated before 3 October 1990 or CY91 GNP gross national product GRT gross register ton km kilometer km2 square kilometer kW kilowatt kWh kilowatt-hour m meter NA not available NEGL negligible nm nautical mile NZ New Zealand ODA official development assistance OOF other official flows PDRY People's Democratic Republic of Yemen [Yemen (Aden) or South Yemen]; used for information dated before 22 May 1990 or CY91
UAE United Arab Emirates
UK United Kingdom
US United States
USSR Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (Soviet Union)
YAR Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen];
used for information dated before May 22, 1990 or
CY91
_#_Administrative divisions: The numbers, names, and first-order administrative divisions are generally those approved by the United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN). Changes that have been reported but not yet addressed by BGN are noted.
_#_Area: The total area is the sum of all land and water areas defined by international borders and coastlines. The land area includes all surfaces defined by international borders and coastlines, excluding inland bodies of water (like lakes, reservoirs, and rivers). Comparative areas are based on total area equivalents. Most entities are compared with the entire US or one of the 50 states. Smaller entities are compared with Washington, DC (178 km2, 69 miles2) or The Mall in Washington, DC (0.59 km2, 0.23 miles2, 146 acres).
_#_Birth rate: The average annual number of births in a year per 1,000 people at midyear. Also known as the crude birth rate.
_#_Dates of information: Generally, information available as of January 1, 1991, was used to prepare this edition. Population figures are estimates for July 1, 1991, with population growth rates estimated from mid-1991 to mid-1992. Major political events have been updated through June 30, 1991. Military age figures are average annual estimates for 1991-1995.
_#_Death rate: The average number of deaths per year for every 1,000 people in the population at midyear. Also called the crude death rate.
_#_Diplomatic representation: The US Government has diplomatic relations with 162 countries. There are only 144 US embassies, as some countries have US ambassadors assigned to them, but no physical US mission exists. The US has diplomatic relations with 151 of the 159 UN member states—the exceptions are Angola, Belarus (Byelorussia; a part of the Soviet Union), Cambodia, Cuba, Iran, Vietnam, Ukraine (a part of the Soviet Union), and of course, the US itself. Additionally, the US has diplomatic relations with 12 countries that are not in the UN—Andorra, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Monaco, Nauru, San Marino, South Korea, Switzerland, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vatican City. North Korea is not in the UN, and the US does not have diplomatic relations with that country. The US has not recognized the annexation of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania into the Soviet Union and continues to recognize the diplomatic representatives of their last independent governments.
_#_Disputes: This category includes a wide range of situations, from classic bilateral boundary disputes to various unilateral claims. Every international land boundary dispute in the "Guide to International Boundaries," a map published by the Department of State, is included. References to other relevant situations, such as maritime disputes, geopolitical questions, or irredentist issues, may also be featured. However, being included doesn't necessarily mean there is official acceptance or recognition by the US Government.
_#_Economic aid: This entry refers to bilateral commitments of:
Official Development Assistance (ODA) is defined as government grants that (a) are aimed at promoting economic development and the welfare of LDCs as their main goal and (b) have a concessional nature, meaning they contain a grant element of at least 25%; and
Other Official Flows (OOF) refer to transactions made by the official sector that are primarily aimed at purposes other than development or where the grant component is below the 25% threshold for Official Development Assistance (ODA). OOF transactions include official export credits (like Eximbank credits), official equity and portfolio investments, and debt restructuring by the official sector that does not meet concessional terms.
Aid is seen as committed when the parties involved initial agreements, making a formal declaration of their intent.
_#_Entities: Some of the countries, territories, areas with special sovereignty, and governments mentioned in this publication are not independent, and some are not officially recognized by the US Government. A nation refers to a group of people organized politically into a sovereign state with a specific territory. A dependent area refers to a broad category of political entities that are associated in some way with a nation. The names used for page headings are typically the short-form names approved by the US Board on Geographic Names. The long-form name is included in the Government section, and an entry of "none" means that a long-form name does not exist. In some cases, if no short-form name exists, the long-form name must be used for all references.
There are 247 entities in the Factbook that can be categorized as follows:
NATIONS
157 UN members (there are 159 members in the UN, but only 157 are
included in The World Factbook because Belarus
and Ukraine are part of the Soviet
Union)
13 nations that are not members of the UN—Andorra, Federated States of
Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Monaco, Nauru, North Korea,
San Marino, South Korea, Switzerland, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vatican City
OTHER
1 Taiwan
DEPENDENT AREAS
6 Australia—Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island,
Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and
McDonald Islands, Norfolk Island
2 Denmark—Faroe Islands, Greenland
16 France—Bassas da India, Clipperton Island, Europa Island,
French Guiana, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic
Lands, Glorioso Islands, Guadeloupe, Juan de Nova Island,
Martinique, Mayotte, New Caledonia, Reunion, Saint Pierre and
Miquelon, Tromelin Island, Wallis and Futuna
2 Netherlands—Aruba, Netherlands Antilles
3 New Zealand—Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau
3 Norway—Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard
1 Portugal—Macau
16 United Kingdom—Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory,
British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands,
Gibraltar, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Isle of Man, Jersey, Montserrat,
Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, South Georgia and the South
Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands
15 United States—American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island,
Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands,
Navassa Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palmyra Atoll,
Puerto Rico, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Palau),
Virgin Islands, Wake Island
MISCELLANEOUS
7 Antarctica, Gaza Strip, Iraq-Saudi Arabia Neutral Zone,
Paracel Islands, Spratly Islands, West Bank, Western Sahara
OTHER ENTITIES 4 oceans—Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean 1 World === 247 total
Notes: The US Government has not acknowledged the incorporation of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania into the Soviet Union as constituent republics during World War II. These Baltic states are not members of the UN and are not included in the list of nations. The US Government does not recognize the four so-called "independent" homelands of Bophuthatswana, Ciskei, Transkei, and Venda in South Africa.
_#_Gross domestic product (GDP): The total value of all goods and services made within a country.
_#_Gross national product (GNP): The total value of all goods and services created within a country, plus income earned from investments abroad, minus income earned by foreigners from production within the country.
_#_GNP/GDP methodology: In the Economy section, the GNP/GDP dollar estimates for OECD countries, the USSR, and East European countries are derived from purchasing power parity (PPP) calculations instead of using official currency exchange rates. The PPP method typically employs international dollar price weights, which are applied to the quantities of goods and services produced in a specific economy. Besides the lack of reliable data from most countries, statisticians face significant challenges in specifying, identifying, and accounting for the quality of goods and services. Dividing a PPP GNP/GDP estimate in dollars by the corresponding estimate in the local currency yields the PPP conversion rate. One thousand dollars will purchase the same market basket of goods in the US as one thousand dollars converted to the local currency at the PPP conversion rate will buy in another country. Conversely, GNP/GDP estimates for LDCs are based on converting GNP/GDP estimates in local currencies to dollars at the official currency exchange rates. One caution: the percentage of defense expenditures relative to GNP/GDP in local currency estimates may differ significantly from the proportion when GNP/GDP is expressed in PPP terms, such as when someone estimates Soviet or Japanese military spending; similar issues arise when components are shown in dollars following currency exchange rate methods. Finally, as academic research advances on the PPP method, we aim to convert all GNP/GDP estimates to this method in future editions of the Factbook.
_#_Growth rate (population): The yearly percentage change in the population, resulting from more (or fewer) births than deaths and the net number of migrants coming into and leaving a country. The rate can be positive or negative.
_#_Illicit drugs: There are five categories of illicit drugs—narcotics, stimulants, depressants (sedatives), hallucinogens, and cannabis. These categories include many drugs that are legally produced and prescribed by doctors, as well as those that are illegally produced and sold outside of medical channels.
Cannabis (Cannabis sativa) is the common hemp plant that produces hallucinogens with some sedative effects, and it includes marijuana (weed, Acapulco gold, grass, reefer), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, Marinol), hashish (hash), and hashish oil (hash oil).
Coca (Erythroxylon coca) is a shrub, and its leaves contain the stimulant cocaine. Coca should not be confused with cocoa, which comes from cacao seeds and is used to make chocolate, cocoa, and cocoa butter.
Cocaine is a stimulant made from the leaves of the coca plant.
Depressants (sedatives) are drugs that lower tension and anxiety and include chloral hydrate, barbiturates (Amytal, Nembutal, Seconal, phenobarbital), benzodiazepines (Librium, Valium), methaqualone (Quaalude), glutethimide (Doriden), and others (Equanil, Placidyl, Valmid).
Drugs are any chemical substances that cause a change in a person's physical, mental, emotional, or behavioral state.
Drug abuse is the use of any legal or illegal chemical substance that leads to physical, mental, emotional, or behavioral issues in a person.
Hallucinogens are substances that influence sensations, thoughts, self-awareness, and emotions. They include LSD (acid, microdot), mescaline and peyote (mexc, buttons, cactus), amphetamine variants (PMA, STP, DOB), phencyclidine (PCP, angel dust, hog), phencyclidine analogues (PCE, PCPy, TCP), and others (psilocybin, psilocyn).
Hashish is the sticky resin from the cannabis or hemp plant
(Cannabis sativa).
Heroin is a semi-synthetic version of morphine.
Marijuana is the dried leaves of the cannabis or hemp plant
(Cannabis sativa).
Narcotics are drugs that relieve pain, often make you sleepy, and include opium, its derivatives, and synthetic alternatives. Natural narcotics consist of opium (paregoric, parepectolin), morphine (MS-Contin, Roxanol), codeine (Tylenol with codeine, Empirin with codeine, Robitussin A-C), and thebaine. Semisynthetic narcotics include heroin (horse, smack) and hydromorphone (Dilaudid). Synthetic narcotics encompass meperidine or pethidine (Demerol, Mepergan), methadone (Dolophine, Methadose), and others (Darvon, Lomotil).
Opium is the milky substance that oozes from the cut, unripe seedpod of the
opium poppy.
Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) is the source of many natural and
semisynthetic narcotics.
Poppy straw concentrate is the alkaloid sourced from the mature dried
opium poppy.
Qat (kat, khat) is a stimulant made from the buds or leaves of Catha edulis
that can be chewed or brewed as tea.
Stimulants are drugs that help with mild depression, boost energy and activity, and include cocaine (coke, snow, crack), amphetamines (Desoxyn, Dexedrine), phenmetrazine (Preludin), methylphenidate (Ritalin), and others (Cylert, Sanorex, Tenuate).
_#_Infant mortality rate: The number of deaths of infants under one year old in a given year per 1,000 live births that happen in the same year.
_#_Land use: Human use of the land surface is classified as arable land—land used for crops that are replanted after each harvest (like wheat, corn, rice); permanent crops—land used for crops that are not replanted after each harvest (such as citrus, coffee, rubber); meadows and pastures—land used permanently for forage crops; forest and woodland—land covered by dense or open stands of trees; and other—any land type not specifically mentioned above (like urban areas, roads, deserts). The percentage figure for irrigated land refers to the portion of the total land area that is artificially supplied with water.
_#_Leaders: The head of state is the official leader of the country who represents the state at official and ceremonial events but is not involved in the daily operations of the government. The head of government is the administrative leader who oversees the daily activities of the government. In the UK, the monarch is the head of state and the prime minister is the head of government. In the US, the President serves as both the head of state and the head of government.
_#_Life expectancy at birth: The average number of years that a group of people born in the same year is expected to live, assuming that the mortality rate at each age stays the same in the future.
_#_Literacy: There are no universal definitions or standards for literacy. Unless stated otherwise, all rates are based on the most common definition—the ability to read and write at a certain age. Detailing the standards that different countries use to evaluate reading and writing skills is beyond the scope of this publication.
_#_Maps: All maps will only be available in the printed version for the foreseeable future.
_#_Maritime claims: The closeness of neighboring countries might limit some national claims from being fully realized.
_#_Merchant marine: All ships involved in transporting goods. All commercial vessels (as opposed to nonmilitary ships), which excludes tugs, fishing boats, offshore oil rigs, and so on. Also, a classification of merchant ships based on nationality or registration.
Captive register—A register of ships managed by a territory, possession, or colony mainly or solely for the use of ships owned in the parent country. Also known as an offshore register, it serves as the offshore counterpart to an internal register. Ships on a captive register will fly the same flag as the parent country or a local variation of it but will follow the maritime laws and tax regulations of the offshore territory. Although a captive register is particularly appealing for ships owned in the parent country, similar to an internal register, these ships can also be owned from abroad. In this case, the captive register functions as a flag of convenience register, except that it is not the register of an independent state.
Flag of convenience register—A national register that allows a merchant ship not owned in the flag state to register. Major flags of convenience (FOC) attract ships to their register due to low fees, minimal or no taxation on profits, and flexible manning requirements. True FOC registers are marked by having relatively few ships registered that are actually owned in the flag state. Therefore, while almost any flag can be used for ships under specific circumstances, an FOC register is one where most of the merchant fleet is owned overseas. It is also called an open register.
Flag state—The country where a ship is registered and which has legal authority over the ship's operation, whether domestically or internationally. Variations in flag state maritime laws influence how a ship is staffed and taxed, and whether a foreign-owned ship can be registered.
Internal register—A register of ships kept as a part of a national register. Ships on the internal register fly the national flag and have that nationality but are governed by a different set of maritime rules than those on the main national register. These differences generally include lower taxes on profits, crewed by foreign nationals, and often, ownership based outside the flag state (when it operates as a FOC register). The Norwegian International Ship Register and Danish International Ship Register are the most notable examples of an internal register. Both have played a key role in preventing the shift from the national flag to flags of convenience and in attracting foreign-owned ships to the Norwegian and Danish flags.
Merchant ship—A boat that transports goods for a fee. Often used to refer to any nonmilitary ship but technically limited to commercial vessels only.
Register—The official record of a ship's ownership and nationality, maintained by the maritime authorities of a country. It also refers to the collection of registrations for individual ships. Registering a ship gives it a nationality and makes it subject to the laws of the country where it is registered (the flag state), regardless of who actually owns the ship.
_#_Money figures: All are expressed in current US dollars unless stated otherwise.
_#_Net migration rate: The difference between the number of people moving into and out of a country each year per 1,000 people (based on midyear population). More people entering the country is called net immigration (3.56 migrants/1,000 population); more people leaving the country is called net emigration (-9.26 migrants/1,000 population).
_#_Population: The numbers are estimates from the Bureau of the Census based on stats from population censuses, vital registration systems, or sample surveys related to the recent past, along with assumptions about future trends.
_#_Total fertility rate: The average number of children that would be born per woman if all women lived to the end of their childbearing years and had children according to a specific fertility rate at each age.
_#_Years: All year references are for the calendar year (CY) unless indicated as fiscal year (FY).
_#_Note: Information for the US and its territories was gathered from public domain sources and does not reflect estimates from the Intelligence Community.
The Handbook of Economic Statistics, published every September by the Central Intelligence Agency, offers detailed economic information for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, Eastern Europe, the USSR, and a few other selected countries. You can get the Handbook wherever The World Factbook is available.
THE WORLD FACTBOOK
_@Afghanistan *Geography #_Total area: 647,500 km²; land area: 647,500 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Texas
_#_Land boundaries: 5,826 km total; China 76 km, Iran 936 km, Pakistan 2,430 km, USSR 2,384 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Disputes: Pashtun issues with Pakistan; Baloch issues with Iran and Pakistan; ongoing disputes with Iran over Helmand water rights; insurgency involving both Iranian and Pakistani forces; long-standing tribal rivalries
_#_Climate: dry to semi-dry; cold winters and hot summers
_#_Terrain: mostly rough mountains; flat areas in the north and southwest
_#_Natural resources: natural gas, crude oil, coal, copper, talc, barite, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semi-precious stones
_#_Land use: arable land 12%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 46%; forest and woodland 3%; other 39%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: harmful earthquakes happen in the Hindu Kush mountains; soil degradation, desertification, overgrazing, deforestation, pollution
_#_Note: landlocked
_*People #_Population: US Bureau of the Census—16,450,304 (July 1991), growth rate 5.2% (1991) and excludes 3,750,796 refugees in Pakistan and 1,607,281 refugees in Iran; note—another report indicates a July 1990 population of 16,904,904, including 3,271,580 refugees in Pakistan and 1,277,700 refugees in Iran
_#_Birth rate: 44 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 20 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 28 migrants per 1,000 population (1991); note—there are flows across the border in both directions, but the data is incomplete and unreliable.
_#_Infant mortality rate: 164 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 44 years for males, 43 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.3 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Afghan(s); adjective—Afghan
_#_Ethnic divisions: Pashtun 50%, Tajik 25%, Uzbek 9%, Hazara 12-15%; minor ethnic groups include Chahar Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others.
_#_Religion: Sunni Muslim 84%, Shia Muslim 15%, other 1%
_#_Language: Pashto 50%, Dari 35%, Turkic languages (mainly Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (mostly Balochi and Pashai) 4%; a high level of bilingualism
_#_Literacy: 29% (male 44%, female 14%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 4,980,000; agriculture and animal husbandry 67.8%, industry 10.2%, construction 6.3%, commerce 5.0%, services and other 10.7%, (1980 est.)
_#_Organized labor: a few small unions under government control
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Afghanistan
_#_Type: authoritarian
_#_Capital: Kabul
_#_Administrative divisions: 30 provinces (velayat,
singular—velayat); Badakhshan, Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh,
Bamian, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghowr, Helmand,
Herat, Jowzjan, Kabul, Kandahar, Kapisa, Konar,
Kunduz, Laghman, Logar, Nangarhar, Nimroz, Oruzgan,
Paktia, Paktika, Parwan, Samangan, Sar-e Pol,
Takhar, Wardak, Zabul; note—there may be a new province of
Nurestan (Nuristan)
_#_Independence: August 19, 1919 (from the UK)
_#_Constitution: adopted November 30, 1987, revised May 1990
_#_Legal system: has not accepted mandatory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Anniversary of the Saur Revolution, April 27 (1978)
_#_Executive branch: president, four vice presidents, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly (Meli Shura) consists of an upper house or Council of Elders (Sena) and a lower house or Council of Representatives (Wolosi Jirga)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President (Mohammad)
NAJIBULLAH (Ahmadzai) (since November 30, 1987); First Vice President
Abdul Wahed SORABI (since January 7, 1991); Prime Minister Fazil Haq
KHALIQYAR (since May 21, 1990)
# Political parties and leaders: main party—Hizbi Watan Homeland Party (formerly known as the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan or PDPA); there are other, much smaller political parties recognized by the government
_#_Suffrage: universal, male ages 15-50
_#_Elections:
Senate—last held in April 1988 (next one scheduled for April 1991); results—Hizbi Watan was the only party; seats—(192 total, 128 elected) Hizbi Watan 128;
House of Representatives—last held in April 1988 (next to be held in April 1993); results—Hizbi Watan was the only party; seats—(234 total) Hizbi Watan 184, opposition 50; note—members may or may not be affiliated with a political party.
_#_Communists: The Hizbi Watan Homeland Party (previously known as the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan or PDPA) claims to have 200,000 members and no longer sees itself as a Communist party.
_#_Other political or pressure groups: the military and other branches of internal security have been restructured by the USSR; insurgency persists across the nation; there is widespread anti-regime sentiment and opposition based on religious and political reasons.
_#_Member of: AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO; note—Afghanistan was suspended from the OIC in January 1980, but in March 1989, the self-proclaimed Mujaheddin Government of Afghanistan was granted membership.
_#_Diplomatic representation: Minister-Counselor, Charge d'Affaires Abdul Ghafur JOUSHAN; Chancery at 2341 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 234-3770 or 3771;
US—Charge d'Affaires (vacant); Embassy at Ansari Wat, Wazir Akbar Khan Mina, Kabul; phone 62230 through 62235 or 62436; note—US Embassy in Kabul was closed in January 1989
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green with the national coat of arms placed on the left side of the black and red bands; similar to the flag of Malawi, which is shorter and has a bright, rising red sun centered in the black band.
_*Economy #_Overview: Essentially, Afghanistan is a very poor, landlocked country that relies heavily on agriculture (especially wheat) and raising livestock (sheep and goats). Economic issues, however, have taken a backseat to political and military chaos, including the nine-year Soviet military occupation (which ended on February 15, 1989) and the ongoing violent civil war. Over the past decade, about a third of the population has left the country, with Pakistan hosting around 3.3 million refugees and Iran about 1.3 million. Additionally, around 1 million people have likely relocated to urban areas within Afghanistan. Many bridges, buildings, and factories have been destroyed or damaged due to military actions or sabotage. Contrary to government claims, the gross domestic product is almost certainly lower than it was 10 years ago due to the loss of workforce and capital, as well as disruptions in trade and transportation.
# GDP: $3 billion, per person $200; actual growth rate 0% (1989 estimate)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): more than 92% (1990 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $1.2 billion; expenditures $4.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $306 million (FY91 est.)
_#_Exports: $236 million (f.o.b., FY90);
commodities—natural gas 55%, fruits and nuts 24%, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides, and pelts;
partners—mostly USSR and Eastern Europe
_#_Imports: $874 million (cost, insurance, and freight, FY90 estimate);
commodities—food and petroleum products;
partners—mostly USSR and Eastern Europe
_#_External debt: $2.3 billion (March 1991 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 8.1% (FY91 plan); makes up about 25% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 480,000 kW capacity; 1,470 million kWh produced, 100 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, and cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, oil, coal, copper
_#_Agriculture: mainly focused on subsistence farming and nomadic animal husbandry; cash crops—wheat, fruits, nuts, karakul pelts, wool, mutton
_#_Illicit drugs: an illegal producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade; the world's second-largest opium producer (after Burma) and a significant source of hashish.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $322 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $465 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $57 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $4.1 billion
_#_Currency: afghani (plural—afghanis); 1 afghani (Af) = 100 puls
_#_Exchange rates: afghanis (Af) per US$1—586 (March 1991)
_#_Fiscal year: 21 March-20 March
_*Communications
#_Railroads: 9.6 km (single track) 1.524-meter gauge from Kushka
(USSR) to Towraghondi and 15.0 km from Termez (USSR) to
Kheyrabad transshipment point on south bank of Amu Darya
_#_Highways: 21,000 km total (1984); 2,800 km paved, 1,650 km treated gravel and improved dirt, 16,550 km unpaved dirt and tracks
_#_Inland waterways: total navigable length 1,200 km; primarily the Amu Darya, which accommodates vessels up to about 500 metric tons
_#_Pipelines: petroleum, oil, and lubricants pipelines—USSR to Bagram and USSR to Shindand; natural gas, 180 km
_#_Ports: Shir Khan and Kheyrabad (river ports)
_Civil air: 2 TU-154, 2 Boeing 727, 4 Yak-40, various smaller transports_
_#_Airports: 40 total, 36 operational; 9 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 10 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 17 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: limited phone, telegraph, and radio broadcast services; television introduced in 1980; 31,200 phones; stations—5 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 satellite earth station
_*Defense Forces
#_Branches: Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, Special
Guard/National Guard, Border Guard Forces, National Police Force
(Sarandoi), Ministry of State Security (WAD), Tribal Militia
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 4,049,092; 2,171,757 eligible for military service; 166,135 turn 18 (military age) each year
_#Defense spending: $450 million, 15% of GDP (1990) % @Albania *Geography #_Total area: 28,750 km2; land area: 27,400 km2
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than Maryland
_#_Land boundaries: 768 km total; Greece 282 km, Yugoslavia 486 km
_#_Coastline: 362 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specified;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: Kosovo issue with Yugoslavia; Northern Epirus issue with Greece
_#_Climate: mild temperate; cool, cloudy, and wet winters; hot, clear, and dry summers; the interior is cooler and wetter
_#_Terrain: mainly mountains and hills; some small plains along the coast
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, timber, nickel
_#_Land use: arable land 21%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 15%; forest and woodland 38%; other 22%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: prone to destructive earthquakes; tsunamis happen along the southwestern coast; deforestation appears to be slowing down.
_#_Note: strategic location along the Strait of Otranto (connects the Adriatic Sea to the Ionian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea)
_*People #_Population: 3,335,044 (July 1991), growth rate 1.8% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 24 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 50 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 72 years for males, 79 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.9 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Albanian(s); adjective—Albanian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Albanian 90%, Greeks 8%, other 2% (Vlachs, Romani, Serbs, and Bulgarians) (1989 est.)
_#_Religion: all mosques and churches were closed in 1967, and religious practices were banned; in November 1990, Albania started allowing private religious practice and was looking into reversing the constitutional amendment that prohibited religious activities; estimates of religious affiliation—Muslim 70%, Greek Orthodox 20%, Roman Catholic 10%
_#_Language: Albanian (Tosk is the official dialect), Greek
_#_Literacy: 72% (male 80%, female 63%) aged 9 and above can read and write (1955)
_#_Labor force: 1,500,000 (1987); agriculture about 60%, industry and commerce 40% (1986)
_#_Organized labor: Central Council of Albanian Trade Unions, 610,000 members
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Albania
_#_Type: emerging democracy with significant Communist party influence; the basic law has removed all mentions of socialism
_#_Capital: Tirane
_#_Administrative divisions: 26 districts (rrethe, singular—rreth);
Berat, Diber, Durres, Elbasan, Fier, Gjirokaster, Gramsh,
Kolonje, Korce, Kruje, Kukes, Lezhe, Librazhd, Lushnje,
Mat, Mirdite, Permet, Pogradec, Puke, Sarande, Shkoder,
Skrapar, Tepelene, Tirane, Tropoje, Vlore
_#_Independence: November 28, 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire); The People's Socialist Republic of Albania was declared on January 11, 1946.
_#_Constitution: a temporary basic law was approved by the People's Assembly on April 29, 1991; a new constitution is set to be drafted for adoption in four to six months.
_#_Legal system: has not accepted mandatory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Liberation Day, November 29 (1944)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister of the Council of Ministers, one deputy prime minister of the Council of Ministers
_#_Legislative branch: one-chamber People's Assembly (Kuvendi Popullor)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President of the Republic Ramiz ALIA (since November 22, 1982);
Head of Government—Prime Minister of the interim Council of
Ministers Ylli BUFI (since June 5, 1991);
_#_Political parties and leaders: Albanian Workers Party (AWP),
Ramiz ALIA, first secretary;
Democratic Party (DP), Sali BERISHA, chairman and cofounder with
Gramoz PASHKO;
Albanian Republican Party, Sabri GODO;
Ecology Party, Namik HOTI;
Omonia (Greek minority party), leader NA;
Agrarian Party, leader NA;
note—in December 1990, President ALIA permitted the formation of new political parties alongside the AWP for the first time since 1944.
# Suffrage: universal and mandatory at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 30 April 1991 (next to be held spring 1992); results—President Ramiz ALIA was reelected with minimal opposition;
People's Assembly—last held on March 31, 1991 (next one scheduled for spring 1992); results—AWP 68%, DP 25%; seats—(250 total) preliminary results AWP 168, DP 75, Omonia 5, Veterans Association 1, other 1;
note—the AWP's votes primarily came from rural areas while the DP secured majorities in the six largest cities;
_#_Communists: 147,000 party members (November 1986); note—in March 1991, the Albanian Workers' Party declared that it no longer identified as Communist but instead as socialist.
_#_Member of: ECE, FAO, IAEA, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: the governments of the United States and Albania agreed to restore diplomatic relations effective March 15, 1991, and to exchange diplomatic missions at the ambassador level.
_#_Flag: red with a black two-headed eagle in the center below a red five-pointed star outlined in yellow
_*Economy #_Overview: As the poorest country in Europe, Albania's development is behind even the least favored areas of the Yugoslav economy. For over 40 years, the Stalinist-style economy has operated on the principles of central planning and state ownership of production. In recent years, Albania has introduced limited economic reforms to boost its struggling economy, offer incentives, and decentralize decision-making. In an effort to strengthen international ties, Tirane has restored diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union and the US. The Albanians have also enacted laws allowing foreign investment. Albania has significant mineral resources and, until 1990, was mostly self-sufficient in food; a few years of drought have hampered agricultural development. Numerical estimates of Albanian economic activity have a notably wide margin of error because the government has only recently begun to release economic information.
_#_GNP: $4.1 billion, per person $1,250; actual growth rate NA% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $2.3 billion; expenditures $2.3 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (1989)
_#_Exports: $378 million (f.o.b., 1987 est.);
commodities—asphalt, bitumen, petroleum products, metals and metallic ores, electricity, oil, vegetables, fruits, tobacco;
partners—Italy, Yugoslavia, Germany, Greece, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary
_#_Imports: $255 million (f.o.b., 1987 est.);
commodities—machinery, machine tools, iron and steel products, textiles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals;
partners—Italy, Yugoslavia, Germany, Czech Republic, Romania, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, East Germany
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA
_#_Electricity: 1,690,000 kW capacity; 5,000 million kWh produced, 1,530 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: food processing, textiles and apparel, lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, basic metals, hydropower
_#_Agriculture: arable land per person is among the lowest in Europe; half of the workforce is involved in farming; it produces a wide variety of crops and livestock suited to temperate climates; it asserts self-sufficiency in grain production.
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA (1988) $5.8 million
_#_Currency: lek (plural—leke); 1 lek (L) = 100 qintars
_#_Exchange rates: leke (L) per US$1—8.00 (noncommercial fixed rate since 1986), 4.14 (commercial fixed rate since 1987)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 543 km in total; 509 km of 1.435-meter standard gauge, single track, and 34 km of narrow gauge, single track (1990); the line connecting Titograd (Yugoslavia) and Shkoder (Albania) was completed in August 1986.
_#_Highways: 16,700 km total; 6,700 km of highways and roads, 10,000 km of forest and agricultural routes (1990)
_#_Inland waterways: 43 km plus Albanian sections of Lake Shkodra, Lake Ohrid, and Lake Prespa (1990)
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 145 km; refined products, 55 km; natural gas, 64 km (1988)
_#_Ports: Durres, Sarande, Vlore
_#_Merchant marine: 11 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or more) with a total of 52,886 GRT/75,993 DWT
_#_Airports: 12 in total, 10 operational; over 5 with paved runways; over 5 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 5 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: stations—17 AM, 1 FM, 9 TV; 246,000 TVs (1990); 210,000 radios
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Albanian People's Army, Albanian Coastal Defense Command, Air and Air Defense Force, Frontier Troops, Interior Troops
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 900,723; 743,594 eligible for military service; 33,497 reach military age (19) each year
_#Defense spending: 1.0 billion leks, NA% of GDP (FY90); note—converting defense spending into US dollars using the official administratively set exchange rate would give misleading results % @Algeria *Geography #_Total area: 2,381,740 km2; land area: 2,381,740 km2
_#_Comparative area: just under 3.5 times the size of Texas
_#_Land boundaries: 6,343 km total; Libya 982 km, Mali 1,376 km, Mauritania 463 km, Morocco 1,559 km, Niger 956 km, Tunisia 965 km, Western Sahara 42 km
_#_Coastline: 998 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: Libya claims approximately 19,400 km² in southeastern Algeria
_#_Climate: dry to semi-dry; mild, wet winters with hot, dry summers along the coast; drier with cold winters and hot summers on the high plateau; sirocco is a hot wind carrying dust and sand, especially common in the summer.
_#_Terrain: mainly high plateau and desert; a few mountains; narrow, uneven coastal plain
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc
_#_Land use: arable land 3%; permanent crops negligible%; meadows and pastures 13%; forest and woodland 2%; other 82%; includes irrigated negligible%
_#_Environment: mountainous regions prone to intense earthquakes; desertification
_#_Note: second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan)
_*People #_Population: 26,022,188 (July 1991), growth rate 2.5% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 32 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 57 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 66 years for males, 68 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.2 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Algerian(s); adjective—Algerian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1%
_#_Religion: Sunni Muslim (state religion) 99%, Christian and Jewish 1%
_#_Language: Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects
_#_Literacy: 50% (male 63%, female 36%) aged 15 and older can read and write (1987)
_#_Labor force: 3,700,000; industry and commerce 40%, agriculture 24%, government 17%, services 10% (1984)
_#_Organized labor: 16-19% of the workforce is represented; the General Union of Algerian Workers (UGTA) is the only labor organization and operates under the National Liberation Front.
_*Government #_Long-form name: Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Algiers
_#_Administrative divisions: 48 provinces (wilayat, singular—wilaya);
Adrar, Ain Defla, Ain Temouchent, Algiers, Annaba, Batna, Bechar,
Bejaia, Biskra, Blida, Bordj Bou Arreridj, Bouira, Boumerdes, Chlef,
Constantine, Djelfa, El Bayadh, El Oued, El Tarf, Ghardaia, Guelma,
Illizi, Jijel, Khenchela, Laghouat, Mascara, Medea, Mila, Mostaganem,
M'sila, Naama, Oran, Ouargla, Oum el Bouaghi, Relizane, Saida, Setif,
Sidi Bel Abbes, Skikda, Souk Ahras, Tamanghasset, Tebessa, Tiaret,
Tindouf, Tipaza, Tissemsilt, Tizi Ouzou, Tlemcen
_#_Independence: July 5, 1962 (from France)
_#_Constitution: November 19, 1976, effective November 22, 1976
_#_Legal system: socialist, based on French and Islamic law; judicial review of legislative acts in a special Constitutional Council made up of different public officials, including several Supreme Court justices; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Anniversary of the Revolution, November 1 (1954)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: one-chamber National People's Assembly (Al-Majlis Ech-Chaabi Al-Watani)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Supreme Court)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Chadli BENDJEDID (since February 7, 1979);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Sid Ahmed GHOZALI (since June 6, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: National Liberation Front (FLN), Chadli BENDJEDID, president; Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), Abassi MADANI; the government set up a multiparty system in September 1989 and by December 31, 1990, there were over 30 legal parties.
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held on December 22, 1988 (next to be held December 1993); results—President BENDJEDID was reelected without opposition;
National People's Assembly—last held on February 26, 1987 (next ones were supposed to be on June 27, 1991, but were postponed indefinitely due to civil unrest); results—FLN was the only party; seats—(281 total) FLN 281; note—the government held multiparty elections (municipal and wilaya) in June 1990, the first in Algerian history; results—FIS 55%, FLN 27.5%, other 17.5%, with 65% of voters participating.
_#_Communists: 400 (estimated); Communist Party banned in 1962
_#_Member of: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Abderrahmane BENSID; Chancery at 2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 328-5300;
US—Ambassador Christopher W. S. ROSS; Embassy at 4 Chemin Cheich
Bachir El-Ibrahimi, Algiers (mailing address is B. P. Box 549,
Alger-Gare, 16000 Algiers); phone [213] (2) 601-425 or 255, 186;
there is a US Consulate in Oran
_#_Flag: two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and white with a red five-pointed star inside a red crescent; the crescent, star, and green color are traditional symbols of Islam (the state religion)
_*Economy #_Overview: The exploitation of oil and natural gas products is the core of the economy. Algeria relies almost entirely on hydrocarbons for its export revenue, about 30% of government funding, and nearly 25% of GDP. In 1973-74, the sharp rise in oil prices led to an economic boom and supported an ambitious industrialization program. However, falling oil and gas prices, along with the mismanagement of Algeria's highly centralized economy, have pushed the country into its worst social and economic crisis since gaining independence. The government has promised significant reforms, including giving public-sector companies more independence, promoting private-sector growth, increasing gas and non-hydrocarbon exports, and proposing a major revamp of the banking and financial systems, but so far, progress has been minimal.
_#_GDP: $54 billion, per person $2,130; actual growth rate 2.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 16.6% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 26% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $16.7 billion; expenditures $17.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $6.6 billion (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $10.2 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—petroleum and natural gas 98%;
partners—Netherlands, Czech Republic, Romania, Italy, France, US
_#_Imports: $9.2 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—capital goods 29%, consumer goods 30%;
partners—France 25%, Italy 8%, Germany 8%, US 6-7%
_#_External debt: $26.6 billion (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate -3% (1989 est.); makes up 30% of GDP, including petroleum
_#_Electricity: 5,156,000 kW capacity; 14,900 million kWh produced, 580 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: oil, light manufacturing, natural gas, mining, electrical, petrochemicals, food processing
_#_Agriculture: makes up 11% of GDP and employs 24% of the workforce; net importer of food—grains, vegetable oil, and sugar; farm production includes wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus, fruits, sheep, and cattle.
# Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-85), $1.4 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $8.5 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $1.8 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $2.7 billion
_#_Currency: Algerian dinar (plural—dinars); 1 Algerian dinar (DA) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Algerian dinars (DA) per US$1—13.581 (January 1991), 8.958 (1990), 7.6086 (1989), 5.9148 (1988), 4.8497 (1987), 4.7023 (1986), 5.0278 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 4,146 km total; 2,632 km standard gauge (1.435 m), 1,258 km 1.055-meter gauge, 256 km 1.000-meter gauge; 300 km electrified; 215 km double track
_#_Highways: 80,000 km total; 60,000 km made of concrete or asphalt, 20,000 km of gravel, crushed stone, or unpaved earth
# Pipelines: crude oil, 6,612 km; refined products, 298 km; natural gas, 2,948 km
_#_Ports: Algiers, Annaba, Arzew, Bejaia, Jijel, Mers el Kebir, Mostaganem, Oran, Skikda
_#_Merchant marine: 75 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 903,179 GRT/1,063,994 DWT; includes 5 short-sea passenger ships, 27 cargo ships, 2 vehicle carriers, 10 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 5 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 9 liquefied gas tankers, 7 chemical tankers, 9 bulk carriers, and 1 specialized tanker.
_#_Civil air: 42 major transport planes
# Airports: 145 total, 134 usable; 53 with paved runways; 3 with runways longer than 3,659 m; 30 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 66 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: great domestic and international service in the north, limited in the south; 693,000 telephones; stations—26 AM, no FM, 113 TV; 1,550,000 TV sets; 3,500,000 receivers; 6 submarine cables; coaxial cable or radio relay to Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia; satellite ground stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Intersputnik, 1 ARABSAT, and 15 domestic
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Territorial Air Defense, National Gendarmerie
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 6,142,818; 3,780,873 eligible for military service; 293,175 reach military age (19) each year
_#Defense spending: $857 million, 1.8% of GDP (1991) % @American Samoa (US territory) *Geography #_Total area: 199 km2; land area: 199 km2
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 116 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical marine, influenced by southeast trade winds; annual rainfall averages 124 inches; rainy season is from November to April, and the dry season is from May to October; there is little variation in seasonal temperatures.
_#_Terrain: five volcanic islands with steep mountains and small coastal plains, two coral atolls
_#_Natural resources: pumice and pumicite
_#_Land use: arable land 10%; permanent crops 5%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 75%; other 10%
_#_Environment: typhoons are common from December to March
_#_Note: Pago Pago has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the South Pacific Ocean, protected by its shape from rough seas and shielded by surrounding mountains from strong winds; it’s strategically located about 3,700 km south-southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean, roughly halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand.
_*People #_Population: 43,052 (July 1991), growth rate 2.9% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 41 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 4 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 8 immigrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 11 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 69 years for males, 74 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 5.4 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—American Samoan(s); adjective—American Samoan
_#_Ethnic divisions: Samoan (Polynesian) 90%, Caucasian 2%, Tongan 2%, other 6%
_#_Religion: Christian Congregationalist 50%, Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant denominations and others 30%
_#_Language: Samoan (which is closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages) and English; most people speak both languages fluently.
_#_Literacy: 97% (male 97%, female 97%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1980)
_#_Labor force: 11,145; government 48%, tuna canneries 33%, other 19% (1986 est.)
_#_Organized labor: NA
_#_Note: about 65,000 American Samoans live in the states of California and Washington, and 20,000 in Hawaii.
_*Government #_Full name: Territory of American Samoa
_#_Type: unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US
_#_Capital: Pago Pago
_#_Administrative divisions: none (territory of the US)
_#_Independence: none (territory of the US)
_#_Constitution: ratified in 1966, effective in 1967
_#_National holiday: Flag Day, April 17 (1900)
_#_Executive branch: President of the U.S., governor, lieutenant governor
_#_Legislative branch: the bicameral Legislative Assembly (Fono) includes an upper house, known as the Senate, and a lower house, called the House of Representatives.
_#_Judicial branch: High Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President George BUSH (since January 20, 1989);
Vice President Dan QUAYLE (since January 20, 1989);
Head of Government—Governor Peter Tali COLEMAN (since January 20, 1989);
Lieutenant Governor Galea'i POUMELE (since NA 1989)
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18; indigenous inhabitants are US nationals, not US citizens
_#_Elections:
Governor—last held November 7, 1988 (next to be held November 1992); results—Peter T. COLEMAN was elected (percent of vote N/A);
Senate—last held on November 7, 1988 (next one to be held in November 1992); results—senators elected by county councils from 12 senate districts; seats—(18 total) number of seats by party NA;
House of Representatives—last held in November 1990 (next will be held in November 1992); results—representatives elected by popular vote from 17 house districts; seats—(21 total, 20 elected and 1 nonvoting delegate from Swain's Island);
US House of Representatives—last held November 19, 1990 (next to be held November 1992); results—Eni R. F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA reelected as a nonvoting delegate
_#_Communists: none
_#_Member of: IOC, SPC
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (part of the US)
_#_Flag: blue with a white triangle outlined in red that starts at the fly side and extends to the hoist side; a brown and white American bald eagle flying toward the hoist side is carrying two traditional Samoan symbols of authority, a staff and a war club.
_#_Note: administered by the US Department of Interior, Office of Territorial and International Affairs; indigenous inhabitants are US nationals, not US citizens.
_*Economy #_Overview: Economic development is closely tied to the US, as American Samoa conducts 90% of its foreign trade with it. Tuna fishing and tuna processing plants are the foundation of the private-sector economy, with canned tuna being the main export. The tuna canneries are the second-largest employers, just behind the government. Other economic activities include meat canning, handicrafts, dairy farming, and a gradually growing tourism industry.
_#_GNP: $190 million, per person $5,210; actual growth rate NA% (1985)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.3% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 13.4% (1986)
_#_Budget: revenues $51.2 million; expenditures $59.9 million, including capital expenditures of $NA million (1990)
_#_Exports: $288 million (f.o.b., 1987);
commodities—canned tuna 93%;
partners—US 99.6%
_#_Imports: $346 million (c.i.f., 1987);
commodities—building materials 18%, food 17%, petroleum products 14%;
partners—US 72%, Japan 7%, NZ 7%, Australia 5%, other 9%
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 42,000 kW capacity; 85 million kWh produced, 2,020 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: tuna canneries (mainly relying on foreign sources of raw tuna)
_#_Agriculture: bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra, pineapples, papayas
_#_Economic aid: $21,042,650 million in operational funds and $5,948,931 million in construction funds for capital improvement projects from the US Department of Interior (1991)
_#_Currency: US currency is used
_#_Exchange rates: The US dollar is used
_#_Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
_*Communications #_Railroads: none
_#_Highways: 350 km total; 150 km paved, 200 km unpaved
_#_Ports: Pago Pago, Ta'u
_#_Airports: 4 total, 4 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440 to 3,659 m (international airport at Tafuna, near Pago Pago); small airstrips on Ta'u and Ofu
_#_Telecommunications: 6,500 phones; stations—1 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; good telex, telegram, and fax services; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station, 1 COMSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the US % @Andorra *Geography #_Total area: 450 km²; land area: 450 km²
_#_Comparative area: just over 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: 125 km total; France 60 km, Spain 65 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Climate: mild; snowy, cold winters and cool, dry summers
_#_Terrain: rough mountains split by narrow valleys
_#_Natural resources: hydropower, bottled water, lumber, iron ore, lead
_#_Land use: arable land 2%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 56%; forest and woodland 22%; other 20%
_#_Environment: deforestation, overgrazing
_#_Note: landlocked
_*People #_Population: 53,197 (July 1991), growth rate 2.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 11 births per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 4 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 16 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 74 years for males, 81 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.3 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Andorran(s); adjective—Andorran
_#_Ethnic divisions: Catalan descent; Spanish 61%, Andorran 30%, French 6%, other 3%
_#_Religion: virtually all Roman Catholic
_#_Language: Catalan (official); many people also speak some French and Spanish.
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: NA
_#_Organized labor: none
_*Government #_Long-form name: Principality of Andorra
_#_Type: unique coprincipality under the formal sovereignty of the President of France and the Spanish bishop of Seo de Urgel, who are represented locally by officials called verguers.
_#_Capital: Andorra la Vella
_#_Administrative divisions: 7 parishes (parroquies, singular—parroquia); Andorra, Canillo, Encamp, La Massana, Les Escaldes, Ordino, Sant Julia de Loria
_#_Independence: 1278
_#_Constitution: none; some peerages and regulations, mostly tradition and practice
_#_Legal system: based on French and Spanish civil codes; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Our Lady of Meritxell, September 8
_#_Executive branch: two co-princes (President of France, Bishop of Seo de Urgel in Spain), two appointed representatives (French veguer, Episcopal veguer), two permanent delegates (French prefect for the department of Pyrénées-Orientales, Spanish vicar general for the Seo de Urgel diocese), President of Government, Executive Council
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber General Council of the Valleys (Consell General de les Valls)
_#_Judicial branch: civil cases—Supreme Court of Andorra at Perpignan (France) or the Ecclesiastical Court of the bishop of Seo de Urgel (Spain); criminal cases—Tribunal of the Courts (Tribunal des Cortes)
_#_Leaders:
Chiefs of State—French Co-Prince Francois MITTERRAND (since May 21, 1981), represented by Veguer de Franca Jean Pierre COURTOIS; Spanish Episcopal Co-Prince Mgr. Joan MARTI y Alanis (since January 31, 1971), represented by Veguer Episcopal Francesc BADIA Batalla;
Head of Government—Oscar RIBAS Reig (since N/A January 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: political parties not yet legally recognized; traditionally no political parties, but supporters of individual independent candidates for the General Council based on their skills, personality, and stance toward Spain or France; several small pressure groups emerged in 1972; the first formal political party, the Andorran Democratic Association, was established in 1976 and reorganized in 1979 as the Andorran Democratic Party.
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
General Council of the Valleys—last held December 11, 1989 (next to be held December 1993); results—percentage of vote NA; seats—(28 total) number of seats by party NA
_#_Communists: negligible
_#_Member of: CSCE, INTERPOL, IOC
_#_Diplomatic representation: Andorra doesn't have an embassy in the US;
US—includes Andorra in the Barcelona (Spain) Consular District and the US Consul General visits Andorra regularly; Consul General Ruth A. DAVIS; Consulate General at Via Layetana 33, Barcelona 3, Spain (mailing address APO NY 09286); phone [34] (3) 319-9550
_#_Flag: three equal vertical bands of blue (next to the flagpole), yellow, and red with the national coat of arms centered in the yellow band; the coat of arms has a divided shield; it's similar to the flags of Chad and Romania, which do not have a national coat of arms in the center.
_*Economy #_Overview: The backbone of Andorra's economy is tourism. About 12 million tourists visit each year, drawn by Andorra's duty-free status and its summer and winter resorts. Agricultural production is restricted due to a lack of arable land, so most food needs to be imported. The main livestock activity is sheep farming. Manufacturing is primarily focused on cigarettes, cigars, and furniture. The quick pace of European economic integration poses a potential threat to Andorra's benefits from its duty-free status.
_#_GDP: $727 million, per person $14,000; real growth rate NA% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: none
_#_Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
_#_Exports: $0.017 million (f.o.b., 1986);
commodities—electricity;
partners—France, Spain
_#_Imports: $531 million (f.o.b., 1986);
commodities—consumer goods, food;
partners—France, Spain
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 35,000 kW capacity; 140 million kWh produced, 2,800 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: tourism (especially skiing), sheep farming, timber, tobacco, smuggling, banking
_#_Agriculture: raising sheep; small amounts of tobacco, rye, wheat, barley, oats, and some vegetables
_#_Economic aid: none
_#_Currency: French franc (plural—francs) and Spanish peseta (plural—pesetas); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes and 1 Spanish peseta (Pta) = 100 centimos
_#_Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1—5.1307 (January 1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985); Spanish pesetas (Ptas) per US$1—95.20 (January 1991), 101.93 (1990), 118.38 (1989), 116.49 (1988), 123.48 (1987), 140.05 (1986), 170.04 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 96 km
_#_Telecommunications: global digital microwave network; international landline connections to France and Spain; stations—1 AM, no FM, no TV; 17,700 phones
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of France and Spain % @Angola *Geography #_Total area: 1,246,700 km²; land area: 1,246,700 km²
_#_Comparative area: just under two times the size of Texas
_#_Land boundaries: 5,198 km total; Congo 201 km, Namibia 1,376 km, Zaire 2,511 km, Zambia 1,110 km
_#_Coastline: 1,600 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 20 nm
_#_Disputes: civil war since independence on November 11, 1975; on May 31, 1991, Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos SANTOS and Jonas SAVIMBI, leader of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), signed a peace treaty that calls for multiparty elections between September and November 1992, an internationally monitored cease-fire, and the end of outside military assistance.
_#_Climate: semi-arid in the south and along the coast to Luanda; the north has a cool, dry season (May to October) and a hot, rainy season (November to April)
_#_Terrain: a narrow coastal plain suddenly rises to a vast interior plateau
_#_Natural resources: oil, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold, bauxite, uranium
_#_Land use: arable land 2%; permanent crops negligible; meadows and pastures 23%; forest and woodland 43%; other 32%
_#_Environment: local heavy rainfall leads to occasional flooding on the plateau; desertification
_#_Note: Cabinda is cut off from the rest of the country by Zaire
_*People #_Population: 8,668,281 (July 1991), growth rate 2.7% (1991)
# Birth rate: 47 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 20 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 151 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 42 years for males, 46 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.7 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Angolan(s); adjective—Angolan
_#_Ethnic divisions: Ovimbundu 37%, Kimbundu 25%, Bakongo 13%, Mestico 2%, European 1%, other 22%
_#_Religion: Indigenous beliefs 47%, Roman Catholic 38%, Protestant 15% (estimated)
_#_Language: Portuguese (official); several Bantu dialects
_#_Literacy: 42% (male 56%, female 28%) of people age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 2,783,000 people are economically active; agriculture 85%, industry 15% (1985 est.)
_#_Organized labor: about 450,695 (1980)
_*Government #_Full name: People's Republic of Angola
_#_Type: in transition from a one-party Marxist state to a multiparty democracy with a strong presidential system
_#_Capital: Luanda
_#_Administrative divisions: 18 provinces (provincias, singular—provincia); Bengo, Benguela, Bie, Cabinda, Cuando Cubango, Cuanza Norte, Cuanza Sul, Cunene, Huambo, Huila, Luanda, Lunda Norte, Lunda Sul, Malanje, Moxico, Namibe, Uige, Zaire
_#_Independence: November 11, 1975 (from Portugal)
_#_Constitution: November 11, 1975; revised January 7, 1978, August 11, 1980, and March 6, 1991
_#_Legal system: based on the Portuguese civil law system and customary law; recently updated to support multiparty democracy and more use of free markets
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, November 11, 1975
_#_Executive branch: president, chair of the Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber People's Assembly (Assembleia do Povo)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Tribunal da Relação)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Jose Eduardo dos
SANTOS (since September 21, 1979)
_#_Political parties and leaders: there is only one party—the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola-Labor Party (MPLA), led by Jose Eduardo dos SANTOS—though others are anticipated to form as the legalization of a multiparty system moves forward; the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) was defeated by the MPLA and Cuban military forces in the immediate post-independence conflict, but it will be acknowledged as a legal party.
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections: the first nationwide, multiparty elections will take place between September and November 1992
_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, CEEAC (observer), ECA, FAO,
FLS, G-77, ICAO, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU,
LORCS, NAM, OAU, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: none
_#_Flag: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and black with a centered yellow emblem featuring a five-pointed star inside half a cogwheel crossed by a machete (similar to a hammer and sickle)
_*Economy #_Overview: Subsistence farming is the main source of income for 80 to 90% of the population, but it contributes to less than 15% of GDP. Oil production is the most profitable sector of the economy, making up about 50% of GDP. However, in recent years, the effects of fighting an internal war have significantly impacted the non-oil economy, leading to a need for food imports. In the long run, Angola has the benefit of abundant natural resources, particularly gold, diamonds, and farmland. To achieve its economic potential, Angola not only needs to maintain domestic peace but also to reform government policies that have caused distortions and imbalances in the economy.
_#_GDP: $7.9 billion, per capita $925; real growth rate 2.0% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 23.2% (1988)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $2.6 billion; expenditures $4.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $963 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $3.8 billion (f.o.b., estimated for 1990);
commodities—oil, liquefied petroleum gas, diamonds, coffee, sisal, fish and seafood products, timber, cotton;
partners—US, USSR, Cuba, Portugal, Brazil, France
_#_Imports: $1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—capital equipment (machinery and electrical equipment), food, vehicles and spare parts, textiles and clothing, medicines; significant military deliveries;
partners—US, USSR, Cuba, Portugal, Brazil
_#_External debt: $7.0 billion (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate N/A; accounts for about 60% of GDP, including oil production
_#_Electricity: 506,000 kW capacity; 770 million kWh produced, 90 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: oil, diamonds, mining, seafood processing, food processing, brewing, tobacco, sugar, textiles, cement, basic metal products
_#_Agriculture: cash crops—coffee, sisal, corn, cotton, sugar, manioc, tobacco; food crops—cassava, corn, vegetables, plantains, bananas; livestock production makes up 20%, fishing 4%, forestry 2% of total agricultural output; disruptions from civil war and marketing issues necessitate food imports
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $265 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1,005 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $1.3 billion
_#_Currency: kwanza (plural—kwanza); 1 kwanza (Kz) = 100 lwei
_#_Exchange rates: kwanza (Kz) per US$1—29.62 (fixed rate since 1976)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 3,189 km total; 2,879 km 1.067-meter gauge, 310 km 0.600-meter gauge; limited tracks in use due to insurgent attacks; sections of the Benguela Railroad closed because of insurgency
_#_Highways: 73,828 km total; 8,577 km with asphalt surfaces, 29,350 km made of crushed stone, gravel, or upgraded earth, with the rest being unpaved earth.
_#_Inland waterways: 1,295 km navigable
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 179 km
_#_Ports: Luanda, Lobito, Namibe, Cabinda
_#_Merchant marine: 12 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 66,348 GRT/102,825 DWT; includes 11 cargo ships and 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker
_Civil air: 27 major transport planes_
_#_Airports: 315 total, 183 usable; 28 with paved runways; 1 with runways longer than 12,000 feet; 13 with runways between 8,000-12,000 feet; 58 with runways between 4,000-8,000 feet.
_#_Telecommunications: a fair network of wired, radio relay, and troposcatter routes; high frequency is widely used for military and Cuban communications; 40,300 telephones; stations include 17 AM, 13 FM, and 2 TV; 2 INTELSAT earth stations in the Atlantic Ocean
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force/Air Defense, People's Defense Organization and Territorial Troops, Frontier Guard
_#_Manpower availability: males ages 15-49, 2,080,837; 1,047,500 eligible for military service; 92,430 turn 18 and reach military age each year.
_#Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP % @Anguilla (dependent territory of the UK) *Geography #_Total area: 91 km²; land area: 91 km²
_#_Comparative area: roughly half the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 61 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds
_#_Terrain: flat and low-lying island made of coral and limestone
_#_Natural resources: minimal; salt, fish, lobster
_#_Land use: arable land NA%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures NA%; forest and woodland NA%; other NA%; mostly rock with sparse scrub oak, few trees, some commercial salt ponds
_#_Environment: frequent hurricanes and other tropical storms (July to October)
_#_Note: located 270 km east of Puerto Rico
_*People #_Population: 6,922 (July 1991), growth rate 0.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 24 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 9 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 10 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 18 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 71 years for males, 77 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.1 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Anguillan(s); adjective—Anguillan
_#_Ethnic divisions: primarily of Black African descent
_#_Religion: Anglican 40%, Methodist 33%, Seventh-Day Adventist 7%, Baptist 5%, Roman Catholic 3%, other 12%
_#_Language: English (official)
_#_Literacy: 95% (male 95%, female 95%) of people age 12 and older can read and write (1984)
_#_Labor force: 2,780 (1984)
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: dependent territory of the UK
_#_Capital: The Valley
_#_Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Independence: none (a territory that depends on the UK)
_#_Constitution: 1 April 1982
_#_Legal system: based on English common law
_#_National holiday: Anguilla Day, May 30
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor, prime minister, Executive Council (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber House of Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: High Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952), represented by Governor Brian G. J. CANTY (since NA 1989);
Head of Government—Chief Minister Emile GUMBS (since NA March 1984, previously served from February 1977 to May 1980)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Anguilla National Alliance (ANA), Emile GUMBS;
Anguilla United Party (AUP), Ronald WEBSTER;
Anguilla Democratic Party (ADP), Victor BANKS
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
House of Assembly—last held on February 27, 1989 (next one scheduled for February 1994); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(11 total, 7 elected) ANA 3, AUP 2, ADP 1, independent 1
_#_Communists: none
_#_Member of: CARICOM (observer), CDB
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Flag: two horizontal bands of white (top, almost three times wider) and light blue with three orange dolphins in a circular interlocking design centered in the white band; a new flag may have been in use since May 30, 1990
_*Economy #_Overview: Anguilla has limited natural resources, and the economy relies primarily on lobster fishing, offshore banking, tourism, and money sent back by emigrants. Recently, the economy has seen growth due to a surge in tourism. Plans are in place to enhance the infrastructure, especially in transportation and tourist amenities, as well as light industry. Economic improvements have lowered unemployment from 40% in 1984 to around 5% in 1988.
_GDP: $23 million, per person $3,300; actual growth rate 8.2% (1988 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.5% (estimated for 1988)
_#_Unemployment rate: 5.0% (1988 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $10.4 million; expenditures $11.0 million, including capital expenditures of $1.1 million (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $NA;
commodities—lobster and salt;
partners—NA
_#_Imports: $NA;
commodities—NA;
partners —NA
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 2,000 kW capacity; 6 million kWh produced, 870 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, boat manufacturing, salt production, fishing (including lobster)
_#_Agriculture: pigeon peas, corn, sweet potatoes, sheep, goats, pigs, cattle, poultry
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, Official Development Assistance (ODA) and Other Official Flows (OOF) bilateral commitments (1970-89), $38 million
_#_Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural—dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1—2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
_#_Fiscal year: NA
_*Communications #_Highways: 60 km surfaced
_#_Ports: Road Bay, Blowing Point
_#_Civil air: no major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 3 total, 3 usable; 1 with paved runways of 1,100 m (Wallblake Airport)
_#_Telecommunications: modern internal phone system; 890 phones; stations—3 AM, 1 FM, no TV; radio relay link to the island of Saint Martin
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK % @Antarctica *Geography #_Total area: approximately 14,000,000 km2; land area: approximately 14,000,000 km2
_#_Comparative area: a little less than 1.5 times the size of the US; second-smallest continent (after Australia)
_#Land boundaries: see entry on #_Disputes
_#_Coastline: 17,968 km
_#Maritime claims: see entry on #_Disputes
_#_Disputes: The Antarctic Treaty puts off any claims (see Antarctic Treaty Summary below); sections (some overlapping) are claimed by Argentina, Australia, Chile, France (Adelie Land), New Zealand (Ross Dependency), Norway (Queen Maud Land), and the UK; Brazil has acknowledged potential claims from Latin countries; the US and USSR do not acknowledge the territorial claims of other nations and haven't made claims of their own (but reserve the right to do so); no formal claims have been made in the area between 90° west and 150° west.
_#_Climate: extreme low temperatures range based on latitude, elevation, and distance from the ocean; East Antarctica is colder than West Antarctica due to its higher elevation; the Antarctic Peninsula has the most moderate climate; the warmest temperatures happen in January along the coast and average just below freezing.
_#_Terrain: about 98% covered by a thick continental ice sheet, with average elevations ranging from 2,000 to 4,000 meters; mountain ranges reaching heights of up to 4,897 meters; ice-free coastal areas include parts of southern Victoria Land, Wilkes Land, the Antarctic Peninsula, and Ross Island in McMurdo Sound; glaciers create ice shelves along about half of the coastline, and floating ice shelves account for 11% of the continent's area.
_#_Natural resources: none currently exploited; coal and iron ore; chromium, copper, gold, nickel, platinum, and hydrocarbons have been found in small non-commercial quantities.
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; pastures 0%; meadows and forest and woodland 0%; other 100% (ice 98%, barren rock 2%)
_#_Environment: mostly unlivable; katabatic (gravity) winds blow towards the coast from the high interior; frequent blizzards occur near the base of the plateau; cyclonic storms develop over the ocean and move clockwise around the coast, along with a circumpolar ocean current; during summer, more solar radiation hits the surface at the South Pole than at the Equator in the same time frame; in April 1991, it was reported that the ozone layer, which protects the Earth's surface from harmful ultraviolet radiation, had shrunk to its lowest level ever over Antarctica; subject to active volcanism (like Deception Island and isolated areas of West Antarctica); other seismic activity is rare and weak.
_#_Note: the coldest, windiest, highest, and driest continent
_*People #_Population: no native residents; the staff at research stations changes with the seasons;
Summer (January) population—4,120; Argentina 207, Australia 268,
Belgium 13, Brazil 80, Chile 256, China NA, Ecuador NA, Finland 16,
France 78, Germany 32, Greenpeace 12, India 60, Italy 210, Japan 59,
South Korea 14, Netherlands 10, NZ 264, Norway 23, Peru 39, Poland NA,
South Africa 79, Spain 43, Sweden 10, UK 116, Uruguay NA, US 1,666,
USSR 565 (1989-90);
Winter (July) population—1,066 total; Argentina 150, Australia
71, Brazil 12, Chile 73, China NA, France 33, Germany 19, Greenpeace 5,
India 21, Japan 38, South Korea 14, NZ 11, Poland NA, South Africa 12,
UK 69, Uruguay NA, US 225, USSR 313 (1989-90);
Year-round stations—42 in total: Argentina 6, Australia 3, Brazil 1,
Chile 3, China 2, France 1, Germany 2, Greenpeace 1, India 2, Japan 2,
South Korea 1, New Zealand 1, Poland 1, South Africa 1, UK 5, Uruguay 1, US 3,
USSR 6 (1990-91);
Summer only stations—34 total; Argentina 1, Australia 3, Chile 5,
Finland 1, Germany 4, India 1, Italy 1, Japan 1, NZ 2, Norway 1,
Peru 1, South Africa 1, Spain 1, Sweden 2, UK 1, US 3, USSR 5 (1989-90)
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: The Antarctic Treaty, signed on December 1, 1959, and effective from June 23, 1961, created a legal framework for at least 30 years focused on peaceful use, scientific research, and deferring legal issues about territorial claims. Administration is done through meetings of the consultative members—the most recent meeting took place in Madrid (Spain) in April 1991.
Consultative (voting) members consist of seven countries that assert claims over parts of Antarctica as their national territory (some of these claims overlap) along with non-claimant nations. The US and other countries have not made any claims but have kept the option to do so. The US does not acknowledge the claims of others. The year in parentheses shows when a country was granted full consultative (voting) status, while no date signifies an original 1959 treaty signatory. The countries with claims are—Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, and the UK. Non-claimant consultative nations include—Belgium, Brazil (1983), China (1985), Ecuador (1990), Finland (1989), Germany (1981), India (1983), Italy (1987), Japan, South Korea (1989), Netherlands (1990), Peru (1989), Poland (1977), South Africa, Spain (1988), Sweden (1988), Uruguay (1985), the US, and the USSR.
Acceding (non-voting) members, with the year they joined in parentheses, are—Austria (1987), Bulgaria (1978), Canada (1988), Colombia (1988), Cuba (1984), Czechoslovakia (1962), Denmark (1965), Greece (1987), Hungary (1984), North Korea (1987), Papua New Guinea (1981), Romania (1971), and Switzerland (1990).
Antarctic Treaty Summary:
Article 1—this area is designated for peaceful purposes only; military activities, including weapons testing, are not allowed, but military personnel and equipment may be utilized for peaceful scientific and logistics purposes;
Article 2—freedom of scientific research and collaboration shall continue;
Article 3—free sharing of information and personnel in collaboration with the UN and other international organizations;
Article 4—does not recognize, dispute, or establish territorial claims, and no new claims can be made while the treaty is active;
Article 5—prohibits nuclear explosions and the disposal of radioactive waste;
Article 6—includes under the treaty all land and ice shelves south of 60° 00' 19" south, but that the water areas be covered by international law;
Article 7—treaty-state observers have unrestricted access, including aerial observation, to any area and can inspect all stations, installations, and equipment; prior notice of all activities and the deployment of military personnel must be provided;
Article 8—allows for jurisdiction over observers and scientists by their own countries;
Article 9—regular meetings for consultation happen among member countries;
Article 10—Treaty states will discourage any activities by countries in Antarctica that go against the treaty;
Article 11—disputes should be resolved peacefully by the involved parties or, if necessary, by the ICJ;
Articles 12, 13, 14—focus on maintaining, explaining, and changing the treaty among the participating countries.
Other agreements: over 150 recommendations adopted at treaty consultative meetings and approved by governments include—Agreed Measures for the Conservation of Antarctic Fauna and Flora (1964); Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (1972); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (1980); a mineral resources agreement was signed in 1988 but was later rejected by some signatories and is expected to be replaced in 1991 by a comprehensive environmental protection agreement that delays minerals development for an extended period.
_*Economy #_Overview: Currently, there is no significant economic activity aside from fishing along the coast and limited tourism, primarily from foreign visitors. The extraction of mineral resources is not expected to happen due to technical challenges, high expenses, and opposition from environmental activists.
_*Communications #_Airports: 37 total; 27 available; none with permanent paved runways; 2 with runways longer than 3,659 m; 5 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
_*Defense Forces #Note: none; Article 7 of the Antarctic Treaty states that advance notice of all activities and the introduction of military personnel must be given % @Antigua and Barbuda *Geography #_Total area: 440 km²; land area: 440 km²; includes Redonda
_#_Comparative area: just under 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 153 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical marine; minimal seasonal temperature variation
_#_Terrain: mainly flat limestone and coral islands with a few elevated volcanic regions
_#_Natural resources: minimal; nice weather encourages tourism
_#_Land use: arable land 18%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 7%; forest and woodland 16%; other 59%
_#_Environment: affected by hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); limited freshwater resources; a deeply indented coastline offers many natural harbors
_#_Note: 420 km east-southeast of Puerto Rico
_*People #_Population: 63,917 (July 1991), growth rate 0.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 18 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 9 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 22 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 70 years for males, 74 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.7 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Antiguan(s); adjective—Antiguan
_#_Ethnic divisions: primarily of black African descent; with some from British, Portuguese, Lebanese, and Syrian backgrounds.
_#_Religion: Anglican (main), other Protestant groups, some Roman Catholic
_#_Language: English (official), local dialects
_#_Literacy: 89% (male 90%, female 88%) aged 15 and over who have completed 5 or more years of schooling (1960)
_#_Labor force: 30,000; commerce and services 82%, agriculture 11%, industry 7% (1983)
_#_Organized labor: Antigua and Barbuda Public Service Association (ABPSA), with 500 members; Antigua Trades and Labor Union (ATLU), with 10,000 members; Antigua Workers Union (AWU), with 10,000 members (1986 est.)
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: parliamentary democracy
_#_Capital: Saint John's
_#_Administrative divisions: 6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*, Redonda*, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Philip
_#_Independence: November 1, 1981 (from the UK)
_#_Constitution: 1 November 1981
_#_Legal system: based on English common law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, November 1 (1981)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: the bicameral Parliament is made up of an upper house, known as the Senate, and a lower house, called the House of Representatives.
_#_Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Wilfred Ebenezer JACOBS (since November 1, 1981, previously Governor since 1976);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Vere Cornwall BIRD, Sr. (since
NA 1976)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Antigua Labor Party (ALP), Vere C. BIRD, Sr., Lester BIRD; United National Democratic Party (UNDP), Dr. Ivor HEATH
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
House of Representatives—last held 9 March 1989 (next to be held in 1994); results—percentage of vote by party N/A; seats—(17 total) ALP 15, UNDP 1, independent 1
_#_Communists: negligible
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Antigua Caribbean Liberation Movement (ACLM), a small leftist nationalist group led by Leonard (Tim) HECTOR; Antigua Trades and Labor Union (ATLU), led by Noel THOMAS
_#_Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WCL, WHO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Edmund Hawkins LAKE; Chancery at Suite 2H, 3400 International Drive NW, Washington DC 20008; phone (202) 362-5211 or 5166, 5122, 5225; there is an Antiguan Consulate in Miami;
US—the US Ambassador to Barbados is also responsible for Antigua and
Barbuda, and when he's unavailable, the Embassy is led by Charge d'Affaires
Bryant SALTER; Embassy located at Queen Elizabeth Highway, Saint John's
(mail address is FPO Miami 34054); phone (809) 462-3505 or 3506
_#_Flag: red with an inverted isosceles triangle based on the top edge of the flag; the triangle contains three horizontal bands of black (top), light blue, and white with a yellow rising sun in the black band
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is mainly based on services, with tourism being the key factor affecting economic performance. Between 1983 and 1989, real GDP grew at an annual average rate of around 7%. Tourism's share of GDP, as indicated by value added tax in hotels and restaurants, increased from about 14% in 1983 to 16% in 1989, and led to growth in other sectors—especially in construction, communications, and public utilities. Antigua and Barbuda is one of the few places in the Caribbean facing a labor shortage in certain areas of the economy.
# GDP: $350 million, per person $5,470 (1989); actual growth rate 3.0% (1991 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7% (1990 estimate)
_#_Unemployment rate: 5.0% (1988 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $92.8 million; expenditures $101 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $33.2 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—petroleum products 48%, manufactured goods 23%, food and live animals 4%, machinery and transport equipment 17%;
partners—OECS 26%, Barbados 15%, Guyana 4%, Trinidad and Tobago 2%, US 0.3%
_#_Imports: $358.2 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities—food and live animals, machinery and transportation equipment, manufactured goods, chemicals, oil;
partners—US 27%, UK 16%, Canada 4%, OECS 3%, others 50%
_#_External debt: $250 million (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 3% (1989 est.); accounts for 9% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 52,000 kW capacity; 95 million kWh produced, 1,490 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, home appliances)
_#_Agriculture: makes up 4% of GDP; increasing production of cotton, fruits, vegetables, and livestock; other crops include bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, and sugarcane; not self-sufficient in food.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, $10 million (1985-88); Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $45 million
_#_Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural—dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1—2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Railroads: 64 km of 0.760-meter narrow gauge and 13 km of 0.610-meter gauge used almost exclusively for transporting sugarcane
_#_Highways: 240 km
_#_Ports: Saint John's
_#_Merchant marine: 86 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 319,477 GRT/497,194 DWT; includes 61 cargo ships, 5 refrigerated cargo ships, 6 container ships, 4 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 1 multifunction large load carrier, 3 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, and 6 chemical tankers; note—a flag of convenience registry
_#_Civil air: 10 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 3 total, 3 usable; 2 with paved runways; 1 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways under 1,220 m
_#_Telecommunications: efficient automatic phone system; 6,700 phones; tropospheric scatter links with Saba and Guadeloupe; stations—4 AM, 2 FM, 2 TV, 2 shortwave; 1 coaxial submarine cable; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT ground station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force, Royal Antigua and Barbuda Police Force (which includes the Coast Guard)
_#_Manpower availability: NA
_#Defense spending: $1.4 million, under 1% of GDP (FY91) % @Arctic Ocean *Geography #_Total area: 14,056,000 km2; includes Baffin Bay, Barents Sea, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, East Siberian Sea, Greenland Sea, Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, and other related water bodies
_#_Comparative area: about 1.5 times larger than the US; smallest of the world's four oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and Indian Ocean)
_#_Coastline: 45,389 km
_#_Climate: consistently cold with relatively narrow annual temperature ranges; winters marked by constant darkness, cold and stable weather, and clear skies; summers marked by continuous daylight, damp and foggy weather, and weak cyclones bringing rain or snow.
_#_Terrain: the central surface is covered by a perennial drifting polar ice pack that averages about 3 meters thick, although pressure ridges can be three times that size; it follows a clockwise drift pattern in the Beaufort Gyre, while moving almost in a straight line from the New Siberian Islands (USSR) to the Denmark Strait (between Greenland and Iceland); the ice pack is surrounded by open seas in the summer but more than doubles in size during winter, extending to the bordering land masses; the ocean floor consists of about 50% continental shelf (the highest percentage of any ocean), with the rest being a central basin interrupted by three submarine ridges (Alpha Cordillera, Nansen Cordillera, and Lomonosov Ridge); the maximum depth is 4,665 meters in the Fram Basin.
_#_Natural resources: sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules, oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals, whales)
_#_Environment: endangered marine species include walruses and whales; ice islands occasionally detach from northern Ellesmere Island; icebergs break off from western Greenland and extreme northeastern Canada; maximum snow cover in March or April is about 20 to 50 centimeters over the frozen ocean and lasts around 10 months; permafrost exists in the islands; virtually frozen from October to June; fragile ecosystem that changes slowly and takes time to recover from disruptions or damage
_#_Note: the main bottleneck is the southern Chukchi Sea (the northern route to the Pacific Ocean through the Bering Strait); ships are at risk of superstructure icing from October to May; it's a strategic spot between North America and the USSR; it's the shortest maritime connection between the far ends of eastern and western USSR; floating research stations are run by both the US and USSR.
_*Economy #_Overview: Economic activity focuses on using natural resources, such as crude oil, natural gas, fishing, and sealing.
_*Communications #_Ports: Churchill (Canada), Murmansk (Russia), Prudhoe Bay (US)
_#_Telecommunications: no submarine cables
_#Note: limited network of air, ocean, river, and land routes; the Northwest Passage (North America) and Northern Sea Route (Asia) are key waterways%@Argentina*Geography#_Total area: 2,766,890 km²; land area: 2,736,690 km²
_#_Comparative area: just over four times the size of Texas
_#_Land boundaries: 9,665 km total; Bolivia 832 km, Brazil 1,224 km, Chile 5,150 km, Paraguay 1,880 km, Uruguay 579 km
_#_Coastline: 4,989 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of resources being extracted;
Territorial sea: 200 nm (flying over and navigating allowed beyond 12 nm)
_#_Disputes: a small section of the boundary with Uruguay is in dispute; a small section of the boundary with Chile is unclear; claims British-administered Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas); claims British-administered South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; territorial claim in Antarctica
_#_Climate: mostly mild; dry in the southeast; subantarctic in the southwest
_#_Terrain: fertile plains of the Pampas in the northern half, flat to rolling plateau of Patagonia in the south, and rugged Andes along the western border.
_#_Natural resources: fertile plains of the pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, manganese, crude oil, uranium
_#_Land use: arable land 9%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 52%; forest and woodland 22%; other 13%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: The Tucuman and Mendoza regions in the Andes are prone to earthquakes; pamperos are fierce windstorms that can hit the Pampas and northeast areas; degraded irrigated soils; desertification; air and water pollution in Buenos Aires.
_#_Note: second-largest country in South America (after Brazil); strategic location concerning sea routes between the South Atlantic and South Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage)
_*People #_Population: 32,663,983 (July 1991), growth rate 1.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 20 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 9 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NEGL migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 31 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 68 years for males, 74 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.7 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Argentine(s); adjective—Argentine
_#_Ethnic divisions: white 85%; mestizo, Indigenous, or other non-white groups 15%
_#_Religion: about 90% Roman Catholic (with less than 20% actively practicing), 2% Protestant, 2% Jewish, and 6% other
_#_Language: Spanish (official), English, Italian, German, French
_#_Literacy: 95% (male 96%, female 95%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 10,900,000; agriculture 12%, industry 31%, services 57% (1985 est.)
_#_Organized labor: 3,000,000; 28% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: Argentine Republic
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Buenos Aires (plans to move to Viedma by 1990 indefinitely postponed)
_#_Administrative divisions: 22 provinces (provincias, singular—provincia), 1 national territory* (territorio nacional), and 1 district** (distrito); Buenos Aires, Catamarca, Chaco, Chubut, Córdoba, Corrientes, Distrito Federal**, Entre Ríos, Formosa, Jujuy, La Pampa, La Rioja, Mendoza, Misiones, Neuquén, Río Negro, Salta, San Juan, San Luis, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santiago del Estero, Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur*, Tucumán; note—the national territory is in the process of becoming a province; the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica.
_#_Independence: July 9, 1816 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution: 1 May 1853
_#_Legal system: a blend of US and Western European legal systems; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Revolution Day, May 25 (1810)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional) consists of an upper chamber, the Senate (Senado), and a lower chamber, the Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Supreme Court)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Carlos Saul MENEM (since July 8, 1989); Vice President Eduardo DUHALDE (since July 8, 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Justicialist Party (JP), Carlos Saul MENEM, Peronist umbrella political
organization;
Radical Civic Union (UCR), Raul ALFONSIN, moderately left of center;
Union of the Democratic Center (UCD), Alvaro ALSOGARAY, conservative
party;
Intransigent Party (PI), Dr. Oscar ALENDE, leftist party;
several provincial parties
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 14 May 1989 (next to be held May 1995); results—Carlos Saul MENEM was elected;
Chamber of Deputies—last held on May 14, 1989 (next to be held in October 1991); results—JP 47%, UCR 30%, UCD 7%, other 16%; seats—(254 total); JP 122, UCR 93, UCD 11, other 28
_#_Communists: around 70,000 members in different party organizations, including a small core of activists.
_#_Other political or pressure groups: the Peronist-led labor movement, General Confederation of Labor (a Peronist-oriented umbrella labor organization), Argentine Industrial Union (manufacturers' association), Argentine Rural Society (association of large landowners), business organizations, students, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Armed Forces.
_#_Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-6, G-11,
G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU,
LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM, OAS, PCA, RG, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Ortiz de ROZAS; Chancery at 1600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20009; phone (202) 939-6400 through 6403; there are Argentine Consulates General in Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Consulates in Baltimore, Chicago, and Los Angeles;
US—Ambassador Terence A. TODMAN; Embassy at 4300 Colombia, 1425 Buenos Aires (mailing address is APO Miami 34034); telephone [54] (1) 774-7611 or 8811, 9911
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of light blue (top), white, and light blue; centered in the white band is a bright yellow sun with a human face known as the Sun of May
_*Economy #_Overview: Argentina is rich in natural resources and has a highly literate population, an export-driven agricultural sector, and a diverse industrial base. However, after decades of mismanagement and government-heavy policies, the economy has faced significant issues in recent years, leading to rising inflation and a recession from 1988 to 1990. A growing public-sector deficit and a triple-digit inflation rate have overshadowed the economy over the last three years; retail prices jumped nearly 5,000% in 1989 and another 1,345% in 1990. Since 1978, Argentina's external debt has nearly doubled to $60 billion, resulting in serious debt-servicing challenges and damaging the country's credit rating with international lenders.
_#_GNP: $82.7 billion, per person $2,560; actual growth rate - 3.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1,350% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 8.6% (May 1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $12.2 billion; expenditures $17.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.8 billion (1989)
_#_Exports: $12.4 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—meat, wheat, corn, oil seeds, hides, wool;
partners—US 12%, USSR, Italy, Brazil, Japan, Netherlands
_#_Imports: $4.1 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—machines and equipment, chemicals, metals, fuels, and oils, agricultural products;
partners—US 22%, Brazil, Germany, Bolivia, Japan, Italy, Netherlands
_#_External debt: $60 billion (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 5% (1991 est.); makes up 30% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 16,749,000 kW capacity; 45,580 million kWh produced, 1,410 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: food processing, automobiles, consumer goods, textiles, chemicals and petrochemicals, printing, metallurgy, steel
_#_Agriculture: makes up 15% of GNP (including fishing); generates plenty of food for both local use and exports; one of the top five exporters of grain and beef in the world; main crops—wheat, corn, sorghum, soybeans, sugar beets; 1987 fish catch estimated at 500,000 tons
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.0 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $4.0 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $718 million
_#_Currency: austral (plural—australes); 1 austral (2) = 100 centavos
_#_Exchange rates: australes (2) per US$1—9,900 (April 1991), 4,707 (1990), 423 (1989), 8.7526 (1988), 2.1443 (1987), 0.9430 (1986), 0.6018 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 34,172 km total (includes 169 km electrified); includes a mix of 1.435-meter standard gauge, 1.676-meter broad gauge, 1.000-meter gauge, and 0.750-meter gauge
_#_Highways: 208,350 km total; 47,550 km paved, 39,500 km gravel, 101,000 km improved dirt, 20,300 km unimproved dirt
_#_Inland waterways: 11,000 km navigable
_#_Pipelines: 4,090 km of crude oil; 2,900 km of refined products; 9,918 km of natural gas
_#_Ports: Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, Necochea, Rio Gallegos, Rosario, Santa Fe
_#_Merchant marine: 129 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 1,663,884 GRT/2,689,645 DWT; includes 42 cargo, 7 refrigerated cargo, 6 container, 1 railcar carrier, 47 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 4 chemical tankers, 4 liquefied gas carriers, and 18 bulk carriers; additionally, 2 naval tankers and 1 military transport are occasionally used commercially.
_#_Civil air: 54 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 1,763 total, 1,575 usable; 135 with paved runways; 1 with runways over 12,000 ft; 31 with runways 8,000-12,000 ft; 336 with runways 4,000-8,000 ft
_#_Telecommunications: a comprehensive modern system; 2,650,000 telephones (12,000 public phones); radio relays are widely used; 171 AM stations, no FM, 231 TV, 13 shortwave; 2 INTELSAT earth stations in the Atlantic Ocean; domestic satellite network has 40 stations.
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Argentine Army, Navy of the Argentine Republic, Argentine Air Force, National Gendarmerie, Argentine Naval Prefecture (only Coast Guard), National Aeronautical Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 7,992,140; 6,478,730 eligible for military service; 285,047 reach military age (20) each year
_#Defense spending: $700 million, 1% of GNP (1990) % @Aruba (part of the Dutch realm) *Geography #_Total area: 193 km²; land area: 193 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 68.5 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical marine; minimal seasonal temperature changes
_#_Terrain: mostly flat with a few hills; minimal vegetation
_#_Natural resources: minimal; white sandy beaches
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: located outside the Caribbean hurricane belt
_#_Note: 28 km north of Venezuela
_*People #_Population: 64,052 (July 1991), growth rate 0.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 15 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 4 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 8 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 72 years for males, 80 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Aruban(s); adjective—Aruban
_#_Ethnic divisions: mixed European/Caribbean Indian 80%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, with also small Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, and Jewish minorities
_#_Language: Dutch (official), Papiamento (a mix of Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, and English), English (commonly spoken), Spanish
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: Not applicable, but most jobs are in the tourism sector (1986)
_#_Organized labor: Aruban Workers' Federation (FTA)
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: part of the Dutch realm—full independence in domestic matters gained in 1986 after splitting from the Netherlands Antilles
_#_Capital: Oranjestad
_#_Administrative divisions: none (self-governing part of the Netherlands)
_#_Independence: none (part of the Dutch realm); note—in 1990 Aruba asked for and received from the Netherlands the cancellation of the agreement to automatically grant independence to the island in 1996
_#_Constitution: 1 January 1986
_#_Legal system: based on the Dutch civil law system, with some influence from English common law.
_#_National holiday: Flag Day, March 18
_#_Executive branch: Dutch king or queen, governor, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral legislature (Staten)
_#_Judicial branch: Joint High Court of Justice
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since April 30, 1980), represented by Governor General Felipe B. TROMP (since January 1, 1986);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Nelson ODUBER (since NA February 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Electoral Movement Party (MEP), Nelson ODUBER;
Aruban People's Party (AVP), Henny EMAN;
National Democratic Action (ADN), Pedro Charro KELLY;
New Patriotic Party (PPN), Eddy WERLEMEN;
Aruban Patriotic Party (PPA), Leo CHANCE;
Aruban Democratic Party (PDA), Leo BERLINSKI;
Democratic Action '86 (AD'86), Arturo ODUBER;
the governing coalition includes the MEP, PPA, and ADN
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Legislature—last held on January 6, 1989 (next to be held by January 1993); results—percentage of votes by party NA; seats—(21 total) MEP 10, AVP 8, ADN 1, PPN 1, PPA 1
_#_Member of: ECLAC (associate), INTERPOL, IOC, UNESCO (associate), WCL, WTO (associate)
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (self-governing region of the Netherlands)
_#_Flag: blue with two narrow horizontal yellow stripes across the bottom and a red, four-pointed star outlined in white in the upper left corner
_*Economy #_Overview: Tourism is the backbone of the economy, but offshore banking and oil refining and storage are also significant. Hotel capacity grew quickly between 1985 and 1989 and nearly doubled in 1990 alone. Unemployment has gradually decreased from around 20% in 1986 to about 2% in 1990. The reopening of the local oil refinery, which was once a major employer and a source of foreign exchange earnings, is expected to provide an extra boost to the economy.
_#_GDP: $730 million, per person $11,600; real growth rate 8.8% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.8% (1990 estimate)
_#_Unemployment rate: 1.6% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $145 million; expenses $185 million, including capital expenses of $42 million (1988)
_#_Exports: $131.6 million (f.o.b., estimated for 1990);
commodities—mostly petroleum products;
partners—US 64%, EC
_#_Imports: $496 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—food, consumer goods, manufactures;
partners—US 8%, EC
_#_External debt: $81 million (1987)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA
_#_Electricity: 310,000 kW capacity; 945 million kWh produced, 15,000 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, shipping terminals, oil refining
_#_Agriculture: poor-quality soils and low rainfall restrict agricultural activity to growing aloes, raising some livestock, and fishing.
_#_Economic aid: Bilateral commitments from Western (non-U.S.) countries for ODA and OOF (1980-1988), $200 million
_#_Currency: Aruban florin (plural—florins); 1 Aruban florin (Af.) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Aruban florins (Af.) per US$1—1.7900 (fixed rate since 1986)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Ports: Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas
_#_Airfield: government-owned airport east of Oranjestad
_#_Telecommunications: generally good; extensive interisland radio relay connections; 72,168 telephones; stations—4 AM, 4 FM, 1 TV; 1 sea cable to Sint Maarten
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the Netherlands % @Ashmore and Cartier Islands (territory of Australia) *Geography #_Total area: 5 km²; land area: 5 km²; includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and Cartier Island
_#_Comparative area: roughly 8.5 times larger than The Mall in Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 74.1 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of exploration;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Climate: tropical
_#_Terrain: flat with sand and coral
_#_Natural resources: fish
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other—grass and sand 100%
_#_Environment: surrounded by shallow waters and coral reefs; Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve was established in August 1983
_#_Note: located in the far eastern Indian Ocean between Australia and Indonesia, 320 km off the northwest coast of Australia
_*People #_Population: no permanent residents; seasonal caretakers
_*Government #_Long-form name: Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands
_#_Type: territory of Australia managed by the Australian Ministry for Territories and Local Government
_#_Administrative divisions: none (territory of Australia)
_#_Legal system: relevant laws of the Northern Territory of Australia
_#_Note: administered by the Australian Minister for Arts, Sports, the Environment, Tourism, and Territories, Roslyn KELLY
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (territory of Australia)
_*Economy #_Overview: no economic activity
_*Communications #_Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
_*Defense Forces #Note: Defense is Australia's responsibility; the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force make periodic visits % @Atlantic Ocean *Geography #_Total area: 82,217,000 km²; includes the Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caribbean Sea, Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, Drake Passage, Gulf of Mexico, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, Weddell Sea, and other connected water bodies.
_#_Comparative area: slightly less than nine times the size of the US; second-largest of the world's four oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, but larger than the Indian Ocean or Arctic Ocean)
_#_Coastline: 111,866 km
_#_Climate: tropical cyclones (hurricanes) form off the coast of Africa near Cape Verde and move west into the Caribbean Sea; hurricanes can happen from May to December, but are most common from August to November.
_#_Terrain: a surface typically covered with sea ice in the Labrador Sea, Denmark Strait, and the Baltic Sea from October to June; a clockwise warm water gyre (a broad, circular system of currents) in the North Atlantic, and a counterclockwise warm water gyre in the South Atlantic; the ocean floor is largely defined by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a rough north-south centerline for the entire Atlantic basin; the maximum depth is 8,605 meters in the Puerto Rico Trench.
_#_Natural resources: oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales), sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules, precious stones
_#_Environment: endangered marine species include manatees, seals, sea lions, turtles, and whales; municipal sludge pollution is a problem off the eastern US, southern Brazil, and eastern Argentina; oil pollution affects the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Lake Maracaibo, Mediterranean Sea, and North Sea; industrial waste and municipal sewage pollution are present in the Baltic Sea, North Sea, and Mediterranean Sea; icebergs are commonly found in the Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, and the northwestern Atlantic from February to August, and have been spotted as far south as Bermuda and the Madeira Islands; icebergs from Antarctica appear in the extreme southern Atlantic.
_#_Note: ships may experience icing on their superstructure in the extreme North Atlantic from October to May and in the extreme South Atlantic from May to October; persistent fog can pose a risk to shipping from May to September; major choke points include the Dardanelles, Strait of Gibraltar, and access to the Panama and Suez Canals; strategic straits include the Dover Strait, Straits of Florida, Mona Passage, The Sound (Oresund), and Windward Passage; North Atlantic shipping lanes are at risk for icebergs from February to August; the Equator separates the Atlantic Ocean into the North Atlantic Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean.
_*Economy #_Overview: Economic activity mainly revolves around the extraction of natural resources, particularly fish, dredging aragonite sands (The Bahamas), and producing crude oil and natural gas (Caribbean Sea and North Sea).
_*Communications
#_Ports: Alexandria (Egypt), Algiers (Algeria), Antwerp (Belgium),
Barcelona (Spain), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Casablanca (Morocco),
Colon (Panama), Copenhagen (Denmark), Dakar (Senegal), Gdansk (Poland),
Hamburg (Germany), Helsinki (Finland), Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain),
Le Havre (France), Saint Petersburg (formerly Leningrad; USSR), Lisbon
(Portugal), London (UK), Marseille (France), Montevideo (Uruguay),
Montreal (Canada), Naples (Italy), New Orleans (US), New York (US), Oran
(Algeria), Oslo (Norway), Piraeus (Greece), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil),
Rotterdam (Netherlands), Stockholm (Sweden)
_#_Telecommunications: many submarine cables, mostly between continental Europe and the UK, North America and the UK, and in the Mediterranean; several direct links across the Atlantic through the INTELSAT satellite network.
_#Note: The Kiel Canal and the Saint Lawrence Seaway are two major waterways % @Australia *Geography #_Total area: 7,686,850 km²; land area: 7,617,930 km²; includes Macquarie Island
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than the US
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 25,760 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of resource extraction;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Disputes: territorial claim in Antarctica (Australian Antarctic Territory)
_#_Climate: mostly dry to semi-dry; mild in the south and east; tropical in the north
_#_Terrain: mainly a low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in the southeast
_#_Natural resources: bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, crude oil
_#_Land use: cropland 6%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 58%; forests and woodlands 14%; other 22%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: dealing with serious droughts and floods; experiencing cyclones along the coast; limited access to freshwater; degradation of irrigated land; a refreshing tropical sea breeze, called "the doctor," blows along the west coast during summer; desertification
_#_Note: the smallest continent in the world but the sixth-largest country
_*People #_Population: 17,288,044 (July 1991), growth rate 1.5% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 15 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 7 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 8 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 74 years for males, 80 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Australian(s); adjective—Australian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Caucasian 95%, Asian 4%, Indigenous and other 1%
_#_Religion: Anglican 26.1%, Roman Catholic 26.0%, other Christian 24.3%
_#_Language: English, native languages
_#_Literacy: 100% (male 100%, female 100%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1980 est.)
_#_Labor force: 7,700,000; finance and services 33.8%, public and community services 22.3%, wholesale and retail trade 20.1%, manufacturing and industry 16.2%, agriculture 6.1% (1987)
_#_Organized labor: 42% of the workforce (1988)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Commonwealth of Australia
_#_Type: federal parliamentary state
_#_Capital: Canberra
_#_Administrative divisions: 6 states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital Territory*, New South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
_#_Dependent areas: Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Norfolk Island
_#_Independence: January 1, 1901 (federation of UK colonies)
_#_Constitution: July 9, 1900, effective January 1, 1901
_#_Legal system: based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Australia Day (last Monday in January), 29 January 1990
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: the bicameral Federal Parliament is made up of an upper house, the Senate, and a lower house, the House of Representatives.
_#_Judicial branch: High Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 1952), represented by Governor General William George HAYDEN (since NA February 1989);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Robert James Lee HAWKE (since March 11, 1983); Deputy Prime Minister Paul KEATING (since April 3, 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
government—Australian Labor Party, Robert James Lee HAWKE;
opposition—Liberal Party, John HEWSON; National Party, Timothy FISCHER; Australian Democratic Party, Janet POWELL
# Suffrage: universal and mandatory at age 18
_#_Elections:
Senate—last held on July 11, 1987 (next to be held by July 1993); results—Labor 43%, Liberal-National 42%, Australian Democrats 8%, independents 2%; seats—(76 total) Labor 32, Liberal-National 34, Australian Democrats 7, independents 3;
House of Representatives—last held March 24, 1990 (next to be held by November 1993); results—Labor 39.7%, Liberal-National 43%, Australian Democrats and independents 11.1%; seats—(148 total) Labor 78, Liberal-National 69, independent 1
_#_Communists: 4,000 members (est.)
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Australian Democratic Labor Party (anti-Communist Labor Party offshoot); Peace and Nuclear Disarmament Action (Nuclear Disarmament Party offshoot)
_#_Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), ANZUS, APEC, AsDB, BIS, C, CCC, CP,
EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, G-8, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA,
IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM,
ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM (guest), NEA, OECD, PCA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIIMOG, UNTAG, UNTSO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Michael J. COOK; Chancery at 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; phone (202) 797-3000; there are Australian Consulates General in Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Pago Pago (American Samoa), and San Francisco;
US—Ambassador Melvin F. SEMBLER; Moonah Place, Yarralumla,
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600 (mailing address is APO San
Francisco 96404); phone [61] (6) 270-5000; there are US Consulates
General in Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney, and a Consulate in Brisbane
_#_Flag: blue with the UK flag in the upper left corner and a large seven-pointed star in the lower left corner; the rest of the flag shows the Southern Cross constellation in white, featuring one small five-pointed star and four larger seven-pointed stars.
_*Economy #_Overview: Australia has a thriving Western-style capitalist economy, with a per capita GNP similar to that of industrialized West European countries. Abundant in natural resources, Australia is a key exporter of agricultural products, minerals, metals, and fossil fuels. Out of the top 25 exports, 21 are primary products, meaning that, as seen during 1983-84, a drop in global commodity prices can significantly impact the economy. The government is advocating for increased exports of manufactured goods, but competition in international markets will be tough.
_#_GDP: $255.9 billion, per capita $15,000; real growth rate 2.2% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.9% (December 1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 9.2% (March 1991)
_#_Budget: revenues $74.2 billion; expenditures $67.9 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (FY90)
_#_Exports: $39.8 billion (f.o.b., FY90);
commodities—metals, minerals, coal, wool, grains, meat, manufactured goods;
partners—Japan 26%, US 11%, NZ 6%, South Korea 4%, Singapore 4%, UK, Taiwan, Hong Kong
_#_Imports: $42.0 billion (f.o.b., FY90);
commodities—processed raw materials, capital equipment, consumer products;
partners—US 24%, Japan 19%, UK 6%, FRG 7%, NZ 4% (1990)
_#_External debt: $123.7 billion (September 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 1.8% (1990); makes up 32% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 38,000,000 kW capacity; 150,000 million kWh produced, 8,860 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel, automobiles
_#_Agriculture: makes up 5% of GNP and 37% of export revenues; world's largest exporter of beef and wool, second-largest for lamb, and among the top wheat exporters; major crops—wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruit; livestock—cattle, sheep, poultry
_#_Economic aid: donor—ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $10.4 billion
_#_Currency: Australian dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1—1.2834 (January 1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987), 1.4905 (1986), 1.4269 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Railroads: 40,478 km total; 7,970 km of 1,600 mm gauge, 16,201 km of 1,435 mm standard gauge, 16,307 km of 1,067 mm gauge; 183 km of dual gauge; 1,130 km electrified; government-owned (except for a few hundred kilometers of privately owned track) (1985)
_#_Highways: 837,872 km total; 243,750 km paved, 228,396 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized soil surface, 365,726 km unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 8,368 km; primarily by small, shallow-draft boats
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 1,553 miles; refined products, 310 miles; natural gas, 3,480 miles
_#_Ports: Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Devonport, Fremantle, Geelong, Hobart, Launceston, Mackay, Melbourne, Sydney, Townsville
_#_Merchant marine: 77 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 2,249,926 GRT/3,391,323 DWT; includes 2 short-sea passenger ships, 6 cargo ships, 6 container ships, 10 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 1 vehicle carrier, 16 petroleum, oil, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 1 chemical tanker, 4 liquefied gas carriers, 1 combination ore/oil ship, and 30 bulk carriers.
_#_Civil air: around 150 major passenger planes
_#_Airports: 747 total, 524 usable; 270 with permanent-surface runways, 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 17 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 401 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: reliable international and local service; 8.7 million phones; stations—258 AM, 67 FM, 134 TV; underwater cables to New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia; local satellite service; satellite stations—4 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 6 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT ground stations
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force
_#_Manpower availability: males ages 15-49, 4,689,559; 4,090,921 eligible for military service; 135,435 turn 17 and reach military age each year
_#Defense spending: $6.6 billion, 2.2% of GDP (FY90) % @Austria *Geography #_Total area: 83,850 km²; land area: 82,730 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Maine
_#_Land boundaries: 2,640 km total; Czechoslovakia 548 km, Germany 784 km, Hungary 366 km, Italy 430 km, Liechtenstein 37 km, Switzerland 164 km, Yugoslavia 311 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Climate: mild; continental, often cloudy; cold winters with regular rain in the lowlands and snow in the mountains; cool summers with occasional rain showers
_#_Terrain: mostly mountainous with the Alps in the west and south; mostly flat, with gentle slopes along the eastern and northern edges.
_#_Natural resources: iron ore, crude oil, timber, magnesite, aluminum, lead, coal, lignite, copper, hydropower
_#_Land use: arable land 17%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 24%; forest and woodland 39%; other 19%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: due to steep slopes, poor soil quality, and cold temperatures, the population is concentrated in the eastern lowlands.
_#_Note: landlocked; strategically located at the crossroads of central Europe with many easy-to-navigate Alpine passes and valleys; major river is the Danube
_*People #_Population: 7,665,804 (July 1991), growth rate 0.3% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 12 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 11 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 2 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 5 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 74 years for males, 81 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Austrian(s); adjective—Austrian
_#_Ethnic divisions: German 99.4%, Croatian 0.3%, Slovene 0.2%, other 0.1%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 6%, other 9%
_#_Language: German
_#_Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) of people age 15 and over can read and write (1974 est.)
_#_Labor force: 3,470,000 (1989); services 56.4%, industry and crafts 35.4%, agriculture and forestry 8.1%; an estimated 200,000 Austrians are employed in other European countries; foreign workers in Austria number 177,840, about 6% of the labor force (1988)
_#_Organized labor: 60.1% of the workforce; the Austrian Trade Union Federation has 1,644,408 members (1989)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Austria
_#_Type: federal republic
_#_Capital: Vienna
_#_Administrative divisions: 9 states (bundesländer, singular—bundesland); Burgenland, Kärnten, Niederösterreich, Oberösterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark, Tirol, Vorarlberg, Wien
_#_Independence: November 12, 1918 (from the Austro-Hungarian Empire)
_#_Constitution: 1920, updated 1929 (reinstated 1945)
_#_Legal system: a civil law system originating from Roman law; judicial review of legislative acts is conducted by a Constitutional Court; distinct administrative and civil/penal supreme courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.
_#_National holiday: National Day, October 26 (1955)
_#_Executive branch: president, chancellor, vice chancellor, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung) consists of an upper house or Federal Council (Bundesrat) and a lower house or National Council (Nationalrat)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Judicial Court for civil and criminal cases, Administrative Court for bureaucratic cases, Constitutional Court for constitutional cases
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Kurt WALDHEIM (since July 8, 1986);
Head of Government—Chancellor Franz VRANITZKY (since June 16, 1986); Vice Chancellor Josef RIEGLER (since May 19, 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Socialist Party of Austria (SPO), Franz Vranitzky, chair;
Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), Josef Riegler, chair;
Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), Jörg Haider, chair;
Communist Party (KPÖ), Franz Muhri, chair;
Green Alternative List (GAL), Andreas Wabl, chair
_#_Suffrage: universal at 19; mandatory for presidential elections
_#_Elections:
President—last held 8 June 1986 (next to be held May 1992); results of Second Ballot—Dr. Kurt WALDHEIM 53.89%, Dr. Kurt STEYRER 46.11%;
National Council—last held on October 7, 1990 (next one scheduled for October 1994); results—SP0 43%, OVP 32.1%, FPO 16.6%, GAL 4.5%, KPO 0.7%, other 0.32%; seats—(183 total) SP0 80, OVP 60, FPO 33, GAL 10
_#_Communists: estimated membership 15,000; activists 7,000-8,000
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Federal Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Austrian Trade Union Federation (mainly Socialist); three combined leagues of the Austrian People's Party (OVP) representing business, labor, and farmers; OVP-aligned League of Austrian Industrialists; Roman Catholic Church, including its primary lay organization, Catholic Action
# Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN,
EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO, G-9, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO,
ITU, LORCS, NAM (guest), NEA, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNDOF, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UNTSO, UPU, WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Friedrich HOESS; Embassy at 2343 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-4474; there are Austrian Consulates General in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York;
US—Ambassador Roy Michael HUFFINGTON; Embassy at Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1091, Vienna (mailing address is APO New York 09108-0001); telephone [43] (222) 31-55-11; there is a US Consulate General in Salzburg
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal stripes of red (top), white, and red
_*Economy #_Overview: Austria has a thriving and stable capitalist economy with a significant amount of nationalized industry and extensive welfare benefits. With abundant natural resources, a skilled workforce, and strong connections to West German industrial companies, Austria has successfully carved out specialized niches in European industry and services (like tourism and banking) and almost produces enough food to be self-sufficient, with only 8% of the workforce in agriculture. The economy is expected to benefit from improved export opportunities due to German unification and the opening of Eastern Europe in the coming years. Living standards are roughly on par with the major industrial nations of Western Europe. Challenges for the 1990s include an aging population, high subsidy levels, and the effort to manage welfare benefits within budget constraints. Austria, which has applied for EC membership, is currently engaged in negotiations with the EC and the European Free Trade Association to create a European Economic Area and will need to adjust its economy for the freer movement of goods, services, capital, and labor with the EC.
_GDP: $111.0 billion, per capita $14,500; real growth rate 4.5% (1990)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.3% (1990)
_#_Unemployment: 5.4% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $44.1 billion; expenditures $49.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990)
_#_Exports: $40.9 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—machinery and equipment, iron and steel, lumber, textiles, paper products, chemicals;
partners—EC 64.8%, EFTA 10.3%, CEMA 7.7%, US 3.2%, Japan 1.5%
_#_Imports: $46.6 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—oil, food, machinery and equipment, vehicles, chemicals, textiles and clothing, medications;
partners—EC 68.4%, EFTA 7%, CEMA 5.7%, Japan 4.6%, US 3.6%
_#_External debt: $11.8 billion (1990 estimate)
_#_Industrial production: real growth rate 8.5% (1990); makes up 34% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 17,562,000 kW capacity; 49,290 million kWh generated, 6,500 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: food, steel, machinery, textiles, chemicals, electronics, paper and pulp, tourism, mining
_#_Agriculture: makes up 3.2% of GDP (including forestry); main crops and livestock—grains, fruits, potatoes, sugar beets, sawn wood, cattle, pigs, poultry; 80-90% self-sufficient in food
_#_Economic aid: donor—ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $2.4 billion
_#_Currency: Austrian schilling (plural—schillings); 1 Austrian schilling (S) = 100 groschen
_#_Exchange rates: Austrian schillings (S) per US$1—10.627 (January 1991), 11.370 (1990), 13.231 (1989), 12.348 (1988), 12.643 (1987), 15.267 (1986), 20.690 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 6,028 km total; 5,388 km government-owned and 640 km privately owned (1.435 and 1.000-meter gauge); 5,403 km of 1.435-meter standard gauge, of which 3,051 km is electrified and 1,520 km is double tracked; 363 km of 0.760-meter narrow gauge, with 91 km electrified.
_#_Highways: 95,412 km total; 34,612 km make up the primary network (including 1,012 km of autobahn, 10,400 km of federal roads, and 23,200 km of provincial roads); of this total, 21,812 km are paved and 12,800 km are unpaved; additionally, there are 60,800 km of local roads (mostly gravel, crushed stone, and dirt).
_#_Inland waterways: 446 km
_#_Ports: Vienna, Linz (river ports)
_#_Merchant marine: 32 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 150,735 GRT/252,237 DWT; includes 26 cargo ships, 1 container ship, 1 chemical tanker, 4 bulk carriers.
_#_Pipelines: 554 km of crude oil; 2,611 km of natural gas; 171 km of refined products
_#_Civil air: 25 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 55 total, 54 usable; 20 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 5 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m.
_#_Telecommunications: very advanced and efficient; 4,014,000 telephones; widespread TV and radio broadcast systems; stations—6 AM, 21 (545 repeaters) FM, 47 (870 repeaters) TV; satellite stations operating in INTELSAT 1 Atlantic Ocean earth station, 1 Indian Ocean earth station, and EUTELSAT systems
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Air Force, Gendarmerie
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,957,414; 1,646,179 eligible for military service; 48,038 turn 19 and become of military age each year.
_#Defense spending: $1.4 billion, 1% of GDP (1990) % @The Bahamas *Geography #_Total area: 13,940 km²; land area: 10,070 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit bigger than Connecticut
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 3,542 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of usage;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Climate: tropical marine; moderated by the warm waters of the Gulf Stream
_#_Terrain: long, flat coral formations with a few low, rounded hills
_#_Natural resources: salt, aragonite, timber
_#_Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops negligible%; meadows and pastures negligible%; forest and woodland 32%; other 67%
_#_Environment: prone to hurricanes and other tropical storms that lead to significant flood damage
_#_Note: a strategic location next to the US and Cuba; a long chain of islands
_*People #_Population: 252,110 (July 1991), growth rate 1.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 19 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 18 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 69 years for males, 76 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Bahamian(s); adjective—Bahamian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Black 85%, White 15%
_#_Religion: Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God 6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2% (1980)
_#_Language: English; some Creole among Haitian immigrants
_#_Literacy: 90% (male 90%, female 89%) age 15 and older, but the definition of literacy is not available (1963 est.)
_#_Labor force: 132,600; government 30%, hospitality and dining 25%, business services 10%, agriculture 5% (1986)
_#_Organized labor: 25% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: The Commonwealth of The Bahamas
_#_Type: commonwealth
_#_Capital: Nassau
_#_ Administrative divisions: 21 districts; Abaco, Acklins Island,
Andros Island, Berry Islands, Biminis, Cat Island, Cay Lobos, Crooked
Island, Eleuthera, Exuma, Grand Bahama, Harbour Island, Inagua, Long Cay,
Long Island, Mayaguana, New Providence, Ragged Island, Rum Cay, San
Salvador, Spanish Wells
_#_Independence: July 10, 1973 (from the UK)
_#_Constitution: 10 July 1973
_#_Legal system: based on English common law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, July 10 (1973)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: the bicameral Parliament includes an upper house, known as the Senate, and a lower house, called the House of Assembly.
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952), represented by Acting Governor General Sir Henry TAYLOR (since June 26, 1988);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Sir Lynden Oscar PINDLING (since January 16, 1967)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), Sir Lynden O. PINDLING; Free National Movement (FNM), Hubert Alexander INGRAHAM
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
House of Assembly—last held June 19, 1987 (next to be held by June 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(49 total) PLP 32, FNM 17
_#_Communists: none known
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Vanguard Nationalist and Socialist Party (VNSP), a small leftist party led by Lionel CAREY; Trade Union Congress (TUC), led by Arlington MILLER
_#_Member of: ACP, C, CCC, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77,
IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU,
LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Margaret E. McDONALD; Chancery at Suite 865, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20037; telephone (202) 944-3390; there are Bahamian Consulates General in Miami and New York;
US—Ambassador Chic HECHT; Embassy at Mosmar Building, Queen Street, Nassau (mailing address is P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau); telephone (809) 322-1181 or 328-2206
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine with a black equilateral triangle on the hoist side
_*Economy #_Overview: The Bahamas is a stable, middle-income developing country whose economy relies mainly on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism alone contributes around 50% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs about 50,000 people, which is 40% of the local workforce. The economy has slowed down in recent years, as the annual increase in tourists has decreased. Nevertheless, the per capita GDP of $9,800 is one of the highest in the region.
_
GDP:
$2.4 billion, per capita $9,800; real growth rate 2.0% (1989 est.)__#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.1% (estimated 1990)
_#_Unemployment: 11.7% (1989)
_#_Budget: revenues $1.03 billion; expenditures $1.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $275 million (1990)
_#_Exports: $300 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—pharmaceuticals, cement, rum, crawfish;
partners—US 41%, Norway 30%, Denmark 4%
_#_Imports: $1.23 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—foodstuffs, manufactured goods, mineral fuels;
partners—US 35%, Nigeria 21%, Japan 13%, Angola 11%
_#_External debt: $1.2 billion (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate N/A; accounts for 15% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 368,000 kW capacity; 857 million kWh produced, 3,480 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, banking, cement, oil refining and transshipment, salt production, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral weld, steel pipe
_#_Agriculture: makes up less than 5% of GDP; controlled by small-scale farmers; main products—citrus fruits, vegetables, poultry; significant net importer of food
_#_Illicit drugs: hub for cocaine trafficking
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY85-88), $1.0 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $345 million
_#_Currency: Bahamian dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Bahamian dollar (B$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Bahamian dollar (B$) per US$1—1.00 (fixed rate)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 2,400 km total; 1,350 km paved, 1,050 km gravel
_#_Ports: Freeport, Nassau
_#_Merchant marine: 636 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 14,266,066 GRT/23,585,465 DWT; includes 42 passenger ships, 16 short-sea passenger ships, 190 cargo ships, 41 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 23 container ships, 5 car carriers, 1 railroad carrier, 141 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 8 liquefied gas carriers, 15 combination ore/oil ships, 33 chemical tankers, 1 specialized tanker, 112 bulk carriers, and 8 combination bulk carriers; note—a flag of convenience registry
_#_Civil air: 9 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 59 total, 57 usable; 31 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 3 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 25 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: well-developed; 99,000 telephones in a fully automatic system; tropospheric scatter and submarine cable connections to Florida; stations—3 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 3 coaxial submarine cables; 1 INTELSAT earth station in the Atlantic Ocean.
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Royal Bahamas Defense Force (only a coast guard unit), Royal Bahamas Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 68,020; NA eligible for military service
_#Defense spending: $65 million, 2.7% of GDP (1990) % @Bahrain *Geography #_Total area: 620 km²; land area: 620 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 161 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specific;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Disputes: territorial dispute with Qatar over the Hawar Islands
_#_Climate: dry; mild, enjoyable winters; extremely hot, humid summers
_#_Terrain: primarily flat desert plain gradually ascending to a low central escarpment
_#_Natural resources: oil, both associated and non-associated natural gas, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 2%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 6%; forest and woodland 0%; other 90%, includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: underground water sources are being quickly used up (need to build desalination plants); dust storms; desertification
_#_Note: near key Middle Eastern crude oil sources; strategic position in the Persian Gulf, which is the route for a significant portion of the Western world's crude oil to reach the open ocean.
_*People #_Population: 536,974 (July 1991), growth rate 3.2% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 27 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 3 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 7 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 17 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 71 years for males, 76 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.0 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Bahraini(s); adjective—Bahraini
_#_Ethnic divisions: Bahraini 63%, Asian 13%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%, other 6%
_#_Religion: Muslim (Shia 70%, Sunni 30%)
_#_Language: Arabic (official); English is also commonly spoken; Farsi, Urdu
_#_Literacy: 77% (male 82%, female 69%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 140,000; 42% of the labor force is Bahraini; industry and commerce 85%, agriculture 5%, services 5%, government 3% (1982)
_#_Organized labor: The General Committee for Bahrain Workers operates in just eight major designated companies.
_*Government #_Long-form name: State of Bahrain
_#_Type: traditional monarchy
_#_Capital: Manama
_#_Administrative divisions: 12 municipalities (baladiyat, singular—baladiyah); Al Hadd, Al Manamah, Al Mintaqah al Gharbiyah, Al Mintaqah al Wusta, Al Mintaqah ash Shamaliyah, Al Muharraq, Ar Rifa wa al Mintaqah al Janubiyah, Jidd Hafs, Madinat Hamad, Madinat Isa, Mintaqat Juzur Hawar, Sitrah
_#_Independence: August 15, 1971 (from the UK)
_#_Constitution: May 26, 1973, effective December 6, 1973
_#_Legal system: based on Islamic law and English common law
_#_National holiday: National Day, December 16
_#_Executive branch: emir, crown prince and heir apparent, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: the unicameral National Assembly was dissolved on August 26, 1975, and legislative powers were taken over by the Cabinet.
_#_Judicial branch: High Civil Appeals Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Amir Isa bin Salman Al KHALIFA (since 2 November 1961); Heir Apparent Hamad bin Isa Al KHALIFA (son of the Amir; born 28 January 1950);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman Al KHALIFA, (since January 19, 1970)
_#_Political parties and pressure groups: political parties are banned; several small, secretive leftist and Shia fundamentalist groups are active
_#_Suffrage: none
_#_Elections: none
_#_Communists: negligible
_#_Member of: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD,
ICAO, IDB, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent),
ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO,
WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Ghazi Muhammad AL-QUSAYBI; Chancery at 3502 International Drive NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 342-0741 or 342-0742; there is a Bahraini Consulate General in New York;
US—Ambassador Dr. Charles W. HOSTLER; Embassy at Building
No. 979, Road No. 3119, Block/Area 331, Manama ZINJ (mailing address is
P. O. 26431, Manama, or FPO New York 09526-6210); telephone [973]
273-300 or 275-126
_#_Flag: red with a white zigzag band (eight white points) on the hoist side
_*Economy #_Overview: Oil production and processing make up about 85% of export earnings, 60% of government income, and 20% of GDP. Economic conditions have varied with the ups and downs of the oil market since 1985, including the Gulf crisis of 1990-91. The liberation of Kuwait in early 1991 has improved short- to medium-term outlooks and boosted investor confidence. Bahrain, with its advanced communication and transportation facilities, hosts many multinational companies operating in the Gulf.
_#_GDP: $3.9 billion, per capita $7,500; real growth rate 2.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (1989)
_#_Unemployment: 8-10% (1989)
_#_Budget: revenues $1.2 billion; expenditures $1.32 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)
_#_Exports: $2.7 billion (f.o.b., estimated in 1989);
commodities—oil 80%, aluminum 7%, other 13%;
partners—UAE, Japan, US, India
_#_Imports: $3.0 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—nonoil 59%, crude oil 41%;
partners—Saudi Arabia, Japan, US, UK
_#_External debt: $1.1 billion (December 1989 estimate)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 3.8% (1988); makes up 44% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 1,652,000 kW capacity; 6,000 million kWh produced, 12,080 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: oil processing and refining, aluminum smelting, offshore banking, ship repair
_#_Agriculture, including fishing, makes up less than 2% of GDP; it’s not self-sufficient in food production and relies heavily on subsidies. This sector produces fruits, vegetables, poultry, dairy products, shrimp, and fish, with a fish catch of 9,000 metric tons in 1987.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-79), $24 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $35 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $9.8 billion
_#_Currency: Bahraini dinar (plural—dinars); 1 Bahraini dinar (BD) = 1,000 fils
_#_Exchange rates: Bahraini dinars (BD) per US$1—0.3760 (fixed rate)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 200 km of paved roads, including a 25 km bridge-causeway to Saudi Arabia, which opened in November 1986; NA km of unpaved tracks
_#_Ports: Mina Salman, Manama, Sitrah
_#_Merchant marine: 4 cargo ships and 2 container ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 114,733 GRT/155,065 DWT
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 56 km; refined products, 16 km; natural gas, 32 km
_#_Civil air: 24 large transport planes
_#_Airports: 3 total, 3 operational; 2 with paved runways; 2 with runways longer than 3,659 m; 1 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: great international telecommunications; decent domestic services; 98,000 phones; stations—2 AM, 1 FM, 2 TV; satellite earth stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT; tropospheric scatter and microwave to Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia; undersea cable to Qatar and UAE
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense, Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males ages 15-49, 187,606; 104,285 eligible for military service
_#Defense spending: $194 million, 6% of GDP (1990) % @Baker Island (US territory) *Geography #_Total area: 1.4 km2; land area: 1.4 km2
_#_Comparative area: about 2.3 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 4.8 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; little rain, steady wind, scorching sun
_#_Terrain: flat, almost level coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef
_#_Natural resources: guano (mined until 1891)
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: barren, with limited and dispersed plants like grasses, creeping vines, and low shrubs; lacks fresh water; mainly serves as a nesting, roosting, and foraging area for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife.
_#_Note: remote location 2,575 km southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, just north of the Equator, about halfway between Hawaii and Australia
_*People #_Population: uninhabited
_#_Note: American civilians were evacuated in 1942 after Japanese air and naval attacks during World War II; the area was occupied by the US military during World War II but was abandoned after the war; public access is only allowed with a special-use permit and is generally limited to scientists and educators; there is a cemetery and cemetery ruins located near the center of the west coast.
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: unincorporated territory of the US managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system
_*Economy #_Overview: no economic activity
_*Communications #_Ports: none; only offshore anchorage available, with one boat landing area located in the middle of the west coast.
_#_Airports: 1 unused World War II runway measuring 1,665 m
_#_Note: there’s a daytime marker near the center of the west coast
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US Coast Guard % @Bangladesh *Geography #_Total area: 144,000 km²; land area: 133,910 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Wisconsin
_#_Land boundaries: 4,246 km total; Myanmar 193 km, India 4,053 km
_#_Coastline: 580 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 18 nm;
Continental shelf: up to the outer edges of the continental margin;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: part of the border with India is disputed; there are water-sharing issues with upstream riparian India regarding the Ganges
_#_Climate: tropical; cool, dry winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to June); cool, rainy monsoon (June to October)
_#_Terrain: mostly flat floodplain; hilly in the southeast
_#_Natural resources: natural gas, uranium, farmland, wood
_#_Land use: arable land 67%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and woodland 16%; other 11%; includes irrigated 14%
_#_Environment: at risk of droughts; large parts of the country regularly flooded during the summer monsoon season; overpopulation; deforestation
_#_Note: nearly completely surrounded by India
_*People #_Population: 116,601,424 (July 1991), growth rate 2.3% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 36 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 13 deaths per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 118 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 54 years for males, 52 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.7 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Bangladeshi(s); adjective—Bangladesh
_#_Ethnic divisions: Bengali 98%, Biharis 250,000, and tribals under 1 million
_#_Religion: Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, Buddhist, Christian, and others less than 1%
_#_Language: Bangla (official), English commonly used
_#_Literacy: 35% (male 47%, female 22%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 35,100,000; agriculture 74%, services 15%, industry and commerce 11% (FY86); significant export of labor to Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Oman (1991)
_#_Organized labor: 3% of the workforce is part of 2,614 registered unions (1986 est.)
_*Government #_Long-form name: People's Republic of Bangladesh
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Dhaka
_#_Administrative divisions: 64 districts (zillagulo,
singular—zilla); Bagerhat, Bandarban, Barguna, Barisal,
Bhola, Bogra, Brahmanbaria, Chandpur, Chapai Nawabganj,
Chattagram, Chuadanga, Comilla, Cox's Bazar, Dhaka,
Dinajpur, Faridpur, Feni, Gaibandha, Gazipur, Gopalganj,
Habiganj, Jaipurhat, Jamalpur, Jessore, Jhalakati, Jhenaidah,
Khagrachari, Khulna, Kishorganj, Kurigram, Kushtia, Laksmipur,
Lalmonirhat, Madaripur, Magura, Manikganj, Meherpur,
Moulavibazar, Munshiganj, Mymensingh, Naogaon, Narail,
Narayanganj, Narsingdi, Nator, Netrakona, Nilphamari,
Noakhali, Pabna, Panchagar, Parbattya Chattagram,
Patuakhali, Pirojpur, Rajbari, Rajshahi, Rangpur,
Satkhira, Shariyatpur, Sherpur, Sirajganj, Sunamganj, Sylhet,
Tangail, Thakurgaon
_#_Independence: December 16, 1971 (from Pakistan; previously known as East Pakistan)
_#_Constitution: November 4, 1972, effective December 16, 1972, suspended after the coup on March 24, 1982, restored on November 10, 1986, amended in March 1991
_#_Legal system: based on English common law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, March 26 (1971)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber National Parliament (Jatiya Sangsad)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Abdur Rahman BISWAS (since October 8, 1991)
Head of Government—Prime Minister Khaleda ZIAUR Rahman (since March 20, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Khaleda ZIAUR Rahman;
Awami League, Sheikh Hasina WAZED;
Jatiyo Party, Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD;
Jamaat-E-Islami, Ali KHAN;
Bangladesh Communist Party (pro-Soviet), Saifuddin Ahmed MANIK;
National Awami Party (Muzaffar);
Workers Party, leader NA;
Jatiyo Samajtantik Dal (National Socialist Party—SIRAJ), M. A. JALIL;
Ganotantri Party, leader NA;
Islami Oikya Jote, leader NA;
National Democratic Party, leader NA;
Muslim League, Khan A. SABUR;
Democratic League, Khondakar MUSHTAQUE Ahmed;
United People's Party, Kazi ZAFAR Ahmed
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held on October 8, 1991 (next to be held by October 1996); results—Abdur Rahman BISWAS received 52.1% of the parliamentary vote.
National Parliament—last held on February 27, 1991 (next one scheduled for
February 1996); results—percent of votes by party NA;
seats—(330 total, 300 elected and 30 reserved for women)
BNP 168, AL 93, JP 35, JI 20, CBP 5, National Awami Party (Muzaffar) 1,
Workers Party 1, SIRAJ 1, Ganotantri Party 1, Islami Oikya Jote 1,
NDP 1, independents 3
_#_Communists: 5,000 members (1987 est.)
_#_Member of: AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG,
UPU, WHO, WFTU, WIPO, WCL, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador A. H. S. Ataul KARIM; Chancery at 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington DC 20007; phone (202) 342-8372 to 8376; there is a Bangladesh Consulate General in New York;
US—Ambassador William B. MILAM; Embassy at Diplomatic Enclave, Madani Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka (mailing address is G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1212); telephone [880] (2) 884700-22
_#_Flag: green with a large red circle slightly towards the left side of the center; green is the traditional color of Islam.
_*Economy #_Overview: Bangladesh is one of the poorest countries in the world. The economy relies on a limited range of agricultural products, with jute being the primary cash crop and major source of export earnings. Bangladesh faces challenges such as a relative lack of natural resources, population growth exceeding 2% per year, high unemployment rates, and inadequate infrastructure; in addition, it is very vulnerable to natural disasters. Despite these challenges, real GDP growth averaged around 3.5% annually from 1985 to 1989. A strong agricultural performance in FY90 increased the growth rate to 5.5%. Reducing poverty continues to be the main focus of the government's development strategy.
_#_GDP: $20.4 billion, per person $180; actual growth rate 4.0% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% (FY90 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 30% (FY90 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $2.2 billion; expenditures $3.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (FY90)
_#_Exports: $1.5 billion (FY90 est.);
commodities—jute, tea, leather, shrimp, textiles;
partners—US 25%, Western Europe 22%, Middle East 9%, Japan 8%, Eastern Europe 7%
_#_Imports: $3.6 billion (FY90 est.);
commodities—food, oil and other energy sources, non-food consumer products, semi-processed goods, and capital equipment;
partners—Western Europe 18%, Japan 14%, Middle East 9%, US 8%
_#_External debt: $10.9 billion (FY90 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 4.1% (FY90 est.); makes up 15% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 1,990,000 kW capacity; 5.7 billion kWh produced, 50 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: jute production, basic metals, food processing, cotton textiles, tobacco processing, chemicals
_#_Agriculture: makes up about 40% of GDP, 60% of jobs, and one third of exports; imports 10% of food grain needs; the world's largest exporter of jute; commercial products include jute, rice, wheat, tea, sugarcane, potatoes, beef, milk, and poultry; shortages include wheat, vegetable oils, and cotton; fish catch was 778,000 metric tons in 1986.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.4 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-88), $10.6 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $652 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $1.5 billion
_#_Currency: taka (plural—taka); 1 taka (Tk) = 100 paise
_#_Exchange rates: taka (Tk) per US$1—35.790 (January 1991), 34.567 (1990), 32.270 (1989), 31.733 (1988), 30.950 (1987), 30.407 (1986), 27.995 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Railroads: 2,892 km total (1986); 1,914 km 1,000 mm gauge, 978 km 1,676 mm broad gauge
_#_Highways: 7,240 km total (1985); 3,840 km paved, 3,400 km unpaved
_#_Inland waterways: 5,150-8,046 km of navigable waterways (includes 2,575-3,058 km of main cargo routes)
_#_Ports: Chittagong, Chalna
_#_Merchant marine: 47 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 339,081 GRT/500,008 DWT; includes 38 cargo, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 3 refrigerated cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off, 3 bulk
_#_Pipelines: 1,220 km natural gas
_#_Civil air: 15 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 16 in total, 12 available for use; 12 have permanent-surface runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 4 have runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 6 have runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: sufficient international radio communications and landline service; decent domestic wire and microwave service; decent broadcast service; 241,250 telephones; stations—9 AM, 6 FM, 11 TV; 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT satellite earth stations
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force; paramilitary forces—Bangladesh Rifles, Bangladesh Ansars, Armed Police Reserve, Coastal Police
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 28,896,632; 17,154,593 eligible for military service
_#Defense spending: $319 million, 1.5% of GDP (FY91) % @Barbados *Geography #_Total area: 430 km²; land area: 430 km²
_#_Comparative area: almost 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 97 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; rainy season (June to October)
_#_Terrain: mostly flat; gradually slopes up to the central highland area
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, fishing, natural gas
_#_Land use: arable land 77%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 9%; forest and woodland 0%; other 14%
_#_Environment: prone to hurricanes (especially from June to October)
_#_Note: easternmost Caribbean island
_*People #_Population: 254,626 (July 1991), growth rate 0.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 9 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 6 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 23 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 70 years for males, 76 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Barbadian(s); adjective—Barbadian
_#_Ethnic divisions: African 80%, mixed 16%, European 4%
_#_Religion: Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%; none 17%, unknown 3%, other 9% (1980)
_#_Language: English
_#_Literacy: 99% (male 99%, female 99%) of people aged 15 and over have attended school (1970)
_#_Labor force: 112,300; services and government 37%; commerce 22%; manufacturing and construction 22%; transportation, storage, communications, and financial institutions 9%; agriculture 8%; utilities 2% (1985 est.)
_#_Organized labor: 32% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: parliamentary democracy
_#_Capital: Bridgetown
_#_Administrative divisions: 11 parishes; Christ Church, Saint Andrew, Saint George, Saint James, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Lucy, Saint Michael, Saint Peter, Saint Philip, Saint Thomas; note—there might be a new city of Bridgetown.
_#_Independence: November 30, 1966 (from the UK)
_#_Constitution: 30 November 1966
_#_Legal system: English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, November 30 (1966)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: the bicameral Parliament has an upper house, known as the Senate, and a lower house, called the House of Assembly.
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Hugh SPRINGER (since February 24, 1984);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Lloyd Erskine SANDIFORD (since June 2, 1987)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Labor Party (DLP), Erskine SANDIFORD;
Barbados Labor Party (BLP), Henry FORDE;
National Democratic Party (NDP), Richie HAYNES
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
House of Assembly—last held January 22, 1991 (next to be held by January 1996); results—DLP 49.8%; seats—(28 total) DLP 18, BLP 10
_#_Communists: negligible
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Industrial and General Workers Union, Sir Frank WALCOTT; People's Progressive Movement, Eric SEALY; Workers' Party of Barbados, Dr. George BELLE
_#_Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB,
IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Sir William DOUGLAS; Chancery at 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; phone (202) 939-9200 through 9202; there is a Barbadian Consulate General in New York and a Consulate in Los Angeles;
US—Ambassador G. Philip HUGHES; Embassy at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Building, Broad Street, Bridgetown (mailing address is P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown or FPO Miami 34054); telephone (809) 436-4950 through 4957
_#_Flag: three equal vertical bands of blue (side with the flagpole), yellow, and blue, featuring the head of a black trident centered on the yellow band; the trident head symbolizes independence and a separation from the past (the colonial coat of arms included a full trident)
_*Economy #_Overview: With a per capita income of $6,500, Barbados has one of the highest standards of living among the small island states in the eastern Caribbean. Traditionally, the economy relied on growing sugarcane and related activities. However, in recent years, it has diversified into manufacturing and tourism. The tourism industry is now a major employer for the workforce and a key source of foreign exchange. An unemployment rate of 18% remains one of the most significant economic challenges the country faces.
_#_GDP: $1.7 billion, per capita $6,500; real growth rate 3.6% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.2% (1989)
_#_Unemployment: 18% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $501 million; expenditures $484 million, including capital expenditures of $113 million (FY91)
_#_Exports: $165 million (f.o.b., 1990 estimate);
commodities—sugar and molasses, chemicals, electrical parts, clothing, rum, machinery, and transport equipment;
partners: CARICOM 30%, US 20%, UK 20%
_#_Imports: $701 million (c.i.f., 1990 estimate);
commodities—foods, consumer goods, raw materials, machinery, crude oil, building materials, chemicals;
partners—US 35%, CARICOM 13%, UK 12%, Japan 6%, Canada 8%, Venezuela 4%
_#_External debt: $550 million (June 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 1.5% (1989); contributes 14% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 132,000 kW capacity; 494 million kWh produced, 1,880 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, assembly of components for export
_#_Agriculture: makes up 10% of GDP; main cash crop is sugarcane; other crops include vegetables and cotton; not self-sufficient in food
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $15 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $169 million
_#_Currency: Barbadian dollars (plural—dollars); 1 Barbadian dollar (Bds$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Barbadian dollars (Bds$) per US$1—2.0113 (fixed rate)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Highways: 1,570 km total; 1,475 km paved, 95 km unpaved
_#_Ports: Bridgetown
_#_Merchant marine: 2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 3,200 GRT/7,338 DWT
_#_Civil air: 2 large transport planes
_#_Airports: 1 with hard-surface runways 2,440-3,659 m
_#_Telecommunications: an automatic telephone system covering the entire island with 89,000 phones; a tropospheric scatter link to Trinidad and Saint Lucia; stations—3 AM, 2 FM, 2 (1 is pay) TV; 1 INTELSAT earth station in the Atlantic Ocean
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Royal Barbados Defense Force, Coast Guard, Royal Barbados Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 69,038; 48,455 eligible for military service, no draft
_#Defense spending: $10 million, 0.7% of GDP (1989) % @Bassas da India (French territory) *Geography #_Total area: not specified
_#_Comparative area: undetermined
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 35.2 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of exploitation;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claimed by Madagascar
_#_Climate: tropical
_#_Terrain: a volcanic rock 7.9 feet high
_#_Natural resources: none
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other (rock) 100%
_#_Environment: surrounded by coral reefs; prone to occasional storms
_#_Note: navigational hazard since it is usually underwater during high tide; located in the southern Mozambique Channel about halfway between Africa and Madagascar
_*People #_Population: uninhabited
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: French territory managed by Commissioner of the Republic Daniel CONSTANTIN, based in Réunion
_*Economy #_Overview: no economic activity
_*Communications #_Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of France % @Belgium *Geography #_Total area: 30,510 km²; land area: 30,230 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than Maryland
_#_Land boundaries: 1,385 km total; France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km, Netherlands 450 km
_#_Coastline: 64 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specific;
Exclusive fishing zone: equidistant line with neighboring countries (extends about 68 km from the coast);
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: mild; cool winters, warm summers; wet, humid, overcast
_#_Terrain: flat coastal plains in the northwest, rolling hills in the center, rugged mountains in the Ardennes Forest in the southeast
_#_Natural resources: coal, natural gas
_#_Land use: arable land 24%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 20%; forest and woodland 21%; other 34%, includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: air and water pollution
_#_Note: most West European capitals are within 1,000 km of Brussels; it's the crossroads of Western Europe; Brussels is the headquarters of the EC.
_*People #_Population: 9,921,910 (July 1991), growth rate 0.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 12 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 11 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 74 years for males, 81 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Belgian(s); adjective—Belgian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Flemings 55%, Walloons 33%, mixed or other 12%
_#_Religion: 75% Roman Catholic, with the rest being Protestant or another faith
_#_Language: Flemish (Dutch) 56%, French 32%, German 1%; legally bilingual 11%; divided by ethnicity
_#_Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1980 est.)
_#_Labor force: 4,200,000; services 69%, industry 28%, agriculture 3% (1988)
_#_Organized labor: 70% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: Kingdom of Belgium
_#_Type: constitutional monarchy
_#_Capital: Brussels
_#_Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (French—provinces, singular—province; Flemish—provincien, singular—provincie); Antwerpen, Brabant, Hainaut, Liège, Limburg, Luxembourg, Namur, Oost-Vlaanderen, West-Vlaanderen
_#_Independence: October 4, 1830 (from the Netherlands)
_#_Constitution: 7 February 1831, last revised 8-9 August 1980; the government is currently working on revising the Constitution to federalize the Belgian state.
_#_Legal system: civil law system influenced by English constitutional theory; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: National Day, July 21 (the ascension of King Leopold to the throne in 1831)
_#_Executive branch: king or queen, prime minister, five deputy prime ministers, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: a two-house Parliament made up of an upper chamber or Senate (Flemish—Senaat, French—Senat) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Representatives (Flemish—Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers, French—Chambre des Representants)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Flemish—Hof van Cassatie, French—Cour de Cassation)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—King BAUDOUIN I (since July 17, 1951);
Heir Apparent Prince ALBERT of Liege (the King's brother; born June 6,
1934);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Wilfried MARTENS, (since April 1979, with a 10-month break in 1981)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Flemish Christian Democrats (CD&V), Herman van ROMPUY, president;
Walloon Christian Democrats (PSC), Gerard DEPREZ, president;
Flemish Socialists (SP), Frank VANDENBROUCKE, president;
Walloon Socialists (PS), Guy SPITAELS, president;
Flemish Liberals (Open VLD), Guy VERHOFSTADT, president;
Walloon Liberals (MR), Antoine DUQUESNE, president;
Francophone Democratic Front (FDF), Georges CLERFAYT, president;
Volksunie (VU), Jaak GABRIELS, president;
Communist Party (PCB), Louis van GEYT, president;
Vlaams Blok (VB), Karel DILLEN;
other minor parties
_Suffrage: universal and mandatory at age 18_
_#_Elections:
Senate—last held on December 13, 1987 (next one to be held by January 1992); results—CVP 19.2%, PS 15.7%, SP 14.7%, PVV 11.3%, PRL 9.3%, VU 8.1%, PSC 7.8%, ECOLO-AGALEV 7.7%, VB 2.0%, VDF 1.3%, other 1.96%; seats—(106 total) CVP 22, PS 20, SP 17, PRL 12, PVV 11, PSC 9, VU 8, ECOLO-AGALEV 5, VB 1, FDF 1;
Chamber of Representatives—last held on December 13, 1987 (next one is scheduled for January 1992); results—CVP 19.45%, PS 15.66%, SP 14.88%, PVV 11.55%, PRL 9.41%, PSC 8.01%, VU 8.05%, ECOLO-AGALEV 7.05%, VB 1.90%, FDF 1.16%, other 2.88%; seats—(212 total) CVP 43, PS 40, SP 32, PVV 25, PRL 23, PSC 19, VU 16, ECOLO-AGALEV 9, FDF 3, VB 2
_#_Communists: under 5,000 members (December 1985 est.)
_#_Other political or advocacy groups: Christian and Socialist Trade Unions; Federation of Belgian Industries; many other associations representing bankers, manufacturers, middle-class artisans, and the legal and medical professions; various organizations representing the cultural interests of Flanders and Wallonia; different peace groups like the Flemish Action Committee Against Nuclear Weapons and Pax Christi
_#_Member of: ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB, ESA, FAO, G-9, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NATO, NEA, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNRWA, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Juan CASSIERS; Embassy at 3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington DC 20008; phone (202) 333-6900; there are Belgian Consulates General in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York;
US—Ambassador Maynard W. GLITMAN; Embassy at 27 Boulevard du Regent, B-1000 Brussels (mailing address is APO New York 09667-1000); telephone [32] (2) 513-3830; there is a US Consulate General in Antwerp
_#_Flag: three equal vertical stripes of black (on the hoist side), yellow, and red; the design was inspired by the flag of France.
_*Economy #_Overview: This small private-sector economy has made the most of its central location, well-developed transportation network, and diverse industrial and commercial base. Most industry is concentrated in the densely populated Flemish region in the north, although the government is pushing for reinvestment in the southern Walloon region. With few natural resources, Belgium needs to import essential raw materials, making its economy heavily reliant on global market conditions. Over 70% of trade is with other EU countries. From 1988 to 1990, Belgium experienced strong output growth, moderate inflation, and a significant external surplus. Real GDP grew by an average of 3.9% during this period. However, the economy is expected to slow down in 1991-92 to less than 3% GDP growth.
_GDP: $144.8 billion, per capita $14,600; real growth rate 3.3% (1990)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (estimated in 1991)
_#_Unemployment rate: 8.2% estimate (1991 estimate)
_#_Budget: revenues $45.0 billion; expenditures $55.3 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (1989)
_#_Exports: $106 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.) Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union;
commodities—iron and steel, transportation equipment, tractors, diamonds, petroleum products;
partners—EC 74%, US 5%, Communist countries 2% (1989)
_#_Imports: $108 billion (c.i.f., 1989) Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union;
commodities—fuels, grains, chemicals, foodstuffs;
partners—EC 73%, US 4%, oil-exporting developing countries 4%, Communist countries 3% (1989)
_#_External debt: $28.8 billion (1990 estimate)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 1.3% (1991 est.); makes up nearly 30% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 17,325,000 kW capacity; 62,780 million kWh produced, 6,350 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: engineering and metal products, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, petroleum, coal
_#_Agriculture: makes up 2% of GDP; focuses on livestock production—beef, veal, pork, milk; main crops include sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grains, and tobacco; net importer of agricultural products
_#_Economic aid: donor—ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $5.8 billion
_#_Currency: Belgian franc (plural—francs); 1 Belgian franc (BF) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Belgian francs (BF) per US$1—31.102 (January 1991), 33.418 (1990), 39.404 (1989), 36.768 (1988), 37.334 (1987), 44.672 (1986), 59.378 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: The Belgian National Railways (SNCB) runs 3,667 km of 1.435-meter standard gauge tracks, which are government-owned; 2,563 km are double track; 1,978 km are electrified; and there are 191 km of 1.000-meter gauge tracks, also government-owned and operated.
_#_Highways: 103,396 km total; 1,317 km of limited access, divided highways; 11,717 km of national highways; 1,362 km of provincial roads; about 38,000 km of paved rural roads and 51,000 km of unpaved rural roads
_#_Inland waterways: 2,043 km (1,528 km in regular commercial use)
_#_Ports: Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent, Ostend, Zeebrugge
_#_Merchant marine: 69 ships (1,000 GRT or more) with a total of 1,785,066 GRT/2,927,618 DWT; this includes 12 cargo ships, 6 roll-on/roll-off ships, 6 container ships, 7 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 9 liquefied gas carriers, 3 combination ore/oil ships, 9 chemical tankers, 11 bulk carriers, and 6 combination bulk carriers.
_#_Pipelines: refined products 1,167 km; crude 161 km; natural gas 3,300 km
_#_Civil air: 47 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 42 total, 42 usable; 24 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 14 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: great domestic and international telephone and telegraph services; 4,720,000 telephones; stations—8 AM, 19 FM (42 relays), 25 TV (10 relays); 5 submarine cables; satellite ground stations operating in INTELSAT 3 Atlantic Ocean and EUTELSAT systems
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 2,521,178; 2,115,935 eligible for military service; 64,634 reach military age (19) each year.
_#Defense spending: $4.8 billion, 2.5% of GDP (1990) % @Belize *Geography #_Total area: 22,960 km²; land area: 22,800 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than Massachusetts
_#_Land boundaries: 516 km total; Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km
_#_Coastline: 386 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Disputes: claimed by Guatemala, but boundary negotiations to resolve the dispute are almost finished.
_#_Climate: tropical; extremely hot and humid; rainy season (May to February)
_#_Terrain: flat, marshy coastal area; low mountains in the south
_#_Natural resources: farmland potential, timber, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 2%; permanent crops negligible%; meadows and pastures 2%; forest and woodland 44%; other 52%, includes irrigated negligible%
_#_Environment: frequent devastating hurricanes (September to December) and coastal flooding (especially in the south); deforestation
_#_Note: the national capital was moved 50 miles inland from Belize City to Belmopan because of hurricanes; it's the only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean.
_*People #_Population: 228,069 (July 1991), growth rate 3.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 38 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 4 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 35 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: male 67 years, female 72 years (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.7 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Belizean(s); adjective—Belizean
_#_Ethnic divisions: Creole 39.7%, Mestizo 33.1%, Maya 9.5%, Garifuna 7.6%, East Indian 2.1%, other 8.0%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 30% (Anglican 12%, Methodist 6%, Mennonite 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Pentecostal 2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1%, other 2%), none 2%, unknown 3%, other 3% (1980)
_#_Language: English (official), Spanish, Maya, Garifuna (Caribbean)
_#_Literacy: 91% (male 91%, female 91%) age 15 and older who have ever attended school (1970)
_#_Labor force: 51,500; agriculture 30.0%, services 16.0%, government 15.4%, commerce 11.2%, manufacturing 10.3%; shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 12% of the workforce; 7 active unions right now
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: parliamentary democracy
_#_Capital: Belmopan
_#_Administrative divisions: 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo
_#_Independence: September 21, 1981 (from the UK; previously British Honduras)
_#_Constitution: 21 September 1981
_#_Legal system: English law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, September 21
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: the bicameral National Assembly includes an upper house called the Senate and a lower house known as the House of Representatives.
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952), represented by Governor General Dame Elmira Minita GORDON (since September 21, 1981);
Head of Government—Prime Minister George Cadle PRICE (since September 4, 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
People's United Party (PUP), George PRICE, Florencio MARIN, Said MUSA;
United Democratic Party (UDP), Manuel ESQUIVEL, Dean LINDO, Dean BARROW;
Belize Popular Party (BPP), Louis SYLVESTRE
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
National Assembly—last held on September 4, 1989 (next scheduled for September 1994); results—percentage of votes by party NA; seats—(28 total) PUP 15 seats, UDP 13 seats; note—in January 1990, one member expelled from UDP joined PUP, changing the seat count to 16 PUP, 12 UDP.
_#_Communists: negligible
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Society for the Promotion of Education and Research (SPEAR) led by a former PUP minister; United Workers Front
_#_Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, (observer), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador James V. HYDE; Chancery at Suite 2J, 3400 International Drive NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 363-4505;
US—Ambassador Eugene L. SCASSA; Embassy at Gabourel Lane and
Hutson Street, Belize City (mailing address is P. O. Box 286, Belize
City); telephone [501] 77161 through 77163
_#_Flag: blue with a thin red stripe along the top and bottom edges; in the center is a large white circle displaying the coat of arms; the coat of arms includes a shield flanked by two workers in front of a mahogany tree, with the motto SUB UMBRA FLOREO (I Flourish in the Shade) on a scroll at the bottom, all surrounded by a green garland.
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is mainly based on agriculture and trade. Agriculture represents over 30% of GDP and generates 75% of export income, with sugar as the main crop, contributing nearly 40% of hard currency revenue. The US, Belize's primary trading partner, is helping to reduce reliance on sugar through an agricultural diversification program.
_GDP: $290 million, per person $1,320; real growth rate 9% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.8% (estimated in 1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 12% (1988)
_#_Budget: revenues $87.4 million; expenditures $130.5 million, including capital expenditures of $53.5 million (FY90 est.)
_#_Exports: $108 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—sugar, clothing, seafood, molasses, citrus, wood, and wood products;
partners—US 47%, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Canada (1987)
_#_Imports: $204 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities—machines and transportation gear, food, manufactured products, fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals;
partners—US 55%, UK, Netherlands Antilles, Mexico (1987)
_#_External debt: $169 million (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 9.7% (1989); makes up 16% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 34,700 kW capacity; 90 million kWh produced, 410 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: clothing manufacturing, citrus juice concentrates, sugar refining, rum production, beverages, tourism
_#_Agriculture: makes up 30% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); commercial crops include sugarcane, bananas, cocoa, and citrus fruits; increasing production of timber and farmed shrimp; net importer of staple foods
_#_Illicit drugs: an illegal producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; eradication program reduced marijuana production from 200 metric tons in 1987 to 66 metric tons in 1989; transshipment point for cocaine
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $104 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $199 million
_#_Currency: Belizean dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Belizean dollar (Bz$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Belizean dollars (Bz$) per US$1—2.00 (fixed rate)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Highways: 2,710 km total; 500 km paved, 1,600 km gravel, 300 km enhanced earth, and 310 km unenhanced earth
_#_Inland waterways: 825 km river network used by shallow-draft vessels; navigable at certain times of the year
_#_Ports: Belize City; additional ports for shallow draft vessels include Corozal, Punta Gorda, Big Creek
_Civil air: no major transport aircraft_
_#_Airports: 42 in total, 32 are usable; 3 have permanent-surface runways; none have runways longer than 2,439 m; 2 have runways between 1,220 and 2,439 m.
_#_Telecommunications: 8,650 telephones; superior system based on radio relay; stations—6 AM, 5 FM, 1 TV, 1 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: British Forces Belize, Belize Defense Force (including Army, Navy, Air Force, and Volunteer Guard), Belize National Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 53,184; 31,790 eligible for military service; 2,545 reach military age (18) each year
_#Defense spending: $4.8 million, 1.8% of GDP (1990 estimate) % @Benin *Geography #_Total area: 112,620 km²; land area: 110,620 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Pennsylvania
_#_Land boundaries: 1,989 km total; Burkina 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km
_#_Coastline: 121 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 200 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; hot and humid in the south; semi-arid in the north
_#_Terrain: mostly flat with some rolling areas; a few hills and low mountains
_#_Natural resources: small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, wood
_#_Land use: arable land 12%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and woodland 35%; other 45%, includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: The hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind can impact the north during winter; deforestation; desertification
_#_Note: recent droughts have significantly impacted marginal farming in the north; there are no natural harbors.
_*People #_Population: 4,831,823 (July 1991), growth rate 3.3% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 49 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 16 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 119 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 49 years for males, 52 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 7.0 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Beninese (sing., pl.); adjective—Beninese
_#_Ethnic divisions: African 99% (42 ethnic groups, with the most significant being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba); Europeans 5,500
_#_Religion: indigenous beliefs 70%, Muslim 15%, Christian 15%
_#_Language: French (official); Fon and Yoruba are the most common local languages in the south; there are at least six major tribal languages in the north.
_#_Literacy: 23% (male 32%, female 16%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 1,900,000 (1987); agriculture 60%, transport, commerce, and public services 38%, industry less than 2%; 49% of the population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: around 75% of workers
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Benin
_#_Type: dropped Marxism-Leninism December 1989; democratic reforms adopted February 1990; transition to multiparty system completed April 4, 1991
_#_Capital: Porto-Novo (official), Cotonou (actual)
_#_Administrative divisions: 6 provinces; Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Mono, Oueme, Zou
_#_Independence: August 1, 1960 (from France; formerly Dahomey)
_#_Constitution: 2 December 1990
_#_Legal system: based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: National Day, August 1 (1990)
_#_Executive branch: president, cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Supreme Court)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Nicephore
SOGLO (since April 4, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: the People's Revolutionary Party of Benin (PRPB) led by President Mathieu KEREKOU, who was the chairman of the Central Committee, was dissolved on April 30, 1990; Alliance of the Democratic Union for the Forces of Progress (UDFP), Timothee ADANLIN; Movement for Democracy and Social Progress (MDPS), Jean-Roger AHOYO; and the Union for Liberty and Development (ULD), Marcellin DEGBE;
Alliance of the National Party for Democracy and Development (PNDD) and the Democratic Renewal Party (PRD), Pascal Chabi KAO;
Alliance of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the National Union for Solidarity and Progress (UNSP), Bruno AMOUSSOU;
Our Common Cause (NCC), Albert TEVEODJRE;
National Rally for Democracy (RND), Joseph KEKE;
Alliance of the National Movement for Democracy and Development (MNDD); Movement for Solidarity, Union, and Progress (MSUP); and Union for Democracy and National Reconstruction (UDRN), Bertin BORNA;
Union for Democracy and National Solidarity (UDS), Mama Amadou N'DIAYE;
Assembly of Liberal Democrats for National Reconstruction (RDL),
Severin ADJOVI;
Alliance of the Alliance for Social Democracy (ASD) and Bloc for
Social Democracy (BSD), Robert DOSSOU;
Alliance of the Alliance for Democracy and Progress (ADP) and
Democratic Union for Social Renewal (UDRS), Bio Gado Seko N'GOYE;
National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP), Robert TAGNON;
many other smaller parties
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held March 10 and 24, 1991 (next to be held March 1996); results—Nicephore SOGLO 68%, Mathieu KEREKOU 32%;
National Assembly—last held on March 10 and 24, 1991 (next one to be held in March 1996); results—NA percent of the vote; seats—(64 total) UDFP-MDPS-ULD 12, PNDD/PRD 9, PSD/UNSP 8, NCC 7, RND 7, MNDD/MSUP/UDRN 6, UDS 5, RDL 4, ASD/BSD 3, ADP/UDRS 2, UNDP 1
_#_Communists: The Communist Party of Dahomey (PCD) is still active.
_#_Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ,
G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Candide AHOUANSOU; Charge d'Affaires Corneille MEHISSOU; Chancery at 2737 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 232-6656;
US—Ambassador Harriet ISOM; Embassy at Rue Caporal Anani Bernard, Cotonou (mailing address is B. P. 2012, Cotonou); telephone [229] 30-06-50
_#_Flag: two equal horizontal stripes of yellow (top) and red with a vertical green stripe on the side where it attaches to the flagpole.
_*Economy #_Overview: Benin is one of the least developed countries in the world due to limited natural resources and underdeveloped infrastructure. Agriculture makes up almost 40% of GDP, employs about 60% of the workforce, and generates a significant portion of foreign exchange earnings. The industrial sector contributes only around 15% to GDP and employs 2% of the workforce. Ongoing low prices in recent years have restricted hard currency earnings from Benin's key exports of agricultural products and crude oil.
_GDP: $2.0 billion, per person $400; real growth rate 2.6% (1990)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.0% (1990)
_#_Unemployment: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $194 million; expenditures $390 million, including capital expenditures of $104 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $250 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—crude oil, cotton, palm products, cocoa;
partners—FRG 36%, France 16%, Spain 14%, Italy 8%, UK 4%
_#_Imports: $442 million (f.o.b., 1990 estimate);
commodities—food, drinks, tobacco, oil products, intermediate goods, capital goods, light consumer items;
partners—France 34%, Netherlands 10%, Japan 7%, Italy 6%, US 4%
_#_External debt: $1.0 billion (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 0.7% (1988); makes up 30% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 28,000 kW capacity; 24 million kWh produced, 5 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: textiles, cigarettes, construction materials, beverages, food production, petroleum
_#_Agriculture: small farms produce 90% of agricultural output; production is dominated by food crops—corn, sorghum, cassava, beans, and rice; cash crops include cotton, palm oil, and peanuts; poultry and livestock production has not kept pace with consumption.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $46 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.1 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $19 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $101 million
_#_Currency: Communauté Financière Africaine franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Communauté Financière Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1—256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 578 km, all 1,000-meter gauge, single track
_#_Highways: 5,050 km total; 920 km paved, 2,600 km laterite, 1,530 km improved earth
_#_Inland waterways: navigable in small stretches, significant only in local contexts
_#_Ports: Cotonou
_#_Civil air: 3 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 6 total, 4 usable; 1 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 2,439 m; 4 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: a fair system of open wire, submarine cable, and radio relay; 16,200 telephones; stations—2 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT satellite earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: People's Armed Forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force), National Gendarmerie, People's Militia, Presidential Guard
_#_Manpower availability: eligible 15-49, 2,089,646; out of the 991,278 males aged 15-49, 507,482 are fit for military service; of the 1,098,368 females aged 15-49, 554,454 are fit for military service; approximately 57,106 males and 55,297 females reach military age (18) each year; both genders are required for military service.
_#Defense spending: $38 million, 2.3% of GDP (1988) % @Bermuda (depends on the UK) *Geography #_Total area: 50 km2; land area: 50 km2
_#_Comparative area: approximately 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 103 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: subtropical; mild, humid; strong winds and gales are common in winter
_#_Terrain: gentle hills divided by productive valleys
_#_Natural resources: limestone, a nice climate that boosts tourism
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 20%; other 80%
_#_Environment: plenty of rainfall, but no rivers or freshwater lakes; consists of about 360 small coral islands
_#_Note: 1,050 km east of North Carolina; some reclaimed land leased by the US Government
_*People #_Population: 58,433 (July 1991), growth rate 1.5% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 15 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 7 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 12 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 72 years for males, 78 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.7 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Bermudian(s); adjective—Bermudian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Black 61%, White and Other 39%
_#_Religion: Anglican 37%, Roman Catholic 14%, African Methodist Episcopal (Zion) 10%, Methodist 6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5%, other 28%
_#_Language: English
_#_Literacy: 98% (male 98%, female 99%) of those aged 15 and older can read and write (1970)
_#_Labor force: 32,000; clerical 25%, services 22%, laborers 21%, professional and technical 13%, administrative and managerial 10%, sales 7%, agriculture and fishing 2% (1984)
_#_Organized labor: 8,573 members (1985); largest union is the Bermuda Industrial Union
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: dependent territory of the UK
_#_Capital: Hamilton
_#_Administrative divisions: 9 parishes and 2 municipalities*; Devonshire, Hamilton, Hamilton*, Paget, Pembroke, Saint George*, Saint George's, Sandys, Smiths, Southampton, Warwick
_#_Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Constitution: 8 June 1968
_#_Legal system: English law
_#_National holiday: Bermuda Day, May 22
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor, deputy governor, premier, deputy premier, Executive Council (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: the bicameral Parliament is made up of an upper house, known as the Senate, and a lower house, called the House of Assembly.
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952), represented by Governor Sir Desmond LANGLEY (since NA October 1988);
Head of Government—Premier John William David SWAN (since NA
January 1982)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
United Bermuda Party (UBP), John W. D. SWAN;
Progressive Labor Party (PLP), Frederick WADE;
National Liberal Party (NLP), Gilbert DARRELL
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
House of Assembly—last held on February 9, 1989 (next to be held by February 1994); results—percentage of votes by party NA; seats—(40 total) UBP 23, PLP 15, NLP 1, other 1
_#_Communists: negligible
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Bermuda Industrial Union (BIU), led by Ottiwell SIMMONS
_#_Member of: CARICOM (observer), ICFTU, IOC
_#_Diplomatic representation: as a territory dependent on the UK, Bermuda's interests in the US are represented by the UK;
US—Consul General L. Ebersole GAINES; Consulate General at
Crown Hill, 16 Middle Road, Devonshire, Hamilton (mailing address is
P. O. Box HM325, Hamilton HMBX, or FPO New York 09560-5300); telephone
(809) 295-1342
_#_Flag: red with the UK flag in the upper hoist-side corner and the Bermudian coat of arms (a white and blue shield featuring a red lion holding a scroll showing the sinking of the ship Sea Venture off Bermuda in 1609) centered on the outer half of the flag
_*Economy #_Overview: Bermuda has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, thanks to its strategic location, which allows it to offer luxury tourist amenities and financial services. The tourism sector brings in over 90% of its business from North America. The industrial sector is small, and agriculture is greatly restricted due to limited arable land. Roughly 80% of its food needs are imported.
# GDP: $1.3 billion, per person $22,400; actual growth rate 2.0% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.8% (June 1989)
_#_Unemployment: 2.0% (1988)
_#_Budget: revenues $307 million; expenditures $275 million, which includes capital expenditures of $31 million (FY90 est.)
_#_Exports: $30 million (f.o.b., FY88);
commodities—semitropical produce, light manufactures;
partners—US 25%, Italy 25%, UK 14%, Canada 5%, other 31%
_#_Imports: $420 million (c.i.f., FY88);
commodities—fuel, foodstuffs, machinery;
partners—US 58%, Netherlands Antilles 9%, UK 8%, Canada 6%, Japan 5%, other 14%
_#_External debt: NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 154,000 kW capacity; 504 million kWh produced, 8,640 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, finance, concrete products, paints, pharmaceuticals, ship repair
_#_Agriculture: accounts for under 1% of GDP; most staple foods have to be imported; produces bananas, vegetables, citrus fruits, flowers, dairy products
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $34 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $267 million
_#_Currency: Bermudian dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Bermudian dollar (Bd$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Bermudian dollar (Bd$) per US$1—1.0000 (fixed rate)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Highways: 210 km of public roads, all paved (about 400 km of private roads)
_#_Ports: Freeport, Hamilton, Saint George
_#_Merchant marine: 84 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,826,756 GRT/6,932,981 DWT; includes 3 short-sea passenger ships, 8 cargo ships, 7 refrigerated cargo ships, 4 container ships, 8 roll-on/roll-off ships, 26 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 11 liquefied gas carriers, and 17 bulk carriers; note—a flag of convenience registry
_#_Civil air: 16 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 1 with paved runways 2,440-3,659 m
_#_Telecommunications: modern with a fully automated telephone system; 52,670 phones; stations—5 AM, 3 FM, 2 TV; 3 submarine cables; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Bermuda Regiment, Bermuda Police Force, Reserve Constabulary
_#Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK % @Bhutan *Geography #_Total area: 47,000 km²; land area: 47,000 km²
_#_Comparative area: just over half the size of Indiana
_#_Land boundaries: 1,075 km total; China 470 km, India 605 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Climate: varies; tropical in the southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in the central valleys; harsh winters and cool summers in the Himalayas
_#_Terrain: mostly mountainous with a few fertile valleys and savanna
_#_Natural resources: wood, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbide, tourism potential
_#_Land use: arable land 2%; permanent crops negligible; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and woodland 70%; other 23%
_#_Environment: violent storms descending from the Himalayas were the origin of the country's name, which translates to Land of the Thunder Dragon.
_#_Note: landlocked; strategically located between China and India; controls several important Himalayan mountain passes
_*People #_Population: 1,598,216 (July 1991), growth rate 2.0% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 37 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 17 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 135 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 50 years for males, 48 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.9 children per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Bhutanese (sing., pl.); adjective—Bhutanese
_#_Ethnic divisions: Bhote 60%, ethnic Nepalese 25%, indigenous or migrant tribes 15%
_#_Religion: 75% Lamaistic Buddhism, 25% Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism
_#_Language: Bhotes speak several Tibetan dialects—the most widely spoken is Dzongkha (the official language); Nepalese speak different Nepalese dialects.
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: NA; agriculture 93%, services 5%, industry and commerce 2%; huge shortage of skilled workers
_#_Organized labor: not permitted
_*Government #_Long-form name: Kingdom of Bhutan
_#_Type: monarchy; special treaty relationship with India
_#_Capital: Thimphu
# Administrative divisions: 18 districts (dzongkhag, singular and plural); Bumthang, Chhukha, Chirang, Daga, Geylegphug, Ha, Lhuntshi, Mongar, Paro, Pemagatsel, Punakha, Samchi, Samdrup Jongkhar, Shemgang, Tashigang, Thimphu, Tongsa, Wangdi Phodrang
_#_Independence: August 8, 1949 (from India)
_#_Constitution: no written constitution or bill of rights
_#_Legal system: based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted mandatory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: National Day (Ugyen Wangchuck became the first hereditary king), December 17 (1907)
_#_Executive branch: monarch, chairperson of the Royal Advisory Council, Royal Advisory Council (Lodoi Tsokde), chairperson of the Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers (Lhengye Shungtsog)
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber National Assembly (Tshogdu)
_#_Judicial branch: High Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since July 24, 1972)
_#_Political parties: no legal parties
_Suffrage: each household has one vote in local elections_
_#_Elections: no national elections
_#_Communists: no overt Communist presence
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Buddhist leaders, Indian business community; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading aggressive protests against the government
_#_Member of: AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IMF, IOC, ITU, NAM, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO
_#_Diplomatic representation: there are no official diplomatic relations, but informal contact is kept up between the Bhutanese and US Embassies in New Delhi (India); the Bhutanese mission to the UN in New York has consular authority in the US.
_#_Flag: split diagonally from the lower left corner; the top triangle is orange and the bottom triangle is red; in the center along the dividing line is a large black and white dragon facing away from the left side
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy, one of the least developed in the world, is centered around agriculture and forestry, which provide the main source of income for 90% of the population and account for about 50% of GDP. Rugged mountains dominate the landscape, making the construction of roads and other infrastructure challenging and costly. The economy is closely tied to India's through strong trade and financial connections. Low wages in industry result in most Bhutanese choosing to remain in agriculture. Many development projects, such as road building, depend on Indian migrant labor. Bhutan's hydropower potential and its appeal to tourists are its most valuable natural resources.
_GDP: $273 million, per capita $199 (1988) real growth rate 4% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9% (1990 estimate)
_#_Unemployment: NA
_#_Budget: revenues $99 million; expenditures $128 million, including capital expenditures of $65 million (FY89 est.)
_#_Exports: $70.9 million (f.o.b., FY89);
commodities—cardamom, gypsum, wood, crafts, cement, fruit;
partners—India 93%
_#_Imports: $138.3 million (cost, insurance, freight, fiscal year 1989 estimate);
commodities—fuel and oil, grains, machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics;
partners—India 67%
_#_External debt: $70.1 million (FY89 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 12.4% (1988 est.); makes up 18% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 353,000 kW capacity; 2 billion kWh produced, 1,280 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide
_#_Agriculture: makes up 50% of GDP; relies on subsistence farming and livestock management; self-sufficient in food except for grains; other produce includes rice, corn, root vegetables, citrus fruits, dairy products, and eggs.
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $86.0 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $11 million
_#_Currency: ngultrum (plural—ngultrum); 1 ngultrum (Nu) = 100 chetrum; note—Indian currency is also accepted as legal tender.
_#_Exchange rates: ngultrum (Nu) per US$1—18.329 (January 1991), 17.504 (1990), 16.226 (1989), 13.917 (1988), 12.962 (1987), 12.611 (1986), 12.369 (1985); note—the Bhutanese ngultrum is equal to the Indian rupee.
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Highways: 1,304 km total; 418 km paved, 515 km upgraded, 371 km unpaved dirt
_#_Civil air: 1 jet, 2 prop
_#_Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 1 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 2,439 m; 2 with runways between 1,220 and 2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: inadequate; 1,990 telephones (1988); 22,000 radios (1990 est.); 85 TVs (1985); stations—1 AM, 1 FM, no TV (1990)
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Royal Bhutan Army, Palace Guard, Militia
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 398,263; 213,083 fit for military service; 17,321 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense spending: $NA, NA% of GDP % @Bolivia *Geography #_Total area: 1,098,580 km²; land area: 1,084,390 km²
_#_Comparative area: just under three times the size of Montana
_#_Land boundaries: 6,743 km total; Argentina 832 km, Brazil 3,400 km, Chile 861 km, Paraguay 750 km, Peru 900 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Disputes: has sought a sovereign corridor to the South Pacific Ocean since the Atacama region was lost to Chile in 1884; conflict with Chile over Rio Lauca water rights
_#_Climate: varies with elevation; from humid and tropical to cold and semi-arid
_#_Terrain: elevated plateau, hills, flat plains
_#_Natural resources: tin, natural gas, crude oil, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron ore, lead, gold, timber
_#_Land use: arable land 3%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 25%; forest and woodland 52%; other 20%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: the cold, thin air of the high plateau makes it hard for fuel to burn efficiently; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
_#_Note: landlocked; shares control of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world, with Peru
_*People #_Population: 7,156,591 (July 1991), growth rate 2.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 34 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 9 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 83 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 59 years for males, 64 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.6 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Bolivian(s); adjective Bolivian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Quechua 30%, Aymara 25%, mixed 25-30%, European 5-15%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 95%; active Protestant minority, especially Evangelical Methodist
_#_Language: Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara (all official)
_#_Literacy: 78% (male 85%, female 71%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 1,700,000; agriculture 50%, services and utilities 26%, manufacturing 10%, mining 4%, other 10% (1983)
_#_Organized labor: 150,000-200,000, focused in mining, industry, construction, and transportation; mainly organized under the Bolivian Workers' Central (COB) labor federation
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Bolivia
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: La Paz (government seat); Sucre (legal capital and judicial seat)
_#_Administrative divisions: 9 departments (departamentos, singular—departamento); Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, El Beni, La Paz, Oruro, Pando, Potosi, Santa Cruz, Tarija
_#_Independence: August 6, 1825 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution: 2 February 1967
_#_Legal system: based on Spanish law and the Napoleonic Code; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, August 6 (1825)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional) consists of an upper chamber or Chamber of Senators (Camara de Senadores) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Supreme Court)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Jaime PAZ Zamora (since August 6, 1989); Vice President Luis OSSIO Sanjines (since August 6, 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Movement of the Revolutionary Left (MIR), Jaime PAZ Zamora;
Nationalist Democratic Action (ADN), Hugo BANZER Suarez;
Nationalist Revolutionary Movement (MNR), Gonzalo SANCHEZ de Lozada;
Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Jorge AGREDO;
Free Bolivia Movement (MBL), led by Antonio ARANIBAR;
United Left (IU), a coalition of leftist parties which includes
Patriotic National Convergency Axis (EJE-P) led by Walter DELGADILLO,
and Bolivian Communist Party (PCB) led by Humberto RAMIREZ;
Conscience of the Fatherland (CONDEPA), Carlos PALENQUE Aviles;
Revolutionary Vanguard-9th of April (VR-9), Carlos SERRATE Reich;
Civic Union Solidarity (UCS), Max FERNANDEZ
_#_Suffrage: universal and mandatory at age 18 (for married individuals) or 21 (for single individuals)
_#_Elections:
President—last held May 7, 1989 (next to be held May 1993); results—Gonzalo SANCHEZ de Lozada (MNR) 23%, Hugo BANZER Suarez (ADN) 22%, Jaime PAZ Zamora (MIR) 19%; no candidate received a majority of the popular vote; Jaime PAZ Zamora (MIR) formed a coalition with Hugo BANZER (ADN); with ADN support, PAZ Zamora won the congressional runoff election on August 4 and was inaugurated on August 6, 1989;
Senate—last held on May 7, 1989 (next one scheduled for May 1993); results—percent of vote not available; seats (total 27) MNR 9, ADN 7, MIR 8, CONDEPA 2, PDC 1;
Chamber of Deputies—last held on May 7, 1989 (next to be held in May 1993); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats (total 130) MNR 40, ADN 35, MIR 33, IU 10, CONDEPA 9, PDC 3
_#_Member of: AG, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM,
ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jorge CRESPO; Chancery at 3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; phone (202) 483-4410 through 4412; there are Bolivian Consulates General in Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco;
US—Ambassador Robert S. GELBARD; Embassy at Banco Popular del Peru
Building, corner of Calles Mercado y Colon, La Paz (mailing address is
P. O. Box 425, La Paz, or APO Miami 34032); phone [591] (2)
350251 or 350120
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with the coat of arms centered on the yellow band; similar to the flag of Ghana, which has a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band
_*Economy #_Overview: The Bolivian economy consistently declined between 1980 and 1985 as La Paz covered growing budget deficits by increasing the money supply, leading to skyrocketing inflation that peaked at 11,700%. However, a strict economic policy adopted by the newly elected President Paz Estenssoro in 1985 was successful in reducing inflation to between 10% and 20% annually since 1987, eventually kicking off economic growth. President Paz Zamora has continued the economic strategies of the previous administration, keeping inflation low and maintaining the moderate growth that started with his predecessor. Still, Bolivia remains one of the poorest countries in Latin America and is vulnerable to price changes for its limited exports—agricultural products, minerals, and natural gas. Additionally, for many farmers, who make up half of the country's workforce, the primary cash crop is coca, which is sold for cocaine production.
_#_GDP: $4.85 billion, per person $690; actual growth rate 2.7% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 18% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 21.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $2.5 billion; expenditures $2.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $850 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $927 million (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—metals 45%, natural gas 30%, other 25% (coffee, soybeans, sugar, cotton, timber);
partners—US 15%, Argentina
_#_Imports: $716 million (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—food, oil, consumer products, capital goods;
partners—US 22%
_#_External debt: $3.7 billion (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 5% (1990); makes up nearly 30% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 833,000 kW capacity; 1,763 million kWh produced, 260 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: mining, smelting, oil, food and drinks, tobacco, crafts, clothing; the illegal drug trade is said to generate significant revenue
_#_Agriculture: makes up about 20% of GDP (including forestry and fisheries); main products—coffee, coca, cotton, corn, sugarcane, rice, potatoes, timber; self-sufficient in food
_#_Illicit drugs: the world's second-largest producer of coca (after Peru), with an estimated 51,900 hectares being cultivated; the government sees all but 12,000 hectares as illegal; intermediate coca products and cocaine are exported to or through Colombia and Brazil to the US and other international drug markets.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $990 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.7 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $340 million
_#_Currency: boliviano (plural—bolivianos); 1 boliviano ($B) = 100 centavos
_#_Exchange rates: bolivianos ($B) per US$1—3.3732 (December 1990), 3.1727 (1990), 2.6917 (1989), 2.3502 (1988), 2.0549 (1987), 1.9220 (1986), 0.4400 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 3,675 km in total; 3,643 km of 1,000-meter gauge and 32 km of 760-meter gauge, all government-owned, single track
_#_Highways: 38,836 km total; 1,300 km paved, 6,700 km gravel, 30,836 km improved and unpaved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 10,000 km of navigable waterways for commercial use
_#_Pipelines: crude oil 1,800 km; refined products 580 km; natural gas 1,495 km
_#_Ports: none; the maritime outlets are Arica and Antofagasta in Chile and Matarani in Peru
_#_Merchant marine: 2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or more) with a total of 14,051 GRT/22,155 DWT
_#_Civil air: 56 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 807 total, 659 usable; 9 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 8 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 120 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: expanding radio relay system; enhanced international services; 144,300 telephones; stations—129 AM, no FM, 43 TV, 68 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Bolivian Army, Bolivian Navy (including Marines), Bolivian Air Force, National Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,679,352; 1,091,368 fit for military service; 72,979 reach military age (19) each year.
_#Defense spending: $162 million, 4% of GNP (1988 est.) % @Botswana *Geography #_Total area: 600,370 km²; land area: 585,370 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Texas
_#_Land boundaries: 4,013 km total; Namibia 1,360 km, South Africa 1,840 km, Zimbabwe 813 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Disputes: a short section of the border with Namibia is unclear; the quadripoint with Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe is disputed
_#_Climate: semi-arid; mild winters and hot summers
_#_Terrain: mainly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in the southwest
# Natural resources: diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver, natural gas
_#_Land use: arable land 2%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 75%; forest and woodland 2%; other 21%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: the rains in early 1988 ended six years of drought that had greatly impacted the vital cattle industry; overgrazing; desertification
_#_Note: landlocked
_*People #_Population: 1,258,392 (July 1991), growth rate 2.7% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 36 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 9 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 43 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 59 years for males, 65 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.6 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun and adjective—Motswana (singular), Batswana (plural)
_#_Ethnic divisions: Batswana 95%; Kalanga, Basarwa, and Kgalagadi about 4%; white about 1%
_#_Religion: indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian beliefs 50%
_#_Language: English (official), Setswana
_#_Literacy: 23% (male 32%, female 16%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 400,000; 182,200 formal sector employees, while most others are involved in cattle ranching and subsistence farming (1988 est.); 19,000 are working in different mines in South Africa (1988)
_#_Organized labor: 19 trade unions
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Botswana
_#_Type: parliamentary republic
_#_Capital: Gaborone
_#_Administrative divisions: 10 districts; Central, Chobe, Ghanzi,
Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, Ngamiland, North-East, South-East,
Southern; note—in addition, there may now be 4 town councils named
Francistown, Gaborone, Lobatse, Selebi-Pikwe
_#_Independence: September 30, 1966 (from the UK; previously Bechuanaland)
_#_Constitution: March 1965, effective September 30, 1966
_#_Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and local customary law; judicial review is limited to interpretation issues; has not accepted mandatory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Botswana Day, September 30 (1966)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: The bicameral National Assembly includes an upper house called the House of Chiefs and a lower house known as the National Assembly.
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Court of Appeals
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Quett K. J. MASIRE (since July 13, 1980); Vice President Peter S. MMUSI (since January 3, 1983)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), Quett MASIRE;
Botswana National Front (BNF), Kenneth KOMA;
Botswana People's Party (BPP), Knight MARIPE;
Botswana Independence Party (BIP), Motsamai MPHO
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
President—last held 7 October 1989 (next to be held October
1994);
results—President Quett K. J. MASIRE was reelected by the National
Assembly;
National Assembly—last held on October 7, 1989 (next one scheduled for October 1994); results—percent of votes by party NA; seats—(38 total, 34 elected) BDP 35, BNF 3
_#_Communists: no recognized Communist group; Kenneth Koma of BNF has a long history of connections with Communists
_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, FLS, G-77, GATT, IBRD,
ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU,
LORCS, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO,
WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Botsweletse Kingsley SEBELE; Chancery at Suite 404, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; phone (202) 244-4990 or 4991;
US—Ambassador David PASSAGE; Embassy at Botswana Road, Gaborone (mailing address is P. O. Box 90, Gaborone); phone [267] 353-982 to 353-984
_#_Flag: light blue with a horizontal black stripe that has white edges in the center
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy has traditionally relied on cattle raising and farming. Today, agriculture supports over 80% of the population, but only meets about 50% of food needs and adds a modest 3% to GDP. The mining industry has been the main driver of rapid economic growth in the 1970s and 1980s. This sector, primarily due to diamonds, increased its contribution to GDP from 25% in 1980 to over 50% in 1989. No other industry has seen such growth, especially not agriculture, which suffers from inconsistent rainfall and poor soil quality. The unemployment rate remains a challenge at 25%.
_GDP: $3.1 billion, per person $2,500; actual growth rate 6.3% (1990)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12.0% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 25% (1989)
_#_Budget: revenues $1,719 million; expenditures $1,792 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92 est.)
_#_Exports: $1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1990 estimate);
commodities—diamonds 77%, copper and nickel 12%, meat 4%, cattle, animal products;
partners—Switzerland, UK, US, SACU (Southern African Customs Union)
_#_Imports: $1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities—food, vehicles and transport equipment, textiles, petroleum products;
partners—Switzerland, SACU (Southern African Customs Union), UK, US
_#_External debt: $780 million (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 16.8% (FY86); makes up about 57% of GDP, including mining
_#_Electricity: 217,000 kW capacity; 630 million kWh produced, 510 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: mining of diamonds, copper, nickel, coal, salt, soda ash, potash; livestock processing
_#_Agriculture: makes up only 3% of GDP; subsistence farming is the main form; cattle raising supports 50% of the population; must import a large portion of food needs
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $257 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $43 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $29 million
_#_Currency: pula (plural—pula); 1 pula (P) = 100 thebe
_#_Exchange rates: pula (P) per US$1—1.8720 (January 1991), 1.8601 (1990), 2.0125 (1989), 1.8159 (1988), 1.6779 (1987), 1.8678 (1986), 1.8882 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Railroads: 712 km 1.0 67-meter gauge
_#_Highways: 11,514 km total; 1,600 km paved; 1,700 km crushed stone or gravel, 5,177 km upgraded earth, 3,037 km unpaved earth
_#_Civil air: 6 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 100 total, 87 operational; 8 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 2 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 26 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: the small system is made up of open-wire lines, radio relay connections, and a few radio communication stations; 17,900 telephones; stations—2 AM, 3 FM, no TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Botswana Defense Force (including Army and Air Wing), Botswana National Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 260,290; 137,038 eligible for military service; 14,767 turning 18 every year
_#Defense spending: $99 million, 8.2% of GNP (1989) % @Bouvet Island (part of Norway) *Geography #_Total area: 58 km²; land area: 58 km²
_#_Comparative area: about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 29.6 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 4 nm
_#_Climate: antarctic
_#_Terrain: volcanic; highest point around 800 meters; the coast is mostly inaccessible.
_#_Natural resources: none
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100% (ice)
_#_Environment: covered by glacial ice
_#_Note: located in the South Atlantic Ocean 2,575 km south-southwest of the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa
_*People #_Population: uninhabited
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: territory of Norway
_*Economy #_Overview: no economic activity
_*Communications #_Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
_#_Telecommunications: automatic meteorological station
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of Norway % @Brazil *Geography #_Total area: 8,511,965 km²; land area: 8,456,510 km²; includes Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, Rocas Atoll, Trindade Island, Martin Vaz Islands, and Penedos de São Pedro e São Paulo
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than the US
_#_Land boundaries: 14,691 km total; Argentina 1,224 km, Bolivia 3,400 km, Colombia 1,643 km, French Guiana 673 km, Guyana 1,119 km, Paraguay 1,290 km, Peru 1,560 km, Suriname 597 km, Uruguay 985 km, Venezuela 2,200 km
_#_Coastline: 7,491 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of extraction;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 200 nm
_#_Disputes: a small section of the border with Paraguay (just west of Guaira Falls on the Rio Parana) is in dispute; two small sections of the border with Uruguay are in dispute (the Arroyo de la Invernada area of the Rio Quarai and the islands at the confluence of the Rio Quarai and the Uruguay); has noted possible Latin claims in Antarctica
_#_Climate: mostly tropical, but mild in the south
_#_Terrain: mainly flat to gently rolling lowlands in the north; includes some plains, hills, mountains, and a narrow coastal strip.
_#_Natural resources: iron ore, manganese, bauxite, nickel, uranium, phosphates, tin, hydropower, gold, platinum, crude oil, timber
_#_Land use: arable land 7%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 19%; forest and woodland 67%; other 6%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: ongoing droughts in the northeast; floods and frost in the south; deforestation in the Amazon basin; air and water pollution in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo
_#_Note: largest country in South America; shares borders with all South American countries except Chile and Ecuador
_*People #_Population: 155,356,073 (July 1991), growth rate 1.8% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 26 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 68 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 62 years for males, 68 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.1 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Brazilian(s); adjective—Brazilian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Portuguese, Italian, German, Japanese, Black, Amerindian; white 55%, mixed 38%, Black 6%, other 1%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic (nominal) 90%
_#_Language: Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French
_#_Literacy: 81% (male 82%, female 80%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 57 million (1989 est.); services 42%, agriculture 31%, industry 27%
_#_Organized labor: 13,000,000 dues-paying members (1989 estimated)
_*Government #_Full name: Federative Republic of Brazil
_#_Type: federal republic
_#_Capital: Brasilia
_#_Administrative divisions: 26 states (estados, singular—estado)
and 1 federal district* (distrito federal); Acre, Alagoas, Amapá,
Amazonas, Bahia, Ceará, Distrito Federal*, Espírito Santo, Goiás,
Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Pará,
Paraíba, Paraná, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do
Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondônia, Roraima, Santa Catarina, São
Paulo, Sergipe, Tocantins; note—the former territories of Amapá and
Roraima became states in January 1991
_#_Independence: September 7, 1822 (from Portugal)
_#_Constitution: 5 October 1988
_#_Legal system: based on Latin codes; has not accepted mandatory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, September 7 (1822)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congresso
Nacional) consists of an upper chamber or Federal Senate (Senado
Federal) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Câmara dos
Deputados)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Federal Tribunal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Fernando
Affonso COLLOR de Mello (since March 15, 1990); Vice President
Itamar FRANCO (since March 15, 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
National Reconstruction Party (PRN), Daniel TOURINHO, president;
Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), Orestes QUERCIA, president;
Liberal Front Party (PFL), Hugo NAPOLEAO, president;
Workers' Party (PT), Luis Ignacio (Lula) da SILVA, president;
Brazilian Labor Party (PTB), Luiz GONZAGA de Paiva Muniz, president;
Democratic Labor Party (PDT), Leonel BRIZOLA, president;
Democratic Social Party (PDS), Amaral NETTO, president;
Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), Mario COVAS, president;
Brazilian Communist Party (PCB), Salomao MALINA, secretary general;
Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB), Joao AMAZONAS, president;
Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Eduardo CAMPOS, president
_#_Suffrage: optional at age 16; mandatory between ages 18 and 70; optional again at age 70
_#_Elections:
President—last held November 15, 1989, with runoff on December 17, 1989 (next to be held November 1994); results—Fernando COLLOR de Mello 53%, Luis Inacio da SILVA 47%; note—first free, direct presidential election since 1960;
Senate—last held on October 3, 1990 (next scheduled for November 1994); results—percent of vote by party not available; seats—(81 total as of February 3, 1991) PMDB 27, PFL 15, PSDB 10, PTB 8, PDT 5, other 16;
Chamber of Deputies—last held on October 3, 1990 (next one scheduled for November 1994); results—PMDB 21%, PFL 17%, PDT 9%, PDS 8%, PRN 7.9%, PTB 7%, PT 7%, other 23.1%; seats—(503 total as of February 3, 1991) PMDB 108, PFL 87, PDT 46, PDS 43, PRN 40, PTB 35, PT 35, other 109;
_#_Communists: about 30,000
_#_Other political or pressure groups: the left wing of the Catholic Church and labor unions associated with the leftist Workers' Party are critical of the government's social and economic policies.
_#_Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-19,
G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO,
ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNAVEM,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Marcilio Marques MOREIRA; Chancery at 3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 745-2700; there are Brazilian Consulates General in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, and New York, and Consulates in Dallas, Houston, and San Francisco;
US—Ambassador Richard MELTON; Embassy at Avenida das Nocoes,
Lote 3, Brasilia, Distrito Federal (mailing address is APO Miami 34030);
telephone [55] (6) 321-7272; there are US Consulates General in Rio de
Janeiro and Sao Paulo, and Consulates in Porto Alegre and Recife
_#_Flag: green with a big yellow diamond in the center featuring a blue globe with 23 white five-pointed stars (one for each state) arranged like the night sky over Brazil; the globe has a white band around its middle with the motto ORDEM E PROGRESSO (Order and Progress)
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy, with significant agricultural, mining, and manufacturing sectors, entered the 1990s facing declining real growth, soaring inflation, an unmanageable foreign debt of $122 billion, and a lack of clear policy direction. Furthermore, the economy remained heavily regulated, inward-focused, and shielded by considerable trade and investment barriers. Ownership of major industrial and mining facilities is shared between private entities—including several multinationals—and the government. Most large agricultural holdings are privately owned, with the government providing financing to this sector. Tensions between large landowners and landless peasants have resulted in occasional violence. The government is pursuing an IMF standby loan despite multiple failed agreements over the past decade. Relations with foreign commercial banks are strained due to increasing interest arrears on Brazil's long-term debt. The Collor government, which took office in March 1990, is implementing an ambitious reform program aimed at modernizing and revitalizing the economy by stabilizing prices, deregulating the market, and opening it up to more foreign competition. A key long-term advantage is Brazil's abundant natural resources.
##_GDP: $388 billion, per person $2,540; real growth rate - 4.6% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1,795% (December 1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 4.4% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $36.5 billion; expenditures $48.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $4.6 billion (1988)
_#_Exports: $31.4 billion (1990);
commodities—iron ore, soymeal, orange juice, shoes, coffee
partners—EC 29%, US 23%, Latin America 10%, Japan 7% (1989)
_#_Imports: $20.4 billion (1990);
commodities—crude oil, machinery, chemical products, groceries, coal;
partners—US 21%, Middle East and Africa 20%, EC 20%, Latin America 18%, Japan 7% (1989)
_#_External debt: $122 billion (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 8.9% (1990); makes up 35% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 55,773,000 kW capacity; 214,116 million kWh produced, 1,400 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: textiles and other consumer products, footwear, chemicals, cement, wood, iron ore, steel, vehicles and auto parts, metalworking, machinery, tin
_#_Agriculture: makes up 12% of GDP; the world's biggest producer and exporter of coffee and orange juice concentrate and the second-largest exporter of soybeans; other products include rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, and beef; self-sufficient in food, except for wheat
_#_Illicit drugs: illegal producer of cannabis and coca, primarily for local use; the government has a limited eradication program to manage cannabis and coca farming.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $2.5 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $9.9 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $284 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $1.3 billion
_#_Currency: cruzeiro (plural—cruzeiros); 1 cruzeiro (Cr$) = 100 centavos
_#_Exchange rates: cruzeiros (Cr$) per US$1—193,189 (January 1991), 68,300 (1990), 2,834 (1989), 0.26238 (1988), 0.03923 (1987), 0.01366 (1986), 0.00620 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 29,694 km total; 25,268 km of 1,000-meter gauge, 4,339 km of 1,600-meter gauge, 74 km mixed 1,600-1,000-meter gauge, 13 km of 0.760-meter gauge; 2,308 km electrified
_#_Highways: 1,448,000 km total; 48,000 km paved, 1,400,000 km gravel or dirt
_#_Inland waterways: 50,000 km navigable
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 2,000 km; refined products, 3,804 km; natural gas, 1,095 km
_#_Ports: Belem, Fortaleza, Ilheus, Manaus, Paranagua, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande, Salvador, Santos
_#_Merchant marine: 263 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 5,898,838 GRT/9,975,272 DWT; includes 2 passenger-cargo ships, 59 cargo ships, 1 refrigerated cargo ship, 13 container ships, 7 roll-on/roll-off ships, 60 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 15 chemical tankers, 11 liquefied gas tankers, 14 combination ore/oil ships, 79 bulk carriers, 2 combination bulk ships; additionally, 2 naval tankers and 4 military transports are sometimes used commercially.
_#_Civil air: 176 large transport planes
_#_Airports: 3,751 total, 3,078 usable; 401 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 22 with runways 2,240-3,659 m; 533 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
# Telecommunications: good system; extensive radio relay facilities; 9.86 million telephones; stations—1,223 AM, no FM, 112 TV, 151 shortwave; 3 coaxial submarine cables, 3 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations with a total of 3 antennas; 64 domestic satellite stations
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Brazilian Army, Navy of Brazil (including Marines), Brazilian Air Force, Federal Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 40,559,052; 27,364,392 eligible for military service; 1,637,434 turn 18 annually.
_#Defense spending: $1.1 billion, 2.6% of GDP (1990) % @British Indian Ocean Territory (dependent territory of the UK) *Geography #_Total area: 60 km²; land area: 60 km²
_#_Comparative area: about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 698 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Disputes: Mauritius claims the entire Chagos Archipelago
_#_Climate: tropical marine; hot, humid, and cooled by trade winds
_#_Terrain: flat and low (up to 4 meters high)
_#_Natural resources: coconuts, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: archipelago of 2,300 islands
_#_Note: Diego Garcia, the largest and southernmost island, holds a strategic position in the central Indian Ocean.
_*People #_Population: no permanent civilian population; previously around 3,000 island residents
_#_Ethnic divisions: civilian residents, referred to as the Ilois, were evacuated to Mauritius before the building of UK and US defense facilities.
_*Government #_Full name: British Indian Ocean Territory (no short name); abbreviated BIOT
_#_Type: dependent territory of the UK
_#_Capital: none
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952);
Head of Government—Commissioner and Administrator R. EDIS (since NA 1988); note—lives in the UK
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Flag: white with the UK flag in the upper hoist-side corner and six blue wavy horizontal stripes featuring a palm tree and a yellow crown positioned in the outer half of the flag.
_*Economy #_Overview: All economic activity is focused on the largest island, Diego Garcia, which is home to joint UK-US defense facilities. Construction projects and various services required to support the military installations are carried out by military and contract workers from the UK and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands.
_#_Electricity: supplied by the US military
_*Communications #_Highways: a brief paved road connecting the port and airfield on Diego Garcia
_#_Ports: Diego Garcia
_#_Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runways longer than 3,659 m on Diego Garcia
_#_Telecommunications: basic facilities; stations (managed by the US Navy)—1 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT ground station
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK % @British Virgin Islands (dependent territory of the UK) *Geography #_Total area: 150 km2; land area: 150 km2
_#_Comparative area: about 0.8 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Coastline: 80 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Climate: subtropical; humid; temperatures kept in check by trade winds
_#_Terrain: coral islands are mostly flat; volcanic islands are steep and hilly.
_#_Natural resources: negligible
_#_Land use: arable land 20%; permanent crops 7%; meadows and pastures 33%; forest and woodland 7%; other 33%
_#_Environment: at risk of hurricanes and tropical storms from July to October
_#_Note: strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
_*People #_Population: 12,396 (July 1991), growth rate 1.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 19 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: -3 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 14 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 72 years for males, 77 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—British Virgin Islander(s); adjective—British Virgin Islander
_#_Ethnic divisions: over 90% Black, with the rest being of White and Asian descent
_#_Religion: Protestant 86% (Methodist 45%, Anglican 21%, Church of God 7%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 2%), Roman Catholic 6%, none 2%, other 6% (1981)
_#_Language: English (official)
_#_Literacy: 98% (male 98%, female 98%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1970)
_#_Labor force: 4,911 (1980)
_#_Organized labor: NA% of workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: dependent territory of the UK
_#_Capital: Road Town
_#_Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Constitution: 1 June 1977
_#_Legal system: English law
_#_National holiday: Territory Day, July 1
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor, chief minister, Executive Council (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council
_#_Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952), represented by Governor John Mark Ambrose HERDMAN (since NA 1986);
Head of Government—Chief Minister H. Lavity STOUTT (since N/A 1986)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
United Party (UP), Conrad MADURO;
Virgin Islands Party (VIP), H. Lavity STOUTT;
Independent People's Movement (IPM), Cyril B. ROMNEY
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Legislative Council—last held on November 12, 1990 (next to be held by November 1995); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(9 total) VIP 6, IPM 1, independent 2
_#_Communists: probably none
_#_Member of: CARICOM (observer), CDB, ECLAC (associate), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate)
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (UK-dependent territory)
_#_Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms shows a woman flanked on both sides by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll with the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful)
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy relies heavily on the tourist industry, which accounts for about 21% of the national income. In 1985, the government provided offshore registration for companies looking to set up in the islands, resulting in incorporation fees of around $2 million in 1987. Livestock farming is the main agricultural activity. The islands' crops, hampered by poor soil quality, cannot satisfy food needs.
_GDP: $106.7 million, per person $8,900; actual growth rate 2.5% (1987)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.0% (1987)
_#_Unemployment rate: NEGL%
_#_Budget: revenues $32.8 million; expenditures $32.4 million, including capital expenditures of $6.3 million (FY90)
_#_Exports: $2.7 million (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities—rum, fresh fish, gravel, sand, fruit, animals;
partners—U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, U.S.
_#_Imports: $11.5 million (c.i.f., 1988);
commodities—building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery;
partners—Virgin Islands (U.S.), Puerto Rico, U.S.
_#_External debt: $4.5 million (1985)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 4.0% (1985)
_#_Electricity: 10,500 kW capacity; 43 million kWh produced, 3,510 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center
_#_Agriculture: livestock (including poultry), fish, fruit, vegetables
_#_Economic aid: NA
_#_Currency: US currency is used
_#_Exchange rates: The US dollar is used
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Highways: 106 km of drivable roads (1983)
_#_Ports: Road Town
_#_Airports: 3 total, 3 usable; 2 with paved runways less than 1,220 m
_#_Telecommunications: 3,000 phones; international phone service; underwater cable connections to Bermuda; stations—1 AM, no FM, 1 TV
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK % @Brunei *Geography #_Total area: 5,770 km²; land area: 5,270 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit bigger than Delaware
_#_Land boundary: 381 km with Malaysia
_#_Coastline: 161 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: may want to buy the Malaysian peninsula that separates the country
_#_Climate: tropical; hot, humid, rainy
_#_Terrain: flat coastal plain rises to mountains in the east; hilly lowland in the west
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, timber
_#_Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and woodland 79%; other 18%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: typhoons, earthquakes, and heavy flooding are uncommon
_#_Note: This area is near important shipping routes in the South China Sea that connect the Indian and Pacific Oceans; it's divided into two parts by Malaysia; it's almost an enclave of Malaysia.
_*People #_Population: 397,777 (July 1991), growth rate 6.3% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 22 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 4 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 45 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 74 years for males, 77 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.9 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Bruneian(s); adjective—Bruneian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Malay 64%, Chinese 20%, other 16%
_#_Religion: Muslim (official) 63%, Buddhism 14%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs and other 15% (1981)
_#_Language: Malay (official), English, and Chinese
_#_Literacy: 77% (male 85%, female 69%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1981)
_#_Labor force: 89,000 (includes members of the Army); 33% of the labor force is foreign (1988); government 47.5%; production of oil, natural gas, services, and construction 41.9%; agriculture, forestry, and fishing 3.8% (1986)
_#_Organized labor: 2% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: Negara Brunei Darussalam
_#_Type: constitutional sultanate
_#_Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan
_#_Administrative divisions: 4 districts (regions, singular—region); Belait, Brunei and Muara, Temburong, Tutong
_#_Independence: 1 January 1984 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: September 29, 1959 (some parts on hold due to a State of Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on January 1, 1984)
_#_Legal system: based on Islamic law
_#_National holiday: National Day, February 23 (1984)
_#_Executive branch: sultan, prime minister, Council of Cabinet Ministers
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council (Majlis Masyuarat Megeri)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—Sultan and Prime Minister
Sir Muda HASSANAL BOLKIAH Muizzaddin Waddaulah (since October 5, 1967)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Brunei United National Party (inactive), Anak HASANUDDIN, chairman; Brunei National Democratic Party (the first legal political party and now banned), leader NA
_#_Suffrage: none
_#_Elections:
Legislative Council—last held in March 1962; in 1970, the Council was changed to an appointed body by the sultan's decree, and no elections are planned.
_#_Communists: probably none
_#_Member of: APEC, ASEAN, C, ESCAP, ICAO, IDB, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WHO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Dato Paduka Haji Mohamed SUNI bin Haji Idris; Chancery at 2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Washington DC 20037; telephone (202) 342-0159;
US—Ambassador Christopher H. PHILLIPS; Embassy on the Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri Begawan (mailing address is P. O. Box 2991, Bandar Seri Begawan and Box B, APO San Francisco, 96528); phone [673] (2) 229-670
_#_Flag: yellow with two diagonal bands of white (top, nearly double the width) and black starting from the upper hoist side; the national emblem in red is placed in the center; the emblem features a swallow-tailed flag on top of a winged column inside an upturned crescent above a scroll and flanked by two raised hands.
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is a blend of foreign and local entrepreneurship, government regulations, welfare programs, and village traditions. It's mainly supported by exports of crude oil and natural gas, with earnings from the petroleum sector making up over 50% of GDP. With a per capita GDP of $9,600, it's one of the highest in the developing world, and significant income from overseas investments adds to domestic production. The government covers all medical services and provides subsidies for food and housing.
_#_GDP: $3.3 billion, per person $9,600; actual growth rate 2.7% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.3% (1989 estimate)
_#_Unemployment: 2.5%, shortage of skilled workers (1989 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $1.2 billion; expenditures $1.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $230 million (1988 est.)
_#_Exports: $1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—crude oil, LNG, petroleum products;
partners—Japan 60%, Thailand 10%, Singapore 4% (1988)
_#_Imports: $1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—machines and transportation equipment, manufactured products, food, chemicals;
partners—Singapore 36%, UK 26%, Switzerland 7%, US 7%, Japan 6% (1988)
_#_External debt: none
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 12.9% (1987); makes up 52.4% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 310,000 kW capacity; 890 million kWh produced, 2,400 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: oil, liquefied natural gas, construction
_#_Agriculture: imports around 80% of its food needs; main crops and livestock include rice, cassava, bananas, buffaloes, and pigs
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $20.6 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $143.7 million
_#_Currency: Bruneian dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Bruneian dollar (B$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Bruneian dollars (B$) per US$1—1.7454 (January 1991), 1.8125 (1990), 1.9503 (1989), 2.0124 (1988), 2.1060 (1987), 2.1774 (1986), 2.2002 (1985); note—the Bruneian dollar is equal to the Singapore dollar
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 13 km of 0.610-meter narrow-gauge private line
_#_Highways: 1,090 km total; 370 km paved (asphalt treated) and another 52 km under construction, 720 km gravel or unpaved
_#_Inland waterways: 209 km; navigable by boats with a draft of less than 1.2 meters
_#_Ports: Kuala Belait, Muara
_#_Merchant marine: 7 liquefied gas carriers (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 348,476 GRT/340,635 DWT
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 135 km; refined products, 418 km; natural gas, 920 km
_#_Civil air: 4 major transport planes (3 Boeing 757-200, 1 Boeing 737-200)
_#_Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 1 with paved runways; 1 with a runway over 3,659 m; 1 with a runway 1,406 m
_#_Telecommunications: service across the country is sufficient for current needs; international service is good to nearby Malaysia; radio broadcast coverage is strong; 33,000 telephones (1987); stations—4 AM/FM, 1 TV; 74,000 radio receivers (1987); satellite earth stations—1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Royal Brunei Armed Forces (including Ground Forces, Flotilla, and Air Wing), Royal Brunei Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 110,727; 63,730 eligible for military service; 3,199 turning 18 each year
_#Defense spending: $233.1 million, 7.1% of GDP (1988) % @Bulgaria *Geography #_Total area: 110,910 km²; land area: 110,550 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than Tennessee
_#_Land boundaries: 1,881 km in total; Greece 494 km, Romania 608 km, Turkey 240 km, Yugoslavia 539 km
_#_Coastline: 354 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: The Macedonia issue with Greece and Yugoslavia
_#_Climate: mild; chilly, wet winters; hot, dry summers
_#_Terrain: mostly mountains with low areas in the north and south
_#_Natural resources: bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land
_#_Land use: arable land 34%; permanent crops 3%; meadows and pastures 18%; forest and woodland 35%; other 10%; includes irrigated 11%
_#_Environment: prone to earthquakes, landslides; deforestation; air pollution
_#_Note: it's a strategic location near the Turkish Straits; it controls important land routes from Europe to the Middle East and Asia.
_*People #_Population: 8,910,622 (July 1991), growth rate - 0.2% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 13 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 12 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 3 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 13 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 69 years for males, 76 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.9 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Bulgarian(s); adjective—Bulgarian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Bulgarian 85.3%, Turk 8.5%, Roma 2.6%, Macedonian 2.5%, Armenian 0.3%, Russian 0.2%, other 0.6%
_#_Religion: Bulgarian Orthodox 85%; Muslim 13%; Jewish 0.8%; Roman Catholic 0.5%; Uniate Catholic 0.2%; Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other 0.5%
_#_Language: Bulgarian; secondary languages closely match the ethnic composition.
_#_Literacy: 93% (male NA%, female NA%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1970 est.)
_#_Labor force: 4,300,000; industry 33%, agriculture 20%, other 47% (1987)
_#_Organized labor: Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria (KNSB); Edinstvo (Unity) People's Trade Union (a breakaway group from KNSB); Podkrepa (Support) Labor Confederation, officially registered in January 1990
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Bulgaria
_#_Type: emerging democracy, ongoing substantial Communist party influence
_#_Capital: Sofia
_#_Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (oblasti, singular—oblast); Burgas, Sofia City, Haskovo, Lovech, Mikhaylovgrad, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Sofia, Varna
_#_Independence: September 22, 1908 (from the Ottoman Empire)
_#_Constitution: May 16, 1971, effective May 18, 1971; a new constitution is expected to be adopted in 1991
_#_Legal system: based on a civil law system, influenced by Soviet law; judicial review of legislative acts in the State Council; has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.
_#_National holiday: Liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Empire, 3 March (1878)
_#_Executive branch: president, chairperson of the Council of Ministers (premier), three deputy chairpersons of the Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber National Assembly (Narodno Sobranie)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Zhelyu ZHELEV (since August 1, 1990);
Head of Government—Chairman of the Council of Ministers
(Premier) Dimitur POPOV (since December 19, 1990);
Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers Aleksandur TOMOV
(since December 19, 1990);
Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers Viktor VULKOV (since
December 19, 1990);
Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers Dimitur LUDZHEV
(since December 19, 1990);
_#_Political parties and leaders: government—Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), previously Bulgarian Communist Party (BCP), Aleksandur LILOV, chairperson;
opposition—Union of Democratic Forces (UDF), Filip DIMITROV,
chairman, which includes Nikola Petkov Bulgarian Agrarian National
Union, Milan DRENCHEV, secretary of the Permanent Board;
Bulgarian Social Democratic Party, Petur DERTLIEV;
Green Party;
Christian Democrats;
Radical Democratic Party;
Rights and Freedoms Movement (pro-Muslim party), Ahmed DOGAN;
Bulgarian Agrarian National Union (BZNS), Viktor VULKOV
_Suffrage: universal and mandatory at age 18_
_#_Elections:
Chairman of the State Council—last held on August 1, 1990 (next to be held in May 1991); results—Zhelyo ZHELEV was elected by the National Assembly;
National Assembly—last held on June 10 and 17, 1990 (next one scheduled for autumn 1991); results—BSP 48%, UDF 32%; seats—(400 total) BSP 211, UDF 144, Rights and Freedoms Movement 23, Agrarian Party 16, Nationalist parties 3, independents and others 3
_#_Communists: Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), formerly Bulgarian Communist Party (BCP), 501,793 members
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Ecoglasnost; Podkrepa (Support) Labor Confederation; Fatherland Union; Bulgarian Democratic Youth (formerly Communist Youth Union); Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria (KNSB); Committee for Defense of National Interests; Peasant Youth League; National Coalition of Extraparliamentary Political Forces; numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups with various agendas
_#_Member of: BIS, CCC, CSCE, ECE, FAO, G-9, IAEA, IBEC, ICAO, IIB, ILO, IMO, INMARSAT, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Ognyan PISHEV; Chancery at 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 387-7969;
US—Ambassador H. Kenneth HILL; Embassy at 1 Alexander Stamboliski Boulevard, Sofia (mailing address is APO New York 09213-5740); telephone [359] (2) 88-48-01 through 05
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red; the national emblem that used to be on the hoist side of the white stripe has been removed—it featured a rampant lion within a wreath of wheat ears, with a red five-pointed star above it and a ribbon below displaying the dates 681 (the year the first Bulgarian state was founded) and 1944 (the year of liberation from Nazi control).
_*Economy #_Overview: Growth in the sluggish Bulgarian economy dropped to a 2% annual rate in the 1980s. By 1990, Sofia's foreign debt had soared to over $10 billion—resulting in a debt service ratio of more than 40% of hard currency earnings and leading the government to declare a pause on its hard currency payments. The post-Zhivkov government is grappling with significant challenges in upgrading an outdated industrial sector; managing worsening shortages of energy, food, and consumer goods; keeping up with rapidly advancing technology; investing in additional energy capacity (with nuclear energy accounting for over a third of electric power in 1990); and motivating workers, partly by giving them a share in the profits of their companies. A major decree from January 1989 summarized and expanded the government's economic restructuring efforts, which include a partial decentralization of controls over production decisions and foreign trade. In October 1990, the Lukanov government proposed an economic reform program based on a study by the US Chamber of Commerce. This proposal was never implemented due to a political deadlock between the BSP and the UDF. The new Popov government initiated a similar reform program in January 1991, but full implementation has been hindered by ongoing political conflicts.
_#_GNP: $47.3 billion, per person $5,300; real growth rate - 6.0% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 100% (estimated in 1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 2% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $26 billion; expenditures $28 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA billion (1988)
_#_Exports: $16.0 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—machinery and equipment 60.5%; agricultural products 14.7%; manufactured consumer goods 10.6%; fuels, minerals, raw materials, and metals 8.5%; other 5.7%;
partners—Communist countries 82.5% (USSR 61%, GDR 5.5%, Czechoslovakia 4.9%); developed countries 6.8% (FRG 1.2%, Greece 1.0%); less developed countries 10.7% (Libya 3.5%, Iraq 2.9%)
_#_Imports: $15.0 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—fuels, minerals, and raw materials 45.2%; machinery and equipment 39.8%; manufactured consumer goods 4.6%; agricultural products 3.8%; other 6.6%;
partners—Communist countries 80.5% (USSR 57.5%, GDR 5.7%), developed countries 15.1% (FRG 4.8%, Austria 1.6%); less developed countries 4.4% (Libya 1.0%, Brazil 0.9%)
_#_External debt: $10 billion (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 10.7% (1990); makes up about 50% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 11,500,000 kW capacity; 45 billion kWh produced, 5,040 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: machine and metal manufacturing, food processing, chemicals, textiles, construction materials, ferrous and non-ferrous metals
_#_Agriculture: makes up 15% of GNP; the climate and soil conditions are suitable for raising livestock and growing a variety of grain crops, oilseeds, vegetables, fruits, and tobacco; over one-third of the arable land is used for grain; the world's fourth-largest exporter of tobacco; surplus food producer
_#_Economic aid: donor—$1.6 billion in bilateral support to non-Communist developing countries (1956-89)
_#_Currency: lev (plural—leva); 1 lev (Lv) = 100 stotinki
_#_Exchange rates: leva (Lv) per US$1—16.13 (March 1991), 0.7446 (November 1990), 0.84 (1989), 0.82 (1988), 0.90 (1987), 0.95 (1986), 1.03 (1985); note—floating exchange rate since February 1990
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 4,300 km total, all government owned (1987); 4,055 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 245 km narrow gauge; 917 km double track; 2,510 km electrified
_#_Highways: 36,908 km total; 33,535 km paved (including 242 km freeways); 3,373 km dirt roads (1987)
_#_Inland waterways: 470 km (1987)
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 193 km; refined products, 418 km; natural gas, 1,400 km (1986)
_#_Ports: Burgas, Varna, Varna West; river ports are Ruse, Vidin, and Lom on the Danube
_#_Merchant marine: 112 ships (1,000 GRT and over) with a total of 1,227,817 GRT/1,860,294 DWT; this includes 2 short-sea passenger ships, 33 cargo ships, 2 container ships, 1 passenger-cargo training ship, 6 roll-on/roll-off ships, 18 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 1 chemical carrier, 2 railcar carriers, and 47 bulk carriers; Bulgaria has 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) with a total of 51,035 DWT operating under Liberian registry.
_#_Civil air: 86 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 380 total, 380 usable; about 120 with paved runways; 20 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 20 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 2.5 million phones; direct dialing available to 36 countries; phone density is 25 phones for every 100 people; 67% of households in Sofia have a phone (November 1988); broadcasting stations—21 AM, 16 FM, and 19 TV, including 1 Soviet TV relay in Sofia; 2.1 million TV sets (1990); 92% of the country receives the No. 1 television program (May 1990)
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Bulgarian People's Army, Bulgarian Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Frontier Troops, Civil Defense
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 2,183,539; 1,826,992 eligible for military service; 67,836 turn 19 each year
_#Defense spending: 1.615 billion leva, NA% of GDP (1990); note—converting defense spending into US dollars using the current exchange rate would give misleading results % @Burkina *Geography #_Total area: 274,200 km2; land area: 273,800 km2
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than Colorado
_#_Land boundaries: 3,192 km total; Benin 306 km, Ghana 548 km, Ivory Coast 584 km, Mali 1,000 km, Niger 628 km, Togo 126 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Disputes: the contested international border between Burkina Faso and Mali was brought before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in October 1983, and the ICJ delivered its final decision in December 1986, which both parties agreed to accept; Burkina Faso and Mali are now moving forward with the boundary demarcation, including the tripoint with Niger.
_#_Climate: tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, humid summers
_#_Terrain: mostly flat to broken, rolling plains; hills in the west and southeast
_#_Natural resources: manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, antimony, copper, nickel, bauxite, lead, phosphates, zinc, silver
_#_Land use: arable land 10%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 37%; forest and woodland 26%; other 27%, includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: recent droughts and desertification are seriously impacting marginal farming activities, population distribution, and the economy; overgrazing; deforestation
_#_Note: landlocked
_*People #_Population: 9,359,889 (July 1991), growth rate 3.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 50 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 16 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 3 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 119 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 52 years for males, 53 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 7.1 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Burkinabe; adjective—Burkinabe
_#_Ethnic divisions: over 50 tribes; the main tribe is Mossi (around 2.5 million); other significant groups include Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, and Fulani.
_#_Religion: indigenous beliefs about 65%, Muslim 25%, Christian (mainly Roman Catholic) 10%
_#_Language: French (official); tribal languages from the Sudanic family, spoken by 90% of the population
_#_Literacy: 18% (male 28%, female 9%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 3,300,000 residents; 30,000 are wage earners; agriculture 82%, industry 13%, commerce, services, and government 5%; 20% of the male labor force migrates annually to neighboring countries for seasonal work (1984); 44% of the population is of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: four main trade union groups represent less than 1% of the population
_*Government #_Long-form name: Burkina Faso
_#_Type: military; established by coup on August 4, 1983
_#_Capital: Ouagadougou
_#_Administrative divisions: 30 provinces; Bam, Bazega, Bougouriba,
Boulgou, Boulkiemde, Ganzourgou, Gnagna, Gourma, Houet, Kadiogo,
Kenedougou, Komoe, Kossi, Kouritenga, Mouhoun, Namentenga, Naouri,
Oubritenga, Oudalan, Passore, Poni, Sanguie, Sanmatenga, Seno,
Sissili, Soum, Sourou, Tapoa, Yatenga, Zoundweogo
_#_Independence: August 5, 1960 (from France; formerly Upper Volta)
_#_Constitution: none; the constitution from November 27, 1977, was abolished after the coup on November 25, 1980; a constitutional referendum is planned for June 1991
_#_Legal system: based on the French civil law system and customary law
_#_National holiday: Anniversary of the Revolution, August 4 (1983)
# Executive branch: chair of the Popular Front, Council of Ministers
_#_Legislative branch: the unicameral National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) was dissolved on November 25, 1980
_#_Judicial branch: Appeals Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—Chairman of the
Popular Front Captain Blaise COMPAORE (since October 15, 1987)
_#_Political parties and leaders: all political parties were banned after the coup in November 1980.
_#_Suffrage: none
_#_Elections: the National Assembly was dissolved on November 25, 1980; presidential elections are set for November 3, 1991, and legislative elections for December 8, 1991.
_#_Communists: small Communist party front group; some supporters
_#_Other political or pressure groups: committees for defending the revolution, watchdog and political action groups across the country in both organizations and communities
_#_Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO,
FZ, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Paul Desire KABORE; Chancery at 2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 332-5577 or 6895;
US—Ambassador Edward P. BRYNN; Embassy at Avenue Raoul Follerau, Ouagadougou (mailing address is 01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou); telephone [226] 30-67-23 through 25 and [226] 33-34-22
_#_Flag: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a yellow five-pointed star in the center; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
_*Economy #_Overview: Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world, with a high population density, limited natural resources, and relatively infertile soil. Economic development is held back by a poor communications network in this landlocked country. Agriculture accounts for about 40% of GDP and is entirely subsistence-based. Industry, which is largely made up of unprofitable government-run companies, contributes around 15% to GDP.
_GDP: $1.75 billion, per capita $205 (1988); real growth rate 3% (1989)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): - 0.5% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $275 million; expenditures $287 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)
_#_Exports: $262 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—oilseeds, cotton, live animals, gold;
partners—EC 42% (France 30%, other 12%), Taiwan 17%, Ivory Coast 15% (1985)
_#_Imports: $619 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—grain, dairy products, petroleum, machinery;
partners—EC 37% (France 23%, other 14%), Africa 31%, US 15% (1985)
_#_External debt: $962 million (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 5.7% (1990 est.), makes up about 15% of GDP (1988)
_#_Electricity: 121,000 kW capacity; 320 million kWh produced, 37 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: cotton, drinks, farming products, soap, cigarettes, textiles, gold
_#_Agriculture: makes up about 40% of GDP; cash crops—peanuts, shea nuts, sesame, cotton; food crops—sorghum, millet, corn, rice; livestock; not self-sufficient in food grains
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $294 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $2.7 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $113 million
_#_Currency: Communauté Financière Africaine franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1—256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 620 km total; 520 km from Ouagadougou to the Ivory Coast border and 100 km from Ouagadougou to Kaya; all 1.00-meter gauge and single track
_#_Highways: 16,500 km total; 1,300 km paved, 7,400 km upgraded, 7,800 km unpaved (1985)
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 50 total, 43 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 7 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: all services are average; radio relay, wired, and radio communication stations are operational; 13,900 telephones; stations—2 AM, 2 FM, 2 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,838,000; 937,304 eligible for military service; no draft
_#Defense spending: $55 million, 2.7% of GDP (1988) % @Burma *Geography #_Total area: 678,500 km²; land area: 657,740 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Texas
_#_Land boundaries: 5,876 km total; Bangladesh 193 km, China 2,185 km, India 1,463 km, Laos 235 km, Thailand 1,800 km
_#_Coastline: 1,930 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: edge of the continental margin or 200 nautical miles;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical monsoon; overcast, rainy, hot, and humid summers (southwest monsoon, June to September); fewer clouds, minimal rainfall, mild temperatures, and lower humidity during winter (northeast monsoon, December to April)
_#_Terrain: central flatlands surrounded by steep, rugged mountains
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, some marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas
_#_Land use: arable land 15%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and woodland 49%; other 34%; includes irrigated 2%
_#_Environment: vulnerable to destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides are common during the rainy season (June to September); deforestation
_#_Note: strategic location close to key Indian Ocean shipping routes
_*People #_Population: 42,112,082 (July 1991), growth rate 2.0% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 32 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 13 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 95 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 53 years for males, 56 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.1 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Burmese; adjective—Burmese
_#_Ethnic divisions: Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Mon 2%, Indian 2%, other 5%
_#_Religion: Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%, animist beliefs 1%, other 2%
_#_Language: Burmese; minority ethnic groups have their own languages
_#_Literacy: 81% (male 89%, female 72%) of those aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 16,036,000; agriculture 65.2%, industry 14.3%, trade 10.1%, government 6.3%, other 4.1% (FY89 est.)
_#_Organized labor: Workers' Association, 1,800,000 members; Farmers' Association, 7,600,000 members
_*Government
#_Long-form name: Union of Burma; note—the local official name is
Pyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw which has been translated by the US
Government as Union of Myanma and by the Burmese as Union of Myanmar
_#_Type: military regime
_#_Capital: Yangon (sometimes translated as Rangoon)
_#_Administrative divisions: 7 divisions* (yin-mya, singular—yin) and 7 states (pyine-mya, singular—pyine); Chin State, Irrawaddy*, Kachin State, Karan State, Kayah State, Magwe*, Mandalay*, Mon State, Pegu*, Rakhine State, Rangoon*, Sagaing*, Shan State, Tenasserim*
_#_Independence: January 4, 1948 (from the UK)
_#_Constitution: January 3, 1974 (suspended since September 18, 1988)
_#_Legal system: martial law is in effect across most of the country; has not recognized mandatory ICJ jurisdiction.
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, January 4 (1948)
_#_Executive branch: chair of the State Law and Order Restoration Council, State Law and Order Restoration Council
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral People's Assembly (Pyithu Hluttaw) was dissolved after the coup on September 18, 1988.
_#_Judicial branch: The Council of People's Justices was dissolved after the coup on September 18, 1988.
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Gen. SAW MAUNG (since September 18, 1988)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
National Unity Party (NUP; pro-regime), Tha Kyaw;
National League for Democracy (NLD), U Tin Oo and Aung San Suu Kyi;
League for Democracy and Peace, U Nu
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
People's Assembly—last held on May 27, 1990, but the Assembly never met; results—NLD 80%; seats—(485 total) NLD 396, the regime-favored NUP 10, others 79
_#_Communists: several hundred (estimated) in the Burma Communist Party (BCP)
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Kachin Independence Army (KIA), United Wa State Army (UWSA), Karen National Union (KNU), several Shan factions, including the Shan United Army (SUA) (all ethnically-based insurgent groups)
_#_Member of: AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador U MYO AUNG; Chancery at 2300 S Street NW, Washington DC 20008; phone (202) 332-9044 through 9046; there's a Burmese Consulate General in New York;
US—Ambassador (vacant); Deputy Chief of Mission Franklin P. HUDDLE, Jr.; Embassy at 581 Merchant Street, Rangoon (mailing address is G. P. O. Box 521, Rangoon or Box B, APO San Francisco 96346); telephone 82055 or 82181
_#_Flag: red with a blue rectangle in the upper left corner featuring, all in white, 14 five-pointed stars surrounding a cogwheel that contains a stalk of rice; the 14 stars represent the 14 administrative divisions
_*Economy #_Overview: Burma is a poor Asian country, with a per capita GDP of about $400. The nation has struggled to achieve any significant improvement in export earnings due to falling prices for many of its key commodity exports. For rice, traditionally the most important export, the decline in world prices has been coupled with shrinking markets and a reduced volume of sales. In 1985, teak overtook rice as the largest export and has maintained that position. The economy relies heavily on the agricultural sector, which accounts for about half of GDP and provides jobs for 66% of the workforce.
# GDP: $16.8 billion, per person $408; real growth rate NEGL% (FY90 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 22.6% (FY89 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 9.6% in urban areas (FY89 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $4.9 billion; expenditures $5.0 billion, including capital expenditures of $0.7 billion (FY89 est.)
_#_Exports: $228 million (f.o.b., FY89)
commodities—teak, rice, oilseed, metals, rubber, gems;
partners—Southeast Asia, India, China, European Community, Africa
_#_Imports: $540 million (c.i.f., FY89)
commodities—machines, transportation equipment, chemicals, food products;
partners—Japan, EC, China, Southeast Asia
_#_External debt: $5.5 billion (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 2.6% (FY90 est.); makes up 10% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 950,000 kW capacity; 2.9 billion kWh produced, 70 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: agricultural processing; textiles and footwear; wood and wood products; oil refining; copper, tin, tungsten, and iron mining; construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer
_#_Agriculture: makes up 51% of GDP (including fish and forestry); self-sufficient in food; main crops—paddy rice, corn, oilseed, sugarcane, pulses; home to the world's largest hardwood tree population; rice and teak contribute to 55% of export revenues; fish catch of 732,000 metric tons (FY90)
_#_Illicit drugs: the world's largest illegal producer of opium poppy and a minor producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; opium production is rising as growers react to the failure of Rangoon's anti-narcotics programs.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $158 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $3.9 billion; Communist countries (1970-88), $424 million
_#_Currency: kyat (plural—kyats); 1 kyat (K) = 100 pyas
_#_Exchange rates: kyats (K) per US$1—6.0476 (January 1991), 6.3386 (1990), 6.7049 (1989), 6.3945 (1988), 6.6535 (1987), 7.3304 (1986), 8.4749 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Railroads: 3,991 km total, all government-owned; 3,878 km 1,000-meter gauge, 113 km narrow-gauge industrial lines; 362 km double track
_#_Highways: 27,000 km total; 3,200 km paved, 17,700 km improved dirt or gravel, 6,100 km unpaved dirt
_#_Inland waterways: 12,800 km; 3,200 km accessible for large commercial ships
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 1,343 km; natural gas, 330 km
_#_Ports: Rangoon, Moulmein, Bassein
_#_Merchant marine: 60 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 968,226 GRT/1,433,584 DWT; includes 3 passenger-cargo, 19 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 3 vehicle carriers, 2 container ships, 3 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 2 chemical tankers, 1 combination ore/oil ship, 24 bulk carriers, 1 combination bulk.
_#_Civil air: 17 major transport planes (including 3 helicopters)
_#_Airports: 86 total, 79 operational; 29 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 3 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 37 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: meets basic requirements for local and intercity service; international service is decent; radio broadcast coverage is limited to the most populated areas; 53,000 telephones (1986); stations—2 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV (1985); 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
_#_Manpower availability: eligible 15-49, 20,766,975; out of the 10,378,743 males aged 15-49, 5,566,247 are fit for military service; out of the 10,388,232 females aged 15-49, 5,558,007 are fit for military service; 442,200 males and 431,407 females turn 18 (military age) each year; both genders are required for military service.
_#Defense spending: $315.0 million, 3% of GDP (FY88) % @Burundi *Geography #_Total area: 27,830 km²; land area: 25,650 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than Maryland
_#_Land boundaries: 974 km total; Rwanda 290 km, Tanzania 451 km, Zaire 233 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Climate: mild; warm; occasional frost in higher areas
_#_Terrain: mostly rolling to hilly highlands; some flat areas
_#_Natural resources: nickel, uranium, rare earth oxide, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum (not yet used), vanadium
_#_Land use: arable land 43%; permanent crops 8%; meadows and pastures 35%; forest and woodland 2%; other 12%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: soil depletion; soil erosion; deforestation
_#_Note: landlocked; located on the crest of the Nile-Congo watershed
_*People #_Population: 5,831,233 (July 1991), growth rate 3.2% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 47 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 15 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 109 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 50 years for males, 54 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.9 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Burundian(s); adjective—Burundi
_#_Ethnic divisions: Africans—Hutu (Bantu) 85%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 14%, Twa (Pygmy) 1%; other Africans include around 70,000 refugees, primarily Rwandans and Zairians; non-Africans consist of about 3,000 Europeans and 2,000 South Asians.
_#_Religion: Christian about 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%). Indigenous beliefs 32%, Muslim 1%
_#_Language: Kirundi and French (official); Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area)
_#_Literacy: 50% (male 61%, female 40%) ages 15 and up can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 1,900,000 (1983 est.); agriculture 93.0%, government 4.0%, industry and commerce 1.5%, services 1.5%; 52% of the population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: the only group is the Union of Burundi Workers (UTB); by charter, membership is open to all Burundi workers (informally); active membership figures NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Burundi
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Bujumbura
_#_Administrative divisions: 15 provinces; Bubanza, Bujumbura, Bururi, Cankuzo, Cibitoke, Gitega, Karuzi, Kayanza, Kirundo, Makamba, Muramvya, Muyinga, Ngozi, Rutana, Ruyigi
_#_Independence: July 1, 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration)
_#_Constitution: November 20, 1981; suspended after the coup on September 3, 1987; referendum for a new constitution set for March 1992
_#_Legal system: based on German and Belgian civil codes and customary law; has not accepted mandatory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, July 1, 1962
_#_Executive branch: president; chair of the Central Committee of the National Party of Unity and Progress (UPRONA), prime minister
_#_Legislative branch: the unicameral National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) was dissolved after the coup on September 3, 1987; at a special party congress held from December 27 to 29, 1990, the Central Committee of the National Party of Unity and Progress (UPRONA) took over from the Military Committee for National Salvation and became the top governing body during the transition to constitutional government.
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Supreme Court)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Pierre BUYOYA (since September 9, 1987);
Head of Government Prime Minister Adrien SIBOMANA (since October 26, 1988)
_#_Political parties and leaders: only party—National Party of Unity and Progress (UPRONA), President Pierre BUYOYA, chairman, and Nicolas MAYUGI, secretary general
_#_Suffrage: universal adult at age NA
_#_Elections:
National Assembly—dissolved following the coup on September 3, 1987;
note—The National Unity Charter that outlines the principles for constitutional government was approved by a national referendum on February 5, 1991.
_#_Communists: no Communist party
_#_Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEEAC, CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Julien KAVAKURE; Chancery at Suite 212, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington DC 20007; telephone (202) 342-2574;
US—Ambassador Cynthia Shepherd PERRY; Embassy at Avenue du Zaire,
Bujumbura (mailing address is B. P. 1720, Avenue des Etats-Unis,
Bujumbura); phone 234-54 through 56
_#_Flag: split by a white diagonal cross into red panels (top and bottom) and green panels (hoist side and outer side) with a white circle in the center featuring three red six-pointed stars outlined in green arranged in a triangular pattern (one star on top, two stars below)
_*Economy #_Overview: Burundi is a landlocked country with limited resources and is in the early stages of economic development. The economy is mainly agricultural, with only a few basic industries. Its economic stability relies heavily on coffee production, which makes up about 90% of its foreign exchange earnings each year. Consequently, the capacity to pay for imports largely hinges on unpredictable weather conditions and the fluctuations of the international coffee market.
_GDP: $1.1 billion, per person $200; actual growth rate 1.5% (1989)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11.7% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $158 million; expenditures $204 million, including capital expenditures of $131 million (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $81 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—coffee 88%, tea, hides, and skins;
partners—EC 83%, US 5%, Asia 2%
_#_Imports: $197 million (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—capital goods 31%, petroleum products 15%, food items, consumer goods;
partners—EC 57%, Asia 23%, US 3%
_#_External debt: $957 million (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: real growth rate 5.1% (1986); makes up about 10% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 51,000 kW capacity; 105 million kWh produced, 19 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: everyday consumer products like blankets, shoes, soap; assembly of imported goods; public works construction; food processing
_#_Agriculture: makes up 60% of GDP; 90% of the population relies on subsistence farming; slightly self-sufficient in food production; cash crops—coffee, cotton, tea; food crops—corn, sorghum, sweet potatoes, bananas, manioc; livestock—meat, milk, hides, and skins
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $71 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $10.1 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $32 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $175 million
_#_Currency: Burundi franc (plural—francs); 1 Burundi franc (FBu) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Burundi francs (FBu) per US$1—163.29 (January 1991), 171.26 (1990), 158.67 (1989), 140.40 (1988), 123.56 (1987), 114.17 (1986), 120.69 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 5,900 km in total; 400 km paved, 2,500 km gravel or laterite, 3,000 km improved or unimproved dirt
_#_Inland waterways: Lake Tanganyika
_#_Ports: Bujumbura (lake port) connects to the transportation networks of Tanzania and Zaire
_#_Civil air: 1 large transport plane
_#_Airports: 8 total, 7 operational; 1 with paved runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways between 1,220 and 2,439 m.
_#_Telecommunications: limited network of wires, radio communications, and low-capacity radio relay links; 8,000 phones; stations—2 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army (includes navy and air units); paramilitary Gendarmerie
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,268,342; 661,888 eligible for military service; 64,538 turn 16 and reach military age each year
_#Defense spending: $33 million, 3.1% of GDP (1988) % @Cambodia *Geography #_Total area: 181,040 km²; land area: 176,520 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Oklahoma
_#_Land boundaries: 2,572 km total; Laos 541 km, Thailand 803 km, Vietnam 1,228 km
_#_Coastline: 443 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: offshore islands and three sections of the boundary with Vietnam are in dispute; maritime boundary with Vietnam is not defined; occupied by Vietnam on December 25, 1978
_#_Climate: tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to October); dry season (December to March); minimal seasonal temperature variation
_#_Terrain: mainly flat, low plains; mountains in the southwest and north
_#_Natural resources: wood, gemstones, some iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential
_#_Land use: arable land 16%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 3%; forest and woodland 76%; other 4%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: a landscape of rice fields and forests shaped by the Mekong River and Tonle Sap
_#_Note: area of separation between Thailand and Vietnam
_*People #_Population: 7,146,386 (July 1991), growth rate 2.2% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 38 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 16 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 125 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 48 years for males, 51 years for females (1991)
_Total fertility rate: 4.5 children born per woman (1991)_
_#_Nationality: noun—Cambodian(s); adjective—Cambodian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Khmer 90%, Chinese 5%, other 5%
_#_Religion: Theravada Buddhism 95%, other 5%
_#_Language: Khmer (official), French
_#_Literacy: 35% (male 48%, female 22%) age 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Workforce: 2.5-3.0 million; agriculture 80% (1988 est.)
_#_Organized labor: Kampuchea Federation of Trade Unions (FSC); under government control
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: disputed between the National Government of Cambodia (NGC) led by Prince NORODOM SIHANOUK, and the State of Cambodia (SOC) led by HENG SAMRIN
_#_Capital: Phnom Penh
_#_Administrative divisions: NGC—18 provinces (khet, singular and plural) and 1 capital city* (rottatheanei); Batdambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Spoe, Kampong Thum, Kampot, Kandal, Kaoh Kong, Kracheh, Mondol Kiri, Phnum Penh*, Pouthisat, Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Rotanokiri, Siemreab-Otdar Meanchey, Stoeng Treng, Svay Rieng, Takev; note—the SOC adds a province of Banteay Meanchey and an autonomous municipality of Kampong Saom to the NGC administrative structure.
_#_Independence: November 9, 1953 (from France)
_#_Constitution: SOC—27 June 1981
_#_National holidays: NGC—Independence Day, April 17 (1975); SOC—Liberation Day, January 7 (1979)
_#_Executive branch: NGC—president, prime minister; SOC—chair of the Council of State, Council of State, chair of the Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers
_#_Legislative branch: NGC—none; SOC—single-chamber National Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: NGC—none; SOC—Supreme People's Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—NGC—President Prince NORODOM SIHANOUK (since July 1982); SOC—Chairman of the Council of State HENG SAMRIN (since June 27, 1981)
Head of Government—NGC—Prime Minister SON SANN (since July 1982);
SOC—Chairman of the Council of Ministers HUN SEN (since January 14, 1985)
_#_Political parties and leaders: NGC—three resistance groups
including:
Democratic Kampuchea (DK, also known as the Khmer Rouge) led by KHIEU
SAMPHAN;
Khmer People's National Liberation Front (KPNLF) headed by SON SANN;
and National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and
Cooperative Cambodia (FUNCINPEC) led by Prince NORODOM RANNARIDH;
SOC—Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party (KPRP) headed by HENG SAMRIN
_#_Suffrage: NGC—none; SOC—universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
NGC—none;
SOC—National Assembly—last held May 1, 1981; in February 1986 the
Assembly voted to extend its term for five years; results—KPRP is the
only party;
seats—(123 total) KPRP 123
_#_Member of: AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, ITU, LORCS, NAM, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: none
_#_Flag: NGC—three horizontal stripes of blue (top), red (double width), and blue, featuring a white stylized three-towered temple symbolizing Angkor Wat positioned in the center of the red stripe;
SOC—two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and blue with a gold stylized five-tower temple representing Angkor Wat in the center
_*Economy #_Overview: Cambodia is a desperately poor country whose economic development has been hindered by intense political conflict. The economy relies on agriculture and related industries. Over the past decade, Cambodia has been slowly recovering from its near-total devastation due to war and political turmoil. However, it still remains one of the world’s poorest countries, with an estimated per capita GDP of about $130. The food situation is unstable; in the 1980s, famine was avoided only through international aid. In 1986, the production of rice, the main staple food, could only meet 80% of domestic demand. The biggest success of the country’s recovery program has been in new rubber plantations and fishing. Other industries, besides rice processing, are almost nonexistent. Foreign trade is mostly with the USSR and Vietnam. Statistical data on the economy remains sparse and unreliable. Foreign aid from the USSR and Eastern Europe is almost certainly being reduced.
_GDP: $890 million, per person $130; actual growth rate 0% (1989 estimate)_
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 50% (first half of 1990)
_#_Exports: $32 million (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities—natural rubber, rice, pepper, wood;
partners—Vietnam, USSR, Eastern Europe, Japan, India
_#_Imports: $147 million (c.i.f., 1988);
commodities—global food aid; fuels, consumer products, machinery;
partners—Vietnam, USSR, Eastern Europe, Japan, India
_#_External debt: $600 million (1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 126,000 kW capacity; 150 million kWh produced, 20 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products, rubber, cement, gem mining
_#_Agriculture: primarily subsistence farming except for rubber plantations; main crops—rice, rubber, corn; food shortages—rice, meat, vegetables, dairy products, sugar, flour
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $719 million; Western (non-US) countries (1970-88), $285 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $1,800 million
_#_Currency: riel (plural—riels); 1 riel (CR) = 100 sen
_#_Exchange rates: riels (CR) per US$1—560 (November 1990), 159.00 (1988), 100.00 (1987), 30.00 (1986), 7.00 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 612 km of 1,000-meter gauge, government-owned
_#_Highways: 13,351 km total; 2,622 km paved; 7,105 km gravel, crushed stone, or improved earth; 3,624 km unpaved; some roads are in bad shape.
_#_Inland waterways: 3,700 km are navigable year-round for vessels drawing 0.6 meters; 282 km are navigable for vessels drawing 1.8 meters.
_#_Ports: Kampong Saom, Phnom Penh
_#_Airports: 22 total, 9 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 2 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: service is barely sufficient for government needs and almost non-existent for the general public; international service is restricted to Vietnam and nearby countries; stations—1 AM, no FM, 1 TV
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: SOC—Cambodian People's Armed Forces (CPAF); Communist resistance forces—National Army of Democratic Kampuchea (Khmer Rouge); non-Communist resistance forces—Armee National Kampuchea Independent (ANKI) which is sometimes anglicized as National Army of Independent Cambodia (NAIC) and Khmer People's National Liberation Armed Forces (KPNLAF)
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,869,880; 1,030,356 eligible for military service; 57,288 turn 18 and reach military age each year
_#Defense spending: $NA, NA% of GDP % @Cameroon *Geography #_Total area: 475,440 km²; land area: 469,440 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit bigger than California
_#_Land boundaries: 4,591 km total; Central African Republic 797 km, Chad 1,094 km, Congo 523 km, Equatorial Guinea 189 km, Gabon 298 km, Nigeria 1,690 km
_#_Coastline: 402 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 50 nm
_#_Disputes: the agreement on defining international borders in Lake Chad, which has previously caused border incidents, is finalized and just waiting for ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria; Nigeria's suggestions to restart maritime boundary talks and redraw the entire land boundary have been turned down by Cameroon.
_#_Climate: varies with the landscape from tropical along the coast to semi-arid and hot in the north
_#_Terrain: varied with a coastal plain in the southwest, a fractured plateau in the center, mountains in the west, and plains in the north
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower potential
_#_Land use: arable land 13%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 18%; forest and woodland 54%; other 13%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: recent volcanic activity releasing toxic gases; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification
_#_Note: sometimes called the hinge of Africa
_*People #_Population: 11,390,374 (July 1991), growth rate 2.7% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 41 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 15 deaths per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 118 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 49 years for males, 53 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 5.6 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Cameroonian(s); adjective—Cameroonian
_#_Ethnic divisions: over 200 tribes with diverse backgrounds; Cameroon Highlanders 31%, Equatorial Bantu 19%, Kirdi 11%, Fulani 10%, Northwestern Bantu 8%, Eastern Nigritic 7%, other African 13%, non-African less than 1%
_#_Religion: indigenous beliefs 51%, Christian 33%, Muslim 16%
_#_Language: English and French (official), 24 main African language groups
_#_Literacy: 54% (male 66%, female 43%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: NA; agriculture 74.4%, industry and transport 11.4%, other services 14.2% (1983); 50% of the population of working age (15-64 years) (1985)
_#_Organized labor: less than 45% of the wage labor force
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Cameroon
_#_Type: unitary republic; multiparty presidential system (opposition parties legalized in 1990)
_#_Capital: Yaounde
_#_Administrative divisions: 10 provinces; Adamaoua, Centre, East, Far North, Littoral, North, Northwest, West, South, Southwest
_#_Independence: January 1, 1960 (from UN trusteeship under French administration; formerly French Cameroon)
_#_Constitution: 20 May 1972
_#_Legal system: based on the French civil law system, with an influence from common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: National Day, May 20 (1972)
_#_Executive branch: president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State President Paul BIYA (since November 6, 1982);
Head of Government interim Prime Minister Sadou HAYATOU (since April 25, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (RDPC), led by Paul Biya, who is the president, is controlled by the government and was previously the only party; 17 parties were established by May 1, 1991.
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
President—last held April 24, 1988 (next to be held in April 1993); results—President Paul BIYA reelected with no opposition;
National Assembly—last held on April 24, 1988 (next one to be held by the end of 1992); results—RDPC was the only party; seats—(180 total) RDPC 180
_#_Communists: no Communist party or significant number of sympathizers
_#_Other political or pressure groups: NA
_#_Member of: ACCT (associate), ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA,
FAO, FZ, G-19, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA,
UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Paul PONDI; Chancery at 2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 265-8790 through 8794;
US—Ambassador Frances D. COOK; Embassy at Rue Nachtigal, Yaounde (mailing address is B. P. 817, Yaounde); telephone [237] 234014; there is a US Consulate General in Douala
_#_Flag: three equal vertical stripes of green (next to the flagpole), red, and yellow with a yellow five-pointed star in the center of the red stripe; incorporates the well-known pan-African colors of Ethiopia.
_*Economy #_Overview: Over the past decade, the economy has shown impressive growth due to the development of an offshore oil industry. From 1978 to 1985, real GDP growth averaged 10% each year. In 1986, Cameroon had one of the highest income per capita levels in tropical Africa, with oil revenues compensating for slower growth in other sectors. However, due to a sharp decline in oil prices, the economy faced significant budget challenges and balance-of-payments issues. Even with the recent rise in oil prices, Cameroon's economic outlook remains concerning. The oil reserves currently being extracted will run out in the early 1990s, so it's essential to find ways to enhance agricultural and industrial exports in the medium term. The Sixth Cameroon Development Plan (1986-91) emphasizes balanced growth and identifies agriculture as the foundation of the country’s economic future.
_#_GDP: $11.5 billion, per person $1,040; real growth rate 0.7% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.6% (FY88)
_#_Unemployment rate: 25% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $1.7 billion; expenses $2.2 billion, including capital expenses of $NA million (FY89)
_#_Exports: $2.1 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—petroleum products 56%, coffee, cocoa, timber, manufactures;
partners—EC (especially the French) about 50%, US 10%
_#_Imports: $2.1 billion (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities—machines and electrical equipment, transportation equipment, chemical products, consumer goods;
partners—France 41%, Germany 9%, US 4%
_#_External debt: $4.9 billion (estimated December 1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 6.4% (FY87); makes up 30% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 752,000 kW capacity; 2,940 million kWh produced, 270 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: crude oil products, food processing, light consumer goods, textiles, sawmills
_#_Agriculture: the agriculture and forestry sectors employ most of the population, making up nearly 25% of GDP and offering a significant level of self-sufficiency in staple foods. Commercial and food crops include coffee, cocoa, timber, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, livestock, and root starches.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $440 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $4.2 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $29 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $125 million
_#_Currency: West African CFA franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1—256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Railroads: 1,003 km in total; 858 km of 1,000-meter gauge, 145 km of 0.600-meter gauge
_#_Highways: about 65,000 km total; includes 2,682 km of asphalt, 30,000 km of unpaved earth, 32,318 km of gravel, earth, and upgraded earth
_Inland waterways: 2,090 km; of decreasing importance_
_#_Ports: Douala
_#_Merchant marine: 2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 24,122 GRT/33,509 DWT
_#_Civil air: 5 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 60 in total, 52 operational; 10 with paved runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 5 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 21 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m.
_#_Telecommunications: effective system of open wire, cable, troposcatter, and radio relay; 26,000 telephones; stations—10 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy (including Marines), Air Force; paramilitary Gendarmerie
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 2,628,909; 1,324,899 eligible for military service; 125,421 turn 18 (military age) every year
_#Defense spending: $219 million, 1.7% of GDP (1990 estimate) % @Canada *Geography #_Total area: 9,976,140 km²; land area: 9,220,970 km²
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than the US
_#_Land boundaries: 8,893 km with the US (includes 2,477 km with Alaska)
_#_Coastline: 243,791 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of extraction;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: maritime boundary disputes with France (Saint Pierre and Miquelon) and the US
_#_Climate: ranges from mild in the south to subarctic and arctic in the north
_#_Terrain: mostly flat lands with mountains in the west and low-lying areas in the southeast
_#_Natural resources: nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, potash, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, crude oil, natural gas
_#_Land use: arable land 5%; permanent crops negligible%; meadows and pastures 3%; forest and woodland 35%; other 57%; includes negligible% irrigated
_#_Environment: 80% of the population is concentrated within 100 miles of the US border; continuous permafrost in the north is a significant barrier to development.
_#_Note: second-largest country in the world (after the USSR); strategically located between the USSR and the US via the northern polar route.
_*People #_Population: 26,835,036 (July 1991), growth rate 1.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 5 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 74 years for males, 81 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.7 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Canadian(s); adjective—Canadian
_#_Ethnic divisions: 40% from the British Isles, 27% from France, 20% from other European countries, and 1.5% indigenous Indian and Eskimo.
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 46%, United Church 16%, Anglican 10%
_#_Language: English and French (both official)
_#_Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) of people age 15 and older can read and write (1981 est.)
_#_Labor force: 13,380,000; services 75%, manufacturing 14%, agriculture 4%, construction 3%, other 4% (1988)
_#_Organized labor: 30.6% of the workforce; 39.6% of non-agricultural paid employees
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: confederation with parliamentary democracy
_#_Capital: Ottawa
_#_Administrative divisions: 10 provinces and 2 territories*; Alberta,
British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland,
Northwest Territories*, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island,
Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory*
_#_Independence: July 1, 1867 (from the UK)
_#_Constitution: amended British North America Act 1867 brought to Canada on April 17, 1982; charter of rights and unwritten customs
_#_Legal system: based on English common law, except in Quebec, where a civil law system based on French law is in place; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with certain reservations.
_#_National holiday: Canada Day, July 1 (1867)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor-general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Commons
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952), represented by Governor General Raymond John HNATSHYN (since January 29, 1990);
Head of Government—Prime Minister (Martin) Brian MULRONEY (since September 4, 1984); Deputy Prime Minister Donald Frank MAZANKOWSKI (since NA June 1986)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Progressive Conservative, Brian MULRONEY;
Liberal, Jean CHRETIEN;
New Democratic, Audrey McLAUGHLIN
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
House of Commons—last held on November 21, 1988 (next to be held by November 1993); results—Progressive Conservative 43.0%, Liberal 32%, New Democratic Party 20%, other 5%; seats—(295 total) Progressive Conservative 159, Liberal 80, New Democratic Party 44, independent 12
_#_Communists: 3,000
_#_Member of: ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), APEC, AsDB,
BIS, C, CCC, CDB, COCOM, CP, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, FAO, G-7, G-8, G-10,
GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU,
LORCS, NATO, NEA, OAS, OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Derek BURNEY; Chancery at 1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; phone (202) 785-1400; there are Canadian Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle;
US—Ambassador Edward N. NEY; Embassy at 100 Wellington Street, K1P 5T1, Ottawa (mailing address is P.O. Box 5000, Ogdensburg, NY 13669-0430); phone (613) 248-25256, 25106, 25271, and 25170; there are US Consulates General in Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, and Vancouver.
_#_Flag: three vertical bands of red (next to the flagpole), white (twice as wide, square), and red with a red maple leaf in the center of the white band
_*Economy #_Overview: As a wealthy, high-tech industrial society, Canada today closely resembles the US in per capita output, market-oriented economic system, and production patterns. Since World War II, the impressive growth of the manufacturing, mining, and service sectors has transformed the nation from a mostly rural economy into one that is primarily industrial and urban. In the 1980s, Canada recorded one of the highest rates of real growth among OECD nations, averaging about 3.2%. With its abundant natural resources, skilled workforce, and modern infrastructure, Canada has great economic prospects. However, by mid-1990, the longstanding issues between English- and French-speaking regions became so intense that experts openly discussed the possibility of a split in the confederation; foreign investors were beginning to feel uneasy.
_#_GDP: $516.7 billion, per capita $19,500; real growth rate 0.9% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.8% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 8.1% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $105.8 billion; expenditures $131.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY90 est.)
_#_Exports: $126.7 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—newsprint, wood pulp, timber, grain, crude oil, machinery, natural gas, iron and non-iron ores, vehicles and parts;
partners—US, Japan, UK, Germany, other EU countries, USSR
_#_Imports: $116.3 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—processed foods, drinks, crude oil, chemicals, industrial machines, cars and parts, durable consumer goods, electronic computers;
partners—U.S., Japan, U.K., Germany, other EU countries, Taiwan, South Korea, Mexico
_#_External debt: $247 billion (1987)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 2.7% (1990); makes up 34% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 105,000,000 kW capacity; 500,000 million kWh produced, 18,840 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper products, transportation equipment, chemicals, fish products, petroleum and natural gas
_#_Agriculture: makes up about 3% of GDP; one of the world's top producers and exporters of grains (wheat and barley); a significant source of US agricultural imports; extensive forest resources cover 35% of the total land area; commercial fisheries yield an annual catch of 1.5 million metric tons, with 75% being exported.
_#_Illicit drugs: illegal producer of cannabis for the domestic drug market; use of hydroponics technology allows growers to cultivate large amounts of high-quality marijuana indoors.
_#_Economic aid: donor—ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $7.2 billion
_#_Currency: Canadian dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Canadian dollar (Can$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Canadian dollars (C$) per US$1—1.1559 (January 1991), 1.1668 (1990), 1.1840 (1989), 1.2307 (1988), 1.3260 (1987), 1.3895 (1986), 1.3655 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Railroads: 93,544 km total; two main transcontinental freight railway systems—Canadian National (government-owned) and Canadian Pacific Railway; passenger service—VIA (government-operated)
_#_Highways: 884,272 km in total; 712,936 km surfaced (250,023 km paved), 171,336 km unpaved
_Inland waterways: 3,000 km, including the Saint Lawrence Seaway_
_#_Pipelines: oil, 23,564 km total for crude and refined; natural gas, 74,980 km
_#_Ports: Halifax, Montreal, Quebec City, Saint John (New Brunswick), St. John's (Newfoundland), Toronto, Vancouver
_#_Merchant marine: 75 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 532,062 GRT/727,118 DWT; includes 1 passenger ship, 5 short-sea passenger ships, 2 passenger-cargo ships, 13 cargo ships, 2 railcar carriers, 1 refrigerated cargo ship, 8 roll-on/roll-off ships, 1 container ship, 27 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 6 chemical tankers, 1 specialized tanker, and 8 bulk carriers; note—does not include ships used exclusively in the Great Lakes.
_#_Civil air: 636 major transport aircraft; Air Canada is the primary carrier
_#_Airports: 1,397 total, 1,154 usable; 443 with permanent-surface runways; 4 with runways longer than 3,659 m; 30 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 328 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: great service offered by modern media; 18.0 million phones; stations—900 AM, 29 FM, 53 (1,400 repeaters) TV; 5 coaxial submarine cables; over 300 earth stations working in INTELSAT (including 4 in the Atlantic Ocean and 1 in the Pacific Ocean) and local systems
_*Defense Forces
#_Branches: Canadian Armed Forces (including Mobile Command,
Maritime Command, Air Command, Communications Command, Canadian Forces
Europe, Training Commands), Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 7,243,909; 6,297,520 eligible for military service; 188,996 turn 17 each year
_#Defense spending: $11.3 billion, 2% of GDP (FY90) % @Cape Verde *Geography #_Total area: 4,030 km²; land area: 4,030 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than Rhode Island
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 965 km
_#_Maritime claims: (measured from the claimed archipelagic baselines);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: mild; warm, dry summers with rainfall that is very unpredictable
_#_Terrain: steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic
_#_Natural resources: salt, basalt rock, pozzolana, limestone, kaolin, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 9%; permanent crops negligible%; meadows and pastures 6%; forest and woodland negligible%; other 85%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: subject to long droughts; harmattan wind can reduce visibility; volcanically and seismically active; deforestation; overgrazing
_#_Note: strategic location 500 km from the African coast near major north-south sea routes; important communications hub; key sea and air refueling site
_*People #_Population: 386,501 (July 1991), growth rate 3.0% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 48 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 10 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 8 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 63 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 60 years for males, 63 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.6 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Cape Verdean(s); adjective—Cape Verdean
_#_Ethnic divisions: Creole (mixed-race) about 71%, African 28%, European 1%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholicism combined with local beliefs
_#_Language: Portuguese and Creole, a mix of Portuguese and West African words
_#_Literacy: 66% (male NA%, female NA%) of people age 15 and older can read and write (1989 est.)
_#_Labor force: 102,000 (1985 est.); agriculture (mostly subsistence) 57%, services 29%, industry 14% (1981); 51% of the population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: Trade Unions of Cape Verde Unity Center (UNTC-CS)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Cape Verde
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Praia
_#_Administrative divisions: 14 districts (concelhos, singular—concelho); Boa Vista, Brava, Fogo, Maio, Paul, Praia, Porto Novo, Ribeira Grande, Sal, Santa Catarina, Santa Cruz, São Nicolau, São Vicente, Tarrafal
_#_Independence: July 5, 1975 (from Portugal)
_#_Constitution: September 7, 1980; amended February 12, 1981, December 1988, and September 28, 1990 (legalized opposition parties)
_National holiday: Independence Day, July 5, 1975_
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy minister, cabinet secretaries, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral People's National Assembly (Assembleia Nacional Popular)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Supremo Tribunal de Justia)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Antonio Mascarenhas MONTEIRO (since March 22, 1991);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Carlos VEIGA (since January 13, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Movement for Democracy (MPD), Prime Minister Carlos VEIGA, founder and
chairman;
African Party for Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), Pedro
Verona Rodrigues PIRES, chairman
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held February 17, 1991 (next to be held February 1996); results—Antonio Mascarenhas MONTEIRO (MPD) received 72.6% of the vote;
People's National Assembly—last held January 13, 1991 (next one will be in January 1996); results—percent of votes by party NA; seats—(79 total) MPD 56, PAICV 23; note—this multiparty Assembly election ended 15 years of single-party rule.
_#_Communists: no Communist party
_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOM (observer), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Luis de Matos Monteiro da FONSECA; Chancery at 3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20007; telephone (202) 965-6820; there is a Cape Verdean Consulate General in Boston;
US—Ambassador Francis T. (Terry) McNAMARA; Embassy at Rua Hojl Ya Yenna 81, Praia (mailing address is C. P. 201, Praia); telephone [238] 614-363 or 614-253
_#_Flag: two equal horizontal stripes of yellow (top) and green, with a vertical red stripe on the left side; in the upper part of the red stripe is a black five-pointed star surrounded by two corn stalks and a yellow clam shell; features the widely recognized pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Guinea-Bissau, which is longer and has a plain black star centered in the red stripe.
_*Economy #_Overview: Cape Verde's low per capita GDP shows a weak natural resource base, a 17-year drought, and a high birthrate. The economy is service-oriented, with trade, transport, and public services making up 65% of GDP from 1985 to 1988. Even though nearly 70% of the population lives in rural areas, agriculture contributes only 16% to GDP; the fishing sector accounts for 4%. About 90% of food is imported. The fishing potential, mainly lobster and tuna, is not fully utilized. In 1988, fishing only contributed 3.5% to GDP. Cape Verde consistently runs a high trade deficit, funded by remittances from immigrants and foreign aid.
# GDP: $262 million, per person $740; real growth rate 3.2% (1988 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.2% (estimated for 1988)
_#_Unemployment rate: 25% (1988)
_#_Budget: revenues $98.3 million; expenditures $138.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988 est.)
_#_Exports: $10.9 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—fish, bananas, salt;
partners—Portugal, Angola, Algeria, France, Italy
_#_Imports: $107.8 million (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—oil, food, consumer products, industrial goods;
partners—Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, France, Brazil, Germany
_#_External debt: $150 million (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 18% (1988 est.); makes up 7% of GDP
_##_Electricity: 13,000 kW capacity; 15 million kWh produced, 40 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industry: fish processing, salt mining, clothing factories, ship repair, construction materials, food and beverage production
_#_Agriculture: makes up 16% of GDP; primarily focused on subsistence farming; bananas are the only crop exported; other crops include corn, beans, sweet potatoes, and coffee; the agricultural sector's growth potential is restricted by poor soil quality and limited rainfall; annual food imports are necessary; fish catch supports both local consumption and small-scale exports.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY75-89), $88 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $590 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $12 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $36 million
_#_Currency: Cape Verdean escudo (plural—escudos); 1 Cape Verdean escudo (CVEsc) = 100 centavos
_#_Exchange rates: Cape Verdean escudos (CVEsc) per US$1—64.10 (November 1990), 74.86 (December 1989), 72.01 (1988), 72.5 (1987), 76.56 (1986), 85.38 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Ports: Mindelo and Praia
_#_Merchant marine: 7 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 11,708 GRT/19,000 DWT
_#_Civil air: 5 main transport planes (4 owned, 1 leased)
_#_Airports: 6 total, 6 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: interisland radio relay system, high-frequency radio to mainland Portugal and Guinea-Bissau; 1,740 phones; stations—5 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 2 coaxial submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: People's Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARP)—the Army and Navy are separate parts of FARP; Militia, Security Service
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 70,771; 41,844 eligible for military service
_#Defense spending: $15 million, 11% of GDP (1981) % @Cayman Islands (a British overseas territory) *Geography #_Total area: 260 km2; land area: 260 km2
_#_Comparative area: a bit less than 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 160 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Climate: tropical marine; warm, rainy summers (May to October) and cool, relatively dry winters (November to April)
_#_Terrain: flat limestone base encircled by coral reefs
_#_Natural resources: fish, climate, and beaches that support tourism
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 8%; forest and woodland 23%; other 69%
_#_Environment: within the Caribbean hurricane zone
_#_Note: important location between Cuba and Central America
_*People #_Population: 27,489 (July 1991), growth rate 4.2% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 13 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 33 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 74 years for males, 80 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Caymanian(s); adjective—Caymanian
_#_Ethnic divisions: 40% mixed, 20% white, 20% black, 20% expatriates from various ethnic groups
_#_Religion: United Church (Presbyterian and Congregational), Anglican, Baptist, Roman Catholic, Church of God, other Protestant denominations
_#_Language: English
_#_Literacy: 98% (male 98%, female 98%) of those aged 15 and over have attended school (1970)
_#_Labor force: 8,061; service workers 18.7%, clerical 18.6%, construction 12.5%, finance and investment 6.7%, directors and business managers 5.9% (1979)
_#_Organized labor: Global Seaman's Union; Cayman All Trade Union
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: dependent territory of the UK
_#_Capital: George Town
_#_Administrative divisions: 8 districts; Creek, Eastern, Midland, South Town, Spot Bay, Stake Bay, West End, Western
_#_Independence: none (a dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Legal system: British common law and local laws
_#_Constitution: 1959, revised 1972
_#_National holiday: Constitution Day (first Monday in July), July 1, 1991
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor, Executive Council (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: Grand Court, Cayman Islands Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952), represented by Governor Alan James SCOTT (since NA 1987);
Head of Government—Governor and President of the Executive Council
Alan James SCOTT (since NA 1987)
_#_Political parties and leaders: no official political parties
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Legislative Assembly—last held in November 1988 (next to be held in November 1992); results—percent of vote not available; seats—(15 total, 12 elected)
_#_Communists: none
_#_Member of: CDB, IOC
_#_Diplomatic representation: as a dependent territory of the UK, Caymanian interests in the US are represented by the UK;
US—none
_#_Flag: blue with the UK flag in the upper left corner and the Cayman Islands coat of arms on a white circle in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms features a pineapple and turtle above a shield with three stars (representing the three islands) and a banner at the bottom displaying the motto HE HATH FOUNDED IT UPON THE SEAS
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy relies significantly on tourism (70% of GDP and 75% of export earnings) and offshore financial services, with the tourism sector focused on the luxury market and mostly serving visitors from North America. Approximately 90% of the islands' food and consumer goods need to be imported. The Caymanians experience one of the highest living standards in the region.
_#_GDP: $342 million, per person $13,670 (1989); actual growth rate 15% (1988)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.2% (1988)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $76 million; expenditures $56 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988)
_#_Exports: $1.5 million (f.o.b., 1987 estimate);
commodities—turtle products, manufactured consumer goods;
partners—mostly US
_#_Imports: $136 million (c.i.f., 1987 est.);
commodities—foodstuffs, manufactured goods;
partners—US, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, Netherlands Antilles, Japan
_#_External debt: $15 million (1986)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 74,000 kW capacity; 256 million kWh produced, 9,710 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, building materials, furniture making
_#_Agriculture: small-scale production of vegetables, fruits, livestock; turtle farming
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $26.7 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $35.0 million
_#_Currency: Caymanian dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Caymanian dollar (CI$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Caymanian dollars (CI$) per US$1—1.20 (fixed rate)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Highways: 160 km of main roads
_#_Ports: George Town, Cayman Brac
_#_Merchant marine: 33 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 372,732 GRT/604,395 DWT; includes 1 passenger-cargo ship, 6 cargo ships, 7 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 6 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 1 chemical tanker, 2 specialized tankers, 1 liquefied gas carrier, and 9 bulk carriers; note—a flag of convenience registry
_#_Airports: 3 total; 3 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways longer than 2,439 m; 2 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 35,000 phones; the telephone system uses 1 submarine coaxial cable and 1 INTELSAT earth station in the Atlantic Ocean to connect the islands and access international services; stations—2 AM, 1 FM, no TV
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Royal Cayman Islands Police Force (RCIPF)
_#Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK % @Central African Republic *Geography #_Total area: 622,980 km²; land area: 622,980 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Texas
_#_Land boundaries: 5,203 km total; Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Congo 467 km, Sudan 1,165 km, Zaire 1,577 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Climate: tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, humid summers
_#_Terrain: large, flat to rolling, repetitive plateau; hills scattered in the northeast and southwest
_#_Natural resources: diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil
_#_Land use: arable land 3%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and woodland 64%; other 28%
_#_Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds impact northern regions; poaching has tarnished its reputation as one of the last great wildlife refuges; desertification
_#_Note: landlocked; nearly the exact center of Africa
_*People #_Population: 2,952,382 (July 1991), growth rate 2.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 44 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 18 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 138 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 45 years for males, 49 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 5.6 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Central African(s); adjective—Central African
_#_Ethnic divisions: around 80 ethnic groups, most of which share similar ethnic and language traits; Baya 34%, Banda 27%, Sara 10%, Mandjia 21%, Mboum 4%, M'Baka 4%; 6,500 Europeans, including 3,600 French
_#_Religion: indigenous beliefs 24%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%, other 11%; animistic beliefs and practices have a strong influence on the Christian majority
_#_Language: French (official); Sangho (main language and national language); Arabic, Hunsa, Swahili
_#_Literacy: 27% (male 33%, female 15%) of those aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 775,413 (1986 est.); agriculture 85%, commerce and services 9%, industry 3%, government 3%; about 64,000 salaried workers; 55% of the working-age population (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 1% of the workforce
_*Government #_Full name: Central African Republic (no abbreviation); shortened as CAR
_#_Type: republic, a one-party presidential system since 1986
_#_Capital: Bangui
_#_Administrative divisions: 14 prefectures (prefectures, singular—prefecture) and 2 economic prefectures* (prefectures economiques, singular—prefecture economique); Bamingui-Bangoran, Basse-Kotto, Gribingui*, Haute-Kotto, Haute-Sangha, Haut-Mbomou, Kemo-Gribingui, Lobaye, Mbomou, Nana-Mambere, Ombella-Mpoko, Ouaka, Ouham, Ouham-Pende, Sangha*, Vakaga; note—there may be a new autonomous commune of Bangui
_#_Independence: August 13, 1960 (from France; previously Central African Empire)
_#_Constitution: 21 November 1986
_#_Legal system: based on French law
_#_National holiday: National Day (proclamation of the republic), 1 December (1958)
_#_Executive branch: president, Cabinet (Council of Ministers)
_#_Legislative branch: one-house National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale) advised by the Economic and Regional Council (Conseil Economique et Regional); when they meet together, this is called the Congress (Congres)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Supreme Court)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President
Andre-Dieudonne KOLINGBA (since September 1, 1981)
_#_Political parties and leaders: only party—Central African Democratic Rally Party (RDC), Andre-Dieudonné KOLINGBA
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
President—last held 21 November 1986 (next to be held November 1993); results—President KOLINGBA was reelected without any opponents;
National Assembly—last held on July 31, 1987 (next one scheduled for July 1992); results—RDC is the only party; seats—(52 total) RDC 52
_#_Communists: a small group of people who support Communism
_#_Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ,
G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jean-Pierre SOHAHONG-KOMBET; Chancery at 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-7800 or 7801;
US—Ambassador Daniel H. SIMPSON; Embassy at Avenue du President David Dacko, Bangui (mailing address is B. P. 924, Bangui); telephone 61-02-00 or 61-25-78, 61-43-33
_#_Flag: four equal horizontal stripes of blue (top), white, green, and yellow with a vertical red stripe in the center; there is a yellow five-pointed star on the hoist side of the blue stripe
_*Economy #_Overview: The Central African Republic (CAR) had a per capita income of about $440 in 1990. Subsistence farming, including forestry, is the foundation of the economy, with over 70% of the population living in rural areas. In 1988, the agricultural sector accounted for around 40% of GDP. Agricultural products made up about 60% of export earnings, and the diamond industry contributed 30%. Significant barriers to economic development include the CAR's landlocked location, inadequate transportation infrastructure, and a weak workforce. Multilateral and bilateral development assistance is crucial for providing capital for new investments.
_#_GDP: $1.3 billion, per capita $440; real growth rate 2.0% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): - 4.2% (1988 estimate)
_#_Unemployment rate: 30% in Bangui (1988 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $132 million; current expenses $305 million, including capital expenses of $NA million (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $148 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—diamonds, cotton, coffee, timber, tobacco;
partners—France, Belgium, Italy, Japan, US
_#_Imports: $239 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
commodities—food, textiles, oil products, machinery, electrical gear, cars, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, industrial products;
partners—France, other EC, Japan, Algeria, Yugoslavia
_#_External debt: $671 million (December 1989)
_#_Industrial production: 0.8% (1988); represents 12% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 35,000 kW capacity; 84 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: diamond mining, sawmills, breweries, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles
_#_Agriculture: makes up 40% of GDP; self-sufficient in food production except for grain; commercial crops—cotton, coffee, tobacco, timber; food crops—manioc, yams, millet, corn, bananas
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $49 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.4 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $6 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $38 million
_#_Currency: West African Financial Community franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Communauté Financière Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1—256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 22,000 km in total; 458 km paved, 10,542 km upgraded gravel, 11,000 km unpaved gravel
_#_Inland waterways: 800 km; traditional trade is conducted using shallow-draft dugouts; the Oubangui is the most important river.
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 66 total, 49 usable; 4 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 2 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 22 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: fair system; the network mainly uses radio relay links, with some low-capacity, low-powered radio communication as well; 6,000 telephones; stations—1 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Central African Armed Forces, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 659,802; 345,049 eligible for military service
_#Defense spending: $23 million, 1.8% of GDP (1989 est.) % @Chad *Geography #_Total area: 1,284,000 km²; land area: 1,259,200 km²
_#_Comparative area: just over three times the size of California
_#_Land boundaries: 5,968 km total; Cameroon 1,094 km, Central African Republic 1,197 km, Libya 1,055 km, Niger 1,175 km, Nigeria 87 km, Sudan 1,360 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Disputes: Libya claims and occupies the 100,000 km2 Aozou Strip in the far north; the international boundaries around Lake Chad have been defined, but they are still pending approval from Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria, which has caused border incidents in the past.
_#_Climate: tropical in the south, desert in the north
_#_Terrain: wide, dry plains in the center, desert to the north, mountains in the northwest, and lowlands in the south
_#_Natural resources: crude oil (not yet exploited but exploration starting), uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad)
_#_Land use: arable land 2%; permanent crops negligible%; meadows and pastures 36%; forest and woodland 11%; other 51%; includes irrigated negligible%
_#_Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in the north; drought and desertification negatively impact the south; susceptible to locust plagues.
_#_Note: landlocked; Lake Chad is the most important body of water in the Sahel
_*People #_Population: 5,122,467 (July 1991), growth rate 2.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 42 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 22 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 134 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 39 years for males, 41 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 5.3 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Chadian(s); adjective—Chadian
_#_Ethnic divisions: around 200 distinct ethnic groups, most of whom are Muslims (Arabs, Toubou, Hadjerai, Fulbe, Kotoko, Kanembou, Baguirmi, Boulala, Zaghawa, and Maba) in the north and center and non-Muslims (Sara, Ngambaye, Mbaye, Goulaye, Moundang, Moussei, Massa) in the south; about 150,000 nonindigenous people, of whom 1,000 are French.
_#_Religion: Muslim 44%, Christian 33%, indigenous beliefs, animism 23%
_#_Language: French and Arabic (official); Sara and Sango in the south; more than 100 different languages and dialects are spoken
_#_Literacy: 30% (male 42%, female 18%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write in French or Arabic (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: NA; agriculture (involved in unpaid subsistence farming, herding, and fishing) 85%
_#_Organized labor: around 20% of the wage labor force
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Chad
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: N'Djamena
_#_Administrative divisions: 14 prefectures (prefectures, singular—prefecture); Batha, Biltine, Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti, Chari-Baguirmi, Guera, Kanem, Lac, Logone Occidental, Logone Oriental, Mayo-Kebbi, Moyen-Chari, Ouaddai, Salamat, Tandjile
_#_Independence: August 11, 1960 (from France)
_#_Constitution: December 22, 1989, suspended December 3, 1990; Provisional National Charter March 1, 1991
_#_Legal system: based on the French civil law system and Chadian customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: NA
_#_Executive branch: president, Cabinet (Council of State)
_#_Legislative branch: the National Consultative Council (Conseil National Consultatif) was disbanded on December 3, 1990, and replaced by the Provisional Council of the Republic; 30 members were appointed by President DEBY on March 8, 1991.
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Col. Idriss DEBY (since December 4, 1990);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Jean LINGUE Bawoyeu (since March 8, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS; former opposition group), Idriss DEBY, chairman; President DEBY has promised political diversity, a new constitution, and free elections by September 1993; numerous opposition groups
_#_Suffrage: universal at age NA
_#_Elections:
President—last held 10 December 1989 (next to be held NA); results—President Hissein HABRE was elected unopposed; note—the government of then President HABRE collapsed on 1 December 1990 and Idriss DEBY took power on 3 December 1990;
National Consultative Council—last held July 8, 1990; disbanded December 3, 1990
_#_Communists: no front groups or underground party; likely a few Communists and some supporters.
_#_Other political or pressure groups: NA
_#_Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77,
GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Mahamat Ali ADOUM; Chancery at 2002 R Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 462-4009;
US—Ambassador Richard W. BOGOSIAN; Embassy at Avenue Felix Eboue, N'Djamena (mailing address is B. P. 413, N'Djamena); telephone [235] (51) 62-18, 40-09
_#_Flag: three equal vertical stripes of blue (next to the pole), yellow, and red; resembles the flag of Romania; also looks like the flag of Andorra, which has a national coat of arms featuring a quartered shield centered in the yellow stripe; the design was inspired by the flag of France.
_*Economy #_Overview: The climate, geographic location, and lack of infrastructure and natural resources make Chad one of the most underdeveloped countries in the world. Its economy is struggling due to the impacts of civil war, conflict with Libya, drought, and food shortages. In 1986, real GDP returned to its 1977 level, with cotton, the main cash crop, making up 48% of exports. Over 80% of the workforce is engaged in subsistence farming and fishing. Industry mainly focuses on processing agricultural products like cotton, sugarcane, and cattle. Chad relies heavily on foreign aid, with its economy in crisis and many regions facing shortages. Oil companies are exploring areas north of Lake Chad and in the Doba basin in the south.
_#_GDP: $1,015 million, per person $205; actual growth rate 0.9% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): - 4.9% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA
_#_Budget: revenues $78 million; expenditures $127 million, not including capital expenditures that are mostly funded by foreign aid donors (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $174 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—cotton 48%, cattle 35%, textiles 5%, fish;
partners—France, Nigeria, Cameroon
_#_Imports: $264 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities—machinery and transportation equipment 39%, industrial goods 20%, petroleum products 13%, food items 9%; note—excludes military equipment;
partners—US, France, Nigeria, Cameroon
_#_External debt: $530 million (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 12.9% (1989 est.); makes up nearly 15% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 38,000 kW capacity; 70 million kWh produced, 14 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: cotton textile factories, meatpacking plants, breweries, natron (sodium carbonate), soap, cigarettes
_#_Agriculture: makes up about 45% of GDP; mainly subsistence farming; cotton is the most important cash crop; food crops include sorghum, millet, peanuts, rice, potatoes, and cassava; livestock includes cattle, sheep, goats, and camels; self-sufficient in food during years with enough rainfall.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $198 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.3 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $28 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $80 million
_#_Currency: Communauté Financière Africaine franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1—256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 31,322 km in total; 32 km paved; 7,300 km gravel and laterite; the rest not improved
_#_Inland waterways: 2,000 km navigable
_#_Civil air: 3 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 70 total, 54 operational; 4 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 3 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 23 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: a balanced network of radio communication stations for intercity connections; 5,000 telephones; stations—3 AM, 1 FM, limited TV service; many facilities are not working; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT satellite ground station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Patriotic Salvation Force (FPS; Army, Air Force), paramilitary Gendarmerie, National Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,188,222; 616,932 eligible for military service; 51,713 reach military age (20) each year
_#Defense spending: $39 million, 4.3% of GDP (1988) % @Chile *Geography #_Total area: 756,950 km²; land area: 748,800 km²; includes Easter Island and Isla Sala y Gomez.
_#_Comparative area: a little smaller than twice the size of Montana
_#_Land boundaries: 6,171 km total; Argentina 5,150 km, Bolivia 861 km, Peru 160 km
_#_Coastline: 6,435 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: the short section of the southern border with Argentina is unclear; Bolivia has sought a sovereign corridor to the South Pacific Ocean since it lost the Atacama region to Chile in 1884; there is a dispute with Bolivia over water rights for the Rio Lauca; the territorial claim in Antarctica (Chilean Antarctic Territory) partially overlaps with Argentina's claim.
_#_Climate: mild; arid in the north; cool and wet in the south
_#_Terrain: low coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes in the east
_#_Natural resources: copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum
_#_Land use: arable land 7%; permanent crops negligible%; meadows and pastures 16%; forest and woodland 21%; other 56%; includes irrigated 2%
_#_Environment: prone to severe earthquakes, active volcanoes, and tsunamis; Atacama Desert is one of the driest places on Earth; desertification
_#_Note: strategic location related to sea routes between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage)
_*People #_Population: 13,286,620 (July 1991), growth rate 1.5% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 21 births per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 18 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 70 years for males, 77 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.5 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Chilean(s); adjective—Chilean
_#_Ethnic divisions: European and European-Indian 95%, Indian 3%, other 2%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 11%, and a small Jewish population
_#_Language: Spanish
_#_Literacy: 93% (male 94%, female 93%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 3,840,000; services 38.6% (includes government 12%) 38.6%; industry and commerce 31.3%; agriculture, forestry, and fishing 15.9%; mining 8.7%; construction 4.4% (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 11% of the workforce (1990)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Chile
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Santiago
_#_Administrative divisions: 13 regions (regions, singular—region); Aisen del General Carlos Ibanez del Campo, Antofagasta, Araucania, Atacama, Bio-Bio, Coquimbo, Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins, Los Lagos, Magallanes and the Chilean Antarctic, Maule, Metropolitan Region, Tarapaca, Valparaiso; note—the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica
_#_Independence: September 18, 1810 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution: September 11, 1980, effective March 11, 1981; amended July 30, 1989
_#_Legal system: based on the Code of 1857, which comes from Spanish law, and later codes that were influenced by French and Austrian law; the Supreme Court conducts judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, September 18 (1810)
_#_Executive branch: president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: a two-chamber National Congress (Congreso Nacional) made up of an upper house, the Senate (Senado), and a lower house, the Chamber of Deputies (Cámara de Diputados)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Supreme Court)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Patricio
AYLWIN (since March 11, 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
The Concertation of Parties for Democracy now mainly includes six
parties—Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Andres ZALDIVAR;
Party for Democracy (PPD), Erich SCHNAKE;
Radical Party (PR), Mario ASTORGA;
Democratic Socialist Radical Party (PRSD), Jorge IBANEZ;
Social Democratic Party (PSD), Rene ABELIUK; and
Socialist Party, Jorge ARRATE;
National Renovation (RN), Andres ALLAMAND;
Independent Democratic Union (UDI), Joaquin LAVIN;
Communist Party of Chile (PCCh), Volodia TEITELBOIM;
The Movement of Revolutionary Left (MIR) is fragmented, with no single
leader
_Suffrage: universal and mandatory at age 18_
_#_Elections:
President—last held December 14, 1989 (next to be held December 1993 or January 1994); results—Patricio AYLWIN (PDC) 55.2%, Hernan BUCHI 29.4%, other 15.4%;
Senate—last held on December 14, 1989 (next will be held in December
1993 or January 1994); seats—(46 total, 38 elected)
Coalition of Parties for Democracy 22 (PDC 13, PPD 5, PR 2, PSD 1,
PRSD 1), RN 6, UDI 2, independents 8;
Chamber of Deputies—last held on December 14, 1989 (next to be held
December 1993 or January 1994); seats—(120 total)
Concertation of Parties for Democracy 72 (PDC 38, PPD 17, PR 5, other
12), RN 29, UDI 11, right-wing independents 8
_#_Communists: The PCCh is currently working on regaining its legal party status and has fewer than 60,000 members.
_#_Other political or pressure groups: energized university student federations at all major universities led by opposition political groups; labor—United Labor Central (CUT) includes trade unionists from the country's five largest labor confederations; Roman Catholic Church
_#_Member of: CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Patricio SILVA Echenique; Chancery at 1732 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 785-1746; there are Chilean Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco;
US—Ambassador Charles A. GILLESPIE, Jr.; Embassy at Codina Building, 1343 Agustinas, Santiago (mailing address is APO Miami 34033); telephone [56] (2) 710133 or 710190, 710326, 710375
_#_Flag: two equal horizontal stripes of white (top) and red; there is a blue square the same height as the white stripe at the left end of the white stripe; the square has a white five-pointed star in the center; the design was inspired by the US flag
_*Economy #_Overview: In 1990, economic growth slowed down from an average of 6.2% over the previous six years to about 1.5% due to tight monetary policy aimed at reducing inflation. However, the monetary policy didn't effectively curb price increases until the end of the year, and inflation, fueled by higher global oil prices, rose to 27.3% in 1990 from 21.4% in 1989. Copper prices remained strong in 1990, helping to maintain a balance-of-payments surplus and boost international reserves. Most observers expect that inflationary pressures have peaked and price increases will decelerate during 1991, contributing to growth of 4-5%.
_GDP: $26 billion, per person $2,000; actual growth rate 2.0% (1990)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 27.3% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 5.6% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $6.6 billion; expenditures $7.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $575 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $8.3 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—copper 48%, industrial products 33%, molybdenum, iron ore, wood pulp, fish meal, fruits;
partners—EC 34%, US 22%, Japan 10%, Brazil 7%
_#_Imports: $7.0 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—oil, wheat, machinery, spare parts, raw materials;
partners—EC 23%, US 20%, Japan 10%, Brazil 9%
_#_External debt: $18.4 billion (February 1991)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 0% (1990); makes up 30% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 4,138,000 kW capacity; 17,784 million kWh produced, 1,360 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: copper, other minerals, food products, fish processing, iron and steel, wood and wood products, transportation equipment, cement, textiles
_#_Agriculture: makes up about 8% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); major exporter of fruits, fish, and timber products; key crops—wheat, corn, grapes, beans, sugar beets, potatoes, deciduous fruits; livestock products—beef, poultry, wool; self-sufficient in most foods; in 1986, fish catch was 5.6 million metric tons, net agricultural importer
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $521 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.4 billion; Communist countries (1970-88), $386 million
_#_Currency: Chilean peso (plural—pesos); 1 Chilean peso (Ch$) = 100 centavos
_#_Exchange rates: Chilean pesos (Ch$) per US$1—337.24 (January 1991), 305.06 (1990), 267.16 (1989), 245.05 (1988), 219.54 (1987), 193.02 (1986), 161.08 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 8,613 km in total; 4,257 km of 1.676-meter gauge, 135 km of 1.435-meter standard gauge, 4,221 km of 1.000-meter gauge; electrification, 1,865 km of 1.676-meter gauge, 80 km of 1.000-meter gauge
_#_Highways: 79,025 km total; 9,913 km paved, 33,140 km gravel, 35,972 km improved and unimproved earth (1984)
_#_Inland waterways: 725 km
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 755 km; refined products, 785 km; natural gas, 320 km
_#_Ports: Antofagasta, Iquique, Puerto Montt, Punta Arenas, Valparaiso, San Antonio, Talcahuano, Arica
_#_Merchant marine: 35 ships (1,000 GRT or more) with a total of 485,935 GRT/800,969 DWT; includes 14 cargo ships, 1 refrigerated cargo ship, 3 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 1 chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas tankers, 3 combination ore/oil ships, and 9 bulk carriers; note—in addition, 2 naval tankers and 2 military transports are sometimes used for commercial purposes.
_#_Civil air: 22 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 392 total, 353 usable; 50 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 12 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 55 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: modern phone system based on widespread radio relay facilities; 768,000 phones; stations—159 AM, no FM, 131 TV, 11 shortwave; satellite stations—2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 3 domestic
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: National Army, National Navy (including Naval Air and Marines), National Air Force, Carabineros de Chile (National Police)
_#_Manpower availability: males ages 15-49, 3,544,962; 2,647,148 eligible for military service; 119,511 turning 19 every year.
_#Defense spending: $737 million, 3% of GNP (1991 estimate) % @China (also see separate Taiwan entry) *Geography #_Total area: 9,596,960 km²; land area: 9,326,410 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than the US
_#_Land boundaries: 23,213.34 km total; Afghanistan 76 km, Bhutan 470 km, Burma 2,185 km, Hong Kong 30 km, India 3,380 km, North Korea 1,416 km, Laos 423 km, Macau 0.34 km, Mongolia 4,673 km, Nepal 1,236 km, Pakistan 523 km, USSR 7,520 km, Vietnam 1,281 km
_#_Coastline: 14,500 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: claim to shallow areas of the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: boundary with India; talks are ongoing to settle disputed areas of the boundary with the USSR; a small part of the boundary with North Korea is unclear; occasional border skirmishes with Vietnam; involved in a complicated dispute over the Spratly Islands with Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam; maritime boundary disagreement with Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin; Paracel Islands controlled by China, but claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; claims on the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands (Senkaku-shoto).
_#_Climate: very diverse; tropical in the south to subarctic in the north
_#_Terrain: mostly mountains, high plateaus, and deserts in the west; plains, deltas, and hills in the east
_#_Natural resources: coal, iron ore, crude oil, mercury, tin, tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, uranium, the world's largest hydropower potential
_#_Land use: arable land 10%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 31%; forest and woodland 14%; other 45%; includes irrigated 5%
_#_Environment: frequent typhoons (about five times a year along the southern and eastern coasts), damaging floods, tsunamis, earthquakes; deforestation; soil erosion; industrial pollution; water pollution; air pollution; desertification
_#_Note: the world's third-largest country (after the USSR and Canada)
_*People #_Population: 1,151,486,981 (July 1991), growth rate 1.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 22 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 33 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 68 years for males, 72 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.3 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Chinese (sing., pl.); adjective—Chinese
_#_Ethnic divisions: Han Chinese 93.3%; Zhuang, Uygur, Hui, Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Manchu, Mongol, Buyi, Korean, and other nationalities 6.7%
_#_Religion: officially atheist, but traditionally practical and diverse; the most significant components of religion are Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism; Muslim 2-3%, Christian 1% (est.)
_#_Language: Standard Chinese (Putonghua) or Mandarin (based on the Beijing dialect); also Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, and minority languages (see ethnic divisions)
_#_Literacy: 73% (male 84%, female 62%) ages 15 and up can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 553,000,000; agriculture and forestry 60%, industry and commerce 25%, construction and mining 5%, social services 5%, other 5% (1989 est.)
_#_Organized labor: The All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) follows the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party; membership exceeds 80 million, which is about 65% of the urban workforce (1985)
_*Government #_Full name: People's Republic of China; short form: PRC
_#_Type: Communist Party-led state
_#_Capital: Beijing
_#_Administrative divisions: 23 provinces (sheng, singular and plural), 5 autonomous regions* (zizhiqu, singular and plural), and 3 municipalities** (shi, singular and plural); Anhui, Beijing**, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi*, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol*, Ningxia*, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanghai**, Shanxi, Sichuan, Tianjin**, Xinjiang*, Xizang*, Yunnan, Zhejiang; note—China sees Taiwan as its 23rd province.
_#_Independence: unification under the Qin (Ch'in) Dynasty in 221 BC, the Qing (Ch'ing or Manchu) Dynasty was replaced by the Republic on February 12, 1912, and the People's Republic was established on October 1, 1949.
_#_Constitution: 4 December 1982
_#_Legal system: a complex mix of customs and laws, mainly focused on criminal law; basic civil code in place since January 1, 1987; new legal codes implemented since January 1, 1980; ongoing efforts are being made to enhance civil, administrative, criminal, and commercial law.
_#_National holiday: National Day, October 1 (1949)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, prime minister, five deputy prime ministers, State Council
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber National People's Congress (Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme People's Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government (in practice)—DENG
Xiaoping (since mid-1977);
Chief of State—President YANG Shangkun (since April 8, 1988);
Vice President WANG Zhen (since April 8, 1988);
Head of Government—Premier LI Peng (Acting Premier since
November 24, 1987, Premier since April 9, 1988);
Vice Premier YAO Yilin (since July 2, 1979);
Vice Premier TIAN Jiyun (since June 20, 1983);
Vice Premier WU Xueqian (since April 12, 1988);
Vice Premier ZOU Jiahua (since April 8, 1991);
Vice Premier ZHU Rongji (since April 8, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: only party—Chinese Communist Party (CCP), JIANG Zemin, general secretary of the Central Committee (since NA June 1989)
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held April 8, 1988 (next to be held March 1993);
YANG Shangkun was officially elected by the Seventh National People's
National People's Congress—last held in March 1988 (next one is scheduled for March 1993); results—CCP is the only party, but there are also independents; seats—(2,976 total) CCP and independents 2,976 (indirectly elected at the county or xian level)
_#_Communists: 49,000,000 party members (1990 estimate)
_#_Other political or pressure groups: the significant opposition that exists consists of informal coalitions, typically within the party and government structure, which change depending on the issue.
_#_Member of: AfDB, AsDB, CCC, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO,
ITU, LORCS, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UN Security
Council, UN Trusteeship Council, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador ZHU Qizhen; Chancery at 2300 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 328-2500 through 2502; there are Chinese Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco;
US—Ambassador James R. LILLEY; Embassy at Xiu Shui Bei Jie 3,
Beijing (mailing address is 100600, PRC Box 50, Beijing or FPO San
Francisco 96655-0001); telephone [86] (1) 532-3831; there are US
Consulates General in Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Shenyang
_#_Flag: red with a big yellow five-pointed star and four smaller yellow five-pointed stars (arranged in a vertical arc toward the middle of the flag) in the upper hoist-side corner
_*Economy #_Overview: Starting in late 1978, the Chinese leadership has been working to shift the economy from the sluggish Soviet-style centrally planned system to a more productive and flexible economy with market elements—while still maintaining strict Communist control. To achieve this, the authorities have adopted a household responsibility system in agriculture instead of the old collectivization, increased the power of local officials and plant managers in industry, allowed a variety of small-scale businesses in services and light manufacturing, and opened up the foreign economic sector to more trade and joint ventures. The most encouraging result has been a significant boost in production, especially in agriculture during the early 1980s. However, the leadership has often faced the worst aspects of socialism (like bureaucracy, complacency, and corruption) and capitalism (such as sudden profits and rising inflation) within this mixed system. Consequently, Beijing has occasionally reversed course, tightening central controls again, which has undermined the credibility of the reform process. Popular resistance and shifts in central policy have weakened China's population control program, which is crucial for the country's long-term economic sustainability.
_#_GNP: $413 billion (1989 est.), per capita $370 (World Bank est.); real growth rate 5% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.1% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 2.6% in urban areas (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
_#_Exports: $62.1 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—textiles, clothing, telecom and recording devices, oil, minerals;
partners—Hong Kong, US, Japan, USSR, Singapore, FRG (1989)
_#_Imports: $53.4 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—specialized industrial equipment, chemicals, finished products, steel, textile threads, fertilizer;
partners—Hong Kong, Japan, US, Germany, Russia (1989)
_#_External debt: $51 billion (estimated in 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 7.6% (1990); makes up 45% of GNP
_#_Electricity: 117,580,000 kW capacity; 585,000 million kWh produced, 520 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: iron, steel, coal, machinery manufacturing, weapons, textiles, oil, cement, chemical fertilizers, durable goods, food processing
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 26% of GNP; among the world's top producers of rice, potatoes, sorghum, peanuts, tea, millet, barley, and pork; commercial crops include cotton, other fibers, and oilseeds; produces a variety of livestock products; essentially self-sufficient in food; fish catch of 8 million metric tons in 1986
_#_Economic aid: donor—to less developed countries (1970-89) $7.0 billion; US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $220.7 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $13.5 billion
_#_Currency: yuan (plural—yuan); 1 yuan (3) = 10 jiao
_#_Exchange rates: yuan (3) per US$1—5.31 (April 1991), 4.7832 (1990), 3.7651 (1989), 3.7221 (1988), 3.7221 (1987), 3.4528 (1986), 2.9367 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: approximately 54,000 km of common carrier lines; 53,400 km of 1.435-meter standard gauge; 600 km of 1.000-meter gauge; all are single track except for 11,200 km of double track on standard-gauge lines; 6,500 km are electrified; 10,000 km of industrial lines (gauges range from 0.762 to 1.067 meters)
_#_Highways: approximately 980,000 km of all types of roads; 162,000 km of paved roads, 617,200 km of gravel or improved earth roads, and 200,800 km of unimproved natural earth roads and tracks
_#_Inland waterways: 138,600 km; approximately 109,800 km are navigable
_#_Pipelines: crude, 4,038 miles; refined products, 683 miles; natural gas, 3,850 miles
_#_Ports: Dalian, Guangzhou, Huangpu, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai, Xingang, Zhanjiang, Ningbo, Xiamen, Tanggu, Shantou
_#_Merchant marine: 1,421 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 14,010,317 GRT/21,223,170 DWT; includes 24 passenger, 42 short-sea passenger, 19 passenger-cargo, 7 cargo/training, 776 cargo, 11 refrigerated cargo, 70 container, 17 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 multifunction barge carriers, 181 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 9 chemical tankers, 250 bulk, 2 liquefied gas, 2 vehicle carriers, 9 combination bulk; note—China beneficially owns an additional 183 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling approximately 5,921,000 DWT that operate under Maltese and Liberian registry
_#_Airports: 330 total, all usable; 260 have permanent-surface runways; fewer than 10 have runways longer than 3,500 m; 90 have runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 200 have runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: domestic and international services are becoming more accessible for personal use; the internal system is unevenly distributed and primarily serves major cities, industrial hubs, and many towns; 11,000,000 telephones (December 1989); stations—274 AM, unknown FM, 202 (2,050 relays) TV; over 215 million radio receivers; 75 million TVs; satellite earth stations—4 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 INMARSAT, and 55 domestic
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Chinese People's Liberation Army (CPLA), CPLA Navy (including Marines), CPLA Air Force, Chinese People's Armed Police
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 335,382,062; 187,046,680 eligible for military service; 10,967,622 turn 18 (military age) each year
_#Defense spending: $NA, NA% of GNP % @Christmas Island (part of Australia) *Geography #_Total area: 135 km²; land area: 135 km²
_#_Comparative area: about 0.8 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 138.9 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; heat and humidity balanced by trade winds
_#_Terrain: steep cliffs along the coast rise sharply to the central plateau
_#_Natural resources: phosphate
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: almost entirely enclosed by a reef
_#_Note: situated along key shipping routes of the Indian Ocean
_*People #_Population: 2,278 (July 1991), growth rate N/A% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NA migrants/1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: NA deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: NA years for males, NA years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Christmas Islander(s), adjective—Christmas Island
_#_Ethnic divisions: Chinese 61%, Malay 25%, European 11%, other 3%; no indigenous population
_#_Religion: Buddhist 36.1%, Muslim 25.4%, Christian 17.7% (Roman Catholic 8.2%, Church of England 3.2%, Presbyterian 0.9%, Uniting Church 0.4%, Methodist 0.2%, Baptist 0.1%, and other 4.7%), none 12.7%, unknown 4.6%, other 3.5% (1981)
_#_Language: English
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: NA; all workers are employees of the Phosphate Mining Company of Christmas Island, Ltd.
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: Territory of Christmas Island
_#_Type: territory of Australia
_#_Capital: The Settlement
_#_Administrative divisions: none (territory of Australia)
_#_Independence: none (territory of Australia)
_#_Constitution: Christmas Island Act of 1958
_#_Legal system: under the authority of the Governor-General of Australia
_#_National holiday: NA
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, Governor-General of Australia, administrator, Advisory Council (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: none
_#_Judicial branch: none
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952);
Head of Government—Administrator A. D. TAYLOR (since N/A)
_#_Communists: none
_#_Member of: none
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (territory of Australia)
_#_Flag: the Australian flag is used
_*Economy #_Overview: Phosphate mining was the only major economic activity, but in December 1987, the Australian Government closed the mine because it was no longer economically viable. There are plans to reopen the mine and also to build a casino and hotel to boost tourism, with a possible opening date set for the first half of 1992.
_GDP: $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate NA%
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: 0%
_#_Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
_#_Exports: $NA;
commodities—phosphate;
partners—Australia, NZ
_#_Imports: $NA;
commodities—NA;
partners—NA
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 11,000 kW capacity; 30 million kWh produced, 13,170 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: phosphate extraction (near depletion)
_#_Agriculture: NA
_#_Economic aid: none
_#_Currency: Australian dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1—1.2834 (January 1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987), 1.4905 (1986), 1.4269 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Ports: Flying Fish Cove
_#_Airports: 1 usable with a permanent-surface runway of 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 4,000 radios (1982)
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of Australia % @Clipperton Island (French territory) *Geography #_Total area: 7 km²
_#_Comparative area: about 12 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 11.1 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claimed by Mexico
_#_Climate: tropical
_#_Terrain: coral atoll
_#_Natural resources: none
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other (coral) 100%
_#_Environment: reef about 8 km around
_#_Note: located 1,120 km southwest of Mexico in the North Pacific Ocean; also known as Ile de la Passion
_*People #_Population: uninhabited
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: French territory managed from French Polynesia by High Commissioner of the Republic Jean MONTPEZAT; note—might have become a dependency of French Polynesia
_*Economy #_Overview: the only economic activity is a tuna fishing station.
_*Communications #_Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of France % @Cocos (Keeling) Islands (territory of Australia) *Geography #_Total area: 14 km²; land area: 14 km²; main islands are West Island and Home Island
_#_Comparative area: about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 42.6 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Climate: nice, influenced by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year; average rainfall
_#_Terrain: flat, low-lying coral atolls
_#_Natural resources: fish
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: two coral atolls densely packed with coconut palms and other plants
_#_Note: located 1,070 km southwest of Sumatra (Indonesia) in the Indian Ocean, roughly halfway between Australia and Sri Lanka.
_*People #_Population: 684 (July 1991), growth rate NEGL% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NA migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: NA deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: NA years for males, NA years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Cocos Islander(s); adjective—Cocos Islander(s)
_#_Ethnic divisions: mainly Europeans on West Island and Cocos Malays on Home Island
_#_Religion: almost all Sunni Muslims
_#_Language: English
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: NA
_#_Organized labor: none
_*Government #_Long-form name: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
_#_Type: territory of Australia
_#_Capital: West Island
_#_Administrative divisions: none (territory of Australia)
_#_Independence: none (territory of Australia)
_#_Constitution: Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955
_#_Legal system: based on the laws of Australia and local laws
_#_National holiday: NA
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor-general of Australia, administrator, chair of the Islands Council
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Islands Council
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952);
Head of Government—Administrator D. LAWRIE (since NA 1989);
Chairman of the Islands Council Parson Bin YAPAT (since NA)
_#_Suffrage: NA
_#_Elections: NA
_#_Member of: none
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (territory of Australia)
_#_Flag: the flag of Australia is used
_*Economy #_Overview: Coconuts are the only cash crop grown across the islands. Copra and fresh coconuts are the main sources of export income. Small local gardens and fishing help provide food, but most additional food and other necessities have to be imported from Australia.
_#_GDP: $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate NA%
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment: NA
_#_Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
_#_Exports: $NA;
commodities—copra;
partners—Australia
_#_Imports: $NA;
commodities—foodstuffs;
partners—Australia
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 1,000 kW capacity; 2 million kWh produced, 2,980 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: copra products
_#_Agriculture: gardens provide vegetables, bananas, papayas, coconuts
_#_Economic aid: none
_#_Currency: Australian dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1—1.2834 (January 1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987), 1.4905 (1986), 1.4269 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Ports: none; lagoon anchorage only
_#_Airports: 1 airfield with a permanent-surface runway, 1,220-2,439 m; the airport on West Island connects Australia and South Africa.
_#_Telecommunications: 250 radios (1985); connected by telephone, telex, and fax communications through satellite with Australia; stations—1 AM, no FM, no TV
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of Australia % @Colombia *Geography #_Total area: 1,138,910 km²; land area: 1,038,700 km²; includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, Serrana Bank, and Serranilla Bank
_#_Comparative area: just under three times the size of Montana
_#_Land boundaries: 7,408 km total; Brazil 1,643 km, Ecuador 590 km, Panama 225 km, Peru 2,900 km, Venezuela 2,050 km
_#_Coastline: 3,208 km total (1,448 km North Pacific Ocean; 1,760 Caribbean Sea)
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specified;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: maritime boundary conflict with Venezuela in the Gulf of Venezuela; territorial conflict with Nicaragua over the Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank
_#_Climate: tropical along the coast and eastern plains; cooler in the highlands
_#_Terrain: a mix of flat coastal lowlands, plains in the east, central highlands, and some high mountains
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds
_#_Land use: arable land 4%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 29%; forest and woodland 49%; other 16%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: highlands prone to volcanic eruptions; deforestation; soil degradation from excessive pesticide use; occasional droughts
_#_Note: the only South American country with coastlines on both the North Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea
_*People #_Population: 33,777,550 (July 1991), growth rate 2.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 26 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 37 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 68 years for males, 74 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.8 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Colombian(s); adjective—Colombian
_#_Ethnic divisions: mestizo 58%, white 20%, mulatto 14%, black 4%, mixed black-Indian 3%, Indian 1%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 95%
_#_Language: Spanish
_#_Literacy: 87% (male 88%, female 86%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 11,000,000 (1986); services 53%, agriculture 26%, industry 21% (1981)
_#_Organized labor: 1,400,000 members (1987), about 12% of the workforce; the Communist-supported Unitary Workers Central, or CUT, is the largest labor organization, with around 725,000 members (including all affiliated unions)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Colombia
_#_Type: republic; the executive branch controls the government structure
_#_Capital: Bogota
_#_Administrative divisions: 23 departments (departamentos, singular—departamento), 5 commissariats (comisarias, singular—comisaria), and 4 intendancies (intendencias, singular—intendencia); Amazonas, Antioquia, Arauca, Atlantico, Bolivar, Boyaca, Caldas, Caqueta, Casanare, Cauca, Cesar, Choco, Cordoba, Cundinamarca, Guainia, Guaviare, Huila, La Guajira, Magdalena, Meta, Narino, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, Quindio, Risaralda, San Andres y Providencia, Santander, Sucre, Tolima, Valle del Cauca, Vaupes, Vichada; note—there may be a new special district (distrito especial) named Bogota; the Constitution of July 5, 1991 states that the commissariats and intendancies are to become full departments and a capital district (distrito capital) of Santa Fe de Bogota is to be established by 1997.
_#_Independence: July 20, 1810 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution: 5 July 1991
_#_Legal system: based on Spanish law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, July 20 (1810)
_#_Executive branch: president, presidential appointee, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Congress (Congreso) consists of a nationally elected upper chamber, the Senate (Senado), and a regionally elected lower chamber, the Chamber of Representatives (Camara de Representantes).
# Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justica)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Cesar
GAVIRIA Trujillo (since August 7, 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Liberal Party (PL), César GAVIRIA Trujillo, president, and Alfonso LOPEZ Michelsen, party leader; Social Conservative Party (PCS), Misael PASTRANA Borrero; National Salvation Movement (MSN), Álvaro GÓMEZ Hurtado; Democratic Alliance (AD) is led by 19th of April Movement (M-19) leader Antonio NAVARRO Wolf, a coalition of small leftist parties and dissident liberals and conservatives; Patriotic Union (UP), a legal political party created by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the Colombian Communist Party (PCC), Carlos ROMERO.
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held May 27, 1990 (next one scheduled for May 1994);
results—Cesar GAVIRIA Trujillo (Liberal) 47%, Alvaro GOMEZ Hurtado
(National Salvation Movement) 24%, Antonio NAVARRO Wolff (M-19) 13%,
Rodrigo LLOREDA (Conservative) 12%;
Senate—last held March 11, 1990 (next to be held October 27, 1991); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(114 total) Liberal 72, Conservative 40, UP 1, vacant 1;
Chamber of Representatives last met on March 11, 1990 (next meeting scheduled for October 27, 1991); results—percentage of votes by party not available; seats—(total of 199) Liberal 122, Conservative 68, UP 3, M-19 1, other 5; note—on July 5, 1991, the new Constitution dissolved Congress and replaced it with a 36-member multiparty legislative commission until a new congress, elected on October 27, 1991, takes office on December 1, 1991.
_#_Communists: Approximately 18,000 members, including the Communist Party Youth Organization (JUCO)
_#_Other political or pressure groups: three insurgent groups are active in Colombia—Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), led by Manuel Marulanda and Alfonso Cano; National Liberation Army (ELN), led by Manuel Pérez; and dissidents of the recently demobilized People's Liberation Army (EPL) led by Francisco Caraballo.
_#_Member of: AG, CDB, CG, ECLAC, FAO, G-3, G-11, G-24, G-77, GATT,
IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS,
NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jaime GARCIA Parra; Chancery at 2118 Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; phone (202) 387-8338; there are Colombian Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Consulates in Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Ft. Lauderdale, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Tampa;
US—Ambassador-designate Morris D. BUSBY; Embassy at Calle 38,
No.8-61, Bogotá (mailing address is P. O. Box A. A. 3831, Bogotá or
APO Miami 34038); telephone [57] (1) 285-1300 or 1688; there is a US
Consulate in Barranquilla
_#_Flag: three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double-width), blue, and red; similar to the flag of Ecuador, which is longer and features the Ecuadorian coat of arms placed in the center.
_*Economy #_Overview: Economic development has been gradually slowing down since 1986, but growth rates are still high compared to other countries in Latin America. Conservative economic policies have kept inflation and unemployment at around 30% and 10%, respectively. The rapid growth of oil, coal, and other nontraditional industries over the past four years has helped counterbalance the decline in coffee prices, which is Colombia's main export. The breakdown of the International Coffee Agreement in the summer of 1989, ongoing rural insurgency issues, and drug-related violence are affecting the prospects for future growth.
_GDP: $43.0 billion, per capita $1,300; real growth rate 3.7% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 32.4% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 10.4% (urban areas 1990) (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $4.39 billion; current expenditures $3.93 billion, capital expenditures $1.03 billion (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $6.9 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—coffee 24%, oil, coal, bananas, fresh-cut flowers;
partners—US 36%, EU 21%, Japan 5%, Netherlands 4%, Sweden 3%
_#_Imports: $5.0 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—industrial equipment, transportation equipment, food, chemicals, paper products;
partners—US 34%, EC 16%, Brazil 4%, Venezuela 3%, Japan 3%
_#_External debt: $16.7 billion (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 5.0% (1990 estimate); makes up 25% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 9,435,000 kW capacity; 36,071 million kWh produced, 1,090 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: textiles, food processing, oil, clothing and footwear, beverages, chemicals, metal products, cement; mining—gold, coal, emeralds, iron, nickel, silver, salt
_#_Agriculture: growth rate 4.9% (1990); makes up 22% of GDP; crops account for two-thirds and livestock for one-third of agricultural output; the climate and soils allow for a wide variety of crops, including coffee, rice, tobacco, corn, sugarcane, cocoa beans, oilseeds, and vegetables; forest products and shrimp farming are becoming increasingly important.
_#_Illicit drugs: major illegal producer of cannabis and coca; key supplier of marijuana and cocaine to the US and other international drug markets; drug production and trafficking account for an estimated 4% of GDP and 28% of foreign exchange earnings
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.6 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $3.1 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $399 million
_#_Currency: Colombian peso (plural—pesos); 1 Colombian peso (Col$) = 100 centavos
_#_Exchange rates: Colombian pesos (Col$) per US$1—574.09 (January 1991), 502.24 (1990), 382.57 (1989), 299.17 (1988), 242.61 (1987), 194.26 (1986), 142.31 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 3,386 km; 3,236 km 0.914-meter gauge, single track (2,611 km in use), 150 km 1.435-meter gauge
_#_Highways: 75,450 km in total; 9,350 km paved, 66,100 km unpaved with earth and gravel surfaces
_#_Inland waterways: 14,300 km, navigable by riverboats
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 3,585 km; refined products, 1,350 km; natural gas, 830 km; natural gas liquids, 125 km
_#_Ports: Barranquilla, Buenaventura, Cartagena, Covenas, San Andres, Santa Marta, Tumaco
_#_Merchant marine: 35 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 330,316 GRT/484,351 DWT; includes 23 cargo ships, 1 chemical tanker, 3 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 8 bulk carriers; note—2 naval tankers are occasionally used for commercial purposes.
_#_Civil air: 106 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 1,165 total, 1,045 usable; 69 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 8 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 192 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: nationwide radio relay system; 1,890,000 telephones; stations—413 AM, no FM, 33 TV, 28 shortwave 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations with 2 antennas and 11 domestic satellite stations
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army (Ejército Nacional), Navy (Armada Nacional), Air Force (Fuerza Aérea de Colombia), National Police (Policía Nacional)
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 8,998,759; 6,102,745 qualified for military service; 353,122 turn 18 and become eligible for military service each year.
_#Defense spending: $892 million, 2.2% of GDP (1990) % @Comoros *Geography #_Total area: 2,170 km²; land area: 2,170 km²
_#_Comparative area: just over 12 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 340 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claims French-administered Mayotte
_#_Climate: tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)
_#_Terrain: volcanic islands, with interiors ranging from steep mountains to low hills
_#_Natural resources: negligible
_#_Land use: arable land 35%; permanent crops 8%; meadows and pastures 7%; forest and woodland 16%; other 34%
_#_Environment: soil deterioration and erosion; deforestation; cyclones likely during the rainy season
_#_Note: important location at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel
_*People #_Population: 476,678 (July 1991), growth rate 3.5% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 47 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 12 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 87 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 54 years for males, 59 years for females (1991)
_Total fertility rate: 7.0 children born per woman (1991)_
_#_Nationality: noun—Comoran(s); adjective—Comoran
_#_Ethnic divisions: Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava
_#_Religion: Sunni Muslim 86%, Roman Catholic 14%
_#_Language: Shaafi Islam (a Swahili dialect), Malagasy, French
_#_Literacy: 48% (male 56%, female 40%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1980)
_#_Labor force: 140,000 (1982); agriculture 80%, government 3%; 51% of population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros
_#_Type: independent republic
_#_Capital: Moroni
_#_Administrative divisions: 3 islands; Anjouan, Grande Comore, Moheli; note—there may also be 4 municipalities named Domoni, Fomboni, Moroni, and Mutsamudu
_#_Independence: July 6, 1975 (from France)
_#_Constitution: October 1, 1978, amended October 1982 and January 1985
_#_Legal system: French and Muslim law in a new unified code
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, July 6, 1975
_#_Executive branch: president, Cabinet (Council of Ministers)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Federal Assembly (Assemblee Federale)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Supreme Court)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Said
Mohamed DJOHAR (since March 11, 1990)
_#_Political parties:
Comorian Union for Progress (Udzima), Said Mohamed DJOHAR, president;
National Union for Democracy (UNDC), Mohamed TAKI
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 11 March 1990 (next to be held March 1996); results—Said Mohamed DJOHAR (Udzima) 55%; Mohamed TAKI Abdulkarim (UNDC) 45%;
Federal Assembly—last held 22 March 1987 (next to be held March 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(42 total) Udzima 42
_#_Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, ILO, IMF, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Amini Ali MOUMIN; Chancery (temporary) at the Comoran Permanent Mission to the UN, 336 East 45th Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10017; telephone (212) 972-8010;
US—Ambassador Kenneth N. PELTIER; Embassy at address NA, Moroni (mailing address B. P. 1318, Moroni); telephone 73-22-03, 73-29-22
_#_Flag: green with a white crescent positioned diagonally (the closed side of the crescent points toward the upper hoist-side corner of the flag); there are four white five-pointed stars arranged in a line between the points of the crescent; the crescent, stars, and green color are traditional symbols of Islam; the four stars represent the four main islands of the archipelago—Mwali, Njazidja, Nzwani, and Mayotte (which is a territorial collectivity of France but claimed by the Comoros)
_*Economy #_Overview: Comoros, one of the poorest countries in the world, consists of several islands with limited transportation links, a young and rapidly growing population, and few natural resources. The low level of education among the workforce leads to minimal economic activity, high unemployment, and a strong reliance on foreign aid and technical support. Agriculture, encompassing fishing and forestry, is the primary sector of the economy. It makes up about 40% of GDP, employs 80% of the workforce, and is responsible for most exports. The nation is not food secure, with rice, the main staple, making up 90% of imports. From 1982 to 1986, the industrial sector grew at an average annual rate of 5.3%, but its contribution to GDP was only 5% in 1988. Despite significant investment in tourism, which represents about 25% of GDP, growth has been stagnant since 1983. A sluggish growth rate of 1.5% from 1985 to 1990 has resulted in large budget deficits, falling incomes, and balance-of-payments challenges.
_#_GDP: $245 million, per person $530; actual growth rate 1.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.9% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: over 16% (1988 estimate)
_#_Budget: revenues $88 million; expenditures $92 million, including capital expenditures of $13 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $16 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—vanilla, cloves, perfume oil, copra;
partners—US 53%, France 41%, Africa 4%, FRG 2% (1988)
_#_Imports: $41 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—rice and other food items, cement, oil products, consumer goods;
partners—Europe 62% (France 22%, other 40%), Africa 5%, Pakistan, China (1988)
_#_External debt: $242 million (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 3.4% (1988 est.); makes up 5% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 16,000 kW capacity; 24 million kWh produced, 55 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: perfume making, textiles, furniture, jewelry, construction materials
_#_Agriculture: makes up 40% of GDP; most of the population is engaged in subsistence farming and fishing; plantations grow cash crops for export—vanilla, cloves, fragrance oils, and copra; main food crops include coconuts, bananas, and cassava; the world's top producer of ylang-ylang essence (used in perfumes) and the second-largest producer of vanilla; large net food importer
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY80-89), $10 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $406 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $22 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $18 million
_#_Currency: Comorian franc (plural—francs); 1 Comorian franc (CF) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Comoran francs (CF) per US$1—256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985); note—tied to the French franc at 50 to 1 French franc
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 750 km total; about 210 km paved, the rest crushed stone or gravel
_#_Ports: Mutsamudu, Moroni
_#_Civil air: 4 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 4 total, 4 usable; 4 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 1 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: limited system of radio relay and high-frequency radio communication stations for interisland and external communications to Madagascar and Reunion; more than 1,800 telephones; stations—2 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Comoran Defense Force (FCD), Federal Gendarmerie (GFC)
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 101,332; 60,592 eligible for military service
_#Defense spending: $NA, 3% of GDP (1981) % @Congo *Geography #_Total area: 342,000 km²; land area: 341,500 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Montana
_#_Land boundaries: 5,504 km total; Angola 201 km, Cameroon 523 km, Central African Republic 467 km, Gabon 1,903 km, Zaire 2,410 km
_#_Coastline: 169 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 200 nm
_#_Disputes: the long stretch of Zaire along the Congo River has no clear boundaries (no division of the river or its islands has been established)
# Climate: tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); consistently high temperatures and humidity; especially exhausting climate along the Equator
_#_Terrain: coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin
_#_Natural resources: oil, wood, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, natural gas
_#_Land use: arable land 2%; permanent crops negligible%; meadows and pastures 29%; forest and woodland 62%; other 7%
_#_Environment: deforestation; around 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe Noire, or along the train route connecting them
_*People #_Population: 2,309,444 (July 1991), growth rate 3.0% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 43 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 13 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 108 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 52 years for males, 56 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 5.7 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Congolese (sing., pl.); adjective—Congolese or Congo
_#_Ethnic divisions: around 15 ethnic groups split into about 75 tribes, nearly all of Bantu origin; the key ethnic groups are Kongo (48%) in the south, Sangha (20%) and M'Bochi (12%) in the north, Teke (17%) in the center; approximately 8,500 Europeans, mostly French
_#_Religion: Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2%
_#_Language: French (official); many African languages, with Lingala and Kikongo being the most widely used.
_#_Literacy: 57% (male 70%, female 44%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 79,100 wage earners; agriculture 75%, commerce, industry, and government 25%; 51% of the working-age population; 40% of the economically active population (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 20% of the workforce (1979 est.)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of the Congo
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Brazzaville
_#_Administrative divisions: 9 regions (regions, singular—region); Bouenza, Cuvette, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pool, Sangha; note—there may be a new capital district of Brazzaville
_#_Independence: August 15, 1960 (from France; formerly Congo/Brazzaville)
_#_Constitution: July 8, 1979, currently being updated
_#_Legal system: based on the French civil law system and customary law
_National holiday: National Day, August 15 (1960)_
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National People's Assembly (Assemblee Nationale Populaire)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Supreme Court)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since February 8, 1979);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Brig. Gen. Louis-Sylvain
GOMA (since January 9, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Congolese Labor Party (PCT), President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, leader; note—multiparty system legalized, with over 50 parties established
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 26-31 July 1989 (next to be held July 1994); results—President SASSOU-NGUESSO unanimously reelected as leader of the PCT by the Party Congress, which automatically made him president;
People's National Assembly—last held on September 24, 1989 (next to be held in 1994); results—PCT was the only party; seats—(153 total) single list of candidates nominated by the PCT
_#_Communists: unknown number of Communists and supporters
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Union of Congolese Socialist Youth (UJSC), Congolese Trade Union Congress (CSC), Revolutionary Union of Congolese Women (URFC), General Union of Congolese Pupils and Students (UGEEC)
_#_Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77,
GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UDEAC, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Roger ISSOMBO; Chancery at 4891 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington DC 20011; telephone (202) 726-5500;
US—Ambassador James Daniel PHILLIPS; Embassy at Avenue Amilcar Cabral, Brazzaville (mailing address B. P. 1015, Brazzaville, or Box C, APO New York 09662-0006); phone (242) 83-20-70 or 83-26-24
_#_Flag: red with the national emblem in the upper left corner; the emblem features a yellow five-pointed star above a crossed hoe and hammer (similar to the hammer and sickle design) in yellow, surrounded by two curved green palm branches; uses the well-known pan-African colors of Ethiopia.
_*Economy #_Overview: Oil has replaced forestry as the backbone of the economy, contributing about two-thirds of government revenue and exports. In the early 1980s, quickly rising oil revenues allowed Congo to fund large development projects, with an average growth rate of 5% per year, one of the highest in Africa. However, the global drop in oil prices has forced the government to implement an austerity program to deal with falling revenues and increasing foreign debts.
_#_GDP: $2.26 billion, per person $1,050; real growth rate 0.6% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.6% (1989 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $522 million; expenditures $767 million, including capital expenditures of $141 million (1989)
_#_Exports: $751 million (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities—crude oil 72%, wood, plywood, coffee, cocoa, sugar, diamonds;
partners—US, France, other EC
_#_Imports: $564 million (c.i.f., 1988);
commodities—food, consumer goods, intermediate products, capital equipment;
partners—France, Italy, other EU countries, US, Germany, Spain, Japan, Brazil
_#_External debt: $4.5 billion (December 1988)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 1.2% (1989); makes up 33% of GDP, including oil
_#_Electricity: 133,000 kW capacity; 300 million kWh generated, 130 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: crude oil, cement, sawmills, brewery, sugar mill, palm oil, soap, cigarettes
_#_Agriculture: makes up 10% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); cassava represents 90% of food production; other crops include rice, corn, peanuts, and vegetables; cash crops consist of coffee and cocoa; forest products are key export earners; imports over 90% of food requirements.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $60 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $2.2 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $15 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $338 million
_#_Currency: Communauté Financière Africaine franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1—256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 797 km, 1.067-meter gauge, single track (includes 285 km that are privately owned)
_#_Highways: 12,000 km total; 560 km treated with bituminous surface; 850 km gravel and laterite; 5,350 km improved dirt; 5,240 km unimproved roads
_#_Inland waterways: the Congo and Ubangi (Oubangui) Rivers offer 1,120 km of navigable routes for commercial shipping; the others are used solely for local transport.
_#_Pipelines: crude oil 25 km
_Ports: Pointe-Noire (seaport), Brazzaville (river port)_
_#_Civil air: 4 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 50 total, 45 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 18 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: services suitable for government use; main network consists of radio relay routes and coaxial cables; key locations are Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and Loubomo; 18,100 telephones; stations—3 AM, 1 FM, 4 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean satellite station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy (including Marines), Air Force, paramilitary National People's Militia, National Police
_#_Manpower availability: males ages 15-49, 509,040; 258,861 eligible for military service; 24,068 reach military age (20) each year.
_#Defense spending: $99 million, 4.6% of GDP (1987 est.) % @Cook Islands (associated freely with New Zealand) *Geography #_Total area: 240 km²; land area: 240 km²
_#_Comparative area: just under 1.3 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 120 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: the edge of the continental margin or a minimum of 200 nautical miles;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; influenced by trade winds
_#_Terrain: flat coral islands in the north; mountainous, hilly islands in the south
_#_Natural resources: negligible
_#_Land use: arable land 4%; permanent crops 22%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 74%
_#_Environment: prone to typhoons from November to March
_#_Note: located 2,796 miles south of Hawaii in the South Pacific Ocean
_*People #_Population: 17,882 (July 1991), growth rate 0.5% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 22 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 10 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 24 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 67 years for males, 72 years for females (1991)
_Total fertility rate: 3.5 children born per woman (1991)_
_#_Nationality: noun—Cook Islander(s); adjective—Cook Islander
_#_Ethnic divisions: Polynesian (full blood) 81.3%, Polynesian and European 7.7%, Polynesian and other 7.7%, European 2.4%, other 0.9%
_#_Religion: Christian, the majority of the population belongs to the Cook Islands Christian Church
_#_Language: English
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: 5,810; agriculture 29%, government 27%, services 25%, industry 15%, and other 4% (1981)
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: self-governing in free association with New Zealand; Cook Islands has full responsibility for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs, in consultation with the Cook Islands.
_#_Capital: Avarua
_#_Administrative divisions: none
_#_Independence: gained self-governance in free association with New Zealand on August 4, 1965, and has the right to fully declare independence at any time by unilateral action.
_#_Constitution: 4 August 1965
_#_National holiday: NA
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, representative of the UK, representative of New Zealand, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament; note—the House of Arikis (chiefs) gives advice on traditional matters, but has no legislative powers
_#_Judicial branch: High Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952);
Representative of the UK Sir Tangaroa TANGAROA (since NA);
Representative of New Zealand Adrian SINCOCK (since NA);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Geoffrey HENRY (since NA February 1989); Deputy Prime Minister Inatio AKARURU (since NA February 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Cook Islands Party, Geoffrey HENRY;
Democratic Tumu Party, Vincent INGRAM;
Democratic Party, Dr. Vincent Pupuke ROBATI;
Cook Islands Labor Party, Rena JONASSEN;
Cook Islands People's Party, Sadaraka SADARAKA
_Suffrage: universal adult at age NA_
_#_Elections:
Parliament—last held on January 19, 1989 (next to be held by January 1994); results—percent of vote by party N/A; seats—(24 total) Cook Islands Party 12, Democratic Tumu Party 2, opposition coalition (including Democratic Party) 9, independent 1
_#_Member of: AsDB, ESCAP (associate), FAO, ICAO, IOC, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, WHO
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (self-governing in free association with New Zealand)
_#_Flag: blue with the UK flag in the upper left corner and a large circle of 15 white five-pointed stars (one for each island) centered in the outer half of the flag.
_Economy #_Overview: Agriculture forms the backbone of the economy. The main exports are fruit, copra, and clothing. Manufacturing is limited to a fruit-processing facility and a few clothing factories. Economic growth is restricted by the islands' isolation from international markets, a shortage of natural resources, and poor transportation links. A significant trade deficit is annually balanced by remittances from emigrants and foreign aid. Current economic development plans focus on leveraging tourism potential and expanding the fishing industry._
# GDP: $40.0 million, per person $2,200 (1988 est.); actual growth rate 5.3% (1986-88 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.0% (1988)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $33.8 million; expenditures $34.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $4.0 million (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities—copra, fresh and canned fruit, clothing;
partners—NZ 80%, Japan
_#_Imports: $38.7 million (c.i.f., 1988);
commodities—foodstuffs, textiles, fuels, timber;
partners—NZ 49%, Japan, Australia, US
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 14,000 kW capacity; 21 million kWh produced, 1,170 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: fruit processing, tourism
_#_Agriculture: export crops—copra, citrus fruits, pineapples, tomatoes, bananas; subsistence crops—yams, taro
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $128 million
_#_Currency: New Zealand dollar (plural—dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1—1.6798 (January 1991), 1.6750 (1990), 1.6711 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987), 1.9088 (1986), 2.0064 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Highways: 187 km total (1980); 35 km paved, 35 km gravel, 84 km improved earth, 33 km unimproved earth
_#_Ports: Avatiu
_Civil air: no major transport aircraft_
_#_Airports: 7 total, 6 usable; 1 with paved runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 3 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: stations—2 AM, no FM, no TV; 10,000 radio receivers; 2,052 telephones; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of New Zealand % @Coral Sea Islands (territory of Australia) *Geography #_Total area: unspecified; consists of many small islands and reefs spread across a sea area of about 1 million km², with the Willis Islets being the most significant.
_#_Comparative area: undetermined
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 3,095 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Climate: tropical
_#_Terrain: sand, coral reefs, and islands (or cays)
_#_Natural resources: negligible
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other, mostly grass or scrub cover 100%; Lihou Reef Reserve and Coringa-Herald Reserve were declared National Nature Reserves on 3 August 1982
_#_Environment: experiences occasional tropical cyclones; lacks permanent fresh water; significant nesting area for birds and turtles
_#_Note: the islands are located just off the northeast coast of Australia in the Coral Sea
_*People #_Population: 3 meteorologists (1991)
_*Government #_Full name: Coral Sea Islands Territory
_#_Type: territory of Australia managed by Minister for Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism, and Territories Roslyn KELLY
_#_Flag: the flag of Australia is used
_*Economy #_Overview: no economic activity
_*Communications #_Ports: none; offshore anchorages only
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is Australia's responsibility; regularly visited by the Royal Australian Navy; Australia oversees the activities of visitors % @Costa Rica *Geography #_Total area: 51,100 km²; land area: 50,660 km²; includes Isla del Coco
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than West Virginia
_#_Land boundaries: 639 km total; Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km
_#_Coastline: 1,290 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November)
_#_Terrain: flat coastal areas divided by steep mountains
_#_Natural resources: hydropower potential
_#_Land use: arable land 6%; permanent crops 7%; meadows and pastures 45%; forests and woodlands 34%; other 8%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: prone to occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along the Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at the start of the rainy season; active volcanoes; deforestation; soil erosion
_*People #_Population: 3,111,403 (July 1991), growth rate 2.5% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 27 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 4 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 2 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 15 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 75 years for males, 79 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.2 kids born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Costa Rican(s); adjective—Costa Rican
_#_Ethnic divisions: white (including mestizo) 96%, black 2%, Indian 1%, Chinese 1%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 95%
_#_Language: Spanish (official), English is spoken around Puerto Limon
_#_Literacy: 93% (male 93%, female 93%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 868,300; industry and commerce 35.1%, government and services 33%, agriculture 27%, other 4.9% (1985 est.)
_#_Organized labor: 15.1% of the workforce
_*Government #_Full name: Republic of Costa Rica
_#_Type: democratic republic
_#_Capital: San Jose
_#_Administrative divisions: 7 provinces (provincias, singular—provincia); Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limón, Puntarenas, San José
_#_Independence: September 15, 1821 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution: 9 November 1949
_#_Legal system: based on the Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, September 15 (1821)
_#_Executive branch: president, two vice presidents, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Rafael Angel
CALDERON Fournier (since May 8, 1990); First Vice President German
SERRANO Pinto (since May 8, 1990); Second Vice President Arnoldo LOPEZ
Echandi (since May 8, 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
National Liberation Party (PLN), Rolando ARAYA Monge;
Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC), Rafael Angel CALDERON Fournier;
Marxist Popular Vanguard Party (PVP), Humberto VARGAS Carbonell;
New Republic Movement (MNR), Sergio Erick ARDON Ramirez;
Progressive Party (PP), Isaac Felipe AZOFEIFA Bolanos;
People's Party of Costa Rica (PPC), Lenin ChACON Vargas;
Radical Democratic Party (PRD), Juan Jose ECHEVERRIA Brealey
_#_Suffrage: universal and mandatory at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 4 February 1990 (next to be held February
1994);
results—Rafael Angel CALDERON Fournier 51%, Carlos Manuel
CASTILLO 47%;
Legislative Assembly—last held on February 4, 1990 (next one scheduled for February 1994); results—percentage of votes by party NA; seats—(57 total) PUSC 29, PLN 25, PVP/PPC 1, regional parties 2
_#_Communists: 7,500 members and sympathizers
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Costa Rican Confederation of Democratic Workers (CCTD; affiliated with the Liberation Party), Confederated Union of Workers (CUT; affiliated with the Communist Party), Authentic Confederation of Democratic Workers (CATD; affiliated with the Communist Party), Chamber of Coffee Growers, National Association for Economic Development (ANFE), Free Costa Rica Movement (MCRL; right-wing militants), National Association of Educators (ANDE)
_#_Member of: AG (observer), BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), LORCS, NAM (observer),
OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Gonzalo FACIO Segreda; Chancery at Suite 211, 1825 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20009; phone (202) 234-2945 to 2947; there are Costa Rican Consulates General in Albuquerque, Boston, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Tampa, and Consulates in Austin, Buffalo, Honolulu, and Raleigh;
US—Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Robert O. HOMME; Embassy at Pavas Road, San Jose (mailing address is APO Miami 34020); telephone [506] 20-39-39
_#_Flag: five horizontal stripes of blue (top), white, red (twice the width), white, and blue, featuring the coat of arms in a white circle on the hoist side of the red stripe.
_*Economy #_Overview: In 1990, the economy grew at an estimated rate of 3.5%, down from a robust 5.0% increase the previous year. Gains in agricultural production, boosted by strong coffee and banana crops, along with construction, were partially offset by slower growth in the industrial sector. In 1990, consumer prices rose by about 25%, and the trade deficit increased. Officially, unemployment stands at 6%, but there remains a significant amount of underemployment. On a per capita basis, external debt is among the highest in the world.
_GDP: $5.5 billion, per capita $1,810; real growth rate 3.6% (1990)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 25% (estimated in 1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 6% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $831 million; expenditures $1.08 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—coffee, bananas, textiles, sugar;
partners—US 75%, FRG, Guatemala, Netherlands, UK, Japan
_#_Imports: $1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—oil, machinery, durable goods, chemicals, fertilizers, food;
partners—US 35%, Japan, Guatemala, FRG
_#_External debt: $4.5 billion (1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 2.3% (1990 est.); makes up 23% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 927,000 kW capacity; 2,987 million kWh produced, 980 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products
_#_Agriculture: makes up 20-25% of GDP and 70% of exports; cash crops include coffee, beef, bananas, and sugar; other food crops are corn, rice, beans, and potatoes; usually self-sufficient in food except for grains; depletion of forest resources is leading to lower timber output.
_#_Illicit drugs: illegal cultivation of cannabis on small, dispersed plots; a transit country for cocaine coming from South America
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.4 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $781 million; Communist countries (1971-88), $27 million
_#_Currency: Costa Rican colon (plural—colones); 1 Costa Rican colon (C) = 100 centimos
_#_Exchange rates: Costa Rican colones (C) per US$1—105.82 (January 1991), 91.58 (1990), 81.504 (1989), 75.805 (1988), 62.776 (1987), 55.986 (1986), 50.453 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 950 km total, all 1.067-meter gauge; 260 km electrified
_#_Highways: 15,400 km total; 7,030 km paved, 7,010 km gravel, 1,360 km unpaved earth
_#_Inland waterways: around 730 km, navigable during certain seasons
_#_Pipelines: refined products, 176 km
_#_Ports: Puerto Limon, Caldera, Golfito, Moin, Puntarenas
_#_Merchant marine: 12 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 2,831 GRT/4,506 DWT
_#_Civil air: 9 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 173 total, 159 operational; 26 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 12,000 feet; 1 with runways between 8,000-12,000 feet; 11 with runways between 4,000-8,000 feet.
_#_Telecommunications: excellent domestic phone service; 292,000 phones; linked to the Central American Microwave System; stations—71 AM, no FM, 18 TV, 13 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Civil Guard, Rural Assistance Guard; note—the Constitution prohibits armed forces
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 807,853; 545,541 eligible for military service; 32,149 turning 18 and reaching military age each year
_#Defense spending: $20 million, 0.4% of GDP (1988) % @Cuba *Geography #_Total area: 110,860 km²; land area: 110,860 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Pennsylvania
_#_Land boundary: 29.1 km with the US Naval Base at Guantanamo; note—Guantanamo is leased and therefore remains part of Cuba
_#_Coastline: 3,735 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: The US Naval Base at Guantanamo is leased to the US, and only a mutual agreement or the US deciding to leave the area can end the lease.
_#_Climate: tropical; cooled by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October)
_#_Terrain: mainly flat to gently rolling plains with rough hills and mountains in the southeast
_#_Natural resources: cobalt, nickel, iron ore, copper, manganese, salt, timber, silica
_#_Land use: arable land 23%; permanent crops 6%; meadows and pastures 23%; forest and woodland 17%; other 31%; includes irrigated 10%
_#_Environment: averages one hurricane every two years
_#_Note: largest country in the Caribbean; 145 km south of Florida
_*People #_Population: 10,732,037 (July 1991), growth rate 1.0% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 18 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 1 migrant per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 12 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 73 years for males, 78 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.9 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Cuban(s); adjective—Cuban
_#_Ethnic divisions: mixed race 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1%
_#_Religion: 85% primarily Roman Catholic before Castro took power
_#_Language: Spanish
_#_Literacy: 94% (male 95%, female 93%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 3,578,800 in the public sector; services and government 30%, industry 22%, agriculture 20%, commerce 11%, construction 10%, transportation and communications 7% (June 1990); economically active population 4,620,800 (1988)
_#_Organized labor: Workers Central Union of Cuba (CTC), the only labor federation approved by the government; 2,910,000 members; the CTC is an umbrella organization made up of 17 member unions.
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Cuba
_#_Type: Communist state
_#_Capital: Havana
_#_Administrative divisions: 14 provinces and 1 special municipality; Camaguey, Ciego de Avila, Cienfuegos, Ciudad de La Habana, Granma, Guantanamo, Holguin, Isla de la Juventud, La Habana, Las Tunas, Matanzas, Pinar del Rio, Sancti Spiritus, Santiago de Cuba, Villa Clara
_#_Independence: May 20, 1902 (from Spain December 10, 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902)
_#_Constitution: 24 February 1976
_#_Legal system: based on Spanish and American law, with significant elements of Communist legal theory; does not accept mandatory ICJ jurisdiction.
_#_National holiday: Revolution Day, January 1 (1959)
_#_Executive branch: president of the Council of State, first vice president of the Council of State, Council of State, president of the Council of Ministers, first vice president of the Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers
_#_Legislative branch: one-chamber National Assembly of the People's Power (Asamblea Nacional del Poder Popular)
_#_Judicial branch: People's Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Fidel CASTRO Ruz (became Prime Minister in February 1959 and President since December 2, 1976); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (since December 2, 1976)
_#_Political parties and leaders: only party—Cuban Communist Party (PCC), Fidel CASTRO Ruz, first secretary
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 16
_#_Elections:
National Assembly of the People's Power—last held in December 1986 (next is scheduled for December 1991); results—PCC is the only party; seats—(510 total) PCC 510 (indirectly elected)
_#_Communists: around 600,000 full and candidate members
_#_Member of: CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBEC, ICAO, IFAD, IIB, ILO, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), LORCS, NAM, OAS (excluded from formal participation since 1962), OPANAL (observer), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: none; protecting power in the US is Switzerland—Cuban Interests Section; Counselor Jose Antonio ARBESU Fraga; 2630 and 2639 16th Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 797-8518 or 8519, 8520, 8609, 8610;
US—protecting power in Cuba is Switzerland—US Interests Section;
Principal Officer Alan H. FLANIGAN; Calzada entre L y M, Vedado Section,
Havana (mailing address is USINT, c/o International Purchasing Group,
2052 NW 93rd Avenue, Miami, FL 33172); telephone 329-700
_#_Flag: five equal horizontal bands of blue (top and bottom) alternating with white; a red equilateral triangle on the left side has a white five-pointed star in the center
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy, which is centrally planned and mostly state-owned, relies heavily on the agricultural sector and international trade. Sugar accounts for about 75% of export revenue, with more than half going to the USSR. Since 1985, the economy has stagnated due to policies that have downplayed material incentives at work, eliminated informal farmers' markets, and increased prices of government goods and services. In 1990, the economy likely shrank by 3%, primarily because of reduced trade with the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Recently, the government has been attempting to boost trade with Latin America and China. Since 1982, Cuba has struggled to manage its foreign debt. The government is currently promoting foreign investment in tourism facilities. Other areas of investment focus include sugar, staple foods, and nickel. The annual $4 billion Soviet subsidy, a crucial support for Cuba's fragile economy, is expected to decline significantly in the coming years due to the USSR's growing economic issues. Cuba will move from heavily subsidized trade to engaging in trade at market prices with convertible currencies. By early 1991, shortages of fuel, spare parts, and industrial products had become so serious that some observers considered it a process of deindustrialization.
_#_GNP: $20.9 billion, per person $2,000; real growth rate - 3% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment: 6% overall, 10% for women (1989)
_#_Budget: revenues $12.46 billion; expenditures $14.45 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $5.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—sugar, nickel, shellfish, citrus, tobacco, coffee;
partners—USSR 67%, GDR 6%, China 4% (1988)
_#_Imports: $8.1 billion (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—capital goods, industrial raw materials, food, petroleum;
partners—USSR 71%, other Communist countries 15% (1988)
_#_External debt: $6.8 billion (convertible currency, July 1989)
_#_Industrial production: 3% (1988); makes up 45% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 3,890,000 kW capacity; 16,267 million kWh produced, 1,530 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: sugar milling, oil refining, food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, paper and wood products, metals (especially nickel), cement, fertilizers, consumer goods, agricultural equipment
_#_Agriculture: makes up 11% of GNP (including fishing and forestry); main commercial crops—sugarcane, tobacco, and citrus fruits; other products—coffee, rice, potatoes, meat, beans; the world's largest sugar exporter; not self-sufficient in food (excluding sugar)
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $695 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $18.5 billion
_#_Currency: Cuban peso (plural—pesos); 1 Cuban peso (Cu$) = 100 centavos
_#_Exchange rates: Cuban pesos (Cu$) per US$1—1.0000 (tied to the US dollar)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 14,925 km in total; Cuban National Railways runs 5,295 km of 1.435-meter gauge track; 199 km are electrified; there are 9,630 km of sugar plantation lines between 0.914 and 1.435 meters in gauge.
_#_Highways: 26,477 km total; 14,477 km paved, 12,000 km gravel and dirt surfaced (1989 est.)
_#_Inland waterways: 240 km
_#_Ports: Cienfuegos, Havana, Mariel, Matanzas, Santiago de Cuba; 7 secondary, 35 minor
_#_Merchant marine: 87 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 638,462 GRT/925,380 DWT; includes 54 cargo ships, 9 refrigerated cargo ships, 2 cargo/training ships, 12 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 1 chemical tanker, 3 liquefied gas carriers, 6 bulk carriers; note—Cuba beneficially owns an additional 37 ships (1,000 GRT and above) totaling 512,346 DWT under the registries of Panama, Cyprus, and Malta
_#_Civil air: 59 main transport planes
_#_Airports: 205 total, 176 operational; 75 with paved runways; 3 with runways longer than 3,659 m; 12 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 25 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: stations—150 AM, 5 FM, 58 TV; 1,530,000 TVs; 2,140,000 radios; 229,000 telephones; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces
#_Branches: Revolutionary Armed Forces (including Ground Forces,
Revolutionary Navy, Air and Air Defense Force), Ministry of Interior
Special Troops, Border Guard Troops, Territorial Militia Troops, Youth
Labor Army, Civil Defense, National Revolutionary Police
_#_Manpower availability: eligible 15-49, 6,087,253; of the 3,054,158 males 15-49, 1,914,080 are fit for military service; of the 3,033,095 females 15-49, 1,896,449 are fit for military service; 89,194 males and 85,968 females reach military age (17) each year.
_#Defense spending: $1.2-$1.4 billion, 6% of GNP (1989 est.) % @Cyprus *Geography #_Total area: 9,250 km²; land area: 9,240 km²
_#_Comparative area: roughly 0.7 times the size of Connecticut
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 648 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or up to the depth of exploitation;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: The 1974 conflict split the island into two de facto autonomous regions—a Greek area managed by the Cypriot Government (60% of the island's land area) and a Turkish-Cypriot area (35% of the island) that are divided by a narrow UN buffer zone; additionally, there are two UK sovereign base areas (about 5% of the island's land area)
_#_Climate: moderate, Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool, rainy winters
_#_Terrain: central flat area with mountains to the north and south
_#_Natural resources: copper, pyrite, asbestos, gypsum, wood, salt, marble, clay-based pigments.
_#_Land use: arable land 40%; permanent crops 7%; meadows and pastures 10%; forest and woodland 18%; other 25%; includes irrigated 10% (most irrigated lands are in the Turkish-Cypriot area of the island)
_#_Environment: moderate earthquake activity; water resource issues (no natural reservoir catchments, seasonal rainfall differences, and most drinkable resources concentrated in the Turkish-Cypriot area)
_*People #_Population: 709,343 (July 1991), growth rate 1.0% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 18 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 73 years for males, 78 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.4 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Cypriot(s); adjective—Cypriot
_#_Ethnic divisions: Greek 78%; Turkish 18%; other 4%
_#_Religion: Greek Orthodox 78%, Muslim 18%, Maronite, Armenian, Apostolic, and other 4%
_#_Language: Greek, Turkish, English
_#_Literacy: 90% (male 96%, female 85%) age 10 and over can read and write (1976)
_#_Labor force: Greek area—246,100; services 42%, industry 33%, agriculture 22%; Turkish area—NA (1989)
_#_Organized labor: 156,000 (1985 est.)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Cyprus
_#_Type: republic; the division of the two ethnic communities on the island began after the outbreak of communal conflict in 1963; this separation was further solidified following the Turkish invasion of the island in July 1974, which allowed the Turkish Cypriots to effectively control the north; Greek Cypriots manage the only internationally recognized government; on 15 November 1983, Turkish Cypriot President Rauf Denktash declared independence and the establishment of a Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which has only been recognized by Turkey; both sides publicly call for resolving intercommunal differences and creating a new federal system of government.
_#_Capital: Nicosia
_#_Administrative divisions: 6 districts; Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol, Nicosia, Paphos
_#_Independence: August 16, 1960 (from the UK)
_#_Constitution: August 16, 1960; discussions to establish the foundation for a new or updated constitution to manage the island and improve relations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots have been ongoing; in 1975, Turkish Cypriots developed their own Constitution and governing institutions within the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus, which was renamed the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in 1983; a new Constitution for the Turkish area was approved by referendum in May 1985.
_#_Legal system: based on common law, with some civil law changes
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, October 1
_#_Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet); note—there is a president, prime minister, and Council of Ministers (cabinet) in the Turkish area
_#_Legislative branch: one-house House of Representatives (Vouli Antiprosopon); note—there is a one-house Assembly of the Republic (Cumhuriyet Meclisi) in the Turkish area
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court; note—there is also a Supreme Court in the Turkish region
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President George VASSILIOU (since February 1988); note—Rauf R. DENKTASH has been president of the Turkish area since February 13, 1975.
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Greek Cypriot—Progressive Party of the Working People (AKEL;
Communist Party), Dimitrios CHRISTOFIAS,
Democratic Rally (DESY), Glafcos CLERIDES;
Democratic Party (DEKO), Spyros KYPRIANOU;
United Democratic Union of the Center (EDEK), Vassos LYSSARIDES;
Socialist Democratic Renewal Movement (ADESOK), Pavlos DINGLIS, chairman;
Liberal Party, Nikos ROLANDIS;
Turkish area—National Unity Party (UBP), Dervis EROGLU;
Communal Liberation Party (TKP), Mustafa AKINCI;
Republican Turkish Party (CTP), Ozker OZGUR;
New Cyprus Party (NKP), Alpay DURDURAN;
New Dawn Party (YDP), Ali Ozkan ALTINISHIK;
Free Democratic Party, Ismet KOTAK; note—CTP, TKP, and YDP came together
in the coalition Democratic Struggle Party (DMP) for the legislative election on April 22,
1990.
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held on February 14 and February 21, 1988 (next to be held in February 1993); results—George VASSILIOU 52%, Glafcos CLERIDES 48%;
House of Representatives—last held on December 8, 1985 (next will be held on May 19, 1991); results—DESY 33.56%, DEKO 27.65%, AKEL (Communist) 27.43%, EDEK 11.07%; seats—(56 total) DESY 19, DEKO 16, AKEL (Communist) 15, EDEK 6;
Turkish Area: President—last held April 22, 1990 (next to be held April 1995); results—Rauf R. DENKTASH 66%, Ismail BOZKURT 32.05%;
Turkish Area: Assembly of the Republic—last held on May 6, 1990 (next one scheduled for May 1995); results—UBP (conservative) approximately 55%, DMP NA%; seats—(50 total) UBP (conservative) 34, CTP (Communist) 7, TKP (center-right) 7, New Dawn Party 2
_#_Communists: about 12,000
_#_Other political or pressure groups: United Democratic Youth
Organization (EDON; controlled by Communists); Union of Cyprus Farmers (EKA;
controlled by Communists); Cyprus Farmers Union (PEK; pro-West); Pan-Cyprian
Labor Federation (PEO; controlled by Communists); Confederation of Cypriot
Workers (SEK; pro-West); Federation of Turkish Cypriot Labor Unions
(Turk-Sen); Confederation of Revolutionary Labor Unions (Dev-Is)
_#_Member of: C, CCC, CE, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Michael E. SHERIFIS; Chancery at 2211 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; phone (202) 462-5772; there is a Cypriot Consulate General in New York;
US—Ambassador Robert E. LAMB; Embassy at the corner of Therissos Street and Dositheos Street, Nicosia (mailing address is FPO New York 09530); telephone [357] (2) 4651511
_#_Flag: white with a copper-colored outline of the island (the name Cyprus comes from the Greek word for copper) above two green crossed olive branches in the center of the flag; the branches represent the hope for peace and reconciliation between the Greek and Turkish communities
_Economy #_Overview: This information is for the area controlled by the Republic of Cyprus (data on the northern Turkish-Cypriot area is limited). The economy is small, diverse, and thriving. Industry accounts for about 25% of GDP and employs 35% of the workforce, while the service sector contributes around 55% to GDP and employs 40% of the workforce. Significant growth in exports of agricultural and manufactured goods, as well as in tourism, has driven an average 6% increase in GDP in recent years.
_#_GDP: $5.4 billion, per capita $7,960; real growth rate 5.5% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.5% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: below 2% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $1.2 billion; expenditures $1.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $178 million (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $770 million (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—citrus fruits, potatoes, grapes, wine, cement, clothing, and shoes;
partners—UK 23%, Greece 10%, Lebanon 9%, Saudi Arabia 4%
_#_Imports: $2.5 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—consumer products, fuel and oils, food, and animal feed, machinery;
partners—France 12%, UK 11%, Japan 11%, Italy 10%
_#_External debt: $2.2 billion (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 6.5% (1988); makes up 27% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 620,000 kW capacity; 1.77 billion kWh produced, 2,530 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: food, drinks, textiles, chemicals, metal products, tourism, wood products
_#_Agriculture: makes up 7% of GDP and employs 22% of the workforce; main crops—potatoes, vegetables, barley, grapes, olives, and citrus fruits; vegetables and fruits account for 25% of export revenues
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $292 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $230 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $62 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $24 million
_#_Currency: Cypriot pound (plural—pounds) and in the Turkish area,
Turkish lira (plural—liras); 1 Cypriot pound (5C) = 100 cents and
1 Turkish lira
(TL) = 100 kuruş
_#_Exchange rates: Cypriot pounds (5C) per US$1—0.4325 (December 1990), 0.4572 (1990), 0.4933 (1989), 0.4663 (1988), 0.4807 (1987), 0.5167 (1986), 0.6095 (1985); in the Turkish area, Turkish liras (TL) per US$1—2,873.9 (December 1990), 2,608.6 (1990), 2,121.7 (1989), 1,422.3 (1988), 857.2 (1987), 674.5 (1986), 522.0 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 10,780 km total; 5,170 km paved; 5,610 km unpaved, including gravel, crushed stone, and dirt.
_#_Ports: Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol, Paphos
_#_Merchant marine: 1,169 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 19,310,063 GRT/34,338,028 DWT; 10 short-sea passenger, 2 passenger-cargo, 435 cargo, 76 refrigerated cargo, 20 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 48 container, 4 multifunction large load carriers, 111 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 2 specialized tankers, 8 liquefied gas, 17 chemical tankers, 30 combination ore/oil, 360 bulk, 2 vehicle carriers, 44 combination bulk; note—a flag of convenience registry; Cuba owns at least 25 of these ships, the USSR owns 52, and Yugoslavia owns 1
_#_Civil air: 11 main transport planes
_#_Airports: 13 total, 13 usable; 10 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 7 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: great in the area controlled by the Cypriot Government (Greek area), reasonably good in the Turkish-Cypriot administered area; 210,000 telephones; stations—14 AM, 7 (7 repeaters) FM, 2 (40 repeaters) TV; tropospheric scatter circuits to Greece and Turkey; 3 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth stations—INTELSAT, 1 in the Atlantic Ocean and 1 in the Indian Ocean, and EUTELSAT systems
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Greek area—Greek Cypriot National Guard (GCNG; includes air and naval elements), Greek Cypriot Police; Turkish area—Turkish Cypriot Security Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 182,426; 125,839 fit for military service; 5,169 reach military age (18) each year
_#Defense spending: $209 million, 5% of GDP (1990 estimate) % @Czechoslovakia *Geography #_Total area: 127,870 km²; land area: 125,460 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than New York State
_#_Land boundaries: 3,446 km total; Austria 548 km, Germany 815 km, Hungary 676 km, Poland 1,309 km, USSR 98 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Disputes: Nagymaros Dam conflict with Hungary
_#_Climate: moderate; cool summers; cold, overcast, humid winters
_#_Terrain: a mix of hills and mountains divided by plains and valleys
_#_Natural resources: coal, wood, lignite, uranium, magnesite, iron ore, copper, zinc
_#_Land use: arable land 40%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 13%; forest and woodland 37%; other 9%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: occasional earthquakes; acid rain; water pollution; air pollution
_#_Note: landlocked; strategically located along some of the oldest and most important land routes in Europe; the Moravian Gate is a traditional military corridor connecting the North European Plain and the Danube in central Europe.
_*People #_Population: 15,724,940 (July 1991), growth rate 0.3% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 11 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 11 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 69 years for males, 77 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.9 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Czechoslovak(s); adjective—Czechoslovak
_#_Ethnic divisions: Czech 62.9%, Slovak 31.8%, Hungarian 3.8%, Polish 0.5%, German 0.3%, Ukrainian 0.3%, Russian 0.1%, other 0.3%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Orthodox 2%, other 28%
_#_Language: Czech and Slovak (official), Hungarian
_#_Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1970 est.)
_#_Labor force: 8,200,000 (1987); industry 36.9%, agriculture 12.3%, construction, communications, and other 50.8% (1982)
_#_Organized labor: Czech and Slovak Confederation of Trade Unions (CSKOS); new independent trade unions being established
_*Government #_Long-form name: Czech and Slovak Federal Republic; note—on March 23, 1990, the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic was renamed the Czechoslovak Federative Republic; concerns from Slovakia regarding their status in the federation led the Federal Assembly to approve the name Czech and Slovak Federative Republic on April 20, 1990; on April 23, 1990, the name was changed to Czech and Slovak Federal Republic.
_#_Type: federal republic shifting towards a confederative republic
_#_Capital: Prague
_#_Administrative divisions: 2 republics (republiky, singular—republika); Czech Republic (Česká republika), Slovak Republic (Slovenská republika)
_#_Independence: October 28, 1918 (from the Austro-Hungarian Empire)
_#_Constitution: July 11, 1960; amended in 1968 and 1970; new Czech, Slovak, and federal constitutions to be created in 1991-92
_#_Legal system: civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes, modified by Communist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; legal code is being revised to align with Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) obligations and to remove Marxist-Leninist legal theory.
_#_National holiday: National Liberation Day, May 9 (1945) and Founding of the Republic, October 28 (1918)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Assembly (Federalni
Shromazdeni) consists of an upper house or Chamber of Nations
(Snemovna Narodu) and a lower house or Chamber of the People
(Snemovna Lidu)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Vaclav HAVEL; (interim president from December 29, 1989, and president since July 5, 1990);
Head of Government—Premier Marian CALFA (since
10 December 1989);
Deputy Premier Vaclav VALES (since 28 June 1990);
Deputy Premier Jiri DIENSTBIER (since 28 June 1990);
Deputy Premier Jozef MIKLOSKO (since 28 June 1990);
Deputy Premier Pavel RYCHETSKY (since 28 June 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Civic Forum, Vaclav KLAUS, chairman; Public Against Violence, Fedor GAL, chairman; Christian and Democratic Union, Vaclav BENDA; Christian Democratic Movement, Jan CARNOGURSKY; Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSC), Pavol KANIS, chairman; KSC was overthrown in November 1989 by large anti-regime protests and has played a minor role in the coalition government since December 10, 1989.
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held July 5, 1990 (next to be held July 1992); results—Vaclav HAVEL elected by the Federal Assembly;
Federal Assembly—last held June 8-9, 1990 (next one scheduled for June 1992); results—Civic Forum/Public Against Violence coalition 46%, KSC 13.6%; seats—(300 total) Civic Forum/Public Against Violence coalition 170, KSC 47, Christian and Democratic Union/Christian Democratic Movement 40, Czech, Slovak, Moravian, and Hungarian groups 43
_#_Communists: 760,000 party members (September 1990); about 1,000,000 members lost since November 1989
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Czechoslovak Socialist Party, Czechoslovak People's Party, Czechoslovak Social Democracy, Slovak Nationalist Party, Slovak Revival Party, Christian Democratic Party; over 80 registered political groups fielded candidates in the 8-9 June 1990 legislative election
_#_Member of: BIS, CCC, CSCE, ECE, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBEC, ICAO, IIB, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, PCA, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Rita KLIMOVA; Chancery at 3900 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 363-6315 or 6316;
US—Ambassador Shirley Temple BLACK; Embassy at Trziste 15, 125 48, Prague 1 (mailing address is AMEM, Box 5630, APO New York 09213-5630); telephone [42] (2) 536641 through 536649
_#_Flag: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a blue isosceles triangle on the left side
_*Economy #_Overview: Czechoslovakia is highly industrialized and has a well-educated and skilled workforce. Its industry, transportation, energy sources, banking, and most other means of production are state-owned. However, the country lacks energy and many raw materials. Additionally, its aging capital infrastructure falls short of West European standards. Industry makes up almost 50% of GNP while construction accounts for 10%. About 95% of agricultural land is controlled by collectives or state farms. The centrally planned economy has been closely tied in trade (80%) to the USSR and Eastern Europe. Growth has been slow, averaging less than 2% from 1982 to 1989. GNP per capita is the highest in Eastern Europe. Like the rest of Eastern Europe, the significant political changes of 1989-90 have disrupted normal supply channels and worsened the government's economic challenges. After loosening restrictions on private enterprise in 1990 and adjusting some key prices, Czechoslovakia is now implementing a broad two-year plan to transition from a command to a market economy. Inflation and unemployment are starting to rise, though from relatively low levels.
_#_GNP: $120.3 billion, per person $7,700; actual growth rate - 2.9% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9% (1990 estimate)
_#_Unemployment rate: officially 0.8% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $17.1 billion; expenditures $16.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.5 billion (1991)
_#_Exports: $14.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—machinery and equipment 42.7%; fuels, minerals, and metals 16.4%; agricultural and forestry products 12.5%; other 28.4%;
partners—USSR, GDR, Poland, Hungary, FRG, Yugoslavia, Austria, Bulgaria, Romania, US
_#_Imports: $14.3 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—machinery and equipment 38.6%; fuels, minerals, and metals 24.1%; agricultural and forestry products 16.4%; other 20.9%;
partners—USSR, GDR, Poland, Hungary, FRG, Yugoslavia, Austria, Bulgaria, Romania, US
_#_External debt: $7.6 billion, foreign currency debt (September 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 3.3% (1990 est.); represents nearly 50% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 23,000,000 kW capacity; 90 billion kWh produced, 5,740 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: iron and steel, machinery and equipment, cement, sheet glass, motor vehicles, weapons, chemicals, ceramics, wood, paper products, footwear
_#_Agriculture: makes up 7% of GNP (including forestry); mostly self-sufficient in food production; diverse crop and livestock production, including grains, potatoes, sugar beets, hops, fruit, pigs, cattle, and poultry; exporter of forest products
_#_Economic aid: donor—$4.2 billion in bilateral aid to non-Communist less developed countries (1954-89)
_#_Currency: koruna (plural—koruny); 1 koruna (Kc) = 100 haleru
_#_Exchange rates: koruny (Kcs) per US$1—27.65 (January 1991), 17.95 (1990), 15.05 (1989), 14.36 (1988), 13.69 (1987), 14.99 (1986), 17.14 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 13,103 km in total; 12,855 km with a standard gauge of 1.435 meters, 102 km with a broad gauge of 1.520 meters, and 146 km with narrow gauges of 0.750 and 0.760 meters; 2,861 km are double tracks; 3,798 km are electrified; owned by the government (1988)
_#_Highways: 73,540 km total; including 517 km of superhighway (1988)
_#_Inland waterways: 475 km (1988); the Elbe (Labe) is the main river
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 900 miles; refined products, 930 miles; natural gas, 5,030 miles
_#_Ports: maritime outlets are in Poland (Gdynia, Gdansk, Szczecin), Yugoslavia (Rijeka, Koper), Germany (Hamburg, Rostock); main river ports are Prague on the Vltava, Decin on the Elbe (Labe), Komarno on the Danube, Bratislava on the Danube
_#_Merchant marine: 24 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 363,002 GRT / 565,813 DWT; includes 15 cargo ships, 6 bulk carriers
_#_Civil air: 47 main transport planes
_#_Airports: 158 total, 158 usable; 40 with permanent-surface runways; 19 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 37 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 4 million telephones; 25% of households have a phone; stations—60 AM, 16 FM, 39 TV (11 Soviet TV relays); 4.4 million TVs (1990)
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Czechoslovak People's Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, Civil Defense, Border Guard
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 4,066,419; 3,110,958 eligible for military service; 140,620 reach military age (18) each year
_#Defense spending: 26.9 billion koruny, NA% of GDP (1991); note—converting defense spending into US dollars using the official set exchange rate would give inaccurate results % @Denmark *Geography #_Total area: 43,070 km²; land area: 42,370 km²; includes the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea and the rest of mainland Denmark, but excludes the Faroe Islands and Greenland
_#_Comparative area: a bit more than twice the size of Massachusetts
_#_Land boundaries: 68 km with Germany
_#_Coastline: 3,379 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 4 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of resource extraction;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Disputes: Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Iceland, Ireland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area); Denmark has challenged Norway's maritime claims between Greenland and Jan Mayen
_#_Climate: moderate; damp and cloudy; mild, breezy winters and cool summers
_#_Terrain: low and flat to gently rolling plains
_#_Natural resources: oil, natural gas, fish, salt, limestone
_#_Land use: arable land 61%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 6%; forest and woodland 12%; other 21%; includes irrigated 9%
_#_Environment: air and water pollution
_#_Note: controls the Danish Straits that connect the Baltic and North Seas
_*People #_Population: 5,132,626 (July 1991), growth rate NEGL% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 12 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 11 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 73 years for males, 79 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Dane(s); adjective—Danish
_#_Ethnic groups: Scandinavian, Inuit, Faroese, German
_#_Religion: Evangelical Lutheran 91%, other Protestant and Roman Catholic 2%, other 7% (1988)
_#_Language: Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Eskimo dialect); small German-speaking minority
_#_Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) of people age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)
_#_Labor force: 2,581,400; private services 36.4%; government services 30.2%; manufacturing and mining 20%; construction 6.8%; agriculture, forestry, and fishing 5.9%; electricity/gas/water 0.7% (1990)
_#_Organized labor: 65% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: Kingdom of Denmark
_#_Type: constitutional monarchy
_#_Capital: Copenhagen
_#_Administrative divisions: metropolitan Denmark—14 counties (amter, singular—amt) and 1 city* (stad); Aarhus, Bornholm, Frederiksborg, Funen, Copenhagen, North Jutland, Ribe, Ringkøbing, Roskilde, South Jutland, City of Copenhagen*, Storstrøm, Vejle, West Zealand, Viborg; note—see separate entries for the Faroe Islands and Greenland which are part of the Danish realm and self-governing administrative divisions
_#_Independence: became a constitutional monarchy in 1849
_#_Constitution: 5 June 1953
_#_Legal system: civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Queen's Birthday, April 16 (1940)
_#_Executive branch: king, next in line, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Folketing)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen MARGRETHE II (since January 1972);
Heir Apparent Crown Prince FREDERIK, the Queen's older son (born May 26, 1968);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Poul SCHLUTER (since September 10, 1982)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic, Svend AUKEN;
Conservative, Poul SCHLUTER;
Liberal, Uffe ELLEMANN-JENSEN;
Socialist People's, Holger K. NIELSEN;
Progress Party, Pia KJAERSGAARD;
Center Democratic, Mimi Stilling JAKOBSEN;
Radical Liberal, Marianne JELVED;
Christian People's, Flemming KOTOED-SVENDSEN;
Left Socialist, Elizabeth BRUN-OLESEN;
Justice, Poul Gerhard KRISTIANSEN;
Socialist Workers Party, leader NA;
Communist Workers' Party (KAP), leader NA;
Common Course, Preben Moller HANSEN;
Green Party, Inger BORLEHMANN
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
Parliament—last held on December 12, 1990 (next to be held by
December 1994);
results—Social Democratic 37.4%, Conservative 16.0%, Liberal 15.8%,
Socialist People's 8.3%, Progress Party 6.4%, Center Democratic 5.1%,
Radical Liberal 3.5%, Christian People's 2.3%, other 5.2%;
seats—(175 total; includes 2 from Greenland and 2 from the Faroe
Islands) Social Democratic 69, Conservative 30, Liberal 29,
Socialist People's 15, Progress Party 12, Center Democratic 9, Radical
Liberal 7, Christian People's 4
_#_Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN,
CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB, ESA, FAO, G-9, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, OECD,
PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIIMOG,
UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Peter Pedersen DYVIG; Chancery at 3200 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 234-4300; there are Danish Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York;
US—Ambassador Keith L. BROWN; Embassy at Dag Hammarskjolds Alle 24, 2100 Copenhagen O (mailing address is APO New York 09170); telephone [45] (31) 42 31 44
_#_Flag: red with a white cross that reaches the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is off-center toward the hoist side, and that design element of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) was later adopted by the other Nordic countries of Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.
_*Economy #_Overview: This modern economy features advanced agriculture, modern small-scale and corporate industries, extensive government welfare programs, comfortable living standards, and a high reliance on foreign trade. The Danish economy is expected to continue its slow but steady improvement in 1991. GDP grew by 1.3% in 1990 and is likely to grow by about 1.25% in 1991; unemployment is around 10%. In 1990, Denmark had the lowest inflation rate in the EC, a record trade surplus, and the first balance-of-payments surplus in 26 years. As the government prepares for the economic integration of Europe in 1992, growth, investment, and competitiveness are anticipated to improve, which should help reduce unemployment, inflation, and debt.
_#_GDP: $78.0 billion, per capita $15,200; real growth rate 1.3% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.7% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 9.5% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $62.5 billion; expenditures $60 billion, which includes capital expenditures of $NA billion (1989)
_#_Exports: $34.8 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—meat and meat products, dairy products, transportation equipment, fish, chemicals, industrial machinery;
partners—EC 52.2% (Germany 19.5%, UK 10.9%, France 6.1%), Sweden 12.5%, Norway 5.8%, US 5.0%, Japan 4.3% (1990)
_#_Imports: $31.6 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—oil, machinery and equipment, chemicals, grain and food, fabrics, paper;
partners—EC 57% (Germany 25.6%, UK 8.4%), Sweden 12.7%, US 6.7% (1990)
_#_External debt: $45 billion (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 2.1% (1989)
_#_Electricity: 11,215,000 kW capacity; 30,910 million kWh produced, 6,030 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: food processing, machinery and equipment, textiles and clothing, chemical products, electronics, construction, furniture, and other wood products
_#_Agriculture: makes up 5% of GNP and employs 6% of the workforce (including fishing and forestry); farm products generate nearly 15% of export income; main products—meat, dairy, grains, potatoes, canola, sugar beets, fish; self-sufficient in food production
_#_Economic aid: donor—ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89) $5.9 billion
_#_Currency: Danish krone (plural—kroner); 1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 ore
_#_Exchange rates: Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1—5.817 (January 1991), 6.189 (1990), 7.310 (1989), 6.732 (1988), 6.840 (1987), 8.091 (1986), 10.596 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 2,675 km of 1.435-meter standard gauge; Danish State Railways (DSB) operates 2,025 km (1,999 km of rail lines and 121 km of rail ferry services); 188 km are electrified, 730 km are double-tracked; 650 km of standard-gauge lines are privately owned and operated.
_#_Highways: 66,482 km total; 64,551 km made of concrete, asphalt, or stone block; 1,931 km of gravel, crushed stone, or enhanced earth
_#_Inland waterways: 417 km
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 110 km; refined products, 578 km; natural gas, 700 km
_#_Ports: Aalborg, Aarhus, Copenhagen, Esbjerg, Fredericia; numerous secondary and minor ports
_#_Merchant marine: 281 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,888,064 GRT/7,131,949 DWT; includes 13 short-sea passenger ships, 85 cargo ships, 15 refrigerated cargo ships, 35 container ships, 40 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 1 railcar carrier, 37 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 14 chemical tankers, 22 liquefied gas carriers, 4 livestock carriers, 14 bulk carriers, and 1 combination bulk carrier; note—Denmark has established its own internal registry, called the Danish International Ship Register (DIS); DIS ships are not required to comply with Danish manning regulations, serving as a flag of convenience within the Danish registry; by the end of 1990, 258 of the Danish-flag ships were part of the DIS.
_#_Civil air: 69 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 129 total, 112 operational; 27 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 9 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 7 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: great telephone, telegraph, and broadcast services; 4,509,000 telephones; stations—2 AM, 15 (39 repeaters) FM, 27 (25 repeaters) TV; 7 underwater coaxial cables; 1 earth station operating in INTELSAT, 4 Atlantic Ocean, EUTELSAT, and local systems
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Royal Danish Army, Royal Danish Navy, Royal Danish Air Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,369,684; 1,179,991 eligible for military service; 36,991 turn 20 (military age) each year
_#Defense spending: $2.4 billion, 2% of GDP (1990) % @Djibouti *Geography #_Total area: 22,000 km²; land area: 21,980 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit bigger than Massachusetts
_#_Land boundaries: 517 km total; Ethiopia 459 km, Somalia 58 km
_#_Coastline: 314 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: possible claim by Somalia based on the unification of ethnic Somalis
_#_Climate: desert; torrid, dry
_#_Terrain: coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains
_#_Natural resources: geothermal areas
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 9%; forest and woodland NEGL%; other 91%
_#_Environment: vast wasteland
_#_Note: strategic location near the world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oil fields; end point of rail traffic into Ethiopia
_*People #_Population: 346,311 (July 1991), growth rate 2.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 43 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 16 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 117 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 46 years for males, 50 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.4 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Djiboutian(s); adjective—Djiboutian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Somali (Issa) 60%, Afar 35%, French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian 5%
_#_Religion: Muslim 94%, Christian 6%
_#_Language: French and Arabic (both official); Somali and Afar are widely used
_#_Literacy: 48% (male 63%, female 34%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: Not available, but there are a few semiskilled workers at the port and 3,000 railway employees; 52% of the working-age population (1983)
_#_Organized labor: 3,000 railway workers
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Djibouti
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Djibouti
_#_Administrative divisions: 5 districts (cercles, singular—cercle); Ali Sabih, Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, Tadjoura
_#_Independence: June 27, 1977 (from France; previously French Territory of the Afars and Issas)
_#_Constitution: partial constitution approved January 1981 by the National Assembly
_#_Legal system: based on the French civil law system, traditional practices, and Islamic law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, June 27, 1977
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers
_#_Legislative branch: National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Supreme Court)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Hassan GOULED Aptidon (since June 24, 1977);
Head of Government—Prime Minister BARKAT Gourad Hamadou (since September 30, 1978)
_#_Political parties and leaders: only party—People's Progress Assembly (RPP), Hassan GOULED Aptidon
_Suffrage: universal adult at age NA_
_#_Elections:
President—last held 24 April 1987 (next to be held April 1993); results—President Hassan GOULED Aptidon was reelected unopposed;
National Assembly—last held on April 24, 1987 (next one scheduled for April 1992); results—RPP is the only party; seats—(65 total) RPP 65
_#_Communists: NA
_#_Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UNCTAD, UPU, WHO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Roble OLHAYE; Chancery (temporary) at the Djiboutian Permanent Mission to the UN; 866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 4011, New York, NY 10017; telephone (212) 753-3163;
US—Ambassador Robert S. BARRETT IV; Embassy at Villa Plateau du Serpent, Boulevard Marechal Joffre, Djibouti (mailing address is B. P. 185, Djibouti); telephone [253] 35-39-95
_#_Flag: two equal horizontal bands of light blue (top) and light green with a white isosceles triangle on the left side that has a red five-pointed star in the center.
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy relies on service activities due to the country's strategic location and status as a free trade zone in northeast Africa. Djibouti acts as a transit port for the region and an international transshipment and refueling hub. It has limited natural resources and minimal industry. As a result, the country is heavily reliant on foreign aid to support its balance of payments and to fund development projects. An unemployment rate exceeding 40% remains a significant issue. Per capita consumption has fallen by an estimated 35% over the past five years, amid a 6% population growth rate (including immigrants and refugees) and an economic recession.
_#_GDP: $340 million, $1,030 per person; real growth rate - 1.0% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.7% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: over 40% (1989)
_#_Budget: revenues $131 million; expenditures $154 million, including capital expenditures of $25 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $190 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—hides and skins, coffee (in transit);
partners—Middle East 50%, Africa 43%, Western Europe 7%
_#_Imports: $311 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—food, drinks, transportation equipment, chemicals, petroleum products;
partners—EC 36%, Africa 21%, Asia 12%, US 2%
_#_External debt: $355 million (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 0.1% (1989); manufacturing accounts for 4% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 110,000 kW capacity; 190 million kWh generated, 580 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: restricted to a few small businesses, like dairy products and bottled mineral water
_#_Agriculture: contributes only 5% of GDP; limited rainfall restricts crop production mainly to fruits and vegetables; half of the population consists of pastoral nomads herding goats, sheep, and camels; relies heavily on food imports.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY78-89), $39 million; Western (non-US) countries, including ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1,035 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $149 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $35 million
_#_Currency: Djiboutian franc (plural—francs); 1 Djiboutian franc (DF) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Djiboutian francs (DF) per US$1—177.721 (fixed rate since 1973)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: the Ethiopian-Djibouti railroad stretches for 97 km through Djibouti
_#_Highways: 2,900 km total; 280 km asphalt surface, 2,620 km improved or unpaved dirt (1982)
_#_Ports: Djibouti
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 13 total, 10 in use; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 2 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: equitable system of urban services in Djibouti and radio relay stations in remote areas; 7,300 telephones; stations—2 AM, 1 FM, 2 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station and 1 ARABSAT; 1 submarine cable to Saudi Arabia
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army (including Navy and Air Force), paramilitary National Security Force, National Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 89,519; 52,093 available for military service
_#Defense spending: $29.9 million, NA% of GDP (1986) % @Dominica *Geography #_Total area: 750 km²; land area: 750 km²
_#_Comparative area: just over four times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 148 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; influenced by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall
_#_Terrain: rough mountains that are volcanic in origin
_#_Natural resources: timber
_#_Land use: arable land 9%; permanent crops 13%; meadows and pastures 3%; forest and woodland 41%; other 34%
_#_Environment: flash floods are a constant threat; occasional hurricanes
_#_Note: located 550 km southeast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea
_*People #_Population: 86,285 (July 1991), growth rate 1.7% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 26 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 3 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 13 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 73 years for males, 79 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.6 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Dominican(s); adjective—Dominican
_#_Ethnic divisions: primarily Black; some Caribbean Indians
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 77%, Protestant 15% (Methodist 5%, Pentecostal 3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Baptist 2%, other 2%), none 2%, unknown 1%, other 5%
_#_Language: English (official); French Creole widely spoken
_#_Literacy: 94% (male 94%, female 94%) of people aged 15 and over have attended school at some point (1970)
_#_Labor force: 25,000; agriculture 40%, industry and commerce 32%, services 28% (1984)
_#_Organized labor: 25% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: Commonwealth of Dominica
_#_Type: parliamentary democracy
_#_Capital: Roseau
_#_Administrative divisions: 10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint Paul, Saint Peter
_#_Independence: 3 November 1978 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: 3 November 1978
_#_Legal system: based on English common law
_National holiday: Independence Day, November 3, 1978_
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber House of Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Sir Clarence Augustus SEIGNORET (since December 19, 1983);
Head of Government—Prime Minister (Mary) Eugenia CHARLES (since July 21, 1980, elected for a third term on May 28, 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Dominica Freedom Party (DFP), Mary Eugenia CHARLES;
Dominica Labor Party (DLP), Michael DOUGLAS;
United Workers Party (UWP), Edison JAMES
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held on December 20, 1988 (next to be held in December 1993); the president is elected by the House of Assembly;
House of Assembly—last held on May 28, 1990 (next to be held in May 1995); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(30 total; 9 appointed senators and 21 elected representatives) DFP 11, UWP 6, DLP 4
_#_Communists: negligible
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Dominica Liberation Movement (DLM), a small left-leaning group
_#_Member of: ACCT, ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, LORCS, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: there is no Embassy in the US;
US—no official presence since the Ambassador lives in Bridgetown
(Barbados), but travels frequently to Dominica
_#_Flag: green with a centered cross of three equal bands—the vertical part is yellow (hoist side), black, and white—the horizontal part is yellow (top), black, and white; on top of the cross is a red circle featuring a sisserou parrot surrounded by 10 green five-pointed stars outlined in yellow; the 10 stars represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes)
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy relies heavily on agriculture and is therefore very susceptible to changes in climate. Agriculture makes up about 30% of GDP and employs 40% of the workforce. Key products include bananas, citrus fruits, mangoes, root vegetables, and coconuts. In 1988, the economy saw a 5.6% increase in real GDP, driven by a rise in construction, greater agricultural output, and growth in the small manufacturing sector focused on soap and clothing. However, in 1989, Hurricane Hugo destroyed 70% of the banana crop and impacted other economic activities. The tourism industry is still underdeveloped due to a rough coastline and the absence of an international-class airport.
_#_GDP: $153 million, per person $1,840; real growth rate - 1.7% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.3% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 10% (1989 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $48 million; expenditures $85 million, including capital expenditures of $41 million (FY90)
_#_Exports: $59 million (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—bananas, coconuts, grapefruits, soap, galvanized sheets;
partners—UK 72%, Jamaica 10%, OECS 6%, US 3%, other 9%
_#_Imports: $115 million (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—food, oils and fats, chemicals, fuels and lubricants, manufactured goods, machinery, and equipment;
partners—US 23%, UK 18%, CARICOM 15%, OECS 15%, Japan 5%, Canada 3%, other 21%
_#_External debt: $73 million (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 4.5% in manufacturing (1988 est.); makes up 11% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 7,000 kW capacity; 16 million kWh produced, 190 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: soap, drinks, travel, food processing, furniture, cement blocks, shoes
_#_Agriculture: makes up 30% of GDP; main crops—bananas, citrus, mangoes, root vegetables, and coconuts; bananas generate most of the export income; forestry and fishing resources are not fully utilized.
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $115 million
_#_Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural—dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1—2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Highways: 750 km total; 370 km paved, 380 km gravel and dirt
_#_Ports: Roseau, Portsmouth
_#_Civil air: NA
# Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 4,600 phones in a fully automated network; VHF and UHF connections to Saint Lucia; new SHF links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; stations—3 AM, 2 FM, 1 cable TV
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: NA
_#Defense spending: $NA, NA% of GDP % @Dominican Republic *Geography #_Total area: 48,730 km²; land area: 48,380 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit more than twice the size of New Hampshire
_#_Land boundary 275 km with Haiti
_#_Coastline: 1,288 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: outer edge of the continental margin or 200 nautical miles;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 6 nm
_#_Climate: tropical maritime; minimal seasonal temperature variation
_#_Terrain: rough highlands and mountains with lush valleys scattered throughout
_#_Natural resources: nickel, bauxite, gold, silver
_#_Land use: arable land 23%; permanent crops 7%; meadows and pastures 43%; forest and woodland 13%; other 14%; includes irrigated 4%
_#_Environment: prone to occasional hurricanes (July to October); deforestation
_#_Note: shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti (the western third is Haiti, and the eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)
_*People #_Population: 7,384,837 (July 1991), growth rate 2.0% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 27 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 60 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 65 years for males, 69 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.1 kids born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Dominican(s); adjective—Dominican
_#_Ethnic divisions: mixed 73%, white 16%, black 11%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 95%
_#_Language: Spanish
_#_Literacy: 83% (male 85%, female 82%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 2,300,000-2,600,000; agriculture 49%, services 33%, industry 18% (1986)
_#_Organized labor: 12% of the workforce (1989 est.)
_*Government #_Full name: Dominican Republic (no abbreviated name)
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Santo Domingo
_#_Administrative divisions: 29 provinces (provincias,
singular—provincia) and 1 district* (distrito); Azua, Baoruco, Barahona,
Dajabon, Distrito Nacional*, Duarte, Elias Pina, El Seibo,
Espaillat, Hato Mayor, Independencia, La Altagracia, La Romana, La Vega,
Maria Trinidad Sanchez, Monsenor Nouel, Monte Cristi, Monte Plata,
Pedernales, Peravia, Puerto Plata, Salcedo, Samana, Sanchez
Ramirez, San Cristobal, San Juan, San Pedro De Macoris, Santiago,
Santiago Rodriguez, Valverde
_#_Independence: February 27, 1844 (from Haiti)
_#_Constitution: 28 November 1966
_#_Legal system: based on French civil law codes
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, February 27 (1844)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional) consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Senado) and lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Supreme Court)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Joaquin BALAGUER
Ricardo (since August 16, 1986, fifth elected term began August 16, 1990);
Vice President Carlos A. MORALES Troncoso (since August 16, 1986)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Major parties—
Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC), Joaquin BALAGUER Ricardo;
Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD), Jose Francisco PENA Gomez;
Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), Juan BOSCH Gavino;
Independent Revolutionary Party (PRI), Jacobo MAJLUTA;
Minor parties—
National Veterans and Civilian Party (PNVC), Juan Rene BEAUCHAMPS Javier;
Liberal Party of the Dominican Republic (PLRD), Andres Van Der HORST;
Democratic Quisqueyan Party (PQD), Elias WESSIN Chavez;
Constitutional Action Party (PAC), Luis ARZENO Rodriguez;
National Progressive Force (FNP), Marino VINICIO Castillo;
Popular Christian Party (PPC), Rogelio DELGADO Bogaert;
Dominican Communist Party (PCD), Narciso ISA Conde;
Anti-Imperialist Patriotic Union (UPA), Ivan RODRIGUEZ;
note—in 1983, several leftist parties, including the PCD, came together to form the Dominican Leftist Front (FID); however, they still maintain their individual party structures.
_#_Suffrage: universal and mandatory at age 18 or if married; military personnel and police officers are not allowed to vote
_#_Elections:
President—last held May 16, 1990 (next to be held May 1994); results—Joaquin BALAGUER (PRSC) 35.7%, Juan BOSCH Gavino (PLD) 34.4%;
Senate—last held May 16, 1990 (next to be held May 1994); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(30 total) PRSC 16, PLD 12, PRD 2;
Chamber of Deputies—last held on May 16, 1990 (next to be held in May 1994); results—percentage of votes by party NA; seats—(120 total) PLD 44, PRSC 41, PRD 33, PRI 2
_#_Communists: an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 members in various legal and illegal groups; their effectiveness is limited by ideological differences, organizational shortcomings, and significant funding shortages.
_#_Member of: CARICOM (observer), ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, GATT, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), LORCS, NAM (guest),
OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WMO,
WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Carlos A. MORALES Troncoso (serves concurrently as Vice President); Embassy located at 1715 22nd Street NW, Washington DC 20008; phone number (202) 332-6280; there are Dominican Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Mayaguez (Puerto Rico), Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Consulates in Charlotte Amalie (Virgin Islands), Detroit, Houston, Jacksonville, Minneapolis, Mobile, Ponce (Puerto Rico), and San Francisco;
US—Ambassador Paul D. TAYLOR; Embassy located at the corner of Calle Cesar Nicolas Penson and Calle Leopoldo Navarro, Santo Domingo (mailing address is APO Miami 34041-0008); phone [809] 541-2171
_#_Flag: a centered white cross that stretches to the edges, splitting the flag into four rectangles—the top ones are blue (hoist side) and red, while the bottom ones are red (hoist side) and blue; a small coat of arms is located in the center of the cross.
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy relies heavily on trade; imported components account for about 60% of the value of goods consumed in the domestic market. The rapid growth of free trade zones has led to significant expansion in manufacturing for export, particularly in clothing. Over the last ten years, tourism has also become increasingly important, serving as a major source of foreign exchange and new jobs. Agriculture remains a vital part of the economy, with sugarcane being the main commercial crop, followed by coffee, cotton, cocoa, and tobacco. Domestic industry focuses on processing agricultural products, manufacturing durable consumer goods, and mining minerals and chemicals. Officially, the unemployment rate is around 30%, but there is a lot of underemployment. The economy's biggest challenges are a rising foreign debt and skyrocketing inflation.
# GDP: $6.68 billion, per person $940; real growth rate 4.2% (1989)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 70% (1990 estimate)
_#_Unemployment rate: 29% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $413 million; expenditures $522 million, including capital expenditures of $218 million (1988)
_#_Exports: $922 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—sugar, coffee, cocoa, gold, ferronickel;
partners—US 60%, EC 19%, Puerto Rico 8% (1990)
_#_Imports: $1.9 billion (c.i.f., 1990 estimated);
commodities—food, oil, cotton and textiles, chemicals and drugs;
partners—US 50%
_#_External debt: $4.2 billion (1990 estimate)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 2.3% (1989 est.); makes up 18% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 1,445,000 kW capacity; 4,200 million kWh produced, 580 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, sugar production, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco
_#_Agriculture: makes up 15% of GDP and employs 49% of the workforce; sugarcane is the most important commercial crop, followed by coffee, cotton, cocoa, and tobacco; food crops include rice, beans, potatoes, corn, and bananas; animal products consist of cattle, pigs, dairy products, meat, and eggs; not self-sufficient in food
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY85-89), $576.5 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $569 million
_#_Currency: Dominican peso (plural—pesos); 1 Dominican peso (RD$) = 100 centavos
_#_Exchange rates: Dominican pesos per US$1—11.850 (January 1991), 8.290 (1990), 6.3400 (1989), 6.1125 (1988), 3.8448 (1987), 2.9043 (1986), 3.1126 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 1,655 km total across various sections; 4 different track widths ranging from 0.558 m to 1.435 m
_#_Highways: 12,000 km total; 5,800 km paved, 5,600 km gravel and improved dirt, 600 km unimproved
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 96 km; refined products, 8 km
_#_Ports: Santo Domingo, Haina, San Pedro de Macoris, Puerto Plata
_#_Merchant marine: 4 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 23,326 GRT/38,661 DWT
_#_Civil air: 14 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 44 total, 30 in operation; 14 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 3 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 9 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: a fairly effective domestic system built on an islandwide radio relay network; 190,000 telephones; stations—120 AM, no FM, 18 TV, 6 shortwave; 1 coaxial submarine cable; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 1,963,260; 1,241,370 eligible for military service; 81,083 turn 18 annually and become eligible for military service.
_#Defense spending: $70 million, 1% of GDP (1990) % @Ecuador *Geography #_Total area: 283,560 km²; land area: 276,840 km²; includes Galapagos Islands
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Nevada
_#_Land boundaries: 2,010 km total; Colombia 590 km, Peru 1,420 km
_#_Coastline: 2,237 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: claims continental shelf between the mainland and
Galapagos Islands;
Territorial sea: 200 nm
_#_Disputes: two parts of the border with Peru are in conflict
_#_Climate: tropical by the coast, getting cooler as you go inland
_#_Terrain: coastal plain (Coast), inter-Andean central highlands (Highlands), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (East)
_#_Natural resources: petroleum, fish, timber
_#_Land use: arable land 6%; permanent crops 3%; meadows and pastures 17%; forest and woodland 51%; other 23%; includes irrigated 2%
_#_Environment: prone to frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity; deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; occasional droughts
_#_Note: Cotopaxi in the Andes is the highest active volcano in the world.
_*People #_Population: 10,751,648 (July 1991), growth rate 2.3% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 30 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 60 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 64 years for males, 68 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.7 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Ecuadorian(s); adjective—Ecuadorian
_#_Ethnic divisions: mestizo (mixed Indian and Spanish) 55%, Indian 25%, Spanish 10%, black 10%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 95%
_#_Language: Spanish (official); Indigenous languages, especially Quechua
_#_Literacy: 86% (male 88%, female 84%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 2,800,000; agriculture 35%, manufacturing 21%, commerce 16%, services and other activities 28% (1982)
_#_Organized labor: under 15% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Ecuador
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Quito
_#_Administrative divisions: 21 provinces; Azuay, Bolivar, Canar, Carchi, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, El Oro, Esmeraldas, Galapagos, Guayas, Imbabura, Loja, Los Rios, Manabi, Morona-Santiago, Napo, Pastaza, Pichincha, Sucumbios, Tungurahua, Zamora-Chinchipe
_#_Independence: May 24, 1822 (from Spain; Battle of Pichincha)
_#_Constitution: 10 August 1979
_#_Legal system: based on a civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, August 10 (1809, independence of Quito)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber National Congress (Congreso Nacional)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Rodrigo BORJA Cevallos (since August 10, 1988); Vice President Luis PARODI Valverde (since August 10, 1988)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Right to center parties—
Social Christian Party (PSC), former President Leon FEBRES Cordero
Rivadeneira;
Conservative Party (PC), Alberto DAHIK, leader;
Radical Liberal Party (PLR), Blasco Manuel PENAHERRERA Padilla,
director;
Centrist parties—
Concentration of Popular Forces (CFP), Averroes BUCARAM Saxida, director;
Radical Alfarist Front (FRA), Cecilia CALDERON de Castro, leader;
People, Change, and Democracy (PCD), Aquiles RIGAIL Santistevan,
director;
Revolutionary Nationalist Party (PNR), Carlos Julio AROSEMENA Monroy,
leader;
Center-left parties—
Democratic Left (ID), President Rodrigo BORJA Cevallos, leader;
Roldosist Party of Ecuador (PRE), Abdala BUCARAM Ortiz, director;
Popular Democracy (DP), Vladimiro ALVAREZ, president;
Christian Democratic (CD), Julio Cesar TRUJILLO;
Democratic Party (PD), Francisco HUERTA Montalvo, leader;
Far-left parties—
Broad Leftist Front (FADI), Rene MAUGE Mosquera, director;
Socialist Party (PSE), Victor GRANDA Aguilar, secretary general;
Democratic Popular Movement (MPD), Jaime HURTADO Gonzalez, leader;
Ecuadorian National Liberation (LN), Alfredo CASTILLO, president;
Popular Revolutionary Action Party (APRE), Lt. Gen. Frank VARGAS Pazzos,
leader
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18; mandatory for literate individuals aged 18-65, optional for other eligible voters
_#_Elections:
President—first round held January 31, 1988, and second round on May 8, 1988 (next first round to be held May 1992 and second round June 1992); results—Rodrigo BORJA Cevallos (ID) 54%, Abdala BUCARAM Ortiz (PRE) 46%;
Chamber of Representatives—last held June 17, 1990 (next to be held June 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(72 total) PSC 16, ID 14, PRE 13, PSE 8, DP 7, CFP 3, PC 3, PLR 3, FADI 2, FRA 2, MPD 1
_#_Communists: Communist Party of Ecuador (PCE, pro-Moscow), Rene
Mauge Mosquera, secretary general, 5,000 members; Communist Party of
Ecuador/Marxist Leninist (PCMLE, Maoist), 3,000 members; Socialist
Party of Ecuador (PSE, pro-Cuba), 5,000 members (est.); National
Liberation Party (PLN, Communist), 5,000 members (est.)
_#_Member of: AG, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU,
LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jaime MONCAYO; Embassy at 2535 15th Street NW, Washington DC 20009; phone (202) 234-7200; there are Ecuadorian Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco, and a Consulate in San Diego;
US—Ambassador Paul C. LAMBERT; Embassy at Avenida Patria 120, on the corner of Avenida 12 de Octubre, Quito (mailing address is P. O. Box 538, Quito, or APO Miami 34039); telephone [593] (2) 562-890; there is a US Consulate General in Guayaquil
_#_Flag: three horizontal bands of yellow (top, twice the width), blue, and red with the coat of arms placed in the center of the flag; similar to the flag of Colombia, which is shorter and has no coat of arms.
_*Economy #_Overview: Ecuador has significant oil resources and fertile agricultural land. Growth has been inconsistent due to natural disasters (like a big earthquake in 1987), changes in global oil prices, and government policies aimed at controlling inflation. The government has not been very supportive of domestic or foreign investment, although its decision to join the Andean free trade zone is a positive step.
_#_GDP: $10.6 billion, per capita $1,010; real growth rate 1.5% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 49.5% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 8.0% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $2.2 billion; expenditures $2.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $375 million (1991)
_#_Exports: $2.7 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—petroleum 47%, coffee, bananas, cocoa products, shrimp, fish products;
partners—US 60%, Latin America, Caribbean, EU countries
_#_Imports: $1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—transport equipment, vehicles, machinery, chemicals;
partners—US 34%, Latin America, Caribbean, EC, Japan
_#_External debt: $11.8 billion (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 3.8% (1989); makes up almost 40% of GDP, including oil
_#_Electricity: 1,983,000 kW capacity; 6,011 million kWh produced, 570 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: petroleum, food processing, textiles, metalwork, paper products, wood products, chemicals, plastics, fishing, timber
_#_Agriculture: makes up 18% of GDP and 35% of the workforce (including fishing and forestry); top producer and exporter of bananas and balsa wood; other exports—coffee, cocoa, fish, shrimp; crop production—rice, potatoes, cassava, plantains, sugarcane; livestock sector—cattle, sheep, pigs, beef, pork, dairy products; net importer of grains, dairy products, and sugar
_#_Illicit drugs: a relatively small producer of coca after the successful eradication campaign of 1985-87; however, it is a significant transit country for coca derivatives coming from Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $498 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.7 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $64 million
_#_Currency: sucre (plural—sucres); 1 sucre (S/) = 100 centavos
_#_Exchange rates: sucres (S/) per US$1—869.54 (December 1990), 767.75 (1990), 526.35 (1989), 301.61 (1988), 170.46 (1987), 122.78 (1986), 69.56 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 965 km total; all 1.067-meter-gauge single track
_#_Highways: 28,000 km total; 3,600 km paved, 17,400 km gravel and improved dirt, 7,000 km unpaved dirt
_#_Inland waterways: 1,500 km
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 500 miles; refined products, 844 miles
_#_Ports: Guayaquil, Manta, Puerto Bolivar, Esmeraldas
_#_Merchant marine: 47 ships (1,000 gross tons or more) totaling 342,411 gross tons/495,482 deadweight tons; includes 1 passenger ship, 8 cargo ships, 17 refrigerated cargo ships, 2 container ships, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo ship, 16 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 1 liquefied gas ship, 1 bulk ship
_#_Civil air: 44 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 153 total, 151 usable; 46 with paved runways; 1 with runways over 12,000 ft; 6 with runways between 8,000-12,000 ft; 23 with runways between 4,000-8,000 ft
_#_Telecommunications: local facilities are generally sufficient; 318,000 telephones; stations—272 AM, no FM, 33 TV, 39 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army (Ecuadorian Army), Navy (Ecuadorian Navy), Air Force (Ecuadorian Air Force), National Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 2,716,919; 1,840,296 eligible for military service; 117,113 turn 20 and reach military age each year
_#Defense spending: $176 million, 1.6% of GDP (1990 estimate) % @Egypt *Geography #_Total area: 1,001,450 km²; land area: 995,450 km²
_#_Comparative area: just over three times the size of New Mexico
_#_Land boundaries: 2,689 km total; Gaza Strip 11 km, Israel 255 km, Libya 1,150 km, Sudan 1,273 km
_#_Coastline: 2,450 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of resource extraction;
Exclusive economic zone: undefined;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: The administrative boundary with Sudan doesn't match the international boundary.
_#_Climate: desert; hot, dry summers with mild winters
_#_Terrain: a vast desert plateau broken up by the Nile valley and delta
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, zinc
_#_Land use: arable land 3%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland NEGL%; other 95%; includes irrigated 5%
_#_Environment: The Nile is the only reliable water source; soil salinization is increasing below the Aswan High Dam; a hot, intense windstorm known as khamsin happens in spring; water pollution is a problem; desertification is occurring.
_#_Note: controls the Sinai Peninsula, the only land bridge between Africa and the rest of the Eastern Hemisphere; controls the Suez Canal, the shortest sea route between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean; its size and location in relation to Israel highlight its significant role in Middle Eastern geopolitics.
_*People #_Population: 54,451,588 (July 1991), growth rate 2.3% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 33 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 10 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 82 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 60 years for males, 61 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.5 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Egyptian(s); adjective—Egyptian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Eastern Hamitic stock 90%; Greek, Italian, Syro-Lebanese 10%
_#_Religion: (official estimate) Muslim (mostly Sunni) 94%; Coptic Christian and others 6%
_#_Language: Arabic (official); English and French are widely understood by educated people
_#_Literacy: 48% (male 63%, female 34%) of those aged 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 15,000,000 (1989 est.); government, public sector enterprises, and armed forces 36%; agriculture 34%; privately owned service and manufacturing businesses 20% (1984); shortage of skilled labor; 2,500,000 Egyptians work abroad, mostly in Iraq and the Gulf Arab states (1988 est.)
_#_Organized labor: 2,500,000 (est.)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Arab Republic of Egypt
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Cairo
_#_Administrative divisions: 24 governorates (muhafazat,
singular—muhafazah); Ad Daqahliyah, Al Red Sea,
Al Beheira, Al Faiyum, Al Gharbia, Alexandria,
Al Ismailia, Giza, Al Menoufia, Al Minya,
Cairo, Al Qalyubia, New Valley, Ash
Sharqia, Suez, Aswan, Assiut, Beni Suef, Bur
Sa'id, Damietta, South Sinai, Matrouh,
North Sinai, Sohag
_#_Independence: February 28, 1922 (from the UK); previously United Arab Republic
_#_Constitution: 11 September 1971
_#_Legal system: based on English common law, Islamic law, and Napoleonic codes; judicial review by the Supreme Court and Council of State (oversees the validity of administrative decisions); accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Anniversary of the Revolution, July 23 (1952)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral People's Assembly (Majlis al-Chaab); note—there's an Advisory Council (Majlis al-Shura) that operates in a consultative role.
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Constitutional Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK (became acting President on October 6, 1981, following the assassination of President Sadat and was sworn in as President on October 14, 1981);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Atef Mohammed Najib SEDKY (since November 12, 1986)
_#_Political parties and leaders: the formation of political parties must be approved by the government; the National Democratic Party (NDP), led by President Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK, is the dominant party; legal opposition parties include the Socialist Liberal Party (SLP) with Kamal MURAD; Socialist Labor Party, Ibrahim SHUKRI; National Progressive Unionist Grouping (NPUG), Khalid MUHYI-AL-DIN; Umma Party, Ahmad al-SABAHI; New Wafd Party (NWP), Fuad SIRAJ AL-DIN; Misr al-Fatah Party (Young Egypt Party), Ali al-Din SALIH; Democratic Unionist Party, Muhammad Abd al-Mun'im TURK; The Greens Party, Hasan RAJAB.
_Suffrage: universal and required at age 18_
_#_Elections:
President—last held October 5, 1987 (next to be held October 1993); results—President Hosni MUBAREK was reelected;
People's Assembly—last held on November 29, 1990 (next one will be held in
November 1995); results—NDP 78.4%, NPUG 1.4%, independents 18.7%;
seats—(454 total, 444 elected)—including NDP 348,
NPUG 6, independents 83; note—most opposition parties did not participate;
Advisory Council—last held June 8, 1989 (next one on June 1995); results—NDP 100%; seats—(258 total, 172 elected) NDP 172
_#_Communists: about 500 party members
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Islamic groups are illegal, but the largest one, the Muslim Brotherhood, is tolerated by the government; trade unions and professional associations are officially recognized.
_#_Member of: ABEDA, ACC, ACCT (associate), AfDB, AFESD, AG (observer),
AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, EBRD, ECA, ESCWA, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC,
OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador El Sayed Abdel Raouf EL REEDY; Chancery at 2310 Decatur Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 232-5400; there are Egyptian Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco;
US—Ambassador Frank G. WISNER; Embassy at Lazougi Street,
Garden City, Cairo (mailing address is APO New York 09674-0006);
phone [20] (2) 355-7371; there is a US Consulate General in
Alexandria
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black, with the national emblem (a shield superimposed on a golden eagle facing the hoist side above a scroll bearing the country's name in Arabic) centered in the white band. It's similar to the flag of Yemen, which has a plain white band, and also resembles the flag of Syria, which has two green stars, and the flag of Iraq, which features three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line centered in the white band.
_*Economy #_Overview: Egypt has one of the largest public sectors in all of the developing economies, with most industrial plants owned by the government. Overregulation hinders technical modernization and foreign investment. Nonetheless, the economy experienced rapid growth during the late 1970s and early 1980s, but in 1986, the collapse of global oil prices and a growing burden of debt led Egypt to start negotiations with the IMF for balance-of-payments support. As part of the 1987 agreement with the IMF, the government committed to implementing a reform program to reduce inflation, encourage economic growth, and improve its external position. However, the reforms have been slow to materialize, and the economy has been mostly stagnant for the past three years. The addition of 1 million people every seven months to Egypt's population puts immense pressure on the 5% of total land available for agriculture.
_#_GDP: $37 billion, per person $700; actual growth rate 1.0% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 26% (FY90)
_#_Unemployment rate: 15% (1989 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $7 billion; expenditures $11.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $4 billion (FY89 est.)
_#_Exports: $3.8 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—crude and refined oil, cotton yarn, raw cotton, textiles, metal products, chemicals;
partners—EC, Eastern Europe, US, Japan
_#_Imports: $11.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—machinery and equipment, food, fertilizers, wood products, durable consumer goods, capital goods;
partners—EC, US, Japan, Eastern Europe
_#_External debt: $52 billion (December 1990 estimate)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 2-4% (1989 est.); makes up 24% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 11,273,000 kW capacity; 42.5 billion kWh produced, 780 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: textiles, food processing, tourism, chemicals, petroleum, construction, cement, metals
_#_Agriculture: makes up 20% of GNP and employs over one-third of the workforce; relies on irrigation water from the Nile; is the world's sixth-largest cotton exporter; other crops grown include rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruits, and vegetables; not self-sufficient in food; livestock includes cattle, water buffalo, sheep, and goats; annual fish catch is around 140,000 metric tons.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $15.7 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $9.3 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $2.9 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $2.4 billion
_#_Currency: Egyptian pound (plural—pounds); 1 Egyptian pound (5E) = 100 piasters
_#_Exchange rates: Egyptian pounds (5E) per US$1—2.9030 (January 1991), 2.7072 (1990), 2.5171 (1989), 2.2233 (1988), 1.5183 (1987), 1.3503 (1986), 1.3010 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Railroads: 5,110 km total; 4,763 km standard gauge (1,435 mm), 347 km narrow gauge (750 mm); 951 km double track; 25 km electrified
_#_Highways: 51,925 km total; 17,900 km paved, 2,500 km gravel, 13,500 km upgraded dirt, 18,025 km unpaved dirt
_#_Inland waterways: 3,500 km (including the Nile, Lake Nasser, Alexandria-Cairo Waterway, and many smaller canals in the delta); Suez Canal, 193.5 km long (including approaches), used by ocean-going vessels with a draft of up to 16.1 meters.
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 1,171 km; refined products, 596 km; natural gas, 460 km
_#_Ports: Alexandria, Port Said, Suez, Bur Safajah, Damietta
_#_Merchant marine: 144 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,121,534 GRT/1,725,369 DWT; includes 5 passenger ships, 7 short-sea passenger vessels, 2 passenger-cargo ships, 85 cargo ships, 3 refrigerated cargo ships, 13 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 14 petroleum, oil, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 15 bulk
_#_Civil air: 43 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 91 total, 82 usable; 66 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 44 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 22 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: the system is large but still not enough for current needs; main centers are Alexandria, Cairo, Al Mansurah, Ismailia, and Tanta; intercity connections use coaxial cable and microwave; extensive upgrades are underway; approximately 600,000 telephones; stations—25 AM, 5 FM, 47 TV; satellite earth stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 INMARSAT, 1 ARABSAT; 4 submarine coaxial cables; tropospheric scatter to Sudan; radio relay to Libya (may not be operational); radio relay to Jordan
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Command
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 13,333,285; 8,665,260 eligible for military service; 584,780 turn 20 and become eligible for military service each year.
_#Defense spending: $2.8 billion, 7.3% of GDP (1991) % @El Salvador *Geography #_Total area: 21,040 km²; land area: 20,720 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Massachusetts
_#_Land boundaries: 545 km total; Guatemala 203 km, Honduras 342 km
_#_Coastline: 307 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 200 nautical miles (flying over and navigating allowed beyond 12 nautical miles)
_#_Disputes: disagreement with Honduras regarding various sections of the land boundary; disagreement over the maritime boundary of Golfo de Fonseca due to contested sovereignty over the islands.
_#_Climate: tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April)
_#_Terrain: mainly mountains with a narrow coastal strip and central plateau
_#_Natural resources: hydropower, geothermal energy, crude oil
_#_Land use: arable land 27%; permanent crops 8%; meadows and pastures 29%; forest and woodland 6%; other 30%; includes irrigated 5%
_#_Environment: The Land of Volcanoes; prone to frequent and sometimes very destructive earthquakes; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
_#_Note: smallest Central American country and the only one without a coastline on the Caribbean Sea
_*People #_Population: 5,418,736 (July 1991), growth rate 2.0% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 34 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 6 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 47 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 63 years for males, 68 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.1 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Salvadoran(s); adjective—Salvadoran
_#_Ethnic divisions: mestizo 89%, Indigenous 10%, white 1%
_#_Religion: About 75% Roman Catholic, with significant involvement from Protestant groups across the country (over 1 million Protestant evangelicals in El Salvador by the end of 1990)
_#_Language: Spanish, Nahuatl (among some Indigenous people)
_#_Literacy: 73% (male 76%, female 70%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 1,700,000 (1982 est.); agriculture 40%, commerce 16%, manufacturing 15%, government 13%, financial services 9%, transportation 6%, other 1%; there is a shortage of skilled labor and a large number of unskilled workers, but workforce training programs are improving the situation (1984 est.)
_#_Organized labor: total labor force 15%; agricultural labor force 10%; urban labor force 7% (1987 est.)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of El Salvador
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: San Salvador
_#_Administrative divisions: 14 departments (departamentos, singular—departamento); Ahuachapan, Cabanas, Chalatenango, Cuscatlan, La Libertad, La Paz, La Union, Morazan, San Miguel, San Salvador, Santa Ana, San Vicente, Sonsonate, Usulutan
_#_Independence: September 15, 1821 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution: 20 December 1983
_#_Legal system: based on civil and Roman law, with elements of common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts mandatory ICJ jurisdiction, with restrictions
_National holiday: Independence Day, September 15 (1821)_
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, cabinet (Council of Ministers)
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Supreme Court)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Alfredo CRISTIANI (since June 1, 1989); Vice President Jose Francisco MERINO (since June 1, 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders: National Republican Alliance (ARENA), Armando CALDERON Sol; Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Fidel CHAVEZ Mena; National Conciliation Party (PCN), Ciro CRUZ Zepeda; National Democratic Union (UDN), Mario AGUINADA Carranza; the Democratic Convergence (CD) is a coalition of three parties—the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Wilfredo BARILLAS; the National Revolutionary Movement (MNR), Rene FLORES; and the Popular Social Christian Movement (MPSC), Ruben ZAMORA; Authentic Christian Movement (MAC), Julio REY PRENDES; Democratic Action (AD), Ricardo GONZALEZ Camacho
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held March 19, 1989 (next to be held March 1994); results—Alfredo CRISTIANI (ARENA) 53.8%, Fidel CHAVEZ Mena (PDC) 36.6%, other 9.6%;
Legislative Assembly—last held on March 10, 1991 (next one scheduled for March 1994); results—ARENA 44.3%, PDC 27.96%, CD 12.16%, PCN 8.99%, MAC 3.23%, UDN 2.68%; seats—(total 84) ARENA 39, PDC 26, PCN 9, CD 8, UDN 1, MAC 1
_#_Other political or pressure groups:
Leftist revolutionary movement—Farabundo Marti National
Liberation Front (FMLN), the leadership group of the insurgency, four
factions—Popular Liberation Forces (FPL), Armed Forces of National
Resistance (FARN), People's Revolutionary Army (ERP), Salvadoran
Communist Party/Armed Forces of Liberation (PCES/FAL), and Central
American Workers' Revolutionary Party (PRTC)/Popular Liberation
Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARLP);
Leftist political parties—National Democratic Union (UDN),
National Revolutionary Movement (MNR), and Popular Social Movement
(MPSC);
FMLN front organizations:
Labor fronts include—National Union of Salvadoran Workers (UNTS), a leftist umbrella group that leads the FMLN network; National Federation of Salvadoran Workers (FENASTRAS), the best-organized group controlled by FMLN's National Resistance (RN); Social Security Institute Workers Union (STISSS), one of the most militant fronts, controlled by FMLN's Armed Forces of National Resistance (FARN) and RN; Association of Telecommunications Workers (ASTTEL); Centralized Union Federation of El Salvador (FUSS); Treasury Ministry Employees (AGEMHA);
Nonlabor fronts include—Committee of Mothers and Families of Political
Prisoners, Disappeared Persons, and Assassinated of El Salvador
(COMADRES);
Nongovernmental Human Rights Commission (CDHES);
Committee of Dismissed and Unemployed of El Salvador (CODYDES);
General Association of Salvadoran University Students (AGEUS);
National Association of Salvadoran Educators (ANDES-21 DE JUNIO);
Salvadoran Revolutionary Student Front (FERS), affiliated with the
Popular Forces of Liberation (FPL);
Association of National University Educators (ADUES);
Salvadoran University Students Front (FEUS);
Christian Committee for the Displaced of El Salvador (CRIPDES),
an FPL affiliate;
The Association for Communal Development in El Salvador (PADECOES),
controlled by the People's Revolutionary Army (ERP);
Confederation of Cooperative Associations of El Salvador (COACES);
Labor organizations—Federation of Construction and Transport
Workers Unions (FESINCONSTRANS), independent;
Salvadoran Communal Union (UCS), farmers' association;
Unitary Federation of Salvadoran Unions (FUSS), left-leaning;
National Federation of Salvadoran Workers (FENASTRAS), left-leaning;
Democratic Workers Central (CTD), moderate;
General Confederation of Workers (CGT), moderate;
National Unity of Salvadoran Workers (UNTS), left-leaning;
National Union of Workers and Peasants (UNOC),
moderate labor coalition of democratic organizations;
United Workers Front (FUT);
Business organizations—National Association of Private Enterprise
(ANEP), conservative;
Productive Alliance (AP), conservative;
National Federation of Salvadoran Small Businessmen (FENAPES),
conservative
_#_Member of: BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES,
LORCS, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Miguel Angel SALAVERRIA; Chancery at 2308 California Street NW, Washington DC 20008; phone (202) 265-3480 through 3482; there are Salvadoran Consulates General in Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco;
US—Ambassador William G. WALKER; Embassy at 25 Avenida Norte No. 1230, San Salvador (mailing address is APO Miami 34023); telephone [503] 26-7100
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms has a round emblem surrounded by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL; it's similar to the flag of Nicaragua, which displays a different coat of arms in the white band—it features a triangle surrounded by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; it's also somewhat like the flag of Honduras, which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band.
_*Economy #_Overview: The agriculture sector makes up 25% of GDP, employs around 40% of the workforce, and contributes about 66% of total exports. Coffee is the primary cash crop, generating 45% of export revenue. The manufacturing industry, mainly focused on food and beverage processing, accounts for 18% of GDP and 15% of jobs. Economic damages from guerrilla sabotage have exceeded $2.0 billion since 1979. The expenses of maintaining a large military significantly limit the government's ability to provide essential social services. However, national output growth last year outpaced population growth for the first time since 1987.
_GDP: $5.4 billion, per capita $1,030; real growth rate 2.8% (1990 est.)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 20% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 10% (1989)
_#_Budget: revenues $751 million; expenditures $790 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $571 million (f.o.b., 1990 estimated);
commodities—coffee 45%, sugar, cotton, shrimp;
partners—US 49%, Germany 24%, Guatemala 7%, Costa Rica 4%, Japan 4%
_#_Imports: $1.2 billion (cost, insurance, and freight, estimated for 1990);
commodities—oil products, consumer goods, food items, machinery, building materials, fertilizer;
partners—US 40%, Guatemala 12%, Venezuela 7%, Mexico 7%, FRG 5%, Japan 4%
_#_External debt: $2.1 billion (est. December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 2.4% (1990); makes up 22% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 682,000 kW capacity; 1,849 million kWh produced, 350 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: food processing, textiles, clothing, beverages, petroleum, tobacco products, chemicals, furniture
_#_Agriculture: makes up 25% of GDP and employs 40% of the workforce (including fishing and forestry); coffee is the most important cash crop; other products include sugarcane, corn, rice, beans, oilseeds, beef, dairy products, and shrimp; not self-sufficient in food
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $2.95 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $455 million
_#_Currency: Salvadoran colon (plural—colones); 1 Salvadoran colon (C) = 100 centavos
_#_Exchange rates: Salvadoran colones (C) per US$1—8.0 (April 1991, floating rate since mid-1990); 5.0000 (fixed rate 1986 to mid-1990)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 602 km of 0.914-meter gauge, single track
_#_Highways: 10,000 km total; 1,500 km paved, 4,100 km gravel, 4,400 km improved and unpaved earth
_#_Inland waterways: Rio Lempa is partially navigable
_#_Ports: Acajutla, Cutuco
_#_Civil air: 7 main transport planes
##_Airports: 116 total, 82 usable; 6 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 1 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 5 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: nationwide trunk radio relay system; connection to the Central American Microwave System; 116,000 phones; stations—77 AM, no FM, 5 TV, 2 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Guard, National Police, Treasury Police
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 1,220,088; 780,108 qualified for military service; 71,709 turn 18 and become eligible for military service each year.
_#Defense spending: $220 million, 3.6% of GDP (1990) % @Equatorial Guinea *Geography #_Total area: 28,050 km²; land area: 28,050 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than Maryland
_#_Land boundaries: 539 km total; Cameroon 189 km, Gabon 350 km
_#_Coastline: 296 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: maritime boundary dispute with Gabon due to disputed control over islands in Corisco Bay
_#_Climate: tropical; always hot, humid
_#_Terrain: coastal plains rise to inland hills; islands are volcanic
_#_Natural resources: wood, crude oil, small untapped deposits of gold, manganese, uranium
_#_Land use: arable land 8%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and woodland 51%; other 33%
_#_Environment: subject to violent windstorms
_#_Note: insular and continental regions are quite far apart
_*People #_Population: 378,729 (July 1991), growth rate 2.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 42 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 16 deaths per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 116 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 49 years for males, 53 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 5.4 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s); adjective—Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean
_#_Ethnic divisions: indigenous population of Bioko, mainly Bubi, some Fernandinos; Rio Muni, mainly Fang; fewer than 1,000 Europeans, mostly Spanish
_#_Religion: the locals are all technically Christian and mostly Roman Catholic; some pagan practices are still observed
_#_Language: Spanish (official), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo
_#_Literacy: 50% (male 64%, female 37%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 172,000 (1986 est.); agriculture 66%, services 23%, industry 11% (1980); worker shortages on plantations; 58% of the population is of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: no official trade unions
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Equatorial Guinea
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Malabo
_#_Administrative divisions: 2 provinces (provincias, singular—provincia); Bioko, Rio Muni; note—there may now be 6 provinces named Bioko Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem, Litoral, Wele Nzas
_#_Independence: October 12, 1968 (from Spain; previously Spanish Guinea)
_#_Constitution: 15 August 1982
_#_Legal system: in transition; partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal customs
# National holiday: Independence Day, October 12 (1968)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber House of Representatives of the People (Cámara de Representantes del Pueblo)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA
MBASOGO (since August 3, 1979);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Cristino SERICHE BIOKO MALABO (since August 15, 1982); Deputy Prime Minister Isidoro Eyi MONSUY ANDEME (since August 15, 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders: only party—Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea (PDGE), Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO, party leader
_#_Suffrage: universal for adults at age NA
_#_Elections:
President—last held June 25, 1989 (next to be held June 25, 1996); results—President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO was reelected without opposition;
Chamber of People's Representatives—last held on July 10, 1988 (next one scheduled for July 10, 1993); results—PDGE is the only party; seats—(41 total) PDGE 41
_#_Communists: no significant number
_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS (associate), NAM, OAS (observer), OAU, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Damaso OBIANG NDONG; Chancery at 801 Second Avenue, Suite 1403, New York, NY 10017; telephone (212) 599-1523;
US—Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires William MITHOEFER;
Embassy at Calle de Los Ministros, Malabo (mailing address is P. O.
Box 597, Malabo; phone [240] (9) 2185, 2406, 2507
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a blue isosceles triangle on the hoist side and the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features six yellow six-pointed stars (representing the mainland and five offshore islands) above a gray shield displaying a silk-cotton tree, beneath which is a scroll with the motto UNIDAD, PAZ, JUSTICIA (Unity, Peace, Justice)
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy, which was ruined during former President Macias Nguema's regime, now relies on agriculture, forestry, and fishing, making up about 60% of GNP and nearly all exports. Subsistence farming is the norm, with cocoa, coffee, and wood products generating income, foreign exchange, and government revenue. There is minimal industry. Commerce contributes roughly 10% of GNP, while the construction, public works, and service sectors account for around 34%. There are undeveloped natural resources like titanium, iron ore, manganese, uranium, and alluvial gold. Oil exploration, happening under contracts granted to US, French, and Spanish companies, has seen moderate success, and some revenue from oil exports is expected to start coming in by mid-1991.
# GDP: $144 million, per person $411; actual growth rate 2.9% (1988 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.9% (1989 estimate)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $23 million; expenses $31 million, including capital expenses of NA (1988)
_#_Exports: $41 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—coffee, timber, cocoa beans;
partners—Spain 44%, West Germany 19%, Italy 12%, Netherlands 11% (1987)
_#_Imports: $57.1 million (c.i.f., 1988);
commodities—petroleum, food, beverages, clothing, machinery;
partners—Spain 34%, Italy 16%, France 14%, Netherlands 8% (1987)
_#_External debt: $195 million (1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 6.8% (1990 est.); accounts for about 4% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 23,000 kW capacity; 60 million kWh produced, 170 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: fishing, sawmilling
_#_Agriculture: cash crops—timber and coffee from Rio Muni, cocoa from Bioko; food crops—rice, yams, cassava, bananas, oil palm nuts, manioc, livestock
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY81-89), $14 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $112 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $55 million
_#_Currency: West African CFA franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Communauté Financière Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1—256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Highways: Rio Muni—1,024 km; Bioko—216 km
_#_Ports: Malabo, Bata
_#_Merchant marine: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 6,413 GRT/6,699 DWT; includes 1 cargo ship and 1 passenger-cargo ship.
_#_Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 4 total, 3 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: inadequate system with acceptable government services; international communications from Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; 2,000 telephones; stations—2 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Guard, National Police
_#_Manpower availability: males ages 15-49, 79,641; 40,369 eligible for military service
_#Defense spending: $NA, 11% of GNP (FY81 est.) % @Ethiopia *Geography #_Total area: 1,221,900 km²; land area: 1,101,000 km²
_#_Comparative area: just under double the size of Texas
_#_Land boundaries: 5,141 km total; Djibouti 459 km, Kenya 861 km, Somalia 1,600 km, Sudan 2,221 km
_#_Coastline: 1,094 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: the southern half of the border with Somalia is a Provisional Administrative Line; Somalia might claim this based on the unification of ethnic Somalis; there is a territorial dispute with Somalia over the Ogaden; there is a separatist movement in Eritrea; and there are antigovernment insurgencies in Tigray and other regions.
_#_Climate: tropical monsoon with significant variations due to topography; some areas are susceptible to prolonged droughts
_#_Terrain: high plateau with a central mountain range split by the Great Rift Valley
_#_Natural resources: small amounts of gold, platinum, copper, potash
_#_Land use: arable land 12%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 41%; forest and woodland 24%; other 22%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: geologically active Great Rift Valley prone to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; regular droughts; famine
_#_Note: key geopolitical location along the world's busiest shipping routes and near Arabian oil fields; a significant resettlement project—that was happening in rural areas and would have greatly changed population distribution and settlement patterns over the next several decades—has been disrupted due to ongoing civil wars.
_*People #_Population: 53,191,127 (July 1991), growth rate 3.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 45 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 15 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 114 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 50 years for males, 53 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 7.0 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Ethiopian(s); adjective—Ethiopian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Oromo 40%, Amhara and Tigrean 32%, Sidamo 9%, Shankella 6%, Somali 6%, Afar 4%, Gurage 2%, other 1%
_#_Religion: Muslim 40-45%, Ethiopian Orthodox 35-40%, animist 15-20%, other 5%
_#_Language: Amharic (official), Tigrinya, Oromigna, Guaraginga, Somali, Arabic, English (main foreign language taught in schools)
_#_Literacy: 62% (male NA%, female NA%) of people age 10 and over can read and write (1983 est.)
_#_Labor force: 18,000,000; agriculture and animal husbandry 80%, government and services 12%, industry and construction 8% (1985)
_#_Organized labor: The All Ethiopian Trade Union was established by the government in January 1977 to represent 273,000 registered union members.
_*Government #_Long-form name: People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
_#_Type: on May 28, 1991, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) took control in Addis Ababa; on May 29, 1991, Issayas AFEWORKE, the secretary general of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF), announced the establishment of a provisional government in Eritrea, in preparation for a future referendum on independence for the region.
_#_Capital: Addis Ababa
# Administrative divisions: 25 administrative regions (astedader akababiwach, singular—astedader akababi) and 5 autonomous regions* (rasgez akababiwach, singular—rasgez akababi); Addis Abeba (Addis Ababa), Arsi, Aseb*, Asosa, Bale, Borena, Debub Gonder, Debub Shewa, Debub Welo, Dire Dawa*, Ertra (Eritrea)*, Gambela, Gamo Gofa, Ilubabor, Kefa, Metekel, Mirab Gojam, Mirab Harerge, Mirab Shewa, Misrak Gojam, Misrak Harerge, Nazaret, Ogaden*, Omo, Semen Gonder, Semen Shewa, Semen Welo, Sidamo, Tigray*, Welega
_#_Independence: the oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world—at least 2,000 years
_#_Constitution: 12 September 1987
_#_Legal system: a complex system influenced by civil, Islamic, common, and customary law; has not accepted the mandatory jurisdiction of the ICJ.
_#_National holiday: National Revolution Day, September 12 (1974)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet of State, prime minister, five deputy prime ministers, Cabinet of Ministers
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber National Assembly (Shengo)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Interim President Meles ZENAWI (since June 1, 1991);
Head of Government—Acting Prime Minister Tamrat LAYNE (since June 6, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: only party—Workers' Party of Ethiopia (WPE)
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 10 September 1987 (next to be held September 1992); results—MENGISTU Haile-Mariam was elected by the National Assembly but resigned and left Ethiopia on 21 May 1991;
National Assembly—last held June 14, 1987 (next to be held NA); results—WPE was the only party; seats—(835 total) WPE 835
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Oromo Liberation Front; Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party (EPRP)
_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-24, G-77,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Counselor, Charge d'Affaires ad interim GIRMA Amare; Chancery at 2134 Kalorama Road NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 234-2281 or 2282;
US—Charge d'Affaires Robert G. HOUDEK; Embassy at Entoto Street, Addis Ababa (mailing address is P.O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa); telephone [251] (01) 550666
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and red; Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa, and the colors of its flag were frequently adopted by other African nations upon gaining independence, leading them to be recognized as the pan-African colors.
_*Economy #_Overview: Ethiopia is one of the poorest and least developed countries in Africa. Its economy relies on subsistence agriculture, which makes up about 45% of GDP, 90% of exports, and 80% of total jobs; coffee accounts for 60% of export earnings. The manufacturing sector depends heavily on resources from agriculture. Over 90% of large-scale industry is state-run, while less than 10% of agriculture is under state control. Favorable agricultural weather is a big reason for the 4.5% growth in output in FY89.
_#_GDP: $6.6 billion, per capita $130, real growth rate - 0.4% (FY89 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.2% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA
_#_Budget: revenues $1.8 billion; expenditures $1.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $842 million (FY88)
_#_Exports: $429 million (f.o.b., FY88);
commodities—coffee 60%, hides;
partners—US, FRG, Djibouti, Japan, PDRY, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia
_#_Imports: $1.1 billion (c.i.f., FY88);
commodities—food, fuels, capital goods;
partners—USSR, Italy, FRG, Japan, UK, US, France
_#_External debt: $2.6 billion (1988)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 2.3% (FY89 est.); makes up 13% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 330,000 kW capacity; 700 million kWh produced, 14 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, metals processing, cement
_#_Agriculture: makes up 45% of GDP and is the most important sector of the economy, even though frequent droughts and poor farming practices keep crop yields low; famines are not uncommon; export crops like coffee and oilseeds are partly grown on state farms; it's estimated that 50% of agricultural production is at a subsistence level; main crops and livestock include cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseeds, sugarcane, potatoes and other vegetables, as well as hides and skins, cattle, sheep, and goats.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $504 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $3.1 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $8 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $2.0 billion
_#_Currency: birr (plural—birr); 1 birr (Br) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: birr (Br) per US$1—2.0700 (fixed rate)
_#_Fiscal year: 8 July-7 July
_*Communications #_Railroads: 988 km total; 681 km of 1,000-meter gauge; 307 km of 950-meter gauge (nonoperational)
_#_Highways: 44,300 km total; 3,650 km paved, 9,650 km gravel, 3,000 km upgraded dirt, 28,000 km unpaved dirt
_#_Ports: Aseb, Mitsiwa
_#_Merchant marine: 13 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 69,398 GRT/89,457 DWT; includes 9 cargo ships, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo ship, 1 livestock carrier, and 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers.
_#_Civil air: 21 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 153 total, 111 operational; 9 with paved runways; 2 with runways longer than 3,659 m; 13 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 49 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: open-wire and radio relay system suitable for government use; open-wire connections to Sudan and Djibouti; radio relay to Kenya and Djibouti; stations—4 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 45,000 TV sets; 3,300,000 radios; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT ground station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense, Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 11,717,614; 6,072,112 eligible for military service; 609,346 reach military age (18) each year
_#Defense spending: $NA, 8.5% of GDP (1988) % @Europa Island (French territory) *Geography #_Total area: 28 km2; land area: 28 km2
_#_Comparative area: approximately 0.2 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 22.2 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claimed by Madagascar
_#_Climate: tropical
_#_Terrain: NA
_#_Natural resources: negligible
_#_Land use: arable land NA%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures NA%; forest and woodland NA%; other NA%; heavily wooded
_#_Environment: wildlife sanctuary
_#_Note: located in the Mozambique Channel, 340 km west of Madagascar
_*People #_Population: uninhabited
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: French territory managed by Commissioner of the Republic Daniel CONSTANTIN, based in Réunion
_*Economy #_Overview: no economic activity
_*Communications #_Airports: 1 with a runway between 1,220 and 2,439 meters
_#_Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
_#_Telecommunications: 1 meteorological station
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of France % @_Falkland Islands
(Islas Malvinas) (dependent territory of the UK) _*Geography #_Total area: 12,170 km²; land area: 12,170 km²; includes the two main islands of East and West Falkland and around 200 small islands.
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Connecticut
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 1,288 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 100 meter depth;
Exclusive fishing zone: 150 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: managed by the UK, contested by Argentina
_#_Climate: cold marine; strong westerly winds, cloudy, humid; rain occurs on more than half of the days in the year; occasional snow throughout the year, except in January and February, but it doesn’t accumulate.
_#_Terrain: rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, uneven plains
_#_Natural resources: fish and wildlife
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 99%; forest and woodland 0%; other 1%
_#_Environment: low soil fertility and a brief growing season
_#_Note: the deeply indented coast offers great natural harbors
_*People #_Population: 1,968 (July 1991), growth rate 0% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NA migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: NA deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: NA years for males, NA years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Falkland Islander(s); adjective—Falkland Island
_#_Ethnic divisions: almost totally British
_#_Religion: primarily Anglican, Roman Catholic, and United Free Church; Evangelical Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Lutheran, Seventh-Day Adventist
_#_Language: English
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%) but mandatory schooling age 5 to 15 (1988)
_#_Labor force: 1,100 (est.); agriculture, primarily sheepherding about 95%
_#_Organized labor: Falkland Islands General Employees Union, 400 members
_*Government #_Full name: Colony of the Falkland Islands
_#_Type: dependent territory of the UK
_#_Capital: Stanley
_#_Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Constitution: 3 October 1985
_#_Legal system: English common law
_#_National holiday: Liberation Day, June 14 (1982)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor, Executive Council
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952);
Head of Government—Governor William Hugh FULLERTON (since NA 1988)
_#_Political parties: NA
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Legislative Council—last held October 11, 1989 (next to be held October 1994); results—percent of vote by party N/A; seats—(10 total, 8 elected) number of seats by party N/A
_#_Member of: ICFTU
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (UK dependent territory)
_#_Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper left corner and the Falkland Islands coat of arms in a white circle centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms features a white ram (sheep farming is the main economic activity) above the sailing ship Desire (whose crew discovered the islands) with a banner at the bottom displaying the motto DESIRE THE RIGHT
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy relies on sheep farming, which directly or indirectly employs most of the workforce. A few dairy herds are maintained to satisfy local demand for milk and dairy products, and the crops grown are mainly for winter feed. Exports include high-quality wool sent to the UK and the sale of postage stamps and coins. The surrounding waters are rich in fish, but the islanders currently do not take advantage of this resource. Efforts to create a local fishing industry have not been successful so far. In 1987, the government started selling fishing licenses to foreign trawlers working within the Falklands' exclusive fishing zone. These license fees generate over $40 million annually and are a key source of income for the government. To boost tourism, the Falkland Islands Development Corporation has established three lodges for visitors drawn by the abundant wildlife and trout fishing.
_GDP: $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate NA%
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.4% (average from 1980 to 1987)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%; labor shortage
_#_Budget: revenues $62.7 million; expenditures $41.8 million, excluding capital expenditures of $NA (FY90)
_#_Exports: at least $14.7 million;
commodities—wool, leather, and others;
partners—UK, Netherlands, Japan (1987 est.)
_#_Imports: at least $13.9 million;
commodities—food, clothing, fuels, and machinery;
partners—UK, Netherlands Antilles (Curaçao), Japan (estimated 1987)
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 9,200 kW capacity; 17 million kWh generated, 8,680 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: wool and fish processing
_#_Agriculture: mainly sheep farming; small dairy herds; some feed and vegetable crops
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $109 million
_#_Currency: Falkland pound (plural—pounds); 1 Falkland pound (5F) = 100 pence
_#_Exchange rates: Falkland pound (5F) per US$1—0.5171 (January 1991), 0.5603 (1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985); note—the Falkland pound is equal to the British pound
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Highways: 510 km in total; 30 km paved, 80 km gravel, and 400 km dirt roads.
_#_Ports: Port Stanley
_#_Civil air: no major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 5 total, 5 usable; 2 with paved runways; none with runways over 12,000 ft; 1 with runways between 8,000-12,000 ft; none with runways between 4,000 to 8,000 ft.
_#_Telecommunications: government-run radiotelephone and private VHF/CB radio networks offer reliable service to nearly all areas on both islands; 590 telephones; stations—2 AM, 3 FM, no TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station with connections through London to other countries
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: British Forces Falkland Islands (including Army, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, and Royal Marines); Police Force
_#Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK % @Faroe Islands (part of the Danish realm) *Geography #_Total area: 1,400 km²; land area: 1,400 km²
_#_Comparative area: just under eight times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 764 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Climate: mild winters, cool summers; often cloudy; foggy, windy
_#_Terrain: uneven, rocky, with some low hills; cliffs along most of the coast
_#_Natural resources: fish
_#_Land use: arable land 2%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 98%
_#_Environment: steep terrain restricts living to small coastal lowlands; group of 18 inhabited islands and a few uninhabited islets
_#_Note: strategically located along key sea routes in the northeastern Atlantic, roughly halfway between Iceland and the Shetland Islands
_*People #_Population: 48,151 (July 1991), growth rate 0.9% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 17 births per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 75 years for males, 81 years for females (1991)
_Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born per woman (1991)_
_#_Nationality: noun—Faroese (sing., pl.); adjective—Faroese
_#_Ethnic divisions: homogeneous Scandinavian population
_#_Religion: Evangelical Lutheran
_#_Language: Faroese (from Old Norse), Danish
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: 17,585; mainly involved in fishing, manufacturing, transportation, and trade
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: part of the Danish realm; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark
_#_Capital: Torshavn
_#_Administrative divisions: none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)
_#_Independence: part of the Danish kingdom; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark
_#_Constitution: Danish
_#_Legal system: Danish
_#_National holiday: Birthday of the Queen, April 16 (1940)
_#_Executive branch: Danish monarch, high commissioner, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet (Landsstyri)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Logting)
_#_Judicial branch: none
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen MARGRETHE II (since January 14, 1972), represented by High Commissioner Bent KLINTE (since N/A);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Atli P. DAM (since January 15, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: two-party ruling coalition—Social Democratic Party, Atli P. DAM; People's Party, Jogvan SUNDSTEIN;
opposition—Cooperation Coalition Party, Pauli ELLEFSEN;
Republican Party, Signer HANSEN;
Progressive and Fishing Industry Party-Christian People's Party
(PFIP-CPP), leader NA; Progress Party, leader NA; Home Rule Party, Hilmar
KASS
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 20
_#_Elections:
Faroese Parliament—last held on November 17, 1990 (next one scheduled for November 1994); results—Social Democratic 27.4%, People's Party 21.9%, Cooperation Coalition Party 18.9%, Republican Party 14.7%, Home Rule 8.8%, PFIP-CPP 5.9%, other 2.4%; seats—(32 total) two-party coalition 17 (Social Democratic 10, People's Party 7), Cooperation Coalition Party 6, Republican Party 4, Home Rule 3, PFIP-CPP 2;
Danish Parliament—last held on December 12, 1990 (next to be held by December 1994); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(2 total) Social Democratic 1, People's Party 1; note—the Faroe Islands elects two representatives to the Danish Parliament.
_#_Communists: insignificant number
_#_Member of:
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)
_#_Flag: white with a red cross outlined in blue that reaches the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is positioned towards the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
_*Economy #_Overview: The Faroese, who have long enjoyed the high living standards of the Danes and other Scandinavians, now have to deal with the decline of their crucial fishing industry and an external debt that's double their annual income. When countries around the world extended their fishing zones to 200 nautical miles in the early 1970s, the Faroese could no longer continue their traditional long-distance fishing and eventually depleted their own nearby fishing areas; one estimate predicted a 25% drop in fish catch by 1990 alone. Half the fishing fleet is up for sale, and the 22 fish-processing plants are operating at only half capacity. The government can no longer maintain its high level of spending on roads and tunnels, hospitals, sports facilities, and other social welfare programs.
_GDP: $662 million, per person $14,000; actual growth rate 3% (1989 estimate)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.0% (1988)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%, but increasing
_#_Budget: revenues $442 million; expenditures $442 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1989)
_#_Exports: $343 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—fish and fish products 88%, animal feed, transportation equipment;
partners—Denmark 16%, UK 14%, FRG 13.4%, US 10%, France 9%, Japan 5%
_#_Imports: $344 million (c.i.f., 1989 estimate);
commodities—machinery and transport equipment 30%, manufactures 16%, food and livestock 15%, chemicals 6%, fuels 4%;
partners: Denmark 44%, Norway 16%, Germany 6%, Sweden 6%, US 3%
_#_External debt: $1.3 billion (1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 80,000 kW capacity; 280 million kWh produced, 5,910 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: fishing, shipbuilding, handicrafts
_#_Agriculture: makes up 27% of GDP and employs 27% of the workforce; main crops—potatoes and vegetables; livestock—sheep; annual fish catch around 360,000 metric tons
_#_Economic aid: none
_#_Currency: Danish krone (plural—kroner); 1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 ore
_#_Exchange rates: Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1—5.817 (January 1991), 6.189 (1990), 7.310 (1989), 6.732 (1988), 6.840 (1987), 8.091 (1986), 10.596 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Highways: 200 km
_#_Ports: Torshavn, Tvoroyri
_#_Merchant marine: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 17,249 GRT/11,887 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger ship, 2 cargo ships, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, and 2 refrigerated cargo ships; note—a subset of the Danish register
_#_Airports: 1 with a permanent surface runway between 1,220 and 2,439 meters
_#_Telecommunications: good international communications; fair domestic facilities; 27,900 telephones; stations—1 AM, 3 (10 repeaters) FM, 3 (29 repeaters) TV; 3 coaxial submarine cables
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: there are no organized native military forces; only a small Police Force is maintained.
_#Note: defense is the responsibility of Denmark % @Fiji *Geography #_Total area: 18,270 km²; land area: 18,270 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than New Jersey
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 1,129 km
_#_Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines)
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of resource extraction; straight-line shelf claim added;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical marine; only minimal seasonal temperature variation
_#_Terrain: mainly mountains formed from volcanic activity
_#_Natural resources: wood, fish, gold, copper; offshore oil potential
_#_Land use: arable land 8%; permanent crops 5%; meadows and pastures 3%; forest and woodland 65%; other 19%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: prone to hurricanes from November to January; includes 332 islands, about 110 of which are inhabited.
_#_Note: located 2,500 km north of New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean
_*People #_Population: 744,006 (July 1991), growth rate 0.8% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 26 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 12 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 19 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 62 years for males, 67 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.1 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Fijian(s); adjective—Fijian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Indian 49%, Fijian 46%, European, other Pacific Islanders, overseas Chinese, and others 5%
_#_Religion: Christian 52% (Methodist 37%, Roman Catholic 9%), Hindu 38%, Muslim 8%, other 2%; note—Fijians are predominantly Christian, Indians are Hindu, and there is a Muslim minority (1986)
_#_Language: English (official); Fijian; Hindustani
_#_Literacy: 86% (male 90%, female 81%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1985 est.)
_#_Labor force: 235,000; subsistence farming 67%, hourly workers 18%, salaried employees 15% (1987)
_#_Organized labor: around 45,000 employees are part of about 46 trade unions, which are organized based on their jobs and ethnic backgrounds (1983)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Fiji
_#_Type: military coup leader Major General Sitiveni Rabuka officially declared Fiji a republic on October 6, 1987.
_#_Capital: Suva
_#_Administrative divisions: 4 divisions and 1 dependency*; Central, Eastern, Northern, Rotuma*, Western
_#_Independence: 10 October 1970 (from the UK)
_#_Constitution: October 10, 1970 (suspended October 1, 1987); a new Constitution was proposed on September 23, 1988, and enacted on July 25, 1990
_#_Legal system: based on the British system
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, October 10 (1970)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: the bicameral Parliament, made up of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives, was dissolved after the coup on May 14, 1987; the Constitution from September 23, 1988, establishes a bicameral Parliament.
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Ratu Sir Penaia Kanatabatu GANILAU (since December 5, 1987);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA (since December 5, 1987); Deputy Prime Minister Josefata KAMIKAMICA (since October 1991); note—Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA was prime minister from October 10, 1970, until the April 5-11, 1987, election; after a second coup led by Maj. Gen. Sitiveni RABUKA on September 25, 1987, Ratu Sir Kamisese MARA was reappointed as prime minister.
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Fijian Political Party (mostly Fijian), leader NA;
National Federation (mostly Indian), Siddiq KOYA;
Western United Front (Fijian), Ratu Osea GAVIDI;
Fiji Labor Party, Adi Kuini BAVADRA
_#_Suffrage: none
_#_Elections:
House of Representatives—last held on May 14, 1987 (next to be held in July 1992); results—percent of the vote by party NA; seats—(70 total, with ethnic Fijians given 37 seats, ethnic Indians 27 seats, and independents and others 6 seats) number of seats by party NA
_#_Communists: some
_#_Member of: ACP, AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, PCA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Charge d'Affaires Ratu Finau MARA; Chancery at Suite 240, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone (202) 337-8320; there is a Fijian Consulate in New York;
US—Ambassador Evelyn I. H. TEEGEN; Embassy at 31 Loftus Street, Suva (mailing address is P. O. Box 218, Suva); telephone [679] 314-466 or 314-069
_#_Flag: light blue with the UK flag in the upper left corner and the Fijian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield shows a yellow lion above a white background divided by the cross of Saint George, featuring stalks of sugarcane, a palm tree, bananas, and a white dove
_*Economy #_Overview: Fiji's economy is mainly based on agriculture, with a significant subsistence sector. Sugar exports are a key source of foreign currency, and sugar processing makes up one-third of industrial output. The industrial sector, including sugar milling, contributes 13% to GDP. Traditionally, Fiji earned a substantial amount of hard currency from the 250,000 tourists visiting each year. However, in 1987, after two military coups, the economy began to decline. GDP fell by 7.8% in 1987 and another 2.5% in 1988; political instability led to a drop in tourism, and the worst drought of the century caused a sharp decline in sugar production. On the other hand, both sugar and tourism performed well in 1989, leading to a robust economic recovery. In 1990, the economy faced a setback due to cyclone Sina, which reduced sugar output by an estimated 21%.
_#_GDP: $1.3 billion, per capita $1,693; real growth rate 3.5% (1991 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.5% (1991 estimate)
_#_Unemployment rate: 5.9 (1991 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $314 million; expenditures $355 million, including capital expenditures of $81 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $646 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.);
commodities—sugar 40%, gold, clothing, copra, processed fish, lumber;
partners—EC 31%, Australia 21%, Japan 8%, US 6%
_#_Imports: $840 million (c.i.f., 1991 est.);
commodities—machinery and transport 32%, food 15%, petroleum products, consumer goods, chemicals;
partners—Australia 30%, NZ 17%, Japan 13%, EC 6%, US 6%
_#_External debt: $428 million (December 1990 estimate)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 8.4% (1991 est.); makes up 13% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 215,000 kW capacity; 330 million kWh produced, 430 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: sugar, tourism, copra, gold, silver, fishing, clothing, lumber, small cottage industries
_#_Agriculture: makes up 23% of GDP; main cash crop is sugarcane; other crops include coconuts, cassava, rice, sweet potatoes, and bananas; small livestock sector consists of cattle, pigs, horses, and goats.
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-87), $732 million
_#_Currency: Fijian dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Fijian dollar (F$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Fijian dollars (F$) per US$1—1.4476 (January 1991), 1.4809 (1990), 1.4833 (1989), 1.4303 (1988), 1.2439 (1987), 1.1329 (1986), 1.1536 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 644 km of 0.610-meter narrow gauge, owned by the government-operated Fiji Sugar Corporation
_#_Highways: 3,300 km total (1984)—390 km paved; 1,200 km bitumen surface treatment; 1,290 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized soil surface; 420 km unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 203 km; 122 km are navigable by motorized boats and 200-ton barges
_#_Ports: Lambasa, Lautoka, Savusavu, Suva
_#_Merchant marine: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 34,214 GRT/37,161 DWT; includes 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 2 container ships, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, and 1 chemical tanker.
_#_Civil air: 1 DC-3 and 1 small aircraft
_#_Airports: 26 total, 24 operational; 2 with paved runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: modern local, interisland, and international (wire/radio integrated) public and special-purpose telephone, telegraph, and teleprinter facilities; regional radio center; important COMPAC cable link between the US-Canada and New Zealand-Australia; 53,228 telephones; stations—7 AM, 1 FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Fiji Military Force (FMF; Army, Navy, Police)
_#_Manpower availability: males ages 15-49, 190,120; 104,861 eligible for military service; 7,879 turn 18 and reach military age each year
_#Defense spending: $25.8 million, 2.5% of GDP (1988) % @Finland *Geography #_Total area: 337,030 km2; land area: 305,470 km2
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Montana
_#_Land boundaries: 2,628 km total; Norway 729 km, Sweden 586 km, USSR 1,313 km
_#_Coastline: 1,126 km not counting islands and coastal inlets
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 6 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of resource extraction;
Exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm;
Territorial sea: 4 nm
_#_Climate: cold temperate; possibly subarctic, but relatively mild due to the moderating effect of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and over 60,000 lakes
_#_Terrain: mainly flat to gently rolling plains mixed with lakes and small hills
_#_Natural resources: wood, copper, zinc, iron ore, silver
_#_Land use: arable land 8%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures NEGL%; forest and woodland 76%; other 16%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: permanently wet ground covers about 30% of land; population concentrated on a small southwestern coastal plain
_#_Note: long border with the USSR; Helsinki is the northernmost national capital on the European continent
_*People #_Population: 4,991,131 (July 1991), growth rate 0.3% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 12 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 10 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NEGL migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 71 years for males, 80 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.7 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Finn(s); adjective—Finnish
_#_Ethnic divisions: Finn, Swede, Sámi, Romani, Tatar
_#_Religion: Evangelical Lutheran 89%, Greek Orthodox 1%, none 9%, other 1%
_#_Language: Finnish 93.5%, Swedish (both official) 6.3%; small Lapp and Russian-speaking minorities
_#_Literacy: 100% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)
_#_Labor force: 2,470,000; services 38.2%, mining and manufacturing 22.7%, commerce 14.9%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 8.8%, construction 8.0%, transportation and communications 7.2% (1989)
_#_Organized labor: 80% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Finland
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Helsinki
_#_Administrative divisions: 12 provinces (laanit, singular—laani); Åland, Häme, Central Finland, Kuopio, Kymenlaakso, Lapland, Mikkeli, Oulu, North Karelia, Turku and Pori, Uusimaa, Vaasa
_#_Independence: December 6, 1917 (from the Soviet Union)
_#_Constitution: 17 July 1919
_#_Legal system: civil law system based on Swedish law; the Supreme Court can request legislation to interpret or change laws; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_National holiday: Independence Day, December 6, 1917_
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of State (Valtioneuvosto)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Eduskunta
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Korkein Oikeus)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Mauno KOIVISTO (since January 27, 1982);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Esko AHO (since April 26, 1991);
Deputy Prime Minister Ilkka KANERVA (since April 26, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
government coalition—Center Party, Esko AHO; National Coalition (Conservative) Party, Ilkka SUOMINEN; and Swedish People's Party, (Johan) Ole NORRBACK;
other parties—Social Democratic Party, Pertti PAASIO;
Leftist Alliance (Communist) made up of People's Democratic League and
Democratic Alternative, Claes ANDERSSON;
Green League, Heidi HAUTALA;
Rural Party, Heikki RIIHIJAERVI;
Finnish Christian League, Esko ALMGREN;
Liberal People's Party, Kyosti LALLUKKA
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held January 31-February 1 and February 15, 1988 (next to be held January 1994); results—Mauno KOIVISTO 48%, Paavo VAYRYNEN 20%, Harri HOLKERI 18%;
Eduskunta—last held on March 17, 1991 (next to be held in March 1995); results—Center Party 24.8%, Social Democratic Party 22.1%, National Coalition (Conservative) Party 19.3%, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 10.1%, Green League 6.8%, Swedish People's Party 5.5%, Rural 4.8%, Finnish Christian League 3.1%, Liberal People's Party 0.8%; seats—(200 total) Center Party 55, Social Democratic Party 48, National Coalition (Conservative) Party 40, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 19, Swedish People's Party 12, Green League 10, Finnish Christian League 8, Rural 7, Liberal People's Party 1
_#_Communists: 28,000 registered members; an extra 45,000 people belong to the People's Democratic League.
_#_Other political or pressure groups:
Finnish Communist Party-Unity, Esko-Juhani TENNILA;
Constitutional Rightist Party;
Finnish Pensioners Party;
Communist Workers Party, Timo LAHDENMAKI
_#_Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, BIS, CCC, CE, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA (associate), FAO, G-9, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIIMOG, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jukka VALTASAARI; Chancery at 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington DC 20016; phone (202) 363-2430; there are Finnish Consulates General in Los Angeles and New York, and Consulates in Chicago and Houston;
US—Ambassador John G. WEINMANN; Embassy at Itainen Puistotie 14A, SF-00140, Helsinki (mailing address is APO New York 09664); telephone [358] (0) 171931
_#_Flag: white with a blue cross that reaches the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is moved to the left side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
_*Economy #_Overview: Finland has a highly industrialized, mostly free market economy, with per capita output nearly three-fourths of the US figure. The main economic driver is the manufacturing sector—primarily the wood, metals, and engineering industries. Trade plays a vital role, with exports accounting for about 30% of GDP. Besides timber and a few minerals, Finland relies on imported raw materials, energy, and some parts of manufactured goods. Due to the climate, agricultural development is limited to ensuring self-sufficiency in basic commodities. The economy, which saw an average annual growth of 4.9% between 1987 and 1989, leveled off in 1990 and is now in a recession, facing negative growth in 1991. The clearing account system between Finland and the Soviet Union after the war—mainly Soviet oil and gas for Finnish manufactured goods—had shielded Finland from global recessions; however, this system was dismantled on January 1, 1991, in favor of hard currency trade. Consequently, Finland needs to boost its competitiveness in specific sectors, such as textiles, food items, paper, and metals, and has already started to shift trade toward the west. As a member of EFTA, Finland is negotiating a European Economic Area agreement with the EC that would enable free movement of capital, goods, services, and labor within the organization.
_GDP: $77.3 billion, per person $15,500; actual growth rate - 0.1% (1990)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.0% (1991 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 5.7% (1991 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $35.1 billion; expenditures $33.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.4 billion (1990)
_#_Exports: $23.3 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—lumber, paper and pulp, ships, machinery, clothing, and footwear;
partners—EC 44.0% (UK 12.0%, FRG 10.8%), USSR 14.5%, Sweden 14.3%, US 6.4%
_#_Imports: $24.4 billion (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—food, oil and oil products, chemicals, transportation equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarns and fabrics, animal feed grains;
partners—EC 44.5% (FRG 17.3%, UK 6.6%), Sweden 13.6%, USSR 11.5%, US 6.3%
_#_External debt: $5.3 billion (1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 3.0% (1991 est.); makes up 28% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 13,324,000 kW capacity; 49,330 million kWh produced, 9,940 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: metal manufacturing and shipbuilding, forestry and wood processing (pulp, paper), copper refining, food products, chemicals, textiles, clothing
_#_Agriculture: makes up 8% of GNP (which includes forestry); livestock farming, especially dairy cows, is the main focus; forestry is a key source of export revenue and a secondary job for people in rural areas; main crops—grains, sugar beets, potatoes; 85% self-sufficient, but lacking in food and feed grains; yearly fish catch is about 160,000 metric tons
_#_Economic aid: donor—ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $2.7 billion
_#_Currency: markka (plural—markkaa); 1 markka (FMk) or Finmark = 100 pennia
_#_Exchange rates: markkaa (FMk) per US$1—3.6421 (January 1991), 3.8235 (1990), 4.2912 (1989), 4.1828 (1988), 4.3956 (1987), 5.0695 (1986), 6.1979 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 5,924 km total; Finnish State Railways (VR) operate a total of 5,863 km of 1.524-meter gauge, with 480 km being multiple track and 1,445 km electrified.
_#_Highways: approximately 103,000 km in total, including 35,000 km paved (asphalt, concrete, asphalt-treated surface) and 38,000 km unpaved (stabilized gravel, gravel, dirt); plus an additional 30,000 km of private (state-subsidized) roads
_#_Inland waterways: 6,675 km total (including Saimaa Canal); 3,700 km suitable for steamboats
_#_Pipelines: natural gas, 580 km
_#_Ports: Helsinki, Oulu, Pori, Rauma, Turku; 6 secondary, numerous minor ports
_#_Merchant marine: 83 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 807,020 GRT/831,774 DWT; includes 3 passenger ships, 10 short-sea passenger vessels, 16 cargo ships, 1 refrigerated cargo ship, 23 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 14 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 6 chemical tankers, 2 liquefied gas carriers, 8 bulk carriers
_#_Civil air: 42 major transport
_#_Airports: 160 in total, 157 usable; 57 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 23 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 22 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m.
_#_Telecommunications: quality service from cable and radio relay networks; 3,140,000 telephones; stations—4 AM, 42 (101 relays) FM, 79 (197 relays) TV; 2 submarine cables; satellite service through Swedish ground stations; ground stations—2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 EUTELSAT
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Border Guard (including Coast Guard)
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 1,313,346; 1,089,217 eligible for military service; 32,866 turn 17 (military age) each year
_#Defense spending: $1.1 billion, 1.5% of GDP (1989 estimate) % @France *Geography #_Total area: 547,030 km²; land area: 545,630 km²; includes Corsica and the rest of mainland France, but excludes overseas territories.
_#_Comparative area: a bit more than twice the size of Colorado
_#_Land boundaries: 2,892.4 km total; Andorra 60 km, Belgium 620 km, Germany 451 km, Italy 488 km, Luxembourg 73 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Spain 623 km, Switzerland 573 km
_#_Coastline: 3,427 km (including Corsica, 644 km)
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12-24 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: maritime boundary dispute with Canada (Saint Pierre and
Miquelon); Madagascar claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso
Islands, Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin Island; Comoros claims
Mayotte; Mauritius claims Tromelin Island; Seychelles claims Tromelin
Island; Suriname claims part of French Guiana; Mexico claims Clipperton
Island; territorial claim in Antarctica (Adelie Land)
_#_Climate: usually cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean
_#_Terrain: mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in the north and west; the rest is mountainous, especially the Pyrenees in the south and the Alps in the east.
_#_Natural resources: coal, iron ore, bauxite, fish, timber, zinc, potash
_#_Land use: arable land 32%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 23%; forest and woodland 27%; other 16%; includes irrigated 2%
_#_Environment: primarily large cities and industrial hubs in the Rhone, Garonne, Seine, or Loire River basins; sometimes influenced by a warm tropical wind called the mistral
_#_Note: largest West European nation
_*People #_Population: 56,595,587 (July 1991), growth rate 0.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 9 deaths per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 74 years for males, 82 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women); adjective—French
_#_Ethnic divisions: Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese, and Basque minorities
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim (North African workers) 1%, unaffiliated 6%
_#_Language: French (100% of the population); quickly disappearing regional dialects (Provençal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)
_#_Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)
_#_Labor force: 24,170,000; services 61.5%, industry 31.3%, agriculture 7.3% (1987)
_#_Organized labor: 20% of the workforce (estimated)
_*Government #_Long-form name: French Republic
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Paris
_#_Administrative divisions: metropolitan France—22 regions (regions, singular—region); Alsace, Aquitaine, Auvergne, Lower Normandy, Burgundy, Brittany, Center, Champagne-Ardenne, Corsica, Franche-Comté, Upper Normandy, Île-de-France, Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Lorraine, Midi-Pyrénées, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Pays de la Loire, Picardy, Poitou-Charentes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Rhône-Alpes;
note—the 22 regions are divided into 96 departments; see separate entries for the overseas departments (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion) and the territorial collectivities (Mayotte, Saint Pierre and Miquelon)
_#_Dependent areas: Bassas da India, Clipperton Island, Europa Island, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, New Caledonia, Tromelin Island, Wallis and Futuna; note—the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica
_#_Independence: united by Clovis in 486, First Republic declared in 1792
_#_Constitution: September 28, 1958, amended regarding the election of the president in 1962
_#_Legal system: civil law system with local concepts; review of administrative but not legislative actions
_#_National holiday: Storming of the Bastille, July 14 (1789)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet of Ministers
_#_Legislative branch: a bicameral Parliament (Parlement) made up of an upper house or Senate (Senat) and a lower house or National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Cassation (Cour de Cassation)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Francois MITTERRAND (since May 21, 1981);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Edith CRESSON (since May 15, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Rally for the Republic (RPR, formerly UDR), Jacques CHIRAC;
Union for French Democracy (UDF, a coalition of PR, CDS, and RAD),
Valery Giscard d'ESTAING;
Republican Party (PR), Gerard LONGUET;
Center for Social Democrats (CDS), Pierre MEHAIGNERIE;
Radical (RAD), Yves GALLARD;
Socialist Party (PS), Pierre MAUROY;
Left Radical Movement (MRG), Yves COLLIN;
Communist Party (PCF), Georges MARCHAIS;
National Front (FN), Jean-Marie LE PEN
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held May 8, 1988 (next to be held May 1995); results—Second Ballot François MITTERRAND 54%, Jacques CHIRAC 46%;
Senate—last held on September 24, 1989 (next to be held in September 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(321 total; 296 from metropolitan France, 13 for overseas departments and territories, and 12 for French nationals abroad) RPR 93, UDF 143 (PR 53, CDS 65, RAD 25), PS 64, PCF 16, independents 2, unknown 3;
National Assembly—last held on June 5 and 12, 1988 (next one scheduled for June 1993); results—Second Ballot PS-MRG 48.7%, RPR 23.1%, UDF 21%, PCF 3.4%, other 3.8%; seats—(577 total) PS 275, RPR 132, UDF 90, UDC 40, PCF 25, independents 15
_#_Communists: 700,000 claimed but likely around 150,000; Communist voters, 2.8 million in the 1988 election
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Communist-controlled labor union (Confederation Generale du Travail) nearly 2.4 million members (claimed); Socialist-leaning labor union (Confederation Francaise Democratique du Travail or CFDT) about 800,000 members (est.); independent labor union (Force Ouvriere) 1 million members (est.); independent white-collar union (Confederation Generale des Cadres) 340,000 members (claimed); National Council of French Employers (Conseil National du Patronat Francais—CNPF or Patronat)
_#_Member of: ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, BDEAC,
BIS, CCC, CDB, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECA (associate),
ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, ESCAP, FAO, FZ, GATT, G-5, G-7, G-10, IABD, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS,
NATO, NEA, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNRWA, UN Security Council, UN Trusteeship Council,
UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jacques ANDREANI; Chancery at 4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington DC 20007; phone (202) 944-6000; there are French Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico);
US—Ambassador Walter J. P. Curley; Embassy at 2 Avenue
Gabriel, 75382 Paris Cedex 08 (mailing address is APO New York 09777);
telephone [33] (1) 42-96-12-02 or 42-61-80-75; there are US Consulates
General in Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, and Strasbourg
_#_Flag: three equal vertical bands of blue (on the side by the flagpole), white, and red; known as the French Tricolor; the design and colors have inspired several other flags, including those of Belgium, Chad, Ireland, Ivory Coast, and Luxembourg; the official flag for all French territories.
_*Economy #_Overview: France is one of the world's most developed economies, with significant agricultural resources and a highly diversified modern industrial sector. Its vast fertile land, use of modern technology, and subsidies have made it the top agricultural producer in Western Europe. France is mostly self-sufficient in agricultural products and is a key exporter of wheat and dairy. The industrial sector accounts for about a quarter of GDP, and the expanding services sector has become vital to the economy. After slow growth from 1982 to 1987, the economy grew rapidly at 3.8% in 1988-89. However, growth slowed down in 1990, with an expected growth rate of 2.0% in 1991. The economy has struggled to create enough jobs for new labor force entrants, leading to a high unemployment rate, which is likely to rise to around 10% during the slowdown. The ongoing economic integration within the European Community is having a significant impact on the fortunes of various economic sectors.
_#_GDP: $873.5 billion, per person $15,500; actual growth rate 2.8% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.7% (1990 estimate)
_#_Unemployment rate: 9% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $207.6 billion; expenditures $224.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $34 billion (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $181.2 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—machines and transportation gear, chemicals, food items, agricultural goods, iron and steel products, textiles and clothing;
partners—FRG 16%, Italy 12.1%, UK 9.5%, Spain 9.5%, Netherlands 9.2%, Belgium-Luxembourg 8.9%, US 6.6%, Japan 1.9%, USSR 1.0% (1989 est.)
_#_Imports: $201.6 billion (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—crude oil, machinery and equipment, agricultural products, chemicals, iron and steel products;
partners—FRG 19.4%, Italy 11.6%, Belgium-Luxembourg 9.2%, Netherlands 8.6%, US 7.6%, Spain 7.4%, UK 7.1%, Japan 4.1%, USSR 1.4% (1989 est.)
_#_External debt: $59.3 billion (December 1987)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 3.7% (1989); makes up 26% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 109,972,000 kW capacity; 403,570 million kWh produced, 7,210 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: steel, machinery, chemicals, cars, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics, mining, textiles, food processing, and tourism
_#_Agriculture: makes up 4% of GNP (including fishing and forestry); one of the top five wheat producers in the world; other main products include beef, dairy, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, and wine grapes; self-sufficient for most temperate-zone foods; shortages include fats and oils and tropical produce, but overall a net exporter of agricultural products; fish catch of 850,000 metric tons ranks among the top 20 countries in the world, and is all used domestically.
_#_Economic aid: donor—ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $75.1 billion
_#_Currency: French franc (plural—francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1—5.8 (May 1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: French National Railways (SNCF) operates 34,568 km of 1.435-meter standard gauge; 11,674 km is electrified, 15,132 km is double or multiple track; 2,138 km of various gauges (1.000-meter to 1.440-meter) are privately owned and operated.
_#_Highways: 1,551,400 km total; 33,400 km national highway; 347,000 km departmental highway; 421,000 km community roads; 750,000 km rural roads; 5,401 km of controlled-access divided highways; about 803,000 km paved
_#_Inland waterways: 14,932 km; 6,969 km heavily used
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 3,059 km; refined products, 4,487 km; natural gas, 24,746 km
_#_Ports: maritime—Bordeaux, Boulogne, Brest, Cherbourg, Dunkirk, Fos-Sur-Mer, Le Havre, Marseille, Nantes, Rouen, Sète, Toulon; inland—42
_#_Merchant marine: 133 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 3,141,276 GRT/5,006,695 DWT; includes 8 short-sea passenger ships, 15 cargo ships, 18 container ships, 2 large-load carrier ships, 29 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 34 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 8 chemical tankers, 6 liquefied gas carriers, 2 specialized tankers, and 11 bulk carriers; note—France also has a captive register for French-owned ships in the Kerguelen Islands (French Southern and Antarctic Lands) and French Polynesia.
_#_Civil air: 195 (1989 est.)
_#_Airports: 470 total, 460 usable; 246 with permanent-surface runways; 3 with runways over 12,000 ft; 34 with runways between 8,000-12,000 ft; 136 with runways between 4,000-8,000 ft
_#_Telecommunications: a well-developed system offers reliable telephone, telegraph, radio, and TV broadcast services; 39,200,000 telephones; stations—40 AM, 138 (777 relays) FM, 216 (8,902 relays) TV; 25 submarine coaxial cables; communication satellite ground stations operating in INTELSAT, 3 in the Atlantic Ocean, 2 in the Indian Ocean, along with EUTELSAT, MARISAT, and domestic systems.
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy (including Naval Air), Air Force, National Gendarmerie
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 14,366,492; 12,077,706 eligible for military service; 395,128 turn 18 each year
_#Defense spending: $29.7 billion, 3.6% of GDP (1990) % @French Guiana (overseas department of France) *Geography #_Total area: 91,000 km²; land area: 89,150 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Indiana
_#_Land boundaries: 1,183 km total; Brazil 673 km, Suriname 510 km
_#_Coastline: 378 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: Suriname claims the area between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini (both sources of the Lawa)
_#_Climate: tropical; hot and humid; minimal seasonal temperature variation
_#_Terrain: flat coastal plains that transition into hills and small mountains
_#_Natural resources: bauxite, wood, gold (widely distributed), cinnabar, kaolin, fish
_#_Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures NEGL%; forest and woodland 82%; other 18%
_#_Environment: mostly an unsettled wilderness
_*People #_Population: 101,603 (July 1991), growth rate 3.3% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 28 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 10 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 18 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 69 years for males, 76 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.7 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—French Guianese (sing., pl.); adjective—French Guiana
_#_Ethnic divisions: Black or mixed-race 66%; Caucasian 12%; East Indian, Chinese, Indigenous 12%; other 10%
_#_Religion: predominantly Roman Catholic
_#_Language: French
_#_Literacy: 82% (male 81%, female 83%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1982)
_#_Labor force: 23,265; services, government, and commerce 60.6%, industry 21.2%, agriculture 18.2% (1980)
_#_Organized labor: 7% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: Department of Guiana
_#_Type: overseas department of France
_#_Capital: Cayenne
_#_Administrative divisions: none (overseas department of France)
_#_Independence: none (overseas department of France)
_#_Constitution: September 28, 1958 (French Constitution)
_#_Legal system: French legal system
_#_National holiday: Storming of the Bastille, July 14, 1789
_#_Executive branch: French president, commissioner of the republic
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber General Council and a single-chamber Regional Council
_#_Judicial branch: the highest local court is the Court of Appeals located in Martinique, which has authority over Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana.
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President François MITTERRAND (since May 21, 1981);
Head of Government—Commissioner of the Republic Jean-Francois
DI CHIARA (since NA 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Guianese Socialist Party (PSG), Gerard HOLDER;
Rally for the Republic (RPR), Paulin BRUNE;
Guyanese Democratic Action (ADG), Andre Lecante;
Union for French Democracy (UDF), Claude Ho A CHUCK;
National Front (FN), Guy MALON;
Popular and National Party of Guiana (PNPG), Claude ROBO;
National Anti-Colonist Guianese Party (PANGA), Michel KAPEL
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Regional Council—last held March 16, 1986 (next scheduled for 1991); results—PSG 43%, RPR 27.7%, ADG 12.2%, UDF 8.9%, FN 3.7%, PNPG 1.4%, other 3.1%; seats—(31 total) PSG 15, RPR 9, ADG 4, UDF 3;
French Senate—last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(1 total) PSG 1;
French National Assembly—last held 24 September 1989 (next one scheduled for September 1992); results—percent of vote by party N/A; seats—(2 total) PSG 1, RPR 1
_#_Communists: Communist party membership negligible
_#_Member of: FZ, WCL, WFTU
_#_Diplomatic representation: as an overseas department of France, the interests of French Guiana are represented in the US by France
_#_Flag: the flag of France is used
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is closely linked to France through subsidies and imports. In addition to the French space center at Kourou, fishing and forestry are the most significant economic activities, with exports of fish and fish products (mainly shrimp) making up over 60% of total revenue in 1987. The abundant reserves of tropical hardwoods, which are not fully utilized, support a growing sawmill industry that supplies sawn logs for export. The cultivation of crops—rice, cassava, bananas, and sugarcane—is limited to the coastal area, where most of the population lives. French Guiana relies heavily on imports for food and energy. Unemployment is a major issue, especially among younger workers.
_GDP: $186 million, per person $2,240; real growth rate NA% (1985)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.1% (1987)
_#_Unemployment rate: 15% (1987)
_#_Budget: revenues $735 million; expenditures $735 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1987)
_#_Exports: $54.0 million (f.o.b., 1987);
commodities—shrimp, timber, rum, rosewood essence;
partners—France 31%, US 22%, Japan 10% (1987)
_#_Imports: $394.0 million (c.i.f., 1987);
commodities—food (grains, processed meat), other consumer products, manufacturing goods, oil;
partners—France 62%, Trinidad and Tobago 9%, US 4%, FRG 3% (1987)
_#_External debt: $1.2 billion (1988)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 92,000 kW capacity; 185 million kWh produced, 1,890 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: construction, shrimp processing, forestry products, rum, gold mining
_#_Agriculture: a variety of vegetables for local consumption; rice, corn, cassava, cocoa, bananas, sugar; livestock—cattle, pigs, poultry
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.25 billion
_#_Currency: French franc (plural—francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1—5.1307 (January 1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 680 km overall; 510 km paved, 170 km upgraded and unpaved dirt
_#_Inland waterways: 460 km, navigable by small ocean-going ships and river and coastal vessels; 3,300 km potentially navigable by local boats
_#_Ports: Cayenne
_Civil air: no major transport aircraft_
_#_Airports: 10 total, 10 usable; 5 with paved runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: reliable open wire and radio relay system; 18,100 telephones; stations—5 AM, 7 FM, 9 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: French Forces, Gendarmerie
_#_Manpower availability: males ages 15-49 28,650; 18,903 eligible for military service
_#Note: defense is the responsibility of France % @French Polynesia (overseas territory of France) *Geography #_Total area: 3,941 km²; land area: 3,660 km²
_#_Comparative area: a little less than one-third the size of Connecticut
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 2,525 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical, but moderate
_#_Terrain: a mix of rugged high islands and low-lying islands with reefs
_#_Natural resources: timber, fish, cobalt
_#_Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops 19%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and woodland 31%; other 44%
_#_Environment: occasional cyclone in January; includes five archipelagos
_#_Note: Makatea in French Polynesia is one of the three major phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean—the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Nauru.
_*People #_Population: 195,046 (July 1991), growth rate 2.5% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 31 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 22 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 66 years for males, 71 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.9 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—French Polynesian(s); adjective—French Polynesian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4%
_#_Religion: primarily Christian; Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 16%
_#_Language: French (official), Tahitian
_#_Literacy: 98% (male 98%, female 98%) age 14 and over, but there's no available definition of literacy (1977)
_#_Labor force: 76,630 employed (1988)
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: Territory of French Polynesia
_#_Type: overseas territory of France since 1946
_#_Capital: Papeete
_#_Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of France); there are no primary administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 5 archipelagos named Archipel des Marquises, Archipel des Tuamotu, Archipel des Tubuai, Iles du Vent, and Iles Sous-le-Vent; note—Clipperton Island is managed from French Polynesia and may have become a dependency of French Polynesia
_#_Independence: none (overseas territory of France)
_#_Constitution: September 28, 1958 (French Constitution)
_#_Legal system: based on the French system
_#_National holiday: Storming of the Bastille, July 14 (1789)
_#_Executive branch: French president, high commissioner of the republic, president of the Council of Ministers, vice president of the Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981); High Commissioner of the Republic Jean MONTPEZAT (since NA November 1987);
Head of Government—President of the Council of Ministers
Gaston FLOSSE (since May 10, 1991);
Vice President of the Council of Ministers NA
_#_Political parties and leaders: People's Rally (Tahoeraa Huiraatira; Gaullist), Gaston FLOSSE; Polynesian Union Party (Te Tiarama; centrist), Alexandre LEONTIEFF; New Fatherland Party (Ai'a Api), Emile VERNAUDON; Polynesian Liberation Front (Tavini Huiraatira), Oscar TEMARU; other small parties
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Territorial Assembly—last held March 17, 1991 (next to be held March 1996); results—percent of vote by party N/A; seats—(41 total) People's Rally (Gaullist) 18, Polynesian Union Party 14, New Fatherland Party 5, other 4;
French Senate—last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results—percent of vote by party N/A; seats—(1 total) party N/A;
French National Assembly last held on June 5 and 12, 1988 (next to be held in June 1993); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(2 total) People's Rally (Gaullist) 1, New Fatherland Party 1
_#_Member of: FZ, SPC, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: as an overseas territory of France, French Polynesian interests are represented in the U.S. by France
_#_Flag: the flag of France is displayed
_*Economy #_Overview: Since 1962, when France sent military personnel to the region, French Polynesia has transitioned from a subsistence economy to one where a large part of the workforce is either employed by the military or supports the tourism industry. Tourism represents around 20% of GDP and is a major source of hard currency income.
_#_GDP: $1.2 billion, per capita $6,300; real growth rate NA% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.3% (estimated in 1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 8% (1986 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $614 million; expenditures $957 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988)
_#_Exports: $75 million (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities—coconut products 79%, mother-of-pearl 14%, vanilla, shark meat;
partners—France 54%, US 17%, Japan 17%
_#_Imports: $806 million (c.i.f., 1988);
commodities—fuels, foodstuffs, equipment;
partners—France 53%, US 11%, Australia 6%, NZ 5%
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 72,000 kW capacity; 265 million kWh produced, 1,390 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, pearls, food processing, crafts
_#_Agriculture: coconut and vanilla farms; vegetables and fruits; poultry, beef, dairy products
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $3.95 billion
_#_Currency: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (plural—francs); 1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1—93.28 (January 1991), 99.00 (1990), 115.99 (1989), 108.30 (1988), 109.27 (1987), 125.92 (1986), 163.35 (1985); note—linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 600 km (1982)
_#_Ports: Papeete, Bora-bora
_#_Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,128 GRT/6,710 DWT; includes 1 passenger-cargo, 1 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo; note—a captive subset of the French register
_Civil air: about 6 major transport planes_
_#_Airports: 43 total, 41 operational; 23 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 2 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 33,200 phones; 84,000 radio receivers; 26,400 TVs; stations—5 AM, 2 FM, 6 TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 50,844; NA fit for military service
_#Note: defense is the responsibility of France % @French Southern and Antarctic Lands (overseas territory of France) *Geography #_Total area: 7,781 km²; land area: 7,781 km²; includes Île Amsterdam, Île Saint-Paul, Îles Kerguelen, and Îles Crozet; excludes the Terre Adelie claim of about 500,000 km² in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US
_#_Comparative area: just under 1.5 times the size of Delaware
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 1,232 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nautical miles (Kerguelen Islands only);
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: The US does not recognize the Terre Adelie claim in Antarctica.
_#_Climate: antarctic
_#_Terrain: volcanic
_#_Natural resources: fish, crayfish
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: Amsterdam Island and Saint Paul Island are extinct volcanoes
_#_Note: situated in the southern Indian Ocean approximately equidistant from Africa, Antarctica, and Australia
_*People #_Population: summer (January 1991)—180, winter (July 1991)—150, growth rate 0.0% (1991); note—mostly researchers
_*Government #_Long-form name: Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands
_#_Type: overseas territory of France since 1955; governed by High Administrator Bernard de GOUTTES (since NA May 1990), who is supported by a 7-member Consultative Council and a 12-member Scientific Council
_#_Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 3 districts named Ile Crozet, Iles Kerguelen, and Iles Saint-Paul et Amsterdam; excludes Terre Adelie claim in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US
_#_Flag: the flag of France is used
_*Economy #_Overview: Economic activity mainly focuses on supporting weather and geological research stations and French and other fishing boats. The fish caught by foreign ships in the Kerguelen Islands are exported to France and Reunion.
_#_Budget: $33.6 million (1990)
_*Communications #_Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
_#_Merchant marine: 12 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 220,392 GRT/350,131 DWT; includes 2 cargo, 3 refrigerated cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 2 bulk; note—a captive subset of the French register
_#_Telecommunications: NA
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: French Forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force)
_#Note: defense is the responsibility of France % @Gabon *Geography #_Total area: 267,670 km²; land area: 257,670 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Colorado
_#_Land boundaries: 2,551 km total; Cameroon 298 km, Congo 1,903 km, Equatorial Guinea 350 km
_#_Coastline: 885 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: maritime boundary dispute with Equatorial Guinea because of conflicting claims over islands in Corisco Bay
_#_Climate: tropical; always hot, humid
_#_Terrain: narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in the east and south
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore
_#_Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 18%; forest and woodland 78%; other 2%
_#_Environment: deforestation
_*People #_Population: 1,079,980 (July 1991), growth rate 1.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 28 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 14 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 104 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 51 years for males, 56 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.0 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Gabonese (sing., pl.); adjective—Gabonese
_#_Ethnic divisions: around 40 Bantu tribes, including four main tribal groups (Fang, Eshira, Bapounou, Bateke); approximately 100,000 expatriate Africans and Europeans, including 27,000 French
_#_Religion: Christian 55-75%, Muslim less than 1%, others are animist
_#_Language: French (official), Fang, Myene, Bateke, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
_#_Literacy: 61% (male 74%, female 48%) ages 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 120,000 salaried; agriculture 65.0%, industry and commerce 30.0%, services 2.5%, government 2.5%; 58% of the working-age population (1983)
_#_Organized labor: there are 38,000 members of the national trade union, the Gabonese Trade Union Confederation (COSYGA)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Gabonese Republic
_#_Type: republic; multiparty presidential system (opposition parties legalized in 1990)
_#_Capital: Libreville
_#_Administrative divisions: 9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem
_#_Independence: August 17, 1960 (from France)
_#_Constitution: February 21, 1961, revised April 15, 1975
_#_Legal system: based on the French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; compulsory ICJ jurisdiction not accepted.
_#_National holiday: Renovation Day (Gabonese Democratic Party established), 12 March (1968)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Supreme Court)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President El Hadj Omar BONGO (since December 2, 1967);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Casimir OYE-MBA (since May 3, 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG,
former sole party), El Hadj Omar BONGO, president;
National Recovery Movement-Lumberjacks (Morena-Bucherons);
Gabonese Party for Progress (PGP);
National Recovery Movement (Morena-Original);
Association for Socialism in Gabon (APSG);
Gabonese Socialist Union (USG);
Circle for Renewal and Progress (CRP);
Union for Democracy and Development (UDD)
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
President—last held on November 9, 1986 (next one scheduled for November 1993); results—President Omar BONGO was reelected unopposed;
National Assembly—last held on October 28, 1990 (next to be held by February 1992); results—percentage of vote NA; seats—(120 total, 111 elected) PDG 62, National Recovery Movement-Lumberjacks (Morena-Bucherons) 19, PGP 18, National Recovery Movement (Morena-Original) 7, ASPG 6, USG 4, CRP 1, independent 3
_#_Communists: no organized party; probably some people who support Communism
_#_Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-24,
G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS (associate), NAM,
OAU, OIC, OPEC, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador-designate Alexandre SAMBAT; Chancery at 2034 20th Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 797-1000;
US—Ambassador Keith L. WAUCHOPE; Embassy at Boulevard de la Mer, Libreville (mailing address is B. P. 4000, Libreville); phone 762003 or 762004, 743492
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal stripes of green (top), yellow, and blue
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy, which relied on timber and manganese until the early 1970s, is now primarily driven by the oil sector. From 1981 to 1985, oil represented about 46% of GDP, 83% of export earnings, and 65% of government revenue on average. The high oil prices of the early 1980s led to a significant increase in per capita income, boosted domestic demand, encouraged migration from rural to urban areas, and raised real wages to some of the highest levels in Sub-Saharan Africa. The three-year downturn in Gabon's economy, which started with falling oil prices in 1985, was reversed in 1989 due to nearly doubling oil prices compared to their 1988 lows. In 1990, the economy continued to grow, but issues with debt servicing are slowing down economic progress. The agricultural and industrial sectors remain relatively underdeveloped, aside from oil.
_GDP: $3.3 billion, per capita $3,090; real growth rate 13% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (estimated in 1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $1.1 billion; expenditures $1.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $277 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $1.16 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—crude oil 70%, manganese 11%, wood 12%, uranium 6%;
partners—France 53%, US 22%, West Germany, Japan
_#_Imports: $0.78 billion (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—food, chemicals, oil products, building materials, manufactured goods, machinery;
partners—France 48%, US 2.6%, West Germany, Japan, UK
_#_External debt: $3.4 billion (December 1990 estimate)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 10% (1988 estimate)
_#_Electricity: 310,000 kW capacity; 980 million kWh produced, 920 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: petroleum, food and beverages, timber, cement, plywood, textiles, mining—manganese, uranium, gold)
_#_Agriculture: makes up 10% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); cash crops—cocoa, coffee, palm oil; livestock is underdeveloped; food importer; small fishing operations yield about 20,000 metric tons; okoume (a tropical softwood) is the top timber product.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $66 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.9 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $27 million
_#_Currency: West African CFA franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Communauté Financière Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1—253.32 (December 1990), 171.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 649 km of 1.437-meter standard-gauge single track (Transgabonese Railroad)
_#_Highways: 7,500 km total; 560 km paved, 960 km laterite, 5,980 km unpaved
_Inland waterways: 1,600 km always navigable_
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 270 km; refined products, 14 km
_#_Ports: Owendo, Port-Gentil, Libreville
_#_Merchant marine: 2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 18,563 GRT/25,330 DWT
_#_Civil air: 11 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 73 total, 61 usable; 10 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 22 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: sufficient system of open-wire, radio relay, tropospheric scatter links, and communication stations; 13,800 telephones; stations—6 AM, 6 FM, 8 TV; satellite earth stations—2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 12 domestic satellites
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Presidential Guard, paramilitary Gendarmerie, National Police
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 266,472; 133,648 eligible for military service; 9,634 reaching military age (20) each year
_#Defense expenditures: $102 million, 3.2% of GDP (1990 est.) % @The Gambia *Geography #_Total area: 11,300 km²; land area: 10,000 km²
_#_Comparative area: just over two times the size of Delaware
_#_Land boundary: 740 km with Senegal
_#_Coastline: 80 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 18 nm;
Continental shelf: not specific;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: the short border section with Senegal is unclear
_#_Climate: tropical; hot, rainy season (June to November); cooler, dry season (November to May)
_#_Terrain: floodplain of the Gambia River bordered by low hills
_#_Natural resources: fish
_#_Land use: arable land 16%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 9%; forest and woodland 20%; other 55%; includes irrigated 3%
_#_Environment: deforestation
_#_Note: nearly an enclave of Senegal; the smallest country on the continent of Africa
_*People #_Population: 874,553 (July 1991), growth rate 3.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 48 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 17 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 138 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 47 years for males, 51 years for females (1991)
_Total fertility rate: 6.5 children born per woman (1991)_
_#_Nationality: noun—Gambian(s); adjective—Gambian
_#_Ethnic divisions: African 99% (Mandinka 42%, Fula 18%, Wolof 16%, Jola 10%, Serahuli 9%, other 4%); non-Gambian 1%
_#_Religion: 90% Muslim, 9% Christian, 1% indigenous beliefs
_#_Language: English (official); Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, and other indigenous languages
_#_Literacy: 27% (male 39%, female 16%) of people age 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 400,000 (1986 est.); agriculture 75.0%, industry, commerce, and services 18.9%, government 6.1%; 55% of the population is of working age (1983)
_#_Organized labor: 25-30% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of The Gambia
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Banjul
_#_Administrative divisions: 5 divisions and 1 city*; Banjul*, Lower River, MacCarthy Island, North Bank, Upper River, Western
_#_Independence: February 18, 1965 (from the UK); The Gambia and Senegal signed an agreement on December 12, 1981 (effective February 1, 1982) that called for the establishment of a loose confederation known as Senegambia, but the agreement was dissolved on September 30, 1989.
_#_Constitution: 24 April 1970
_#_Legal system: based on a mix of English common law, Islamic law, and customary law; accepts compulsory International Court of Justice jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, February 18, 1965
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber House of Representatives
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Alhaji Sir Dawda Kairaba JAWARA (since April 24, 1970); Vice President Bakary Bunja DARBO (since May 12, 1982)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
People's Progressive Party (PPP), Dawda K. JAWARA, secretary general;
National Convention Party (NCP), Sheriff DIBBA;
Gambian People's Party (GPP), Assan Musa CAMARA;
United Party (UP);
People's Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS)
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
President—last held on March 11, 1987 (next to be held in March 1992); results—Sir Dawda JAWARA (PPP) 61.1%, Sherif Mustapha DIBBA (NCP) 25.2%, Assan Musa CAMARA (GPP) 13.7%;
House of Representatives—last held on March 11, 1987 (next to be held by March 1992); results—PPP 56.6%, NCP 27.6%, GPP 14.7%, PDOIS 1%; seats—(43 total, 36 elected) PPP 31, NCP 5
_#_Communists: no Communist party
_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD,
ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU,
LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Ousman A. SALLAH; Chancery at Suite 720, 1030 15th Street NW, Washington DC 20005; telephone (202) 842-1356 or 842-1359;
US—Ambassador Arlene RENDER; Embassy at Pipeline Road
(Kairaba Avenue), Fajara, Banjul (mailing address is P. M. B. No. 19,
Banjul); telephone Serrekunda [220] 92856 or 92858, 91970, 91971
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal stripes of red (top), blue with white borders, and green
_*Economy #_Overview: The Gambia lacks significant minerals or natural resources and has a limited agricultural sector. It is one of the poorest countries in the world, with a per capita income of around $230. About 75% of the population is involved in crop production and livestock farming, contributing 30% to the GDP. Small-scale manufacturing—processing peanuts, fish, and hides—makes up less than 10% of the GDP. Tourism is an expanding industry. The Gambia imports one-third of its food, all its fuel, and most of its manufactured goods. Exports are mainly focused on peanut products, which account for about 75% of the total value.
_#_GDP: $195 million, per person $230; real growth rate 6.0% (FY90 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.0% (FY91)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $79 million; expenditures $84 million, including capital expenditures of $21 million (FY90)
_#_Exports: $116 million (f.o.b., FY90);
commodities—peanuts and peanut products, fish, cotton lint, palm kernels;
partners—Japan 60%, Europe 29%, Africa 5%, US 1%, other 5% (1989)
_#_Imports: $147 million (f.o.b., FY90);
commodities—food, goods, raw materials, fuel, machinery, and transportation equipment;
partners—Europe 57%, Asia 25%, USSR/EE 9%, US 6%, other 3% (1989)
_#_External debt: $336 million (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 6.7%; makes up 5.8% of GDP (FY90)
_#_Electricity: 29,000 kW capacity; 64 million kWh produced, 80 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: peanut processing, tourism, beverages, agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking, clothing
_#_Agriculture: makes up 30% of GDP and employs around 75% of the population; imports one-third of its food needs; the main export crop is peanuts; the key crops include millet, sorghum, rice, corn, cassava, and palm kernels; livestock includes cattle, sheep, and goats; forestry and fishing resources are not fully utilized.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $93 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $492 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $39 million
_#_Currency: dalasi (plural—dalasi); 1 dalasi (D) = 100 bututs
_#_Exchange rates: dalasi (D) per US$1—7.610 (January 1991), 7.883 (1990), 7.5846 (1989), 6.7086 (1988), 7.0744 (1987), 6.9380 (1986), 3.8939 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Highways: 3,083 km in total; 431 km paved, 501 km gravel/laterite, and 2,151 km unpaved dirt
_#_Inland waterways: 400 km
_#_Ports: Banjul
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 1 with a paved runway 2,440-3,659 m
_#_Telecommunications: sufficient network of radio relays and wired connections; 3,500 telephones; stations—3 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, paramilitary Gendarmerie, National Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 188,393; 95,133 ready for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $NA, 0.7% of GDP (1988) % @Gaza Strip #_Note: The war between Israel and the Arab states in June 1967 ended with Israel controlling the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, the Sinai, and the Golan Heights. As outlined in the 1978 Camp David Accords and confirmed by President Reagan's peace initiative on September 1, 1982, the final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, their relationships with neighboring countries, and a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan are to be negotiated among the involved parties. Camp David also specifies that these negotiations will determine the respective boundaries. Until this process is finished, US policy maintains that the final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip has not yet been determined. The US views the term West Bank as referring to all the area west of the Jordan River that was under Jordanian administration before the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. However, regarding the negotiations set out in the framework agreement, US policy states that a distinction must be made between Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank due to the city's unique status and circumstances. Therefore, a negotiated solution for the final status of Jerusalem may differ from that of the rest of the West Bank.
_*Geography #_Total area: 380 km²; land area: 380 km²
_#_Comparative area: just over twice the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: 62 km total; Egypt 11 km, Israel 51 km
_#_Coastline: 40 km
_#_Maritime claims: Israeli occupied, status to be decided
_#_Disputes: Israeli occupation with status yet to be decided
_#_Climate: moderate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers
_#_Terrain: flat to rolling, sandy coastal plain with dunes
_#_Natural resources: negligible
_#_Land use: arable land 13%, permanent crops 32%, meadows and pastures 0%, forest and woodland 0%, other 55%
_#_Environment: desertification
_#_Note: there are 18 Jewish communities in the Gaza Strip
_*People #_Population: 642,253 (July 1991), growth rate 3.2% (1991); in addition, there are 2,500 Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip (1990 est.)
_#_Birth rate: 43 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 5 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 41 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 65 years for males, 67 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.9 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: NA
_#_Ethnic divisions: Palestinian Arab and other 99.8%, Jewish 0.2%
_#_Religion: Muslim (mostly Sunni) 99%, Christian 0.7%, Jewish 0.3%
_#_Language: Arabic; Israeli settlers speak Hebrew, and English is widely understood.
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: (excluding Israeli Jewish settlers) small industry, commerce and business 32.0%, construction 24.4%, service and other 25.5%, and agriculture 18.1% (1984)
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Note: The Gaza Strip is currently run by Israeli military authorities and the Israeli civil administration. US policy states that the final status of the Gaza Strip will be decided through negotiations among the relevant parties. These negotiations will establish how this area will be governed.
_*Economy #_Overview: Nearly half the workforce in the Gaza Strip is employed in Israeli industrial, construction, and agricultural businesses across the border, with worker transfer funds making up 46% of GNP in 1990. The once-dominant agricultural sector now contributes only 13% to GNP, which is about the same as the construction sector, while industry accounts for 7%. Gaza relies on Israel for 90% of its imports and sells 80% of its exports there. Unrest in the region from 1988 to 1991 (intifadah) has increased unemployment and significantly reduced the population's income. Additionally, the Persian Gulf crisis severely impacted the Gaza Strip in 1990 and into 1991. Worker remittances from the Gulf states have dropped, unemployment has risen, and export revenues have decreased sharply. The risk of malnutrition is a genuine concern in 1991.
_GNP: $270 million, per person $430; actual growth rate - 25% (1990 est.)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $36.6 million; expenditures $32.0 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1986)
_#_Exports: $88 million;
commodities—citrus;
partners—Israel, Egypt (1989 est.)
_#_Imports: $260 million;
commodities—food, consumer goods, construction materials;
partners—Israel, Egypt (1989 est.)
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: power supplied by Israel
_#_Industries: typically small family-run businesses that create cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have set up a few small-scale modern industries in an industrial hub.
_#_Agriculture: olives, citrus fruits, other fruits, vegetables, beef, dairy products
_#_Economic aid: none
_#_Currency: new Israeli shekel (plural—shekels); 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot
_#_Exchange rates: new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1—2.0120 (January 1991), 2.0162 (1990), 1.9164 (1989), 1.5989 (1988), 1.5946 (1987), 1.4878 (1986), 1.1788 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-March 31
_*Communications #_Railroads: one line, abandoned and falling apart, but the tracks are still there
# Highways: limited, underdeveloped local road network
_#_Ports: places for small boats to support Gaza
_#_Airports: 1 with a permanent-surface runway under 1,220 m
_#_Telecommunications: stations—no AM, no FM, no TV
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: NA
_#_Manpower availability: males ages 15-49, 136,311; NA fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP % @Germany *Geography #_Total area: 356,910 km²; land area: 349,520 km²; includes the previously separate Federal Republic of Germany, the German Democratic Republic, and Berlin after formal unification on October 3, 1990
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Montana
_#_Land boundaries: 3,790 km total; Austria 784 km, Belgium 167 km, Czechoslovakia 815 km, Denmark 68 km, France 451 km, Luxembourg 138 km, Netherlands 577 km, Poland 456 km, Switzerland 334 km
_#_Coastline: 2,389 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of extraction;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: North Sea and Schleswig-Holstein coast of
Baltic Sea—3 nautical miles (extends, at one point, to 16 nautical miles in the
Helgolander Bucht); remainder of Baltic Sea—12 nautical miles
_#_Disputes: the borders of Germany were established by the Treaty on the Final Settlement With Respect to Germany signed on September 12, 1990, in Moscow by the Federal Republic of Germany, the German Democratic Republic, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union; this treaty took effect on March 15, 1991; a later treaty between Germany and Poland, reaffirming the German-Polish border, was signed on November 14, 1990, and is expected to be ratified in 1991; the US Government is working to resolve the property claims of US citizens against the former GDR.
_#_Climate: mild and oceanic; cool, overcast, and wet winters and summers; occasional warm, tropical foehn wind; high relative humidity
_#_Terrain: lowlands in the north, uplands in the center, Bavarian Alps in the south
_#_Natural resources: iron ore, coal, potash, timber, lignite, uranium, copper, natural gas, salt, nickel
_#_Land use: arable land 34%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 16%; forest and woodland 30%; other 19%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: air and water pollution; groundwater, lakes, and air quality in eastern Germany are particularly poor; significant deforestation in the eastern mountains due to air pollution and acid rain
_#_Note: strategic location on the North European Plain and along the entrance to the Baltic Sea
_*People #_Population: 79,548,498 (July 1991), growth rate 0.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 11 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 11 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 4 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 73 years for males, 79 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—German(s); adjective—German
_#_Ethnic divisions: mainly German; small Danish and Slavic minorities
_#_Religion: Protestant 45%, Roman Catholic 37%, non-religious or other 18%
_#_Language: German
_#_Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) ages 15 and up can read and write (1970 est.)
_#_Labor force: 36,750,000; industry 41%, agriculture 6%, other 53% (1987)
_#_Organized labor: 47% of the workforce (1986 estimate)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Federal Republic of Germany
_#_Type: federal republic
_#_Capital: Berlin; note—the transition from Bonn to Berlin will happen over several years, with Bonn keeping many administrative functions.
_#_Administrative divisions: 16 states (lander, singular—land);
Baden-Wurttemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg,
Hesse, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia,
Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein,
Thuringia
_#_Independence: January 18, 1871 (unification of the German Empire); divided into four occupation zones (UK, US, USSR, and later, France) in 1945 after World War II; the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or West Germany) was established on May 23, 1949, incorporating the previous UK, US, and French zones; the German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany) was established on October 7, 1949, covering the former USSR zone; the unification of West Germany and East Germany happened on October 3, 1990; all four powers officially relinquished their rights on March 15, 1991.
_#_Constitution: May 23, 1949, provisional constitution known as Basic Law
_#_Legal system: civil law system with indigenous concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in the Federal Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_National holiday: 3 October 1990, German Unity Day_
_#_Executive branch: president, chancellor, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral parliament (no official name for the two chambers as a whole) consists of an upper chamber or Federal Council (Bundesrat) and a lower chamber or Federal Diet (Bundestag)
_#_Judicial branch: Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht)
_#_Leaders: Chief of State—President Dr. Richard von WEIZSÄCKER (since July 1, 1984);
Head of Government—Chancellor Dr. Helmut KOHL (since October 4, 1982)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Helmut KOHL, chairman;
Christian Social Union (CSU), Theo WAIGEL;
Free Democratic Party (FDP), Otto Count LAMBSDORFF, chairman;
Social Democratic Party (SPD), Bjoern ENGHOLM, chairman;
Green Party—Volmer LUDGER, Christine WEISKE, co-chairs
(after the December 2, 1990 election, the East and West German
Green Parties merged);
Alliance 90 consists of three parties—New Forum, Jens REICH, Sebastian
PFLUGBEIL, spokespersons; Democracy Now, Konrad WEISS, spokesperson;
and the Initiative for Peace and Human Rights Party, Gerd POPPE;
Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS, formerly the East German
Communist Party), Gregor GYSI, chairman;
Republikaner, Franz SCHONHUBER;
National Democratic Party (NPD), Martin MUSSGNUG;
Communist Party (DKP), Herbert MIES
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections: Federal Diet—last held on December 2, 1990 (next to be held by December 1994); results—CDU 36.7%, SPD 33.5%, FDP 11.0%, CSU 7.1%, Green Party (West Germany) 3.9%, PDS 2.4%, Republikaner 2.1%, Alliance 90/Green Party (East Germany) 1.2%, other 2.1%; seats—(662 total, 656 statutory with special rules to allow for slight expansion) CDU 268, SPD 239, FDP 79, CSU 51, PDS 17, Alliance 90/Green Party (East Germany) 8; note—special rules for this election allowed former East German parties to win seats if they received at least 5% of the vote in eastern Germany.
_#_Communists: West—around 40,000 members and supporters; East—284,000 party members (December 1990)
_#_Other political or advocacy groups: expellee, refugee, and veteran organizations
_#_Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, BDEAC, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN,
COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB, ESA, FAO, G-5, G-7, G-10, GATT, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NATO, NEA,
OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNHCR, UPU,
WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Jeurgen RUHFUS; Chancery at 4645 Reservoir Road NW,
Washington DC 20007; phone (202) 298-4000; there are German
Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston,
Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and New York, and Consulates
in Miami and New Orleans;
US—Ambassador-designate Robert M. KIMMITT; Embassy at Deichmanns
Avenue, 5300 Bonn 2 (mailing address is APO New York 09080); phone
[49] (228) 3391; there is a US Branch Office in Berlin and US Consulates
General in Frankfurt, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich, and Stuttgart
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal stripes of black (top), red, and yellow
_*Economy #_Overview: The newly unified German economy shows a clear contrast. Western Germany has a developed market economy and is a leading exporter. It saw faster-than-expected real growth primarily due to demand in eastern Germany for western products. Western Germany boasts a highly urbanized and skilled workforce that enjoys excellent living standards, plenty of leisure time, and comprehensive social welfare benefits. It has limited natural resources, with coal being the most significant mineral. The region is home to world-class companies that produce technologically advanced goods. The economy is mature, with manufacturing and service industries making up the majority of economic activity, while raw materials and semi-finished products represent a large share of imports. In 1989, manufacturing contributed 31% to GDP, with other sectors accounting for smaller portions. In recent years, gross fixed investment made up about 21% of GDP. In 1990, GDP in the western region was estimated at $16,300 per capita.
In contrast, eastern Germany's outdated command economy, which was once dominated by heavy industries, is going through a painful transition to a market economy. Industrial production in early 1991 is down 50% compared to the same time last year, mainly due to the decline in domestic demand for eastern German-made products and the ongoing economic restructuring. The FRG's legal, social welfare, and economic systems have been expanded to the east, but economic restructuring—privatizing industry, establishing clear property rights, defining responsibility for environmental cleanup, and getting rid of Communist-era management remnants—is progressing slowly, which is scaring off outside investors. The region is one of the world's largest producers of low-quality lignite coal but has few other resources. The quality of statistics from eastern Germany remains poor; Bonn is still trying to align the statistics for the region with West German standards.
The toughest economic challenge for a united Germany is rebuilding the economy of eastern Germany—specifically, figuring out the right mix of spending, regulations, monetary policy, and tax strategies that will encourage investment in the east without harming the strong economy of western Germany or straining relationships with Western partners. The biggest risk is that skyrocketing unemployment in eastern Germany, which could reach 30 to 40%, might lead to labor disputes or a new wave of people moving to western Germany, thereby undermining investor confidence in the east. Overall, economic activity in western Germany grew by about 4.6% in 1990, while it fell by around 15% in eastern Germany. The per capita GDP in the eastern region was about $8,700 in 1990.
_#_GDP: $1,157.2 billion, per capita $14,600; real growth rate 1.7% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): West—3.0% (1989); East—0.8% (1989)
# Unemployment rate: West—7.1% (1990); East—1% (1989); 3% (first half, 1990)
_#_Budget: West—revenues $539 billion; expenditures $563 billion, including capital expenditures of $11.5 billion (1988); East—revenues $147.0 billion; expenditures $153.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988)
_#_Exports:
West—$324.3 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—manufactured goods 86.6% (including machines and machine tools, chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel products), agricultural products 4.9%, raw materials 2.3%, fuels 1.3%;
partners—EC 52.7% (France 12%, Netherlands 9%, Italy 9%, UK 9%, Belgium-Luxembourg 7%), other West Europe 18%, US 10%, Eastern Europe 4%, OPEC 3% (1987);
East—$32.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—machinery and transport equipment 47%, fuels and metals 16%, consumer goods 16%, chemical products and building materials 13%, semimanufactured goods and processed foodstuffs 8%;
partners—USSR, Czechoslovakia, Poland, FRG, Hungary, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Romania, EC, US (1989)
_#_Imports:
West—$247.7 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—manufactured goods 68.5%, agricultural products 12.0%, fuels 9.7%, raw materials 7.1%;
partners—EC 52.7% (France 12%, Netherlands 11%, Italy 10%, UK 7%, Belgium-Luxembourg 7%), other Western Europe 15%, US 6%, Japan 6%, Eastern Europe 5%, OPEC 3% (1987);
East—$30.0 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—fuels and metals 40%, machinery and transportation equipment 29%, chemical products and construction materials 9%;
partners—USSR and Eastern Europe 65%, FRG 12.7%, EC 6.0%, US 0.3% (1989)
_#_External debt: West—$500 million (June 1988); East—$20.6 billion (1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rates, West—3.3% (1988); East—2.7% (1989 est.)
_#_Electricity: 133,000,000 kW capacity; 580,000 million kWh produced, 7,390 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: West—among the largest producers in the world of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics; food and beverages; East—metal fabrication, chemicals, lignite, shipbuilding, machinery, food and beverages, textiles, petroleum
_#_Agriculture: West—makes up about 2% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); varied crop and livestock farming; main crops and livestock include potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, fruits, cabbage, cattle, pigs, and poultry; a net importer of food; fish catch of 202,000 metric tons in 1987; East—accounts for about 10% of GNP (including fishing and forestry); main crops—wheat, rye, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits; livestock products include pork, beef, chicken, milk, hides, and skins; a net importer of food; fish catch of 193,600 metric tons in 1987.
_#_Economic aid:
West—donor—ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $75.5 billion;
East—donor—$4.0 billion provided directly to non-Communist less
developed countries (1956-88)
_#_Currency: deutsche mark (plural—marks); 1 deutsche mark (DM) = 100 pfennige
_#_Exchange rates: deutsche marks (DM) per US$1—1.5100 (January 1991), 1.6157 (1990), 1.8800 (1989), 1.7562 (1988), 1.7974 (1987), 2.1715 (1986), 2.9440 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: West—31,443 km total; 27,421 km government-owned, 1.435-meter standard gauge (12,491 km double track, 11,501 km electrified); 4,022 km privately owned, including 3,598 km 1.435-meter standard gauge (214 km electrified) and 424 km 1.000-meter gauge (186 km electrified); East—14,025 km total; 13,750 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 275 km 1.000-meter or other narrow gauge; approximately 3,830 km 1.435-meter double-track standard gauge; 3,475 km overhead electrified (1988)
_#_Highways: West—466,305 km in total; 169,568 km are primary roads, which include 6,435 km of autobahn, 32,460 km of national highways (Bundesstrassen), 65,425 km of state highways (Landesstrassen), and 65,248 km of county roads (Kreisstrassen); 296,737 km of secondary communal roads (Gemeindestrassen); East—124,604 km in total; 47,203 km made of concrete, asphalt, and stone block, of which 1,855 km are autobahn and limited access roads, 11,326 km are trunk roads, and 34,022 km are regional roads; 77,401 municipal roads (1988)
_#_Inland waterways:
West—5,222 km, with nearly 70% accessible for vessels with a capacity of 1,000 metric tons or more; key rivers include the Rhine and Elbe; the Kiel Canal is a vital link between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea;
East—2,319 km (1988)
_#_Pipelines: crude oil 3,644 km, refined products 3,946 km, natural gas 97,564 km (1988)
_#_Ports: maritime—Bremerhaven, Brunsbuttel, Cuxhaven, Emden, Bremen, Hamburg, Kiel, Lubeck, Wilhelmshaven, Rostock, Wismar, Stralsund, Sassnitz; inland—31 major
_#_Merchant marine: 598 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 5,029,615 GRT/6,391,875 DWT; includes 3 passenger ships, 5 short-sea passenger ships, 315 cargo ships, 11 refrigerated cargo ships, 126 container ships, 1 large multifunction load carrier, 33 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 5 railcar carriers, 6 barge carriers, 11 tankers for petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL), 27 chemical tankers, 21 liquefied gas tankers, 5 combination ore/oil ships, 14 combination bulk carriers, 15 bulk carriers; note—the German register includes ships from former East Germany and West Germany; during 1991, the fleet is expected to undergo significant restructuring as surplus ships are sold off.
_#_Civil air: 239 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 655 total, 647 usable; 312 with permanent-surface runways; 4 with runways over 12,000 feet; 86 with runways between 8,000 and 12,000 feet; 95 with runways between 4,000 and 8,000 feet.
_#_Telecommunications: West—well-developed, modern telecom services available throughout the country; fully sufficient in every way; 41,740,000 telephones; stations—70 AM, 205 (370 relays) FM, 300 (6,422 relays) TV; 6 submarine coaxial cables; earth stations operating in INTELSAT (12 in the Atlantic Ocean, 2 in the Indian Ocean), EUTELSAT, and domestic systems;
East—3,970,000 phones; stations—23 AM, 17 FM, 21 TV (15 Soviet TV relays); 6,181,860 TVs; 6,700,000 radios; at least 1 earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Federal Border Police
_#_Manpower availability:—males 15-49, 20,219,289; 17,557,807 eligible for military service; 415,108 turn 18 each year
_#Defense spending: $47.1 billion, 4.7% of GDP (1990) % @Ghana *Geography #_Total area: 238,540 km²; land area: 230,020 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Oregon
_#_Land boundaries: 2,093 km total; Burkina 548 km, Ivory Coast 668 km, Togo 877 km
_#_Coastline: 539 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; warm and relatively dry along the southeast coast; hot and humid in the southwest; hot and dry in the north
_#_Terrain: mainly flat plains with a broken plateau in the south-central part
_#_Natural resources: gold, wood, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber
_#_Land use: arable land 5%; permanent crops 7%; meadows and pastures 15%; forest and woodland 37%; other 36%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: recent drought in the north significantly impacting marginal agricultural practices; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; dry, northeasterly harmattan winds (January to March)
_#_Note: Lake Volta is the largest artificial lake in the world.
_*People #_Population: 15,616,934 (July 1991), growth rate 3.2% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 46 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 13 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 86 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 53 years for males, 56 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.3 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Ghanaian(s); adjective—Ghanaian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Black African 99.8% (major tribes—Akan 44%, Moshi-Dagomba 16%, Ewe 13%, Ga 8%), European and other 0.2%
_#_Religion: Indigenous beliefs 38%, Muslim 30%, Christian 24%, other 8%
_#_Language: English (official); African languages include Akan, Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga
_#_Literacy: 60% (male 70%, female 51%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 3,700,000; agriculture and fishing 54.7%, industry 18.7%, sales and clerical 15.2%, services, transportation, and communications 7.7%, professional 3.7%; 48% of the population of working age (1983)
_#_Organized labor: 467,000 (approximately 13% of the workforce)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Ghana
_#_Type: military
_#_Capital: Accra
_#_Administrative divisions: 10 regions; Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta, Western
_#_Independence: March 6, 1957 (from the UK, previously known as Gold Coast)
_#_Constitution: September 24, 1979; suspended December 31, 1981
_#_Legal system: based on English common law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, March 6 (1957)
_#_Executive branch: chairperson of the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC), PNDC, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: the unicameral National Assembly was dissolved after the coup on December 31, 1981, and the Provisional National Defense Council took over its legislative powers.
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—Chairman of the Provisional National Defense Council Flt. Lt. (Ret.) Jerry John RAWLINGS (since December 31, 1981)
_#_Political parties and leaders: none; political parties have been banned since the coup on December 31, 1981.
_#_Suffrage: none
_#_Elections: none
_#_Communists: a few Communists and supporters
_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIIMOG, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Dr. Joseph ABBEY; Chancery at 2460 16th Street NW, Washington DC 20009; phone (202) 462-0761; there is a Ghanaian Consulate General in New York;
US—Ambassador Raymond C. Ewing; Embassy at Ring Road East, east of Danquah Circle, Accra (mailing address is P.O. Box 194, Accra); phone [233] (21) 775347 to 775349
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal stripes of red (top), yellow, and green with a large black five-pointed star in the center of the yellow stripe; features the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; resembles the flag of Bolivia, which has a coat of arms in the center of the yellow stripe.
_*Economy #_Overview: With strong international support, Ghana has been steadily working on an economic rebuilding program since 1983, which includes steps towards privatization and loosening government controls. The economy relies heavily on cocoa, gold, and timber exports, and growth is at risk due to a poor cocoa harvest and rising oil prices in 1991. Inflation is unofficially estimated at 50%, which could jeopardize Ghana's relationships with multilateral lenders. Wage increases in the civil service and the costs of peacekeeping forces sent to Liberia are raising government spending and hindering structural adjustment reforms. Ghana launched a stock exchange in 1990.
_#_GNP: $5.8 billion, per person $380; actual growth rate 2.7% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 50% (1990 estimate)
_#_Unemployment rate: 1.9% (1989)
_#_Budget: revenues $821 million; expenditures $782 million, including capital expenditures of $151 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $826 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—cocoa 45%, gold, timber, tuna, bauxite, and aluminum;
partners—US 23%, UK, other EC
_#_Imports: $1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1990 estimate);
commodities—petroleum 16%, consumer goods, food, intermediate goods, capital equipment;
partners—US 10%, UK, FRG, France, Japan, South Korea, GDR
_#_External debt: $3.1 billion (1990 estimate)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 7.4% in manufacturing (1989); accounts for nearly 1.5% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 1,172,000 kW capacity; 4,110 million kWh produced, 280 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: mining, logging, light manufacturing, fishing, aluminum, food processing
_#_Agriculture: makes up over 50% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); the main cash crop is cocoa; other key crops—rice, coffee, cassava, peanuts, corn, shea nuts, timber; usually self-sufficient in food
_#_Illicit drugs: illegal cannabis producer for the global drug trade
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $455 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $2.3 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $78 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $106 million
_#_Currency: cedi (plural—cedis); 1 cedi (C) = 100 pesewas
_#_Exchange rates: cedis (C) per US$1—342.91 (November 1990), 270.00 (1989), 202.35 (1988), 153.73 (1987), 89.20 (1986), 54.37 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 953 km, all 1.067-meter gauge; 32 km of double track; railroads are being significantly renovated.
_#_Highways: 28,300 km total; 6,000 km paved with concrete or asphalt, 22,300 km gravel, laterite, and upgraded dirt surfaces
_#_Inland waterways: The Volta, Ankobra, and Tano Rivers offer 155 km of continuous navigation for boats and barges; Lake Volta provides 1,125 km of main and secondary waterways.
_#_Pipelines: none
_#_Ports: Tema, Takoradi
_#_Merchant marine: 4 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 52,016 GRT/66,627 DWT
_#_Civil air: 6 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 10 total, 9 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 12,000 ft; 1 with runways 8,000-12,000 ft; 7 with runways 4,000-8,000 ft
_#_Telecommunications: a below-average to average setup of open-wire and cable, radio relay connections; 38,000 telephones; stations—6 AM, no FM, 9 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force, paramilitary Palace Guard, National Civil Defense Organization
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 3,538,503; 1,983,493 eligible for military service; 169,698 reach military age (18) each year
_#Defense spending: $23 million, 0.5% of GNP (1988) % @Gibraltar (dependent territory of the UK) *Geography #_Total area: 6.5 km²; land area: 6.5 km²
_#_Comparative area: roughly 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: 1.2 km with Spain
_#_Coastline: 12 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 3 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Disputes: a source of occasional tension between Spain and the UK
_#_Climate: Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers
_#_Terrain: a narrow coastal lowland borders The Rock
_#_Natural resources: negligible
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: natural freshwater sources are scarce, so large water catchments (either concrete or natural rock) are used to collect rainwater.
_#_Note: strategic location on the Strait of Gibraltar that connects the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea
_*People #_Population: 29,613 (July 1991), growth rate 0.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 18 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 9 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 72 years for males, 78 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.4 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Gibraltarian; adjective—Gibraltar
_#_Ethnic divisions: mainly Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese, and Spanish descent
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 74%, Protestant 11% (Church of England 8%, other 3%), Muslim 8%, Jewish 2%, none or other 5% (1981)
_#_Language: English and Spanish are the main languages; Italian, Portuguese, and Russian are also spoken; English is used in schools and for official purposes.
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: about 14,800 (including non-Gibraltar workers); UK military bases and civil government employ nearly 50% of the labor force
_#_Organized labor: over 6,000
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: dependent territory of the UK
_#_Capital: Gibraltar
_#_Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Constitution: 30 May 1969
_#_Legal system: English law
_#_National holiday: Commonwealth Day (second Monday of March), 12 March 1990
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor, chief minister, Gibraltar Council, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber House of Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952), represented by Governor and Commander in Chief Adm. Sir Derek REFFELL (since NA 1989);
Head of Government—Chief Minister Joe BOSSANO (since March 25, 1988)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Socialist Labor Party (SL), Joe BOSSANO;
Gibraltar Labor Party/Association for the Advancement of Civil
Rights (GCL/AACR), Adolfo CANEPA;
Independent Democratic Party, Joe PITALUGA
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18, plus other UK residents living in the country for six months or longer.
_#_Elections:
House of Assembly: last held on March 24, 1988 (next to be held in March 1992); results—percent of vote by party N/A; seats—(18 total, 15 elected) SL 8, GCL/AACR 7
_#_Communists: negligible
_#_Other political or advocacy groups: Housewives Association, Chamber of Commerce, Gibraltar Representatives Organization
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (UK dependent territory)
_#_Flag: two horizontal stripes of white (top, double-width) and red with a three-tower red castle in the middle of the white stripe; hanging from the castle gate is a gold key positioned in the red stripe.
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy relies significantly on British defense spending, income from tourism, service fees for shipping, and revenues from banking and finance. Since over 70% of the economy is in the public sector, shifts in government spending greatly affect employment levels. Construction workers are especially impacted when government spending is reduced.
_GNP: $182 million, per person $4,600; actual growth rate 5% (FY87)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.6% (1988)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $136 million; expenditures $139 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY88)
_#_Exports: $82 million (1988);
commodities—(mainly reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%, other 8%;
partners—UK, Morocco, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, US, FRG
_#_Imports: $258 million (1988);
commodities—fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs;
partners—UK, Spain, Japan, Netherlands
_#_External debt: $318 million (1987)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 47,000 kW capacity; 200 million kWh produced, 6,670 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, banking and finance, construction, commerce; support for major UK naval and air bases; transit trade and supply depot in the port; light manufacturing of tobacco, roasted coffee, ice, mineral water, candy, beer, and canned fish
_#_Agriculture: NA
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $0.8 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $187 million
_#_Currency: Gibraltar pound (plural—pounds); 1 Gibraltar pound (5G) = 100 pence
_#_Exchange rates: Gibraltar pounds (5G) per US$1—0.5171 (January 1991), 0.5603 (1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985); note—the Gibraltar pound is equal to the British pound.
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Railroads: 1,000-meter-gauge system only in the dockyard area
_#_Highways: 50 km, mostly well-maintained asphalt and concrete
_#_Ports: Gibraltar
_#_Merchant marine: 30 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 1,399,594 GRT/2,667,656 DWT; includes 6 cargo ships, 2 refrigerated cargo ships, 1 container ship, 10 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 1 chemical tanker, 1 combination oil/ore ship, 9 bulk carriers; note—a flag of convenience registry
_#_Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 1 with a permanent runway surface measuring 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: sufficient international radio communication facilities; an automatic telephone system with 14,000 phones; stations—1 AM, 6 FM, 4 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force
_#Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK % @Glorioso Islands (French possession) *Geography #_Total area: 5 km²; land area: 5 km²; includes Ile Glorieuse, Ile du Lys, Verte Rocks, Wreck Rock, and South Rock
_#_Comparative area: about 8.5 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 35.2 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claimed by Madagascar
_#_Climate: tropical
_#_Terrain: undetermined
_#_Natural resources: guano, coconuts
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other—lush vegetation and coconut palms 100%
_#_Environment: subject to periodic cyclones
_#_Note: located in the Indian Ocean just north of the Mozambique Channel between Africa and Madagascar
_*People #_Population: uninhabited
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: French territory managed by Commissioner of the Republic Daniel CONSTANTIN, based in Reunion
_*Economy #_Overview: no economic activity
_*Communications #_Airports: 1 with runway 4,000-8,000 ft
_#_Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of France % @Greece *Geography #_Total area: 131,940 km²; land area: 130,800 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Alabama
_#_Land boundaries: 1,228 km total; Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km, Yugoslavia 246 km
_#_Coastline: 13,676 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters (depth) or to the depth of exploitation;
Territorial sea: 6 nm
_#_Disputes: complicated maritime and air (but not territorial) disputes with Turkey in the Aegean Sea; the Cyprus issue; the Macedonia issue with Bulgaria and Yugoslavia; the Northern Epirus issue with Albania
_#_Climate: moderate; mild, damp winters; hot, dry summers
_#_Terrain: mainly mountains with ranges stretching into the sea as peninsulas or chains of islands
# Natural resources: bauxite, lignite, magnesite, crude oil, marble
_#_Land use: arable land 23%; permanent crops 8%; meadows and pastures 40%; forest and woodland 20%; other 9%; includes irrigated 7%
_#_Environment: prone to major earthquakes; air pollution; archipelago of 2,000 islands
_#_Note: key location overseeing the Aegean Sea and southern route to the Turkish Straits
_*People #_Population: 10,042,956 (July 1991), growth rate 0.2% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 11 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 9 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 75 years for males, 80 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Greek(s); adjective—Greek
_#_Ethnic divisions: Greek 98%, other 2%; note—the Greek government claims there are no ethnic divisions in Greece.
_#_Religion: Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7%
_#_Language: Greek (official); English and French are widely understood
_#_Literacy: 93% (male 98%, female 89%) of people ages 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 3,860,000; services 43%, agriculture 27%, manufacturing and mining 20%, construction 7% (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 10-15% of the total workforce, 20-25% of the urban workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: Hellenic Republic
_#_Type: presidential parliamentary government; monarchy rejected by referendum December 8, 1974
_#_Capital: Athens
_#_Administrative divisions: 51 departments (nomoi,
singular—nomos); Aitolia and Akarnania, Achaea, Argolis,
Arcadia, Arta, Attica, Dodecanese, Drama, Evrytania,
Evros, Euboea, Florina, Phocis, Phthiotis, Grevena, Ilia,
Imathia, Ioannina, Heraklion, Karditsa, Kastoria, Kavala,
Kefalonia, Corfu, Halkidiki, Chania, Chios, Cyclades,
Kilkis, Corinth, Kozani, Laconia, Larissa, Lasithi,
Lesbos, Lefkas, Magnesia, Messinia, Pella, Pieria, Preveza,
Rethymno, Rodopi, Samos, Serres, Thesprotia, Thessaloniki,
Trikala, Viotia, Xanthi, Zakynthos
_#_Independence: 1827 (from the Ottoman Empire)
_#_Constitution: 11 June 1975
_#_Legal system: NA
_#_National holiday: Independence Day (announcement of the war of independence), March 25 (1821)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber Greek Chamber of Deputies (Vouli ton Ellinon)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Constantinos KARAMANLIS (since May 5, 1990);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Constantinos MITSOTAKIS (since April 11, 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: New Democracy (ND; conservative), Constantinos MITSOTAKIS; Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), Andreas PAPANDREOU; Democratic Renewal (DIANA), Constantine STEFANOPOULOS; Communist Party (KKE), Aleka PAPARIGA; Greek Left Party (EAR), Leonidas KYRKOS; Ecologist-Alternative List, leader NA; note—KKE and EAR have joined in the Left Alliance, Maria DAMANAKI, president
_Suffrage: universal and mandatory at age 18_
_#_Elections:
President—last held May 4, 1990 (next to be held May 1995); results—Constantinos KARAMANLIS was elected by Parliament;
Parliament—last held on April 8, 1990 (next scheduled for April 1994); results—ND 46.89%, PASOK 38.62%, Left Alliance 10.27%, PASOK/Left Alliance 1.02%, Ecologist-Alternative List 0.77%, DIANA 0.67%, Muslim independents 0.5%; seats—(300 total) ND 150, PASOK 123, Left Alliance 19, PASOK-Left Alliance 4, Muslim independents 2, DIANA 1, Ecologist-Alternative List 1; note—one DIANA deputy joined ND in July, bringing ND to 151 seats; in November, a special electoral court ruled in favor of ND on a contested seat, giving ND 152 seats and reducing PASOK to 122.
_#_Communists: about 60,000 members and supporters
_#_Member of: BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB,
FAO, G-6, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO,
IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS,
NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Christos ZACHARAKIS; Chancery at 2221 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; phone (202) 667-3168; there are Greek Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, and a Consulate in New Orleans;
US—Ambassador Michael G. SOTIRHOS; Embassy at 91 Vasilissis
Sophias Boulevard, 10160 Athens (mailing address is APO New York
09255-0006); telephone [30] (1) 721-2951 or 721-8401; there is a US
Consulate General in Thessaloniki
_#_Flag: nine equal horizontal stripes of blue (top and bottom) alternating with white; there’s a blue square in the upper left corner with a white cross; the cross represents Christianity, the country's official religion.
_*Economy #_Overview: Greece has a mixed capitalist economy, with a fundamental entrepreneurial system that was influenced from 1981 to 1989 by a socialist government that increased the public sector from 55% of GDP in 1981 to about 70% when Prime Minister Mitsotakis took office. Mitsotakis inherited several serious economic issues from the previous socialist and caretaker governments, which ignored the massive budget deficit, a growing current account deficit, and rising inflation. With only a two-seat majority in the Chamber of Deputies, Mitsotakis has focused on reducing the public-sector workforce, carefully broadening the tax base, and establishing guidelines for privatizing Greece's struggling state-owned enterprises. Once the political situation stabilizes, Greece will need to tackle the challenges presented by the ongoing integration into the European Community, including the gradual reduction of trade and investment barriers. Tourism remains a major industry, providing a crucial counterbalance to the significant commodity trade deficit.
_#_GDP: $76.7 billion, per capita $7,650; real growth rate 0.9% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 19.0% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 9.0% (1989)
_#_Budget: revenues $20.9 billion; expenditures $34.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990)
_#_Exports: $9.0 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—manufactured products, food and live animals, fuels and lubricants, raw materials;
partners—FRG 20%, Italy 17%, France 8%, UK 7%, US 6%
_#_Imports: $20.2 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—machines and transport equipment, small manufactured goods, fuels and oils, food items, chemicals;
partners—FRG 21%, Italy 16%, France 8%, Netherlands 7%, UK 6%
_#_External debt: $18.7 billion (1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 1.0% (1990 est.); makes up 22% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 10,500,000 kW capacity; 36,420 million kWh generated, 3,630 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal products, tourism, mining, oil
_#_Agriculture, which includes fishing and forestry, makes up 13% of GNP and employs 27% of the workforce. The main products are wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, olives, tomatoes, wine, tobacco, potatoes, beef, mutton, pork, and dairy products. The country is self-sufficient in food and recorded a fish catch of 135,000 metric tons in 1987.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $525 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.35 billion
_#_Currency: drachma (plural—drachmas); 1 drachma (Dr) = 100 lepta
_#_Exchange rates: drachma (Dr) per US$1—159.87 (January 1991), 158.51 (1990), 162.42 (1989), 141.86 (1988), 135.43 (1987), 139.98 (1986), 138.12 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 2,479 km in total; 1,565 km of 1.435-meter standard gauge, including 36 km electrified and 100 km of double track, 892 km of 1.000-meter gauge; 22 km of 0.750-meter narrow gauge; all owned by the government.
_#_Highways: 38,938 km total; 16,090 km paved, 13,676 km gravel and crushed stone, 5,632 km upgraded dirt, 3,540 km unpaved dirt
_#_Inland waterways: 80 km; the system includes three coastal canals and three separate rivers.
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 26 km; refined products, 547 km
_#_Ports: Piraeus, Thessaloniki
_#_Merchant marine: 958 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 21,585,048 GRT/39,011,361 DWT; includes 13 passenger ships, 63 short-sea passenger ships, 2 passenger-cargo ships, 152 cargo ships, 21 container ships, 17 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 23 refrigerated cargo ships, 1 vehicle carrier, 185 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 15 chemical tankers, 10 liquefied gas carriers, 25 combination ore/oil ships, 5 specialized tankers, 407 bulk carriers, and 19 combination bulk carriers; note—ethnic Greeks also own a significant number of ships registered in Liberia, Panama, Cyprus, and Lebanon.
_#_Civil air: 35 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 81 total, 79 usable; 60 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 20 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 22 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: sufficient, modern networks cover all areas; 4,122,317 telephones; stations—30 AM, 17 (20 repeaters) FM, 39 (560 repeaters) TV; 8 submarine cables; satellite ground stations operating in INTELSAT (1 in the Atlantic Ocean and 1 in the Indian Ocean), EUTELSAT, and MARISAT systems
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Greek Army, Greek Navy, Greek Air Force
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 2,434,762; 1,870,699 eligible for military service; 72,707 turn 21 each year
_#Defense spending: $3.7 billion, 5.5% of GDP (1990) % @Greenland (part of Denmark) *Geography #_Total area: 2,175,600 km²; land area: 341,700 km² (ice-free)
_#_Comparative area: a bit more than three times the size of Texas
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 44,087 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Disputes: Denmark has questioned Norway's maritime claims between Greenland and Jan Mayen
_#_Climate: Arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters
_#_Terrain: a flat to gently sloping icecap covers all but a narrow, mountainous, barren, rocky coast
_#_Natural resources: zinc, lead, iron ore, coal, molybdenum, cryolite, uranium, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and woodland negligible%; other 99%
_#_Environment: low population limited to small communities along the coast; constant permafrost covering the northern two-thirds of the island
_#_Note: dominates the North Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe
_*People #_Population: 56,752 (July 1991), growth rate 1.2% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 20 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 28 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 63 years for males, 69 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Greenlander(s); adjective—Greenlandic
_#_Ethnic divisions: Greenlander (Inuit and Greenland-born Caucasians) 86%, Danish 14%
_#_Religion: Evangelical Lutheran
_#_Language: Eskimo dialects, Danish
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: 22,800; mainly involved in fishing, hunting, and sheep farming.
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: part of the Danish realm; self-governing overseas administrative division
_#_Capital: Nuuk (Godthab)
_#_Administrative divisions: 3 municipalities (kommuner, singular—kommun); North Greenland, East Greenland, West Greenland
_#_Independence: part of the Danish territory; self-governing overseas administrative division
_#_Constitution: Danish
_#_Legal system: Danish
_#_National holiday: Queen's Birthday, April 16 (1940)
_#_Executive branch: Danish monarch, high commissioner, home rule chairman, prime minister, Cabinet (Landsstyre)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Landsting
_#_Judicial branch: High Court (Landsret)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen MARGRETHE II (since January 14, 1972), represented by High Commissioner Bent KLINTE (since NA);
Head of Government—Home Rule Chair Lars Emil JOHANSEN (since March 15, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: two-party ruling coalition—Siumut (a moderate socialist party that promotes a clearer Greenlandic identity and increased autonomy from Denmark), Lars Emil JOHANSEN, chairman; and Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA; a Marxist-Leninist party that prefers full independence from Denmark over home rule); Atassut Party (a more conservative party that supports maintaining close ties with Denmark), leader NA; Polar Party (conservative-Greenland nationalist), leader NA; Center Party (a new nonsocialist protest party), leader NA
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Landsting—last held on March 5, 1991 (next to be held on March 5, 1995); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(27 total) Siumut 11, Atassut Party 8, Inuit Ataqatigiit 5, Center Party 2, Polar Party 1;
Danish Folketing—last held on December 12, 1990 (next one to be held by December 1994); Greenland elects two representatives to the Folketing; results—percent of vote by party N/A; seats—(2 total) Siumut 1, Atassut 1
_#_Member of: NC
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)
_#_Flag: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a large circle slightly towards the left side of the center—the top half of the circle is red, the bottom half is white
_*Economy #_Overview: Over the past 25 years, the economy has shifted from being based on subsistence whaling, hunting, and fishing to relying on international trade. Fishing remains the most significant industry, making up over 75% of exports and about 25% of the population's income. The implementation of a social welfare system similar to Denmark's has given the public sector a major role in the economy. In 1990, the economy became heavily dependent on shrimp exports and an annual subsidy (now around $355 million) from the Danish Government, due to declines in cod exports, the closure of the zinc and lead mine, and a large but not yet operational platinum and gold mine. Greenland has signed a contract for its largest construction project, a power plant to supply the capital. To prevent an economic decline, Denmark has agreed to cover 75% of the costs for operating Sondrestrom Airbase and Kulusuk Airfield as civilian bases after the US withdraws in 1992.
_#_GNP: $500 million, per person $9,000; actual growth rate 5% (1988)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.4% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 9% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $381 million; expenditures $381 million, including capital expenditures of $36 million (1989)
_#_Exports: $417 million (f.o.b., 1989 estimate);
commodities—fish and fish products 78%, metallic ores and concentrates 19%;
partners—Denmark 74%, Germany 11%, Sweden 6%
_#_Imports: $394 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
commodities—manufactured goods 36%, machinery and transport equipment 26%, food products 13%, petroleum and petroleum products 10%;
partners—Denmark 69%, Norway, Germany, Japan, US, Sweden
_#_External debt: $480 million (1990 estimate)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 84,000 kW capacity; 176 million kWh generated, 3,180 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: fish processing (primarily shrimp), opportunities for platinum and gold mining, crafts, shipbuilding
_#_Agriculture: a sector primarily focused on fishing and sheep farming; crops are mainly limited to forage and small garden vegetables; fish catch in 1988 was 133,500 metric tons
_#_Economic aid: none
_#_Currency: Danish krone (plural—kroner); 1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 ore
_#_Exchange rates: Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1—5.817 (January 1991), 6.189 (1990), 7.310 (1989), 6.732 (1988), 6.840 (1987), 8.091 (1986), 10.596 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 80 km
_#_Ports: Kangerluarsoruseq (Faeringehavn), Paamiut (Frederikshaab), Nuuk (Godthaab), Sisimiut (Holsteinsborg), Julianehaab, Maarmorilik, North Star Bay
_#_Merchant marine: 1 refrigerated cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) with a total of 1,021 GRT/1,778 DWT; note—operates under the registry of Denmark
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 11 total, 8 usable; 5 with paved runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: sufficient domestic and international service delivered through cables and radio relay; 17,900 telephones; stations—5 AM, 7 (35 relays) FM, 4 (9 relays) TV; 2 coaxial submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of Denmark % @Grenada *Geography #_Total area: 340 km²; land area: 340 km²
_#_Comparative area: just under twice the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 121 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; balanced by northeast trade winds
_#_Terrain: formed by volcanic activity with central mountains
_#_Natural resources: wood, tropical fruits, deep-water ports
_#_Land use: arable land 15%; permanent crops 26%; meadows and pastures 3%; forest and woodland 9%; other 47%
_#_Environment: located on the edge of the hurricane belt; hurricane season runs from June to November
_#_Note: the islands in the Grenadines group are politically divided with Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
_*People #_Population: 83,812 (July 1991), growth rate - 0.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 35 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 32 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 29 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 69 years for males, 74 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.7 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Grenadian(s); adjective—Grenadian
_#_Ethnic divisions: primarily of Black African descent
_#_Religion: mostly Roman Catholic; Anglican; other Protestant denominations
_#_Language: English (official); some French dialect
_#_Literacy: 98% (male 98%, female 98%) of people aged 15 and over have attended school at some point (1970)
_#_Labor force: 36,000; services 31%, agriculture 24%, construction 8%, manufacturing 5%, other 32% (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 20% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: parliamentary democracy
_#_Capital: Saint George's
_#_Administrative divisions: 6 parishes and 1 dependency*; Carriacou and Little Martinique*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick
_#_Independence: 7 February 1974 (from the UK)
_#_Constitution: 19 December 1973
_#_Legal system: based on English common law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, February 7, 1974
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor-general, prime minister, government ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: a two-chamber Parliament made up of an upper house, the Senate, and a lower house, the House of Representatives
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Paul SCOON (since September 30, 1978);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Nicholas BRATHWAITE (since March 13, 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
National Democratic Congress (NDC), Nicholas BRATHWAITE;
Grenada United Labor Party (GULP), Sir Eric GAIRY;
The National Party (TNP), Ben JONES; New National Party (NNP), Keith
MITCHELL;
Maurice Bishop Patriotic Movement (MBPM), Terrence MERRYSHOW;
New Jewel Movement (NJM), Bernard COARD
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
House of Representatives—last held on March 13, 1990 (next to be held by March 1996); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(15 total) NDC 8, GULP 3, TNP 2, NNP 2
_#_Communists: about 450 members of the New Jewel Movement (pro-Soviet) and the Maurice Bishop Patriotic Movement (pro-Cuban)
_#_Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO,
ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LAES, LORCS,
NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
WHO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Denneth MODESTE; Chancery at 1701 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20009; phone (202) 265-2561; there is a Grenadian Consulate General in New York;
US—Charge d'Affaires Annette VELER; Embassy at Ross Point Inn, Saint George's (mailing address is P. O. Box 54, Saint George's); telephone (809) 444-1173 through 1178
_#_Flag: a rectangle split diagonally with yellow triangles at the top and bottom and green triangles on the hoist side and outer side, bordered by red; there are seven yellow five-pointed stars, with three centered in the top red border, three centered in the bottom red border, and one on a red circle in the center of the flag; there's also a symbolic nutmeg pod on the hoist-side triangle (Grenada is the world's second-largest producer of nutmeg after Indonesia); the seven stars represent the seven administrative divisions
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is primarily agricultural, focusing on the traditional production of spices and tropical plants. Agriculture represents about 16% of GDP and 80% of exports, employing 24% of the workforce. Tourism is the top earner of foreign exchange, followed by agricultural exports. Manufacturing is still relatively underdeveloped but is expected to grow, especially with a more favorable private investment climate since 1983. Despite a strong average annual growth rate of 5.6% for the economy from 1986 to 1990, unemployment remains high at around 25%.
_#_GDP: $200.7 million, per capita $2,390 (1989); real growth rate 5.4% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.0% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 25% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $54.9 million; expenditures $77.6 million, including capital expenditures of $16.6 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $27.9 million (f.o.b., estimated for 1989);
commodities—nutmeg 36%, cocoa beans 9%, bananas 14%, mace 8%, textiles 5;
partners—US 12%, UK, Germany, Netherlands, Trinidad and Tobago (1989)
_#_Imports: $115.6 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
commodities—food 25%, manufactured goods 22%, machinery 20%, chemicals 10%, fuel 6% (1989);
partners—US 29%, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Canada (1989)
_#_External debt: $90 million (1990 estimate)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 5.8% (1989 est.); makes up 6% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 12,500 kW capacity; 26 million kWh produced, 310 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: food and drink, textiles, light assembly, tourism, construction
_#_Agriculture: makes up 16% of GDP and 80% of exports; bananas, cocoa, nutmeg, and mace make up two-thirds of total crop production; the world's second-largest producer and fourth-largest exporter of nutmeg and mace; small farms are common, growing various citrus fruits, avocados, root crops, sugarcane, corn, and vegetables.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY84-89), $60 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $67 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $32 million
_#_Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural—dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1—2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 1,000 km total; 600 km paved, 300 km enhanced; 100 km not improved
_#_Ports: Saint George's
_#_Civil air: no major transport planes
_#_Airports: 3 total, 3 functional; 2 with paved runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: an automatic, islandwide phone system with 5,650 phones; new SHF connections to Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Vincent; VHF and UHF connections to Trinidad and Carriacou; stations—1 AM, no FM, 1 TV
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Royal Grenada Police Force, Coast Guard
_#_Manpower availability: NA
_#Defense spending: $NA, NA% of GDP % @Guadeloupe (overseas department of France) *Geography #_Total area: 1,780 km2; land area: 1,760 km2
_#_Comparative area: 10 times bigger than Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 306 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of extraction;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: subtropical influenced by trade winds; fairly high humidity
_#_Terrain: Basse-Terre is volcanic, featuring interior mountains; Grand-Terre consists of low limestone formations.
_#_Natural resources: arable land, beaches, and a climate that promotes tourism
_#_Land use: arable land 18%; permanent crops 5%; meadows and pastures 13%; forest and woodland 40%; other 24%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: prone to hurricanes (June to October); La Soufriere is an active volcano
_#_Note: located 500 km southeast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea
_*People #_Population: 344,897 (July 1991), growth rate 0.8% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 20 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 5 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 17 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 70 years for males, 77 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Guadeloupian(s); adjective—Guadeloupe
_#_Ethnic divisions: Black or mixed-race 90%; White 5%; East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less than 5%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and African pagan 5%
_#_Language: French, creole patois
_#_Literacy: 90% (male 90%, female 91%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1982)
_#_Labor force: 120,000; 53.0% services, government, and commerce, 25.8% industry, 21.2% agriculture
_#_Organized labor: 11% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: Department of Guadeloupe
_#_Type: overseas department of France
_#_Capital: Basse-Terre
_#_Administrative divisions: none (overseas department of France)
_#_Independence: none (overseas department of France)
_#_Constitution: September 28, 1958 (French Constitution)
_#_Legal system: French legal system
_#_National holiday: Storming of the Bastille, July 14 (1789)
_#_Executive branch: government commissioner
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber General Council and single-chamber Regional Council
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (Cour d'Appel) that has jurisdiction over Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Martinique
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Francois MITTERRAND (since May 21, 1981);
Head of Government—Commissioner of the Republic Jean-Paul PROUST (since November 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Rally for the Republic (RPR), Marlene CAPTANT;
Communist Party of Guadeloupe (PCG), Christian Medard CELESTE;
Socialist Party (PSG), Dominique LARIFLA;
Independent Republicans;
Union for French Democracy (UDF);
Union for a New Majority (UNM)
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
General Council —last held N/A 1986 (next to be held by N/A 1992); results—percent of vote by party N/A; seats—(42 total) number of seats by party N/A;
Regional Council—last held on March 16, 1986 (next one to be held by March 16, 1992); results—RPR 33.1%, PS 28.7%, PCG 23.8%, UDF 10.7%, other 3.7%; seats—(41 total) RPR 15, PS 12, PCG 10, UDF 4;
French Senate—last held on June 5 and 12, 1988 (next to be held in June 1994); Guadeloupe elects two representatives; results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(2 total) PCG 1, PS 1;
French National Assembly—last held on June 5 and 12, 1988 (next one scheduled for June 1994); Guadeloupe elects four representatives; results—percentage of votes by party NA; seats—(4 total) PS 2 seats, RPR 1 seat, PCG 1 seat
_#_Communists: 3,000 est.
_#_Other political or activist groups: Popular Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe (UPLG); Popular Movement for Independent Guadeloupe (MPGI); General Union of Guadeloupe Workers (UGTG); General Federation of Guadeloupe Workers (CGT-G); Christian Movement for the Liberation of Guadeloupe (KLPG)
_#_Member of: FZ, WCL, WFTU
_#_Diplomatic representation: as an overseas department of France, Guadeloupe's interests in the US are represented by France.
_#_Flag: the flag of France is used
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy relies on agriculture, tourism, light industry, and services. It also depends on France for significant subsidies and imports. Tourism is a major industry, with most visitors coming from the US. Additionally, an increasing number of cruise ships are visiting the islands. The traditionally significant sugarcane crop is gradually being replaced by other crops like bananas (which now account for about 50% of export earnings), eggplant, and flowers. Other vegetables and root crops are grown for local use, although Guadeloupe remains dependent on imported food, mainly from France. Light industry primarily includes sugar and rum production. Most manufactured goods and fuel are imported. Unemployment is particularly high among young people.
_#_GDP: $1.1 billion, per capita $3,300; real growth rate NA% (1987)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.3% (1988)
_#_Unemployment rate: 38% (1987)
_#_Budget: revenues $254 million; expenditures $254 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1989)
_#_Exports: $153 million (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities—bananas, sugar, rum;
partners—France 68%, Martinique 22% (1987)
_#_Imports: $1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1988);
commodities—cars, food, clothing, and other consumer products, building materials, oil products;
partners—France 64%, Italy, Germany, US (1987)
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 171,500 kW capacity; 441 million kWh generated, 1,290 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: construction, cement, rum, sugar, tourism
_#_Agriculture: cash crops—bananas and sugarcane; other products include tropical fruits and vegetables; livestock—cattle, pigs, and goats; not self-sufficient in food
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $4 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $7.9 billion
_#_Currency: French franc (plural—francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1—5.1307 (January 1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: privately owned, narrow-gage plantation lines
_#_Highways: 1,940 km in total; 1,600 km paved, 340 km gravel and dirt
_#_Ports: Pointe-a-Pitre, Basse-Terre
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 9 total, 9 usable, 8 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 1 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: local facilities insufficient; 57,300 telephones; interisland radio relay to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Martinique; stations—2 AM, 8 FM (30 private stations licensed to broadcast FM), 9 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT ground station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: French Forces, Gendarmerie
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 98,069; not available for military service
_#Note: defense is the responsibility of France % @Guam (territory of the US) *Geography #_Total area: 541 km²; land area: 541 km²
_#_Comparative area: just over three times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 125.5 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical marine; usually warm and humid, with a cool breeze from the northeast trade winds; dry season from January to June, rainy season from July to December; minimal seasonal temperature variation
_#_Terrain: volcanic origin, surrounded by coral reefs; a mostly flat coral limestone plateau (which is the main source of fresh water) with steep cliffs along the coast and narrow plains in the north, gentle hills in the center, and mountains to the south.
_#_Natural resources: fishing (mostly untapped), tourism (especially from Japan)
_#_Land use: arable land 11%; permanent crops 11%; meadows and pastures 15%; forest and woodland 18%; other 45%
_#_Environment: frequent storms during the rainy season; prone to relatively rare, but potentially very damaging typhoons (especially in August)
_#_Note: largest and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands archipelago; strategic location in the western North Pacific Ocean, 5,955 km west-southwest of Honolulu, about three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and the Philippines.
_*People #_Population: 144,928 (July 1991), growth rate 2.8% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 26 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 4 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 5 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 12 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 70 years for males, 75 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.0 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Guamanian(s); adjective—Guamanian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Chamorro 47%, Filipino 25%, Caucasian 10%, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and others 18%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 98%, other 2%
_#_Language: English and Chamorro, most residents are bilingual; Japanese is also commonly spoken.
_#_Literacy: 96% (male 96%, female 96%) of those aged 15 and older can read and write (1980)
_#_ Labor force: 54,000; government 42%, private 58% (1988)
_#_Organized labor: 13% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: Territory of Guam
_#_Type: organized, unincorporated territory of the U.S.
_#_Capital: Agana
_#_Administrative divisions: none (territory of the US)
_#_Independence: none (territory of the US)
_#_Constitution: Organic Act of August 1, 1950
_#_Legal system: NA
_#_National holiday: Guam Discovery Day (first Monday in March), 6 March 1989
_#_Executive branch: President of the US, governor, lieutenant governor, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Legislature
_#_Judicial branch: Superior Court of Guam (Federal District Court)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President George BUSH (since January 20, 1989);
Head of Government—Governor Joseph A. ADA (since November 1986); Lieutenant Governor Frank F. BLAS
_#_Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party (in control of the legislature); Republican Party (the party of the Governor)
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18; US citizens, but they don't vote in US presidential elections
_#_Elections:
Governor—last held on November 6, 1990 (next one scheduled for
November 1994);
Legislature—last held on November 6, 1990 (next one scheduled for November 1992); results—percentage of votes by party NA; seats—(21 total) Democratic 11, Republican 10;
US House of Representatives—last held on November 6, 1990 (next to be held in November 1992); Guam elects one nonvoting delegate; results—percent of vote by party not available; seats—(1 total) Republican 1
_#_Communists: none
_#_Note: relations between Guam and the US are managed by the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the Interior
_#_Member of: ESCAP (associate), IOC, SPC
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (part of the US)
_#_Flag: dark blue with a thin red border on all four sides; centered is a red-bordered, pointed, vertical ellipse that includes a beach scene, an outrigger canoe with a sail, and a palm tree, with the word GUAM overlaid in bold red letters
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy relies on US military spending and tourism revenue. In the last 20 years, the tourism industry has expanded quickly, leading to a construction boom for new hotels and renovations of older ones. In 1990, around 900,000 visitors came. The small manufacturing sector includes textiles and clothing, beverages, food, and watch production. About 60% of the workforce is employed in the private sector, with the remaining workers in government jobs. Most food and industrial products are imported, with about 75% coming from the US. In 1990, the unemployment rate was roughly 2%, a decrease from 10% in 1983.
_#_GNP: $1.0 billion, per person $7,000; actual growth rate 18% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 2% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $300 million; expenditures $290 million, including capital expenditures of $25 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $39 million (f.o.b., 1983);
commodities—mostly transfers of refined petroleum products, construction materials, fish, food, and beverages;
partners—US 25%, other 75%
_#_Imports: $611 million (c.i.f., 1983);
commodities—oil and oil products, food, manufactured items;
partners—US 77%, other 23%
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 500,000 kW capacity; 2.3 billion kWh produced, 16,300 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: US military, tourism, construction, shipping and logistics, concrete products, printing and publishing, food processing, textiles
_#_Agriculture: fairly underdeveloped with most food brought in from elsewhere; fruits, vegetables, eggs, pork, chicken, beef, copra
_#_Economic aid: NA
_#_Currency: US currency is used
_#_Exchange rates: US currency is used
_#_Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
_*Communications #_Highways: 674 km all-weather roads
_#_Ports: Apra Harbor
_#_Airports: 5 total, 4 usable; 3 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 3 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 26,317 phones (1989); stations—3 AM, 3 FM, 3 TV; 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT ground stations
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the US % @Guatemala *Geography #_Total area: 108,890 km²; land area: 108,430 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Tennessee
_#_Land boundaries: 1,687 km total; Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 km
_#_Coastline: 400 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specific;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claims Belize, but boundary negotiations to resolve the dispute are in progress
_#_Climate: tropical; hot and humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands
_#_Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau (Peten)
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle
_#_Land use: arable land 12%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 12%; forest and woodland 40%; other 32%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: many volcanoes in the mountains, with frequent violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast prone to hurricanes and other tropical storms; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
_#_Note: there are no natural harbors on the west coast
_*People #_Population: 9,266,018 (July 1991), growth rate 2.5% (1991)
# Birth rate: 35 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 2 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 58 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 61 years for males, 66 years for females (1991)
_Total fertility rate: 4.8 children born per woman (1991)_
_#_Nationality: noun—Guatemalan(s); adjective—Guatemalan
_#_Ethnic divisions: Ladino (mestizo—mixed Indigenous and European ancestry) 56%, Indigenous 44%
_#_Religion: mainly Roman Catholic; also Protestant, traditional Mayan
_#_Language: Spanish, but more than 40% of the population speaks an Indigenous language as their primary language (18 Indigenous dialects, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi)
_#_Literacy: 55% (male 63%, female 47%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 2,500,000; agriculture 60%, services 13%, manufacturing 12%, commerce 7%, construction 4%, transport 3%, utilities 0.8%, mining 0.4% (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 8% of the workforce (1988 est.)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Guatemala
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Guatemala
_#_Administrative divisions: 22 departments (departamentos, singular—departamento); Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, El Progreso, Escuintla, Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Izabal, Jalapa, Jutiapa, Peten, Quetzaltenango, Quiche, Retalhuleu, Sacatepequez, San Marcos, Santa Rosa, Solola, Suchitepequez, Totonicapan, Zacapa
_#_Independence: September 15, 1821 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution: May 31, 1985, effective January 14, 1986
_#_Legal system: civil law system; judicial review of laws; has not accepted mandatory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, September 15 (1821)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet (Council of Ministers)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la Republica)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Jorge SERRANO Elias (since January 14, 1991); Vice President Gustavo ESPINA Salguero (since January 14, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
National Centrist Union (UCN), Jorge CARPIO Nicolle;
Solidarity Action Movement (MAS), Jorge SERRANO Elias;
Christian Democratic Party (DCG), Alfonso CABRERA Hidalgo;
National Advancement Party (PAN), Alvaro ARZU Irigoyen;
National Liberation Movement (MLN), Mario SANDOVAL Alarcon;
Social Democratic Party (PSD), Mario SOLARZANO Martinez;
Popular Alliance 5 (AP-5), Max ORLANDO Molina;
Revolutionary Party (PR), Carlos CHAVARRIA;
National Authentic Center (CAN), Hector MAYORA Dawe;
Alliance for '90 led by Rios MONTT, made up of three
parties—Democratic Institutional Party (PID), Oscar RIVAS;
Nationalist United Front (FUN), Gabriel GIRON;
Guatemalan Republican Front (FRG), Berna ROLANDO Mendez
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—runoff held on January 11, 1991 (next to be held
November 11, 1995);
results—Jorge SERRANO Elias (MAS) 68.1%, Jorge CARPIO
Nicolle (UCN) 31.9%;
Congress—last held on November 11, 1990 (next to be held November 11, 1995); results—UCN 25.6%, MAS 24.3%, DCG 17.5%, PAN 17.3%, MLN 4.8%, PSD/AP-5 3.6%, PR 2.1%; seats—(116 total) UCN 41, DCG 28, MAS 18, PAN 12, Alliance for '90 11, MLN 4, PR 1, PSD/AP-5 1
_#_Communists: Guatemalan Labor Party (PGT); main radical left guerrilla groups—Guerrilla Army of the Poor (EGP), Revolutionary Organization of the People in Arms (ORPA), Rebel Armed Forces (FAR), and PGT dissidents
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Federated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACIF), Mutual Support Group (GAM), Unity for Popular and Labor Action (UASP), Agrarian Owners Group (UNAGRO), Committee for Campesino Unity (CUC)
_#_Member of: BCIE, CACM, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), LORCS, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Juan Jose CASO Fanjul; Chancery at 2220 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 745-4952 to 4954; there are Guatemalan Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco;
US—Ambassador Thomas F. STROOCK; Embassy at 7-01 Avenida de la Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City (mailing address is APO Miami 34024); telephone [502] (2) 31-15-41
_#_Flag: three equal vertical bands of light blue (next to the flagpole), white, and light blue, with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a green and red quetzal (the national bird) and a scroll that says LIBERTAD 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821 (the date of independence from Spain), all laid over a pair of crossed rifles and crossed swords, framed by a wreath.
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy relies on agriculture, which contributes 26% of GDP, employs around 60% of the workforce, and provides two-thirds of exports. Manufacturing makes up about 15% of GDP and employs 12% of the workforce. In 1990, the economy grew by 3.5%, marking the fourth straight year of gradual growth. However, government economic policies were inconsistent in 1990—an election year—leading to inflation soaring to 60%, the highest it has been in modern history.
_#_GDP: $11.1 billion, per capita $1,180; real growth rate 3.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 60% (estimated in 1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 13%, with 30-40% underemployment (1989 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $1.05 billion; expenditures $1.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $270 million (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $1.24 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—coffee 24%, sugar 9%, bananas 8%, beef 4%;
partners—US 28%, El Salvador, Germany, Costa Rica, Italy
_#_Imports: $1.77 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—fuel and oil products, machinery, grain, fertilizers, cars;
partners—US 40%, Mexico, Germany, Japan, El Salvador
_#_External debt: $2.8 billion (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 4.0% (1988); makes up 18% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 819,000 kW capacity; 2,594 million kWh produced, 280 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism
_#_Agriculture: makes up 26% of GDP; it's the most important sector of the economy and contributes two-thirds of export earnings; main crops—sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom; livestock—cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens; food importer
_#_Illicit drugs: illegal producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade; the government has participated in aerial eradication of opium poppy; transit country for cocaine shipments
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $1.1 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $7.8 billion
_#_Currency: quetzal (plural—quetzales); 1 quetzal (Q) = 100 centavos
_#_Exchange rates: free market quetzales (Q) per US$1—5.4 (April 1991), 4.4858 (1990), 2.8161 (1989), 2.6196 (1988), 2.500 (1987), 1.875 (1986), 1.000 (1985); note—black-market rate 2.800 (May 1989)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 870 km of 0.914-meter gauge, single track; 780 km owned by the government, 90 km privately owned
_#_Highways: 26,429 km total; 2,868 km paved, 11,421 km gravel, and 12,140 km unpaved
_#_Inland waterways: 260 km navigable year-round; an extra 730 km navigable during the high-water season
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 275 km
_#_Ports: Puerto Barrios, Puerto Quetzal, Santo Tomas de Castilla
_#_Merchant marine: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 4,129 GRT/6,450 DWT
_#_Civil air: 10 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 430 in total, 381 are operational; 11 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 12,000 ft; 3 with runways between 8,000-12,000 ft; 19 with runways between 4,000-8,000 ft
_#_Telecommunications: a relatively modern network based in Guatemala [city]; 97,670 telephones; stations—91 AM, no FM, 25 TV, 15 shortwave; connection to the Central American Microwave System; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
_#_Manpower availability: males ages 15-49, 2,097,234; 1,372,623 fit for military service; 110,949 reach military age (18) each year.
_#Defense spending: $113 million, 1% of GDP (1990) % @Guernsey (British crown dependency) *Geography #_Total area: 194 km²; land area: 194 km²; includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and a few other smaller islands
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 50 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Climate: mild winters and cool summers; around 50% of the days are cloudy.
_#_Terrain: mostly flat with some low hills in the southwest.
_#_Natural resources: cropland
_#_Land use: arable land N/A%; permanent crops N/A%; meadows and pastures N/A%; forest and woodland N/A%; other N/A%; cultivated about 50%
_#_Environment: large, deep water harbor at Saint Peter Port
_#_Note: 52 km west of France
_*People #_Population: 57,596 (July 1991), growth rate 0.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 12 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 11 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 5 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 72 years for males, 78 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Channel Islander(s); adjective—Channel Islander
_#_Ethnic divisions: UK and Norman-French heritage
_#_Religion: Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist
_#_Language: English, French; Norman-French dialect spoken in rural areas
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%) but education is mandatory from ages 5 to 16
_#_Labor force: NA
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: Bailiwick of Guernsey
_#_Type: British crown dependency
_#_Capital: Saint Peter Port
_#_Administrative divisions: none (British crown dependency)
_#_Independence: none (British crown dependency)
_#_Constitution: not written down; includes some laws, some customary law and practices
_#_Legal system: English law and local statutes; justice is administered by the Royal Court
_#_National holiday: Liberation Day, May 9 (1945)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, lieutenant governor, bailiff, deputy bailiff
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber Assembly of the States
_#_Judicial branch: Royal Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952);
Head of Government—Lieutenant Governor Lt. Gen. Sir Michael
WILKINS (since 1990); Bailiff Sir Charles FROSSARD (since 1982)
_#_Political parties and leaders: none; all independents
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Assembly of the States—last held NA (next one to be held NA); results—percentage of votes NA; seats—(60 total, 33 elected), all independents
_#_Communists: none
_#_Member of: none
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (British crown dependency)
_#_Flag: white with the red cross of Saint George (the patron saint of England) reaching the edges of the flag
_*Economy #_Overview: Tourism is a key source of income. Other economic activities include financial services, raising the renowned Guernsey cattle, and cultivating tomatoes and flowers for export.
_GDP: $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate 9% (1987)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7% (1988)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $208.9 million; expenditures $173.9 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1988)
_#_Exports: $NA;
commodities—tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables;
partners—UK (regarded as internal trade)
_#_Imports: $NA;
commodities—coal, gasoline and oil;
partners—UK (regarded as internal trade)
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 173,000 kW capacity; 525 million kWh produced, 9,340 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: tourism, banking
_#_Agriculture: tomatoes, flowers (mostly grown in greenhouses), sweet peppers, eggplant, and other vegetables and fruits; Guernsey cattle
_#_Economic aid: none
_#_Currency: Guernsey pound (plural—pounds); 1 Guernsey (5G) pound = 100 pence
_#_Exchange rates: Guernsey pounds (5G) per US$1—0.5171 (January 1991), 0.5603 (1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985); note—the Guernsey pound is equal to the British pound.
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Ports: St. Peter Port, St. Sampson
_#_Airport: 1 with a permanent-surface runway measuring 1,220-2,439 m (La Villiaze)
_#_Telecommunications: stations—1 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 41,900 telephones; 1 submarine cable
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK % @Guinea *Geography #_Total area: 245,860 km²; land area: 245,860 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Oregon
_#_Land boundaries: 3,399 km total; Guinea-Bissau 386 km, Ivory Coast 610 km, Liberia 563 km, Mali 858 km, Senegal 330 km, Sierra Leone 652 km
_#_Coastline: 320 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: typically hot and humid; a rainy season influenced by monsoons (June to November) with winds coming from the southwest; a dry season (December to May) featuring northeasterly harmattan winds
_#_Terrain: mostly flat coastal plain, transitioning to hilly and mountainous inland
_#_Natural resources: bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 6%; permanent crops negligible%; meadows and pastures 12%; forest and woodland 42%; other 40%; includes irrigated negligible%
_#_Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze can lower visibility during the dry season; deforestation
_*People #_Population: 7,455,850 (July 1991), growth rate 2.5% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 47 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 21 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
# Infant mortality rate: 144 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 41 years for males, 45 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.0 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Guinean(s); adjective—Guinean
_#_Ethnic divisions: Fulani 35%, Malinke 30%, Soussou 20%, small indigenous tribes 15%
_#_Religion: Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7%
_#_Language: French (official); each tribe has its own language
_#_Literacy: 24% (male 35%, female 13%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 2,400,000 (1983); agriculture 82.0%, industry and commerce 11.0%, services 5.4%; 88,112 civil servants (1987); 52% of the population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: almost all wage earners are loosely connected to the National Confederation of Guinean Workers.
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Guinea
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Conakry
_#_Administrative divisions: 29 administrative regions (administrative regions, singular—administrative region); Beyla, Boffa, Boke, Conakry, Dabola, Dalaba, Dinguiraye, Dubreka, Faranah, Forecariah, Fria, Gaoual, Gueckedou, Kankan, Kerouane, Kindia, Kissidougou, Koundara, Kouroussa, Labe, Macenta, Mali, Mamou, Nzerekore, Pita, Siguiri, Telimele, Tougue, Yomou
_#_Independence: October 2, 1958 (from France; previously French Guinea)
_#_Constitution: December 23, 1990 (Fundamental Law)
_#_Legal system: based on the French civil law system, customary law, and decrees; legal codes are currently being revised; has not accepted mandatory ICJ jurisdiction.
_#_National holiday: Anniversary of the Second Republic, April 3 (1984)
_#_Executive branch: president, Transitional Committee for National Recovery (Comite Transitionale de Redressement National or CTRN) replaced the Military Committee for National Recovery (Comite Militaire de Redressement National or CMRN); Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: The People's National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale Populaire) was dissolved after the coup on April 3, 1984.
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (Cour d'Appel)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—Gen. Lansana CONTE (since April 5, 1984)
_#_Political parties and leaders: none; after the coup on April 3, 1984, all political activity was prohibited.
_#_Suffrage: none
_#_Elections: none
_#_Communists: there's no Communist party, although there are some supporters.
_#_Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CEAO (observer), ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ,
G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador (vacant); Chancery at 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; phone (202) 483-9420;
US—Ambassador Dane F. SMITH, Jr.; Embassy at 2nd Boulevard and 9th Avenue, Conakry (mailing address is B. P. 603, Conakry); telephone (224) 44-15-20 through 24
_#_Flag: three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), yellow, and green; features the well-known pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Rwanda, which has a large black letter R centered in the yellow band
_*Economy #_Overview: Despite having many natural resources and significant potential for agricultural growth, Guinea is among the poorest countries globally. The agriculture sector contributes around 40% to GDP and employs more than 80% of the workforce, while industry makes up 27% of GDP. Guinea holds over 25% of the world's bauxite reserves; in 1989, exports of bauxite and alumina represented about 70% of total exports.
_#_GDP: $2.7 billion, per capita $380; real growth rate 4.4% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 28.2% (1989 estimate)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $394 million; expenditures $548 million, which includes capital expenditures of $254 million (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $645 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—alumina, bauxite, diamonds, coffee, pineapples, bananas, palm kernels;
partners—US 33%, EU 33%, USSR and Eastern Europe 20%, Canada
_#_Imports: $551 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
commodities—petroleum products, metals, machinery, transportation equipment, food items, textiles, and other grains;
partners—US 16%, France, Brazil
_#_External debt: $2.6 billion (estimated 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%; makes up 27% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 113,000 kW capacity; 300 million kWh produced, 40 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: bauxite mining, alumina, gold, diamond mining, light manufacturing, and agricultural processing industries
_#_Agriculture: makes up 40% of GDP (includes fishing and forestry); mainly subsistence farming; main products—rice, coffee, pineapples, palm kernels, cassava, bananas, sweet potatoes, timber; livestock—cattle, sheep, and goats; not self-sufficient in food grains
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $227 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1,075 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $120 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $446 million
_#_Currency: Guinean franc (plural—francs); 1 Guinean franc (FG) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Guinean francs (FG) per US$1—24.39 (1989), 19.23 (1988), 17.54 (1987), 14.29 (1986), NA (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 1,045 km; 806 km 1,000 mm gauge, 239 km 1,435 mm standard gauge
_#_Highways: 30,100 km total; 1,145 km paved, 12,955 km gravel or laterite (of which only about 4,500 km are currently all-weather roads), 16,000 km unimproved earth (1987)
_Inland waterways: 1,295 km navigable by small local boats_
_#_Ports: Conakry, Kamsar
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 16 total, 16 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 10 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: equitable setup of open-wire lines, small radio communication stations, and an updated radio relay system; 10,000 telephones; stations—3 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 12,000 TV sets; 125,000 radio receivers; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT ground station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy (mainly serves as a coast guard), Air Force, Republican Guard, paramilitary National Gendarmerie, National Police
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 1,695,832; 853,593 eligible for military service
_#Defense spending: $27 million, 1.2% of GDP (1988) % @Guinea-Bissau *Geography #_Total area: 36,120 km²; land area: 28,000 km²
_#_Comparative area: just under three times the size of Connecticut
_#_Land boundaries: 724 km total; Guinea 386, Senegal 338 km
_#_Coastline: 350 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has made its ruling on the maritime boundary between Guinea-Bissau and Senegal (in favor of Senegal)—this ruling has been rejected by Guinea-Bissau.
_#_Climate: tropical; usually hot and humid; monsoon-like rainy season (June to November) with southwest winds; dry season (December to May) with northeast harmattan winds
_#_Terrain: mainly flat coastal area that gradually turns into savanna in the east
_#_Natural resources: untapped deposits of oil, bauxite, phosphates; fish, wood
_#_Land use: arable land 11%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 43%; forest and woodland 38%; other 7%
_#_Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze can limit visibility during dry season
_*People #_Population: 1,023,544 (July 1991), growth rate 2.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 42 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 18 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 125 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 45 years for males, 48 years for females (1991)
_total fertility rate: 5.8 children born per woman (1991)_
_#_Nationality: noun—Guinea-Bissauan(s); adjective—Guinea-Bissauan
_#_Ethnic divisions: African about 99% (Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca 14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%); European and mixed-race people less than 1%
_#_Religion: indigenous beliefs 65%, Muslim 30%, Christian 5%
_#_Language: Portuguese (official); Criolo and many African languages
_#_Literacy: 36% (male 50%, female 24%) of the population aged 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 403,000 (est.); agriculture 90%, industry, services, and commerce 5%, government 5%; population of working age 53% (1983)
_#_Organized labor: only one trade union—the National Union of Workers of Guinea-Bissau (UNTG)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Guinea-Bissau
_#_Type: republic; a highly centralized one-party system since September 1974; the African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC) held an exceptional party congress in December 1990 and initiated a two-year transition plan to revise the constitution, permitting multiple political parties and a presidential election in 1993.
_#_Capital: Bissau
_#_Administrative divisions: 9 regions (regiões, singular—região); Bafata, Biombo, Bissau, Bolama, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara, Tombali
_#_Independence: September 24, 1973 (from Portugal; previously Portuguese Guinea)
_#_Constitution: 16 May 1984
_#_Legal system: NA
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, September 24, 1973
_#_Executive branch: president of the Council of State, vice presidents of the Council of State, Council of State, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber National People's Assembly (Assembleia Nacional Popular)
_#_Judicial branch: none; there is a Ministry of Justice in the Council of Ministers
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President of the
Council of State Brig. Gen. Joao Bernardo VIEIRA (took office on November 14,
1980 and elected President of the Council of State on May 16, 1984);
First Vice President Col. Iafai CAMARA (since November 7, 1985); Second
Vice President Vasco CABRAL (since June 21, 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders: the only party is the African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC), led by President Joao Bernardo VIEIRA; the party chose to keep the binational name even after its official split with Cape Verde.
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 15
_#_Elections:
President of the Council of State—last held on June 19, 1989 (next to be held NA 1993); results—Brig. Gen. Joao Bernardo VIEIRA was reelected without opposition by the National People's Assembly;
National People's Assembly—last held June 15, 1989 (next to be held June 15, 1994); results—PAIGC is the only party; seats—(150 total) PAIGC 150, appointed by Regional Councils
_#_Communists: a few Communists, some supporters
_#_Member of: ACCT (associate), ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77,
IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOM (observer), ITU,
LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Alfredo Lopes CABRAL; Chancery (temporary) at the Guinea-Bissauan Permanent Mission to the UN, Suite 604, 211 East 43rd Street, New York, NY 10017; telephone (212) 661-3977;
US—Ambassador William L. JACOBSEN, Jr.; Embassy at 17 Avenida
Domingos Ramos, Bissau (mailing address is 1067 Bissau Codex, Bissau,
Guinea-Bissau); phone [245] 20-1139, 20-1145, 20-1113
_#_Flag: two equal horizontal stripes of yellow (top) and green with a vertical red stripe on the side closest to the flagpole; there's a black five-pointed star centered in the red stripe; it uses the well-known pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Cape Verde, which has the black star raised above the center of the red stripe and is framed by two corn stalks and a yellow clam shell.
_*Economy #_Overview: Guinea-Bissau is one of the poorest countries in the world, with a per capita GDP under $200. Agriculture and fishing are the main economic activities, and cashew nuts, peanuts, and palm kernels are the key exports. Currently, exploiting known mineral deposits is unlikely due to poor infrastructure and high development costs. The government's four-year plan (1988-91) has prioritized agricultural development as its top focus.
_#_GDP: $154 million, per person $160; real growth rate 5.0% (1989)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 25% (1990 estimate)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $22.7 million; expenditures $30.8 million, including capital expenditures of $18.0 million (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $14.2 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—cashews, fish, peanuts, palm kernels;
partners—Portugal, Senegal, France, The Gambia, Netherlands, Spain
_#_Imports: $68.9 million (f.o.b., 1989 estimated);
commodities—capital equipment, consumer products, semi-processed goods, food, oil;
partners—Portugal, Netherlands, Senegal, USSR, Germany
_#_External debt: $462 million (estimated December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 1.0% (1989 est.); makes up 10% of GDP (1989 est.)
_#_Electricity: 22,000 kW capacity; 28 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: agricultural processing, beer, soft drinks
_#_Agriculture: makes up more than 50% of GDP, nearly all of the exports, and 90% of jobs; rice is the main food; other crops include corn, beans, cassava, cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, and cotton; not self-sufficient in food; fishing and forestry potential not fully utilized.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $49 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $561 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $41 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $68 million
_#_Currency: Guinea-Bissauan peso (plural—pesos); 1 Guinea-Bissauan peso (PG) = 100 centavos
_#_Exchange rates: Guinea-Bissauan pesos (PG) per US$1—1987.2 (1989), 1363.6 (1988), 851.65 (1987), 238.98 (1986), 173.61 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 3,218 km; 2,698 km paved, the rest unpaved
_Inland waterways: various sections play a key role in coastal commerce_
_#_Ports: Bissau
_Civil air: 2 major transport planes_
_#_Airports: 37 total, 18 operational; 5 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 1 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 5 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: outdated radio relay system, open-wire lines, and radiocommunications; 3,000 telephones; stations—1 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP; including Army, Navy, Air Force), paramilitary force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 222,371; 126,797 qualified for military service
_#Defense spending: $5 million, 3.2% of GDP (1987) % @Guyana *Geography #_Total area: 214,970 km2; land area: 196,850 km2
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Idaho
_#_Land boundaries: 2,462 km total; Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km
_#_Coastline: 459 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: outer edge of the continental margin or 200 nautical miles;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: Venezuela claims the entire area west of the Essequibo River; Suriname claims the area between the New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/Kutari Rivers (all the headwaters of the Courantyne)
_#_Climate: tropical; hot, humid, softened by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to mid-August, mid-November to mid-January)
_#_Terrain: mainly rolling hills; flat low coastal area; savanna in the south
_#_Natural resources: bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 3%; permanent crops negligible%; meadows and pastures 6%; forest and woodland 83%; other 8%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: flash floods are a constant threat during rainy seasons; water pollution
_*People #_Population: 749,508 (July 1991), growth rate - 0.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 23 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 20 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 51 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 61 years for males, 68 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.6 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Guyanese (sing., pl.); adjective—Guyanese
_#_Ethnic divisions: East Indian 51%, Black and mixed 43%, Amerindian 4%, European and Chinese 2%
_#_Religion: Christian 57%, Hindu 33%, Muslim 9%, other 1%
_#_Language: English, Amerindian dialects
_#_Literacy: 95% (male 98%, female 96%) of people aged 15 and over have attended school at some point (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 268,000; industry and commerce 44.5%, agriculture 33.8%, services 21.7%; public-sector employment makes up 60-80% of the total labor force (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 34% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: Co-operative Republic of Guyana
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Georgetown
_#_Administrative divisions: 10 regions; Barima-Waini,
Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Demerara-Mahaica, East Berbice-Corentyne, Essequibo
Islands-West Demerara, Mahaica-Berbice, Pomeroon-Supenaam,
Potaro-Siparuni, Upper Demerara-Berbice, Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo
_#_Independence: May 26, 1966 (from the UK; formerly British Guiana)
_#_Constitution: 6 October 1980
_#_Legal system: based on English common law with some elements of Roman-Dutch law; has not accepted mandatory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Republic Day, February 23, 1970
_#_Executive branch: executive president, first vice president, prime minister, first deputy prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Judicature
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Executive President Hugh Desmond HOYTE (since August 6, 1985); First Vice President Hamilton GREEN (since August 6, 1985);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Hamilton GREEN (since
NA August 1985)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
People's National Congress (PNC), Hugh Desmond HOYTE;
People's Progressive Party (PPP), Cheddi JAGAN;
Working People's Alliance (WPA), Eusi KWAYANA, Rupert ROOPNARINE, Moses
BHAGWAN;
Democratic Labor Movement (DLM), Paul TENNASSEE;
People's Democratic Movement (PDM), Llewellyn JOHN;
National Democratic Front (NDF), Joseph BACCHUS;
United Force (UF), Marcellus Feilden SINGH;
United Republican Party (URP), Leslie RAMSAMMY;
National Republican Party (NRP), Robert GANGADEEN
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Executive President—last held on December 9, 1985 (next to be held in mid-1991); Hugh Desmond HOYTE was elected president (the leader of the party with the most votes in the National Assembly elections);
National Assembly—last held on December 9, 1985 (next to be held mid-1991); results—PNC 78%, PPP 16%, UF 4%, WPA 2%; seats—(65 total, 53 elected) PNC 42, PPP 8, UF 2, WPA 1
_#_Communists: 100 (est.) hardcore within PPP; top leaders of PPP and PYO (Progressive Youth Organization, militant wing of the PPP) include many Communists; there is a small but unknown number of orthodox Marxist-Leninists within PNC, some of whom used to belong to the PPP
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Trades Union Congress (TUC); Guyanese Action for Reform and Democracy (GUARD) includes various labor groups as well as several of the smaller parties; Guyana Council of Indian Organizations (GCIO); Civil Liberties Action Committee (CLAC); the latter two organizations are small and active but not well organized; Guyanese Action for Reform and Democracy (GUARD) includes various labor groups, as well as several of the smaller political parties.
_#_Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT,
IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU,
LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO,
WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Dr. Cedric Hilburn GRANT; Chancery at 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 265-6900; there is a Guyanese Consulate General in New York;
US—Ambassador George JONES; Embassy at 31 Main Street,
Georgetown; phone [592] (02) 54900 to 54909
_#_Flag: green with a red triangle (on the hoist side) layered over a long yellow arrowhead; there's a thin black border between the red and yellow, and a thin white border between the yellow and green.
_*Economy #_Overview: After averaging less than 1% growth per year in 1986-87, GDP fell by 3% a year in 1988-89. This decline was due to bad weather, labor issues in the sugarcane fields, and flooding and equipment problems in the bauxite industry. Consumer prices rose by about 35% in 1988 and more than 100% in 1989, while the current account deficit widened significantly as sugar and bauxite exports decreased. Additionally, there's a shortage of electric power, which poses a major obstacle to future increases in national output. The government, alongside international financial organizations, is working to reduce its payment arrears and secure new funding. The government's stabilization program—designed to establish realistic exchange rates, maintain reasonable price stability, and restart growth—demands strong public administration skills and ongoing patience from consumers during a lengthy transition period.
_GDP: $287.2 million, per capita $380; real growth rate - 3.3% (1989)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 105% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 12-15% (1991 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $65 million; expenditures $129 million, which includes capital expenditures of $6 million (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $234 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.);
commodities—bauxite, sugar, gold, rice, shrimp, molasses, timber, rum;
partners—UK 31%, US 23%, CARICOM 7%, Canada 6% (1988)
_#_Imports: $319 million (c.i.f., 1991 est.);
commodities—manufactures machinery, food, petroleum;
partners—US 33%, CARICOM 10%, UK 9%, Canada 2% (1989)
_#_External debt: $1.7 billion, including back payments (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 10.0% (1989 est.); makes up over 20% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 250,000 kW capacity; 635 million kWh produced, 830 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: bauxite mining, sugar, rice milling, timber, fishing (shrimp), textiles, gold mining
_#_Agriculture: the most important sector, making up 27% of GDP and about 50% of exports; sugar and rice are the main crops; there’s potential for growth in fishing and forestry; the country is not self-sufficient in food, particularly in wheat, vegetable oils, and animal products.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $116 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $244 million; Communist countries 1970-89, $242 million
_#_Currency: Guyanese dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Guyanese dollar (G$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Guyanese dollars (G$) per US$1—45.00 (since June 1990), 39.533 (1990), 27.159 (1989), 10.000 (1988), 9.756 (1987), 4.272 (1986), 4.252 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 187 km in total, all single track with a 0.914-meter gauge
_#_Highways: 7,665 km total; 550 km paved, 5,000 km gravel, 1,525 km earth, 590 km unimproved
_#_Inland waterways: 6,000 km of navigable waterways in total; the Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo Rivers can be accessed by ocean-going ships for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km, respectively.
_#_Ports: Georgetown
_#_Civil air: 5 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 58 in total, 55 are usable; 5 have permanent-surface runways; none have runways longer than 3,659 m; none have runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 14 have runways between 1,220-2,439 m.
_#_Telecommunications: fair system with radio relay network; over 27,000 telephones; tropospheric scatter link to Trinidad; stations—4 AM, 3 FM, no TV, 1 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Guyana Defense Force (GDF; includes Coast Guard and Air Corps), Guyana Police Force (GPF), Guyana People's Militia (GPM), Guyana National Service (GNS)
_#_Manpower availability: males ages 15-49, 195,142; 148,477 eligible for military service.
_#Defense spending: $5.5 million, 6% of GDP (1989 est.) % @Haiti *Geography #_Total area: 27,750 km²; land area: 27,560 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than Maryland
_#_Land boundary: 275 km with the Dominican Republic
_#_Coastline: 1,771 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: to the depth of extraction;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claims US-administered Navassa Island
_#_Climate: tropical; semiarid in areas where mountains in the east block trade winds
_#_Terrain: mostly rough and mountainous
_#_Natural resources: bauxite
_#_Land use: arable land 20%; permanent crops 13%; meadows and pastures 18%; forest and woodland 4%; other 45%; includes irrigated 3%
_#_Environment: located in the middle of the hurricane belt and prone to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding and earthquakes; deforestation; soil erosion
_#_Note: shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic
_*People #_Population: 6,286,511 (July 1991), growth rate 2.3% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 43 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 15 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 5 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 106 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 52 years for males, 55 years for females (1991)
_Total fertility rate: 6.3 children born per woman (1991)_
_#_Nationality: noun—Haitian(s); adjective—Haitian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Black 95%, mixed-race and European 5%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic is the official religion; Roman Catholic 80% (of which a large majority also practice Voodoo), Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3% (1982)
_#_Language: French (official) is spoken by only 10% of the population; everyone else speaks Creole.
_#_Literacy: 53% (male 59%, female 47%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 2,300,000; agriculture 66%, services 25%, industry 9%; shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant (1982)
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Haiti
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Port-au-Prince
_#_Administrative divisions: 9 departments (department in singular); Artibonite, Centre, Grand'Anse, Nord, Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Est
_#_Independence: January 1, 1804 (from France)
_#_Constitution: August 27, 1983, suspended February 1986; draft constitution approved March 1987, suspended June 1988, most articles reinstated March 1989; March 1987 Constitution fully observed by the government installed on February 7, 1991.
_#_Legal system: based on the Roman civil law system; accepts mandatory ICJ jurisdiction
# National holiday: Independence Day, January 1 (1804)
# Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: a two-chamber National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale) made up of an upper house, the Senate, and a lower house, the House of Deputies.
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (Court of Cassation)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE (since February 7, 1991);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Rene PREVAL (since February 13, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
National Front for Change and Democracy (FNCD) led by Jean-Bertrand
ARISTIDE, including Congress of Democratic Movements (CONACOM), Victor
BENOIT; National Konbite Movement (MKN), Volvick Remy JOSEPH;
National Alliance for Democracy and Progress (ANDP), a coalition
that includes Movement for the Installation of Democracy in Haiti (MIDH),
Marc BAZIN; National Progressive Revolutionary Party (PANPRA), Serge
GILLES; and National Patriotic Movement of November 28 (MNP-28), Dejean
BELIZAIRE;
National Agricultural and Industrial Party (PAIN), Louis DEJOIE;
Movement for National Reconstruction (MRN), Rene THEODORE;
Haitian Christian Democratic Party (PDCH), Sylvio CLAUDE;
Assembly of Progressive National Democrats (RDNP), Leslie MANIGAT;
National Party of Labor (PNT), Thomas DESULME;
Mobilization for National Development (MDN), Hubert DE RONCERAY;
Democratic Movement for the Liberation of Haiti (MODELH), Francois
LATORTUE;
Haitian Social Christian Party (PSCH), Gregoire EUGENE;
Movement for the Organization of the Country (MOP), Gesner COMEAU
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held December 16, 1990 (next election to be held
by December 1995);
results—Rev. Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE 67.5%, Marc BAZIN 14.2%, Louis
DEJOIE 4.9%;
Senate—last held on December 16, 1990, with the runoff on January 20, 1991 (next one to be held by December 1992); results—percent of vote not available; seats—(27) FNCD 13, ANDP 6, PAIN 2, MRN 2, PDCH 1, RDNP 1, PNT 1, independent 1;
Chamber of Deputies—last held on December 16, 1990, with a runoff on January 20, 1991 (next to be held by December 1994); results—percent of vote NA; seats—(83) FNCD 27, ANDP 17, PDCH 7, PAIN 6, RDNP 6, MDN 5, PNT 3, MKN 2, MODELH 2, MRN 1, independent 5, other 2
_#_Communists: United Party of Haitian Communists (PUCH), Rene THEODORE (about 2,000 members)
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Democratic Unity Confederation
(KID), Roman Catholic Church, Confederation of Haitian Workers (CTH),
Federation of Workers Trade Unions (FOS), Autonomous Haitian Workers
(CATH), National Popular Assembly (APN)
_#_Member of: ACCT, CARICOM (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT,
IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LAES, LORCS, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador (vacant), Charge d'Affaires Raymond Alcide JOSEPH; Chancery at 2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; phone (202) 332-4090 through 4092; there are Haitian Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, and San Juan (Puerto Rico);
US—Ambassador Alvin P. ADAMS, Jr.; Embassy at Harry Truman
Boulevard, Port-au-Prince (mailing address is P. O. Box 1761,
Port-au-Prince), phone [509] (1) 20-354 or 20-368, 20-200, 20-612
_#_Flag: two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a centered white rectangle featuring the coat of arms that has a palm tree surrounded by flags and two cannons above a scroll with the motto L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE (Union Makes Strength)
_*Economy #_Overview: About 85% of the population live in extreme poverty. Agriculture consists mostly of small-scale subsistence farming and employs two-thirds of the workforce. Most people do not have easy access to safe drinking water, decent medical care, or enough food. There are very few social assistance programs, and the lack of job opportunities continues to be one of the biggest issues facing the economy, along with soil erosion and political instability.
_GDP: $2.7 billion, per capita $440; real growth rate - 3.0% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 20% (estimated in 1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 25-50% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $300 million; expenses $416 million, including capital expenses of $145 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $169 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—light manufactures 69%, coffee 19%, other agriculture 8%, other 8%;
partners—US 84%, Italy 4%, France 3%, other industrial countries 6%, less developed countries 3% (1987)
_#_Imports: $348 million (c.i.f., 1990 estimate);
commodities—machines and manufactured goods 34%, food and drinks 22%, petroleum products 14%, chemicals 10%, fats and oils 9%;
partners—US 64%, Netherlands Antilles 5%, Japan 5%, France 4%, Canada 3%, Germany 3% (1987)
_#_External debt: $838 million (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 0.3% (FY88); makes up 15% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 230,000 kW capacity; 264 million kWh produced, 43 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: sugar refining, textiles, flour milling, cement manufacturing, tourism, light assembly industries using imported parts
_#_Agriculture: makes up 33% of GDP and employs 66% of the workforce; mainly small-scale subsistence farms; commercial crops—coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, and wood; staple crops—rice, corn, sorghum; shortage of wheat flour
_#_Illicit drugs: hub for cocaine distribution
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $700 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $682 million
_#_Currency: gourde (plural—gourdes); 1 gourde (G) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: gourdes (G) per US$1— 5.0 (fixed rate)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
_*Communications #_Railroads: 40 km of 0.760-meter narrow gauge, single-track, privately owned industrial line
_#_Highways: 4,000 km total; 950 km paved, 900 km upgraded, 2,150 km in poor condition
_#_Inland waterways: minimal; under 100 km usable for navigation
_#_Ports: Port-au-Prince, Cap-Haitien
_#_Civil air: 4 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 15 total, 10 usable; 3 with paved runways; none with runways over 12,000 ft; 1 with runways between 8,000-12,000 ft; 4 with runways between 4,000-8,000 ft
_#_Telecommunications: local facilities barely sufficient, international facilities a bit better; 36,000 telephones; stations—33 AM, no FM, 4 TV, 2 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army (including Police), Navy, Air Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,287,179; 691,926 eligible for military service; 61,265 reach military age (18) each year
_#Defense spending: $34 million, 1.5% of GDP (1988 est.) % @Heard Island and McDonald Islands (territory of Australia) *Geography #_Total area: 412 km2; land area: 412 km2
_#_Comparative area: just under 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 101.9 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Climate: antarctic
_#_Terrain: Heard Island—desolate and mountainous, featuring an extinct volcano; McDonald Islands—tiny and rocky
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: mainly used as research facilities
_#_Note: located 4,100 km southwest of Australia in the southern Indian Ocean
_*People #_Population: uninhabited
_*Government #_Long-form name: Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands
_#_Type: territory of Australia managed by the Antarctic Division of the Department of Science in Canberra (Australia)
_*Economy #_Overview: no economic activity
_*Communications #_Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of Australia % @Honduras *Geography #_Total area: 112,090 km²; land area: 111,890 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit bigger than Tennessee
_#_Land boundaries: 1,520 km total; Guatemala 256 km, El Salvador 342 km, Nicaragua 922 km
_#_Coastline: 820 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of resource extraction;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: disagreement with El Salvador over various parts of the land boundary; disagreement about the maritime boundary of Golfo de Fonseca due to conflicting claims over the islands; unresolved maritime boundary with Nicaragua
_#_Climate: subtropical in the lowlands, temperate in the mountains
_#_Terrain: mostly mountains in the interior, with narrow coastal plains
_#_Natural resources: wood, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore, antimony, coal, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 14%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 30%; forest and woodland 34%; other 20%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: experiences frequent, but usually mild, earthquakes; damaging hurricanes and floods along the Caribbean coast; deforestation; soil erosion
_*People #_Population: 4,949,275 (July 1991), growth rate 2.9% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 38 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 2 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 56 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 64 years for males, 68 years for females (1991)
_Total fertility rate: 5.0 children born per woman (1991)_
_#_Nationality: noun—Honduran(s); adjective—Honduran
_#_Ethnic divisions: mestizo (mixed Indigenous and European) 90%, Indigenous 7%, Black 2%, White 1%
_#_Religion: About 97% Roman Catholic; small Protestant minority
_#_Language: Spanish, Indian dialects
_#_Literacy: 73% (male 76%, female 71%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 1,300,000; agriculture 62%, services 20%, manufacturing 9%, construction 3%, other 6% (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 40% of the urban workforce, 20% of the rural workforce (1985)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Honduras
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Tegucigalpa
_#_Administrative divisions: 18 departments (departamentos, singular—departamento); Atlántida, Choluteca, Colón, Comayagua, Copán, Cortés, El Paraíso, Francisco Morazán, Gracias a Dios, Intibucá, Islas de la Bahía, La Paz, Lempira, Ocotepeque, Olancho, Santa Bárbara, Valle, Yoro
_#_Independence: September 15, 1821 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution: January 11, 1982, effective January 20, 1982
_#_Legal system: based on Roman and Spanish civil law; some influence from English common law; accepts ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, September 15 (1821)
_#_Executive branch: president, Cabinet (Council of Ministers)
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber National Congress (Congreso Nacional)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—Rafael Leonardo CALLEJAS
Romero (since January 26, 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Liberal Party (PLH)—faction leaders, Carlos FLORES Facusse (leader of
Florista Liberal Movement), Carlos MONTOYA (Azconista subfaction), Ramon
VILLEDA Bermudez and Jorge Arturo REINA (M-Lider faction);
National Party (PNH), Jose Celin DISCUA, party president;
PNH faction leaders—Oswaldo RAMOS Soto and Rafael Leonardo CALLEJAS
(Monarca faction);
National Innovation and Unity Party-Social Democrats (PINU-SD), Enrique
AGUILAR Cerrato Paz;
Christian Democratic Party (PDCH), Jorge ILLESCAS;
Democratic Action (AD), Walter LOPEZ Reyes
_#_Suffrage: universal and mandatory at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held on November 26, 1989 (next to be held
November 1993);
results—Rafael Leonardo CALLEJAS (PNH) 51%,
Carlos FLORES Facusse (PLH) 43.3%, others 5.7%;
National Congress—last held on November 26, 1989 (next one scheduled for November 1993); results—PNH 51%, PLH 43%, PDCH 1.9%, PINU 1.5%, other 2.6%; seats—(128 total) PNH 71, PLH 55, PINU 2
_#_Communists: up to 1,500; Honduran leftist groups—Communist Party of Honduras (PCH), Party for the Transformation of Honduras (PTH), Morazanist Front for the Liberation of Honduras (FMLH), People's Revolutionary Union/Popular Liberation Movement (URP/MPL), Popular Revolutionary Forces-Lorenzo Zelaya (FPR/LZ), Socialist Party of Honduras Central American Workers Revolutionary Party (PASO/PRTC)
_#_Other political or pressure groups: National Association of Honduran Campesinos (ANACH), Honduran Council of Private Enterprise (COHEP), Confederation of Honduran Workers (CTH), National Union of Campesinos (UNC), General Workers Confederation (CGT), United Federation of Honduran Workers (FUTH), Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras (CODEH), Coordinating Committee of Popular Organizations (CCOP)
_#_Member of: BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES,
LAIA (observer), LORCS, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jorge Ramon HERNANDEZ Alcerro; Embassy at Suite 100, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; phone (202) 966-7700 to 7702; there are Honduran Consulates General in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco, and Consulates in Baton Rouge, Boston, Detroit, Houston, and Jacksonville;
US—Ambassador S. Crescencio ARCOS; Embassy at Avenida La Paz,
Tegucigalpa (mailing address is APO Miami 34022); telephone [504] 32-3120
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal stripes of blue (top), white, and blue, with five blue five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern in the center of the white stripe; the stars represent the members of the former Federal Republic of Central America—Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua; it resembles the flag of El Salvador, which has a round emblem surrounded by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL in the center of the white stripe; it also resembles the flag of Nicaragua, which features a triangle surrounded by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA at the top and AMERICA CENTRAL at the bottom, centered in the white stripe.
_*Economy #_Overview: Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. Agriculture, the most important sector of the economy, makes up nearly 30% of GDP, employs 62% of the workforce, and produces two-thirds of exports. Productivity is still low. Industry, which is still developing, employs nearly 9% of the workforce, accounts for 15% of GDP, and generates 20% of exports. The service sectors, including public administration, make up 50% of GDP and employ nearly 20% of the workforce. Basic issues facing the economy include rapid population growth, high unemployment, sharply increased inflation, a lack of basic services, a large and inefficient public sector, and the export sector's reliance on coffee and bananas, which face significant price fluctuations. Despite government reform efforts and substantial foreign assistance, the economy still struggles to utilize its significant natural resources.
_#_GDP: $4.9 billion, per person $960; actual growth rate -1.0% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 35.2% (estimated for 1990)
_Unemployment rate: 15% unemployed, 30-40% underemployed (1989)_
_#_Budget: revenues $1.4 billion; expenditures $1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $511 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $939 million (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—bananas, coffee, shrimp, lobster, minerals, lumber;
partners—US 52%, Germany 11%, Japan, Italy, Belgium
_#_Imports: $1.1 billion (c.i.f. 1990);
commodities—machines and transportation gear, chemicals, manufactured products, fuel and oil, food items;
partners—US 39%, Japan 9%, Central America and Caribbean (CACM), Venezuela, Mexico
_#_External debt: $2.8 billion (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 2.9% (1989); makes up 15% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 668,000 kW capacity; 2,023 million kWh produced, 380 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: agricultural processing (sugar and coffee), textiles, clothing, wood products
_#_Agriculture: the most important sector, making up nearly 30% of GDP, over 60% of the workforce, and two-thirds of exports; main products include bananas, coffee, timber, beef, citrus fruits, and shrimp; imports wheat
_#_Illicit drugs: illegal producer of cannabis, grown on small plots and mainly used for local consumption; transit point for cocaine
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.4 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1,027 million
_#_Currency: lempira (plural—lempiras); 1 lempira (L) = 100 centavos
_#_Exchange rates: lempiras (L) per US$1—5.30 (fixed rate); 5.70 parallel black-market rate (November 1990)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 785 km total; 508 km 1.067-meter gauge, 277 km 0.914-meter gauge
_#_Highways: 8,950 km in total; 1,700 km paved, 5,000 km improved in other ways, 2,250 km unimproved dirt
_#_Inland waterways: 465 km accessible for small boats
_#_Ports: Puerto Castilla, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo
_#_Merchant marine: 173 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 527,481 GRT/812,095 DWT; includes 2 passenger-cargo ships, 107 cargo ships, 12 refrigerated cargo ships, 9 container ships, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo ship, 20 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 1 chemical tanker, 2 specialized tankers, 1 vehicle carrier, 18 bulk carriers; note—a flag of convenience registry; the USSR owns one ship under the Honduran flag
_Civil air: 9 major transport aircraft_
_#_Airports: 175 total, 134 usable; 8 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 4 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 13 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: better, but still not enough; links to the Central American Microwave System; 35,100 telephones; stations—176 AM, no FM, 28 TV, 7 shortwave; 2 INTELSAT earth stations for the Atlantic Ocean
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy (including Marines), Air Force, Public Security Forces (FUSEP)
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 1,106,630; 659,520 eligible for military service; 58,953 turn 18 (military age) each year.
_#Defense spending: $82.5 million, 1.9% of GDP (1990 estimate) % @Hong Kong (territory dependent on the UK) *Geography #_Total area: 1,040 km²; land area: 990 km²
_#_Comparative area: just under six times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundary: 30 km with China
_#_Coastline: 733 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 3 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Climate: tropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring to summer, warm and sunny in fall
_#_Terrain: hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in the north
_#_Natural resources: amazing deepwater harbor, feldspar
_#_Land use: arable land 7%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and woodland 12%; other 79%; includes irrigated 3%
_#_Environment: over 200 islands; occasional storms
_*People #_Population: 5,855,800 (July 1991), growth rate 0.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 13 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 2 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 77 years for males, 84 years for females (1991)
_Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born per woman (1991)_
_#_Nationality: adjective—Hong Kong
_#_Ethnic divisions: Chinese 98%, other 2%
_#_Religion: diverse blend of local religions 90%, Christian 10%
_#_Language: Chinese (Cantonese), English
_#_Literacy: 77% (male 90%, female 64%) of people aged 15 and older have ever attended school (1971)
_#_Labor force: 2,800,000 (1990); manufacturing 28.5%, wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels 27.9%, services 17.7%, finance, insurance, and real estate 9.2%, transportation and communications 4.5%, construction 2.5%, other 9.7% (1989)
_#_Organized labor: 16% of the workforce (1990)
_*Government #_Long-form name: none; abbreviated HK
_#_Type: dependent territory of the UK; set to return to China in 1997
_#_Capital: Victoria
_#_Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK); the UK signed an agreement with China on December 19, 1984, to hand over Hong Kong to China on July 1, 1997; in the joint declaration, China commits to respecting Hong Kong's current social and economic systems and way of life for 50 years after the transition.
_#_Constitution: not written down; made up of some laws and some common law and practices; new Basic Law was approved in March 1990 in preparation for 1997
_#_Legal system: based on English common law
_#_National holiday: Liberation Day, August 29 (1945)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor, chief secretary of the Executive Council
_#_Legislative branch: Legislative Council
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952);
Head of Government—Governor Sir David Clive WILSON (since April 9, 1987);
Chief Secretary Sir David Robert FORD (since NA February 1987)
_#_Political parties:
United Democrats of Hong Kong (UDHK), Martin LEE Chu-ming;
Liberal Democratic Federation (LDF), HU Fa-kuang;
Hong Kong Democratic Foundation (HKDF), Patrick SHIU Kin-ying;
Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood (ADPL),
Frederick FUNG Kin-kee;
Meeting Point, Anthony CHEUNG Bing-leung;
Progressive Hong Kong Society (PHKS), Maria TAM Wai-chu
_#_Suffrage: direct election—universal at age 21 as a permanent resident living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven years; indirect election—limited to about 100,000 professionals from the electoral college and functional constituencies
_#_Elections:
Legislative Council—indirect elections were last held on September 12, 1991, and direct elections took place on September 15, 1991 (the next elections will be by September 1995); results—percentage of votes by party NA; seats—(60 total; 21 indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 18 directly elected, 18 appointed by the governor, 3 ex officio members) indirect elections—number of seats by functional constituency NA; direct elections—UDHK 12, Meeting Point 2, ADPL 1, others 3; note—direct elections were held for the first time in September 1991.
_#_Communists: Approximately 5,000 members associated with the Communist Party of China.
_#_Other political or pressure groups:
Federation of Trade Unions (pro-China), Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade
Union Council (pro-Taiwan), Confederation of Trade Unions (pro-democracy),
Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, Chinese General Chamber of
Commerce (pro-China), Federation of Hong Kong Industries, Chinese
Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Professional Teachers'
Union, Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement
in China
_#_Member of: AsDB, CCC, ESCAP (associate), GATT, ICFTU, IMO (associate), IOC, ISO (correspondent), WCL, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: as a dependent territory of the UK, the UK represents Hong Kong's interests in the US;
US—Consul General Richard L. WILLIAMS; Consulate General at 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong (mailing address is Box 30, Hong Kong, or FPO San Francisco 96659-0002); telephone [852] (5) 845-1598
_#_Flag: blue with the UK flag in the upper hoist-side corner, featuring the Hong Kong coat of arms on a white circle centered on the outer part of the flag; the coat of arms has a shield (showing two junk boats below a crown) held by a lion (symbolizing the UK) and a dragon (symbolizing China), with another lion above the shield and a banner displaying the words HONG KONG below the shield.
_*Economy #_Overview: Hong Kong has a free market economy with few tariffs or trade barriers. Natural resources are limited, so food and raw materials need to be imported. Manufacturing makes up about 18% of GDP, employs 28% of the workforce, and exports around 90% of its production. Real GDP growth averaged an impressive 8% in 1987-88, then slowed to 2.5-3.0% in 1989-90. Unemployment, which has been dropping since the mid-1980s, is now below 2%. A labor shortage continues to drive up prices and the cost of living. Short-term prospects remain strong as long as major trading partners stay prosperous. The crackdown in China in 1989-90 casts a long shadow over the long-term economic outlook.
_GDP: $64.0 billion, per person $11,000; actual growth rate 2.5% (1990)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.8% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 1.8% (1990)
_#_Budget: $8.8 billion (FY90)
_#_Exports: $80.3 billion (f.o.b., 1990), including reexports of $51.2 billion;
commodities—clothes, textile yarn and fabric, shoes, electrical appliances, watches and clocks, toys;
partners—US 32%, China 19%, FRG 7%, UK 6%, Japan 6% (1989)
_#_Imports: $79.5 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—food items, transportation equipment, raw materials, semifinished goods, petroleum;
partners—China 35%, Japan 17%, Taiwan 9%, US 8% (1989)
_#_External debt: $9.5 billion (December 1990 estimate)
# Industrial production: growth rate 1.7% (1989)
_#_Electricity: 8,485,000 kW capacity; 25,000 million kWh produced, 4,340 kWh per person (1990)
# Industries: textiles, clothing, tourism, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks
_#_Agriculture: small part of the economy; rice, veggies, dairy products; under 20% self-sufficient; shortages of rice, wheat, water
_#_Illicit drugs: a center for Southeast Asian heroin trade; transshipment and a major hub for financial activities and money laundering
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $152 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $910 million
_#_Currency: Hong Kong dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Hong Kong dollar (HK$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Hong Kong dollars (HK$) per US$—7.800 (March 1989), 7.810 (1988), 7.760 (1987), 7.795 (1986), 7.811 (1985); note—tied to the US dollar at roughly 7.8 HK$ per 1 US$ since 1985
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Railroads: 35 km of 1.435-meter standard gauge, owned by the government
_#_Highways: 1,484 km total; 794 km paved, 306 km gravel, crushed stone, or dirt
_#_Ports: Hong Kong
_#_Merchant marine: 134 ships (1,000 GRT or more), totaling 4,690,770 GRT/8,091,177 DWT; includes 1 passenger ship, 1 short-sea passenger ship, 16 cargo ships, 5 refrigerated cargo ships, 16 container ships, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo ship, 9 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 2 chemical tankers, 6 combination ore/oil ships, 6 liquefied gas ships, and 71 bulk carriers; note—a flag of convenience registration; ships registered in Hong Kong fly the UK flag, and an estimated 500 Hong Kong-owned ships are registered elsewhere.
_#_Civil air: 16 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 2 total; 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 1 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: modern facilities offer excellent domestic and international services; 3,000,000 telephones; microwave transmission links and a wide-reaching optical fiber network; stations—6 AM, 6 FM, 4 TV; 1 British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) relay station and 1 British Forces Broadcasting Service relay station; 2,500,000 radio receivers; 1,312,000 TV sets (1,224,000 color TV sets); satellite earth stations—1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT and 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT; coaxial cable to Guangzhou, China; connections to 5 international submarine cables providing access to ASEAN member countries, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, the Middle East, and Western Europe.
_*Defense Forces
#_Branches: British Forces Headquarters, Royal Navy, Royal
Air Force, Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force, Gurkha Brigade,
Royal Hong Kong Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 1,718,112; 1,328,230 eligible for military service; 45,437 turn 18 each year
_#_Defense expenditures: $300 million, 0.5% of GDP (1989 est.); this accounts for one-fourth of the total cost of defense, with the rest covered by the UK.
_#Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK % @Howland Island (territory of the US) *Geography #_Total area: 1.6 km²; land area: 1.6 km²
_#_Comparative area: roughly 2.7 times larger than The Mall in Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 6.4 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; little rainfall, steady winds, intense sun
_#_Terrain: flat, low-lying, sandy island made of coral, with a narrow surrounding reef; sunken central area
_#_Natural resources: guano (deposits mined until the late 1800s)
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 5%; other 95%
_#_Environment: nearly completely covered with grasses, creeping vines, and low shrubs; small patch of trees in the center; lacks fresh water; mainly a habitat for nesting, roosting, and foraging for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife; feral cats
_#_Note: remote location 2,575 km southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, just north of the Equator, about halfway between Hawaii and Australia
_*People #_Population: uninhabited
_#_Note: American civilians evacuated in 1942 after Japanese air and naval attacks during World War II; occupied by the US military during World War II but abandoned after the war; public access is by special-use permit only and is generally limited to scientists and educators.
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: unincorporated territory of the US managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System
_*Economy #_Overview: no economic activity
_*Communications #_Airports: airstrip built in 1937 as a scheduled refueling stop during Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan's round-the-world flight—they took off from Lae, New Guinea, heading to Howland Island, but were never seen again; the airstrip is no longer usable
_#_Ports: none; only offshore anchorage, with one boat landing area in the middle of the west coast
_#_Note: Earhart Light is a daytime marker located near the center of the west coast that was partially damaged during World War II, but has since been restored in honor of the famous aviator Amelia Earhart.
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the US; visited every year by the US Coast Guard % @Hungary *Geography #_Total area: 93,030 km²; land area: 92,340 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Indiana
_#_Land boundaries: 2,251 km total; Austria 366 km, Czechoslovakia 676 km, Romania 443 km, USSR 135 km, Yugoslavia 631 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Disputes: Nagymaros Dam disagreement with Czechoslovakia
_#_Climate: mild; cold, overcast, humid winters; warm summers
_#_Terrain: mostly flat to rolling plains
_#_Natural resources: bauxite, coal, natural gas, rich soils
_#_Land use: arable land 54%; permanent crops 3%; meadows and pastures 14%; forest and woodland 18%; other 11%; includes irrigated 2%
_#_Environment: levees are common along many rivers, but flooding happens almost every year
_#_Note: landlocked; strategic location along major land routes between Western Europe and the Balkan Peninsula, as well as between the USSR and the Mediterranean region.
_*People #_Population: 10,558,001 (July 1991), growth rate - 0.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 12 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 13 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 14 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 68 years for males, 76 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Hungarian(s); adjective—Hungarian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Hungarian 96.6%, German 1.6%, Slovak 1.1%, Southern Slav 0.3%, Romanian 0.2%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 67.5%, Calvinist 20.0%, Lutheran 5.0%, atheist and other 7.5%
_#_Language: Hungarian 98.2%, other 1.8%
_#_Literacy: 99% (male 99%, female 98%) of people age 15 and older can read and write (1980)
_#_Labor force: 4,860,000; services, trade, government, and other 43.2%; industry 30.9%; agriculture 18.8%; construction 7.1% (1988)
_#_Organized labor: 96.5% of the workforce; the Central Council of Hungarian Trade Unions (SZOT) consists of 19 affiliated unions, all managed by the government; independent unions are legal; there may be as many as 12 small independent unions active.
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Hungary
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Budapest
_#_Administrative divisions: 19 counties (megyek, singular—megye) and 1 capital city* (fovaros); Bacs-Kiskun, Baranya, Bekes, Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen, Budapest*, Csongrad, Fejer, Gyor-Moson-Sopron, Hajdu-Bihar, Heves, Jasz-Nagykun-Szolnok, Komarom-Esztergom, Nograd, Pest, Somogy, Szabolcs-Szatmar-Bereg, Tolna, Vas, Veszprem, Zala
_#_Independence: 1001, unification by King Stephen I
_#_Constitution: August 18, 1949, effective August 20, 1949, revised April 19, 1972; the October 18, 1989 revision guarantees individual legal rights and sets constitutional limits on the prime minister's power, establishing the principle of parliamentary oversight.
_#_Legal system: currently being revised, shifting towards a rule of law based on the Western model
_#_National holiday: October 23 (1956); remembers the Hungarian uprising
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Országgyűlés)
_#_Judicial branch: The Supreme Court may be restructured as part of the ongoing government reform.
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Arpad GONCZ (since August 3, 1990; previously interim President from May 2, 1990);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Jozsef ANTALL (since May 23, 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Democratic Forum, Jozsef ANTALL, chairman; Free Democrats, Janos KIS, chairman; Independent Smallholders, Ferenc Jozsef NAGY, president; Hungarian Socialist Party (MSP), Gyula HORN, chairman; Young Democrats, Gabor FODOR, head; Christian Democrats, Dr. Lazlo SURJAN, president; note—the Hungarian Socialist (Communist) Workers' Party (MSZMP) renounced Communism and became the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSP) in October 1989
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President last held on August 3, 1990 (next to be held in August 1995); elected by the National Assembly with a total of 294 votes out of 304; President GONCZ was elected by the National Assembly as interim President from May 2, 1990 until he was elected President;
National Assembly—last held on March 25, 1990 (first round, with the second round on April 8, 1990); results—percentage of votes by party NA; seats—(394 total) Democratic Forum 165, Free Democrats 92, Independent Smallholders 43, Hungarian Socialist Party (MSP) 33, Young Democrats 21, Christian Democrats 21, independent candidates or jointly sponsored candidates 19
_#_Communists: fewer than 100,000 (December 1989)
_#_Member of: BIS, CCC, CE, CSCE, ECE, FAO, G-9, GATT,
IAEA, IBEC, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IIB, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO,
ITU, LORCS, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador (vacant); Chancery at 3910 Shoemaker Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 362-6730; there is a Hungarian Consulate General in New York;
US—Ambassador Charles THOMAS; Embassy at V. Szabadsag Ter 12, Budapest (mailing address is APO New York 09213); telephone [36] (1) 112-6450
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal stripes of red (top), white, and green
_*Economy #_Overview: Agriculture is a key sector, providing significant export earnings and meeting domestic food needs. Industry makes up about 40% of GNP and 30% of jobs. Approximately 40% of Hungary's foreign trade is with the USSR and Eastern Europe, and a third is with the EC. Low growth rates reflect the struggles of the Soviet-style economy to modernize its infrastructure and motivate workers. GNP fell by 1% in 1989 and is estimated to have declined by 6% in 1990. Since 1985, external debt has more than doubled to over $20 billion. Recently, Hungary has widely experimented with decentralized and market-driven enterprises. The newly democratic government has rejected the Soviet economic growth model and intends to open the economy to broader market forces and closer economic ties with Western Europe. Prime Minister Antall has expressed his commitment to advancing the privatization of state enterprises, implementing provisions for bankruptcy, reforming land use, and liberalizing international trade, but concerns over acceptable levels of unemployment and inflation may slow down the reform process.
_#_GNP: $60.9 billion, per person $5,800; actual growth rate - 5.7% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 30% (1990 estimate)
_#_Unemployment rate: 1.7% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $18.2 billion; expenditures $18.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $805 million (1989)
_#_Exports: $10.2 billion (f.o.b. 1989);
commodities—capital goods 33%, food 25%, consumer goods 16%, fuels 1.5%, other 24.5%;
partners USSR and Eastern Europe 42%, developed countries 37.4%, less developed countries 20.6% (1989)
_#_Imports: $10.1 billion (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—capital goods 15%, fuels 20%, manufactured consumer goods 12.4%, agriculture 5%, other 47.6%;
partners—USSR and Eastern Europe 34.9%, developed countries 45.5%, less developed countries 16.6%, US 3%
_#_External debt: $20.7 billion (1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 7.9% (1990 est.)
_#_Electricity: 7,800,000 kW capacity; 30,400 million kWh produced, 2,870 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: mining, metallurgy, engineering, processed foods, textiles, chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals)
_#_Agriculture, including forestry, makes up around 15% of GNP and 19% of jobs. It's a highly diverse system of crop and livestock farming. The main crops are wheat, corn, sunflowers, potatoes, and sugar beets. The livestock market includes pigs, cattle, poultry, and dairy products. The country is self-sufficient in food production.
_#_Economic aid: donor—$2.0 billion in bilateral aid to non-Communist less developed countries (1962-89)
_#_Currency: forint (plural—forints); 1 forint (Ft) = 100 filler
_#_Exchange rates: forints (Ft) per US$1—60.95 (December 1990), 63.21 (1990), 59.07 (1989), 50.41 (1988), 46.97 (1987), 45.83 (1986), 50.12 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 7,765 km in total; 7,508 km of 1.435-meter standard gauge, 222 km of narrow gauge (mostly 0.760-meter), 35 km of 1.520-meter broad gauge; 1,147 km double track, 2,161 km electrified; all government-owned (1988)
_Highways: 130,014 km in total; 29,715 km national highway system—26,834 km asphalt and bitumen, 142 km concrete, 51 km stone and road brick, 2,276 km macadam, 412 km unpaved; 58,495 km country roads (66% unpaved), and 41,804 km (estimated) other roads (70% unpaved) (1988)_
_#_Inland waterways: 1,622 km (1988)
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 1,204 km; refined products, 630 km; natural gas, 3,895 km (1986)
_#_Ports: Budapest and Dunaujvaros are river ports on the Danube; maritime outlets include Rostock (Germany), Gdansk (Poland), Gdynia (Poland), Szczecin (Poland), Galati (Romania), and Braila (Romania)
_#_Merchant marine: 16 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or more) and 1 bulk ship totaling 94,393 GRT/131,946 DWT
_#_Civil air: 28 main transport planes
_#_Airports: 90 total, 90 usable; 20 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 10 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 15 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: there are 17 telephones for every 100 people; 49% of all phones are in Budapest; there's a 12-15 year wait for a phone; 16,000 telex lines (June 1990); stations—13 AM, 12 FM, 21 TV (8 Soviet TV relays); 4.2 TVs (1990)
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Air Force and Air Defense, Border Patrol, Civil Defense
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 2,667,234; 2,130,749 eligible for military service; 88,851 turn 18 (military age) each year
_#Defense spending: 43.7 billion forints, NA% of GDP (1989); note—converting defense spending into US dollars using the official fixed exchange rate would give misleading results % @Iceland *Geography #_Total area: 103,000 km²; land area: 100,250 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Kentucky
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 4,988 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: edge of the continental margin or 200 nautical miles;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark, Ireland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area)
_#_Climate: temperate; influenced by the North Atlantic Current; mild, breezy winters; moist, cool summers
_#_Terrain: mostly flat with some mountain peaks, icefields; coast has many deep bays and fjords
_#_Natural resources: fish, hydroelectric and geothermal energy, diatomaceous earth
_#_Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 23%; forest and woodland 1%; other 76%
_#_Environment: prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity
_#_Note: it's strategically located between Greenland and Europe; the westernmost country in Europe.
_*People #_Population: 259,742 (July 1991), growth rate 1.0% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 17 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 75 years for males, 80 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Icelander(s); adjective—Icelandic
_#_Ethnic divisions: a uniform mix of descendants from Norwegians and Celts
_#_Religion: Evangelical Lutheran 96%, other Protestant and Roman Catholic 3%, none 1% (1988)
_#_Language: Icelandic
_#_Literacy: 100% (male NA%, female NA%) aged 15 and over can read and write (1976 est.)
_#_Labor force: 134,429; commerce, finance, and services 55.4%, other manufacturing 14.3%, agriculture 5.8%, fish processing 7.9%, fishing 5.0% (1986)
_#_Organized labor: 60% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Iceland
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Reykjavik
_#_Administrative divisions: 23 counties (syslar, singular—sysla)
and 14 independent towns* (kaupstadhir, singular—kaupstadhur); Akranes*,
Akureyri*, Arnessysla, Austur-Bardhastrandarsysla,
Austur-Hunavatnssysla, Austur-Skaftafellssysla,
Borgarfjardharsysla, Dalasysla, Eyjafjardharsysla,
Gullbringusysla, Hafnarfjordhur*, Husavik*, Isafjordhur*,
Keflavik*, Kjosarsysla, Kopavogur*, Myrasysla,
Neskaupstadhur*, Nordhur-Isafjardharsysla, Nordhur-Mulasysla,
Nordhur-Thingeyjarsysla, Olafsfjordhur*, Rangarvallasysla,
Reykjavik*, Saudharkrokur*, Seydhisfjordhur*, Siglufjordhur*,
Skagafjardharsysla, Snaefellsnes-og Hnappadalssysla, Strandasysla,
Sudhur-Mulasysla, Sudhur-Thingeyjarsysla, Vestmannaeyjar*,
Vestur-Bardhastrandarsysla, Vestur-Hunavatnssysla,
Vestur-Isafjardharsysla, Vestur-Skaftafellssysla
_#_Independence: June 17, 1944 (from Denmark)
_#_Constitution: June 16, 1944, effective June 17, 1944
_#_Legal system: civil law system based on Danish law; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Republic Day, 17 June (1944)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: two-chamber Althingi with an Upper House (Efri Deild) and a Lower House (Nedri Deild)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Haestirettur)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Vigdis FINNBOGADOTTIR (since August 1, 1980);
Head of Government—Prime Minister David ODDSSON (since April 30, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Independence (conservative), David ODDSSON;
Progressive, Steingrimur HERMANNSSON;
Social Democratic, Jon Baldvin HANNIBALSSON;
People's Alliance (left socialist), Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON;
Citizens Party (conservative nationalist), Julius SOLNES;
Women's List
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 20
_#_Elections:
President—last held on June 29, 1980 (next scheduled for June 1992); results—there were no elections in 1984 and 1988 as President Vigdis FINNBOGADOTTIR was unopposed;
Althing—last held on April 20, 1991 (next will be held by April 1995); results—Independence 38.6%, Progressive 18.9%, Social Democratic 15.5%, People's Alliance 14.4%, Women's List 8.13%, Liberals 1.2%, other 3.27% seats—(63 total) Independence 26, Progressive 13, Social Democratic 10, People's Alliance 9, Women's List 5
_#_Communists: under 100 (estimated), some of whom are part of the People's Alliance
_#_Member of: BIS, CCC, CE, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, FAO, GATT, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, OECD, PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Tomas A. TOMASSON; Chancery at 2022 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; phone (202) 265-6653 to 6655; there is an Icelandic Consulate General in New York;
US—Ambassador Charles E. COBB, Jr.; Embassy at Laufasvegur 21, Box 40, Reykjavik (mailing address is FPO New York 09571-0001); telephone [354] (1) 29100
_#_Flag: blue with a red cross outlined in white that stretches to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the left side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
_*Economy #_Overview: Iceland's thriving Scandinavian-style economy is primarily capitalist, but it features extensive social welfare programs, low unemployment, and a relatively even distribution of income. The economy relies heavily on the fishing industry, which accounts for nearly 75% of export earnings. With few other natural resources, Iceland's economy is sensitive to fluctuations in global fish prices. Following an increase in fish prices in 1990 and a stable labor agreement, Iceland is emerging from a recession that started in mid-1988, triggered by a significant drop in fish prices and the introduction of catch quotas to protect fish stocks. Inflation decreased sharply from 20% in 1989 to 8% in 1990.
_#_GDP: $4.2 billion, per person $16,300; actual growth rate 0% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.8% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 1.8% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $1.58 billion; expenditures $1.66 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA million (1990)
_#_Exports: $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—fish and fish products, animal products, aluminum, diatomite;
partners—EC 67.7% (UK 25.3%, FRG 12.7%), US 9.9%, Japan 6%
_#_Imports: $1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—machines and transportation equipment, oil, food items, fabrics;
partners—EC 49.8% (FRG 12.4%, Denmark 8.6%, UK 8.1%), US 14.4%, Japan 5.6%
_#_External debt: $3 billion (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 0.8% (1988 est.); makes up 22% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 1,063,000 kW capacity; 5,165 million kWh generated, 20,780 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: fish processing, aluminum smelting, ferro-silicon production, hydropower
_#_Agriculture: makes up around 25% of GDP (including fishing); fishing is the most significant economic activity, contributing nearly 75% to export earnings; main crops—potatoes and turnips; livestock—cattle and sheep; self-sufficient in crops; fish catch was about 1.4 million metric tons in 1989.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $19.1 million
_#_Currency: króna (plural—krónur); 1 Icelandic króna (IKr) = 100 aurar
_#_Exchange rates: Icelandic kronur (IKr) per US$1—55.216 (January 1991), 58.284 (1990), 57.042 (1989), 43.014 (1988), 38.677 (1987), 41.104 (1986), 41.508 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 12,343 km in total; 166 km paved with bitumen and concrete; 1,284 km treated with bitumen and gravel; 10,893 km unpaved
_#_Ports: Reykjavik, Akureyri, Hafnarfjordhur, Keflavik, Seydhisfjordhur, Siglufjordhur, Vestmannaeyjar; numerous minor ports
_#_Merchant marine: 16 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 53,409 GRT/73,279 DWT; includes 8 cargo ships, 2 refrigerated cargo ships, 1 container ship, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1 bulk
_#_Civil air: 20 key passenger airplanes
_#_Airports: 99 total, 92 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 14 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: sufficient local service, wired and wireless communication system; 135,000 telephones; stations—10 AM, 17 (43 relays) FM, 14 (132 relays) TV; 2 submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces
#_Branches: no military; State Criminal Police, Coast Guard;
Iceland's defense is handled by the US-supported Icelandic Defense Force
(IDF) based in Keflavik
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 69,644; 62,248 eligible for military service; no draft or mandatory military service
_#Defense spending: none % @India *Geography #_Total area: 3,287,590 km2; land area: 2,973,190 km2
_#_Comparative area: just over one-third the size of the US
_#_Land boundaries: 14,103 km total; Bangladesh 4,053 km, Bhutan 605 km, Myanmar 1,463 km, China 3,380 km, Nepal 1,690 km, Pakistan 2,912 km
_#_Coastline: 7,000 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: edge of the continental margin or 200 nautical miles;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: borders with Bangladesh, China, and Pakistan; issues related to water sharing with downstream neighbors, Bangladesh concerning the Ganges and Pakistan regarding the Indus
_#_Climate: ranges from tropical monsoon in the south to temperate in the north
_#_Terrain: upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in the south, flat to rolling plains along the Ganges, deserts in the west, Himalayas in the north
_#_Natural resources: coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, crude oil, limestone
_#_Land use: arable land 55%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and woodland 23%; other 17%; includes irrigated 13%
_#_Environment: droughts, sudden floods, intense thunderstorms are common; deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; air and water pollution; desertification
_#_Note: dominates the South Asian subcontinent; close to important Indian Ocean trade routes
_*People #_Population: 866,351,738 (July 1991), growth rate 1.9% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 29 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 10 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 87 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 57 years for males, 59 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.7 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Indian(s); adjective—Indian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3%
_#_Religion: Hindu 82.6%, Muslim 11.4%, Christian 2.4%, Sikh 2.0%, Buddhist 0.7%, Jains 0.5%, other 0.4%
_#_Language: Hindi, English, and 14 other official languages—Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit; 24 languages spoken by a million or more people each; many other languages and dialects, mostly not mutually intelligible; Hindi is the national language and the main language for 30% of the population; English has associate status but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication; Hindustani, a popular variation of Hindi/Urdu, is widely spoken across northern India.
# Literacy: 48% (male 62%, female 34%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 284,400,000; 67% agriculture (FY85)
_#_Organized labor: under 5% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of India
_#_Type: federal republic
_#_Capital: New Delhi
_#_Administrative divisions: 25 states and 7 union territories*;
Andaman and Nicobar Islands*, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh,
Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*, Dadra and Nagar Haveli*,
Daman and Diu*, Delhi*, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana,
Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala,
Lakshadweep*, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya,
Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Puducherry*, Punjab, Rajasthan,
Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal
_#_Independence: 15 August 1947 (from the UK)
_#_Constitution: 26 January 1950
_#_Legal system: based on English common law; limited judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Republic, 26 January (1950)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, prime minister, Council of Ministers
_#_Legislative branch: the bicameral Parliament (Sansad) consists of an upper house called the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and a lower house known as the House of the People (Lok Sabha)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Ramaswamy Iyer VENKATARAMAN (since July 25, 1987); Vice President Dr. Shankar Dayal SHARMA (since September 3, 1987);
Head of Government—Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao (since 21 June 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Congress (I) Party, P. V. Narasimha Rao, president;
Bharatiya Janata Party, L. K. Advani;
Janata Dal Party, V. P. Singh;
Communist Party of India/Marxist (CPI/M), E. M. S. Namboodiripad;
Communist Party of India (CPI), C. Rajeswara Rao;
Telugu Desam (a regional party in Andhra Pradesh), N. T. Rama Rao;
All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK; a regional party
in Tamil Nadu), Jayalalitha;
Samajwadi Janata Party, Chandra Shekhar;
Shiv Sena, Bal Thackeray;
Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), Tridip Chowdhury;
Bahujana Samaj Party (BSP), Kanshi Ram;
Congress (S) Party, leader N/A;
Communist Party of India/Marxist-Leninist (CPI/ML), Satyanarayan Singh;
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (a regional party in Tamil Nadu),
M. Karunanidhi;
Akali Dal factions representing the Sikh religious community in Punjab;
National Conference (NC; a regional party in Jammu and Kashmir), Farooq
Abdullah;
Asom Gana Parishad (a regional party in Assam), Prafulla Mahanta
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
People's Assembly—last held May 21, June 12, and June 15
1991 (next one scheduled for November 1996);
results—percentage of votes by party not available;
seats—(545 total), 509 elected—Congress (I) Party 225,
Bharatiya Janata Party 117,
Janata Dal Party 55,
Communist Party of India (Marxist) 35,
Communist Party of India 13,
Telugu Desam 12,
AIADMK 11,
Samajwadi Janata Party 5,
Shiv Sena 4,
RSP 4,
BSP 1,
Congress (S) Party 1, others 26; note—second and third rounds of
voting were delayed because of the assassination of Congress
President Rajiv GANDHI on May 21, 1991
_#_Communists: 466,000 members reported by CPI, 361,000 members reported by CPI/M; Communist extremist groups, around 15,000 members
_#_Other political or pressure groups: various separatist groups seeking more community autonomy; many religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations, including Adam Sena, Anand Marg, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
_#_Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-6,
G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS,
NAM, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Abid HUSSEIN; Chancery at 2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-7000; there are Indian Consulates General in Chicago, New York, and San Francisco;
US—Ambassador William CLARK, Jr.; Embassy at Shanti Path,
Chanakyapuri 110021, New Delhi; phone [91] (11) 600651; there are US
Consulates General in Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal stripes of orange (top), white, and green with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) in the center of the white stripe; similar to the flag of Niger, which has a small orange circle in the center of the white stripe.
_*Economy #_Overview: India's economy combines traditional village farming and crafts with modern agriculture, old and new industries, and a wide range of support services. It reflects both the entrepreneurial spirit and motivation of a capitalist system and significant government intervention typical of socialism. The annual growth of 4% to 5% in the 1980s has helped ease the effects of population growth on unemployment, social stability, and the environment. Agricultural output has continued to rise, thanks to increased use of modern farming methods and better seeds, which have allowed India to become self-sufficient in food grains and a net agricultural exporter. However, tens of millions of villagers, especially in the south, haven't benefited from the green revolution and still live in extreme poverty. The industry has gained from partial relaxation of controls, and the service sector has also seen strong growth. Recently, however, India has faced challenges from significantly lower foreign exchange reserves, rising inflation, and a heavy debt service burden.
_GNP: $254 billion, per person $300; actual growth rate 4.5% (1990 est.)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10.0% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 20% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $34 billion; expenditures $54 billion, including capital expenditures of $13.3 billion (FY91)
_#_Exports: $17.0 billion (f.o.b., FY90);
commodities—gems and jewelry, engineering products, clothing, textiles, chemicals, tea, coffee, seafood;
partners—EC 25%, US 19%, USSR and Eastern Europe 17%, Japan 10%
_#_Imports: $24.8 billion (c.i.f., FY90);
commodities—oil, machinery, raw gemstones and jewelry, chemicals, iron and steel, cooking oils;
partners—EC 33%, Middle East 19%, Japan 10%, US 9%, USSR and Eastern Europe 8%
_#_External debt: $69.8 billion (estimated 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 8.4% (1990); makes up about 25% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 70,000,000 kW capacity; 245 billion kWh produced, 290 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: textiles, food processing, steel, machinery, transportation equipment, cement, jute products, mining, oil, energy, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, electronics
_#_Agriculture: makes up about 30% of GNP and employs 67% of the workforce; self-sufficient in food grains; main crops—rice, wheat, oilseeds, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes; livestock—cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, and poultry; fish catch of about 3 million metric tons ranks among the world's top 10 fishing nations.
_#_Illicit drugs: legal producer of opium poppy for the pharmaceutical trade, but some opium is redirected to illegal international drug markets; major transit country for illegal narcotics produced in nearby countries.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $4.4 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-88), $20.1 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $315 million; USSR (1970-89), $11.6 billion; Eastern Europe (1970-89), $105 million
_#_Currency: Indian rupee (plural—rupees); 1 Indian rupee (Re) = 100 paise
_#_Exchange rates: Indian rupees (Rs) per US$1—18.329 (January 1990), 17.504 (1990), 16.226 (1989), 13.917 (1988), 12.962 (1987), 12.611 (1986), 12.369 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Railroads: 61,850 km total (1986); 33,553 km of 1.676-meter broad gauge, 24,051 km of 1.000-meter gauge, 4,246 km of narrow gauge (0.762 meter and 0.610 meter); 12,617 km is double track; 6,500 km is electrified
_#_Highways: 1,633,300 km total (1986); 515,300 km secondary and 1,118,000 km gravel, crushed stone, or dirt
_#_Inland waterways: 10,060 miles; 2,260 miles navigable by large vessels
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 3,497 km; refined products, 1,703 km; natural gas, 902 km (1989)
_#_Ports: Mumbai, Kolkata, Kochi, Kandla, Chennai, New Mangalore, Port Blair (Andaman Islands)
_#_Merchant marine: 308 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 6,087,451 GRT/10,150,460 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 8 passenger-cargo, 100 cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 8 container, 54 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 10 chemical tankers, 9 combination ore/oil, 115 bulk, 2 combination bulk
_#_Civil air: 93 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 345 total, 288 usable; 198 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 12,000 ft; 57 with runways between 8,000-12,000 ft; 88 with runways between 4,000-8,000 ft
_#_Telecommunications: weak local phone service, fair international radio communications; 4,700,000 phones; stations—96 AM, 4 FM, 274 TV (government-controlled); domestic satellite system for communication and TV; 3 Indian Ocean INTELSAT ground stations; underwater cables to Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates.
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force, Border Security Forces, Coast Guard, Assam Rifles
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 232,793,714; 137,259,444 eligible for military service; approximately 9,431,908 turn 17 and reach military age each year.
_#Defense spending: $9.2 billion, 3.5% of GNP (FY91) % @Indian Ocean *Geography #_Total area: 73,600,000 km²; Arabian Sea, Bass Strait, Bay of Bengal, Java Sea, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Strait of Malacca, Timor Sea, and other related water bodies
_#_Comparative area: just under eight times the size of the US; the third-largest ocean (after the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, but bigger than the Arctic Ocean)
_#_Coastline: 66,526 km
_#_Climate: northeast monsoon (December to April), southwest monsoon (June to October); tropical cyclones happen in May/June and October/November in the north Indian Ocean and January/February in the south Indian Ocean
_#_Terrain: a surface mainly influenced by a counterclockwise gyre (a wide, circular system of currents) in the southern Indian Ocean; a distinctive reversal of surface currents in the northern Indian Ocean—low pressure over southwest Asia due to hot, rising summer air leads to the southwest monsoon and southwest-to-northeast winds and currents, while high pressure over northern Asia caused by cold, descending winter air leads to the northeast monsoon and northeast-to-southwest winds and currents; the ocean floor is primarily shaped by the Mid-Indian Ocean Ridge and divided by the Southeast Indian Ocean Ridge, Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge, and Ninety East Ridge; the maximum depth is 7,258 meters in the Java Trench.
_#_Natural resources: oil and gas fields, fish, shrimp, sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules
_#_Environment: endangered marine species include the dugong, seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in the Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, and Red Sea.
_#_Note: major choke points include Bab el Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz,
Strait of Malacca, southern access to the Suez Canal, and the Lombok
Strait; ships may experience superstructure icing in the extreme south near
Antarctica from May to October
_*Economy #_Overview: The Indian Ocean serves as a major transportation route for moving petroleum products from the Middle East to Europe and North and South America. Fish from the ocean are becoming increasingly important economically for many bordering countries as a source of food and exports. Fishing fleets from the USSR, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan also take advantage of the Indian Ocean, primarily for shrimp and tuna. Large reserves of hydrocarbons are being extracted in the offshore areas of Saudi Arabia, Iran, India, and Western Australia. It's estimated that 40% of the world's offshore oil production comes from the Indian Ocean. Beach sands rich in heavy minerals and offshore placer deposits are being actively mined by neighboring countries, especially India, South Africa, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
_#_Industries: based on the exploitation of natural resources, especially marine life, minerals, oil and gas production, fishing, and sand and gravel aggregates, as well as placer deposits.
_*Communications
#_Ports: Mumbai (India), Kolkata (India), Chennai (India),
Colombo (Sri Lanka), Durban (South Africa), Fremantle (Australia),
Jakarta (Indonesia), Melbourne (Australia), Richard's Bay (South Africa)
_#Telecommunications: no submarine cables % @Indonesia *Geography #_Total area: 1,919,440 km²; land area: 1,826,440 km²
_#_Comparative area: just under three times the size of Texas
_#_Land boundaries: 2,602 km total; Malaysia 1,782 km, Papua New Guinea 820 km
_#_Coastline: 54,716 km
_#_Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: sovereignty over Timor Timur (East Timor Province) disputed with Portugal
_#_Climate: tropical; hot and humid; more temperate in the highlands
_#_Terrain: mostly coastal lowlands; bigger islands have interior mountains
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, tin, natural gas liquids, nickel, timber, bauxite, copper, fertile soil, coal, gold, silver
_#_Land use: arable land 8%; permanent crops 3%; meadows and pastures 7%; forest and woodland 67%; other 15%; includes irrigated 3%
_#_Environment: an archipelago of 13,500 islands (6,000 inhabited); occasional floods, severe droughts, and tsunamis; deforestation
_#_Note: crosses the Equator; important location along major shipping routes from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.
_*People #_Population: 193,560,494 (July 1991), growth rate 1.8% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 26 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 73 deaths for every 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 59 years for males, 63 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.0 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Indonesian(s); adjective—Indonesian
_#_Ethnic divisions: the majority of Malay heritage consists of Javanese 45.0%, Sundanese 14.0%, Madurese 7.5%, coastal Malays 7.5%, and others 26.0%
_#_Religion: Muslim 87%, Protestant 6%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 2%, Buddhist 1%, other 1% (1985)
_#_Language: Indonesian (modified form of Malay; official); English and Dutch are the main foreign languages; local dialects, with Javanese being the most widely spoken.
_#_Literacy: 77% (male 84%, female 68%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 67,000,000; agriculture 55%, manufacturing 10%, construction 4%, transport and communications 3% (1985 est.)
_#_Organized labor: 3,000,000 members (claimed); about 5% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Indonesia
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Jakarta
_#_Administrative divisions: 24 provinces (provinces, singular—province), 2 special regions* (special regions, singular—special region), and 1 special capital city district** (special capital district); Aceh*, Bali, Bengkulu, Irian Jaya, Jakarta Raya**, Jambi, West Java, Central Java, East Java, West Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, Lampung, Maluku, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, Riau, South Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, North Sulawesi, West Sumatra, South Sumatra, North Sumatra, East Timor, Yogyakarta*
_#_Independence: August 17, 1945 (from the Netherlands; formerly known as the Netherlands or Dutch East Indies)
_#_Constitution: August 1945, replaced by the Federal Constitution of 1949 and the Provisional Constitution of 1950, restored on July 5, 1959
_#_Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law, significantly changed by indigenous ideas and a new criminal procedures code; has not accepted mandatory ICJ jurisdiction.
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, August 17 (1945)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat or DPR); note—the People's Consultative Assembly (Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat or MPR) includes the DPR plus 500 members who are elected indirectly. They meet every five years to elect the president and vice president and, in theory, to set national policy.
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Mahkamah Agung)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Gen. (Ret.) SOEHARTO (since March 27, 1968); Vice President Lt. Gen. (Ret.) SUDHARMONO (since March 11, 1983)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
GOLKAR (quasi-official party based on functional groups), Lt. Gen. (Ret.)
WAHONO, general chairman;
Indonesia Democracy Party (PDI—fusion of former Nationalist and
Christian Parties), SOERYADI, chairman;
Development Unity Party (PPP, coalition of former Islamic parties),
Ismail Hasan METAREUM, chairman
_#_Suffrage: universal at 17 for everyone and for married individuals regardless of age
_#_Elections:
House of Representatives—last held on April 23, 1987 (next to be held April 23, 1992); results—Golkar 73%, UDP 16%, PDI 11%; seats—(500 total—400 elected, 100 appointed) Golkar 299, UDP 61, PDI 40
_#_Communists: The Communist Party (PKI) was officially banned in March 1966; current membership is around 1,000-3,000, with less than 10% involved in organized activities; before October 1965, hardcore membership was about 1.5 million.
_#_Member of: APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-19, G-77,
GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC,
OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Abdul Rachman RAMLY; Chancery at 2020 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 775-5200; there are Indonesian Consulates General in Houston, New York, and Los Angeles, and Consulates in Chicago and San Francisco;
US—Ambassador John C. MONJO; Embassy at Medan Merdeka Selatan 5,
Jakarta (mailing address is APO San Francisco 96356);
telephone [62] (21) 360-360; there are US Consulates in Medan and
Surabaya
_#_Flag: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to the flag of Monaco which is shorter; also similar to the flag of Poland which is white (top) and red
_*Economy #_Overview: Indonesia has a mixed economy featuring several socialist institutions and some central planning, but it has recently focused on deregulation and private enterprise. Although Indonesia is rich in natural resources, it remains a poor country due to its large and fast-growing population. From 1985 to 1989, GDP growth averaged about 4%, which is below the over 5% needed to accommodate the 2.3 million workers entering the labor market each year. Agriculture, including forestry and fishing, plays a significant role, making up 21% of GDP and employing over 50% of the workforce. Rice is the staple crop. Once the world's largest rice importer, Indonesia is now nearly self-sufficient. The government is promoting plantation crops like rubber and palm oil, along with textiles and plywood, to boost exports and create jobs. Industrial output now contributes 30% of GDP, supported by various natural resources including crude oil, natural gas, timber, metals, and coal. Among these, the oil sector is the most important for the external economy, generating over 20% of government revenue and 40% of export earnings in 1989. However, the economy’s growth heavily relies on the continued expansion of non-oil exports. Japan is Indonesia's main customer and aid supplier.
_GDP: $94 billion, per person $490; actual growth rate 6.0% (1990 est.)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10.8% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 3%; underemployment 44% (1989 estimate)
_#_Budget: revenues $17.2 billion; expenditures $23.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $8.9 billion (FY91)
_#_Exports: $25.7 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—petroleum and liquefied natural gas 40%, timber 15%, textiles 7%, rubber 5%, coffee 3%;
partners—Japan 40%, US 14%, Singapore 7%, Europe 16% (1990)
_#_Imports: $21.8 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—machinery 39%, chemical products 19%, manufactured goods 16%;
partners—Japan 23%, US 13%, EC, Singapore
_#_External debt: $58.5 billion (1990 estimate)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 11.6% (1989 est.); makes up 30% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 11,600,000 kW capacity; 38,000 million kWh produced, 200 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: oil, textiles, mining, cement, chemical fertilizers, plywood, food, rubber
_#_Agriculture: makes up 23% of GDP, focused on growing food for personal use; small farms and large plantations grow crops for export; rice, cassava, peanuts, rubber, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, copra, and other tropical products; products include poultry meat, beef, pork, and eggs.
_#_Illicit drugs: illegal producer of cannabis for the international drug trade, but not a significant player; government is actively destroying crops and prosecuting traffickers.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $4.4 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $22.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $213 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $175 million
_#_Currency: Indonesian rupiah (plural—rupiahs); 1 Indonesian rupiah (Rp) = 100 sen (sen are no longer in use)
_#_Exchange rates: Indonesian rupiahs (Rp) per US$1—1,907.5 (January 1991), 1,842.8 (1990), 1,770.1 (1989), 1,685.7 (1988), 1,643.8 (1987), 1,282.6 (1986), 1,110.6 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Railroads: 6,964 km total; 6,389 km of 1.067-meter gauge, 497 km of 0.750-meter gauge, 78 km of 0.600-meter gauge; 211 km of double track; 101 km electrified; all owned by the government
_#_Highways: 119,500 km total; 11,812 km state, 34,180 km provincial, and 73,508 km district roads
_#_Inland waterways: 21,579 km total; Sumatra 5,471 km, Java and Madura 820 km, Kalimantan 10,460 km, Celebes 241 km, Irian Jaya 4,587 km
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 2,505 km; refined products, 456 km; natural gas, 1,703 km (1989)
_#_Ports: Cilacap, Cirebon, Jakarta, Kupang, Palembang, Ujung Pandang, Semarang, Surabaya
_#_Merchant marine: 365 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 1,647,632 GRT/2,481,432 DWT; includes 5 short-sea passenger ships, 13 passenger-cargo ships, 215 cargo ships, 7 container ships, 3 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 2 vehicle carriers, 80 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 3 chemical tankers, 5 liquefied gas tankers, 6 specialized tankers, 1 livestock carrier, 25 bulk
_#_Civil air: around 216 commercial transport planes
_#_Airports: 470 total, 436 usable; 111 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 12 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 63 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: interisland microwave system and HF police network; domestic service is fair, international service is good; radio broadcast coverage is good; 763,000 telephones (1986); stations—618 AM, 38 FM, 9 TV; satellite earth stations—1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station and 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station; and 1 domestic satellite communications system
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 50,572,652; 29,893,127 eligible for military service; 2,149,673 reach military age (18) each year
_#Defense spending: $1.4 billion, 1.8% of GNP (1988) % @Iran *Geography #_Total area: 1,648,000 km²; land area: 1,636,000 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit bigger than Alaska
_#_Land boundaries: 5,492 km total; Afghanistan 936 km, Iraq 1,458 km, Pakistan 909 km, Turkey 499 km, USSR 1,690 km
_#_Coastline: 3,180 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specific;
Exclusive fishing zone: 50 nautical miles in the Sea of Oman; continental shelf limit, continental shelf boundaries, or median lines in the Persian Gulf;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: Iran and Iraq restored diplomatic relations on October 14, 1990, following the end of the war that started on September 22, 1980. Progress had been made on the main issues of disagreement—troop withdrawal, prisoner-of-war exchanges, border demarcation, freedom of navigation, and sovereignty over the Shatt al Arab waterway—but written agreements had not been finalized when tensions resurfaced in March 1991 after Shia and Kurdish uprisings in Iraq, which Baghdad accused Tehran of supporting. The Kurdish issue involves Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and the USSR. Iran occupies three islands in the Persian Gulf claimed by the UAE (Jazireh-ye Abu Musa or Abu Musa, Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Bozorg or Greater Tunb, and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Kuchek or Lesser Tunb). There are also periodic disputes with Afghanistan over Helmand water rights and the Baluch issue with Afghanistan and Pakistan.
_#_Climate: mostly dry or semi-dry, subtropical along the Caspian coast
_#_Terrain: rough, mountainous edges; elevated central basin with deserts, mountains; small, scattered plains along both coasts
_#_Natural resources: oil, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur
_#_Land use: arable land 8%; permanent crops negligible%; meadows and pastures 27%; forest and woodland 11%; other 54%; includes irrigated 2%
_#_Environment: deforestation; overgrazing; desertification
_*People #_Population: 59,051,082 (July 1991), growth rate 3.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 44 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 9 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 66 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 64 years for males, 65 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.6 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Iranian(s); adjective—Iranian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Persian 51%, Azerbaijani 25%, Kurd 9%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Lur 2%, Baloch 1%, Arab 1%, other 3%
_#_Religion: Shia Muslim 95%, Sunni Muslim 4%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Bahá'í 1%
_#_Language: 58% Persian and Persian dialects, 26% Turkic and Turkic dialects, 9% Kurdish, 2% Luri, 1% Baloch, 1% Arabic, 1% Turkish, 2% other
_#_Literacy: 54% (male 64%, female 43%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_Labor force: 15,400,000; agriculture 33%, manufacturing 21%; shortage of skilled labor (1988 est.)_
_#_Organized labor: none
_*Government #_Long-form name: Islamic Republic of Iran
_#_Type: theocratic republic
_#_Capital: Tehran
_#_Administrative divisions: 24 provinces (ostanha,
singular—ostan); Azerbaijan-e Bakhtiari,
Azerbaijan-e Khavari, Bakhtaran, Bushehr,
Chahar Mahall and Bakhtiari, Isfahan, Fars,
Gilan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman,
Khorasan, Khuzestan, Kohkiluyeh and Buyer
Ahmadi, Kurdistan, Lorestan, Markazi, Mazandaran,
Semnan, Sistan and Baluchestan, Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan
_#_Independence: April 1, 1979, Islamic Republic of Iran declared
_#_Constitution: December 2-3, 1979; revised in 1989 to increase the president's powers and remove the position of prime minister.
_#_Legal system: the new Constitution establishes Islamic principles of governance.
_#_National holiday: Islamic Republic Day, April 1 (1979)
_#_Executive branch: cleric (faqih), president, Council of Ministers
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majles-e-Shura-ye-Eslami)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Cleric and functional Chief of State—Leader of the Islamic
Revolution Ayatollah Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since June 4, 1989);
Head of Government—President Ali Akbar HASHEMI-RAFSANJANI (since August 3, 1989);
_#_Political parties and leaders: there are at least 14 licensed parties; the three most important are—Tehran Militant Clergy Association, Mohammad Reza MAHDAVI-KANI; Militant Clerics Association, Mehdi MAHDAVI-KARUBI and Mohammad Asqar MUSAVI-KHOINIHA; Fedaiyin Islam Organization, Sadeq KHALKHALI
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 15
_#_Elections:
President—last held in July 1989 (next to be held in April 1993); results—Ali Akbar HASHEMI-RAFSANJANI was elected with minimal opposition;
Islamic Consultative Assembly—last held on April 8, 1988 (next one to be held in June 1992); results—percentage of the vote by party N/A; seats—(total of 270 seats) number of seats by party N/A.
_#_Communists: an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 hardcore members; about 15,000 to 20,000 estimated sympathizers; the crackdown in 1983 significantly weakened the party; trials of captured leaders started in late 1983 and are still ongoing.
_#_Other political or pressure groups: groups that generally support the Islamic Republic include Hizballah, Hojjatiyeh Society, Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution, and Muslim Students Following the Line of the Imam; armed political groups that have been nearly completely suppressed by the government include Mojahedin Khalq Organization (MKO), People's Fedayeen, and Kurdish Democratic Party; the Society for the Defense of Freedom is a group of liberal nationalists that has faced repression from the government for accusing it of corruption.
_#_Member of: CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: none; the protecting power in the US is Algeria—Iranian Interests Section, 2209 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington DC 20007; telephone (202) 965-4990;
US—Switzerland is the protecting power in Iran.
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal stripes of green (top), white, and red; the national emblem (a stylized version of the word Allah) in red is centered in the white stripe; Allah Akbar (God is Great) in white Arabic script is repeated 11 times along the bottom edge of the green stripe and 11 times along the top edge of the red stripe.
_*Economy #_Overview: Since the 1979 revolution, banks, the oil industry, transportation, utilities, and mining have been nationalized. However, the new five-year plan—the first since the revolution—was passed in January 1990 and aims to transfer many government-run enterprises to the private sector. Disruptions from the intense war with Iraq, widespread corruption, mismanagement, population pressures, and ideological inflexibility have kept economic growth at low levels. Oil makes up over 90% of export revenues. A mix of war damage and low oil prices led to a 2% decrease in GNP in 1988. GNP likely increased slightly in 1989, but still fell short of the 3.2% population growth rate for that year. Heating oil and gasoline are being rationed. Agriculture has suffered due to the war, land reform, and lack of equipment and materials. The five-year plan aims to revitalize the economy by increasing the private sector's role, boosting non-oil income, and securing foreign loans. While the plan may be overly ambitious, it is likely to provide some short-term relief.
_#_GNP: $80.0 billion, per person $1,400; real growth rate 0.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 30-50% (1989 estimate)
_#_Unemployment rate: 30% (1989)
_#_Budget: revenues $63 billion; expenditures $80 billion, which includes capital expenditures of $23 billion (FY90 est.)
_#_Exports: $12.3 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—oil 90%, carpets, fruits, nuts, hides;
partners—Japan, Turkey, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, France, Germany
_#_Imports: $11.6 billion (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—machines, military equipment, metal products, food items, medications, technical services, refined oil products;
partners—FRG, Japan, Turkey, UK, Italy
_#_External debt: $4-5 billion (1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 14,579,000 kW capacity; 40 billion kWh produced, 740 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: oil, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food processing (especially sugar refining and vegetable oil production), metal fabrication (steel and copper)
_#_Agriculture: main products—wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton, dairy products, wool, caviar; not self-sufficient in food
_#_Illicit drugs: illegal producer of opium poppy for the domestic and international drug trade
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-80), $1.0 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.6 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $976 million; note—aid dropped significantly after the 1979 revolution
_#_Currency: Iranian rial (plural—rials); 1 Iranian rial (IR) = 100 dinars; note—domestic figures are usually expressed in tomans (plural—tomans), which equals 10 rials
_#_Exchange rates: Iranian rials (IR) per US$1—64.941 (January 1991), 68.096 (1990), 72.015 (1989), 68.683 (1988), 71.460 (1987), 78.760 (1986), 91.052 (1985) at the official rate; black market rate 1,400 (January 1991)
_#_Fiscal year: 21 March-20 March
_*Communications #_Railroads: 4,601 km total; 4,509 km of 1.432-meter gauge, 92 km of 1.676-meter gauge; 730 km under construction from Bafq to Bandar Abbas
_#_Highways: 140,072 km in total; 46,866 km of gravel and crushed stone; 49,440 km of upgraded earth; 42,566 km of asphalt and asphalt-treated surfaces; 1,200 km (estimated) rural road network
_#_Inland waterways: 904 km; the Shatt al Arab can normally be navigated by maritime traffic for about 130 km, but has been closed since September 1980 due to the Iran-Iraq war.
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 3,669 miles; refined products, 2,426 miles; natural gas, 2,050 miles
_#_Ports: Abadan (mostly destroyed in the fighting during the 1980-88 war), Bandar Beheshti, Bandar-e Abbas, Bandar-e Bushehr, Bandar-e Khomeyni, Bandar-e Shahid Rajai, Khorramshahr (mostly destroyed in the fighting during the 1980-88 war)
_#_Merchant marine: 133 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,634,204 GRT/8,671,769 DWT; includes 36 cargo, 6 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 33 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 4 chemical tankers, 3 refrigerated cargo ships, 49 bulk carriers, 2 combination bulk.
_#_Civil air: 42 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 214 total, 186 usable; 80 with paved runways; 17 with runways over 12,000 ft; 16 with runways between 8,000-12,000 ft; 70 with runways between 4,000-8,000 ft.
_#_Telecommunications: radio relay spans the entire country; system based in Tehran; 2,143,000 phones; stations—62 AM, 30 FM, 250 TV; satellite earth stations—2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT; HF and microwave connections to Turkey, Pakistan, Syria, Kuwait, and the USSR
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Islamic Republic of Iran Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense, and Revolutionary Guard Corps (which includes the Basij militia along with its own ground, air, and naval forces); a merger of the Komiteh, Police, and Gendarmerie has resulted in the new Security Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 12,750,593; 7,588,711 eligible for military service; 576,321 turn 21 each year
_#Defense spending: $13 billion, 13.3% of GNP (1991 est.) % @Iraq *Geography #_Total area: 434,920 km²; land area: 433,970 km²
_#_Comparative area: just over twice the size of Idaho
_#_Land boundaries: 3,454 km total; Iran 1,458 km, Iraq - Saudi Arabia Neutral Zone 191 km, Jordan 134 km, Kuwait 240 km, Saudi Arabia 495 km, Syria 605 km, Turkey 331 km
_#_Coastline: 58 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specific;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: Iran and Iraq restored diplomatic relations on October 14, 1990, after the war that started on September 22, 1980, came to an end. Some headway had been made on key issues like troop withdrawal, prisoner exchanges, border demarcation, navigation rights, and sovereignty over the Shatt al Arab waterway, but written agreements hadn’t been finalized when tensions flared up again in March 1991 due to Shia and Kurdish revolts in Iraq that Baghdad accused Tehran of backing. The Kurdish issue involves Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and the USSR. Iraq shares a Neutral Zone with Saudi Arabia; in December 1981, Iraq and Saudi Arabia signed a boundary agreement dividing the zone between them, but the agreement needs ratification to be valid. Iraqi forces invaded and occupied Kuwait from August 2, 1990, to February 27, 1991. In April 1991, Iraq officially accepted UN Security Council Resolution 687, which requires Iraq to recognize its internationally acknowledged border with Kuwait, effectively dismissing earlier claims to Bubiyan and Warbah Islands and all of Kuwait. There are ongoing disputes with upstream neighboring Syria over Euphrates water rights and potential conflicts regarding Turkey’s water development plans for the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
_#_Climate: desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, clear summers
_#_Terrain: mostly wide plains; grassy marshes in the southeast; mountains along the borders with Iran and Turkey
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur
_#_Land use: arable land 12%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 9%; forest and woodland 3%; other 75%; includes irrigated 4%
_#_Environment: development of Tigris-Euphrates river systems dependent on agreements with upstream neighbors (Syria, Turkey); air and water pollution; soil degradation (salinization) and erosion; desertification
_*People #_Population: 19,524,718 (July 1991), growth rate 3.9% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 46 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 66 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_Life expectancy at birth: 66 years for males, 68 years for females (1991)_
_#_Total fertility rate: 7.2 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Iraqi(s); adjective—Iraqi
_#_Ethnic divisions: Arab 75-80%, Kurdish 15-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian, or other 5%
_#_Religion: Muslim 97% (Shia 60-65%, Sunni 32-37%), Christian or other 3%
_#_Language: Arabic (official), Kurdish (official in Kurdish areas), Assyrian, Armenian
_#_Literacy: 60% (male 70%, female 49%) of individuals age 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 4,400,000 (1989); services 48%, agriculture 30%, industry 22%, significant labor shortage; expatriate labor force approximately 1,600,000 (July 1990)
_#_Organized labor: under 10% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Iraq
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Baghdad
_#_Administrative divisions: 18 provinces (muhafazat, singular—muhafazah); Al Anbar, Al Basrah, Al Muthanna, Al Qadisiyah, An Najaf, Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Tamim, Babil, Baghdad, Dohuk, Dhi Qar, Diyala, Karbala, Maysan, Nineveh, Salah ad Din, Wasit
_#_Independence: October 3, 1932 (from the League of Nations mandate under British administration)
_#_Constitution: September 22, 1968, effective July 16, 1970 (interim Constitution); new constitution drafted in 1990 but not adopted
_#_Legal system: based on Islamic law in specific religious courts, civil law system in other areas; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.
_#_National holiday: Anniversary of the Revolution, July 17 (1968)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, chairman of the
Revolutionary Command Council, vice chairman of the Revolutionary Command
Council, prime minister, first deputy prime minister, Council of
Ministers
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber National Assembly (Majlis Watani)
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Cassation
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Saddam HUSAYN (since July 16, 1979);
Vice President Taha Muhyi al-Din MARUF (since April 21, 1974);
Vice President Taha Yasin RAMADAN (since March 23, 1991);
_#_Head of Government—Prime Minister Sadun HAMMADI (since March 27, 1991); Deputy Prime Minister Tariq AZIZ (since N/A 1979); Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Hamza al-ZUBAYDI (since March 27, 1991)
_#_Political parties: The National Progressive Front is a coalition of the Arab Ba'ath Socialist Party, Kurdistan Democratic Party, and Kurdistan Revolutionary Party.
# Suffrage: universal adult at age 18
_#_Elections:
National Assembly—last held on April 1, 1989 (next to be held NA); results—Sunni Arabs 53%, Shia Arabs 30%, Kurds 15%, Christians 2% estimated; seats—(250 total) number of seats by party NA
_#_Communists: about 1,500 hardcore members
_#_Other political or pressure groups: political parties and activities are heavily restricted; there may be some opposition to the regime from unhappy members of the regime, Army officers, and religious and ethnic dissidents.
_#_Member of: ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, ESCWA, FAO, G-19,
G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC,
PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: no Iraqi representative in Washington; Chancery at 1801 P Street NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 483-7500;
US—no US representative in Baghdad since mid-January 1991; Embassy in Masbah Quarter (across from the Foreign Ministry Club), Baghdad (mailing address is P. O. Box 2447 Alwiyah, Baghdad); phone [964] (1) 719-6138 or 719-6139, 718-1840, 719-3791
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal stripes of red (top), white, and black with three green five-pointed stars arranged in a horizontal line in the center of the white stripe; the phrase Allahu Akbar (God is Great) in green Arabic script—Allahu located to the right of the middle star and Akbar to the left of the middle star—was added in January 1991 during the Persian Gulf crisis; similar to the flag of Syria, which has two stars but no script, and the flag of Yemen, which features a plain white stripe; also resembles the flag of Egypt, which has a symbolic eagle centered in the white stripe.
_*Economy #_Overview: The Bathist regime heavily manages and plans industrial production and foreign trade but allows some small-scale industries, services, and most agriculture to operate privately. The oil sector has dominated the economy, providing around 95% of foreign exchange earnings. In the 1980s, financial issues arose due to massive spending during the eight-year war with Iran and damage to oil export facilities caused by Iran. This led the government to implement austerity measures, take on significant debt, and later restructure foreign debt payments. After the end of hostilities in 1988, oil exports gradually rose with the building of new pipelines and the repair of damaged facilities. Agricultural development continued to struggle due to labor shortages, salinization, and disruptions from earlier land reform and collectivization programs. The industrial sector, despite being prioritized by the government, faced financial challenges. Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, along with subsequent international economic sanctions and military actions by a coalition starting in January 1991, drastically altered the economic landscape. Oil exports plummeted to nearly zero, and industrial and transportation infrastructure suffered severe damage.
_#_GNP: $35 billion, per person $1,940; real growth rate 5% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 30-40% (1989 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: under 5% (1989 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $NA billion; expenditures $35 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (1989)
_#_Exports: $12.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—crude oil and refined products, fertilizer, sulfur;
partners—U.S., Brazil, Turkey, Japan, France, Italy, USSR (1989)
_#_Imports: $10.3 billion (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—manufactures, food;
partners—US, FRG, Turkey, UK, Romania, Japan, France (1989)
_#_External debt: $40 billion (1989 est.), not including debt to Arab Gulf states
_#_Industrial production: NA%; manufacturing makes up 10% of GDP (1987)
_#_Electricity: 9,902,000 kW capacity; 20,000 million kWh produced, 1,110 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: oil, chemicals, textiles, building materials, food processing
_#_Agriculture: contributes 11% of GNP but employs 30% of the labor force; main products—wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, other fruits, cotton, wool; livestock—cattle, sheep; not self-sufficient in food production.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-80), $3 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $627 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1980-90), over $30 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $3.9 billion
_#_Currency: Iraqi dinar (plural—dinars); 1 Iraqi dinar (ID) = 1,000 fils
_#_Exchange rates: Iraqi dinars (ID) per US$1—0.3109 (fixed rate since 1982)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 2,962 km total; 2,457 km standard gauge (1.435 meters), 505 km narrow gauge (1.000 meter)
_#_Highways: 25,479 km total; 8,290 km paved, 5,534 km upgraded earth, 11,655 km unpaved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 1,015 km; Shatt al Arab is typically navigable by maritime traffic for about 130 km, but it has been closed since September 1980 due to the Iran-Iraq war; Tigris and Euphrates are navigable by shallow-draft steamers (which are of little importance); Shatt al Basrah canal is navigable in sections by shallow-draft vessels
# Ports: Umm Qasr, Khawr az Zubayr, Al Basrah
_#_Merchant marine: 43 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 944,253 GRT/1,691,368 DWT; includes 1 passenger ship, 1 passenger-cargo ship, 17 cargo ships, 1 refrigerated cargo ship, 3 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 19 tankers for petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL), and 1 chemical tanker; note—since the invasion of Kuwait by Iraqi forces on August 2, 1990, Iraq has attempted to register at least part of its merchant fleet under convenient flags; none of the Iraqi-flagged merchant fleet was trading internationally as of January 1, 1991.
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 4,350 km; 725 km refined products; 1,360 km natural gas
_#_Civil air: 64 major transport planes (including 30 IL-76s used by the Iraq Air Force)
_#_Airports: 111 total, 102 available for use; 73 with paved runways; 9 with runways longer than 3,659 m; 52 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 15 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: a good network includes coaxial cables, radio relay links, and communication stations; 632,000 telephones; stations—9 AM, 1 FM, 81 TV; satellite earth stations—1 INTELSAT in the Atlantic Ocean, 1 INTELSAT in the Indian Ocean, 1 GORIZONT in the Atlantic Ocean within the Intersputnik system; coaxial cable and radio relay connections to Kuwait, Jordan, Syria, and Turkey
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army and Republican Guard, Navy, Air Force, Border Guard Force, Internal Security Forces
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 4,270,592; 2,380,439 eligible for military service; 228,277 turn 18 and reach military age each year
_#Defense spending: $NA, NA% of GDP % @Iraq - Saudi Arabia Neutral Zone *Geography #_Total area: 3,520 km²; land area: 3,520 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than Rhode Island
_#_Land boundaries: 389 km total; 191 km with Iraq, 198 km with Saudi Arabia
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Climate: harsh, dry desert
_#_Terrain: sandy desert
_#_Natural resources: none
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other (sandy desert) 100%
_#_Environment: harsh, inhospitable
_#_Note: landlocked; located west of the point where Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia meet.
_*People #_Population: uninhabited
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: joint administration by Iraq and Saudi Arabia; in December 1981, Iraq and Saudi Arabia signed a boundary agreement that separates the area between them, but the agreement needs to be ratified before it takes effect.
_*Economy #_Overview: no economic activity
_*Communications #_Highways: none; some secondary roads
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the shared responsibility of Iraq and Saudi Arabia % @Ireland *Geography #_Total area: 70,280 km²; land area: 68,890 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than West Virginia
_#_Land boundary: 360 km with the UK
_#_Coastline: 1,448 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: no precise definition;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: Northern Ireland issue with the UK; Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark, Iceland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area)
_#_Climate: temperate maritime; influenced by the North Atlantic Current; mild winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time
_#_Terrain: mainly flat to gently rolling interior plain encircled by rugged hills and low mountains; sea cliffs along the west coast
_#_Natural resources: zinc, lead, natural gas, crude oil, barite, copper, gypsum, limestone, dolomite, peat, silver
_#_Land use: arable land 14%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 71%; forest and woodland 5%; other 10%
_#_Environment: deforestation
_*People #_Population: 3,489,165 (July 1991), growth rate - 0.3% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 15 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 9 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 9 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 73 years for males, 79 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Irishman (men), Irish (collective pl.); adjective—Irish
_#_Ethnic divisions: Celtic, with a minority of English
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 93%, Anglican 3%, none 1%, unknown 2%, other 1% (1981)
_#_Language: Irish (Gaelic) and English; English is the main language used, with Gaelic spoken in a few places, mainly along the western coast.
_#_Literacy: 98% (male NA%, female NA%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1981 est.)
_#_Labor force: 1,293,000; services 57.0%, manufacturing and construction 26.1%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 15.0%, energy and mining 1.9% (1988)
_#_Organized labor: 36% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Dublin
_#_Administrative divisions: 26 counties; Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork,
Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim,
Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon,
Sligo, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow
_#_Independence: December 6, 1921 (from the UK)
_#_Constitution: December 29, 1937; adopted in 1937
_#_Legal system: based on English common law, significantly altered by indigenous ideas; judicial review of laws in the Supreme Court; has not accepted mandatory ICJ jurisdiction.
_#_National holiday: Saint Patrick's Day, March 17
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: a two-chamber Parliament (Oireachtas) consists of an upper house or Senate (Seanad Eireann) and a lower house or House of Representatives (Dail Eireann)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Mary Bourke ROBINSON (since November 9, 1990);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Charles J. Haughey (since July 12, 1989; elected Prime Minister for the fourth time)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Fianna Fail, Charles Haughey;
Labor Party, Richard Spring;
Fine Gael, John Bruton;
Communist Party of Ireland, Michael O'Riordan;
Workers' Party, Proinsias DeRossa;
Sinn Fein, Gerry Adams;
Progressive Democrats, Desmond O'Malley;
note—Prime Minister Haughey leads a coalition made up of the
Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 9 November 1990 (next to be held November 1997); results—Mary Bourke ROBINSON 52.8%, Brian LENIHAN 47.2%;
Senate—last held on February 17, 1987 (next to be held in February 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(60 total, 49 elected) Fianna Fail 30, Fine Gael 16, Labor 3, Independents 11;
House of Representatives—last held on July 12, 1989 (next to be held in June 1994); results—Fianna Fail 44.0%, Fine Gael 29.4%, Labor Party 9.3%, Progressive Democrats 5.4%, Workers' Party 4.9%, Sinn Fein 1.1%, Independents 5.9%; seats—(166 total) Fianna Fail 77, Fine Gael 55, Labor Party 15, Workers' Party 7, Progressive Democrats 6, Independents 6
_#_Communists: under 500
_#_Member of: BIS, CCC, CE, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB, ESA, FAO, GATT,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NEA, OECD, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP,
UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIIMOG, UNTSO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Padraic N. MACKERNAN; Chancery at 2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; phone (202) 462-3939; there are Irish Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco;
US—Ambassador Richard A. MOORE; Embassy at 42 Elgin Road,
Ballsbridge, Dublin; phone [353] (1) 688777
_#_Flag: three equal vertical bands of green (next to the flagpole), white, and orange; this is similar to the flag of the Ivory Coast, which is shorter and has the colors in reverse order—orange (next to the flagpole), white, and green; it also resembles the flag of Italy, which is shorter and has the colors arranged as green (next to the flagpole), white, and red.
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is small, open, and reliant on trade. Agriculture, which was once the most significant sector, has been overshadowed by industry, which makes up 37% of GDP and about 80% of exports and employs 26% of the workforce. The government has successfully lowered the inflation rate from double-digit levels in the late 1970s to 3.3% in 1990. In 1987, after years of deficits, the balance of payments improved. However, unemployment remains a significant issue. A 1990 unemployment rate of 16.6% placed Ireland alongside Spain as having some of the highest jobless rates in Western Europe.
_#_GDP: $33.9 billion, per person $9,690; actual growth rate 4.1% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.3% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 16.6% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $11.3 billion; expenditures $11.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (1990)
_#_Exports: $24.6 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—chemicals, data processing equipment, industrial machinery, live animals, and animal products;
partners—EC 74% (UK 34%, FRG 11%, France 10%), US 8%
_#_Imports: $20.7 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—food, animal feed, chemicals, oil and oil products, machinery, textiles, clothing;
partners—EC 66% (UK 41%, FRG 9%, France 4%), US 16%
_#_External debt: $16.0 billion (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 4.7% (1990); makes up 37% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 4,957,000 kW capacity; 14,480 million kWh produced, 4,080 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: food products, brewing, textiles, clothing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, machinery, transportation equipment, glass and crystal
_#_Agriculture: makes up 10% of GNP and 15% of the workforce; main crops—turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; livestock—meat and dairy products; 85% self-sufficient in food; food shortages include bread grains, fruits, and vegetables.
_#_Economic aid: donor—ODA commitments (1980-89), $90 million
_#_Currency: Irish pound (plural—pounds); 1 Irish pound (5Ir) = 100 pence
_#_Exchange rates: Irish pounds (5Ir) per US$1—0.5656 (January 1991), 0.6030 (1990), 0.7472 (1989), 0.6553 (1988), 0.6720 (1987), 0.7454 (1986), 0.9384 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: Irish National Railways (CIE) operates 1,947 km of 1.602-meter gauge, government-owned; 485 km of double track; 38 km electrified
_#_Highways: 92,294 km total; 87,422 km paved, 4,872 km gravel or crushed stone
Inland waterways: restricted for commercial traffic
_#_Pipelines: natural gas, 225 km
_#_Ports: Cork, Dublin, Shannon Estuary, Waterford
_#_Merchant marine: 53 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 138,967 GRT/164,628 DWT; includes 4 short-sea passenger ships, 31 cargo ships, 2 refrigerated cargo ships, 3 container ships, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 3 specialized tankers, 2 chemical tankers, 6 bulk
# Civil air: 23 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 40 total, 37 usable; 18 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 6 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: a small, modern system using cable and radio relay circuits; 900,000 telephones; stations—45 AM, 16 (29 relays) FM, 18 (68 relays) TV; 5 coaxial submarine cables; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army (including Naval Service and Air Corps), National Police (Garda)
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 871,578; 705,642 eligible for military service; 33,175 turn 17 each year
_#Defense expenditures: $458 million, 1.6% of GDP (1990 est.) % @Israel (also see separate Gaza Strip and West Bank entries) #_Note: The Arab territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 war are not included in the data below. According to the 1978 Camp David Accords and reasserted by President Reagan's peace initiative on September 1, 1982, the final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, their relations with neighboring countries, and a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan are to be negotiated by the involved parties. The Camp David Accords specify that these negotiations will determine the locations of the respective boundaries. Until this process is completed, US policy states that the final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip is still to be decided (see West Bank and Gaza Strip entries). On April 25, 1982, Israel gave up control of the Sinai to Egypt. Statistics for the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights are included in the Syria entry.
_*Geography #_Total area: 20,770 km²; land area: 20,330 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than New Jersey
_#_Land boundaries: 1,006 km total; Egypt 255 km, Jordan 238 km, Lebanon 79 km, Syria 76 km, West Bank 307 km, Gaza Strip 51 km
_#_Coastline: 273 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: to the depth of exploitation;
Territorial sea: 6 nm
_#_Disputes: separated from Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank by the 1949 Armistice Line; disagreements with Jordan over the placement of the 1949 Armistice Line that divides the two countries; West Bank and Gaza Strip are under Israeli occupation with their status yet to be decided; Golan Heights is also under Israeli occupation; Israeli soldiers have been in southern Lebanon since June 1982; water-sharing conflicts with Jordan
_#_Climate: mild; hot and dry in desert regions
_#_Terrain: Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley
_#_Natural resources: copper, phosphates, bromide, potash, clay, sand, sulfur, asphalt, manganese, and small amounts of natural gas and crude oil.
_#_Land use: arable land 17%; permanent crops 5%; meadows and pastures 40%; forest and woodland 6%; other 32%; includes irrigated 11%
_#_Environment: sandstorms can happen in spring and summer; there is limited arable land and natural water resources, which create significant challenges; deforestation
_#_Note: there are 175 Jewish settlements in the West Bank, 38 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 18 in the Gaza Strip, and 14 Israeli-built Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem.
_*People #_Population: 4,477,105 (July 1991), growth rate 1.5% (1991); includes 90,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank, 13,000 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 2,500 in the Gaza Strip, and 120,000 in East Jerusalem (1990 est.)
_#_Birth rate: 21 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 76 years for males, 79 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.9 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Israeli(s); adjective—Israeli
_#_Ethnic divisions: Jewish 83%, non-Jewish (mainly Arab) 17%
_#_Religion: Judaism 82%, Islam (mostly Sunni) 14%, Christian 2%, Druze and others 2%
_#_Language: Hebrew (official); Arabic is officially used for the Arab minority; English is the most commonly used foreign language
_#_Literacy: 92% (male 95%, female 89%) of individuals age 15 and older can read and write (1983)
_#_Labor force: 1,400,000 (1984 est.); public services 29.3%; industry, mining, and manufacturing 22.8%; commerce 12.8%; finance and business 9.5%; transport, storage, and communications 6.8%; construction and public works 6.5%; personal and other services 5.8%; agriculture, forestry, and fishing 5.5%; electricity and water 1.0% (1983)
_#_Organized labor: 90% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: State of Israel
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Israel declared Jerusalem its capital in 1950, but the US, along with almost all other countries, keeps its Embassy in Tel Aviv.
_#_Administrative divisions: 6 districts (mehozot, singular—mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv
_#_Independence: May 14, 1948 (from the League of Nations mandate under British administration)
_#_Constitution: there is no formal constitution; some of the roles of a constitution are fulfilled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948), the basic laws of the parliament (Knesset), and the Israeli citizenship law
_#_Legal system: a combination of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and personal legal systems of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim law; in December 1985, Israel notified the UN Secretariat that it would no longer accept mandatory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, May 10, 1989; Israel declared independence on May 14, 1948, but the Jewish calendar is lunar and the holiday may fall in April or May.
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, vice prime minister, cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral parliament (Knesset)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Chaim HERZOG (since May 5, 1983);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir (since October 20, 1986)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Israel currently has a coalition government made up of eleven parties that hold 66 of the Knesset's 120 seats;
Members of the government—Likud bloc, Prime Minister Yitzhak
SHAMIR;
Sephardic Torah Guardians (SHAS), Minister of Interior Arieh DER'I;
National Religious Party, Minister of Education Zevulun HAMMER;
Agudat Yisrael, Moshe Zeev FELDMAN;
Degel HaTorah, Avraham RAVITZ;
Moriya, Minister of Immigrant Absorption, Yitzhak PERETZ;
Ge'vlat Yisrael, Elizer MIZRAHI;
Party for the Advancement of Zionist Ideology (PAZI), Minister of
Finance Yitzhak MODAI;
Tehiya Party, Minister of Science, Technology, Energy, and Infrastructure
Yuval NE'EMAN;
Tzomet Party, Minister of Agriculture Rafael EITAN;
Unity for Peace and Aliyah, Efrayim GUR;
Moledet Party, Rehavam ZE'EVI;
Opposition parties—Labor Party, Shimon PERES;
Citizens' Rights Movement, Shulamit ALONI;
United Workers' Party (MAPAM), Yair TZABAN;
Center Movement-Shinui, Amnon RUBENSTEIN;
New Israeli Communist Party (MAKI), Meir WILNER;
Progressive List for Peace, Muhammad MI'ARI;
Arab Democratic Party, Abd Al Wahab DARAWSHAH;
Black Panthers, Charlie BITON
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held February 23, 1988 (next to be held February 1994); results—Chaim HERZOG reelected by Knesset;
Knesset—last held on November 1, 1988 (next to be held by
November 1992);
seats—(120 total) Labor Party 38, Likud bloc 37, SHAS 5, National
Religious Party 5, Citizens' Rights Movement 5, Agudat Yisrael 4,
PAZI 3, MAKI 3, Tehiya Party 3, MAPAM 3, Tzomet Party 2, Moledet Party 2,
Degel HaTorah 2, Center Movement-Shinui 2, Progressive List for Peace 1,
Arab Democratic Party 1; Black Panthers 1, Moriya 1, Ge'ulat
Yisrael 1, Unity for Peace and Aliyah 1
_#_Communists: Hadash (mostly Arab but with some Jewish leaders) has around 1,500 members
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Gush Emunim, Jewish nationalists pushing for Jewish settlement in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Peace Now, which critiques the government's policies in the West Bank/Gaza Strip and Lebanon.
_#_Member of: AG (observer), CCC, EBRD, FAO, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, OAS (observer), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Zalman SHOVAL; Chancery at 3514 International Drive NW, Washington DC 20008; phone (202) 364-5500; there are Israeli Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco;
US—Ambassador William A. BROWN; Embassy at 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv (mailing address is APO New York 09672); phone [972] (3) 654338; there is a US Consulate General in Jerusalem
_#_Flag: white with a blue hexagram (six-pointed star) called the Magen David (Shield of David) placed in the center between two equal horizontal blue stripes near the top and bottom edges of the flag
_*Economy #_Overview: Israel has a market economy with significant government involvement. It relies on imports for crude oil, food, grains, raw materials, and military equipment. Despite having limited natural resources, Israel has substantially advanced its agricultural and industrial sectors over the past 20 years. Industry represents about 23% of the labor force, agriculture accounts for 5%, and services cover most of the rest. Diamonds, high-tech machinery, and agricultural products (fruits and vegetables) are the top export earners. The balance of payments has historically been negative, but this is balanced by large transfer payments and foreign loans. About half of Israel's $18 billion external government debt is owed to the US, which is its primary source of economic and military aid. To generate necessary foreign currency, Israel must continue to tap into high-tech niches in the global market, such as medical imaging equipment. Iraq's invasion of Kuwait on August 2nd negatively impacted Israel's economy in 1990. Rising global oil prices added an estimated $300 million to Israel's oil import costs for 1990 and helped keep the inflation rate at 18% for the year. Ongoing regional tensions and persistent violence related to the Palestinian uprising (intifadah) caused a significant decline in tourism—a crucial source of foreign currency—to the lowest levels since the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. In 1991, the arrival of up to 400,000 Soviet immigrants will increase unemployment, escalate the housing crisis, and contribute to a growing budget deficit.
_GNP: $46.5 billion, per capita $10,500; real growth rate 3.5% (1990 est.)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 18% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 9.8% (March 1991)
_#_Budget: revenues $28.7 billion; expenditures $33.0 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY91)
_#_Exports: $10.7 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—polished diamonds, citrus and other fruits, textiles and clothing, processed foods, fertilizers and chemical products, military equipment, electronics;
partners—US, UK, Germany, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy
_#_Imports: $14.2 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
commodities—military gear, raw diamonds, oil, chemicals, machinery, iron and steel, grains, textiles, vehicles, ships, aircraft;
partners—US, FRG, UK, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg
_#_External debt: $24.5 billion, with government debt at $18 billion (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 1.5% (1989); makes up about 40% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 4,392,000 kW capacity; 17,500 million kWh produced, 4,000 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: food processing, diamond cutting and polishing, textiles, clothing, chemicals, metal products, military equipment, transport equipment, electrical equipment, various machinery, potash mining, high-tech electronics, tourism
_#_Agriculture: makes up 5% of GNP; mostly self-sufficient in food production, except for grain for bread; main products—citrus and other fruits, vegetables, cotton; livestock products—beef, dairy, and poultry
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $18.2 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $2.5 billion
_#_Currency: new Israeli shekel (plural—shekels); 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot
_#_Exchange rates: new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1—2.35 (May 1991), 2.0162 (1990), 1.9164 (1989), 1.5989 (1988), 1.5946 (1987), 1.4878 (1986), 1.1788 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: April 1 - March 31; changing to a calendar year basis starting January 1992
_*Communications #_Railroads: 594 km of 1.435-meter gauge, single track; diesel-powered
_#_Highways: 4,500 km; most are paved with asphalt
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 440 miles; refined products, 180 miles; natural gas, 55 miles
_#_Ports: Ashdod, Haifa, Elat
_#_Merchant marine: 30 ships (1,000 GRT or more) with a total of 516,714 GRT/611,795 DWT; this includes 7 cargo ships, 21 container ships, and 2 refrigerated cargo ships; note—Israel also has a significant fleet of convenience flagged ships, which is usually at least as large as the Israeli-flag fleet; the Israeli convenience flagged fleet typically includes all of its POL tankers.
_Civil Air: 27 Major Transport Aircraft_
_#_Airports: 51 total, 44 operational; 26 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 6 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: most advanced in the Middle East, although not the biggest; effective system of coaxial cable and radio relay; 1,800,000 telephones; stations—11 AM, 24 FM, 54 TV; 2 submarine cables; satellite earth stations—2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: The Israel Defense Forces consist of ground, naval, and air units; historically, there haven't been separate Israeli military services.
_#_Manpower availability: eligible 15-49, 2,213,808; of the 1,117,733 males 15-49, 920,449 are fit for military service; of the 1,096,075 females 15-49, 899,022 are fit for military service; 44,429 males and 42,249 females reach military age (18) each year; both genders are required to serve in the military; Nahal or Pioneer Fighting Youth, Frontier Guard, Chen
_#Defense spending: $5.3 billion, 13.9% of GNP (1991); note—includes an estimated $1.8 billion in U.S. military assistance % @Italy *Geography #_Total area: 301,230 km2; land area: 294,020 km2; includes Sardinia and Sicily
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than Arizona
_#_Land boundaries: 1,902.2 km total; Austria 430 km, France 488 km, San Marino 39 km, Switzerland 740 km, Vatican City 3.2 km, Yugoslavia 202 km
_#_Coastline: 4,996 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of exploitation;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: mainly Mediterranean; Alpine in the far north; hot and dry in the south
_#_Terrain: mostly rocky and hilly; with some flat areas and coastal lowlands
_#_Natural resources: mercury, potash, marble, sulfur, declining natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, coal
_#_Land use: arable land 32%; permanent crops 10%; meadows and pastures 17%; forest and woodland 22%; other 19%; includes irrigated 10%
_#_Environment: regional risks include landslides, mudflows, snow slides, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding, pollution; land subsidence in Venice
_#_Note: strategic location controlling the central Mediterranean and the southern sea and air routes to Western Europe
_*People #_Population: 57,772,375 (July 1991), growth rate 0.2% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 11 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 10 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 1 migrant per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 75 years for males, 82 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Italian(s); adjective—Italian
_#_Ethnic divisions: mainly Italian, but the population includes small groups of German-, French-, and Slovene-Italians in the north, as well as Albanian-Italians and Greek-Italians in the south; Sicilians; Sardinians
_#_Religion: almost 100% Roman Catholic by name
_#_Language: Italian; parts of the Trentino-Alto Adige region mainly speak German; there is a significant French-speaking minority in the Valle d'Aosta region; a Slovene-speaking minority exists in the Trieste-Gorizia area.
_#_Literacy: 97% (male 98%, female 96%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 23,988,000; services 58%, industry 32.2%, agriculture 9.8% (1988)
_#_Organized labor: 40-45% of the workforce (est.)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Italian Republic
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Rome
_#_Administrative divisions: 20 regions (regioni, singular—regione);
Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia
Giulia, Lazio, Liguria, Lombardy, Marche, Molise, Piedmont, Apulia,
Sardinia, Sicily, Tuscany, Trentino-Alto Adige, Umbria, Aosta Valley,
Veneto
_#_Independence: March 17, 1861, Kingdom of Italy declared
_#_Constitution: 1 January 1948
_#_Legal system: based on a civil law system, with influence from ecclesiastical law; appeals are handled as new trials; judicial review is available under certain conditions in the Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.
_#_National holiday: Anniversary of the Republic, June 2 (1946)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister (president of the Council of Ministers)
_#_Legislative branch: a bicameral Parliament (Parlamento) made up of an upper chamber known as the Senate of the Republic (Senato della Repubblica) and a lower chamber called the Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei Deputati)
_#_Judicial branch: Constitutional Court (Corte Costituzionale)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Francesco COSSIGA (since July 3, 1985);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Giulio ANDREOTTI (since July 22, 1989, leading the government for the seventh time); Deputy Prime Minister Claudio MARTELLI (since July 23, 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democratic Party (DC), Arnaldo FORLANI (general secretary),
Ciriaco De MITA (president);
Socialist Party (PSI), Bettino CRAXI (party secretary);
Social Democratic Party (PSDI), Antonio CARIGLIA (party secretary);
Liberal Party (PLI), Renato ALTISSIMO (secretary general);
Democratic Party of the Left (PDS—formerly the Communist Party, or PCI, until
January 1991), Achille OCCHETTO (secretary general);
Italian Social Movement (MSI), Giuseppe (Pino) RAUTI (national
secretary);
Republican Party (PRI), Giorgio La MALFA (political secretary);
Lega Nord, Umberto BOSSI, president;
Italy's 50th postwar government was formed on April 13, 1991,
with Prime Minister ANDREOTTI, a Christian Democrat, leading a
four-party coalition made up of the Christian Democrats, Socialists,
Social Democrats, and Liberals.
_#_Suffrage: everyone can vote at age 18 (except in senatorial elections, where the minimum age is 25)
_#_Elections:
Senate—last held June 14-15, 1987 (next to be held by June 1992); results—DC 33.9%, PCI 28.3%, PSI 10.7%, other 27.1%; seats—(320 total, 315 elected) DC 125, PCI 100, PSI 36, other 54;
Chamber of Deputies—last held June 14-15, 1987 (next to be held by June 1992); results—DC 34.3%, PCI 26.6%, PSI 14.3%, MSI 5.9%, PRI 3.7%, PSDI 3.0%, Radicals 2.6%, Greens 2.5%, PLI 2.1%, Proletarian Democrats 1.7%, other 3.3%; seats—(630 total) DC 234, PCI 177, PSI 94, MSI 35, PRI 21, PSDI 17, Radicals 13, Greens 13, PLI 11, Proletarian Democrats 8, other 7
_#_Communists: 1.3 million (1990)
_#_Other political or pressure groups: the Roman Catholic Church; three major trade union confederations (CGIL—dominated by communists, CISL—Christian Democratic, and UIL—Social Democratic, Socialist, and Republican); Italian manufacturers association (Confindustria); organized farm groups (Confcoltivatori, Confagricoltura)
_#_Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM,
CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB, ESA, FAO, G-7, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IEA, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NATO, NEA, OAS (observer),
OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIIMOG, UNMOGIP,
UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Rinaldo PETRIGNANI; Chancery at 1601 Fuller Street NW, Washington DC 20009; phone (202) 328-5500; there are Italian Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, Houston, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Consulates in Detroit and Newark (New Jersey);
US—Ambassador Peter F. SECCHIA; Embassy at Via Veneto 119/A, 00187-Rome (mailing address is APO New York 09794); phone [39] (6) 46741; there are US Consulates General in Florence, Genoa, Milan, Naples, and Palermo (Sicily)
_#_Flag: three equal vertical bands of green (next to the pole), white, and red; similar to the flag of Ireland which is longer and features green (next to the pole), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of the Ivory Coast, which has the colors in reverse order—orange (next to the pole), white, and green.
_*Economy #_Overview: Since World War II, the economy has shifted from being agriculture-based to a leading industrial economy, with roughly the same total and per capita output as France and the UK. The country is still split between a developed industrial north, which is mainly driven by small private companies, and an underdeveloped agricultural south, which is dominated by large public enterprises. Services make up 48% of GDP, industry accounts for 34%, agriculture is at 4%, and public administration is at 13%. Most of the raw materials required by industry and over 75% of energy needs must be imported. The economic recovery that began in mid-1983 has continued through 1990, with the economy growing at an average annual rate of 3%. In the 1990s, Italy faces challenges such as upgrading a failing communications system, reducing pollution in major industrial areas, and adapting to new competitive pressures from the ongoing economic integration of the European Community.
_#_GDP: $844.7 billion, per capita $14,600; real growth rate 2.0% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 11.0% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $355 billion; expenditures $448 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)
_#_Exports: $170.4 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—clothing, apparel, metals, transportation gear, chemicals;
partners—EC 57%, US 8%, OPEC 4%
_#_Imports: $182.0 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—oil, industrial equipment, chemicals, metals, food, agricultural products;
partners—EC 58%, OPEC 6%, US 5%
_#_External debt: NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 0.1% (1990); makes up nearly 35% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 56,800,000 kW capacity; 225,000 million kWh produced, 3,900 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: machinery, steel manufacturing, chemicals, food processing, textiles, automobiles, clothing, shoes, ceramics
_#_Agriculture: makes up about 4% of GDP and 10% of the workforce; self-sufficient in foods other than meat and dairy products; main crops—fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans, grains, olives; fish catch of 388,200 metric tons in 1988
_#_Economic aid: donor—ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $25.9 billion
_#_Currency: Italian lira (plural—lire); 1 Italian lira (Lit) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Italian lire (Lit) per US$1—1,134.4 (January 1991), 1,198.1 (1990), 1,372.1 (1989), 1,301.6 (1988), 1,296.1 (1987), 1,490.8 (1986), 1,909.4 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 20,011 km in total; 16,066 km of government-owned standard gauge (1.435 meters) with 8,999 km electrified; 3,945 km privately owned—2,100 km of standard gauge (1.435 meters, with 1,155 km electrified) and 1,845 km of narrow gauge (0.950 meters, with 380 km electrified)
_#_Highways: 294,410 km in total; motorways 5,900 km, state highways 45,170 km, provincial highways 101,680 km, local roads 141,660 km; 260,500 km of concrete, asphalt, or stone block, 26,900 km of gravel and crushed stone, 7,010 km of dirt roads.
_#_Inland waterways: 2,400 km for different kinds of commercial traffic, although they have limited overall value.
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 1,703 km; refined products, 2,148 km; natural gas, 19,400 km
_#_Ports: Cagliari (Sardinia), Genoa, La Spezia, Livorno, Naples, Palermo (Sicily), Taranto, Trieste, Venice
_#_Merchant marine: 575 ships (over 1,000 GRT) with a total of 7,462,744 GRT/11,593,730 DWT; includes 11 passenger ships, 44 short-sea passenger vessels, 103 cargo ships, 5 refrigerated cargo vessels, 23 container ships, 67 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 7 vehicle carriers, 1 large-load multifunction carrier, 2 livestock carriers, 151 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 37 chemical tankers, 38 liquefied gas tankers, 10 specialized tankers, 14 combination ore/oil vessels, 60 bulk carriers, and 2 combination bulk carriers.
_#_Civil air: 125 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 138 total, 135 available; 90 with paved runways; 2 with runways longer than 3,659 m; 36 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 38 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: well-designed, built, and managed; 28,000,000 telephones; stations—144 AM, 54 (over 1,800 repeaters) FM, 450 (over 1,300 repeaters) TV; 22 underwater cables; communication satellite ground stations operating in INTELSAT 3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean, INMARSAT, and EUTELSAT systems
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Carabinieri
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 14,747,224; 12,877,803 eligible for military service; 418,043 turn 18 annually
_#Defense spending: $19.2 billion, 2.2% of GDP (1990) % @Ivory Coast (also known as Côte d'Ivoire) *Geography #_Total area: 322,460 km2; land area: 318,000 km2
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than New Mexico
_#_Land boundaries: 3,110 km total; Burkina 584 km, Ghana 668 km, Guinea 610 km, Liberia 716 km, Mali 532 km
_#_Coastline: 515 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical along the coast, semiarid in the far north; three seasons—warm and dry (November to March), hot and dry (March to May), hot and wet (June to October)
_#_Terrain: mostly flat to rolling plains; mountains in the northwest
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper
_#_Land use: arable land 9%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 9%; forest and woodland 26%; other 52%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: the coast has strong waves and no natural harbors; significant deforestation
_*People #_Population: 12,977,909 (July 1991), growth rate 3.9% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 48 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 12 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 4 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 97 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 52 years for males, 56 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.8 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Ivorian(s); adjective—Ivorian
_#_Ethnic divisions: more than 60 ethnic groups; the most significant are the Baoule 23%, Bete 18%, Senoufou 15%, Malinke 11%, and Agni; there are about 2 million foreign Africans, mostly Burkinabe; non-Africans range from approximately 130,000 to 330,000 (30,000 French and 100,000 to 300,000 Lebanese).
_#_Religion: indigenous 63%, Muslim 25%, Christian 12%,
_#_Language: French (official), over 60 native dialects; Dioula is the most widely spoken.
_#_Literacy: 54% (male 67%, female 40%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 5,718,000; over 85% of the population is involved in agriculture, forestry, and raising livestock; about 11% of the labor force earns wages, with nearly half in agriculture and the rest in government, industry, commerce, and professions; 54% of the population was of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 20% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Côte d'Ivoire; note—the local official name is République de Côte d'Ivoire
_#_Type: republic; multiparty presidential system set up in 1960
_#_Capital: Abidjan (the capital city was changed to Yamoussoukro in March 1983, but this change is not recognized by the US)
_#_Administrative divisions: 49 departments (departements,
singular—(departement); Abengourou, Abidjan, Aboisso, Adzope,
Agboville, Bangolo, Beoumi, Biankouma, Bondoukou, Bongouanou,
Bouafle, Bouake, Bouna, Boundiali, Dabakala, Daloa, Danane,
Daoukro, Dimbokro, Divo, Duekoue, Ferkessedougou, Gagnoa,
Grand-Lahou, Guiglo, Issia, Katiola, Korhogo, Lakota,
Man, Mankono, Mbahiakro, Odienne, Oume, Sakassou, San-Pedro,
Sassandra, Seguela, Sinfra, Soubre, Tabou, Tanda, Tengrela,
Tiassale, Touba, Toumodi, Vavoua, Yamoussoukro, Zuenoula
_#_Independence: August 7, 1960 (from France)
_#_Constitution: 3 November 1960
_#_Legal system: based on the French civil law system and customary law; judicial review takes place in the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.
_#_National holiday: National Day, December 7
_#_Executive branch: president, Cabinet (Council of Ministers)
_#_Legislative branch: one-chamber National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Supreme Court)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Dr. Felix
HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY (since November 27, 1960); Prime Minister Alassane
OUATTARA (since November 7, 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party of the Ivory Coast (PDCI), Dr. Felix HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY; Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), Laurent GBAGBO; Ivorian Worker's Party (PIT), Francis WODIE; Ivorian Socialist Party (PSI), Morifere BAMBA; over 20 smaller parties
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
President—last held October 28, 1990 (next to be held October 1995); results—President Felix HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY received 81% of the vote in his first contested election; he is currently serving his seventh consecutive five-year term;
National Assembly—last held on November 25, 1990 (next one scheduled for November 1995); results—percentage of votes by party NA; seats—(175 total) PDCI 163, FPI 9, PIT 1, independents 2
_#_Communists: no Communist Party; maybe a few sympathizers
_#_Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO,
FZ, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Charles GOMIS; Chancery at 2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 797-0300;
US—Ambassador Kenneth L. BROWN; Embassy at 5 Rue Jesse Owens, Abidjan (mailing address is 01 B. P. 1712, Abidjan); telephone [225] 21-09-79 or 21-46-72
_#_Flag: three equal vertical stripes of orange (next to the flagpole), white, and green; similar to the flag of Ireland which is longer and has the colors in reverse order—green (next to the flagpole), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of Italy which is green (next to the flagpole), white, and red; the design was inspired by the flag of France
_*Economy #_Overview: Ivory Coast is one of the largest producers and exporters of coffee, cocoa beans, and palm-kernel oil in the world. As a result, the economy is very sensitive to changes in international prices for coffee and cocoa, as well as to weather conditions. Although the government has made efforts to diversify, the economy remains heavily reliant on agriculture and related industries. The agricultural sector represents over one-third of GDP, accounts for about 80% of export earnings, and employs roughly 85% of the workforce. A drop in global cocoa and coffee prices in 1986 led to a recession, from which the country had not recovered by 1990.
_#_GDP: $10 billion, per person $800; actual growth rate - 2.9% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): -0.8% (1990 estimate)
_#_Unemployment rate: 14% (1985)
_#_Budget: revenues $2.8 billion (1989 est.); expenditures $4.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $2.5 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—cocoa 30%, coffee 20%, tropical woods 11%, cotton, bananas, pineapples, palm oil, cotton;
partners—France, Germany, Netherlands, USA, Belgium, Spain (1985)
_#_Imports: $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—manufactured goods and semifinished products 50%, consumer goods 40%, raw materials and fuels 10%;
partners—France, other EC countries, Nigeria, US, Japan (1985)
_#_External debt: $15.0 billion (estimated 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 6% (1989); accounts for 17% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 1,081,000 kW capacity; 2,440 million kWh produced, 210 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: food products, wood processing, oil refining, car assembly, textiles, fertilizers, beverages
_#_Agriculture: the most important sector, making up one-third of GDP and 80% of exports; cash crops include coffee, cocoa beans, timber, bananas, palm nuts, and rubber; food crops are corn, rice, cassava, and sweet potatoes; not self-sufficient in grains for bread and dairy products.
_#_Illicit drugs: illegal small-scale cannabis producer for the international drug trade
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $356 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $4.9 billion
_#_Currency: West African CFA franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1—256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 660 km (Burkina border to Abidjan, 1.00-meter gauge, single track, except for the 25 km section from Abidjan to Anyama, which is double track)
_#_Highways: 46,600 km total; 3,600 km paved with asphalt and treated surfaces; 32,000 km gravel, crushed stone, laterite, and upgraded dirt; 11,000 km unpaved
_#_Inland waterways: 980 km of navigable rivers, canals, and many coastal lagoons
_#_Ports: Abidjan, San-Pedro
_#_Merchant marine: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 71,945 GRT/ 90,684 DWT; includes 5 cargo ships, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, and 1 chemical tanker
_#_Civil air: 12 major transport planes, including the multinationally owned Air Afrique fleet.
_#_Airports: 48 total, 41 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways between 2,440 and 3,659 m; 16 with runways between 1,220 and 2,439 m.
_#_Telecommunications: system above African average; consists of open-wire lines and radio relay links; 87,700 telephones; stations—3 AM, 17 FM, 11 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations; 2 coaxial submarine cables
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie, Presidential Guard
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 2,981,269; 1,543,412 eligible for military service; 145,693 males reach military age (18) each year
_#Defense spending: $199 million, 2.3% of GDP (1988) % @Jamaica *Geography #_Total area: 10,990 km²; land area: 10,830 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Connecticut
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 1,022 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; hot, humid; mild interior
_#_Terrain: mainly mountains with a narrow, uneven coastal plain
_#_Natural resources: bauxite, gypsum, limestone
_#_Land use: cropland 19%; permanent crops 6%; meadows and pastures 18%; forest and woodland 28%; other 29%; includes irrigated 3%
_#_Environment: vulnerable to hurricanes (especially from July to November); deforestation; water pollution
_#_Note: strategic location between the Cayman Trench and the Jamaica Channel, the main shipping routes for the Panama Canal
_*People #_Population: 2,489,353 (July 1991), growth rate 0.9% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 24 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 9 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 18 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 72 years for males, 76 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.6 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Jamaican(s); adjective—Jamaican
_#_Ethnic divisions: African 76.3%, Afro-European 15.1%, East Indian and Afro-East Indian 3.0%, white 3.2%, Chinese and Afro-Chinese 1.2%, other 1.2%
_#_Religion: primarily Protestant 55.9% (Church of God 18.4%, Baptist 10%, Anglican 7.1%, Seventh-day Adventist 6.9%, Pentecostal 5.2%, Methodist 3.1%, United Church 2.7%, other 2.5%), Roman Catholic 5%, and other 39.1%, including some spiritualist groups (1982)
_#_Language: English, Creole
_#_Literacy: 98% (male 98%, female 99%) of people age 15 and over have attended school at some point (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 1,062,100; services 41%, agriculture 22.5%, industry 19%; unemployed 17.5% (1989)
_#_Organized labor: 24% of the workforce (1989)
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: parliamentary democracy
_#_Capital: Kingston
_#_Administrative divisions: 14 parishes; Clarendon, Hanover,
Kingston, Manchester, Portland, Saint Andrew, Saint Ann, Saint Catherine,
Saint Elizabeth, Saint James, Saint Mary, Saint Thomas, Trelawny,
Westmoreland
_#_Independence: August 6, 1962 (from the UK)
_#_Constitution: 6 August 1962
_#_Legal system: based on English common law; has not accepted mandatory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day (first Monday in August), 6 August 1990
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: The bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house, known as the Senate, and a lower house, called the House of Representatives.
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Florizel A. GLASSPOLE (since March 2, 1973);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Michael MANLEY (since February 13, 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
People's National Party (PNP), Michael MANLEY;
Jamaica Labor Party (JLP), Edward SEAGA;
Workers' Party of Jamaica (WPJ), Trevor MUNROE
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
House of Representatives—last held on February 9, 1989 (next to be held by February 1994); results—PNP 57%, JLP 43%; seats—(60 total) PNP 45, JLP 15
_#_Communists: Workers' Party of Jamaica (Marxist-Leninist)
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Rastafarians (Black religious/racial group, pan-Africanists)
_#_Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-19, G-77,
GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Richard BERNAL; Chancery at Suite 355, 1850 K Street NW, Washington DC 20006; phone (202) 452-0660; there are Jamaican Consulates General in Miami and New York;
US—Ambassador Glen A. HOLDEN; Embassy at 3rd Floor, Jamaica Mutual
Life Center, 2 Oxford Road, Kingston; telephone (809) 929-4850
_#_Flag: a diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles—green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and fly side)
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy relies on sugar, bauxite, and tourism. In 1985, it faced a setback with the closure of some facilities in the bauxite and alumina industry, which was a key source of hard currency earnings. Since 1986, an economic recovery has been underway. In 1987, conditions started to improve for the bauxite and alumina industry due to rising world metal prices. The recovery has also been bolstered by growth in the manufacturing and tourism sectors. In September 1988, Hurricane Gilbert caused significant damage to crops and the electric power system, leading to a sharp but temporary setback for the economy. By October 1989, the economic recovery from the hurricane was mostly complete, and real growth was around 3% for 1989. In 1990, the economy grew by 3.5%, driven by mining and tourism.
_#_GDP: $3.9 billion, per capita $1,580; real growth rate 3.5% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 16.0% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 18.2% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $1.0 billion; expenditures $1.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $197 million (FY90 est.)
_#_Exports: $1.02 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—bauxite, alumina, sugar, bananas;
partners—US 36%, UK, Canada, Norway, Trinidad and Tobago
_#_Imports: $1.83 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—oil, machinery, food, consumer products, construction materials;
partners—US 48%, UK, Venezuela, Canada, Japan, Trinidad and Tobago
_#_External debt: $4.1 billion (estimated in 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 3% (1989 est.); makes up nearly 25% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 1,122,000 kW capacity; 2,508 million kWh produced, 1,030 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, bauxite mining, textiles, food processing, light manufacturing
_#_Agriculture: makes up about 9% of GDP, 22% of the workforce, and 17% of exports; main commercial crops include sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, potatoes, and vegetables; livestock and livestock products consist of poultry, goats, and milk; not self-sufficient in grains, meat, and dairy products.
_#_Illicit drugs: illegal growing of cannabis; shipping hub for vessels transporting cocaine and cannabis from Central and South America to North America
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.2 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.45 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $27 million; Communist countries (1974-89), $349 million
_#_Currency: Jamaican dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Jamaican dollar (J$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Jamaican dollars (J$) per US$1—8.106 (January 1991), 7.184 (1990), 5.7446 (1989), 5.4886 (1988), 5.4867 (1987), 5.4778 (1986), 5.5586 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Railroads: 370 km, all 1.435-meter standard gauge, single track
_#_Highways: 18,200 km total; 12,600 km paved, 3,200 km gravel, 2,400 km upgraded dirt
_#_Pipelines: refined products, 10 km
_#_Ports: Kingston, Montego Bay
_#_Merchant marine: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 13,048 GRT/21,412 DWT; includes 1 cargo ship, 1 container ship, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo ship, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, and 1 bulk carrier.
_Civil air: 6 major transport planes_
_#_Airports: 41 total, 25 usable; 14 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: fully automated home phone network; 127,000 phones; stations—10 AM, 17 FM, 8 TV; 2 INTELSAT ground stations in the Atlantic Ocean; 3 coaxial underwater cables
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Jamaica Defense Force (includes Coast Guard and Air Wing), Jamaica Constabulary Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 628,225; 446,229 fit for military service; no draft; 26,442 reach the minimum volunteer age (18) each year
_#Defense spending: $20 million, under 1% of GDP (FY91) % @Jan Mayen (Norwegian territory) *Geography #_Total area: 373 km2; land area: 373 km2
_#_Comparative area: just over twice the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 124.1 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 10 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 4 nm
_#_Disputes: Denmark has challenged Norway's maritime claims between Greenland and Jan Mayen
_#_Climate: arctic maritime with frequent storms and constant fog
_#_Terrain: volcanic island, partially covered by glaciers; Beerenberg is the highest peak, standing at 2,277 meters high.
_#_Natural resources: none
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: a barren volcanic island with some moss and grass; volcanic activity started up again in 1970
_#_Note: located north of the Arctic Circle about 590 km north-northeast of Iceland between the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian Sea
_*People #_Population: no permanent inhabitants
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: territory of Norway
_#_Note: managed by a governor (sysselmann) living in Longyearbyen (Svalbard)
_*Economy #_Overview: Jan Mayen is a volcanic island with no useful natural resources. Economic activity is mostly focused on providing services for the staff of Norway's radio and weather stations found on the island.
_#_Electricity: 15,000 kW capacity; 40 million kWh generated, NA kWh per person (1989)
_*Communications #_Airports: 1 with runway 1,220 to 2,439 m
_#_Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
_#_Telecommunications: radio and meteorological station
_*Defense Forces
#Note: defense is the responsibility of Norway
%
@Japan
*Geography
#_Total area: 377,835 km²; land area: 374,744 km²; includes Bonin
Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito Islands, Minami-jima,
Okinotori Island, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei Islands), and Volcano Islands
(Kazan Islands)
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than California
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 29,751 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm (3 nm in international straits—La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and the Eastern and Western channels of the Korea or Tsushima Strait)
_#_Disputes: Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan Islands and the
Habomai island group occupied by the Soviet Union since 1945, claimed by
Japan; Liancourt Rocks disputed with South Korea; Senkaku-shoto
(Senkaku Islands) claimed by China and Taiwan
_#_Climate: ranges from tropical in the south to cool temperate in the north
_#_Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous
_#_Natural resources: very few mineral resources, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 13%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and woodland 67%; other 18%; includes irrigated 9%
_#_Environment: numerous inactive and some active volcanoes; around 1,500 seismic events (mainly tremors) each year; prone to tsunamis
_#_Note: strategic location in Northeast Asia
_*People #_Population: 124,017,137 (July 1991), growth rate 0.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 10 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 4 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 76 years for males, 82 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Japanese (sing., pl.); adjective—Japanese
_#_Ethnic divisions: Japanese 99.4%, other (mostly Korean) 0.6%
_#_Religion: most Japanese practice both Shinto and Buddhist rituals, so the percentages total over 100%—Shinto 95.8%, Buddhist 76.3%, Christian 1.4%, other 12% (1985)
_#_Language: Japanese
_#_Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) of people age 15 and over can read and write (1970 est.)
_#_Labor force: 63,330,000; trade and services 54%; manufacturing, mining, and construction 33%; agriculture, forestry, and fishing 7%; government 3% (1988)
_#_Organized labor: around 29% of employed workers; public service 76.4%, transportation and telecommunications 57.9%, mining 48.7%, manufacturing 33.7%, services 18.2%, wholesale, retail, and restaurants 9.3%
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: constitutional monarchy
_#_Capital: Tokyo
_#_Administrative divisions: 47 prefectures (fuken, both singular and plural); Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka, Fukushima, Gifu, Gunma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki, Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima, Kanagawa, Kochi, Kumamoto, Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki, Nara, Niigata, Oita, Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga, Shimane, Shizuoka, Tochigi, Tokushima, Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, Yamagata, Yamaguchi, Yamanashi
_#_Independence: 660 BC, traditionally founded by Emperor Jimmu
_#_Constitution: 3 May 1947
_#_Legal system: a civil law system influenced by English and American law; the Supreme Court has the power to review legislative acts; it accepts the compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ, with some reservations.
_#_National holiday: Emperor's Birthday, December 23 (1933)
_#_Executive branch: emperor, prime minister, cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: the bicameral Diet (Kokkai) consists of an upper house, the House of Councillors (Sangi-in), and a lower house, the House of Representatives (Shugi-in)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Emperor AKIHITO (since January 7, 1989);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Kiichi MIYAZAWA (since November 5, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Toshiki KAIFU, president; Keizo OBUCHI,
secretary general;
Japan Socialist Party (JSP), T. DOI, chairman;
Democratic Socialist Party (DSP), Keigo OUCHI, chairman;
Japan Communist Party (JCP), K. MIYAMOTO, Presidium chairman;
Komeito (Clean Government Party, CGP), Koshiro ISHIDA, chairman
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 20
_#_Elections:
House of Councillors—last held on July 23, 1989 (next to be held July 23, 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(252 total, 100 elected) LDP 109, JSP 67, CGP 21, JCP 14, other 41;
House of Representatives—last held on February 18, 1990 (next to be held by February 1993); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(512 total) LDP 275, JSP 136, CGP 45, JCP 16, DSP 14, other parties 5, independents 21; note—9 independents are expected to join the LDP, 5 the JSP.
_#_Communists: about 490,000 registered members of the Communist Party
_#_Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), APEC, AsDB, BIS, CCC, COCOM, CP,
EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-2, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NEA, OAS (observer),
OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Ryohei MURATA; Chancery at 2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; phone (202) 939-6700; there are Japanese Consulates General in Agana (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Kansas City (Missouri), Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland (Oregon), and a Consulate in Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands);
US—Ambassador Michael H. ARMACOST; Embassy at 10-1, Akasaka 1-chome, Minato-ku (107), Tokyo (mailing address is APO San Francisco 96503); phone [81] (3) 3224-5000; there are US Consulates General in Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, and Sapporo, and a Consulate in Fukuoka.
_#_Flag: white with a large red circle (representing the sun without rays) in the center
_*Economy #_Overview: Although Japan has few natural resources, since 1971 it has become the world's third-largest economy, ranking only behind the US and the USSR. Cooperation between the government and industry, a strong work ethic, and a relatively small defense budget have contributed to Japan's rapid advancement, especially in high-tech fields. Industry is the most important sector of the economy, heavily relying on imported raw materials and fuels. While Japan is self-sufficient in rice, it needs to import 50% of its grain and fodder requirements. Japan boasts one of the world's largest fishing fleets and accounts for nearly 15% of the global catch. Overall economic growth has been impressive: an average of 10% in the 1960s, followed by 5% in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1990, strong investment and consumer spending helped sustain growth at 5.6%. Inflation remains low at 3.1%, despite rising oil prices and increasing wages due to a tight labor market. Japan continues to maintain a significant trade surplus of $52 billion in 1990, which supports extensive investments in foreign assets.
_#_GNP: $2,115.2 billion, per person $17,100; actual growth rate 5.6% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.1% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 2.1% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $499 billion; expenditures $532 billion, which includes capital expenditures (public works only) of $52 billion (FY90)
_#_Exports: $286.5 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—manufactured goods 97% (including machinery 38%, cars 17%, consumer electronics 10%);
partners—US 31%, Southeast Asia 29%, Western Europe 21%, Communist countries 3%, Middle East 3%
_#_Imports: $234.7 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—manufactured goods 50%, fossil fuels 24%, food and raw materials 26%;
partners—Southeast Asia 23%, US 23%, Western Europe 18%, Middle East 13%, Communist countries 7%
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 4.6% (1990 est.); accounts for 30% of GDP (mining and manufacturing)
_#_Electricity: 191,000,000 kW capacity; 790,000 million kWh produced, 6,390 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: metallurgy, engineering, electrical and electronic, textiles, chemicals, automobiles, fishing, telecommunications
_#_Agriculture: accounts for just 2% of GNP; a heavily subsidized and protected sector, with crop yields among the highest in the world; main crops include rice, sugar beets, vegetables, and fruit; animal products consist of pork, poultry, dairy, and eggs; about 50% self-sufficient in food production; shortages of wheat, corn, and soybeans; the world’s largest fish catch of 11.9 million metric tons in 1988.
_#_Economic aid: donor—ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $83.2 billion; ODA outlay of $7.9 billion in 1989
_#_Currency: yen (plural—yen); 1 yen = 100 sen
_#_Exchange rates: yen (3) per US$1—133.88 (January 1991), 144.79 (1990), 137.96 (1989), 128.15 (1988), 144.64 (1987), 168.52 (1986), 238.54 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Railroads: 27,327 km total; 2,012 km of 1.435-meter standard gauge and 25,315 km mostly 1.067-meter narrow gauge; 5,724 km of double-track and multi-track sections, 9,038 km of 1.067-meter narrow gauge electrified, 2,012 km of 1.435-meter standard gauge electrified (1987)
_#_Highways: 1,098,900 km total; 718,700 km paved, 380,200 km gravel, crushed stone, or unpaved; 3,900 km national expressways, 46,544 km national highways, 43,907 km main local roads, 86,930 km prefectural roads, and 917,619 other (1987)
_#_Inland waterways: about 1,770 km; seagoing vessels operate in all coastal inland seas
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 84 km; refined products, 322 km; natural gas, 1,800 km
_#_Ports: Chiba, Muroran, Kitakyushu, Kobe, Tomakomai, Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo, Yokkaichi, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Niigata, Fushiki-Toyama, Shimizu, Himeji, Wakayama-Shimozu, Shimonoseki, Tokuyama-Shimomatsu
_#_Merchant marine: 1,019 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 22,396,958 GRT/34,683,035 DWT; includes 9 passenger ships, 55 short-sea passenger ships, 4 passenger-cargo ships, 95 cargo ships, 40 container ships, 33 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 125 refrigerated cargo ships, 99 vehicle carriers, 231 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 14 chemical tankers, 41 liquefied gas carriers, 11 combination ore/oil carriers, 3 specialized tankers, 257 bulk carriers, 2 combination bulk carriers; note—Japan also has a large flag of convenience fleet, including up to 40% of the total number of ships registered under the Panamanian flag.
_#_Civil air: 360 main transport planes
_#_Airports: 165 total, 157 available; 129 with paved runways; 2 with runways longer than 3,659 m; 29 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 56 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: outstanding domestic and international service; 64,000,000 phones; stations—318 AM, 58 FM, 12,350 TV (196 major—1 kw or greater); satellite earth stations—4 in the Pacific Ocean INTELSAT and 1 in the Indian Ocean INTELSAT; underwater cables to the US (via Guam), Philippines, China, and USSR
_*Defense Forces
#_Branches: Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (Army), Japan Maritime
Self-Defense Force (Navy), Japan Air Self-Defense Force (Air Force),
Maritime Safety Agency (Coast Guard)
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 32,256,893; 27,771,374 are fit for military service; 992,255 reach military age (18) each year.
_#Defense spending: $NA, 1.0% of GNP (1990 estimate) % @Jarvis Island (US territory) *Geography #_Total area: 4.5 km2; land area: 4.5 km2
_#_Comparative area: approximately 7.5 times larger than The Mall in Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 8 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; limited rainfall, steady winds, scorching sun
_#_Terrain: sandy, coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef
_#_Natural resources: guano (mined until the late 1800s)
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: limited bunch grass, sprawled-out vines, and short shrubs; no fresh water available; mainly a nesting, resting, and foraging area for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine animals; feral cats
_#_Note: 2,090 km south of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean, just south of the Equator, about halfway between Hawaii and the Cook Islands
_*People #_Population: uninhabited
_#_Note: The Millersville settlement on the western side of the island was occasionally used as a weather station from 1935 until World War II, when it was abandoned. It was reoccupied in 1957 during the International Geophysical Year by scientists who left in 1958. Public entry is only allowed with a special-use permit and is generally restricted to scientists and educators.
_*Government #_Long-form name: none (US territory)
_#_Type: unincorporated territory of the US managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System
_*Economy #_Overview: no economic activity
_*Communications #_Ports: none; only offshore anchorage—there's one boat landing area in the middle of the west coast and another near the southwest corner of the island.
_#_Note: there's a day marker located near the middle of the west coast
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the US; visited every year by the US Coast Guard % @Jersey (British crown dependency) *Geography #_Total area: 117 km²; land area: 117 km²
_#_Comparative area: about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 70 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Climate: mild; warm winters and cool summers
_#_Terrain: gently rolling flatland with low, rough hills along the northern coast
_#_Natural resources: agricultural land
_#_Land use: arable land NA%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures NA%; forest and woodland NA%; other NA%; about 58% of land is cultivated
_#_Environment: about 30% of the population is concentrated in Saint Helier
_#_Note: largest and southernmost of the Channel Islands; 27 km from France
_*People #_Population: 84,331 (July 1991), growth rate 0.8% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 12 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 10 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 6 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 72 years for males, 78 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.3 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Channel Islander(s); adjective—Channel Islander
_#_Ethnic divisions: UK and Norman-French background
_#_Religion: Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Congregational New Church, Methodist, Presbyterian
_#_Language: English and French (official), with the Norman-French dialect spoken in rural areas.
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%) but mandatory education ages 5 to 16
_#_Labor force: NA
_#_Organized labor: none
_*Government #_Long-form name: Bailiwick of Jersey
_#_Type: British crown dependency
_#_Capital: Saint Helier
_#_Administrative divisions: none (British crown dependency)
_#_Independence: none (British crown dependency)
_#_Constitution: not written down; a mix of laws and traditions
_#_Legal system: English law and local statute
_#_National holiday: Liberation Day, May 9 (1945)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, lieutenant governor, sheriff
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber Assembly of the States
_#_Judicial branch: Royal Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952);
Head of Government—Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief
Air Marshal Sir John SUTTON (since NA 1990); Bailiff Peter CRILL (since
NA)
_#_Political parties and leaders: none; all independents
_Suffrage: universal adult at age NA_
_#_Elections:
Assembly of the States—last held N/A (next to be held N/A); results—percent of vote N/A; seats—(56 total, 52 elected) 52 independents
_#_Communists: probably none
_#_Member of: none
Diplomatic representation: none (British crown dependency)
_#_Flag: white with a diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick (the patron saint of Ireland) extending to the corners of the flag
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy primarily relies on financial services, agriculture, and tourism. Potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes, and especially flowers are key export crops, mostly sent to the UK. The Jersey breed of dairy cattle is recognized worldwide and is a significant source of export income. Dairy products are exported to the UK and other EU countries. In 1986, the finance sector surpassed tourism as the leading contributor to GDP, making up 40% of the island's output. Recently, the government has promoted light industry to set up in Jersey, leading to the growth of an electronics sector alongside the traditional knitwear manufacturing. All raw materials and energy needs are imported, as well as a large portion of Jersey's food supply.
_#_GDP: $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate 8% (1987 estimate)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8% (1988 estimate)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $308.0 million; expenditures $284.4 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1985)
_#_Exports: $NA;
commodities—light industrial and electrical items, food products, textiles;
partners—UK
_#_Imports: $NA;
commodities—machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food items, mineral fuels, chemicals;
partners—UK
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 50,000 kW backup capacity (1990); power provided by France
_#_Industries: tourism, banking and finance, dairy
_#_Agriculture: potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes; dairy and cattle farming
_#_Economic aid: none
_#_Currency: Jersey pound (plural—pounds); 1 Jersey pound (5J) = 100 pence
_#_Exchange rates: Jersey pounds (5J) per US$1—0.5171 (January 1991), 0.5603 (1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985); the Jersey pound is equal to the British pound.
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Ports: Saint Helier, Gorey, Saint Aubin
_#_Airports: 1 with a permanent runway surface measuring 1,220-2,439 m (Saint Peter)
_#_Telecommunications: 63,700 phones; stations—1 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 3 submarine cables
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK % @Johnston Atoll (territory of the US) *Geography #_Total area: 2.8 km²; land area: 2.8 km²
_#_Comparative area: about 4.7 times larger than The Mall in Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 10 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical, but usually dry; steady northeast trade winds with minimal seasonal temperature changes
_#_Terrain: mostly flat with a highest point of 4 meters
_#_Natural resources: guano (mined until around 1890)
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: some low-growing vegetation
_#_Note: strategic location 1,328 km west-southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-third of the way between Hawaii and the Marshall Islands; Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands; North Island (Akau) and East Island (Hikina) are artificial islands created from coral dredging; closed to the public; former nuclear weapons test site; site of Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System (JACADS)
_*People #_Population: 1,325 (December 1990); all US government staff and contractors
_*Government #_Long-form name: none (territory of the US)
_#_Type: unincorporated territory of the US managed by the US Defense Nuclear Agency (DNA) and cooperatively overseen by DNA and the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (part of the US)
_#_Flag: the flag of the U.S. is used
_*Economy #_Overview: Economic activity is mostly focused on offering services to US military personnel and contractors on the island. All food and manufactured products have to be imported.
_#_Electricity: provided by the U.S. Military
_*Communications #_Ports: Johnston Island
_#_Airports: 1 with a permanent-surface runway of 2,743 meters
_#_Telecommunications: a top-notch system that features a 60-channel submarine cable, Autodin/SRT terminal, digital phone switch, Military Affiliated Radio System (MARS station), a commercial satellite TV system (receive only), and UHF/VHF air-ground radio, as well as marine VHF/FM Channel 16.
_#_Note: The US Coast Guard operates a LORAN transmitting station.
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the US % @Jordan (see separate West Bank entry) #_Note: The war between Israel and the Arab states in June 1967 ended with Israel controlling the West Bank. As stated in the 1978 Camp David Accords and reaffirmed by President Reagan's peace initiative on September 1, 1982, the final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, their relationship with neighboring countries, and a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan are to be negotiated among the involved parties. The Camp David Accords also specify that these negotiations will determine the boundaries. Until this process is complete, it is US policy that the final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip remains undetermined.
_*Geography #_Total area: 91,880 km²; land area: 91,540 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Indiana
_#_Land boundaries: 1,586 km total; Iraq 134 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 742 km, Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km
_#_Coastline: 26 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Disputes: disagreements with Israel about where the 1949 Armistice Line is that divides the two countries
_#_Climate: mainly dry desert; rainy season in the west (November to April)
_#_Terrain: mostly a desert plateau in the east, highland area in the west; the Great Rift Valley separates the East and West Banks of the Jordan River.
_#_Natural resources: phosphates, potash, shale oil
_#_Land use: arable land 4%; permanent crops 0.5%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and woodland 0.5%; other 94%; includes irrigated 0.5%
_#_Environment: shortage of natural water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
_*People #_Population: 3,412,553 (July 1991), growth rate 4.2% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 46 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 1 migrant per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 38 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 70 years for males, 73 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 7.1 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Jordanian(s); adjective—Jordanian
_#_Ethnic groups: Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1%
_#_Religion: Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 8%
_#_Language: Arabic (official); English is widely understood among the upper and middle classes.
_#_Literacy: 80% (male 89%, female 70%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 572,000 (1988); agriculture 20%, manufacturing and mining 20% (1987 est.)
_#_Organized labor: about 10% of the workforce
_#_Note: 1.5-1.7 million Palestinians live on the East Bank (55-60% of the population), most are Jordanian citizens
_*Government #_Long-form name: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
_#_Type: constitutional monarchy
_#_Capital: Amman
_#_Administrative divisions: 8 governorates (muhafazat, singular—muhafazah); Al Balqa, Al Karak, Al Mafraq, Amman, At Tafilah, Az Zarqa, Irbid, Maan
_#_Independence: May 25, 1946 (from the League of Nations mandate under British administration; previously Trans-Jordan)
_#_Constitution: 8 January 1952
_#_Legal system: based on Islamic law and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in a specially designated High Tribunal; has not accepted mandatory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, May 25 (1946)
_#_Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly (Majlis al-Umma) consists of an upper house or House of Notables (Majlis al-Aayan) and a lower house or House of Deputies (Majlis al-Nuwaab); note—the House of Deputies was dissolved by King Hussein on July 30, 1988, as part of Jordan's disengagement from the West Bank, and in November 1989, the first parliamentary elections in 22 years were held, with no seats going to Palestinians from the West Bank.
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Cassation
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—King HUSSEIN Ibn Talal I (since August 11, 1952);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Tahir al-MASRI (since June 17, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: none; after the 1989 parliamentary elections, King Hussein promised to allow political parties to be formed; a national charter outlining the rules for democracy in Jordan—which includes the establishment of political parties—has been completed but hasn't been approved yet.
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 20
_#_Elections:
House of Representatives—last held on November 8, 1989 (next to be held in November 1993); results—percent of vote by party: NA; seats—(80 total) Muslim Brotherhood 22, Independent Islamic bloc 10, Democratic bloc (mostly leftist) 15, Liberal bloc (traditionalist) 7, Nationalist bloc (traditionalist) 14, independent 12
_#_Communists: the party was actively suppressed, with membership under 500 (est.)
_#_Member of: ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, UN,
UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Hussein A. HAMMAMI; Chancery at 3504 International Drive NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 966-2664;
US—Ambassador Roger Gram HARRISON; Embassy on Jebel Amman, Amman (mailing address is P. O. Box 354, Amman, or APO New York 09892); telephone [962] (6) 644-371
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), white, and green, with a red isosceles triangle on the hoist side that has a small white seven-pointed star; the seven points on the star represent the seven fundamental laws of the Koran.
_*Economy #_Overview: Jordan benefited somewhat from the oil boom of the late 1970s and early 1980s, with an average annual GNP growth of 10-12%. However, in recent years, there has been a significant decrease in grant aid from Arab oil-producing countries and a decline in worker remittances, leading to national growth averaging 1-2%. Imports—primarily oil, capital goods, consumer durables, and food—have consistently exceeded exports by about $2 billion each year, with the shortfall being covered by aid, remittances, and borrowing. In mid-1989, the Jordanian Government agreed to implement an IMF austerity plan aimed at addressing the country's serious economic issues. The plan aimed to gradually lower the government’s budget deficit over a few years and introduce essential structural reforms in the economy. In exchange for agreeing to the IMF program, Jordan received standby loans from the IMF totaling over $100 million. Acknowledging that it would not be able to meet its debt obligations, the government also started negotiations to reschedule its debt with creditors in mid-1989. The outbreak of the Gulf crisis in August 1990 forced the government to put the IMF program on hold and suspend most debt payments and rescheduling discussions. Economic prospects for 1991 look particularly bleak, given the unstable situation in the Middle East.
_GNP: $4.6 billion, per person $1,400; actual growth rate - 15% (1990 estimate)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 15% (1990 estimate)
_#_Unemployment rate: 30% (January 1991 estimate)
_#_Budget: revenues $1.05 billion; expenditures $1.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991 est.)
_#_Exports: $0.9 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—fruits and vegetables, phosphates, fertilizers;
partners—Iraq, Saudi Arabia, India, Kuwait, Japan, China, Yugoslavia, Indonesia
_#_Imports: $2.1 billion (c.i.f., 1990 estimate);
commodities—crude oil, textiles, capital goods, cars, food;
partners—EC, US, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Turkey, Romania, China, Taiwan
_#_External debt: $8 billion (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 15% (1990 estimate); represents 20% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 981,000 kW capacity; 3.5 billion kWh produced, 1,180 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: phosphate mining, oil refining, cement, potash, light manufacturing
_#_Agriculture: makes up just 5% of GDP; main products are wheat, barley, citrus fruits, tomatoes, melons, and olives; livestock includes sheep, goats, and poultry; major net importer of food.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.7 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.3 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $9.5 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $44 million
_#_Currency: Jordanian dinar (plural—dinars); 1 Jordanian dinar (JD) = 1,000 fils
_#_Exchange rates: Jordanian dinars (JD) per US$1—0.6670 (January 1991), 0.6636 (1990), 0.5704 (1989), 0.3709 (1988), 0.3387 (1987), 0.3499 (1986), 0.3940 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 619 km of 1,050 mm gauge, single track
_#_Highways: 7,500 km; 5,500 km paved, 2,000 km gravel and crushed stone
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 209 km
_#_Ports: Al Aqabah
_#_Merchant marine: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 22,870 GRT/38,187 DWT; includes 1 bulk carrier, 1 cargo ship.
_#_Civil air: 19 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 19 total, 16 usable; 14 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 13 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: suitable system of radio relay, cable, and radio; 81,500 telephones; stations—4 AM, 3 FM, 24 TV; satellite earth stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT, 1 receive-only domestic TV; coaxial cable and radio relay to Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Syria; radio relay to Lebanon is inactive; a microwave network connecting Syria, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Jordan.
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Jordan Arab Army, Royal Jordanian Air Force, Royal Jordanian Coast Guard, Public Security Force
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 778,353; 555,144 qualified for military service; 39,879 turn 18 and reach military age each year
_#Defense spending: $377 million, 12.4% of GNP (1990) % @Juan de Nova Island (French territory) *Geography #_Total area: 4.4 km2; land area: 4.4 km2
_#_Comparative area: about 7.5 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 24.1 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of extraction;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claimed by Madagascar
_#_Climate: tropical
_#_Terrain: undetermined
_#_Natural resources: guano deposits and other fertilizers
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 90%; other 10%
_#_Environment: prone to occasional cyclones; wildlife refuge
_#_Note: situated in the central Mozambique Channel roughly halfway between Africa and Madagascar
_*People #_Population: uninhabited
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: French territory managed by Commissioner of the Republic Daniel CONSTANTIN, based in Reunion
_*Economy #_Overview: no economic activity
_*Communications #_Railroads: a short line leading to a jetty
_#_Airports: 1 with a temporary runway surface 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of France % @Kenya *Geography #_Total area: 582,650 km²; land area: 569,250 km²
_#_Comparative area: just over twice the size of Nevada
_#_Land boundaries: 3,477 km total; Ethiopia 861 km, Somalia 682 km, Sudan 232 km, Tanzania 769 km, Uganda 933 km
_#_Coastline: 536 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: the administrative boundary with Sudan does not match the international boundary; Somalia may assert a claim based on the unification of ethnic Somalis.
_#_Climate: ranges from tropical along the coast to dry in the interior
_#_Terrain: flat plains rise to central highlands divided by the Great Rift Valley; fertile plateau in the west
# Natural resources: gold, limestone, soda ash, salt, barytes, rubies, fluorspar, garnets, wildlife
_#_Land use: arable land 3%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 7%; forest and woodland 4%; other 85%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: distinct geography supports a rich and diverse range of wildlife that holds scientific and economic importance; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; glaciers on Mt. Kenya
_#_Note: The Kenyan Highlands are one of the most successful agricultural production areas in Africa.
_*People #_Population: 25,241,978 (July 1991), growth rate 3.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 45 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
# Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 69 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 60 years for males, 64 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.4 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Kenyan(s); adjective—Kenyan
_#_Ethnic divisions: Kikuyu 21%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 11%, Kamba 11%, Kisii 6%, Meru 6%, Asian, European, and Arab 1%
_#_Religion: Protestant 38%, Roman Catholic 28%, Indigenous beliefs 26%, Muslim 6%
_#_Language: English and Swahili (official); many indigenous languages
_#_Literacy: 69% (male 80%, female 58%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 9.2 million (includes unemployed); the total employed is 1.37 million (14.8% of the labor force); services 54.8%, industry 26.2%, agriculture 19.0% (1989)
_#_Organized labor: 390,000 (est.)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Kenya
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Nairobi
_#_Administrative divisions: 7 provinces and 1 area*; Central, Coast, Eastern, Nairobi Area*, North-Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western
_#_Independence: December 12, 1963 (from the UK; previously British East Africa)
_#_Constitution: December 12, 1963, updated to a republic in 1964; reissued with updates in 1979, 1983, 1986, and 1988
_#_Legal system: based on English common law, tribal law, and Islamic law; judicial review in the High Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; constitutional amendment in 1982 made Kenya an official one-party state.
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, December 12, 1963
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber National Assembly (Bunge)
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, High Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Daniel Teroitich arap MOI (since October 14, 1978); Vice President George SAITOTI (since May 10, 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders: only party—Kenya African National Union (KANU), Daniel T. arap MOI, president
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held on March 21, 1988 (next to be held by March 1993); results—President Daniel T. arap MOI was reelected;
National Assembly—last held on March 21, 1988 (next one will be by March 1993); results—KANU is the only party; seats—(202 total, 188 elected) KANU 200
_#_Communists: there might be a few Communists and their supporters
_#_Other political or pressure groups: labor unions; exile opposition—Mwakenya and other groups
_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, EADB, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG,
UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Denis Daudi AFANDE; Chancery at 2249 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; phone (202) 387-6101; there are Kenyan Consulates General in Los Angeles and New York;
US—Ambassador Smith HEMPSTONE, Jr.; Embassy at the corner of Moi Avenue and Haile Selassie Avenue, Nairobi (mailing address is P. O. Box 30137, Nairobi or APO New York 09675); telephone [254] (2) 334141; there is a US Consulate in Mombasa
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green; the red band has white edges; a large warrior's shield covering crossed spears is placed at the center.
_*Economy #_Overview: A serious underlying economic issue is Kenya's 3.6% annual population growth rate—one of the highest globally. Meanwhile, GDP growth in the short term has slightly outpaced population growth, averaging 4.9% annually between 1986 and 1990. Unreliable weather conditions and a lack of arable land hinder long-term growth in agriculture, which is the primary economic sector.
_#_GDP: $8.5 billion, per capita $360; real growth rate 4% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10.9% (1990 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%, but there's a significant level of unemployment and underemployment.
_#_Budget: revenues $2.0 billion; expenditures $2.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA billion (FY89)
_#_Exports: $1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—tea 25%, coffee 21%, petroleum products 7% (1989);
partners—EC 44%, Africa 25%, Asia 5%, US 5%, Middle East 4% (1988)
_#_Imports: $2.4 billion (c.i.f., 1990 estimate);
commodities—machinery and transportation equipment 29%, petroleum and petroleum products 15%, iron and steel 7%, raw materials, food and consumer goods (1989 est.);
partners—EC 45%, Asia 11%, Middle East 12%, US 5% (1988)
_#_External debt: $5.8 billion (December 1990 estimate)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 5.4% (1989 est.); makes up 17% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 730,000 kW capacity; 2.7 billion kWh produced, 110 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: small-scale consumer goods (plastics, furniture, batteries, textiles, soap, cigarettes, flour), agricultural processing, oil refining, cement, tourism
_#_Agriculture: the most important sector, making up 29% of GDP, about 80% of the workforce, and over 50% of exports; cash crops—coffee, tea, sisal, pineapple; food products—corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables, dairy products; food production isn't keeping up with population growth
_#_Illicit drugs: illegal production of cannabis primarily for local use; extensive farming of cannabis and qat on small fields; a transit route for heroin and methaqualone traveling from Southwest Asia to West Africa, Western Europe, and the US.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $839 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $6.7 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $74 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $83 million
_#_Currency: Kenyan shilling (plural—shillings); 1 Kenyan shilling (KSh) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Kenyan shillings (KSh) per US$1—24.427 (January 1991), 22.915 (1990), 20.572 (1989), 17.747 (1988), 16.454 (1987), 16.226 (1986), 16.432 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Railroads: 2,040 km 1.000-meter gauge
_#_Highways: 64,590 km total; 7,000 km paved, 4,150 km gravel, remainder upgraded dirt
_#_Inland waterways: a portion of the Lake Victoria system is located within Kenya's borders; the main inland port is in Kisumu.
_#_Pipelines: refined products, 483 km
_#_Ports: Mombasa, Lamu
_#_Civil air: 14 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 249 total, 213 usable; 22 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 47 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: part of the leading African systems; includes radio relay links, open-wire lines, and radio communication stations; 260,000 telephones; stations—11 AM, 4 FM, 4 TV; satellite earth stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Kenya Army, Kenya Navy, Air Force, paramilitary General Service Unit of the Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 5,444,247; 3,362,290 eligible for military service; no conscription
_#Defense spending: $100 million, 1.0% of GDP (1989 est.) % @Kingman Reef (U.S. territory) *Geography #_Total area: 1 km2; land area: 1 km2
_#_Comparative area: about 1.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 3 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical, but tempered by prevailing winds
_#_Terrain: flat and almost level with a highest point of around 1 meter
_#_Natural resources: none
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: a lifeless coral atoll with a deep lagoon; mostly wet or submerged.
_#_Note: situated 1,600 km south-southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, roughly halfway between Hawaii and American Samoa; with a maximum elevation of about 1 meter, this poses a navigational hazard; off-limits to the public
_*People #_Population: uninhabited
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: unincorporated territory of the US run by the US Navy
_*Economy #_Overview: no economic activity
_*Communications #_Airports: the lagoon served as a stopover point between Hawaii and American Samoa for Pan American Airways' flying boats in 1937 and 1938.
_#_Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the US % @Kiribati *Geography #_Total area: 717 km²; land area: 717 km²; consists of three island groups—Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands
_#_Comparative area: just over four times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 1,143 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; marine, hot and humid, cooled by trade winds
_#_Terrain: mainly flat coral islands surrounded by extensive reefs
# Natural resources: phosphate (production stopped in 1979)
_#_Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops 51%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 3%; other 46%
_#_Environment: Typhoons can happen at any time, but they usually occur from November to March; 20 out of the 33 islands are inhabited.
_#_Note: Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati is one of the three major phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean—the other two are Makatea in French Polynesia and Nauru.
_*People #_Population: 71,137 (July 1991), growth rate 1.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 33 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 12 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 5 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 63 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 52 years for males, 58 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.2 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—I-Kiribati (sing., pl.); adjective—I-Kiribati
_#_Ethnic divisions: Micronesian
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 52.6%, Protestant (Congregational) 40.9%, Seventh-Day Adventist, Baha'i, Church of God, Mormon 6% (1985)
_#_Language: English (official), Gilbertese
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: 7,870 people actively working (1985 est.)
_#_Organized labor: Kiribati Trades Union Congress—2,500 members
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Kiribati; note—pronounced Kiribas
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Tarawa
_#_Administrative divisions: 3 units; Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands; note—a new administrative structure of 6 districts (Banaba, Central Gilberts, Line Islands, Northern Gilberts, Southern Gilberts, Tarawa) may have been changed to 20 island councils (one for each inhabited island) named Abaiang, Abemama, Aranuka, Arorae, Banaba, Beru, Butaritari, Kiritimati, Kuria, Maiana, Makin, Marakei, Nikunau, Nonouti, Onotoa, Tabiteuea, Tabuaeran, Tamana, Tarawa, Teraina
_#_Independence: July 12, 1979 (from the UK; formerly known as the Gilbert Islands)
_#_Constitution: 12 July 1979
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, July 12 (1979)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber House of Assembly (Maneaba Ni Maungatabu)
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, High Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Ieremia TABAI (since July 12, 1979); Vice President Teatao TEANNAKI (since July 20, 1979)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Gilbertese National Party; Christian Democratic Party, Teburoro TITO, secretary; essentially not organized based on political parties
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held on May 12, 1987 (next to be held in May 1991); results— Ieremia TABAI 50.1%, Tebruroro TITO 42.7%, Tetao TEANNAKI 7.2%;
House of Assembly—last held on March 19, 1987 (next to be held in May 1991); results—percent of vote by party N/A; seats—(40 total; 39 elected) percent of seats by party N/A
_#_Member of: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP (associate), IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFC, IMF, INTERPOL, ITU, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador (vacant) resides in Tarawa (Kiribati);
US—none
_#_Flag: the top half is red with a yellow frigate bird soaring over a yellow rising sun, while the bottom half is blue with three horizontal wavy white stripes to symbolize the ocean.
_*Economy #_Overview: The country has limited national resources. The commercially viable phosphate deposits were depleted by the time of independence in 1979. Copra and fish now make up the majority of production and exports. The economy has shown significant fluctuations in recent years. Real GDP fell by about 8% in 1987, as fish catches dropped sharply to only one-fourth of the 1986 levels, and copra production was affected by consistent rainfall. However, output rebounded strongly in 1988, with real GDP increasing by 17%. This economic growth was driven by a rise in copra production and a successful fish catch. After the substantial increase in output in 1988, GNP grew by 1% in 1989 and again in 1990.
_GDP: $36.8 million, per person $525; actual growth rate 1.0% (1990 est.)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.0% (1990 estimate)
_#_Unemployment rate: 2% (1985); significant underemployment
_#_Budget: revenues $29.9 million; expenditures $16.3 million, including capital expenditures of $14.0 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $5.8 million (f.o.b., estimated in 1990);
commodities—fish 55%, copra 42%;
partners—EC 20%, Marshall Islands 12%, US 8%, American Samoa 4% (1985)
_#_Imports: $26.7 million (c.i.f., 1990 estimate);
commodities—foodstuffs, fuel, transportation equipment;
partners—Australia 39%, Japan 21%, NZ 6%, UK 6%, US 3% (1985)
_#_External debt: $2.0 million (December 1989 estimate)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 0.0% (1988 est.); makes up less than 4% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 5,000 kW capacity; 13 million kWh produced, 190 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: fishing, handicrafts
_#_Agriculture: makes up 30% of GDP (including fishing); copra and fish make up about 95% of exports; subsistence farming is the main form of agriculture; food crops include taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, and vegetables; not self-sufficient in food.
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $258 million
_#_Currency: Australian dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1—1.2834 (January 1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987), 1.4905 (1986), 1.4269 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: NA
_*Communications #_Highways: 640 km of drivable roads
_#_Inland waterways: a small network of canals, covering 5 km, in the Line Islands
_#_Ports: Banaba and Betio (Tarawa)
_#_Civil air: 2 Trislanders; no large transport planes
_#_Airports: 22 total; 21 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 1,400 phones; stations—1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT ground station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: there is no military force; the Police Force handles law enforcement and paramilitary responsibilities; there are small police stations on all islands.
_#_Manpower availability: NA
_#Defense spending: $NA, NA% of GDP % @North Korea *Geography #_Total area: 120,540 km2; land area: 120,410 km2
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than the Mississippi
_#_Land boundaries: 1,671 km total; China 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km, USSR 17 km
_#_Coastline: 2,495 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm;
Military boundary line: 50 nautical miles in the Sea of Japan and the limit of the exclusive economic zone in the Yellow Sea (all foreign vessels and aircraft are prohibited without permission)
_#_Disputes: the short section of the border with China is unclear; Demarcation Line with South Korea
_#_Climate: mild with most of the rain falling in the summer
_#_Terrain: mostly hills and mountains divided by deep, narrow valleys; coastal plains are wide in the west and fragmented in the east
# Natural resources: coal, lead, tungsten, zinc, graphite, magnesite, iron ore, copper, gold, pyrite, salt, fluorspar, hydropower
_#_Land use: arable land 18%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures NEGL%; forest and woodland 74%; other 7%; includes irrigated 9%
_#_Environment: the mountainous interior is isolated, hard to access, and has a low population; late spring droughts are often followed by intense flooding
_#_Note: strategic location next to China, South Korea, and the USSR
_*People #_Population: 21,814,656 (July 1991), growth rate 1.9% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 24 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 30 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 66 years for males, 72 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.5 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Korean(s); adjective—Korean
_#_Ethnic divisions: racially homogeneous
_#_Religion: Buddhism and Confucianism; religious activities are now nearly nonexistent
_#_Language: Korean
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: 9,615,000; agricultural 36%, nonagricultural 64%; shortage of skilled and unskilled labor (mid-1987 est.)
_#_Organized labor: 1,600,000 members; single-trade union system coordinated by the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea under the Central Committee
_*Government #_Full name: Democratic People's Republic of Korea; short form: DPRK
_#_Type: Communist state; dictatorship
_#_Capital: P'yongyang
_#_Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 3 special cities* (jikhalsi, singular and plural); Chagang-do, South Hamgyong Province, North Hamgyong Province, South Hwanghae Province, North Hwanghae Province, Kaesong City*, Kangwon-do, Namp'o City*, North P'yongan Province, South P'yongan Province, Pyongyang City*, Yanggang-do
_#_Independence: 9 September 1948
_#_Constitution: adopted 1948, revised December 27, 1972
_#_Legal system: based on the German civil law system with Japanese influences and Communist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, September 9, 1948
_#_Executive branch: president, two vice presidents, prime minister, eleven vice prime ministers, State Administration Council (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: one-chamber Supreme People's Assembly (Ch'oego Inmin Hoeui)
_#_Judicial branch: Central Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President KIM Il-sung (since December 28, 1972); Designated Successor KIM Jong-il (son of the President, born February 16, 1942);
Head of Government—Premier YON Hyong-muk (since NA December 1988)
_#_Political parties and leaders: major party—Korean Workers' Party (KWP), KIM Il-sung, general secretary, and his son, KIM Jong-il, secretary, Central Committee; Korean Social Democratic Party, YI Kye-paek, chairman; Chondoist Chongu Party, CHONG Sin-hyok, chairman
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 17
_#_Elections:
President—last held May 24, 1990 (next to be held in 1994); results—President KIM Il-sung was reelected unopposed;
Supreme People's Assembly—last held on May 24, 1990 (next to be held in 1994); results—percentage of votes by party N/A; seats—(total of 687) the KWP approves a single list of candidates who are elected without any opposition; minor parties hold a few seats.
_#_Communists: The KWP claims it has around 3 million members
_#_Member of: FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, IFAD, IMF (observer), IMO, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: none
_#_Flag: three horizontal stripes of blue (top), red (three times wider), and blue; the red stripe has white borders; on the side of the red stripe that faces the flagpole is a white circle with a red five-pointed star.
_Economy #_Overview: Over 90% of this command economy is socialized; agricultural land is collectively owned, and state-run industries account for 95% of manufactured goods. The government maintains unusually tight control over the economy, even for a Communist state, due to the small size and uniformity of the society and the strict one-man rule of Kim. Economic growth from 1984 to 1990 averaged about 3%. The economy relies on abundant natural resources and hydropower for industrial growth. The extractive industries produce coal, iron ore, magnesite, graphite, copper, zinc, lead, and precious metals. The focus of manufacturing is primarily on heavy industry, while light industry is significantly behind. Even with the introduction of high-yield seed varieties, irrigation expansion, and heavy fertilizer use, North Korea has not achieved self-sufficiency in food production. Four straight years of poor harvests, along with distribution issues, have led to ongoing food shortages. North Korea lags well behind South Korea in economic development and living standards.
_#_GNP: $29.7 billion, per person $1,390; real growth rate 2% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: officially none
_#_Budget: revenues $15.6 billion; expenditures $15.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)
_#_Exports: $1.95 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—minerals, metal products, agricultural goods, manufactured items;
partners—USSR, China, Japan, Hong Kong, FRG, Singapore
_#_Imports: $2.85 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—oil, machinery and equipment, coking coal, grain;
partners—USSR, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Germany, Singapore
_#_External debt: $7 billion (1991)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 6,440,000 kW capacity; 40,250 million kWh produced, 1,890 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: machine manufacturing, military equipment, electric power, chemicals, mining, metal production, textiles, food processing
_#_Agriculture: makes up about 25% of GNP and 36% of the workforce; main crops—rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses; livestock and livestock products—cattle, pigs, pork, eggs; not self-sufficient in grains; fish catch estimated at 1.7 million metric tons in 1987
_Economic aid: Communist countries, $1.4 billion a year in the 1980s
_#_Currency: North Korean won (plural—won); 1 North Korean won (Wn) = 100 chon
_#_Exchange rates: North Korean won (Wn) per US$1—2.2 (March 1991), 2.1 (January 1990), 2.3 (December 1989), 2.13 (December 1988), 0.94 (March 1987), NA (1986), NA (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 4,535 km total; 3,870 km standard gauge (1.435 meters), 665 km narrow gauge (0.762 meters); 159 km double track; 3,175 km electrified; government-owned (1989)
_#_Highways: about 30,000 km (1989); 98.5% gravel, crushed stone, or dirt surface; 1.5% concrete or asphalt
_#_Inland waterways: 2,253 km; primarily navigable by small boats only
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 37 km
_#_Ports: Ch'ongjin, Haeju, Hungnam, Namp'o, Wonsan, Songnim, Najin, Sonbong
_#_Merchant marine: 68 ships (1,000 GRT and over) totaling 465,801 GRT/709,442 DWT; includes 1 passenger ship, 1 short-sea passenger ship, 1 passenger-cargo ship, 58 cargo ships, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 4 bulk carriers, 1 combination bulk carrier.
_#_Airports: 55 total, 55 usable (estimated); about 30 with permanent-surface runways; fewer than 5 with runways longer than 3,659 m; 20 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 30 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: stations—18 AM, no FM, 11 TV; 200,000 TV sets; 3,500,000 radio receivers; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Korean People's Army (includes the Army, Navy, Air Force), Civil Security Forces
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 6,381,859; 3,899,606 eligible for military service; 214,690 turning 18 each year
_#Defense spending: $NA, 20-25% of GNP (1991 est.); note—the officially stated but questionable figure is $1.7 billion, 6% of GNP (1991 est.)% @Korea, South *Geography #_Total area: 98,480 km²; land area: 98,190 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit bigger than Indiana
_#_Land boundary: 238 km with North Korea
_#_Coastline: 2,413 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specific
Territorial sea: 12 nautical miles (3 nautical miles in the Korea Strait)
_#_Disputes: Border Line with North Korea; Liancourt Rocks claimed by Japan
_#_Climate: mild, with more rainfall in summer than in winter
_#_Terrain: mainly hills and mountains; large coastal plains in the west and south
_#_Natural resources: coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower
_#_Land use: arable land 21%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and woodland 67%; other 10%; includes irrigated 12%
_#_Environment: sometimes, typhoons cause strong winds and flooding; earthquakes occur in the southwest; air pollution is an issue in big cities
_#_Notes: key location along the Korea Strait, Sea of Japan, and Yellow Sea
_*People #_Population: 43,134,386 (July 1991), growth rate 0.8% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 15 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 23 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 67 years for males, 73 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Korean(s); adjective—Korean
_#_Ethnic groups: mostly uniform; small Chinese minority (around 20,000)
_#_Religion: strong Confucian tradition; active Christian minority (28% of the total population); Buddhism; widespread folk religion (Shamanism); Chondokyo (religion of the heavenly way), an eclectic religion with nationalist elements founded in the 19th century, has about 1.5 million followers.
_#_Language: Korean; English is widely taught in high school
_#_Literacy: 96% (male 99%, female 94%) of people age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 16,900,000; 52% services and others; 27% mining and manufacturing; 21% agriculture, fishing, and forestry (1987)
_#_Organized labor: around 10% of the nonagricultural workforce in government-approved unions
_*Government #_Full name: Republic of Korea; short form ROK
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Seoul
_#_ Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (do, both singular and plural) and 6 special cities* (jikhalsi, both singular and plural); Cheju-do, Cholla-bukto, Cholla-namdo, Ch'ungch'ong-bukto, Ch'ungch'ong-namdo, Inch'on-jikhalsi*, Kangwon-do, Kwangju-jikhalsi*, Kyonggi-do, Kyongsang-bukto, Kyongsang-namdo, Pusan-jikhalsi*, Soul-t'ukpyolsi*, Taegu-jikhalsi*, Taejon-jikhalsi*
_#_Independence: 15 August 1948
_#_Constitution: 25 February 1988
_#_Legal system: blends aspects of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and traditional Chinese philosophy; has not agreed to compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, August 15 (1948)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, State Council (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber National Assembly (Kuk Hoe)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President ROH Tae Woo (since February 25, 1988);
Head of Government—Prime Minister CHUNG Won Shik (since May 24, 1991); Deputy Prime Minister CHOI Kak Kyu (since February 19, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
ruling party—Democratic Liberal Party (DLP), ROH Tae Woo, president, KIM Young Sam, chairman; note—the DLP was created from a merger of the Democratic Justice Party (DJP), Reunification Democratic Party (RDP), and New Democratic Republican Party (NDRP) on February 9, 1990;
opposition—New Democratic Party (NDP, formerly Party for Peace and Democracy or PPD), KIM Dae Jung, president; Democratic Party (DP), YI Ki Taek; several smaller parties
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 20
_#_Elections:
President—last held on December 16, 1987 (next to be held
December 1992);
results—ROH Tae Woo (DJP) 35.9%, KIM Young Sam (RDP) 27.5%,
KIM Dae Jung (PPD) 26.5%, other 10.1%;
National Assembly—last held on April 26, 1988 (next scheduled for April 1992); results—DJP 34%, RDP 24%, PPD 19%, NDRP 15%, other 8%; seats—(299 total) DJP 125, PPD 70, RDP 59, NDRP 35, other 10; note—on February 9, 1990, the DJP, RDP, and NDRP merged to create the DLP; the PPD also became the NDP; as a result, the distribution of seats changed to DLP 218, NDP 70, other 11 (June 1990)
_#_Communists: The government has banned activities of the Communist Party.
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Korean National Council of
Churches; National Democratic Alliance of Korea; National Council of
College Student Representatives; National Federation of Farmers'
Associations; National Council of Labor Unions; Federation of Korean
Trade Unions; Korean Veterans' Association; Federation of Korean
Industries; Korean Traders Association
_#_Member of: AfDB, APEC, AsDB, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-77,
GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador HYUN Hong Joo; Chancery at 2320 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-5600; there are Korean Consulates General in Agana (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle;
US—Ambassador Donald P. GREGG; Embassy at 82 Sejong-Ro, Chongro-ku, Seoul (mailing address is APO San Francisco 96301); phone [82] (2) 732-2601 through 2618; there is a US Consulate in Pusan
_#_Flag: white with a red (top) and blue yin-yang symbol in the center; there is a different black trigram from the ancient I Ching (Book of Changes) in each corner of the white field
_*Economy #_Overview: The main reason for the economy's rapid growth has been the planned development of an export-focused economy within a highly entrepreneurial society. Real GNP—which increased by 6.7% in 1989 after averaging over 12% annual growth between 1986-88—grew by about 9% in 1990. Labor unrest—which resulted in significant wage increases in 1987-88—was noticeably calmer in 1990, unemployment averaged a low 2.5%, and investment was strong. However, inflation rates are beginning to challenge South Korea's strong economic performance. Consumer prices rose by 8.6%, the highest rate in nine years. Policymakers are worried that higher prices could lead to a resurgence of labor unrest.
_#_GNP: $238 billion, per person $5,600; actual growth rate 9% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.6% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 2.5% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $38 billion; expenditures $38 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991)
_#_Exports: $65 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—textiles, clothing, electronics, footwear, machinery, steel, cars, ships, fish;
partners—US 30%, Japan 19%
_#_Imports: $70 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—machines, electronics and electronic devices, oil, steel, transportation equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains;
partners—Japan 27%, US 24% (1990)
_#_External debt: $31.7 billion (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 8.6% (1990 est.); makes up about 45% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 21,000,000 kW capacity; 85,000 million kWh produced, 1,970 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: textiles, clothing, footwear, food processing, chemicals, steel, electronics, car manufacturing, shipbuilding
_#_Agriculture: makes up 11% of GNP and employs 21% of the workforce (including fishing and forestry); main crops—rice, root vegetables, barley, vegetables, fruit; livestock and livestock products—cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs; self-sufficient in food, except for wheat; fish catch of 2.9 million metric tons, seventh-largest in the world.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.9 billion; non-US countries (1970-89), $3.0 billion
_#_Currency: South Korean won (plural—won); 1 South Korean won (W) = 100 chon (theoretical)
_#_Exchange rates: South Korean won (W) per US$1—718.14 (January 1991), 707.76 (1990), 671.46 (1989), 731.47 (1988), 822.57 (1987), 881.45 (1986), 870.02 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 3,106 km in operation in 1983; 3,059 km of 1.435-meter standard gauge, 47 km of 0.610-meter narrow gauge, 712 km of double track, 418 km electrified; government-owned
_#_Highways: 62,936 km total (1982); 13,476 km national highway, 49,460 km provincial and local roads
_#_Inland waterways: 1,609 km; use limited to small local boats
_#_Pipelines: 455 km refined products
_#_Ports: Pusan, Inchon, Kunsan, Mokpo, Ulsan
_#_Merchant marine: 439 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 7,182,519 GRT/11,906,897 DWT; includes 2 short-sea passenger ships, 138 cargo ships, 45 container ships, 11 refrigerated cargo ships, 11 vehicle carriers, 48 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 10 chemical tankers, 13 liquefied gas carriers, 7 combination ore/oil carriers, 146 bulk carriers, 7 combination bulk carriers, 1 multifunction large-load carrier
_#_Civil air: 93 large transport planes
_#_Airports: 110 total, 102 usable; 60 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 21 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 17 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: sufficient domestic and international services; 4,800,000 telephones; stations—79 AM, 46 FM, 256 TV (57 of 1 kW or greater); satellite earth stations—2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy (including Marines), Air Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 12,859,511; 8,294,624 eligible for military service; 429,088 turn 18 and become eligible for military service each year.
_#Defense spending: $10.4 billion, 4.5% of GNP (1991) % @Kuwait *Geography #_Total area: 17,820 km²; land area: 17,820 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than New Jersey
_#_Land boundaries: 462 km total; Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km
_#_Coastline: 499 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specific;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: Iraqi forces invaded and occupied Kuwait from August 2, 1990, until February 27, 1991. In April 1991, Iraq officially accepted UN Security Council Resolution 687, which requires Iraq to recognize its internationally recognized border with Kuwait, putting an end to previous claims to Bubiyan and Warbah Islands or to all of Kuwait. Ownership of Qaruh and Umm al Maradim Islands is disputed by Saudi Arabia.
_#_Climate: dry desert; very hot summers; short, cool winters
_#_Terrain: flat to slightly rolling desert plain
_#_Natural resources: oil, fish, shrimp, natural gas
_#_Land use: arable land negligible%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 8%; forest and woodland negligible%; other 92%; includes irrigated negligible%
_#_Environment: some of the world's largest and most advanced desalination plants supply most of the water; air and water pollution; desertification
_#_Note: strategic location at the top of the Persian Gulf
_*People #_Population: 2,204,400 (July 1991), growth rate 3.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 29 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 2 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 10 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 15 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 72 years for males, 76 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.7 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Kuwaiti(s); adjective—Kuwaiti
_#_Ethnic divisions: Kuwaiti 27.9%, other Arab 39%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 20.1%
_#_Religion: Muslim 85% (Shia 30%, Sunni 45%, other 10%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other 15%
_#_Language: Arabic (official); English is widely spoken
_#_Literacy: 74% (male 78%, female 69%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1985)
_#_Labor force: 566,000 (1986); services 45.0%, construction 20.0%, trade 12.0%, manufacturing 8.6%, finance and real estate 2.6%, agriculture 1.9%, power and water 1.7%, mining and quarrying 1.4%; 70% of the labor force was non-Kuwaiti
_#_Organized labor: labor unions are present in the oil industry and among government workers.
_*Government #_Long-form name: State of Kuwait
_#_Type: nominal constitutional monarchy
_#_Capital: Kuwait
_#_Administrative divisions: 4 governorates (muhafazat, singular—muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al Jahrah, Al Kuwayt, Hawalli; note—there may be a new governorate of Farwaniyyah
_#_Independence: June 19, 1961 (from the UK)
_#_Constitution: November 16, 1962 (some provisions on hold since August 29, 1962)
_#_Legal system: civil law system where Islamic law plays an important role in personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.
_#_National holiday: National Day, February 25
_#_Executive branch: emir, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: National Assembly (Majlis al Umma) dissolved 3 July 1986
_#_Judicial branch: High Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Amir Shaykh Jabir al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-SABAH (since December 31, 1977);
Head of Government—Prime Minister and Crown Prince Sad al-Abdallah al-Salim al-SABAH (since February 8, 1978); Deputy Prime Minister Salim al-Sabah al-Salim al-SABAH
_#_Political parties and leaders: none
_#_Suffrage: adult males who lived in Kuwait before 1920 and their male descendants when they turn 21; note—out of all citizens, only 8.3% are eligible to vote and only 3.5% actually vote
_#_Elections:
National Assembly—dissolved July 3, 1986; new elections are set for October 1992
_#_Communists: insignificant
_#_Other political or pressure groups: large (150,000) Palestinian community; several small, secretive leftist and Shia fundamentalist groups are active; pro-democracy opposition
_#_Member of: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, ESCWA, FAO,
G-77, GATT, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU,
LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Shaykh Saud Nasir al-SABAH; Chancery at 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 966-0702;
US—Ambassador Edward (Skip) GNEHM; Embassy at Bneid al-Gar (across from the Hilton Hotel), Kuwait City (mailing address is P. O. Box 77 Safat, 13001 Safat, Kuwait City); telephone [965] 242-4151 through 4159
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal stripes of green (top), white, and red with a black trapezoid on the hoist side
_*Economy #_Overview: Before Iraq invaded in August 1990, the oil sector was the backbone of the economy. Kuwait has the third-largest oil reserves in the world, following Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Revenue from oil and gas made up over 90% of both exports and government income and accounted for about 40% of the GDP. Most of the non-oil sector has traditionally relied on government revenues generated from oil. Iraq's destruction of Kuwait's oil industry during the Gulf War devastated the economy. Iraq damaged or destroyed more than 80% of Kuwait's 950 operational oil wells and sabotaged essential surface facilities. By early June 1991, Western firefighters had managed to control around 140 of the 600 oil well fires and blowouts. It may take two to three years to get Kuwait's oil production back to its pre-war level of about 2.0 million barrels per day.
_GDP: $19.8 billion, per person $9,700; real growth rate 3.5% (1989)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.3% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 0% (1989)
_#_Budget: revenues $7.1 billion; expenditures $10.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.1 billion (FY88)
_#_Exports: $11.5 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—oil 90%;
partners—Japan, Italy, FRG, US
_#_Imports: $6.3 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—food, building materials, vehicles and parts, clothing;
partners—Japan, US, FRG, UK
_#_External debt: $7.2 billion (estimated December 1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 3% (1988); makes up 52% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 8,290,000 kW capacity; 10,000 million kWh produced, 5,000 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: oil, petrochemicals, desalination, food processing, salt, construction
_#_Agriculture: almost nonexistent; relies on imports for food; around 75% of drinkable water needs to be distilled or imported
_#_Economic aid: donor—promised $18.3 billion in bilateral aid to developing countries (1979-89)
_#_Currency: Kuwaiti dinar (plural—dinars); 1 Kuwaiti dinar (KD) = 1,000 fils
_#_Exchange rates: Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US$1—0.2915 (January 1990), 0.2937 (1989), 0.2790 (1988), 0.2786 (1987), 0.2919 (1986), 0.3007 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Highways: 3,000 km total; 2,500 km paved; 500 km dirt, sand, light gravel
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 877 km; refined products, 40 km; natural gas, 165 km
_#_Ports: Ash Shuaybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Mina al Ahmadi
_#_Merchant marine: 31 ships (over 1,000 GRT), totaling 1,332,159 GRT/2,099,303 DWT; includes 1 cargo ship, 4 livestock carriers, 20 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 5 liquefied gas ships, 1 bulk carrier; note—All Kuwaiti ships over 1,000 GRT were outside Kuwaiti waters during the Iraqi invasion; many of these ships switched to the Liberian flag or to the flags of other Persian Gulf countries; Kuwaiti tankers are now managed from London, and Kuwaiti cargo and container ships are managed from Dubai.
_#_Civil air: 19 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 7 total, 4 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: great international connections, decent domestic services; 258,000 phones; stations—3 AM, 2 FM, 3 TV; satellite earth stations—1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, and 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT; 1 INMARSAT, 1 ARABSAT; coaxial cable and radio relay to Iraq and Saudi Arabia
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police Force, National Guard
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 738,812; 441,611 eligible for military service; 19,452 turn 18 (military age) each year
_#Defense spending: $1.1 billion, 4.8% of GDP (1990) % @Laos *Geography #_Total area: 236,800 km²; land area: 230,800 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than Utah
_#_Land boundaries: 5,083 km total; Myanmar 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China 423 km, Thailand 1,754 km, Vietnam 2,130 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Disputes: boundary dispute with Thailand
_#_Climate: tropical monsoon; wet season (May to November); dry season (December to April)
_#_Terrain: mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
_#_Natural resources: wood, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones
_#_Land use: arable land 4%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 3%; forest and woodland 58%; other 35%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: deforestation; soil erosion; vulnerable to floods
_#_Note: landlocked
_*People #_Population: 4,113,223 (July 1991), growth rate 2.2% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 37 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 15 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 124 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 49 years for males, 52 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 5.0 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Lao (sing., Lao or Laotian); adjective—Lao or Laotian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Lao 50%, Phoutheung (Kha) 15%, tribal Thai 20%, Meo, Hmong, Yao, and others 15%
_#_Religion: Buddhist 85%, animist and other 15%
# Language: Lao (official), French, and English
_#_Literacy: 84% (male 92%, female 76%) of those aged 15 to 45 can read and write (1985 est.)
_#_Labor force: 1-1.5 million; 85-90% in agriculture (estimated)
_#_Organized labor: The Lao Federation of Trade Unions is under the Communist Party.
_*Government #_Long-form name: Lao People's Democratic Republic
_#_Type: Communist state
_#_Capital: Vientiane
_#_Administrative divisions: 16 provinces (khoueng, singular and plural) and 1 municipality* (kampheng nakhon, singular and plural); Attapu, Bokeo, Bolikhamsai, Champasak, Houaphan, Khammouan, Louang Namtha, Louangphrabang, Oudomxai, Phongsali, Saravan, Savannakhet, Sekong, Vientiane, Vientiane*, Xaignabouri, Xiangkhoang
_#_Independence: July 19, 1949 (from France)
_#_Constitution: draft constitution being discussed since 1976
_#_Legal system: based on civil law system; has not accepted mandatory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: National Day (proclamation of the Lao People's Democratic Republic), December 2 (1975)
_#_Executive branch: president, chairman, and four vice chairpersons of the Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: Supreme People's Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: People's Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President KAYSONE PHOMVIHAN (since August 15, 1991);
Head of Government—Chairman of the Council of Ministers General
Gen. KHAMTAI SIPHANDON (since August 15, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP), KAYSONE PHOMVIHAN, party chairman; includes Lao Patriotic Front and Alliance Committee of Patriotic Neutralist Forces; other parties inactive
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Supreme People's Assembly—last held on March 26, 1989 (next one to be held NA); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(79 total) number of seats by party NA
_#_Other political or pressure groups: non-Communist political groups are stagnant; most leaders have left the country.
_#_Member of: ACCT (associate), AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Charge d'Affaires LINTHONG PHETSAVAN; Chancery at 2222 S Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 332-6416 or 6417;
US—Charge d'Affaires Charles B. SALMON, Jr.; Embassy at Rue
Bartholonie, Vientiane (mailing address is B. P. 114, Vientiane, or
Box V, APO San Francisco 96346); telephone 2220, 2357, 2384
_#_Flag: three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red with a large white circle in the center of the blue band
_*Economy #_Overview: Laos is one of the world's poorest countries and has operated under a Communist centrally planned economy where the government owns and controls all productive enterprises, regardless of their size. Recently, though, the government has started to decentralize control and promote private enterprise. Laos is a landlocked nation with very basic infrastructure; it lacks railroads, has a limited road network, and has restricted telecommunications both internally and externally, with electricity available only in certain areas. Most people engage in subsistence farming, which makes up over 60% of GDP and provides about 85-90% of all jobs. Rice is the main crop. For the foreseeable future, the economy will rely heavily on foreign aid from the IMF and other international organizations, while support from the USSR and Eastern Europe is being significantly reduced.
_#_GDP: $600 million, per person $150; actual growth rate 5% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 22% (estimated for 1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 21% (1989 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $83 million; expenditures $188.5 million, including capital expenditures of $94 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $72 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—electricity, wood products, coffee, tin;
partners—Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, USSR, US
_#_Imports: $238 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities—food, fuel oil, consumer products, manufactured goods;
partners—Thailand, USSR, Japan, France, Vietnam
_#_External debt: $1.1 billion (estimated in 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 8% (1989 est.); accounts for about 20% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 176,000 kW capacity; 1.1 billion kWh produced, 270 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: tin mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction
_#_Agriculture: makes up 60% of GDP and employs most of the workforce; subsistence farming is the norm; usually self-sufficient in years without drought; main crops include rice (80% of cultivated land), sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, and cotton; livestock includes buffalo, pigs, cattle, and chickens.
_#_Illicit drugs: illegal production of cannabis and opium poppy for the international drug trade
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-79), $276 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $546 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $995 million
_#_Currency: new kip (plural—kips); 1 new kip (NK) = 100 at
_#_Exchange rates: new kips (NK) per US$1—695 (April 1991), 700 (September 1990), 576 (1989), 385 (1988), 200 (1987), 108 (1986), 95 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Highways: about 27,527 km in total; 1,856 km paved or treated with bitumen; 7,451 km gravel, crushed stone, or improved dirt; 18,220 km unimproved dirt that is often impassable during the rainy season from mid-May to mid-September.
_#_Inland waterways: approximately 4,587 km, mainly the Mekong River and its tributaries; an additional 2,897 kilometers are partially navigable by vessels drawing less than 0.5 m.
_#_Pipelines: 136 km, refined products
_#_Ports: none
_#_Airports: 65 total, 51 usable; 9 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 13 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: service to the general public is considered inadequate; the radio network provides mostly unreliable service to government users; 7,390 phones (1986); stations—10 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 satellite earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Lao People's Army (LPA; including navy, air force, and militia units), Air Force, National Police Department
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 991,864; 531,084 eligible for military service; 45,548 turn 18 every year; conscription age not applicable.
_#Defense spending: $NA, 3.8% of GDP (1987) % @Lebanon *Geography #_Total area: 10,400 km²; land area: 10,230 km²
_#_Comparative area: approximately 0.8 times the size of Connecticut
_#_Land boundaries: 454 km total; Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km
_#_Coastline: 225 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: divided from Israel by the 1949 Armistice Line; Israeli forces in southern Lebanon since June 1982; Syrian forces in northern Lebanon since October 1976
_#_Climate: Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers
_#_Terrain: narrow coastal plain; the Bekaa Valley separates Lebanon and the Anti-Lebanon Mountains
_#_Natural resources: limestone, iron ore, salt; a water-rich state in a water-scarce region
_#_Land use: arable land 21%; permanent crops 9%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and woodland 8%; other 61%; includes irrigated 7%
_#_Environment: tough landscapes have historically helped to isolate, protect, and develop various factions based on religion, clan, and ethnicity; deforestation; soil erosion; air and water pollution; desertification
_#_Note: The Litani River is the only major river in the Near East that doesn't cross an international boundary.
_*People #_Population: 3,384,626 (July 1991), growth rate 1.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 28 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 7 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 48 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 66 years for males, 71 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.6 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Lebanese (sing., pl.); adjective—Lebanese
_#_Ethnic divisions: Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%
_#_Religion: Islam 75%, Christianity 25%, Judaism NEGL%; 17 legally recognized sects—4 Orthodox Christian (Armenian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Nestorian, Syriac Orthodox), 7 Uniate Christian (Armenian Catholic, Chaldean, Greek Catholic, Maronite, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Syrian Catholic), 5 Islamic (Alawite or Nusayri, Druze, Ismaili, Shia, Sunni), and 1 Jewish
_#_Language: Arabic and French (both official); Armenian, English
_#_Literacy: 80% (male 88%, female 73%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 650,000; industry, commerce, and services 79%, agriculture 11%, government 10% (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 250,000 members (est.)
_*Government #_Note: From early 1975 to late 1976, Lebanon was devastated by a civil war between its Christian population—who were supported by Syrian troops—and its Muslim community along with their Palestinian allies. The cease-fire that was established in October 1976 among the local political factions generally lasted for about six years, despite some sporadic fighting. Syrian troops, organized as the Arab Deterrent Force by the Arab League, have remained in Lebanon. Syria's shift toward backing the Lebanese Muslims and Palestinians, combined with Israel's increasing support for Lebanese Christians, created a rough balance of power, but no headway was made toward national reconciliation or political reforms—the original reasons for the conflict.
Continuing Israeli worries about the Palestinian presence in Lebanon led to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in June 1982. Israeli forces occupied the entire southern part of the country and conducted a summer-long siege of Beirut, which resulted in the evacuation of the PLO from the city in September under the supervision of a multinational force (MNF) made up of US, French, and Italian troops.
Within days of the MNF's departure, Lebanon's newly elected president, Bashir Gemayel, was assassinated. After his death, Christian militiamen killed hundreds of Palestinian refugees in two Beirut camps. This led to the MNF returning to help relieve the security burden on Lebanon's weak Army and security forces. By late March 1984, the last MNF units withdrew.
Lebanese lawmakers gathered in Taif, Saudi Arabia, in late 1989 and reached a national reconciliation agreement that established a new power-sharing system, designating a Christian president while granting Muslims greater authority. Rene Muawad was elected president on November 4, 1989, marking the end of a 13-month period during which Lebanon had no president and competing Muslim and Christian governments. Muawad was assassinated just 17 days later, on November 22; on November 24, Ilyas Harawi was elected to take his place.
In October 1990, the prospects for ending the 16-year civil war and putting the Ta'if Agreement into action significantly improved when Syrian and Lebanese forces removed renegade Christian General Awn from his stronghold in East Beirut. Awn had resisted the legitimate government and created a separate mini-state in East Beirut after being appointed acting Prime Minister by outgoing President Gemayel in 1988. Awn and his supporters were worried that Ta'if would weaken Christian power in Lebanon and strengthen Syria's influence.
Since Awn was removed, the Lebanese Government has reconnected the capital city and put in place a step-by-step plan to disarm the militias and slowly restore authority across Lebanon. The army has moved from Beirut north along the coast road to Tripoli, southeast into the Shuf mountains, and south towards Sidon. Many militiamen from both Christian and Muslim groups have left Beirut to return to their strongholds in the north, south, and east of the country. Some heavy weapons that the militias owned have been handed over to the government, which has started a plan to integrate some militiamen into the military and internal security forces.
Lebanon and Syria signed a friendship and cooperation treaty in May 1991. Lebanon is still partially occupied by Syrian troops, which are stationed in East and West Beirut, its southern suburbs, the Bekaa Valley, and across northern Lebanon.
Iran also keeps a small group of revolutionary guards in the Bekaa Valley and South Lebanon to support Lebanese Islamic fundamentalist groups.
Israel pulled back most of its troops from the south in 1985, but it still keeps soldiers in a 10-km-deep security zone north of its border with Lebanon. Israel provides weapons and training to the Army of South Lebanon (ASL), which also operates within the security zone and serves as Israel's first line of defense against attacks on its northern border.
The following description is based on the current constitution
and traditional practices of the Lebanese system.
_#_Long-form name: Republic of Lebanon; note—might be changed to Lebanese Republic
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Beirut
_#_Administrative divisions: 5 governorates (muhafazat, singular—muhafazah); Al Biqa, Al Janub, Ash Shamal, Bayrut, Jabal Lubnan
_#_Independence: November 22, 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)
_#_Constitution: 26 May 1926 (amended)
_#_Legal system: a blend of Ottoman law, canon law, Napoleonic code, and civil law; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, November 22 (1943)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet; note—by tradition, the president is a Maronite Christian, the prime minister is a Sunni Muslim, and the speaker of the legislature is a Shia Muslim
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Arabic—Majlis Alnuwab, French—Assemblee Nationale)
_#_Judicial branch: four Courts of Cassation (three courts for civil and commercial cases and one court for criminal cases)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Ilyas HARAWI (since November 24, 1989);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Umar KARAMI (since December 20, 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: political party activities are organized mainly along sectarian lines; there are many political groups made up of individual leaders and supporters driven by religious, clan, and economic factors; most parties have well-armed militias that still engage in occasional clashes.
_#_Suffrage: mandatory for all males at age 21; permitted for women at age 21 with basic education
_#_Elections:
National Assembly—elections are supposed to happen every four years, but security issues have stopped elections since May 1972.
_#_Communists: the Lebanese Communist Party was officially recognized in 1970; members and supporters are estimated to be around 2,000-3,000.
_#_Member of: ABEDA, ACCT, AFESD, AL, AMF, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-24,
G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Nassib S. LAHOUD; Chancery at 2560 28th Street NW, Washington DC 20008; phone (202) 939-6300; there are Lebanese Consulates General in Detroit, New York, and Los Angeles;
US—Ambassador Ryan C. CROCKER; Embassy at Antelias, Beirut (mailing address is P. O. Box 70-840, Beirut, and FPO New York 09530); telephone [961] 417774 or 415802, 415803, 402200, 403300
_#_Flag: three horizontal bands of red (top), white (double width), and red, with a green and brown cedar tree in the center of the white band
_*Economy #_Overview: Since 1975, the civil war has severely damaged Lebanon's economic infrastructure, disrupted economic activity, and almost completely eliminated Lebanon's role as a Middle Eastern trading and banking center. After October 1990, however, a fragile peace has allowed the central government to start regaining control in Beirut, collect taxes, and access key port and government facilities again. The struggling economy has also been supported by a stable banking system and resilient small- and medium-sized manufacturers. Family remittances, foreign financial support to political groups, the drug trade, and international emergency aid are the main sources of foreign exchange. Economic prospects for 1991 have improved, especially if the Syrian-backed government can maintain law and order and restore business confidence. Rebuilding war-torn Beirut is expected to provide a significant boost to the Lebanese economy in 1991.
_GDP: $3.3 billion, per capita $1,000; real growth rate - 15% (1990 est.)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 100% (1990 estimate)
_#_Unemployment rate: 35% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $120 million; expenditures $1.0 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—farm products, chemicals, textiles, precious and semi-precious metals and jewelry, metals and metal products;
partners—Saudi Arabia 16%, Switzerland 8%, Jordan 6%, Kuwait 6%, US 5%
_#_Imports: $1.9 billion (c.i.f., estimated for 1989);
commodities—NA;
partners—Italy 14%, France 12%, US 6%, Turkey 5%, Saudi Arabia 3%
_#_External debt: $900 million (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 1,381,000 kW capacity; 3,870 million kWh produced, 1,170 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: banking, food processing, textiles, cement, oil refining, chemicals, jewelry, and some metal fabrication
_#_Agriculture: makes up around one-third of GDP; main products—citrus fruits, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco, hemp (hashish), sheep, and goats; not self-sufficient in grain
_#_Illicit drugs: illegal cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis for the global drug trade; opium poppy production in Al Biqa is on the rise; hashish production is being sent to Western Europe, Israel, and the Middle East.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $356 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $608 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $962 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $9 million
_#_Currency: Lebanese pound (plural—pounds); 1 Lebanese pound (5L) = 100 piasters
_#_Exchange rates: Lebanese pounds (5L) per US$1—974.22 (January 1991), 695.09 (1990), 496.69 (1989), 409.23 (1988), 224.60 (1987), 38.37 (1986), 16.42 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 378 km total; 296 km standard gauge (1.435 meters), 82 km narrow gauge (1.050 meters); all single track; system mostly non-operational
_#_Highways: 7,370 km total; 6,270 km paved, 450 km gravel and crushed stone, 650 km improved earth
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 72 km (none currently operating)
_#_Ports: Beirut, Tripoli, Ras Silata, Juniyah, Sidon, Az Zahrani, Tyre, Shikka; northern ports are occupied by Syrian forces and southern ports are occupied or partially quarantined by Israeli forces
_#_Merchant marine: 60 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 257,220 GRT/379,691 DWT; includes 39 cargo ships, 1 refrigerated cargo ship, 2 vehicle carriers, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 1 container ship, 8 livestock carriers, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1 specialized tanker, 3 bulk carriers, and 1 combination bulk carrier.
_#_Civil air: 15 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 9 in total, 8 operational; 6 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 3 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m; none under the direct control of the Lebanese Government
_#_Telecommunications: rebuilding program interrupted; had a decent setup for radio relay and cable; 325,000 phones; stations—5 AM, 3 FM, 15 TV; 1 inactive Indian Ocean INTELSAT satellite ground station; 3 submarine coaxial cables; radio relay to Jordan and Syria, not working
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army (includes Navy and Air Force)
_#_Manpower availability: males ages 15-49, 725,974; 449,912 eligible for military service
_#Defense spending: $168 million, 7.3% of GDP (1991) % @Lesotho *Geography #_Total area: 30,350 km²; land area: 30,350 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than Maryland
_#_Land boundary: 909 km with South Africa
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Climate: mild; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, humid summers
_#_Terrain: mainly highlands with some plateaus, hills, and mountains
_#_Natural resources: some diamonds and other minerals, water, agricultural land, and pasture land
_#_Land use: arable land 10%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 66%; forest and woodland 0%; other 24%
_#_Environment: population pressure pushing settlement into marginal areas leads to overgrazing, serious soil erosion, soil depletion; desertification
_#_Note: landlocked; surrounded by South Africa; the Highlands Water Project will manage, store, and redirect water to South Africa.
_*People #_Population: 1,801,174 (July 1991), growth rate 2.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 36 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 10 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 78 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 59 years for males, 63 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.8 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Mosotho (sing.), Basotho (pl.); adjective—Basotho
_#_Ethnic divisions: Sotho 99.7%; Europeans 1,600, Asians 800
_#_Religion: 80% Christian, the rest indigenous beliefs
_#_Language: Sesotho (Southern Sotho) and English (official); also Zulu and Xhosa
_#_Literacy: 59% (male 44%, female 68%) age 15 and older can read and write (1966)
_#_Labor force: 689,000 people are actively working; 86.2% of the resident population is involved in subsistence farming; about 60% of the active male workforce is employed in South Africa
_#_Organized labor: there are two trade union federations; the government supports the creation of a single, umbrella trade union confederation.
_*Government #_Long-form name: Kingdom of Lesotho
_#_Type: constitutional monarchy
_#_Capital: Maseru
_#_Administrative divisions: 10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka
_#_Independence: October 4, 1966 (from the UK; previously called Basutoland)
_#_Constitution: October 4, 1966, suspended January 1970
_#_Legal system: based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in the High Court and Court of Appeal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, October 4, 1966
_#_Executive branch: king, chair of the Military Council, Military Council, Cabinet (Council of Ministers)
_#_Legislative branch: none—the bicameral Parliament was dissolved following the military coup in January 1986; note—a National Constituent Assembly met in June 1990 to rewrite the constitution and discuss important national issues, but it has no legislative authority
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—King LETSIE III (since November 12, 1990, following the dismissal of his father, exiled King MOSHOESHOE II, by Maj. Gen. LEKHANYA);
Head of Government—Chairman of the Military Council Col.
Elias Phisoana RAMAEMA (since April 30, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Basotho National Party (BNP), Matete MAJARA (interim leader);
Basutoland Congress Party (BCP), Ntsu MOKHEHLE;
National Independent Party (NIP), A. C. MANYELI;
Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP), S. H. MAPHELEBA;
United Democratic Party, Charles MOFELI;
Communist Party of Lesotho (CPL), Jacob KENYA
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
National Assembly—dissolved after the military coup in
January 1986; the military has promised that elections will happen in June 1992
_#_Communists: small Lesotho Communist Party
_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO,
ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS,
NAM, OAU, SACU, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador W. T. VAN TONDER; Chancery at 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 797-5534;
US—Ambassador Leonard H.O. SPEARMAN, Jr.; Embassy at address NA, Maseru (mailing address is P. O. Box 333, Maseru 100); telephone [266] 312666
_#_Flag: split diagonally from the lower left corner; the top half is white featuring the brown outline of a large shield with crossed spear and club; the bottom half has a diagonal blue band with a green triangle in the corner
_*Economy #_Overview: Small, landlocked, and mountainous, Lesotho has no significant natural resources besides water. Its economy relies on agriculture, light manufacturing, and remittances from workers in South Africa ($153 million in 1989). Most households make a living through subsistence farming and migrant labor. Manufacturing heavily relies on agricultural products to support the milling, canning, leather, and jute industries; other sectors include textiles, clothing, and light engineering. The industrial contribution to GDP increased from 6% in 1982 to 15% in 1989. Political and economic instability in South Africa creates uncertainties for Lesotho’s economy, particularly regarding remittances from migrant workers, which account for over one-third of GDP.
_GDP: $420 million, per person $240; actual growth rate 4.0% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 15% (1990 estimate)
_#_Unemployment rate: 23% (1988)
_#_Budget: revenues $280 million; expenditures $288 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92 est.)
_#_Exports: $66 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—wool, mohair, wheat, cattle, peas, beans, corn, hides, skins, baskets;
partners—South Africa 53%, European Community 30%, North and South America 13% (1989)
_#_Imports: $499 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—mainly corn, construction materials, clothing, vehicles, machinery, medicines, petroleum, oil, and lubricants;
partners—South Africa 95%, EU 2% (1989)
_#_External debt: $370 million (December 1990 estimate)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 7.8% (1989 est.); makes up 15% of GDP
_#_Electricity: power provided by South Africa
_#_Industries: food, drinks, textiles, crafts, tourism
_#_Agriculture: makes up 18% of GDP and employs 60-70% of all households; very basic, mainly subsistence farming and livestock; main crops are corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, and barley.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $268 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $754 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $4 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $14 million
_#_Currency: loti (plural—maloti); 1 loti (L) = 100 lisente
_#_Exchange rates: maloti (M) per US$1—2.5625 (January 1991), 2.5863 (1990), 2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988), 2.0350 (1987), 2.2685 (1986), 2.1911 (1985); note—the Basotho loti is equal to the South African rand.
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Railroads: 1.6 km; owned, operated, and included in the statistics of South Africa
_#_Highways: 5,167 km total; 508 km paved; 1,585 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil; 946 km improved earth; 2,128 km unimproved earth
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 28 total, 28 operational; 3 with permanent surface runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 1 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m.
_#_Telecommunications: basic system made up of a few landlines, a small radio relay system, and some minor radio communication stations; 5,920 telephones; stations—2 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Royal Lesotho Defense Force (RLDF; includes Army, Air Wing), Royal Lesotho Mounted Police
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 394,829; 212,967 eligible for military service
_#Defense spending: $55 million, 8.6% of GDP (1990 estimate) % @Liberia *Geography #_Total area: 111,370 km²; land area: 96,320 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than Tennessee
_#_Land boundaries: 1,585 km total; Guinea 563 km, Ivory Coast 716 km, Sierra Leone 306 km
_#_Coastline: 579 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of extraction;
Territorial sea: 200 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; hot and humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers
_#_Terrain: mostly flat to gently rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateaus and low mountains in the northeast
_#_Natural resources: iron ore, wood, diamonds, gold
_#_Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops 3%; meadows and pastures 2%; forest and woodland 39%; other 55%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: The biggest tropical rainforest in West Africa, facing deforestation
_*People #_Population: 2,730,446 (July 1991), growth rate 3.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 45 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 13 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 2 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 124 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 54 years for males, 59 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.5 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Liberian(s); adjective—Liberian
_#_Ethnic divisions: indigenous African tribes, including Kpelle, Bassa, Gio, Kru, Grebo, Mano, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Vai, and Bella 95%; descendants of repatriated slaves known as Americo-Liberians 5%
_#_Religion: traditional 70%, Muslim 20%, Christian 10%
_#_Language: English (official); over 20 local languages from the Niger-Congo language group; English is used by around 20%
_#_Literacy: 40% (male 50%, female 29%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 510,000, including 220,000 in the monetary economy; agriculture 70.5%, services 10.8%, industry and commerce 4.5%, other 14.2%; non-African foreigners hold about 95% of the top-level management and engineering jobs; 52% of the population of working age
_#_Organized labor: 2% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Liberia
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Monrovia
_#_Administrative divisions: 13 counties; Bomi, Bong, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Jide, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, Rivercess, Sino
_#_Independence: 26 July 1847
_#_Constitution: 6 January 1986
_#_Legal system: a dual system of statutory law rooted in Anglo-American common law for the modern sector and customary law derived from unwritten tribal practices for the indigenous sector
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, July 26 (1847)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: the bicameral National Assembly includes an upper house, the Senate, and a lower house, the House of Representatives.
_#_Judicial branch: People's Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—interim President Dr. Amos SAWYER (since November 15, 1990); interim Vice President Ronald DIGGS (since November 15, 1990); note—this is an interim government appointed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) that will be replaced after elections are held under a West African-brokered peace plan; rival rebel factions led by Prince Y. JOHNSON and Charles TAYLOR are challenging the Sawyer government's legitimacy while observing a fragile ceasefire; the former president, Gen. Dr. Samuel Kanyon DOE, was ousted and killed on September 9, 1990, in a coup led by Prince Y. JOHNSON.
_#_Political parties and leaders:
National Democratic Party of Liberia (NDPL), Augustus CAINE, chair;
Liberian Action Party (LAP), Emmanuel KOROMAH, chair;
Unity Party (UP), Carlos SMITH, chair;
United People's Party (UPP), Gabriel Baccus MATTHEWS, chair
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held on October 15, 1985 (next to be held N/A); results—Gen. Dr. Samuel Kanyon DOE (NDPL) 50.9%, Jackson DOE (LAP) 26.4%, other 22.7%; note—President Doe was killed by rebel forces on September 9, 1990;
Senate—last held on October 15, 1985 (next to be held NA); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(26 total) NDPL 21, LAP 3, UP 1, LUP 1;
House of Representatives—last held on October 15, 1985 (next to be held NA); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(64 total) NDPL 51, LAP 8, UP 3, LUP 2
_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Eugenia A. WORDSWORTH-STEVENSON; Chancery at 5201 16th Street NW, Washington DC 20011; telephone (202) 723-0437 through 0440; there is a Liberian Consulate General in New York;
US—Ambassador Peter J. de VOS; Embassy at 111 United Nations
Drive, Monrovia (mailing address is P. O. Box 98, Monrovia, or APO New
York 09155); phone [231] 222991 through 222994
_#_Flag: 11 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there's a white five-pointed star on a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner; the design was inspired by the US flag
_*Economy #_Overview: The civil war in 1990 devastated much of Liberia's economy, particularly the infrastructure in and around Monrovia. Expatriate businesspeople fled the country, taking their investments and expertise with them. Many are unlikely to come back. Rich in water, mineral resources, forests, and with a climate suitable for agriculture, Liberia used to be a producer and exporter of essential goods, while local manufacturing, mostly foreign-owned, was limited in scale. Ongoing political instability poses a threat to the potential for economic recovery and the return of around 750,000 Liberian refugees who escaped to neighboring countries.
_GDP: $988 million, per person $400; actual growth rate 1.5% (1988)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 43% urban (1988)
_#_Budget: revenues $242.1 million; expenditures $435.4 million, including capital expenditures of $29.5 million (1989)
_#_Exports: $505 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—iron ore 61%, rubber 20%, timber 11%, coffee;
partners—US, EC, Netherlands
_#_Imports: $394 million (c.i.f., estimated 1989);
commodities—rice, fossil fuels, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, other food items;
partners—U.S., E.U., Japan, China, Netherlands, ECOWAS
_#_External debt: $1.6 billion (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 1.5% in manufacturing (1987); accounts for 22% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 400,000 kW capacity; 730 million kWh produced, 290 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: rubber processing, food processing, construction materials, furniture, palm oil processing, mining (iron ore, diamonds)
_#_Agriculture: makes up around 40% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); main products—rubber, timber, coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava, palm oil, sugarcane, bananas, sheep, and goats; not self-sufficient in food, imports 25% of rice consumption.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $665 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $853 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $25 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $77 million
_#_Currency: Liberian dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Liberian dollar (L$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Liberian dollars (L$) per US$1—1.00 (fixed rate since 1940); unofficial parallel exchange rate of L$2.5 = US$1, January 1989
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 480 km total; 328 km of 1.435-meter standard gauge, 152 km of 1.067-meter narrow gauge; all lines are single track; rail systems are owned and operated by foreign steel and financial interests in partnership with the Liberian Government.
_#_Highways: 10,087 km in total; 603 km paved, 2,848 km usable in all weather, 4,313 km suitable for dry conditions; there are also 2,323 km of private, dirt roads accessible to the public, owned by rubber and timber companies.
_#_Ports: Monrovia, Buchanan, Greenville, Harper (or Cape Palmas)
_#_Merchant marine: 1,563 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 53,053,254 DWT/94,597,871 DWT; includes 18 passenger, 1 short-sea passenger, 156 cargo, 47 refrigerated cargo, 15 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 67 vehicle carriers, 74 containers, 5 barge carriers, 450 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 104 chemicals, 60 combination ore/oil, 44 liquefied gas, 6 specialized tankers, 485 bulk, 1 multifunction large-load carrier, 30 combination bulk; note—a flag of convenience registry; all ships are foreign owned; the top four owning flags are US 19%, Japan 17%, Hong Kong 12%, and Norway 10%; China owns at least 28 ships, Bulgaria owns 3, and Poland owns 1
_#_Civil air: 3 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 75 total, 58 available for use; 2 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 1 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: telephone and telegraph service through a radio relay network; the main hub is Monrovia; 8,500 telephones; stations—3 AM, 4 FM, 5 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Armed Forces of Liberia (includes Army, Navy, Air Force), Coast Guard, National Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 648,636; 346,349 eligible for military service; no draft
_#Defense spending: $NA, 2.4% of GDP (1987) % @Libya *Geography #_Total area: 1,759,540 km²; land area: 1,759,540 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit bigger than Alaska
_#_Land boundaries: 4,383 km total; Algeria 982 km, Chad 1,055 km, Egypt 1,150 km, Niger 354 km, Sudan 383 km, Tunisia 459 km
_#_Coastline: 1,770 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 12 nm;
Gulf of Sidra closing line: 32° 30'19" N
_#_Disputes: asserts and controls the 100,000 km2 Aozou Strip in northern Chad; maritime boundary dispute with Tunisia; Libya claims roughly 19,400 km2 in northern Niger; Libya claims roughly 19,400 km2 in southeastern Algeria
_#_Climate: Mediterranean along the coast; dry, extreme desert in the interior
_#_Terrain: mainly empty, flat to rolling plains, plateaus, depressions
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, gypsum
_#_Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 8%; forest and woodland 0%; other 91%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: hot, dry, dusty ghibli is a southern wind that lasts from one to four days in spring and fall; desertification; limited natural surface-water resources
_#_Note: the Great Manmade River Project, the biggest water development project in the world, is being constructed to transport water from large aquifers beneath the Sahara to coastal cities.
_*People #_Population: 4,350,742 (July 1991), growth rate 3.0% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 36 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 62 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 66 years for males, 71 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 5.1 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Libyan(s); adjective—Libyan
_#_Ethnic divisions: 97% Berber and Arab; some Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, and Tunisians
_#_Religion: Sunni Muslim 97%
_#_Language: Arabic; Italian and English are widely spoken in major cities
_#_Literacy: 64% (male 75%, female 50%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 1,000,000, includes about 280,000 resident foreign nationals; industry 31%, services 27%, government 24%, agriculture 18%
_#_Organized labor: National Trade Unions' Federation, 275,000 members; General Union for Oil and Petrochemicals; Pan-Africa Federation of Petroleum Energy and Allied Workers
_*Government #_Long-form name: Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
_#_Type: Jamahiriya (a state of the masses); in theory, run by the people through local councils; in reality, a military dictatorship
_#_Capital: Tripoli
_#_Administrative divisions: 46 municipalities (baladiyat,
singular—baladiyah); Ajdabiya, Al Abyar, Al
Aziziyah, Al Bayda, Al Jufrah, Al Jumayl, Al Khums, Al
Kufrah, Al Marj, Al Qarabulli, Al Qubbah, Al Ujaylat, Ash
Shati, Awbari, Az Zahra, Az Zawiyah, Benghazi,
Bani Walid, Bin Jawwad, Derna, Ghadamis, Gharyan,
Ghat, Jadu, Jalu, Janzur, Masallatah, Misratah,
Mizdah, Murzuq, Nalut, Qaminis, Qasr Bin Ghashir, Sabha,
Sabratah, Shahhat, Surman, Surt, Tajura,
Tripoli, Tarhunah, Tobruk, Tukrah, Yafran, Zlitan,
Zuwarah; note—the number of municipalities may have been reduced to
13 named Al Jabal al-Akhdar, Al Jabal al-Gharbi, Al Jabal al-Khums, Al
Batnam, Al Kufrah, Al Marqab, Al Marzuq, Az Zawiyah, Benghazi,
Khalij Surt, Sabha, Tripoli, Wadi al-Hayat
_#_Independence: December 24, 1951 (from Italy)
_#_Constitution: December 11, 1969, amended March 2, 1977
_#_Legal system: based on the Italian civil law system and Islamic law; separate religious courts; no constitutional provision for judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Revolution Day, September 1, 1969
_#_Executive branch: revolutionary leader, chair of the General People's Committee, General People's Committee (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: single-house General People's Congress
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Revolutionary Leader Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-QADHAFI (since September 1, 1969);
Head of Government—Chairman of the General People's Committee
(Premier) Abu Zayd Umar DURDA (since October 7, 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: none
_Suffrage: universal and mandatory at age 18_
_#_Elections: national elections are indirect and organized through a system of revolutionary committees.
_#_Political parties: none
_#_Communists: no structured party, minimal membership
_#_Other political or pressure groups: various Arab nationalist movements and the Arab Socialist Resurrection (Ba'th) party with almost negligible memberships may be operating secretly, along with some Islamic elements.
_#_Member of: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CAEU, CCC, ECA, FAO,
G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OAU, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: none
_#_Flag: solid green; green is the traditional color of Islam (the state religion)
_*Economy #_Overview: The socialist-oriented economy relies mainly on income from the oil sector, which provides almost all export earnings and about one-third of GNP. However, since 1980, the sharp decline in oil prices and the resulting drop in export revenues have negatively impacted economic growth. In 1988, per capita GNP was the highest in Africa at $5,410, but it had been $2,000 higher in 1982. Significant cuts in imports over the past five years have led to shortages of essential goods and food items, although reopening the Libyan-Tunisian border in April 1988 and the Libyan-Egyptian border in December 1989 have somewhat alleviated these shortages. Austerity measures and a shortage of skilled technicians have hindered the government's ability to carry out a number of planned infrastructure projects. Unexpected profits from the rise in global oil prices in late 1990 improved the foreign payments situation and may allow Tripoli to relax austerity measures. The non-oil industrial and construction sectors, which make up about 22% of GDP, have grown from primarily processing agricultural products to also include petrochemicals, iron, steel, and aluminum. Although agriculture makes up less than 5% of GNP, it employs 18% of the workforce. Climatic conditions and poor soil severely restrict farm output, forcing Libya to import around 75% of its food needs.
_GNP: $24 billion, per person $5,860; real growth rate 3% (1989 est.)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 20% (estimated for 1988)
_#_Unemployment rate: 2% (1988 est.)
# Budget: revenues $8.1 billion; expenditures $9.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.1 billion (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $6.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989 estimate);
commodities—petroleum, peanuts, hides;
partners—Italy, USSR, Germany, Spain, France, Belgium/Luxembourg, Turkey
_#_Imports: $6.2 billion (f.o.b., 1989 estimate);
commodities—machines, transport equipment, food, manufactured products;
partners—Italy, USSR, FRG, UK, Japan
_#_External debt: $3.5 billion, not including military debt (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate N/A; accounts for 43% of GDP (including oil)
_#_Electricity: 4,705,000 kW capacity; 13,600 million kWh produced, 3,220 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: oil, food production, textiles, crafts, cement
_#_Agriculture: 5% of GNP; cash crops—wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus fruits, peanuts; 75% of food is imported
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $242 million; no longer receiving aid
_#_Currency: Libyan dinar (plural—dinars); 1 Libyan dinar (LD) = 1,000 dirhams
_#_Exchange rates: Libyan dinars (LD) per US$1—0.2669 (January 1991), 0.2699 (1990), 0.2922 (1989), 0.2853 (1988), 0.2706 (1987), 0.3139 (1986), 0.2961 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 32,500 km total; 24,000 km paved and treated, 8,500 km gravel, crushed stone, and dirt.
_#_Pipelines: crude oil 4,383 km; natural gas 1,947 km; refined products 443 km (includes 256 km of liquid petroleum gas)
_#_Ports: Tobruk, Tripoli, Benghazi, Misrata, Marsa el Brega
_#_Merchant marine: 30 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 807,539 GRT/1,452,847 DWT; includes 3 short-sea passenger ships, 11 cargo ships, 4 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 11 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, and 1 chemical tanker
_#_Civil air: 59 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 131 total, 123 usable; 53 with paved runways; 7 with runways over 3,659 m; 31 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 44 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: modern telecommunications system using radio relay, coaxial cable, tropospheric scatter, and domestic satellite stations; 370,000 telephones; stations—18 AM, 3 FM, 13 TV; satellite earth stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, and 14 domestic; submarine cables to France and Italy; radio relay to Tunisia; tropospheric scatter to Greece; planned ARABSAT and Intersputnik satellite stations
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Armed People of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (includes Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Command), National Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,023,335; 603,886 eligible for military service; 52,059 reach military age (17) each year; conscription is currently being enforced.
_#Defense spending: $NA, 11.1% of GNP (1987) % @Liechtenstein *Geography #_Total area: 160 km²; land area: 160 km²
_#_Comparative area: about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: 78 km total; Austria 37 km, Switzerland 41 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Climate: continental; cold, overcast winters with frequent snow or rain; cool to moderately warm, overcast, humid summers
_#_Terrain: primarily mountainous (Alps) with the Rhine Valley in the western third
_#_Natural resources: hydroelectric potential
_#_Land use: arable land 25%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 38%; forest and woodland 19%; other 18%
_#_Environment: a range of microclimatic differences depending on elevation
_#_Note: landlocked
_*People #_Population: 28,476 (July 1991), growth rate 0.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 13 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 5 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 73 years for males, 81 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Liechtensteiner(s); adjective—Liechtenstein
_#_Ethnic divisions: Alemannic 95%, Italian and others 5%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 87.3%, Protestant 8.3%, unknown 1.6%, other 2.8% (1988)
_#_Language: German (official), Alemannic dialect
_#_Literacy: 100% (male 100%, female 100%) ages 10 and up can read and write (1981)
_#_Labor force: 12,258; 5,078 foreign workers (mostly from Switzerland and Austria); industry, trade, and construction 54.4%; services 41.6%; agriculture, fishing, forestry, and horticulture 4.0%
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: Principality of Liechtenstein
_#_Type: hereditary constitutional monarchy
_#_Capital: Vaduz
_#_Administrative divisions: 11 communes (gemeinden, singular—gemeinde); Balzers, Eschen, Gamprin, Mauren, Planken, Ruggell, Schaan, Schellenberg, Triesen, Triesenberg, Vaduz
_#_Independence: January 23, 1719, the Principality of Liechtenstein was established
_#_Constitution: 5 October 1921
_#_Legal system: local civil and criminal codes; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with conditions
_#_National holiday: Saint Joseph's Day, March 19
_#_Executive branch: ruling prince, heir apparent, head of government, deputy head of government
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Diet (Landtag)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court for criminal cases and Superior Court for civil cases
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Prince HANS ADAM II (since November 13, 1989; took on executive powers August 26, 1984); Heir Apparent Prince ALOIS von und zu Liechtenstein (born June 11, 1968);
Head of Government—Hans BRUNHART (since April 26, 1978);
Deputy Head of Government Dr. Herbert WILLE (since February 2, 1986)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Fatherland Union (VU), Dr. Otto HASLER;
Progressive Citizens' Party (FBP), Emanuel VOGT;
Free Electoral List (FW)
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Diet—last held on March 5, 1989 (next one scheduled for March 1993); results—percentage of vote by party NA; seats—(25 total) VU 13, FBP 12
_#_Communists: none
_#_Member of: CE, CSCE, EBRD, EFTA, IAEA, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WIPO
_#_Diplomatic representation: for regular diplomatic issues, Liechtenstein is represented in the US by the Swiss Embassy;
US—the US does not have a diplomatic or consular mission in Liechtenstein, but the US Consul General in Zurich (Switzerland) is accredited for consular matters in Vaduz.
_#_Flag: two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a gold crown on the left side of the blue band
_*Economy #_Overview: The thriving economy mainly relies on small-scale light industry and tourism. Industry makes up 54% of total employment, the service sector 42% (predominantly from tourism), and agriculture and forestry 4%. The sale of postage stamps to collectors generates an estimated $10 million each year. Low business taxes (with a maximum tax rate of 20%) and straightforward incorporation rules have led to around 25,000 holding or so-called letterbox companies setting up nominal offices in Liechtenstein. These companies, established only for tax reasons, account for 30% of state revenues. The economy is closely linked to Switzerland's through a customs union, and incomes and living standards are similar to those of the wealthier Swiss groups.
_GDP: $630 million, per person $22,300; real growth rate NA% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.0% (1989 estimate)
_#_Unemployment rate: 0.1% (December 1986)
_#_Budget: revenues $240 million; expenditures $197 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1988)
_#_Exports: $1.28 billion (1988);
commodities—small specialty machines, dental products, stamps, tools, pottery;
partners—EC 40%, EFTA 22% (Switzerland 18%) (1988)
_#_Imports: $NA;
commodities—machines, metal products, fabrics, food items, cars;
partners—NA
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 23,000 kW capacity; 150 million kWh produced, 5,340 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: electronics, metal manufacturing, textiles, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, food products, precision instruments, tourism
_#_Agriculture: animals, vegetables, corn, wheat, potatoes, grapes
_#_Economic aid: none
_#_Currency: Swiss franc, franken, or franco (plural—francs, franken, or franchi); 1 Swiss franc, franken, or franco (SwF) = 100 centimes, rappen, or centesimi
_#_Exchange rates: Swiss francs, franken, or franchi (SwF) per US$1—1.2724 (January 1991), 1.3892 (1990), 1.6359 (1989), 1.4633 (1988), 1.4912 (1987), 1.7989 (1986), 2.4571 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 18.5 km of 1.435-meter standard gauge, electrified; owned, operated, and included in the statistics of Austrian Federal Railways
_#_Highways: 130.66 km of main roads, 192.27 km of side roads
_#_Civil air: no transport aircraft
_#_Airports: none
_#_Telecommunications: automated phone system; 25,400 phones; stations—no AM, no FM, no TV
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Police Department
_#Note: defense is the responsibility of Switzerland % @Luxembourg *Geography #_Total area: 2,586 km²; land area: 2,586 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Rhode Island
_#_Land boundaries: 359 km total; Belgium 148 km, France 73 km, Germany 138 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Climate: changed continental with mild winters and cool summers
_#_Terrain: mostly gently rolling hills with wide, shallow valleys; hills to slightly mountainous in the north; steep drop down to the Moselle floodplain in the southeast
_#_Natural resources: iron ore (no longer mined)
_#_Land use: arable land 24%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 20%; forest and woodland 21%; other 34%
_#_Environment: deforestation
_#_Note: landlocked
_*People #_Population: 388,017 (July 1991), growth rate 1.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 12 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 10 deaths per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 8 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 73 years for males, 80 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Luxembourger(s); adjective—Luxembourg
_#_Ethnic divisions: Celtic roots, mixed with French and German influences; also includes guest and worker residents from Portugal, Italy, and other European countries.
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant and Jewish 3%
_#_Language: Luxembourgish, German, French; many people also speak English.
_#_Literacy: 100% (male 100%, female 100%) ages 15 and older can read and write (1980 est.)
_#_Labor force: 169,600; one-third of the labor force consists of foreign workers, mainly from Portugal, Italy, France, Belgium, and West Germany; services 50%, industry 23.2%, government 14.4%, construction 9%, agriculture 3.4% (1987)
_#_Organized labor: an estimated 100,000 members from four united trade unions
_*Government #_Full name: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
_#_Type: constitutional monarchy
_#_Capital: Luxembourg
_#_Administrative divisions: 3 districts; Diekirch, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg
_#_Independence: 1839
_#_Constitution: October 17, 1868, with occasional updates
_#_Legal system: based on a civil law system; accepts mandatory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: National Day (public celebration of the Grand Duke's birthday), June 23, 1921
_#_Executive branch: grand duke, prime minister, vice prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber Chamber of Deputies (Chambre des Deputes); note—the Council of State (Conseil d'Etat) is an advisory group whose opinions are taken into account by the Chamber of Deputies
_#_Judicial branch: Superior Court of Justice (Cour Supérieure de Justice)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Grand Duke JEAN (since November 12, 1964);
Heir Apparent Prince HENRI (son of Grand Duke Jean, born April 16, 1955);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Jacques SANTER (since July 21, 1984); Vice Prime Minister Jacques F. POOS (since July 21, 1984)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Christian Social Party (CSV), Jacques SANTER;
Socialist Workers Party (LSAP), Jacques POOS;
Liberal Party (DP), Colette FLESCH;
Communist Party (KPL), Andre HOFFMANN;
Green Alternative Party (GAP), Jean HUSS
# Suffrage: universal and mandatory at age 18
_#_Elections:
Chamber of Deputies—last held on June 18, 1989 (next one scheduled by June 1994); results—CSV 31.7%, LSAP 27.2%, DP 16.2%, Greens 8.4%, PAC 7.3%, KPL 5.1%, other 4.1%; seats—(60 total) CSV 22, LSAP 18, DP 11, Greens 4, PAC 4, KPL 1
_#_Communists: 500 party members (1982)
_#_Other political or pressure groups: a group of steel industries representing the iron and steel industry, Centrale Paysanne representing agricultural producers; Christian and Socialist labor unions; Federation of Industrialists; Artisans and Shopkeepers Federation
_#_Member of: ACCT, Benelux, CCC, CE, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB,
EMS, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO,
IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LORCS, NATO, NEA, OECD, PCA,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Andre PHILIPPE; Chancery at 2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 265-4171; there are Luxembourg Consulates General in New York and San Francisco;
US—Ambassador Edward M. Rowell; Embassy at 22 Boulevard Emmanuel-Servais, 2535 Luxembourg City (mailing address is APO New York 09132); telephone [352] 460123
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and light blue; similar to the flag of the Netherlands, which has a darker blue and is shorter; the design was based on the flag of France.
_*Economy #_Overview: The stable economy shows moderate growth, low inflation, and very low unemployment. Agriculture relies on small but very productive family-owned farms. The industrial sector, which was recently dominated by steel, has become more diversified, especially with the rise of high-tech companies. Over the past decade, growth in the financial sector has more than offset the decline in steel. Services, particularly banking, make up an increasing share of the economy. Luxembourg is part of an economic union with Belgium for trade and most financial issues and has strong economic ties with the Netherlands.
# GDP: $6.9 billion, per person $18,000; actual growth rate 2.5% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.5% (1990 estimate)
_#_Unemployment rate: 1.3% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $2.5 billion; expenses $2.3 billion, including capital expenses of NA (1988)
_#_Exports: $5.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—finished steel products, chemicals, rubber products, glass, aluminum, and other industrial products;
partners—EC 75%, US 5%
_#_Imports: $6.2 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
commodities—minerals, metals, food items, quality consumer products;
partners—Belgium 37%, Germany 31%, France 12%, US 2%
_#_External debt: $131.6 million (1989 estimate)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 1% (1990 est.); represents 25% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 1,500,000 kW capacity; 1,163 million kWh produced, 3,170 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: banking, steel production, food processing, chemicals, metal goods, engineering, tires, glass, aluminum
_#_Agriculture: accounts for less than 3% of GDP (including forestry); primary products—barley, oats, potatoes, wheat, fruits, wine grapes; cattle raising is common.
_#_Economic aid: none
_#_Currency: Luxembourg franc (plural—francs); 1 Luxembourg franc (LuxF) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Luxembourg francs (LuxF) per US$1—31.102 (January 1991), 33.418 (1990), 39.404 (1989), 36.768 (1988), 37.334 (1987), 44.672 (1986), 59.378 (1985); note—the Luxembourg franc is equal in value to the Belgian franc, which is freely used in Luxembourg.
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: Luxembourg National Railways (CFL) runs 270 km of 1.435-meter standard gauge track; 162 km is double track; and 162 km is electrified.
_#_Highways: 5,108 km in total; 4,995 km paved, 57 km gravel, 56 km unpaved; about 80 km of limited access divided highway
_#_Inland waterways: 37 km; Moselle River
_#_Pipelines: refined products, 48 km
_#_Ports: Mertert (river port)
_#_Merchant marine: 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 1,731 GRT/2,460 DWT
_Civil air: 13 major transport planes_
_#_Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways less than 1,220 m
_#_Telecommunications: sufficient and efficient system, primarily underground cables; 230,000 telephones; stations—2 AM, 4 FM, 6 TV; 2 communication satellite ground stations operating in EUTELSAT and national systems
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, National Gendarmerie
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 100,476; 83,724 eligible for military service; 2,297 reaching military age (19) each year
_#Defense spending: $90 million, 1.2% of GDP (1990) % @Macau (overseas territory of Portugal) *Geography #_Total area: 16 km²; land area: 16 km²
_#_Comparative area: about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundary: 0.34 km with China
_#_Coastline: 40 km
_#_Maritime claims: not known
_#_Disputes: set to become a Special Administrative Region of China in 1999
_#_Climate: subtropical; marine with cool winters and warm summers
_#_Terrain: generally flat
_#_Natural resources: negligible
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: primarily urban; there’s one causeway and one bridge linking the two islands to the peninsula on the mainland.
_#_Note: 27 km west-southwest of Hong Kong on the southeast coast of China
_*People #_Population: 446,262 (July 1991), growth rate 1.0% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 15 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 75 years for males, 79 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Macanese (sing. and pl.); adjective—Macau
_#_Ethnic divisions: Chinese 95%, Portuguese 3%, other 2%
_#_Religion: Buddhist 45%, Roman Catholic 7%, Protestant 1%, none 45.8%, other 1.2% (1981)
_#_Language: Portuguese (official); Cantonese is the language used in business.
_#_Literacy: 90% (male 93%, female 86%) of those aged 15 and older can read and write (1981)
_#_Labor force: 180,000 (1986)
_#_Organized labor: none
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: overseas territory of Portugal; set to return to China in 1999
_#_Capital: Macau
_#_Administrative divisions: 2 districts (municipalities, singular—municipality); Islands, Macau
_#_Independence: none (territory of Portugal); Portugal signed an agreement with China on April 13, 1987, to return Macau to China on December 20, 1999; in the joint declaration, China promises to respect Macau's current social and economic systems and lifestyle for 50 years after the transition.
# Constitution: 17 February 1976, Organic Law of Macau
_#_Legal system: Portuguese civil law system
_National holiday: Day of Portugal, June 10_
_#_Executive branch: President of Portugal, governor, Consultative Council (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: Legislative Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President (of Portugal) Mario Alberto SOARES (since March 9, 1986);
Head of Government—Governor Gen. Vasco Joachim Rocha VIEIRA (since March 20, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Association to Defend the Interests of Macau;
Macau Democratic Center;
Group to Study the Development of Macau;
Macau Independent Group
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Legislative Assembly—last held on November 9, 1988 (next to be held in November 1991); results—percentage of vote by party NA; seats—(17 total; 6 elected by universal suffrage, 6 by indirect suffrage) number of seats by party NA
_#_Other political or pressure groups: wealthy Macanese and Chinese representing local interests, affluent pro-Communist merchants representing China's interests; in January 1967, the Macau Government agreed to Chinese demands that granted China veto power over administration.
_#_Member of: GATT, WTO (associate)
_#_Diplomatic representation: since Macao is a Chinese territory administered by Portugal, Macanese interests in the US are represented by Portugal;
US—the US has no offices in Macau, and US interests are monitored by the US Consulate General in Hong Kong.
_#_Flag: the flag of Portugal is displayed
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy mainly relies on tourism (including gambling), as well as textile and fireworks manufacturing. Efforts to diversify have led to the emergence of other small industries, such as toys, artificial flowers, and electronics. The tourism sector makes up about 25% of GDP, while the clothing industry generates roughly two-thirds of export earnings. Macau relies on China for most of its food, fresh water, and energy imports. Japan and Hong Kong are the primary suppliers of raw materials and capital goods.
# GDP: $2.9 billion, per person $6,560; actual growth rate 6% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.5% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 2% (1989 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $305 million; expenditures $298 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)
_#_Exports: $1.7 billion (1989 est.);
commodities—textiles, clothing, toys;
partners—US 33%, Hong Kong 15%, FRG 12%, France 10% (1987)
_#_Imports: $1.6 billion (1989 est.);
commodities—raw materials, foodstuffs, capital goods;
partners—Hong Kong 39%, China 21%, Japan 10% (1987)
_#_External debt: $91 million (1985)
_#_Industrial production: NA
_#_Electricity: 203,000 kW capacity; 495 million kWh produced, 1,120 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: apparel, textiles, toys, plastic items, furniture, travel
_#_Agriculture: rice, vegetables; food shortages—rice, vegetables, meat; depends mainly on imports for food needs
_#_Economic aid: none
_#_Currency: pataca (plural—patacas); 1 pataca (P) = 100 avos
_#_Exchange rates: patacas (P) per US$1—8.03 (1989), 8.044 (1988), 7.993 (1987), 8.029 (1986), 8.045 (1985); note—tied to the Hong Kong dollar at the rate of 1.03 patacas per Hong Kong dollar
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 42 km paved
_#_Ports: Macau
_#_Civil air: no major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: none available, 1 in construction; 1 seaplane dock
_#_Telecommunications: relatively modern communication systems available for both domestic and international services; 52,000 phones; stations—4 AM, 3 FM, no TV; approximately 75,000 radio receivers; international high-frequency radio communication facility; access to global communications providers through Hong Kong and China; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 167,289; 93,142 eligible for military service
_#Note: defense is the responsibility of Portugal % @Madagascar *Geography #_Total area: 587,040 km²; land area: 581,540 km²
_#_Comparative area: just under twice the size of Arizona
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 4,828 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin Island (all managed by France)
_#_Climate: tropical near the coast, mild inland, dry in the south
_#_Terrain: narrow coastal plain, high plateau, and mountains in the center
_#_Natural resources: graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semi-precious stones, mica, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 4%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 58%; forest and woodland 26%; other 11%; includes irrigated 2%
_#_Environment: affected by occasional cyclones; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
_#_Note: the world's fourth-largest island; a strategic location along the Mozambique Channel
_*People #_Population: 12,185,318 (July 1991), growth rate 3.2% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 47 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 15 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 95 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 51 years for males, 54 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.9 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Malagasy (sing. and pl.); adjective—Malagasy
_#_Ethnic divisions: a fundamental divide between highlanders of mostly Malayo-Indonesian descent (Merina 1,643,000 and related Betsileo 760,000) on one side and coastal tribes, known collectively as the Cotiers, with mixed African, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab heritage (Betsimisaraka 941,000, Tsimihety 442,000, Antaisaka 415,000, Sakalava 375,000) on the other; there are also 11,000 European French, 5,000 Indians with French nationality, and 5,000 Creoles.
_#_Religion: Indigenous beliefs 52%, Christian about 41%, Muslim 7%
_#_Language: French and Malagasy (official)
_#_Literacy: 80% (male 88%, female 73%) of people ages 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 4,900,000; 90% are unpaid family workers involved in subsistence farming; 175,000 are wage earners—26% in agriculture, 17% in domestic service, 15% in industry, 14% in commerce, 11% in construction, 9% in services, 6% in transportation, and 2% in other sectors; 51% of the population is of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 4% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: Democratic Republic of Madagascar
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Antananarivo
_#_Administrative divisions: 6 provinces (plural—NA, singular—faritanin); Antananarivo, Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara
_#_Independence: June 26, 1960 (from France; formerly Malagasy Republic)
_#_Constitution: 21 December 1975
_#_Legal system: based on the French civil law system and traditional Malagasy law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, June 26 (1960)
_#_Executive branch: president, Supreme Council of the Revolution, prime minister, Council of Ministers
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Popular National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale Populaire)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court, High Constitutional Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Adm. Didier RATSIRAKA (since June 15, 1975);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Guy RASANAMAZY (since August 8, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: a presidential decree issued early
last year legalized the existence of political parties outside of the
Ruling Front; about thirty political parties now exist in Madagascar, the
most significant of which are the
Advance Guard of the Malagasy Revolution (AREMA), Didier RATSIRAKA;
Congress Party for Malagasy Independence (AKFM), RAKOTOVAO-ANDRIATIANA;
Congress Party for Malagasy Independence-Revival (AKFM-R), Pastor Richard
ANDRIAMANJATO;
Movement for National Unity (VONJY), Dr. Marojama RAZANABAHINY;
Malagasy Christian Democratic Union (UDECMA), Norbert ANDRIAMORASATA;
Militants for the Establishment of a Proletarian Regime (MFM), Manandafy
RAKOTONIRINA;
National Movement for the Independence of Madagascar (MONIMA), Monja
JAONA;
Socialist Organization Monima (VSM, a branch of MONIMA), Tsihozony
MAHARANGA
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held on March 12, 1989 (next to be held in March 1996); results—Didier RATSIRAKA (AREMA) 62%, Manandafy RAKOTONIRINA (MFM/MFT) 20%, Dr. Jerome Marojama RAZANABAHINY (VONJY) 15%, Monja JAONA (MONIMA) 3%;
Popular National Assembly—last held on May 28, 1989 (next one scheduled for May 1994); results—AREMA 88.2%, MFM 5.1%, AKFM 3.7%, VONJY 2.2%, other 0.8%; seats—(137 total) AREMA 120, MFM 7, AKFM 5, VONJY 4, MONIMA 1
_#_Communists: The Communist party is basically insignificant; a small but vocal group of Communists has taken a strong position in the leadership of AKFM, while the majority of its members are non-Communist.
_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU,
LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Pierrot Jocelyn RAJAONARIVELO; Chancery at 2374 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 265-5525 or 5526; there is a Malagasy Consulate General in New York;
US—Ambassador Howard K. WALKER; Embassy at 14 and 16 Rue
Rainitovo, Antsahavola, Antananarivo (mailing address is B. P. 620,
Antananarivo); telephone 212-57, 209-56, 200-89, 207-18
_#_Flag: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a vertical white band of the same width on the side closest to the flagpole
_*Economy #_Overview: Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world. Between 1980 and 1985, it had a population growth of 3% per year and a GDP growth rate of -0.4%. Agriculture, including fishing and forestry, is the backbone of the economy, making up over 40% of GDP, employing about 80% of the workforce, and contributing to more than 70% of total export earnings. Industry mainly involves processing agricultural products and textile manufacturing; in 1990, it accounted for only 16% of GDP and employed 3% of the workforce. In 1986, the government launched a five-year development plan focused on achieving food self-sufficiency (mainly rice) by 1990, boosting production for exports, and reducing energy imports.
_#_GDP: $2.4 billion, per capita $200; real growth rate 3.8% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $390 million; expenses $525 million, which includes capital expenses of $240 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $290 million (f.o.b., 1990 estimate);
commodities—coffee 45%, vanilla 15%, cloves 11%, sugar, petroleum products;
partners—France, Japan, Italy, FRG, US
_#_Imports: $436 million (f.o.b., 1990 estimate);
commodities—intermediate manufactured goods 30%, capital goods 28%, petroleum 15%, consumer goods 14%, food 13%;
partners—France, Germany, UK, other EU, US
_#_External debt: $3.6 billion (1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 5.2% (1990 est.); makes up 16% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 119,000 kW capacity; 430 million kWh produced, 40 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: agricultural processing (meat canneries, soap factories, breweries, tanneries, sugar refining plants), light consumer goods industries (textiles, glassware), cement, automobile assembly plant, paper, petroleum
_#_Agriculture: makes up 40% of GDP; cash crops—coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa; food crops—rice, cassava, beans, bananas, peanuts; cattle farming is common; nearly self-sufficient in rice
_#_Illicit drugs: illegal producer of cannabis (cultivated and wild varieties) primarily used for local consumption
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $136 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $2.9 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $491 million
_#_Currency: Malagasy franc (plural—francs); 1 Malagasy franc (FMG) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Malagasy francs (FMG) per US$1—1,454.6 (December 1990), 1,494.1 (1990), 1,603.4 (1989), 1,407.1 (1988), 1,069.2 (1987), 676.3 (1986), 662.5 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 1,020 km 1.000-meter gauge
_#_Highways: 40,000 km total; 4,694 km paved, 811 km of crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil, and an estimated 34,495 km of improved and unimproved earth.
_Inland waterways: of local significance only; isolated streams and small sections of Canal des Pangalanes
_#_Ports: Toamasina, Antsiranana, Mahajanga, Toliara
_#_Merchant marine: 14 ships (1,000 gross tonnage or more) totaling 59,416 gross tonnage/82,869 deadweight tonnage; includes 9 cargo ships, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas tanker
_#_Civil air: 5 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 148 total, 115 usable; 30 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 3 with runways between 2,440 and 3,659 m; 42 with runways between 1,220 and 2,439 m.
_#_Telecommunications: above-average system includes open-wire lines, coaxial cables, radio relay, and troposcatter links; submarine cable to Bahrain; satellite earth stations—1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT; over 38,200 telephones; stations—14 AM, 1 FM, 7 (30 repeaters) TV
_*Defense Forces
#_Branches: Popular Armed Forces (includes Intervention Forces,
Development Forces, Aeronaval Forces—includes Navy and Air Force),
Gendarmerie, Presidential Security Regiment
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 2,637,866; 1,570,393 eligible for military service; 119,882 turn 20 and reach military age each year.
_#Defense spending: $37 million, 2.2% of GDP (1989 est.) % @Malawi *Geography #_Total area: 118,480 km²; land area: 94,080 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit bigger than Pennsylvania
_#_Land boundaries: 2,881 km total; Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km, Zambia 837 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Disputes: conflict with Tanzania over the border in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi)
_#_Climate: tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November)
_#_Terrain: a long, narrow plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, and a few mountains
_#_Natural resources: limestone; untapped deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite
_#_Land use: arable land 25%; permanent crops negligible%; meadows and pastures 20%; forest and woodland 50%; other 5%; includes irrigated negligible%
_#_Environment: deforestation
_#_Note: landlocked
_*People #_Population: 9,438,462 (July 1991), growth rate 1.8% (1991); note—900,000 Mozambican refugees in Malawi (1990 est.)
_#_Birth rate: 52 births per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 18 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 17 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 136 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 48 years for males, 51 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 7.6 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Malawian(s); adjective—Malawian
_#_Ethnic groups: Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuko, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European
_#_Religion: Protestant 55%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 20%; traditional indigenous beliefs are also practiced
_#_Language: English and Chichewa (official); other languages are significant regionally
_#_Literacy: 22% (male 34%, female 12%) ages 15 and up can read and write (1966)
_#_Labor force: 428,000 wage earners; agriculture 43%, manufacturing 16%, personal services 15%, commerce 9%, construction 7%, miscellaneous services 4%, other permanently employed 6% (1986)
_#_Organized labor: a small percentage of workers are part of unions
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Malawi
_#_Type: one-party state
_#_Capital: Lilongwe
_#_Administrative divisions: 24 districts; Blantyre, Chikwawa,
Chiradzulu, Chitipa, Dedza, Dowa, Karonga, Kasungu, Lilongwe,
Machinga (Kasupe), Mangochi, Mchinji, Mulanje, Mwanza, Mzimba, Ncheu,
Nkhata Bay, Nkhota Kota, Nsanje, Ntchisi, Rumphi, Salima, Thyolo, Zomba
_#_Independence: July 6, 1964 (from the UK; previously Nyasaland)
_#_Constitution: July 6, 1964; republished with amendments January 1974
_#_Legal system: based on English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Appeal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, July 6, 1964
_#_Executive branch: president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: High Court, Supreme Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Dr. Hastings Kamuzu BANDA (since July 6, 1966; sworn in as President for Life on July 6, 1971)
_#_Political parties and leaders: only party—Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Maxwell PASHANE, administrative secretary; John TEMBO, treasurer general; top party position of secretary general has been vacant since 1983.
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
President—President BANDA was sworn in as President for Life on July 6, 1971;
National Assembly—last held May 27-28, 1987 (next to be held by May 1992); results—MCP is the only party; seats—(133 total, 112 elected) MCP 133
_#_Communists: no Communist party
_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Robert B. MBAYA; Chancery at 2408 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; phone (202) 797-1007;
US—Ambassador George A. TRAIL, III; Embassy in the new capital city development area, address NA (mailing address is P. O. Box 30016, Lilongwe); phone [265] 730-166
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal stripes of black (top), red, and green with a bright, rising red sun in the center of the black stripe; similar to the flag of Afghanistan, which is longer and features the national coat of arms on the hoist side of the black and red stripes.
_*Economy #_Overview: Malawi is a landlocked country and is one of the least developed countries in the world, with a per capita GDP of $175. The economy is mainly agricultural and functions in a mostly free enterprise system, with about 90% of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture makes up 40% of GDP and 90% of export revenues. After experiencing two years of poor performance, economic growth saw significant improvement between 1988 and 1990 due to favorable weather and a comprehensive economic adjustment initiative by the government. The economy relies heavily on substantial financial support from the IMF, the World Bank, and various donor countries. The closure of traditional trade routes through Mozambique continues to be a limitation for the economy.
_#_GDP: $1.6 billion, per capita $175; growth rate 4.8% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11.7% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues of $398 million; expenditures of $510 million, which includes capital expenditures of $154 million (FY91 est.)
_#_Exports: $390 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—tobacco, tea, sugar, coffee, peanuts;
partners—US, UK, Zambia, South Africa, Germany
_#_Imports: $560 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities—food, oil, semi-manufactured goods, consumer products, transportation equipment;
partners—South Africa, Japan, US, UK, Zimbabwe
_#_External debt: $1.4 billion (December 1990 estimate)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 4.9% (1989 est.); makes up about 18% of GDP (1988)
_#_Electricity: 181,000 kW capacity; 535 million kWh produced, 60 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: agricultural processing (tea, tobacco, sugar), sawmilling, cement, consumer goods
_#_Agriculture: makes up 40% of GDP; cash crops—tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, tea, and corn; subsistence crops—potatoes, cassava, sorghum, and pulses; livestock—cattle and goats
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $215 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $2.0 billion
_#_Currency: Malawian kwacha (plural—kwacha); 1 Malawian kwacha (MK) = 100 tambala
_#_Exchange rates: Malawian kwacha (MK) per US$1—2.6300 (January 1991), 2.7289 (1990), 2.7595 (1989), 2.5613 (1988), 2.2087 (1987), 1.8611 (1986), 1.7191 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Railroads: 789 km 1.067-meter gauge
_#_Highways: 13,135 km total; 2,364 km paved; 251 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil; 10,520 km dirt and improved dirt
_#_Inland waterways: Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi); Shire River, 144 km
_#_Ports: Chipoka, Monkey Bay, Nkhata Bay, and Nkotakota—all on Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi)
_#_Civil air: 3 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 48 total, 46 in operation; 6 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 1 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 9 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: a fair system of open-wire lines, radio relay links, and radio communication stations; 36,800 phones; stations—8 AM, 4 FM, no TV; satellite earth stations—1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
_#_Note: most exports would typically go through Mozambique on the Beira or Nacala railroads, but now the majority go through South Africa due to insurgent activity and damage to the rail lines.
_*Defense Forces
#_Branches: Army (includes Air Wing and Naval Detachment),
Police (includes paramilitary Mobile Force Unit), paramilitary
Malawi Young Pioneers
_#_Manpower availability: males ages 15-49, 1,960,082; 995,864 eligible for military service
_#Defense spending: $22 million, 1.6% of GDP (1989 estimate) % @Malaysia *Geography #_Total area: 329,750 km²; land area: 328,550 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than New Mexico
_#_Land boundaries: 2,669 km total; Brunei 381 km, Indonesia 1,782 km, Thailand 506 km
_#_Coastline: 4,675 km total (2,068 km Peninsular Malaysia, 2,607 km East Malaysia)
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of resource extraction, designated limit in the South China Sea;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: engaged in a complicated conflict over the Spratly Islands with China, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam; the Philippines claims the state of Sabah; Brunei might want to acquire the Malaysian salient that splits Brunei into two sections.
_#_Climate: tropical; annual southwest monsoon (April to October) and northeast monsoon (October to February)
_#_Terrain: coastal plains ascending to hills and mountains
_#_Natural resources: tin, crude oil, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite
_#_Land use: arable land 3%; permanent crops 10%; meadows and pastures NEGL%; forest and woodland 63%; other 24%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: prone to flooding; air and water pollution
_#_Note: strategic location along the Strait of Malacca and the southern South China Sea
_*People #_Population: 17,981,698 (July 1991), growth rate 2.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 30 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 29 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 65 years for males, 71 years for females (1991)
_Total fertility rate: 3.6 children born per woman (1991)_
_#_Nationality: noun—Malaysian(s); adjective—Malaysian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Malay and other indigenous 59%, Chinese 32%, Indian 9%
_#_Religion: Peninsular Malaysia—most Malays are Muslim, the Chinese are mostly Buddhists, and the Indians are mainly Hindu; Sabah—38% Muslim, 17% Christian, and 45% other; Sarawak—35% tribal religion, 24% Buddhist and Confucianist, 20% Muslim, 16% Christian, and 5% other
_#_Language: Peninsular Malaysia—Malay (official); English, Chinese dialects, Tamil; Sabah—English, Malay, various tribal dialects, Mandarin and Hakka dialects are mainly spoken among the Chinese; Sarawak—English, Malay, Mandarin, and many tribal languages
_#_Literacy: 78% (male 86%, female 70%) of individuals aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 6,800,000; agriculture 30.8%, manufacturing 17%, government 13.6%, construction 5.8%, finance 4.3%, business services, transport and communications 3.4%, mining 0.6%, other 24.5% (1989 est.)
_#_Organized labor: 660,000, 10% of total workforce (1988)
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: Federation of Malaysia formed on July 9, 1963; a constitutional monarchy nominally led by the king and a bicameral Parliament; in Peninsular Malaysia, all states have hereditary rulers except for Penang and Melaka, where governors are appointed by the Malaysian Government; the powers of state governments are limited by the federal Constitution; Sabah—self-governing state, holds 20 seats in the House of Representatives, with foreign affairs, defense, internal security, and other powers delegated to the federal government; Sarawak—a self-governing state within Malaysia, holds 27 seats in the House of Representatives, with foreign affairs, defense, internal security, and other powers delegated to the federal government.
_#_Capital: Kuala Lumpur
_#_Administrative divisions: 13 states (negeri-negeri, singular—negeri) and 2 federal territories* (wilayah-wilayah persekutuan, singular—wilayah persekutuan); Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Labuan*, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Pulau Pinang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Terengganu, Wilayah Persekutuan*
_#_Independence: August 31, 1957 (from the UK)
_#_Constitution: August 31, 1957, amended September 16, 1963, when the Federation of Malaya became the Federation of Malaysia
_#_Legal system: based on English common law; the Supreme Court conducts judicial review of legislative acts at the request of the supreme head of the federation; has not accepted mandatory ICJ jurisdiction.
_#_National holiday: National Day, August 31 (1957)
_#_Executive branch: supreme leader, deputy supreme leader, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Parlimen) consists of an upper house or Senate (Dewan Negara) and a lower house or House of Representatives (Dewan Rakyat)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Top Leader AZLAN Muhibbuddin Shah ibni Sultan
Yusof Izzudin (since April 26, 1989); Deputy Top Leader JA'AFAR ibni
Abdul Rahman (since April 26, 1989);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Dr. MAHATHIR bin Mohamad (since July 16, 1981); Deputy Prime Minister Abdul GHAFAR Baba (since May 7, 1986)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Peninsular Malaysia—
National Front, a coalition of 13 political parties led by
United Malays National Organization Baru (UMNO Baru), MAHATHIR bin
Mohamad;
Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), LING Liong Sik;
Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia, Datuk LIM Keng Yaik;
Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), Datuk S. Samy VELLU;
Sabah—Berjaya Party, Datuk Haji Mohammed Noor Mansor;
Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Joseph Pairin Kitingan;
United Sabah National Organization (USNO), Tun Datu Haji Mustapha;
Sarawak—coalition Sarawak National Front made up of the Party
Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB), Datuk Patinggi Amar Haji Abdul TAIB
Mahmud;
Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP), Datuk Amar Stephen YONG Kuet Tze;
Sarawak National Party (SNAP), Datuk James WONG Kim Min;
Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS), Datuk Leo MOGGIE;
the main opposition parties are
Democratic Action Party (DAP), LIM Kit Siang
and Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), Fadzil NOOR
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
House of Representatives—last held on October 21, 1990 (next to be held by August 1995); results—National Front 52%, others 48%; seats—(180 total) National Front 127, DAP 20, PAS 7, independents 4, others 22; note—within the National Front, UMNO got 71 seats and MCA 18 seats
_#_Communists: Peninsular Malaysia—about 1,000 armed insurgents on
the Thailand side of the international boundary and about 200 full-time inside
Malaysia surrendered on December 2, 1989; about 50 Communist insurgents in
Sarawak surrendered on October 17, 1990
_#_Member of: APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Abdul MAJID Mohamed; Chancery at 2401 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; phone (202) 328-2700; there are Malaysian Consulates General in Los Angeles and New York;
US—Ambassador Paul M. CLEVELAND; Embassy at 376 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur (mailing address is P. O. Box No. 10035, 50700 Kuala Lumpur); telephone [60] (3) 248-9011
_#_Flag: fourteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top) alternating with white (bottom); there’s a blue rectangle in the upper left corner featuring a yellow crescent and a yellow fourteen-pointed star; the crescent and the star are traditional symbols of Islam; the design was inspired by the US flag.
_*Economy #_Overview: From 1988 to 1990, strong exports helped Malaysia continue its recovery from the severe recession of 1985-86. Real output grew by 8.8% in 1989 and 10% in 1990, driven by robust growth in manufacturing, increased foreign direct investment—especially from Japanese and Taiwanese companies dealing with rising costs at home—and higher oil production in 1990. Malaysia has become the world's third-largest producer of semiconductor devices (after the US and Japan) and the largest exporter of these devices. Inflation stayed low, with unemployment at 6% of the labor force, while the government maintained sound fiscal and monetary policies. The country is not self-sufficient in food, and some rural residents live at the poverty line. Malaysia's heavy reliance on exports makes it vulnerable to recessions in OECD countries or declines in global commodity prices.
_#_GDP: $43.1 billion, per person $2,460; actual growth rate 10% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.1% (1990 estimate)
_#_Unemployment rate: 6% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $12.6 billion; expenditures $11.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.2 billion (1991 est.)
_#_Exports: $28.9 billion (free on board, 1990 estimate);
commodities—natural rubber, palm oil, tin, wood, oil, electronics, light manufacturing;
partners—Singapore, US, Japan, EC
_#_Imports: $26.5 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—food, crude oil, consumer items, intermediate products, capital equipment, chemicals;
partners—Japan, US, Singapore, FRG, UK
_#_External debt: $20.0 billion (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 15.8% (1990 est.); makes up 27% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 5,600,000 kW capacity; 16,500 million kWh produced, 940 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries:
Peninsular Malaysia—rubber and oil palm processing and manufacturing, light manufacturing, electronics, tin mining and smelting, logging, and timber processing;
Sabah—logging, petroleum production;
Sarawak—agricultural processing, oil production and refining, logging
_#_Agriculture:
Peninsular Malaysia—natural rubber, palm oil, rice;
Sabah—primarily for basic living needs, but also includes rubber, timber, coconut, and rice;
Sarawak—rubber, timber, pepper; there's a shortage of rice everywhere; fish catch of 608,000 metric tons in 1987.
_#_Illicit drugs: transit hub for Golden Triangle heroin heading to the US, Western Europe, and developing countries
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-84), $170 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $4.5 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $42 million
_#_Currency: ringgit (plural—ringgits); 1 ringgit (M$) = 100 sen
_#_Exchange rates: ringgits (M$) per US$1—2.7151 (January 1991), 1.7048 (1990), 2.7088 (1989), 2.6188 (1988), 2.5196 (1987), 2.5814 (1986), 2.4830 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads:
Peninsular Malaysia—1,665 km of 1.04-meter gauge; 13 km of double track, government-owned;
Sabah—136 km 1.000-meter gauge
_#_Highways:
Peninsular Malaysia—23,600 km (19,352 km paved, mostly with bituminous surface treatment, and 4,248 km unpaved);
Sabah—3,782 km;
Sarawak—1,644 km
_#_Inland waterways:
Peninsular Malaysia—3,209 km;
Sabah—1,569 km;
Sarawak—2,518 km
_#_Ports: Tanjong Kidurong, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Pasir Gudang, Penang, Port Klang, Sandakan, Tawau
_#_Merchant marine: 157 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 1,530,756 GRT/2,246,358 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 65 cargo, 22 container, 2 vehicle carriers, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 1 livestock carrier, 31 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 3 chemical tankers, 6 liquefied gas carriers, 1 passenger-cargo ship, 23 bulk.
_#_Civil air: 53 major transport planes
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 1,307 km; natural gas, 379 km
# Airports: 125 total, 119 usable; 32 with paved runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 7 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 18 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: reliable intercity service mainly provided to peninsular Malaysia using microwave relay, sufficient intercity radio relay network between Sabah and Sarawak via Brunei; international service is good; strong coverage by radio and television broadcasts; 994,860 phones (1984); stations—28 AM, 3 FM, 33 TV; submarine cables extend to India and Sarawak; SEACOM submarine cable links to Hong Kong and Singapore; satellite earth stations—1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT, plus 2 domestic.
_*Defense Forces
#_Branches: Royal Malaysian Army, Royal Malaysian Navy, Royal
Malaysian Air Force, Royal Malaysian Police Force, Marine Police,
Sarawak Border Scouts
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 4,620,418; 2,815,910 eligible for military service; 180,991 turn 21 and reach military age each year
_#Military spending: $1.7 billion, 3.9% of GDP (1990) % @Maldives *Geography #_Total area: 300 km²; land area: 300 km²
_#_Comparative area: just over 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 644 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 35-310 nm (defined by geographic coordinates; part of the zone aligns with the maritime boundary with India);
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)
_#_Terrain: flat with elevations no higher than 2.5 meters
_#_Natural resources: fish
_#_Land use: arable land 10%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 3%; forest and woodland 3%; other 84%
_#_Environment: 1,200 coral islands organized into 19 atolls
_#_Note: a group of islands in a key location along important shipping routes in the Indian Ocean
_*People #_Population: 226,200 (July 1991), growth rate 3.7% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 46 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 9 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 72 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 61 years for males, 65 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.5 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Maldivian(s); adjective—Maldivian
_#_Ethnic divisions: mixtures of Sinhalese, Dravidian, Arab, and Black
_#_Religion: Sunni Muslim
_#_Language: Divehi (a dialect of Sinhala; script based on Arabic); English is spoken by most government officials.
_#_Literacy: 92% (male 92%, female 92%) of people age 15 and over can read and write (1985)
_#_Labor force: 66,000 (est.); 25% working in the fishing industry
_#_Organized labor: none
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Maldives
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Male
_#_Administrative divisions: 19 districts (atolls); Aliff, Baa, Daalu, Faafu, Gaafu Aliff, Gaafu Daalu, Haa Aliff, Haa Daalu, Kaafu, Laamu, Laviyani, Meemu, Naviyani, Noonu, Raa, Seenu, Shaviyani, Thaa, Waavu
_#_Independence: July 26, 1965 (from the UK)
_#_Constitution: 4 June 1964
_#_Legal system: based on Islamic law with elements of English common law mainly in commercial issues; has not accepted mandatory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, July 26 (1965)
_#_Executive branch: president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Citizens' Council (Majlis)
_#_Judicial branch: High Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Maumoon Abdul
GAYOOM (since November 11, 1978)
_#_Political parties and leaders: no organized political parties; the country has been governed by the Didi clan for the past eight centuries.
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
President—last held September 23, 1988 (next to be held September 1994); results—President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM reelected;
Citizens' Council—last held on December 7, 1989 (next one on December 7, 1994); results—percent of vote not available; seats—(48 total, 40 elected)
_#_Communists: negligible
_#_Member of: AsDB, C, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, OIC, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: The Maldives doesn't have an embassy in the US but has a UN mission in New York;
US—the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka is also accredited to the Maldives and makes regular visits there; US Consular Agency, Midhath Hilmy, Male; telephone 2581
_#_Flag: red with a big green rectangle in the center that has a vertical white crescent; the closed side of the crescent is on the side where the flag is hoisted
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy relies on fishing, tourism, and shipping. Agriculture is limited to growing a few subsistence crops that meet only 10% of food needs. Fishing is the biggest industry, employing 25% of the workforce and making up over 60% of exports; it's also a key source of government revenue. In the 1980s, tourism became one of the most significant and fastest-growing sectors of the economy. In 1988, industry represented about 5% of GDP. Real GDP is officially estimated to have grown by about 10% annually between 1974 and 1987, and GDP estimates for 1988 indicate further growth of 9% due to a record fish catch and a better tourist season.
_#_GDP: $136 million, per person $670; actual growth rate 9.2% (1988)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 14% (1988 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: NEGL%
_#_Budget: revenues $51 million; expenditures $50 million, which include capital expenditures of $25 million (1988 est.)
_#_Exports: $39.4 million (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities—fish 57%, clothing 39%;
partners—Thailand, Western Europe, Sri Lanka
_#_Imports: $105.7 million (c.i.f., 1988);
commodities—intermediate and capital goods 47%, consumer goods 42%, petroleum products 11%;
partners—Japan, Western Europe, Thailand
_#_External debt: $70 million (December 1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 5.0% (1988); contributes 5% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 5,000 kW capacity; 11 million kWh produced, 50 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: fishing and fish processing, tourism, shipping, boat building, some coconut processing, clothing, woven mats, coir (rope), handicrafts
_#_Agriculture: makes up nearly 30% of GDP (including fishing); fishing is more critical than farming; limited production of coconuts, corn, and sweet potatoes; most staple foods need to be imported; fish catch estimated at 63,000 tons (1988 est.)
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $28 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $105 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $14 million
_#_Currency: rufiyaa (plural—rufiyaa); 1 rufiyaa (Rf) = 100 laaris
_#_Exchange rates: rufiyaa (Rf) per US$1—9.937 (January 1991), 9.509 (1990), 9.0408 (1989), 8.7846 (1988), 9.2230 (1987), 7.1507 (1986), 7.0981 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: Male has 9.6 km of coral pathways throughout the city
_#_Ports: Male, Gan
_#_Merchant marine: 17 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 53,131 GRT/85,770 DWT; includes 14 cargo ships, 1 container ship, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 bulk
_#_Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 2 with paved runways between 2,440 and 3,659 m
_#_Telecommunications: limited domestic and international facilities; 2,804 phones; stations—2 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: National Security Service (paramilitary police force)
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 50,788; 28,378 eligible for military service
_#Defense spending: $1.8 million, NA% of GDP (1984 estimate) % @Mali *Geography #_Total area: 1,240,000 km²; land area: 1,220,000 km²
_#_Comparative area: just under double the size of Texas
_#_Land boundaries: 7,243 km total; Algeria 1,376 km, Burkina Faso 1,000 km, Guinea 858 km, Ivory Coast 532 km, Mauritania 2,237 km, Niger 821 km, Senegal 419 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Disputes: the disputed international boundary between Burkina and Mali was submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in October 1983, and the ICJ issued its final ruling in December 1986, which both sides agreed to accept; Burkina and Mali are moving forward with boundary demarcation, including the tripoint with Niger.
_#_Climate: ranges from subtropical to arid; hot and dry from February to June; rainy, humid, and mild from June to November; cool and dry from November to February
_#_Terrain: mostly flat to gently rolling northern plains covered in sand; savanna to the south, and rugged hills in the northeast.
_#_Natural resources: gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium; bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper deposits are known but not utilized.
_#_Land use: arable land 2%; permanent crops negligible%; meadows and pastures 25%; forest and woodland 7%; other 66%; includes irrigated negligible%
_#_Environment: hot, dusty harmattan haze typical during dry seasons; desertification
_#_Note: landlocked
_*People #_Population: 8,338,542 (July 1991), growth rate 2.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 51 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 21 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 6 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 114 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 45 years for males, 47 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 7.0 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Malian(s); adjective—Malian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Mande (Bambara, Malinke, Sarakole) 50%, Peul 17%, Voltaic 12%, Songhai 6%, Tuareg and Moor 5%, other 10%
_#_Religion: Muslim 90%, indigenous beliefs 9%, Christian 1%
_#_Language: French (official); Bambara spoken by roughly 80% of the population; many African languages
_#_Literacy: 32% (male 41%, female 24%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 2,666,000 (1986 est.); agriculture 80%, services 19%, industry and commerce 1% (1981); 50% of the working-age population (1985)
_#_Organized labor: The National Union of Malian Workers (UNTM) is the umbrella organization for more than 13 national unions.
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Mali
_#_Type: republic; the single-party constitutional government was overthrown on March 26, 1991; the new ruling National Reconciliation Council has promised a multiparty democracy.
_#_Capital: Bamako
_#_Administrative divisions: 7 regions (regions, singular—region); Gao, Kayes, Koulikoro, Mopti, Segou, Sikasso, Tombouctou; note—there might be a new capital district of Bamako
_#_Independence: September 22, 1960 (from France; previously French Sudan)
_#_Constitution: June 2, 1974, effective June 19, 1979; amended September 1981 and March 1985; suspended after the coup on March 26, 1991
_#_Legal system: based on the French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Constitutional Section of the Court of State; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Republic, 22 September (1960)
_#_Executive branch: National Conciliation Council led by the military, following the coup of March 26, 1991
_#_Legislative branch: one-chamber National Assembly (Assemble Nationale)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Supreme Court)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—after the military coup on March 26, 1991
President Gen. Moussa TRAORE was removed from power and the National
Reconciliation Council, led by Lt. Col. Amadou Toumani TOURE and Lt. Col.
Kafougouna KONE, was formed;
Head of Government—Interim Premier Soumana SACKO (since April 2, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: previously the only party, the
Democratic Union of Malian People (UDPM), was shut down after the coup on
March 26, 1991, and the new government allowed the creation of political
parties on April 5, 1991; new political parties include—Union of Democratic
Forces (UFD), Demba DIALLO;
Union for Democracy and Development (UDD), Moussa Bala COULIBALY;
Sudanese Union/African Democratic Rally (US-RDA), Mamadou Madeira KEITA;
African Party for Solidarity and Justice (ADEMA), Alpha Oumar KONARE;
Party for Democracy and Progress (PDP), Idrissa TRAORE;
Democratic Party for Justice (PDJ), Abdul BA;
Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP), Almany SYLLA;
Party for the Unity of Malian People (PUPM), Nock AGATTIA;
Hisboulah al Islamiya, Hamidou DRAMERA;
Union of Progressive Forces (UFP), Yacouba SIDIBE;
National Congress of Democratic Initiative (CNID), Mountaga TALL;
Assembly for Justice and Progress, Kady DRAME;
and other parties forming
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
President—last held on June 9, 1985 (next to be held in June 1991); results—General Moussa TRAORE was reelected unopposed;
National Assembly—last held on June 26, 1988 (next scheduled for June 1991); results—UDPM is the only party; seats—(82 total) UDPM 82; note—after the military coup on March 26, 1991, President TRAORE was ousted and the UDPM was disbanded; the new ruling National Reconciliation Council, made up of 17 soldiers, has pledged to establish a multiparty democracy and is expected to hold elections by December 1991.
_#_Communists: a handful of Communists and some supporters (no legal Communist party)
_#_Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WADB, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Mohamed Alhousseyni TOURE; Chancery at 2130 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 332-2249 or 939-8950;
US—Ambassador Herbert D. GELBER; Embassy at Rue Rochester NY and Rue Mohamed V, Bamako (mailing address is B. P. 34, Bamako); phone [223] 223712
_#_Flag: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red; features the well-known pan-African colors of Ethiopia
_*Economy #_Overview: Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world, with around 70% of its land being desert or semidesert. Economic activity mainly occurs in the areas along the Niger River that are irrigated. About 10% of the population lives as nomads, and around 80% of the workforce is involved in agriculture and fishing. Industrial activities focus on processing agricultural products.
_#_GDP: $2.0 billion, per person $250; actual growth rate 9.9% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA% (1987)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $329 million; expenditures $519 million, which includes capital expenditures of $178 million (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $285 million (f.o.b., estimated 1989);
commodities—cattle, peanuts, dried fish, cotton, hides;
partners—mostly Franc Zone and Western Europe
_#_Imports: $513 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—clothing, cars, oil products, machinery, sugar, grains;
partners—mostly franc zone and Western Europe
_#_External debt: $2.2 billion (1989 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 19.9% (1989 est.); makes up 7% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 253,000 kW capacity; 730 million kWh produced, 90 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: local consumer goods and processing, construction, phosphate, gold, fishing
_#_Agriculture: makes up 50% of GDP; most production comes from small family farms; cotton and livestock products make up over 70% of exports; other crops include millet, rice, corn, vegetables, and peanuts; livestock includes cattle, sheep, and goats.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $349 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $2.65 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $92 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $190 million
_#_Currency: Communauté Financière Africaine franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1—256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 642 km of 1,000-meter gauge; connected to Senegal's rail system via Kayes
_#_Highways: about 15,700 km total; 1,670 km paved, 3,670 km gravel and improved dirt, 10,360 km unimproved dirt
_#_Inland waterways: 1,815 km navigable
_#_Civil air: no major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 37 total, 29 operational; 8 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 6 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 10 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: the domestic system is lacking but getting better; it offers only basic service with radio relay, wired, and radio communication stations; expansion of radio relay is underway; there are 11,000 telephones; stations—2 AM, 2 FM, 2 TV; satellite earth stations—1 in the Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 in the Indian Ocean INTELSAT
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Air Force; paramilitary Gendarmerie, Republican Guard, National Guard, National Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,631,445; 940,954 eligible for military service; no conscription
_#Defense spending: $45 million, 2.4% of GDP (1988) % @Malta *Geography #_Total area: 320 km²; land area: 320 km²
_#_Comparative area: just under twice the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 140 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of use;
Exclusive fishing zone: 25 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers
_#_Terrain: mostly low, rocky, flat to broken plains; many coastal cliffs
_#_Natural resources: limestone, salt
_#_Land use: arable land 38%; permanent crops 3%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 59%; includes irrigated 3%
_#_Environment: there are many bays that offer excellent harbors; fresh water is very limited—relying more and more on desalination
_#_Note: strategic location in the central Mediterranean, 93 km south of Sicily, 290 km north of Libya
_*People #_Population: 356,427 (July 1991), growth rate 0.8% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 15 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 1 migrant per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 74 years for males, 79 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Maltese (sing. and pl.); adjective—Maltese
_#_Ethnic divisions: a mix of Arab, Sicilian, Norman, Spanish, Italian, and English
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 98%
_#_Language: Maltese and English (official)
_#_Literacy: 84% (male 86%, female 82%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1985)
_#_Labor force: 126,135; government (not including job corps) 37%, services 26%, manufacturing 22%, training programs 9%, construction 4%, agriculture 2% (1989)
_#_Organized labor: around 40% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Malta
_#_Type: parliamentary democracy
_#_Capital: Valletta
_#_Administrative divisions: none (administration directly from Valletta)
_#_Independence: September 21, 1964 (from the UK)
_#_Constitution: April 26, 1974, effective June 2, 1974
_#_Legal system: based on English common law and Roman civil law; has accepted mandatory ICJ jurisdiction, with some exceptions
_#_National holiday: Freedom Day, March 31
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber House of Representatives
_#_Judicial branch: Constitutional Court and Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Vincent (Censu) TABONE (since April 4, 1989);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Dr. Edward (Eddie) FENECH ADAMI (since May 12, 1987); Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Guido DE MARCO (since May 14, 1987)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Nationalist Party, Edward FENECH ADAMI; Malta Labor Party, Karmenu MIFSUD BONNICI
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
House of Representatives—last held on May 9, 1987 (next one to be held by May 1992); results—NP 51.1%, MLP 48.9%; seats—(usually 65 total, but additional seats are awarded to the party with the largest popular vote to ensure a legislative majority; current total 69) MLP 34, NP 31 before popular vote adjustment; MLP 34, NP 35 after adjustment
_#_Communists: fewer than 100 (est.)
_#_Member of: C, CCC, CE, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Salvatore J. STELLINI; Chancery at 2017 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 462-3611 or 3612; there is a Maltese Consulate General in New York;
US—Ambassador Sally J. NOVETZKE; Embassy on the 2nd Floor, Development
House, Saint Anne Street, Floriana, Valletta (mailing address is P. O.
Box 535, Valletta); phone [356] 240424, 240425, 243216, 243217,
243653, 223654
_#_Flag: two equal vertical bands of white (hoist side) and red; in the upper hoist-side corner is a depiction of the George Cross, outlined in red.
_Economy #_Overview: Key resources include limestone, a strategic geographic position, and a skilled workforce. Malta only produces about 20% of its food needs, has limited freshwater resources, and lacks domestic energy sources. As a result, the economy relies heavily on foreign trade and services. Manufacturing and tourism are the biggest contributors to the economy. Manufacturing makes up about 27% of GDP, with the electronics and textile industries being the major players. In 1989, inflation was kept low at 0.9%. With a per capita GDP of $5,500, Malta falls within the middle-income range of global nations.
_#_GDP: $1.9 billion, per capita $5,500 (1988); real growth rate 6.4% (1989)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.9% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 3.7% (1989)
_#_Budget: revenues $1.02 billion; expenditures $1.23 billion, including capital expenditures of $380 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $866 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—clothing, textiles, footwear, ships;
partners—Italy 30%, Germany 22%, UK 11%
_#_Imports: $1,328 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—food, oil, machinery, and semi-finished products;
partners—Italy 30%, UK 16%, Germany 13%, US 4%
_#_External debt: $90 million, medium and long-term (December 1987)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 19.2% (1989); contributes 27% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 328,000 kW capacity; 1,110 million kWh produced, 2,990 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: tourism, electronics, ship repair, construction, food production, textiles, shoes, clothing, drinks, tobacco
_#_Agriculture: makes up 3% of GDP; overall, 20% self-sufficient; main products—potatoes, cauliflower, grapes, wheat, barley, tomatoes, citrus, cut flowers, green peppers, pigs, poultry, eggs; generally sufficient supplies of vegetables, poultry, milk, and pork products; seasonal or occasional shortages in grain, animal feed, fruits, and other basic food items.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $172 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $333 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $76 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $48 million
_#_Currency: Maltese lira (plural—liri); 1 Maltese lira (LM) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Maltese liri (LM) per US$1—0.3004 (January 1991), 0.3172 (1990), 0.3483 (1989), 0.3306 (1988), 0.3451 (1987), 0.3924 (1986), 0.4676 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Highways: 1,291 km total; 1,179 km paved (asphalt), 77 km gravel or crushed stone, 35 km improved and unpaved earth
_#_Ports: Valletta, Marsaxlokk
_#_Merchant marine: 415 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 5,005,791 GRT/8,644,369 DWT; includes 3 passenger ships, 8 short-sea passenger ships, 160 cargo ships, 5 container ships, 2 passenger-cargo ships, 13 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 3 vehicle carriers, 1 barge carrier, 6 refrigerated cargo ships, 9 chemical tankers, 8 combination ore/oil ships, 2 specialized tankers, 1 liquefied gas tanker, 79 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 104 bulk carriers, 11 combination bulk carriers; note—a flag of convenience registry; China owns 1 ship, the USSR owns 7, Cuba owns 7, and Vietnam owns 1.
_Civil air: 7 major transport planes_
_#_Airports: 1 with paved runways 2,440-3,659 m
_#_Telecommunications: modern automated system based in Valletta; 163,800 phones; stations—9 AM, 4 FM, 2 TV; 1 submarine cable; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT ground station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Armed Forces, Maltese Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 94,081; 75,222 eligible for military service
_#Defense spending: $21.9 million, 1.3% of GDP (1989 estimate) % @Man, Isle of (British crown dependency) *Geography #_Total area: 588 km²; land area: 588 km²
_#_Comparative area: just under 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 113 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Climate: cool summers and mild winters; humid; overcast roughly half the time
_#_Terrain: hills in the north and south divided by a central valley
_#_Natural resources: lead, iron ore
_#_Land use: arable land NA%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures NA%; forest and woodland NA%; other NA%; extensive arable land and forests
_#_Environment: strong westerly winds prevail
_#_Note: located in the Irish Sea, equally distant from England, Scotland, and Ireland.
_*People #_Population: 64,075 (July 1991), growth rate 0.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 11 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 14 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 4 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 72 years for males, 78 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Manxman, Manxwoman, adjective—Manx
_#_Ethnic divisions: local Manx of Norse-Celtic heritage; British
_#_Religion: Anglican, Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Quaker
_#_Language: English, Manx Gaelic
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%) but education is mandatory from ages 5 to 16
_#_Labor force: 25,864 (1981)
_#_Organized labor: 22 labor unions modeled after British styles
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: British crown dependency
_#_Capital: Douglas
_#_Administrative divisions: none (British crown dependency)
_#_Independence: none (British crown dependency)
_#_Constitution: 1961, Isle of Man Constitution Act
_#_Legal system: English law and local laws
_#_National holiday: Tynwald Day, July 5
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, lieutenant governor, prime minister, Executive Council (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: the bicameral Tynwald includes an upper house called the Legislative Council and a lower house known as the House of Keys
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Lord of Mann Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor Air Marshal Sir Laurence JONES (since NA 1990);
Head of Government—President of the Legislative Council Sir
Charles KERRUISH (since NA 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: there is no party system, and members sit as independents.
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
House of Keys—last held in 1986 (next one scheduled for 1991); results—percentage of vote N/A; seats—(24 total) independents 24
_#_Communists: probably none
_#_Member of: none
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (British crown dependency)
_#_Flag: red with the Three Legs of Man emblem (Trinacria) in the center; the three legs are connected at the thigh and bent at the knee; to ensure the toes point clockwise on both sides of the flag, a double-sided emblem is used.
_*Economy #_Overview: Offshore banking, manufacturing, and tourism are vital parts of the economy. The government's strategy of providing incentives for high-tech companies and financial institutions to set up on the island has successfully increased job opportunities in high-paying industries. Consequently, agriculture and fishing, which used to be the main pillars of the economy, have reduced their contributions to GNP. Banking now makes up over 20% of GNP, while manufacturing accounts for about 15%. Most trade occurs with the UK.
_GNP: $490 million, per person $7,573; actual growth rate NA% (1988)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: 1.5% (1988)
_#_Budget: revenues $130.4 million; expenditures $114.4 million, including capital expenditures of $18.1 million (FY85 est.)
_#_Exports: $NA;
commodities—tweeds, herring, processed shellfish meat;
partners—UK
_#_Imports: $NA;
commodities—timber, fertilizers, fish;
partners—UK
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 61,000 kW capacity; 190 million kWh produced, 2,930 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: a key offshore financial hub; financial services, light manufacturing, tourism
_#_Agriculture: grains and vegetables; cows, sheep, pigs, poultry
_#_Economic aid: NA
_#_Currency: Manx pound (plural—pounds); 1 Manx pound (5M) = 100 pence
_#_Exchange rates: Manx pounds (5M) per US$1—0.5171 (January 1991), 0.5603 (1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985); the Manx pound is equal to the British pound.
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Railroads: 36 km of electric track, 24 km of steam track
_#_Highways: 640 km motorable roads
_#_Ports: Douglas, Ramsey, Peel
_#_Merchant marine: 73 ships (1,000 GRT or more) with a total of 1,634,471 GRT and 2,906,039 DWT; includes 8 cargo ships, 6 container ships, 6 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 31 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 4 chemical tankers, 2 combination ore/oil vessels, 3 liquefied gas carriers, and 13 bulk carriers; note—this is a captive register of the United Kingdom, though not all ships on the register are British-owned
_#_Airports: 2 total; 1 usable with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 24,435 phones; stations—1 AM, 4 FM, 4 TV
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK % @Marshall Islands *Geography #_Total area: 181.3 km²; land area: 181.3 km²; includes the atolls of Bikini, Eniwetak, and Kwajalein
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 370.4 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claims US territory of Wake Island
_#_Climate: rainy season from May to November; hot and humid; islands are along the typhoon belt
_#_Terrain: low coral limestone and sandy islands
_#_Natural resources: phosphate deposits, seafood, deep-sea minerals
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 60%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 40%
_#_Environment: sometimes hit by typhoons; two archipelagic island chains consisting of 30 atolls and 1,152 islands
_#_Note: situated 3,825 km southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, roughly two-thirds of the distance between Hawaii and Papua New Guinea; Bikini and Eniwetak are former US nuclear test sites; Kwajalein, known for its significance in World War II, is now a US missile test range.
_*People #_Population: 48,091 (July 1991), growth rate 3.9% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 47 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 53 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 61 years for males, 64 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 7.1 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Marshallese; adjective—Marshallese
_#_Ethnic divisions: almost entirely Micronesian
_#_Religion: predominantly Christian, mostly Protestant
_#_Language: English is spoken globally and is the official language; there are two main Marshallese dialects from the Malayo-Polynesian family; Japanese
_#_Literacy: 93% (male 100%, female 88%) of people age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
_#_Labor force: 4,800 (1986)
_#_Organized labor: none
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of the Marshall Islands
_#_Type: constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association went into effect on October 21, 1986
_#_Capital: Majuro
_#_Administrative divisions: none
_#_Independence: October 21, 1986 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship; formerly the Marshall Islands District of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands)
_#_Constitution: 1 May 1979
_#_Legal system: based on updated Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws
_#_National holiday: Proclamation of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, May 1 (1979)
_#_Executive branch: president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Nitijela
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Amata KABUA (since 1979)
_#_Political parties and leaders: no formal parties; President KABUA is the main political (and traditional) leader.
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held NA November 1987 (next to be held November 1991); results—President Amata KABUA was reelected;
Parliament—last held in November 1987 (next to be held in November 1991); results—percent of vote not available; seats—(33 total)
_#_Communists: none
_#_Member of: ESCAP (associate), ICAO, SPC, SPF, UN
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Wilfred I. KENDALL; Chancery at 2433 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 234-5414;
US—Ambassador William BODDE, Jr.; Embassy at NA address (mailing address is P. O. Box 680, Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands 96960-4380); telephone 692-4011
_#_Flag: blue with two stripes coming from the lower left corner—orange (top) and white; there is a white star with four big rays and 20 small rays on the left side above the two stripes
_*Economy #_Overview: Agriculture and tourism are the pillars of the economy. Agricultural production is focused on small farms, with the key commercial crops being coconuts, tomatoes, melons, and breadfruit. A few cattle ranches cater to the domestic meat market. Small-scale industry is limited to handicrafts, fish processing, and copra production. The tourism sector is the main source of foreign currency and employs about 10% of the workforce. The islands have few natural resources, and imports significantly outnumber exports. In 1987, the US Government provided $40 million in grants from the Marshallese budget of $55 million.
_GDP: $63 million, per person $1,500; actual growth rate N/A% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.6% (1981)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $55 million; expenditures N/A, including capital expenditures of N/A (1987 est.)
_#_Exports: $2.5 million (f.o.b., 1985);
commodities—copra, copra oil, farm products, crafts;
partners—NA
_#_Imports: $29.2 million (c.i.f., 1985);
commodities—foodstuffs, beverages, building materials;
partners—NA
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 42,000 kW capacity; 80 million kWh produced, 1,840 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: copra, fishing, tourism; handmade items from shells, wood, and pearls; offshore banking (in its early stages)
_#_Agriculture: coconuts, cacao, taro, breadfruit, fruits, copra; pigs, chickens
_#_Economic aid: under the terms of the Compact of Free Association, the US is set to provide around $40 million in aid each year.
_#_Currency: US currency is used
_#_Exchange rates: The US dollar is used
_#_Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
_*Communications #_Highways: paved roads made of macadam and concrete on the main islands (Majuro, Kwajalein); otherwise, there are roads and paths made of stone, coral, or laterite.
_#_Ports: Majuro
_#_Merchant marine: 23 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 1,654,871 GRT/3,236,549 DWT; includes 2 cargo ships, 3 container ships, 7 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, and 11 bulk carriers; note—a flag of convenience registry
_#_Airports: 5 total, 5 operational; 4 with paved runways; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: telephone network—570 lines (Majuro) and 186 (Ebeye); telex services; islands connected by shortwave radio (mainly for government use); stations—1 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV, 1 shortwave; 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth stations; US Government satellite communications system on Kwajalein
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the US % @Martinique (overseas department of France) *Geography #_Total area: 1,100 km²; land area: 1,060 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit more than six times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 290 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; cooled by trade winds; rainy season (June to October)
_#_Terrain: mountainous with a jagged coastline; dormant volcano
_#_Natural resources: coastal views and beaches, arable land
_#_Land use: arable land 10%; permanent crops 8%; meadows and pastures 30%; forest and woodland 26%; other 26%; includes irrigated 5%
_#_Environment: exposed to hurricanes, flooding, and volcanic activity that lead to an average of one major natural disaster every five years
_#_Note: located 625 km southeast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea
_*People #_Population: 345,180 (July 1991), growth rate 0.9% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 19 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 3 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 73 years for males, 80 years for females (1991)
_Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born per woman (1991)_
# Nationality: noun—Martiniquais (sing. and pl.); adjective—Martiniquais
_#_Ethnic divisions: African and African-Caucasian-Indian mix 90%, Caucasian 5%, East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less than 5%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 5%
_#_Language: French, Creole patois
_#_Literacy: 93% (male 92%, female 93%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1982)
_#_Labor force: 100,000; service industry 31.7%, construction and public works 29.4%, agriculture 13.1%, industry 7.3%, fisheries 2.2%, other 16.3%
_#_Organized labor: 11% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: Department of Martinique
_#_Type: overseas department of France
_#_Capital: Fort-de-France
_#_Administrative divisions: none (overseas department of France)
_#_Independence: none (overseas department of France)
_#_Constitution: September 28, 1958 (French Constitution)
_#_Legal system: French legal system
_#_National holiday: Storming of the Bastille, July 14 (1789)
_#_Executive branch: government commissioner
_#_Legislative branch: one-chamber General Council and one-chamber Regional Council
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Francois MITTERRAND (since May 21, 1981);
Head of Government—Government Commissioner Jean Claude ROURE (since May 5, 1989); President of the General Council Emile MAURICE (since NA 1988)
_#_Political parties:
Rally for the Republic (RPR), Stephen BAGO;
Union of the Left made up of the Progressive Party of Martinique (PPM),
Aimé CESAIRE;
Socialist Federation of Martinique, Michael YOYO;
and
the Communist Party of Martinique (PCM), Armand NICOLAS;
Union for French Democracy (UDF), Jean MARAN
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
General Council—last held on NA October 1988 (next to be held by March 1991); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(44 total) number of seats by party NA;
Regional Assembly—last held on March 16, 1986 (next to be held by March 1992); results—UDF/RPR coalition 49.8%, PPM/FSM/PCM coalition 41.3%, others 8.9%; seats—(41 total) PPM/FSM/PCM coalition 21, UDF/RPR coalition 20;
French Senate—last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(2 total) UDF 1, PPM 1;
French National Assembly—last held on June 5 and 12, 1988 (next to be held in June 1993); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(4 total) PPM 1, FSM 1, RPR 1, UDF 1
_#_Communists: 1,000 (est.)
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Proletarian Action Group (GAP);
Alhed Marie-Jeanne Socialist Revolution Group (GRS), Martinique
Independence Movement (MIM), Caribbean Revolutionary Alliance (ARC),
Central Union for Martinique Workers (CSTM), Marc Pulvar; Frantz Fanon
Circle; League of Workers and Peasants
_#_Member of: FZ, WCL, WFTU
_#_Diplomatic representation: as an overseas department of France, Martinique's interests are represented in the US by France;
US—Consul General Raymond G. ROBINSON; Consulate General at 14 Rue Blenac, Fort-de-France (mailing address is B. P. 561, Fort-de-France 97206); telephone [590] 63-13-03
_#_Flag: the flag of France is used
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy relies on sugarcane, bananas, tourism, and light industry. Agriculture makes up about 12% of GDP, while the small industrial sector accounts for 10%. Sugar production has decreased, with most sugarcane now being used to make rum. Banana exports are rising, primarily going to France. The majority of meat, vegetables, and grains need to be imported, which contributes to a persistent trade deficit that requires significant annual aid from France. Tourism has become more important than agricultural exports for earning foreign currency. Most of the workforce is employed in the service sector and administration. In 1986, per capita GDP was relatively high at $6,000. During 1986, the unemployment rate was 30%, with particularly high rates among younger workers.
_#_GDP: $2.0 billion, per capita $6,000; real growth rate NA% (1986)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.9% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 30% (1986)
_#_Budget: revenues $268 million; expenditures $268 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $196 million (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities—refined oil products, bananas, rum, pineapples;
partners—France 65%, Guadeloupe 24%, FRG (1987)
_#_Imports: $1.3 billion (c.i.f., 1988);
commodities—oil products, food items, building materials, vehicles, clothing, and other consumer goods;
partners—France 65%, UK, Italy, West Germany, Japan, US (1987)
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 113,000 kW capacity; 564 million kWh produced, 1,660 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: construction, rum, cement, oil refining, sugar, tourism
_#_Agriculture, which includes fishing and forestry, makes up about 12% of GDP. The main crops are pineapples, avocados, bananas, flowers, vegetables, and sugarcane for rum. The sector relies on imported food, especially meat and vegetables.
_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $9.9 billion
_#_Currency: French franc (plural—francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1—5.1307 (January 1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 1,680 km total; 1,300 km paved, 380 km unpaved and dirt
_#_Ports: Fort-de-France
_Civil air: no major transport aircraft_
# Airports: 2 total; 2 usable; 1 with paved runways; 1 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways shorter than 2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: local facilities are sufficient; 68,900 telephones; interisland radio relay connections to Guadeloupe, Dominica, and Saint Lucia; stations—1 AM, 6 FM, 10 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: French Forces, Gendarmerie
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 95,235; not available for military service
_#Note: defense is the responsibility of France % @Mauritania *Geography #_Total area: 1,030,700 km2; land area: 1,030,400 km2
_#_Comparative area: just over three times the size of New Mexico
_#_Land boundaries: 5,074 km total; Algeria 463 km, Mali 2,237 km, Senegal 813 km, Western Sahara 1,561 km
_#_Coastline: 754 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: edge of the continental margin or 200 nautical miles;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: boundary with Senegal
_#_Climate: desert; always hot, dry, and dusty
_#_Terrain: mostly empty, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills
_#_Natural resources: iron ore, gypsum, fish, copper, phosphate
_#_Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops negligible%; meadows and pastures 38%; forest and woodland 5%; other 56%; includes irrigated negligible%
_#_Environment: hot, dry, dusty sirocco wind primarily blows in March and April; desertification; the only permanent river is the Senegal
_*People #_Population: 1,995,755 (July 1991), growth rate 3.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 49 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 18 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 94 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 44 years for males, 50 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 7.2 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Mauritanian(s); adjective—Mauritanian
_#_Ethnic divisions: mixed Maur/Black 40%, Maur 30%, Black 30%
_#_Religion: Muslim, nearly 100%
_#_Language: Hasaniya Arabic (national); French (official); Toucouleur, Fula, Sarakole, Wolof
_#_Literacy: 34% (male 47%, female 21%) of people age 10 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 465,000 (1981 est.); 45,000 wage earners (1980); agriculture 47%, services 29%, industry and commerce 14%, government 10%; 53% of the population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 30,000 members reported by a single union, Mauritanian Workers' Union
_*Government #_Long-form name: Islamic Republic of Mauritania
_#_Type: republic; military first took control in a non-violent coup 10 July 1978; a palace coup on 12 December 1984 brought President Taya to power
_#_Capital: Nouakchott
_#_Administrative divisions: 12 regions (regions, singular—region); Adrar, Brakna, Dakhlet Nouadhibou, El Acaba, Gorgol, Guidimaka, Hodh ech Chargui, Hodh el Gharbi, Inchiri, Tagant, Tiris Zemmour, Trarza; note—there may be a new capital district of Nouakchott
_#_Independence: November 28, 1960 (from France)
_#_Constitution: May 20, 1961, canceled after the coup on July 10, 1978; provisional constitution released on December 17, 1980, but dropped in 1981; new constitutional charter published on February 27, 1985
_#_Legal system: based on Islamic law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, November 28 (1960)
_#_Executive branch: president, Military Committee for National Salvation (CMSN), Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: one-chamber National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale), dissolved after the coup on July 10, 1978; legislative power is held by the CMSN
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Supreme Court)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Col. Maaouya Ould
SidAhmed TAYA (since December 12, 1984)
_#_Political parties and leaders: suspended
_#_Suffrage: none
_#_Elections: last presidential election August 1976; National Assembly dissolved July 10, 1978; no national elections are scheduled
_#_Communists: no Communist party, but there are some Maoist supporters scattered around
_#_Member of: ABEDA, ACCT (associate), ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU,
CAEU, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS,
NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Abdellah OULD DADDAH; Chancery at 2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 232-5700;
US—Ambassador William H. TWADDELL; Embassy at address NA, Nouakchott (mailing address is B. P. 222, Nouakchott); phone [222] (2) 252-660 or 252-663
_#_Flag: green with a yellow five-pointed star above a yellow, horizontal crescent; the closed side of the crescent is down; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam
_*Economy #_Overview: A large part of the population still relies on farming and livestock for their livelihood, even though many nomads and subsistence farmers were pushed into cities due to repeated droughts in the 1970s and 1980s. Mauritania has significant iron ore deposits that make up nearly 50% of its total exports. However, the drop in global demand for this ore has led to reduced production. The country's coast is home to some of the richest fishing areas in the world, but overfishing by foreign companies threatens this vital source of income. The first deepwater port was established near Nouakchott in 1986. In recent years, droughts, conflict with Senegal, rising energy costs, and poor economic management have led to a substantial increase in foreign debt. The government has now initiated the second phase of an economic reform program in partnership with the World Bank, the IMF, and major donor countries.
_GDP: $942 million, per person $500; real growth rate 3.5% (1989 est.)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.2% (1989 estimate)
_#_Unemployment rate: 21% (1989 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $280 million; expenditures $346 million, including capital expenditures of $61 million (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $519 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—iron ore, processed fish, small amounts of gum arabic and gypsum, unrecorded but notable cattle exports to Senegal;
partners—EC 57%, Japan 39%, Ivory Coast 2%
_#_Imports: $567 million (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—food, consumer products, oil products, capital goods;
partners—EC 79%, Africa 5%, US 4%, Japan 2%
_#_External debt: $2.3 billion (December 1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 4.4% (1988 est.); makes up 10% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 189,000 kW capacity; 136 million kWh produced, 70 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: fishing, fish processing, iron ore mining, and gypsum mining
_#_Agriculture: makes up 29% of GDP (including fishing); mostly consists of subsistence farming and nomadic herding of cattle and sheep, except in the Senegal River valley; crops include dates, millet, sorghum, and root vegetables; fish products are the top export; significant food shortages occur in drought years.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $168 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.2 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $490 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $277 million
_#_Currency: ouguiya (plural—ouguiya); 1 ouguiya (UM) = 5 khoums
_#_Exchange rates: ouguiya (UM) per US$1—77.450 (January 1991), 80.609 (1990), 83.051 (1989), 75.261 (1988), 73.878 (1987), 74.375 (1986), 77.085 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 670 km of 1.435-meter standard gauge, single track, owned and operated by the government mining company
_#_Highways: 7,525 km total; 1,685 km paved; 1,040 km gravel, crushed stone, or otherwise improved; 4,800 km unimproved roads, trails, tracks
_#_Inland waterways: mainly ferry services on the Senegal River
_#_Ports: Nouadhibou, Nouakchott
_#_Merchant marine: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 1,290 GRT/1,840 DWT
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 30 total, 29 operational; 9 with permanent runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 4 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 17 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m.
_#_Telecommunications: limited system of cables and open-wire lines, small radio relay connections, and radio communication stations; 5,200 telephones; stations—2 AM, no FM, 1 TV; satellite earth stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 2 ARABSAT, with a third planned
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Guard, National Police, Presidential Guard, Nomad Security Guard
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 423,501; 206,733 eligible for military service; conscription law not in effect
_#Defense spending: $37 million, 4.2% of GDP (1987) % @Mauritius *Geography #_Total area: 1,860 km²; land area: 1,850 km²; includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues
_#_Comparative area: just under 10.5 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 177 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: edge of the continental margin or 200 nautical miles;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claims the Chagos Archipelago, which includes the island of Diego Garcia in the UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory; claims French-administered Tromelin Island
_#_Climate: tropical, influenced by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, and humid summer (November to May)
_#_Terrain: a small coastal plain that rises to scattered mountains surrounding the central plateau.
_#_Natural resources: arable land, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 54%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and woodland 31%; other 7%; includes irrigated 9%
_#_Environment: prone to cyclones (November to April); nearly completely surrounded by reefs
_#_Note: located 900 km east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean
_*People #_Population: 1,081,000 (July 1991), growth rate 0.8% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 19 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 4 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 20 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 66 years for males, 74 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Mauritian(s); adjective—Mauritian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%, Franco-Mauritian 2%
_#_Religion: Hindu 52%, Christian (Roman Catholic 26%, Protestant 2.3%) 28.3%, Muslim 16.6%, other 3.1%
_#_Language: English (official), Creole, French, Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bojpoori
_#_Literacy: 61% (male 72%, female 50%) age 13 and older can read and write (1962)
_#_Labor force: 335,000; government services 29%, agriculture and fishing 27%, manufacturing 22%, other 22%; 43% of working-age population (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 35% of the workforce in over 270 unions
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: parliamentary democracy
_#_Capital: Port Louis
_#_Administrative divisions: 9 districts and 3 dependencies*;
Agalega Islands*, Black River, Cargados Carajos*, Flacq, Grand Port,
Moka, Pamplemousses, Plaines Wilhelms, Port Louis, Riviere du Rempart,
Rodrigues*, Savanne
_#_Independence: March 12, 1968 (from the UK)
_#_Constitution: 12 March 1968
_#_Legal system: based on the French civil law system with aspects of English common law in some areas.
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, March 12, 1968
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Veerasamy RINGADOO (since January 17, 1986);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since June 12, 1982); Deputy Prime Minister Prem NABABSING (since September 26, 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
government coalition—Militant Socialist Movement (MSM), A.
JUGNAUTH; Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM), Paul BERENGER;
Organization of the People of Rodrigues (OPR), Louis Serge CLAIR;
Democratic Labor Movement (MTD), Anil BAICHOO;
opposition—Mauritian Labor Party (MLP), Navin RAMGOOLMAN; Socialist Workers Front, Sylvio MICHEL; Mauritian Social Democratic Party (PMSD), G. DUVAL
_#_Suffrage universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Legislative Assembly—last held on September 15, 1991 (next to be held by September 15, 1996); results—MSM/MMM 53%, MLP/PMSD 38%; seats—(70 total, 62 elected) MSM/MMM alliance 59 (MSM 29, MMM 26, OPR 2, MTD 2); opposition 3
_#_Communists: there might be about 2,000 supporters; various Communist groups including the Mauritius Lenin Youth Organization, Mauritius Women's Committee, Mauritius Communist Party, Mauritius People's Progressive Party, Mauritius Young Communist League, Mauritius Liberation Front, Chinese Middle School Friendly Association, and the Mauritius/USSR Friendship Society
_#_Other political or pressure groups: various labor unions
_#_Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Chitmansing JESSERAMSING; Chancery at Suite 134, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 244-1491 or 1492;
US—Ambassador Penne Percy KORTH; Embassy on the 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis; phone [230] 208-9763 to 208-9767
_#_Flag: four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy relies on sugar, manufacturing (mainly textiles), and tourism. Sugarcane is planted on about 90% of the arable land and makes up 32% of export earnings. The government’s development strategy focuses on industrialization (aimed at exports), agricultural diversification, and tourism. Economic performance in 1989 was strong, with a real growth rate of 5.0% and low unemployment.
_#_GDP: $2.1 billion, per capita $2,000; real growth rate 5.5% (FY89)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12.7% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 2.7% (1989 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $477 million; expenditures $540 million, including capital expenditures of $112 million (FY89)
_#_Exports: $993 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—textiles 44%, sugar 40%, light manufacturing 10%;
partners—EC and US have preferential treatment, EC 77%, US 15%
_#_Imports: $1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—manufactured goods 50%, capital equipment 17%, food items 13%, petroleum products 8%, chemicals 7%;
partners—EC, US, South Africa, Japan
_#_External debt: $670 million (December 1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 12.9% (FY87); makes up 25% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 233,000 kW capacity; 420 million kWh produced, 375 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: food processing (mostly sugar milling), textiles, clothing, chemicals, metal products, transportation equipment, non-electrical machinery, tourism
_#_Agriculture: makes up 10% of GDP; about 90% of cultivated land is used for sugarcane; other products include tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses, cattle, goats, and fish; it's a net food importer, particularly for rice and fish.
_#_Illicit drugs: illegal producer of cannabis for the international drug trade
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $76 million; Western (non-US) countries (1970-88), $628 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $54 million
_#_Currency: Mauritian rupee (plural—rupees); 1 Mauritian rupee (MauR) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Mauritian rupees (MauRs) per US$1—14.295 (January 1991), 14.839 (1990), 15.250 (1989), 13.438 (1988), 12.878 (1987), 13.466 (1986), 15.442 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Highways: 1,800 km total; 1,640 km paved, 160 km unpaved
_#_Ports: Port Louis
_#_Merchant marine: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 94,619 GRT / 140,345 DWT; includes 2 passenger-cargo, 2 cargo, 1 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 liquefied gas, 2 bulk
_#_Civil air: 4 major air transport planes
_#_Airports: 5 total, 4 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways between 2,440 and 3,659 m; 3 with runways between 1,220 and 2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: small system with great service; new microwave link to Reunion; high-frequency radio links to several countries; 48,000 telephones; stations—2 AM, no FM, 4 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station.
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: paramilitary Special Mobile Force, Special Support Units, National Police Force, National Coast Guard
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 302,588; 155,176 eligible for military service
_#Defense spending: $4 million, 0.2% of GDP (1988) % @Mayotte (territorial collectivity of France) *Geography #_Total area: 375 km²; land area: 375 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit more than twice the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 185.2 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claimed by Comoros
_#_Climate: tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during the northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November)
_#_Terrain: mostly hilly with old volcanic mountains and deep valleys
_#_Natural resources: negligible
_#_Land use: arable land NA%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures NA%; forest and woodland NA%; other NA%
_#_Environment: prone to cyclones during the rainy season
_#_Note: it's part of the Comoro Archipelago; situated in the Mozambique Channel about halfway between Africa and Madagascar.
_*People #_Population: 75,027 (July 1991), growth rate 3.9% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 50 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 12 deaths per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 87 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 54 years for males, 59 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.8 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Mahorais (sing., pl.); adjective—Mahoran
_#_Religion: 99% Muslim; the rest are Christian, mostly Roman Catholic
_#_Language: Mahorian (a Swahili dialect), French
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: NA
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: Territorial Collectivity of Mayotte
_#_Type: territorial collectivity of France
_#_Capital: Dzaoudzi
_#_Administrative divisions: none (territorial collectivity of France)
_#_Independence: none (territorial collectivity of France)
_#_Constitution: September 28, 1958 (French Constitution)
_#_Legal system: French law
_#_National holiday: Storming of the Bastille, July 14, 1789
_#_Executive branch: government commissioner
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral General Council (Conseil General)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Higher Court of Appeal)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Francois MITTERRAND (since May 21, 1981);
Head of Government—Prefect, Representative of the French
Government Daniel LIMODIN (since NA 1990);
President of the General Council Youssouf BAMANA (since NA 1976)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Mahoran Popular Movement (MPM), Younoussa BAMANA;
Party for the Mahoran Democratic Rally (PRDM), Daroueche MAOULIDA;
Mahoran Rally for the Republic (RMPR), Mansour KAMARDINE;
Union of the Center (UDC)
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
General Council—last held in June 1988 (next to be held in June 1993); results—percent of vote by party not available; seats—(17 total) MPM 9, RPR 6, other 2;
French Senate—last held on September 24, 1989 (next one to be held September 1992); results—percentage of votes by party NA; seats—(1 total) MPM 1;
French National Assembly—last held on June 5 and 12, 1988 (next to be held in June 1993); results—percentage of votes by party NA; seats—(1 total) UDC 1
_#_Communists: probably none
_#_Member of: FZ
_#_Diplomatic representation: as a territorial collectivity of France, Mahoran interests are represented in the US by France
_#_Flag: the flag of France is displayed
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy mainly revolves around agriculture, which includes fishing and livestock farming. Mayotte is not self-sufficient and relies heavily on imports for a significant portion of its food needs, primarily from France. The island's economy and future growth are largely dependent on financial support from France.
_GDP: $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate NA%
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues not available; expenditures $37.3 million, including capital expenditures of not available (1985)
_#_Exports: $4.0 million (f.o.b., 1984);
commodities—ylang-ylang, vanilla;
partners—France 79%, Comoros 10%, Reunion 9%
_#_Imports: $21.8 million (f.o.b., 1984);
commodities—construction materials, vehicles, rice, clothes, flour;
partners—France 57%, Kenya 16%, South Africa 11%, Pakistan 8%
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: NA kW capacity; NA million kWh produced, NA kWh per person
_#_Industries: newly established lobster and shrimp industry
_#_Agriculture: the most important sector; provides all export earnings; crops—vanilla, ylang-ylang, coffee, copra; imports a significant portion of food needs.
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $323.8 million
_#_Currency: French franc (plural—francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1—5.1307 (January 1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 42 km total; 18 km paved
_Civil air: no major transport aircraft_
_#_Airports: 1 with a permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Ports: Dzaoudzi
_#_Telecommunications: a small system managed by the French Department of Posts and Telecommunications; includes radio relay and high-frequency radio communications for connections with Comoros and international communications; 450 phones; stations—1 AM, no FM, no TV
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of France % @Mexico *Geography #_Total area: 1,972,550 km²; land area: 1,923,040 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit less than three times the size of Texas
_#_Land boundaries: 4,538 km total; Belize 250 km, Guatemala 962 km, US 3,326 km
_#_Coastline: 9,330 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: natural extension of the continental margin or 200 nautical miles;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claims Clipperton Island (French territory)
_#_Climate: ranges from tropical to desert
_#_Terrain: tall, rugged mountains, flat coastal plains, elevated plateaus, and desert
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber
_#_Land use: arable land 12%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 39%; forest and woodland 24%; other 24%; includes irrigated 3%
_#_Environment: prone to tsunamis along the Pacific coast and destructive earthquakes in the central and southern regions; natural water resources are scarce and polluted in the north, and in the center and extreme southeast, they're hard to access and of poor quality; widespread deforestation; erosion is common; desertification; serious air pollution in Mexico City and urban areas along the US-Mexico border.
_#_Note: strategic location on the southern border of the US
_*People #_Population: 90,007,304 (July 1991), growth rate 2.2% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 29 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 1 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 29 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 68 years for males, 76 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.4 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Mexican(s); adjective—Mexican
_#_Ethnic divisions: mestizo (Indian-Spanish) 60%, Amerindian or mostly Amerindian 30%, white or mostly white 9%, other 1%
_#_Religion: about 97% Roman Catholic, 3% Protestant
_#_Language: Spanish
_#_Literacy: 87% (male 90%, female 85%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1985 est.)
_#_Labor force: 26,100,000 (1988); services 31.4%, agriculture, forestry, hunting, and fishing 26%, commerce 13.9%, manufacturing 12.8%, construction 9.5%, transportation 4.8%, mining and quarrying 1.3%, electricity 0.3% (1986)
_#_Organized labor: 35% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: United Mexican States
_#_Type: federal republic with a centralized government
_#_Capital: Mexico
_#_Administrative divisions: 31 states (estados, singular—estado) and 1 federal district* (distrito federal); Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Colima, Distrito Federal*, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo León, Oaxaca, Puebla, Querétaro, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosí, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz, Yucatán, Zacatecas
_#_Independence: September 16, 1810 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution: 5 February 1917
_#_Legal system: a blend of U.S. constitutional theory and civil law; it includes judicial review of legislative acts and accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with some reservations.
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, September 16 (1810)
_#_Executive branch: president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congreso de la Union) consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Camara de Senadores) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Suprema Corte de Justicia)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Carlos SALINAS de
Gortari (since December 1, 1988)
_#_Political parties and leaders: (recognized parties)
Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), Luis Donaldo Colosio Murrieta;
National Action Party (PAN), Luis Alvarez;
Popular Socialist Party (PPS), Indalecio Sayago Herrera;
Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), Cuauhtemoc Cardenas Solorzano;
Cardenist Front for the National Reconstruction Party (PFCRN), Rafael Aguilar Talamantes;
Authentic Party of the Mexican Revolution (PARM), Carlos Enrique Cantu Rosas
_#_Suffrage: universal and mandatory (but not enforced) at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held on July 6, 1988 (next to be held in September 1994); results—Carlos SALINAS de Gortari (PRI) 50.74%, Cuauhtemoc CARDENAS Solorzano (FDN) 31.06%, Manuel CLOUTHIER (PAN) 16.81%; other 1.39%; note—several smaller parties ran a common candidate through a coalition called the National Democratic Front (FDN);
Senate—last held on July 6, 1988 (next to be held mid-year 1991); results—PRI 94%, FDN (now PRD) 6%; seats—(64 total) number of seats by party NA;
Chamber of Deputies—last held on July 6, 1988 (next to be held mid-year 1991); results—PRI 53%, PAN 20%, PFCRN 10%, PPS 6%, PARM 7%, PMS (now part of PRD) 4%; seats—(500 total) number of seats by party NA
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Roman Catholic Church,
Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM), Confederation of Industrial
Chambers (CONCAMIN), Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce
(CONCANACO), National Peasant Confederation (CNC), UNE (no expansion),
Revolutionary Workers Party (PRT), Mexican Democratic Party (PDM),
Revolutionary Confederation of Workers and Peasants (CROC), Regional
Confederation of Mexican Workers (CROM), Confederation of Employers of
the Mexican Republic (COPARMEX), National Chamber of Transformation
Industries (CANACINTRA), Business Coordination Council (CCE)
_#_Member of: AG (observer), CCC, CDB, CG, EBRD, ECLAC, FAO, G-3, G-6,
G-11, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO,
ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Gustavo PETRICIOLI Iturbide;
Chancery at 1911 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington DC 20006; phone
(202) 728-1600; there are Mexican Consulates General in Chicago, Dallas,
Denver, El Paso, Houston, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, San
Francisco, San Antonio, San Diego, and Consulates in Albuquerque,
Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Brownsville (Texas), Calexico (California),
Corpus Christi, Del Rio (Texas), Detroit, Douglas (Arizona), Eagle Pass
(Texas), Fresno (California), Kansas City (Missouri), Laredo, McAllen
(Texas), Miami, Nogales (Arizona), Oxnard (California), Philadelphia,
Phoenix, Presidio (Texas), Sacramento, St. Louis, St. Paul (Minneapolis),
Salt Lake City, San Bernardino, San Jose, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and
Seattle;
US—Ambassador John D. NEGROPONTE, Jr.; Embassy at Paseo de la
Reforma 305, 06500 Mexico City, D.F. (mailing address is P. O. Box 3087,
Laredo, TX 78044-3087); telephone [52] (5) 211-0042; there are US
Consulates General in Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Tijuana,
and Consulates in Hermosillo, Matamoros, Mazatlan, Merida, and Nuevo
Laredo
_#_Flag: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red; the coat of arms (an eagle sitting on a cactus with a snake in its beak) is centered in the white band
_*Economy #_Overview: Mexico's economy is a mix of state-owned industries (especially oil), private manufacturing and services, along with both large-scale and traditional agriculture. In the 1980s, Mexico faced serious economic challenges: the country accumulated significant external debts as global oil prices dropped; rapid population growth exceeded the domestic food supply; and issues like inflation, unemployment, and the urge to emigrate intensified. However, national output growth seems to be bouncing back, increasing from 1.4% in 1988 to 3.9% in 1990. The US is Mexico's primary trading partner, making up two-thirds of its exports and imports. After oil, the major sources of foreign exchange are border assembly plants and tourism. The government, working with international economic agencies, is rolling out programs to stabilize the economy and encourage growth. In 1991, the government also plans to start negotiations with the US and Canada regarding a free trade agreement.
_#_GDP: $236 billion, per person $2,680; real growth rate 3.9% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 30% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 15-18% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $44.3 billion; expenditures $55.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $7.8 billion (1989)
_#_Exports: $26.8 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—crude oil, oil products, coffee, shrimp, engines, cotton;
partners—US 66%, EU 16%, Japan 11%
_#_Imports: $29.8 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—grain, metal products, farm machinery, electrical equipment;
partners—US 62%, EU 18%, Japan 10%
_#_External debt: $96.0 billion (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 5.3% (1989); makes up 27% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 27,600,000 kW capacity; 108,976 million kWh produced, 1,240 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: food and drinks, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, oil, mining, textiles, clothing, transportation equipment, tourism
_#_Agriculture: contributes 9% of GDP and over 25% of the workforce; a large number of small farms operate at a subsistence level; major food crops include corn, wheat, rice, and beans; cash crops consist of cotton, coffee, fruits, and tomatoes; fish catch totals 1.4 million metric tons, ranking among the top 20 nations (1987)
_#_Illicit drugs: illegal farming of opium poppy and cannabis keeps happening despite government efforts to eliminate them; it's a key part of the route used to smuggle cocaine from South American dealers to US markets.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.1 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $7.1 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $110 million
_#_Currency: Mexican peso (plural—pesos); 1 Mexican peso (Mex$) = 100 centavos
_#_Exchange rates: market rate of Mexican pesos (Mex$) per US$1—2,940.9 (January 1991), 2,812.6 (1990), 2,461.3 (1989), 2,273.1 (1988), 1,378.2 (1987), 611.8 (1986), 256.9 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 20,680 km in total; 19,950 km of 1.435-meter standard gauge; 730 km of 0.914-meter narrow gauge
_#_Highways: 210,000 km total; 65,000 km paved, 30,000 km semi-paved or cobblestone, 60,000 km rural roads (improved dirt) or roads under construction, 55,000 km unimproved dirt roads
_#_Inland waterways: 2,900 km of navigable rivers and coastal canals
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 28,200 km; refined products, 10,150 km; natural gas, 13,254 km; petrochemical, 1,400 km
_#_Ports: Acapulco, Coatzacoalcos, Ensenada, Guaymas, Manzanillo, Mazatlan, Progreso, Puerto Vallarta, Salina Cruz, Tampico, Veracruz
_#_Merchant marine: 64 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 999,423 GRT/1,509,939 DWT; includes 4 short-sea passenger ships, 9 cargo ships, 2 refrigerated cargo ships, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 31 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 3 chemical tankers, 7 liquefied gas carriers, 3 bulk carriers, and 3 combination bulk carriers.
_#_Civil air: 174 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 1,815 total, 1,537 usable; 195 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways longer than 3,659 m; 33 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 276 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: a well-developed system with wide-reaching radio relay connections; linked to the Central American Microwave System; 6.41 million telephones; stations—679 AM, no FM, 238 TV, 22 shortwave; 120 domestic satellite terminals; earth stations—4 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: National Defense (includes Army and Air Force), Navy (includes Marines)
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 22,340,628; 16,360,596 eligible for military service; 1,107,163 reach military age (18) each year
_#Defense spending: $1 billion, 0.6% of GDP (1988) % @Federated States of Micronesia *Geography #_Total area: 702 km2; land area: 702 km2; includes Pohnpei, Truk, Yap, and Kosrae
_#_Comparative area: just under four times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 6,112 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; heavy rainfall throughout the year, especially in the eastern islands; located on the southern edge of the typhoon belt, experiencing occasional severe damage
_#_Terrain: islands range geologically from tall mountainous islands to low coral atolls; volcanic formations on Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Truk
_#_Natural resources: forests, ocean products, deep-sea minerals
_#_Land use: arable land NA%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures NA%; forest and woodland NA%; other NA%
_#_Environment: prone to typhoons from June to December; four major island groups with a total of 607 islands
_#_Note: located 5,150 km west-southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and Indonesia
_*People #_Population: 107,662 (July 1991), growth rate 2.5% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 34 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: -4 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 26 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 68 years for males, 73 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 5.0 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Micronesian(s); adjective—Micronesian; Kosraean(s), Pohnpeian(s), Trukese, Yapese
_#_Ethnic divisions: nine ethnic groups from Micronesia and Polynesia
_#_Religion: mainly Christian, split between Roman Catholic and Protestant; other denominations include Assembly of God, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist, Latter Day Saints, and the Baha'i Faith
_#_Language: English is the official and common language; most indigenous languages belong to the Austronesian language family, with the exceptions being the Polynesian languages; the major indigenous languages include Trukese, Pohnpeian, Yapese, and Kosrean
_#_Literacy: 90% (male 90%, female 85%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1980)
_#_Labor force: NA; two-thirds are government employees; 45,000 people are between the ages of 15 and 65
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: Federated States of Micronesia (no short-form name)
_#_Type: constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association started on November 3, 1986
_#_Capital: Kolonia (on the island of Pohnpei); note—a new capital is being constructed about 10 km southwest in the Palikir valley
_#_Administrative divisions: 4 states; Kosrae, Pohnpei, Chuuk, Yap
_#_Independence: November 3, 1986 (from the US-administered UN Trusteeship; formerly the Kosrae, Pohnpei, Truk, and Yap districts of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands)
_#_Constitution: 10 May 1979
_#_Legal system: based on modified Trust Territory laws, legislation, municipal, common, and customary laws
_#_National holiday: Proclamation of the Federated States of Micronesia, May 10 (1979)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Congress
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Bailey OLTER (since May 11, 1991); Vice President Jacob NENA (since May 11, 1991)
# Political parties and leaders: no formal parties
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held March 5, 1991 (next to be held March 1994); results—Vice President Bailey OLTER elected president;
Congress—last held on March 5, 1991 (next to be held March 1993); results—percent of vote N/A; seats—(14 total)
_#_Communists: none
_#_Member of: ESCAP (associate), ICAO, SPC, SPF, UN
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jesse B. MAREHALAU; Embassy at 706 G Street SE, Washington DC 20003; phone (202) 544-2640;
US—Ambassador Aurelia BRAZEAL; Embassy at address NA, Kolonia (mailing address is P. O. Box 1286, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia 96941); phone 691-320-2187
_#_Flag: light blue with four white five-pointed stars centered; the stars are arranged in a diamond pattern
_*Economy #_Overview: Financial support from the US is the main source of revenue, with the US committing to invest $1 billion in the islands during the 1990s. Additionally, in December 1990, the US authorized the use of disaster relief funds for Micronesia due to damage from Typhoon Russ. Moreover, Micronesia earns about $4 million each year from fees charged to foreign commercial fishing operations. Economic activity mainly consists of subsistence farming and fishing. The islands have few valuable mineral deposits to exploit, apart from high-grade phosphate. There’s potential for a tourism industry, but the remote location and lack of adequate facilities make development challenging.
_#_GNP: $150 million, per person $1,500; actual growth rate NA% (1989 est.); note—GNP figures show US spending
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: 80% (1988)
_#_Budget: revenues $110.8 million; expenditures N/A, including capital expenditures of N/A (1987 est.)
_#_Exports: $1.6 million (f.o.b., 1983);
commodities—copra;
partners—NA
_#_Imports: $48.9 million (c.i.f., 1983);
commodities—NA;
partners—NA
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 18,000 kW capacity; 40 million kWh produced, 380 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, handmade items from shells, wood, and pearls
_#_Agriculture: primarily a subsistence economy; copra, black pepper; tropical fruits and vegetables, coconuts, cassava, sweet potatoes, pigs, chickens
_#_Economic aid: under the terms of the Compact of Free Association, the US will provide $1.3 billion in grant aid from 1986 to 2001.
_#_Currency: US currency is used
_#_Exchange rates: The US dollar is in use
_#_Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
_*Communications #_Highways: 39 km of paved macadam and concrete roads on major islands; otherwise, 187 km of roads surfaced with stone, coral, or laterite.
_#_Ports: Colonia (Yap), Truk (Kosrae), Okat (Kosrae)
_#_Airports: 11 total, 10 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 6 with runways 1,220-2,439
_#_Telecommunications: 16,000 radio receivers, 1,125 TV sets (est. 1987); telephone network—960 telephone lines in both Kolonia and Truk; islands connected by shortwave radio (mainly for government use); stations—5 AM, 1 FM, 6 TV, 1 shortwave; 4 INTELSAT earth stations in the Pacific Ocean
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the US % @Midway Islands (territory of the US) *Geography #_Total area: 5.2 km²; land area: 5.2 km²; includes Eastern Island and Sand Island
_#_Comparative area: about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 15 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical, but softened by prevailing easterly winds
_#_Terrain: low, nearly level
_#_Natural resources: fish and wildlife
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: coral atoll
_#_Note: situated 2,350 km west-northwest of Honolulu at the western end of the Hawaiian Islands group, roughly one-third of the way between Honolulu and Tokyo; closed to the public
_*People #_Population: 453 US military personnel (1991)
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Navy, under the command of the Barbers Point Naval Air Station in Hawaii and managed jointly by the US Navy and the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (part of the US)
_#_Flag: the US flag is displayed
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy relies on offering support services for US naval operations based on the islands. All food and manufactured goods need to be imported.
_#_Electricity: supplied by US Military
_*Communications #_Highways: 32 km total
_#_Pipelines: 7.8 km
_#_Ports: Sand Island
_#_Airports: 3 total; 2 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways longer than 2,439 m; 2 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the US % @Monaco *Geography #_Total area: 1.9 km²; land area: 1.9 km²
_#_Comparative area: about three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
_#_Land boundary: 4.4 km with France
_#_Coastline: 4.1 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: Mediterranean with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers
_#_Terrain: hilly, rugged, rocky
_#_Natural resources: none
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: almost entirely urban
_#_Note: second-smallest independent country in the world (after Vatican City)
_*People #_Population: 29,712 (July 1991), growth rate 0.9% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 7 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 9 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 8 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 72 years for males, 80 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.1 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Monacan(s) or Monegasque(s); adjective—Monacan or Monegasque
_#_Ethnic divisions: French 47%, Monegasque 16%, Italian 16%, other 21%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 95%
_#_Language: French (official), English, Italian, Monegasque
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: NA
_#_Organized labor: 4,000 members in 35 unions
_*Government #_Long-form name: Principality of Monaco
_#_Type: constitutional monarchy
_#_Capital: Monaco
_#_Administrative divisions: 4 districts (district, singular—district); Fontvieille, La Condamine, Monaco-Ville, Monte-Carlo
_#_Independence: 1419, governed by the House of Grimaldi
_#_Constitution: 17 December 1962
_#_Legal system: based on French law; has not accepted mandatory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: National Day, November 19
_#_Executive branch: prince, state minister, government council (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: National Council (Conseil National)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Supreme Court)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Prince RAINIER III (since November 1949); Heir
Apparent Prince ALBERT Alexandre Louis Pierre (born March 14, 1958);
Head of Government Minister of State Jean AUSSEIL (since September 10, 1985)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
National and Democratic Union (UND),
Democratic Union Movement (MUD),
Monaco Action,
Monegasque Socialist Party (PSM)
_#_Suffrage: universal adult at 25 years old
_#_Elections:
National Council—last held on January 24, 1988 (next to be held on January 24, 1993); results—percent of vote by party N/A; seats—(18 total) UND 18
_#_Member of: ACCT, CSCE, ICAO, IMF (observer), IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Monaco has honorary consulates general in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco, along with honorary consulates in Dallas, Honolulu, Palm Beach, Philadelphia, and Washington;
US—no mission in Monaco, but the US Consul General in Marseille,
France, is assigned to Monaco; Consul General R. Susan WOOD; Consulate
General at 12 Boulevard Paul Peytral, 13286 Marseille Cedex (mailing
address APO NY 09777); telephone [33] (91) 549-200
_#_Flag: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to the flag of Indonesia, which is longer, and the flag of Poland, which has white (top) and red.
_*Economy #_Overview: Monaco, located on the French Mediterranean coast, is a popular vacation spot, drawing tourists to its casino and enjoyable climate. The Principality has effectively worked to expand into services and small, high-value-added, eco-friendly industries. The state has no income tax and low business taxes, thriving as a tax haven for individuals who have established residency and for foreign companies that have set up businesses and offices. About 50% of Monaco's annual revenue comes from value-added taxes on hotels, banks, and the industrial sector; about 25% of revenue comes from tourism. Living standards are high, roughly comparable to those in wealthy French metropolitan suburbs.
_GDP: $324 million, per person $11,000; real growth rate NA% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: full employment (1989)
_#_Budget: revenues $386 million; expenditures $426 million, which includes capital expenditures of $NA (1988 est.)
_#_Exports: $NA; complete customs integration with France, which collects and refunds Monacan trade duties; also takes part in EC market system through a customs union with France.
_#_Imports: $NA; complete customs integration with France, which collects and refunds Monacan trade duties; also takes part in the EC market system through a customs union with France.
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 10,000 kW backup capacity (1988); power provided by France
_#_Industries: tourism, pharmaceuticals, precision instruments, glassmaking, printing, finance
_#_Agriculture: NA
_#_Economic aid: NA
_#_Currency: French franc (plural—francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1—5.1307 (January 1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 1.6 km 1.435-meter gauge
_#_Highways: none; city streets
_#_Ports: Monaco
_#_Merchant marine: 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,268 GRT/4,959 DWT
_Civil air: no major transport aircraft_
_#_Airports: 1 operational airfield with paved runways
_#_Telecommunications: supported by the French communication network; automated telephone system; 38,200 phones; stations—3 AM, 4 FM, 5 TV; no communication satellite stations
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of France % @Mongolia *Geography #_Total area: 1,565,000 km²; land area: 1,565,000 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than Alaska
_#_Land boundaries: 8,114 km total; China 4,673 km, USSR 3,441 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Climate: dry; continental (big daily and seasonal temperature differences)
_#_Terrain: large semi-arid and desert plains; mountains to the west and southwest; Gobi Desert in the southeast
_#_Natural resources: oil, coal, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, phosphates, tin, nickel, zinc, tungsten, fluorspar, gold
_#_Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 79%; forest and woodland 10%; other 10%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: harsh and rugged
_#_Note: landlocked; strategically located between China and the Soviet Union
_*People #_Population: 2,247,068 (July 1991), growth rate 2.7% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 34 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 48 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 63 years for males, 67 years for females (1991)
_Total fertility rate: 4.6 children born per woman (1991)_
_#_Nationality: noun—Mongolian(s); adjective—Mongolian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Mongol 90%, Kazakh 4%, Chinese 2%, Russian 2%, other 2%
_#_Religion: mainly Tibetan Buddhist, with a small Muslim population (about 4%), and restricted religious activities due to the Communist regime.
_#_Language: Khalkha Mongol is spoken by over 90% of the population; other languages include Turkic, Russian, and Chinese.
_#_Literacy: 90% (male NA%, female NA%) (1989 est.)
_#_ Labor force: NA, but mainly herding/agricultural; more than half of the adult population is in the labor force, including a significant percentage of women; there is a shortage of skilled labor.
_#_Organized labor: 425,000 members of the Central Council of Mongolian Trade Unions (CCMTU) controlled by the government (1984)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Mongolian People's Republic; abbreviated MPR
_#_Type: in transition from a communist state to a republic
_#_Capital: Ulaanbaatar
_#_Administrative divisions: 18 provinces (aymguud, singular—aymag) and 3 municipalities* (hotuud, singular—hot); Arhangay, Bayanhongor, Bayan-Olgiy, Bulgan, Darhan*, Dornod, Dornogovi, Dundgovi, Dzavhan, Erdenet*, Govi-Altay, Hentiy, Hovd, Hovsgol, Omnogovi, Ovorhangay, Selenge, Suhbaatar, Tov, Ulaanbaatar*, Uvs
_#_Independence: March 13, 1921 (from China; formerly Outer Mongolia)
_#_Constitution: 6 July 1960
_#_Legal system: a mix of Russian, Chinese, and Turkish legal systems; no constitutional provision for judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: People's Revolution Day, July 11 (1921)
_#_Executive branch: chair and deputy chair of the Presidium of the People's Great Hural, prime minister, deputy prime ministers, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: People's Great Hural, People's Small Hural
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Punsalmaagiyn OCHIRBAT (since September 3, 1990); Vice President Radnaasumbereliyn GONCHIGDORJ (since September 7, 1990);
Head of Government—Premier Dashiyn BYAMBASUREN (since September 11, 1990);
_#_Political parties and leaders:
ruling party—Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP), Budragchagiin DASH-YONDON, general secretary;
opposition—Social Democratic Party (SDP), Batbayar; Mongolian Democratic Association, Sanjasuren DZORIG, chief coordinator; Mongolian Party of National Progress, Ganbold;
other—Mongolian Democratic Party (MDP), Batuul; Free Labor Party, Maam; note—opposition parties were legalized in May 1990
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 3 September 1990 (next to be held July 1994); results—Punsalmaagiyn OCHIRBAT elected by the People's Great Hural;
People's Great Hural—last held on July 29, 1990 (next to be held July 1994); results—MPRP 84.6%, MDP 3.8%, PNP 1.4%, SDP 1%, independents 9.2%; seats—(430 total) MPRP 343;
People's Small Hural—last held on July 29, 1990 (next to be held in July 1994); results—MPRP 62.3%, MDP 24.5%, SDP 7.5%, PNP 5.7%; seats—(50 total) MPRP 33
_#_Communists: MPRP membership 90,000 (1990 est.)
_#_Member of: AsDB, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBEC, IBRD, ICAO, IIB, ILO, IMF, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Gendengiyn NYAMDOO; Chancery, Tel. (202) 983-1962;
US—Ambassador Joseph E. LAKE; Deputy Chief of Mission
Michael J. SENKO; Embassy in Ulaanbaatar, c/o American Embassy
Beijing; Tel. 29095 and 29639
_#_Flag: three equal vertical stripes of red (next to the flagpole), blue, and red; in the middle of the red stripe next to the flagpole, there is a yellow five-pointed star above the national emblem (soyombo—a vertical arrangement of abstract and geometric symbols representing fire, sun, moon, earth, water, and the yin-yang symbol)
_*Economy #_Overview: Economic activity has traditionally focused on agriculture and livestock farming—Mongolia has the highest number of livestock per person in the world. In recent years, significant mineral resources have been developed with support from the Soviet Union. The mining and processing of coal, copper, molybdenum, tin, tungsten, and gold make up a large portion of industrial production. In early 1991, the Mongolian leadership was facing severe economic challenges, mainly due to chaotic economic conditions in the USSR, which was by far Mongolia's primary trade and development partner. For instance, the government doubled most prices in January 1991, and industrial production fell by 10% in the first quarter of 1991. Moscow is likely to cut aid in 1991.
_#_GDP: $2.2 billion, per capita $1,000 (1990 est.); real growth rate NA%
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: 10% (February 1991)
_#_Budget: deficit of $240 million (1991 est.)
_#_Exports: $784 million (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities—livestock, animal products, wool, hides, fluorspar, nonferrous metals, minerals;
partners—almost all do business with Communist countries (around 80% with the USSR)
_#_Imports: $1.14 billion (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities—machinery and equipment, fuels, food products, industrial consumer goods, chemicals, building materials, sugar, tea;
partners—almost all trade with Communist countries (around 80% with USSR)
_#_External debt: $16.8 billion (end of 1990); 98.6% owed to the USSR
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 657,000 kW capacity; 2,950 million kWh produced, 1,380 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: copper, animal product processing, construction materials, food and drinks, mining (especially coal)
_#_Agriculture: accounts for about 20% of GDP and provides livelihoods for about 50% of the population; livestock raising is dominant (sheep, goats, horses); crops include wheat, barley, potatoes, and fodder.
_#_Economic aid: about $300 million in trade credits and $34 million in grant aid from the USSR and other CEMA countries, plus $7.4 million from UNDP (1990)
_#_Currency: tughrik (plural—tughriks); 1 tughrik (Tug) = 100 mongos
_#_Exchange rates: tughriks (Tug) per US$1—7.1 (1991), 5.63 (1990), 3.00 (1989)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 1,750 km of 1.524-meter broad gauge (1988)
_#_Highways: 46,700 km total; 1,000 km paved; 45,700 km unpaved (1988)
_#_Inland waterways: 397 km of main routes (1988)
_#_Civil air: 25 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 81 total, 31 usable; 11 with paved runways; fewer than 5 with runways longer than 3,659 m; fewer than 20 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: stations—12 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV (with 18 provincial relays); relay of Soviet TV; 120,000 TVs; 186,000 radios; at least 1 earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Mongolian People's Army (includes Border Guards), Air Force
_#_Manpower availability: males ages 15-49, 535,376; 349,548 fit for military service; 25,275 reach military age (18) each year
_#Defense spending: $NA, NA% of GDP % @Montserrat (dependent territory of the UK) *Geography #_Total area: 100 km²; land area: 100 km²
_#_Comparative area: about 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 40 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; minimal daily or seasonal temperature changes
_#_Terrain: volcanic islands that are mostly mountainous, with some small coastal lowlands.
_#_Natural resources: negligible
_#_Land use: arable land 20%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 10%; forest and woodland 40%; other 30%
_#_Environment: exposed to intense hurricanes from June to November
_#_Note: located 400 km southeast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea
_*People #_Population: 12,504 (July 1991), growth rate 1.0% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 10 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 4 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 74 years for males, 80 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Montserratian(s); adjective—Montserratian
_#_Ethnic divisions: mostly Black with a few Europeans
_#_Religion: Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventist, and other Christian denominations
_#_Language: English
_#_Literacy: 97% (male 97%, female 97%) of people aged 15 and older have ever attended school (1970)
_#_Labor force: 5,100; community, social, and personal services 40.5%, construction 13.5%, trade, restaurants, and hotels 12.3%, manufacturing 10.5%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 8.8%, other 14.4% (1983 est.)
_#_Organized labor: 30% of the workforce, three trade unions with 1,500 members (estimated in 1984)
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: dependent territory of the UK
_#_Capital: Plymouth
_#_Administrative divisions: 3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter
_#_Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Constitution: 1 January 1960
_#_Legal system: English common law and statute law
_#_National holiday: Celebration of the Queen's Birthday (second Saturday of June)
_#_Executive branch: monarch, governor, executive council (cabinet), chief minister
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952), represented by Governor David TAYLOR (since NA 1990);
Head of Government—Chief Minister John A. OSBORNE (since N/A 1978)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
People's Liberation Movement (PLM), John OSBORNE;
Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), Howell BRAMBLE;
United National Front (UNF), Dr. George IRISH;
National Development Party (NDP), Bertrand OSBORNE
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Legislative Council—last held on August 25, 1987 (next to be held NA 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(11 total, 7 elected) PLM 4, NDP 2, PDP 1
_#_Communists: probably none
_#_Member of: CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC (associate), ICFTU, OECS, WCL
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (overseas territory of the UK)
_#_Flag: blue with the UK flag in the upper left corner and the Montserrat coat of arms in the middle of the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms shows a woman next to a yellow harp, with her arm around a black cross.
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is small and open, with economic activity focused on tourism and construction. Tourism is the most significant sector, contributing 20% of GDP in 1986. Agriculture made up around 4% of GDP, while industry accounted for 10%. The economy relies heavily on imports, making it susceptible to changes in global prices. Exports mainly consist of electronic components sold to the US.
_#_GDP: $54.2 million, per capita $4,500; real growth rate 12% (1988 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.6% (1988)
_#_Unemployment rate: 3.0% (1987)
_#_Budget: revenues $12.1 million; expenses $14.3 million, including capital expenses of $3.2 million (1988)
_#_Exports: $2.3 million (f.o.b., estimated in 1988);
commodities—electronic components, plastic bags, clothing, hot peppers, live plants, cattle;
partners—NA
_#_Imports: $30 million (cost, insurance, and freight, 1988 estimate);
commodities—machines and transport gear, food products, manufactured items, fuels, oils, and related materials;
partners—NA
_#_External debt: $2.05 million (1987)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 8.1% (1986); makes up 10% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 5,270 kW capacity; 12.2 million kWh produced, 980 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism; light manufacturing—rum, textiles, electronics
_#_Agriculture: makes up 4% of GDP; small-scale farming; food crops—tomatoes, onions, peppers; not self-sufficient in food, especially livestock products
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, Official Development Assistance (ODA) and Other Official Flows (OOF) bilateral commitments (1970-88), $75 million
_#_Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural—dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1—2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Highways: 280 km in total; around 200 km paved, 80 km gravel and dirt
_#_Ports: Plymouth
_#_Airports: 1 with a permanent-surface runway of 1,036 meters
_#_Telecommunications: 3,000 phones; stations—8 AM, 4 FM, 1 TV
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Police Force
_#Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK % @Morocco *Geography #_Total area: 446,550 km²; land area: 446,300 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than California
_#_Land boundaries: 2,002 km total; Algeria 1,559 km, Western Sahara 443 km
_#_Coastline: 1,835 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of exploitation;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claims and administers Western Sahara, but sovereignty is still unclear; ongoing armed conflict in Western Sahara; Spain controls five areas of sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of Morocco—the coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, which Morocco contests, and the islands of Penon de Alhucemas, Penon de Velez de la Gomera, and Islas Chafarinas.
_#_Climate: Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the inland areas
_#_Terrain: mostly mountains with fertile coastal plains
# Natural resources: phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt
_#_Land use: arable land 18%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 28%; forest and woodland 12%; other 41%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: northern mountains are geologically unstable and prone to earthquakes; desertification
_#_Note: key position along the Strait of Gibraltar
_*People #_Population: 26,181,889 (July 1991), growth rate 2.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 30 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 1 migrant per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 76 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
Life expectancy at birth: 63 years for males, 66 years for females (1991)
_#_ Total fertility rate: 3.8 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Moroccan(s); adjective—Moroccan
_#_Ethnic divisions: Arab-Berber 99.1%, non-Moroccan 0.7%, Jewish 0.2%
_#_Religion: Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2%
_#_Language: Arabic (official); various Berber dialects; French is the language of business, government, diplomacy, and higher education.
_#_Literacy: 50% (male 61%, female 38%) of individuals aged 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 7,400,000; agriculture 50%, services 26%, industry 15%, other 9% (1985)
_#_Organized labor: about 5% of the workforce, primarily within the Union of Moroccan Workers (UMT) and the Democratic Confederation of Labor (CDT)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Kingdom of Morocco
_#_Type: constitutional monarchy
_#_Capital: Rabat
_#_Administrative divisions: 37 provinces (aqalim, singular—iqlim) and 5 municipalities* (wilayat, singular—wilayah); Agadir, Al Hoceima, Azilal, Beni Mellal, Ben Slimane, Boulemane, Casablanca*, Chaouen, El Jadida, El Kelaa des Srarhna, Er Rachidia, Essaouira, Fes, Fes*, Figuig, Guelmim, Ifrane, Kenitra, Khemisset, Khenifra, Khouribga, Laayoune, Larache, Marrakech, Marrakech*, Meknes, Meknes*, Nador, Ouarzazate, Oujda, Rabat-Sale*, Safi, Settat, Sidi Kacem, Tanger, Tan-Tan, Taounate, Taroudannt, Tata, Taza, Tetouan, Tiznit
_#_Independence: March 2, 1956 (from France)
_#_Constitution: 10 March 1972
_#_Legal system: based on Islamic law and French and Spanish civil law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court
_#_National holiday: National Day (anniversary of King Hassan II's accession to the throne), March 3 (1961)
_#_Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, Cabinet of Ministers
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber House of Representatives (Majlis Nawab)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—King HASSAN II (since March 3, 1961);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Dr. Azzedine LARAKI (since September 30, 1986)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Morocco has 15 political parties;
the major ones are
Istiqlal Party, M'Hamed BOUCETTA;
Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP), Abderrahim BOUABID;
Popular Movement (MP), Secretariat General;
National Assembly of Independents (RNI), Ahmed OSMAN;
National Democratic Party (PND), Mohamed Arsalane EL-JADIDI;
Party for Progress and Socialism (PPS), Ali YATA;
Constitutional Union (UC), Maati BOUABID
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
Chamber of Representatives—last held on September 14, 1984 (originally scheduled for September 1990, but postponed until NA 1992); results—percent of votes by party NA; seats—(306 total, 206 elected) CU 83, RNI 61, MP 47, Istiqlal 41, USFP 36, PND 24, other 14.
_#_Communists: about 2,000
_#_Member of: ABEDA, ACCT (associate), AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC,
EBRD, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
IIB, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS,
OAS (observer), NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Mohamed BELKHAYAT; Chancery at 1601 21st Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 462-7979; there is a Moroccan Consulate General in New York;
US—Ambassador E. Michael USSERY; Embassy at 2 Avenue de Marrakech,
Rabat (mailing address is P. O. Box 120, Rabat, or APO New York 09284);
telephone [212] (7) 76-22-65; there are US Consulates General in
Casablanca
_#_Flag: red with a green pentacle (five-pointed, linear star) known as Solomon's seal in the center of the flag; green is the traditional color of Islam
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy made a moderate recovery in 1990 due to resolving a trade dispute with India over phosphoric acid sales, a rebound in textile sales to the EC, and lower prices for food imports. Additionally, a significant rise in worker remittances, increased aid from Arab donors, and favorable debt rescheduling agreements helped alleviate pressures on foreign payments. On the downside, rising oil import costs contributed to inflation. Dealing with the $21 billion foreign debt, high unemployment, and Morocco's sensitivity to external factors continue to be serious issues for the 1990s.
_#_GDP: $25.4 billion, per capita $990; real growth rate 2.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.6% (1990 estimate)
_#_Unemployment rate: 16% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $6.6 billion; expenditures $7.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.8 billion (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $4.0 billion (f.o.b., 1990 estimate);
commodities—food and drinks 30%, semi-processed goods 23%, consumer products 21%, phosphates 17%;
partners—EC 58%, India 7%, Japan 5%, USSR 3%, US 2%
_#_Imports: $5.9 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—capital goods 24%, semiprocessed goods 22%, raw materials 16%, fuel and lubricants 16%, food and beverages 13%, consumer goods 9%;
partners—EC 53%, US 11%, Canada 4%, Iraq 3%, USSR 3%, Japan 2%
_#_External debt: $21 billion (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 4% (1989 est.); makes up about 20% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 2,262,000 kW capacity; 8,140 million kWh produced, 320 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: phosphate rock mining and processing, food processing, leather goods, textiles, construction, tourism
_#_Agriculture: 50% of jobs and 30% of export value; not self-sufficient in food; cereal farming and livestock farming dominate; barley, wheat, citrus fruits, wine, vegetables, olives; fishing catch of 491,000 metric tons in 1987
_#_Illicit drugs: illegal cannabis production; trafficking is rising for both local and international drug markets; shipments of cannabis are mainly headed to Western Europe; there are occasional transit points for cocaine from South America meant for Western Europe.
_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.3 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $7.0 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $4.8 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $2.5 billion
_#_Currency: Moroccan dirham (plural—dirhams); 1 Moroccan dirham (DH) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Moroccan dirhams (DH) per US$1—8.071 (January 1991), 8.242 (1990), 8.488 (1989), 8.209 (1988), 8.359 (1987), 9.104 (1986), 10.062 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 1,893 km of standard gauge (1.435 meters) with 246 km of double track and 974 km electrified.
_#_Highways: 59,198 km total; 27,740 km paved, 31,458 km gravel, crushed stone, enhanced dirt, and regular dirt
_#_Pipelines: 362 km of crude oil; 491 km (abandoned) of refined products; 241 km of natural gas
_#_Ports: Agadir, Casablanca, El Jorf Lasfar, Kenitra, Mohammedia, Nador, Safi, Tangier; also Spanish-controlled Ceuta and Melilla
_#_Merchant marine: 51 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 315,169 GRT/487,490 DWT; includes 10 cargo ships, 2 container ships, 12 refrigerated cargo ships, 6 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 3 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 11 chemical tankers, 4 bulk carriers, and 3 short-sea passenger vessels.
_#_Civil air: 23 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 75 total, 67 operational; 26 with paved runways; 2 with runways longer than 3,659 m; 13 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 27 with runways ranging from 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: a solid system made up of wired lines, cables, and radio relay links; main hubs are Casablanca and Rabat, with secondary hubs in Fes, Marrakech, Oujda, Tangier, and Tetouan; 280,000 telephones; broadcast stations—14 AM, 6 FM, 47 TV; 5 submarine cables; satellite ground stations—2 for the Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 for ARABSAT; radio relay to Gibraltar, Spain, and Western Sahara; coaxial cable to Algeria; microwave network connecting Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco.
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Royal Moroccan Army, Royal Moroccan Navy, Royal Moroccan Air Force, Royal Gendarmerie, Auxiliary Forces
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 6,437,152; 4,092,027 eligible for military service; 299,535 turn 18 each year; limited conscription
_#Defense expenditures: $1.4 billion, 5.2% of GDP % @Mozambique *Geography #_Total area: 801,590 km²; land area: 784,090 km²
_#_Comparative area: just under twice the size of California
_#_Land boundaries: 4,571 km total; Malawi 1,569 km, South Africa 491 km, Swaziland 105 km, Tanzania 756 km, Zambia 419 km, Zimbabwe 1,231 km
_#_Coastline: 2,470 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical to subtropical
_#_Terrain: mainly flat coastal areas, elevated land in the center, high plateaus in the northwest, and mountains to the west.
_#_Natural resources: coal, titanium
_#_Land use: arable land 4%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 56%; forest and woodland 20%; other 20%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: severe droughts and floods are happening in the south; desertification
_*People #_Population: 15,113,282 (July 1991), growth rate 4.6% (1991); note—900,000 Mozambican refugees in Malawi (1990 est.)
_#_Birth rate: 46 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 17 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 17 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 134 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 46 years for males, 49 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.4 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Mozambican(s); adjective—Mozambican
_#_Ethnic divisions: majority from indigenous tribal groups; Europeans about 10,000, Euro-Africans 35,000, Indians 15,000
_#_Religion: indigenous beliefs 60%, Christian 30%, Muslim 10%
_#_Language: Portuguese (official); many indigenous languages
_#_Literacy: 33% (male 45%, female 21%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: Not applicable, but 90% involved in agriculture
_#_Organized labor: 225,000 workers are part of a single union, the Mozambique Workers' Organization (OTM)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Mozambique
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Maputo
_#_Administrative divisions: 10 provinces (provincias, singular—provincia); Cabo Delgado, Gaza, Inhambane, Manica, Maputo, Nampula, Niassa, Sofala, Tete, Zambezia
_#_Independence: June 25, 1975 (from Portugal)
_#_Constitution: 30 November 1990
_#_Legal system: based on the Portuguese civil law system and customary law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, June 25 (1975)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica)
_#_Judicial branch: Courts for the people at all levels
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO (since November 6, 1986);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Mario da Graca MACHUNGO (since July 17, 1986)
_#_Political parties and leaders: The Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO)—once a Marxist organization closely aligned with the USSR—was the only legal party until November 30, 1990, when the new Constitution took effect, establishing a multiparty system. It's important to note that the government announced multiparty elections will be held in 1991; parties such as the Liberal Democratic Party of Mozambique (PALMO), the Mozambique National Union (UNAMO), and the Mozambique National Movement (MONAMO) have already emerged.
_Suffrage: universal adult voting at age 18_
_#_Elections: Electoral law—set to be approved in 1991—will allow for regular, direct elections for the presidency and the Assembly.
_#_Communists: about 200,000 FRELIMO members; note—FRELIMO no longer sees itself as a Communist party
_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, FLS, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Hipolito PATRICIO; Chancery at Suite 570, 1990 M Street NW, Washington DC 20036; phone (202) 293-7146;
US—Ambassador Townsend B. FRIEDMAN, Jr.; Embassy at Avenida Kenneth Kuanda, 193 Maputo (mailing address is P. O. Box 783, Maputo); telephone [258] (1) 49-27-97, 49-01-67, 49-03-50
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal stripes of green (top), black, and yellow with a red isosceles triangle on the left side; the black stripe is bordered in white; at the center of the triangle is a yellow five-pointed star featuring a crossed rifle and hoe in black layered over an open white book.
_*Economy #_Overview: One of Africa's poorest countries, with a per capita GDP of just over $100, Mozambique has not managed to leverage the economic potential of its significant agricultural, hydropower, and transportation resources. In fact, national output, consumption, and investment dropped during the first half of the 1980s due to internal unrest, lack of government control, and increasing foreign debt. A significant boost in foreign aid, spurred by an economic reform policy, has led to consecutive years of economic growth since 1985. However, agricultural output is still only about 75% of its 1981 level, requiring grain imports. The industrial sector operates at merely 20-40% of its capacity. The economy relies heavily on foreign assistance to survive.
_#_GDP: $1.6 billion, per capita $110; real growth rate 5.0% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 22.9% (1990 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 50% (1989 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $186 million; expenses $239 million, including capital expenses of $208 million (1988 est.)
_#_Exports: $90 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—shrimp 48%, cashews 21%, sugar 10%, copra 3%, citrus 3%;
partners—US, Western Europe, GDR, Japan
_#_Imports: $764 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.), including aid;
commodities—food, clothing, farm equipment, petroleum;
partners—US, Western Europe, USSR
_#_External debt: $5.1 billion (1990 estimate)
# Industrial production: growth rate 5% (1989 est.)
_#_Electricity: 2,265,000 kW capacity; 1,740 million kWh produced, 120 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: food, drinks, chemicals (fertilizer, soap, paints), oil products, textiles, nonmetallic mineral products (cement, glass, asbestos), tobacco
_#_Agriculture: makes up 90% of the workforce, 50% of GDP, and about 90% of exports; cash crops—cotton, cashew nuts, sugarcane, tea, shrimp; other crops—cassava, corn, rice, tropical fruits; not self-sufficient in food
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $350 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $3.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $37 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $890 million
_#_Currency: metical (plural—meticais); 1 metical (Mt) = 100 centavos
_#_Exchange rates: meticais (Mt) per US$1—1,700 (November 1990), 800.00 (1989), 528.60 (1988), 289.44 (1987), 40.43 (1986), 43.18 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 3,288 km total; 3,140 km 1.067-meter gauge; 148 km 0.762-meter narrow gauge; The Malawi-Nacala, Malawi-Beira, and Zimbabwe-Maputo lines might be closed due to insurgency.
_#_Highways: 26,498 km total; 4,593 km paved; 829 km gravel, crushed stone, stabilized soil; 21,076 km unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: around 3,750 km of navigable routes
_#_Pipelines: 306 km of crude oil (not in use); 289 km of refined products
_#_Ports: Maputo, Beira, Nacala
_#_Merchant marine: 5 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 7,806 GRT/12,873 DWT
_#_Civil air: 5 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 197 total, 145 usable; 27 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 5 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 27 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: fair system of troposcatter, open-wire lines, and radio relay; 57,400 telephones; stations—15 AM, 3 FM, 1 TV; earth stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 3 domestic
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Mozambique Armed Forces (including Army, Naval Command, Air Defense Forces, Border Guards), Militia
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 3,407,234; 1,957,123 qualified for military service
_#Defense spending: $NA, 8.4% of GDP (1987) % @Namibia *Geography #_Total area: 824,290 km²; land area: 823,290 km²
_#_Comparative area: just over half the size of Alaska
_#_Land boundaries: 3,935 km total; Angola 1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa 966 km, Zambia 233 km
_#_Coastline: 1,489 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: the short boundary with Botswana is unclear; the quadripoint with Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe is contested; Namibia claims Walvis Bay and 12 offshore islands managed by South Africa.
_#_Climate: desert; hot and dry; rainfall is limited and unpredictable
_#_Terrain: mainly a high plateau; Namib Desert along the coast; Kalahari Desert to the east
_#_Natural resources: diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, zinc, salt, vanadium, natural gas, fish; suspected deposits of oil, natural gas, coal, and iron ore
_#_Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops negligible%; meadows and pastures 64%; forest and woodland 22%; other 13%; includes irrigated negligible%
_#_Environment: unwelcoming with very few natural water sources; desertification
_#_Note: The Walvis Bay area is a part of South Africa located in Namibia
_*People #_Population: 1,520,504 (July 1991), growth rate 3.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 45 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 10 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 69 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 58 years for males, 63 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.6 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Namibian(s); adjective—Namibian
_#_Ethnic divisions: black 86%, white 6.6%, mixed 7.4%; about 50% of the population belongs to the Ovambo tribe and 9% from the Kavangos tribe
_#_Religion: predominantly Christian
_#_Language: English is the official language; Afrikaans is the common language for most of the population and about 60% of the white population, German 32%, English 7%; several indigenous languages.
_#_Literacy: 38% (male 45%, female 31%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1960)
_#_Labor force: 500,000; agriculture 60%, industry and commerce 19%, services 8%, government 7%, mining 6% (1981 est.)
_#_Organized labor: 20 trade unions representing around 90,000 workers
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Namibia
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Windhoek
_#_Administrative divisions: the previous administrative structure of 26 districts has been removed, and 14 temporary regions are still being established; note—the 26 districts were Bethanien, Boesmanland, Caprivi Oos, Damaraland, Gobabis, Grootfontein, Hereroland Oos, Hereroland Wes, Kaokoland, Karasburg, Karibib, Kavango, Keetmanshoop, Luderitz, Maltahohe, Mariental, Namaland, Okahandja, Omaruru, Otjiwarongo, Outjo, Owambo, Rehoboth, Swakopmund, Tsumeb, Windhoek
_#_Independence: March 21, 1990 (from South African rule)
_#_Constitution: ratified 9 February 1990
_#_Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and the 1990 constitution
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, March 21, 1990
_#_Executive branch: president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: two chambers; House of Review (upper house, to be created with elections in 1992 by new regional authorities); National Assembly (lower house elected by universal suffrage)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Sam NUJOMA (since March 21, 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: South-West Africa People's
Organization (SWAPO), Sam NUJOMA;
Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA), Dirk MUDGE;
United Democratic Front (UDF), Justus GAROEB;
Action Christian National (ACN), Kosie PRETORIUS;
National Patriotic Front (NPF), Moses KATJIUONGUA;
Federal Convention of Namibia (FCN), Hans DIERGAARDT;
Namibia National Front (NNF), Vekuii RUKORO
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 16 February 1990 (next to be held March 1995); Sam NUJOMA was elected president by the Constituent Assembly (now the National Assembly);
National Assembly—last held on November 7-11, 1989 (next one to be held by November 1994); results—percentage of votes by party NA; seats—(72 total) SWAPO 41, DTA 21, UDF 4, ACN 3, NNF 1, FCN 1, NPF 1
_#_Communists: no Communist party
_#_Other political or pressure groups: NA
_#_Member of: C, ECA (associate), FAO, FLS, IAEA, IBRD, ILO, IMF, ITU, NAM, OAU, SACU, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, WCL, WFTU, WHO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Tuliameni KALOMOH; Chancery at 1413 K Street NW, 7th Floor, Washington, DC 20005 (mailing address is PO Box 34738, Washington DC 20043); telephone (202) 289-3871;
US—Ambassador Genta Hawkins HOLMES; Embassy at Ausplan Building, 14 Lossen St., Windhoek (mailing address is P. O. Box 9890, Windhoek 9000, Namibia); phone [264] (61) 221-601, 222-675, 222-680
_#_Flag: a big blue triangle with a yellow sunburst occupies the upper left corner, and a solid green triangle fills the lower right corner; the triangles are divided by a red stripe that is bordered by two narrow white edges.
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy relies heavily on the mining industry to extract and process minerals for export. Mining contributes nearly 30% of GDP. Namibia is the fourth-largest exporter of non-fuel minerals in Africa and the fifth-largest producer of uranium worldwide. The alluvial diamond deposits are some of the richest globally, making Namibia a key source of gem-quality diamonds. Namibia also produces significant amounts of lead, zinc, tin, silver, and tungsten, and has substantial coal resources. More than half the population depends on agriculture (mainly subsistence farming) for their livelihoods.
_GNP: $1.8 billion, per capita $1,240; real growth rate - 2.0% (1990 est.)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 15.1% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: over 30% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $794.1 million; expenditures $999.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY91 est.)
_#_Exports: $1,021 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—uranium, diamonds, zinc, copper, cattle, processed fish, karakul skins;
partners—Switzerland, South Africa, FRG, Japan
_#_Imports: $894 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—food, oil and fuel, machinery and equipment;
partners—South Africa, FRG, US, Switzerland
_#_External debt: around $27 million at independence; according to a 1971 International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling, Namibia may not be responsible for debts accumulated during its colonial period.
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 486,000 kW capacity; 1.28 billion kWh produced, 930 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: meatpacking, fish processing, dairy products, mining (copper, lead, zinc, diamond, uranium)
_#_Agriculture: mainly subsistence farming; livestock raising is a significant source of cash income; crops include millet, sorghum, and peanuts; the fish catch potential exceeds 1 million metric tons but is not being met, with the 1987 catch only reaching 520,000 metric tons; not self-sufficient in food.
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $47.2 million
_#_Currency: South African rand (plural—rand); 1 South African rand (R) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: South African rand (R) per US$1—2.625 (January 1991), 2.5863 (1990), 2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988), 2.0350 (1987), 2.2685 (1986), 2.1911 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Railroads: 2,341 km of 1.067-meter gauge, single track
_#_Highways: 54,500 km; 4,079 km paved, 2,540 km gravel, 47,881 km earth roads and tracks
_#_Ports: Lüderitz; main maritime outlet is Walvis Bay (South Africa)
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 143 total, 123 operational; 21 with paved runways; 1 with runways longer than 3,659 m; 4 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 67 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: good services in urban areas, fair in rural areas; radio relay connects major towns, wires reach other population centers; 62,800 telephones; stations—2 AM, 40 FM, 3 TV
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: National Defense Force (Army), Police
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 309,978; 183,730 eligible for military service
_#Defense spending: $NA, 4.9% of GNP (1986) % @Nauru *Geography #_Total area: 21 km²; land area: 21 km²
_#_Comparative area: about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 30 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; monsoon climate; rainy season (November to February)
_#_Terrain: sandy beach slopes up to a rich area surrounding elevated coral reefs with a phosphate plateau in the center
_#_Natural resources: phosphates
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: only 53 km south of the Equator
_#_Note: Nauru is one of the three major phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean—the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Makatea in French Polynesia.
_*People #_Population: 9,333 (July 1991), growth rate 1.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 19 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 41 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 64 years for males, 69 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Nauruan(s); adjective—Nauruan
_#_Ethnic divisions: Nauruan 58%, other Pacific Islander 26%, Chinese 8%, European 8%
_#_Religion: Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic)
_#_Language: Nauruan, a unique Pacific Island language (official); English is widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes.
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: NA
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Nauru
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: there isn't a capital city; government offices are located in Yaren District
_#_Administrative divisions: 14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baiti, Boe, Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren
_#_Independence: January 31, 1968 (from UN trusteeship under Australia, New Zealand, and the UK); formerly Pleasant Island
_#_Constitution: 29 January 1968
_#_Legal system: its own Acts of Parliament and British common law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, January 31 (1968)
_#_Executive branch: president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Bernard DOWIYOGO (since December 12, 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders: none
_#_Suffrage: universal and mandatory at age 20
_#_Elections:
President—last held December 9, 1989 (next to be held December 1992); results—Bernard DOWIYOGO elected by Parliament;
Parliament—last held on December 9, 1989 (next to be held in December 1992); results—percent of vote not available; seats—(18 total) independents 18
_#_Member of: C (special), ESCAP, ICAO, INTERPOL, ITU, SPC, SPF, UPU
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador-designate Theodore Conrad MOSES residing in Melbourne (Australia); there is a Nauruan Consulate in Agana (Guam);
US—the US Ambassador to Australia is accredited to Nauru
_#_Flag: blue with a thin yellow stripe running horizontally across the center and a large white 12-pointed star below the stripe on the left side; the star represents the country's position relative to the Equator (the yellow stripe) and the 12 points symbolize the 12 original tribes of Nauru
_*Economy #_Overview: Revenue comes from phosphate exports, which are expected to run out by the year 2000. Phosphates have provided Nauruans with one of the highest per capita incomes in the developing world—$10,000 a year. There are few other resources available, so most necessities have to be imported, including fresh water from Australia. Restoring mined land and finding alternative sources of income after phosphates are gone are significant long-term challenges. Significant investments in trust funds, derived from phosphate income, will help ease this transition.
_#_GNP: over $90 million, per person $10,000; real growth rate NA% (1989)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: 0%
_#_Budget: revenues $69.7 million; expenditures $51.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY86 est.)
_#_Exports: $93 million (f.o.b., 1984);
commodities—phosphates;
partners—Australia, NZ
_#_Imports: $73 million (c.i.f., 1984);
commodities—food, fuel, products, construction materials, machinery;
partners—Australia, UK, NZ, Japan
_#_External debt: $33.3 million
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 14,000 kW capacity; 50 million kWh produced, 5,430 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: phosphate mining, financial services, coconuts
_#_Agriculture: minimal; nearly entirely reliant on imports for food and water
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries (1970-1988), $2 million
_#_Currency: Australian dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1—1.2834 (January 1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987), 1.4905 (1986), 1.4269 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Railroads: 3.9 km; used to transport phosphates from the center of the island to processing plants on the southwest coast
_#_Highways: about 27 km in total; 21 km paved, 6 km graded dirt
_#_Ports: Nauru
_#_Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 31,261 GRT/39,838 DWT; includes 1 passenger-cargo, 2 bulk
_#_Civil air: 3 major transport planes, one on order
_#_Airports: 1 with a paved runway of 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: sufficient intra-island and international radio communications provided through Australian facilities; 1,600 telephones; 4,000 radios; stations—1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: there are no regular armed forces; managed by the Nauru Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, N/A; N/A suitable for military service
_#Defense spending: no official defense system % @Navassa Island (U.S. territory) *Geography #_Total area: 5.2 km²; land area: 5.2 km²
_#_Comparative area: about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 8 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claimed by Haiti
_#_Climate: marine, tropical
_#_Terrain: elevated coral and limestone plateau, mostly flat with some rolling hills; surrounded by steep white cliffs (30 to 50 feet high)
_#_Natural resources: guano
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 10%; forest and woodland 0%; other 90%
_#_Environment: mainly exposed rock, but with enough grassland to support goat herds; thick clusters of fig-like trees, scattered cactus
_#_Note: strategic location between Cuba, Haiti, and Jamaica in the Caribbean Sea; 160 km south of the US Naval Base at Guantanamo, Cuba
_*People #_Population: uninhabited; temporary Haitian fishermen and others stay on the island
_*Government #_Long-name: none (U.S. territory)
_#_Type: unincorporated territory of the US managed by the US Coast Guard
_*Economy #_Overview: no economic activity
_*Communications #_Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the US % @Nepal *Geography #_Total area: 140,800 km²; land area: 136,800 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than Arkansas
_#_Land boundaries: 2,926 km total; China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Climate: ranges from cool summers and harsh winters in the north to subtropical summers and mild winters in the south
_#_Terrain: Terai or flat river plain of the Ganges in the south, central hill region, and rugged Himalayas in the north
_#_Natural resources: quartz, water, wood, hydroelectric capacity, beautiful scenery; minor deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore
_#_Land use: arable land 17%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 13%; forests and woodlands 33%; other 37%; includes irrigated 2%
_#_Environment: has eight of the world's 10 tallest mountains; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
_#_Note: landlocked; key location between China and India
_*People #_Population: 19,611,900 (July 1991), growth rate 2.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 39 births per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 15 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 98 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 51 years for males, 50 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 5.5 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Nepalese (sing. and pl.); adjective—Nepalese
_#_Ethnic divisions: Newars, Indians, Tibetans, Gurungs, Magars, Tamangs, Bhotias, Rais, Limbus, Sherpas, and many smaller groups
_#_Religion: the only official Hindu state in the world, although there's no clear distinction between many Hindu (about 90% of the population) and Buddhist groups (around 5% of the population); Muslims make up 3%, and others comprise 2% (1981)
_#_Language: Nepali (official); 20 languages with many different dialects
_#_Literacy: 26% (male 38%, female 13%) aged 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 4,100,000; agriculture 93%, services 5%, industry 2%; severe shortage of skilled workers
_#_Organized labor: Teachers' Union and many other unofficially recognized unions
_*Government #_Long-form name: Kingdom of Nepal
_#_Type: constitutional monarchy
_#_Capital: Kathmandu
_#_Administrative divisions: 14 zones (anchal, both singular and plural);
Bagmati, Bheri, Dhawalagiri, Gandaki, Janakpur,
Karnali, Kosi, Lumbini, Mahakali, Mechi,
Narayani, Rapti, Sagarmatha, Seti
_#_Independence: 1768, brought together by Prithvi Narayan Shah
_#_Constitution: 9 November 1990
_#_Legal system: based on Hindu legal principles and English common law; has not accepted mandatory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: King’s Birthday, December 28 (1945)
_#_Executive branch: king, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: The bicameral Parliament is made up of an upper house called the National Council and a lower house known as the House of Representatives.
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Supreme Court)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—King BIRENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev (since January 31, 1972, crowned King February 24, 1985); Heir Apparent Crown Prince DIPENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev, son of the King (born June 21, 1971);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala (since May 29, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
ruling party—Nepali Congress Party (NCP), Girija Prasad Koirala, Ganesh Man Singh, Krishna Prasad Bhattarai;
center—the NDP has two factions: National Democratic
Party/Chand (NDP/Chand), Lokinra Bahadur CHAND, and
National Democratic Party/Thapa (NDP/Thapa), Surya Bahadur THAPA;
Terai Rights Sadbhavana (Goodwill) Party, G. N. Naryan SINGH;
Communist—Communist Party of Nepal/United Marxist and
Leninist (CPN/UML), Man Mohan ADIKHARY;
United People's Front (UPF), N. K. PRASAI;
Rohit Party, N. M. BIJUKCHHE;
Democratic Party, leader NA
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
House of Representatives—last held on May 12, 1991 (next to be held in May 1996); results—NCP 38%, CPN/UML 28%, NDP/Chand 6%, UPF 5%, NDP/Thapa 5%, Terai Rights Sadbhavana Party 4%, Rohit 2%, CPN (Democratic) 1%, independent 4%, other 7%; seats—(205 total) NCP 110, CPN/UML 69, UPF 9, Terai Rights Sadbhavana Party 6, NDP/Chand 3, Rohit 2, CPN (Democratic) 2, NDP/Thapa 1, independent 3;
note—the new Constitution of November 9, 1990, establishes a multiparty democracy system in Nepal for the first time in 32 years.
_#_Communists: Communist Party of Nepal (CPN)
_#_Other political or pressure groups: many small, left-leaning student groups in the capital; several small, radical Nepalese anti-monarchy groups
_#_Member of: AsDB, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Mohan Man SAINJU; Chancery at 2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; phone (202) 667-4550; there is a Nepalese Consulate General in New York;
US—Ambassador Julia Chang BLOCH; Embassy at Pani Pokhari,
Kathmandu; phone [977] (1) 411179 or 412718, 411601, 411613, 413890
_#_Flag: red with a blue border outlining the distinct shape of two overlapping right triangles; the smaller upper triangle features a white stylized moon, and the larger lower triangle displays a white 12-pointed sun.
_*Economy #_Overview: Nepal is one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world, with a per capita income of less than $200. Real growth averaged 4% in the 1980s until FY89, when it dropped to 1.5% due to a trade/transit dispute with India. Although the deadlock is resolved, political instability and rising energy costs will likely keep growth below 4%. Agriculture is the backbone of the economy, supporting over 90% of the population and contributing to 60% of GDP. Industrial activity is limited, primarily revolving around the processing of agricultural products (jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain). Recently, textile and carpet production has increased, making up 87% of foreign exchange earnings in FY89. Besides agricultural land and forests, the only other exploitable natural resources are mica, hydropower, and tourism. Agricultural production in the late 1980s grew by about 5%, compared to a population growth rate of 2.6%. Over 40% of the population is undernourished, partly due to poor distribution. Economic prospects for the 1990s look bleak, with economic growth likely to barely keep pace with population growth.
_
GDP:
$3.0 billion, per capita $160; real growth rate 2.1% (FY90)__#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10.0% (FY90 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 5%; underemployment estimated at 25-40% (1987)
_#_Budget: revenues $316.5 million; expenditures $618.5 million, including capital expenditures of $398 (FY91 est.)
_#_Exports: $125 million (f.o.b., FY90), but does not include unreported border trade with India;
commodities—clothing, carpets, leather goods, grain;
partners—India 38%, US 23%, UK 6%, other Europe 9% (FY88)
_#_Imports: $454.3illion (c.i.f., FY90 est.);
commodities—petroleum products 20%, fertilizer 11%, machinery 10%;
partners—India 36%, Japan 13%, Europe 4%, US 1% (FY88)
_#_External debt: $2.5 billion (April 1990 estimate)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 6% (FY90 est.); makes up 7% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 280,000 kW capacity; 540 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarette, textiles, carpets, cement, brick; tourism
_#_Agriculture: makes up 60% of GDP and 90% of the workforce; farm products include rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root vegetables, milk, and buffalo meat; not self-sufficient in food, especially during drought years.
_#_Illicit drugs: illegal producer of cannabis for the local and global drug markets
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $304 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-88), $2.0 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $30 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $286 million
_#_Currency: Nepalese rupee (plural—rupees); 1 Nepalese rupee (NR) = 100 paisa
_#_Exchange rates: Nepalese rupees (NRs) per US$1—30.805 (January 1991), 29.370 (1990), 27.189 (1989), 23.289 (1988), 21.819 (1987), 21.230 (1986), 18.246 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 16 July-15 July
_*Communications #_Railroads: 52 km (1990), all 0.762-meter narrow gauge; all in Terai near the Indian border; 10 km from Raxaul to Birganj is government-owned
_#_Highways: 7,080 km total (1990); 2,898 km paved, 1,660 km gravel or crushed stone; also 2,522 km of seasonally drivable tracks
_Civil air: 5 major and 11 minor transport planes_
_#_Airports: 37 total, 37 usable; 5 with permanent runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 1 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 8 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: unreliable telephone and telegraph service; decent radio communication and broadcasting service; international radio communication service is subpar; 50,000 telephones (1990); stations—88 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Royal Nepalese Army, Royal Nepalese Army Air Service, Nepalese Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 4,669,421; 2,420,398 eligible for military service; 233,404 reach military age (17) each year
_#Defense spending: $38 million, 2% of GDP (FY91) % @Netherlands *Geography #_Total area: 37,290 km²; land area: 33,940 km²
_#_Comparative area: just under twice the size of New Jersey
_#_Land boundaries: 1,027 km total; Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km
_#_Coastline: 451 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specific;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: temperate; coastal; cool summers and mild winters
_#_Terrain: mainly coastal lowlands and reclaimed land (polders); with some hills in the southeast
_#_Natural resources: natural gas, crude oil, fertile soil
_#_Land use: arable land 25%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 34%; forest and woodland 9%; other 31%; includes irrigated 15%
_#_Environment: 27% of the land area is below sea level and is protected from the North Sea by dikes.
_#_Note: located at the mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse, Schelde)
_*People #_Population: 15,022,393 (July 1991), growth rate 0.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 13 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 1 migrant per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 74 years for males, 81 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women); adjective—Dutch
_#_Ethnic divisions: Dutch 96%, Moroccans, Turks, and others 4% (1988)
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 36%, Protestant 27%, other 6%, unaffiliated 31% (1988)
_#_Language: Dutch
_#_Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) ages 15 and up can read and write (1979 est.)
_#_Labor force: 5,300,000; services 50.1%, manufacturing and construction 28.2%, government 15.9%, agriculture 5.8% (1986)
_#_Organized labor: 29% of the workforce
_*Government #_Full name: Kingdom of the Netherlands
_#_Type: constitutional monarchy
_#_Capital: Amsterdam, but the government is based in The Hague
_#_Administrative divisions: 12 provinces (provincien, singular—provincie); Drenthe, Flevoland, Friesland, Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, North Brabant, North Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland, South Holland
_#_Dependent areas: Aruba, Netherlands Antilles
_#_Independence: 1579 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution: 17 February 1983
_#_Legal system: civil law system based on French criminal theory; judicial review in the Supreme Court focuses on lower-level legislation instead of Acts of the States General; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with some reservations.
_#_National holiday: Queen's Day, April 30 (1938)
_#_Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, vice prime minister, Cabinet, Cabinet of Ministers
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral legislature (Staten Generaal) consists of an upper chamber or First Chamber (Eerste Kamer) and a lower chamber or Second Chamber (Tweede Kamer)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (De Hoge Raad)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since April 30, 1980); Heir Apparent WILLEM-ALEXANDER, Prince of Orange, son of Queen Beatrix (born April 27, 1967);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Ruud (Rudolph) F. M. LUBBERS (since November 4, 1982); Vice Prime Minister Wim KOK (since November 2, 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), Willem van VELZEN; Labor (PvdA), Wim KOK; Liberal (VVD), Joris VOORHOEVE; Democrats '66 (D'66), Hans van MIERIO; Communist (CPN), Henk HOEKSTRA; a number of smaller parties
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
First Chamber—last held on June 9, 1987 (next to be held on June 9, 1991); results—elected by the country's 12 provincial councils; seats—(75 total) percentage of seats by party NA;
Second Chamber—last held on September 6, 1989 (next to be held by September 1993); results—CDA 35.3%, PvdA 31.9%, VVD 14.6%, D'66 7.9%, other 10.3%; seats—(150 total) CDA 54, PvdA 49, VVD 22, D'66 12, other 13
_#_Communists: about 6,000
_#_Other political or pressure groups: large multinational companies;
Federation of Netherlands Trade Union Movement (including Socialist and
Catholic trade unions) and a Protestant trade union; Federation of
Catholic and Protestant Employers Associations; the nondenominational
Federation of Netherlands Enterprises; and IKV—Interchurch Peace Council
_#_Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN,
COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMS, ESA, ESCAP, FAO, G-10, GATT,
IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NATO, NEA,
OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNTSO, UPU,
WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Johan Hendrick MEESMAN; Chancery at 4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 244-5300; there are Dutch Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco;
US—Ambassador C. Howard WILKINS, Jr.; Embassy at Lange Voorhout 102, The Hague (mailing address APO New York 09159); telephone [31] (70) 362-4911; there is a US Consulate General in Amsterdam
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue; similar to the flag of Luxembourg, which features a lighter blue and is longer.
_*Economy #_Overview: This well-developed and wealthy economy is driven by private businesses. The government is involved through various regulations, permit requirements, and welfare programs that impact most areas of economic activity. The trade and financial services sector makes up over 50% of GDP. Industrial activity accounts for about 25% of GDP, primarily led by the food processing, oil refining, and metalworking industries. The highly mechanized agricultural sector employs only 5% of the workforce but generates large surpluses for export and the domestic food processing industry. Currently, an unemployment rate of 6.8% and a significant budget deficit are the most pressing economic issues.
_#_GDP: $218.0 billion, per person $14,600; actual growth rate 3.1% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.2% (estimated for 1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 6.8% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $68 billion; expenditures $76 billion, including capital expenditures of $7 billion (1990)
_#_Exports: $107.8 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—farm products, processed foods and tobacco, natural gas, chemicals, metal goods, textiles, clothing;
partners—EC 74.9% (FRG 28.3%, Belgium-Luxembourg 14.2%, France 10.7%, UK 10.2%), US 4.7% (1988)
_#_Imports: $104.2 billion (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—raw materials and semi-finished products, consumer goods, transportation equipment, crude oil, food products;
partners—EC 63.8% (FRG 26.5%, Belgium-Luxembourg 23.1%, UK 8.1%), US 7.9% (1988)
_#_External debt: none
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 4.8% (1990 est.); makes up 25% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 22,216,000 kW capacity; 63,570 million kWh produced, 4,300 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, fishing, construction, microelectronics
_#_Agriculture: contributes 4% of GDP; livestock farming is the main focus; crops include grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, and vegetables; there are shortages of grains, fats, and oils
_#_Economic aid: donor—ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $19.4 billion
_#_Currency: Netherlands guilder, gulden, or florin (plural—guilders, gulden, or florins); 1 Netherlands guilder, gulden, or florin (f.) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Netherlands guilders, gulden, or florins (f.) per US$1—1.7018 (January 1991), 1.8209 (1990), 2.1207 (1989), 1.9766 (1988), 2.0257 (1987), 2.4500 (1986), 3.3214 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 3,037 km of track (including 1,871 km electrified and 1,800 km double track); 2,871 km of 1.435-meter standard gauge operated by Netherlands Railways (NS); 166 km privately owned
_#_Highways: 108,360 km total; 92,525 km paved (including 2,185 km of limited access, divided highways); 15,835 km gravel, crushed stone
_#_Inland waterways: 6,340 km, of which 35% can be used by vessels with a capacity of 1,000 metric tons or more
_#_Pipelines: 418 km of crude oil; 965 km of refined products; 10,230 km of natural gas
_#_Ports: maritime—Amsterdam, Delfzijl, Den Helder, Dordrecht, Eemshaven, Ijmuiden, Rotterdam, Scheveningen, Terneuzen, Vlissingen; inland—29 ports
_#_Merchant marine: 344 ships (1,000 GRT or more) with a total of 2,722,838 GRT/3,822,230 DWT; includes 2 short-sea passenger ships, 187 cargo ships, 32 refrigerated cargo ships, 23 container ships, 12 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 3 livestock carriers, 12 multifunction large-load carriers, 17 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 29 chemical tankers, 10 liquefied gas carriers, 2 specialized tankers, 3 combination ore/oil ships, 9 bulk carriers, 3 combination bulk carriers; note—many Dutch-owned ships are also registered in the Netherlands Antilles registry.
_#_Civil air: 98 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 28 total, 28 usable; 18 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 12 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m.
_#_Telecommunications: highly developed, well-maintained, and integrated; extensive system of multi-conductor cables, supplemented by radio relay links; 9,418,000 telephones; stations—6 AM, 20 (33 repeaters) FM, 22 (8 repeaters) TV; 5 submarine cables; communication satellite ground stations operating in INTELSAT (1 in the Indian Ocean and 2 in the Atlantic Ocean) and EUTELSAT systems
_*Defense Forces
#_Branches: Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (including
Naval Air Service and Marine Corps), Royal Netherlands Air Force, Royal
Constabulary
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 4,141,910; 3,658,056 eligible for military service; 105,829 turn 20 (military age) each year
_#Defense spending: $6.8 billion, 2.7% of GDP (1990) % @Netherlands Antilles (part of the Dutch Kingdom) *Geography #_Total area: 960 km2; land area: 960 km2; includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin)
_#_Comparative area: just under 5.5 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 364 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; influenced by northeast trade winds
_#_Terrain: generally hilly, volcanic interiors
_#_Natural resources: phosphates (only in Curacao), salt (only in Bonaire)
_#_Land use: arable land 8%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 92%
_#_Environment: Curacao and Bonaire are located south of the Caribbean hurricane belt, so they are rarely threatened; Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius can experience hurricanes from July to October.
_#_Note: consists of two island groups—Curaçao and Bonaire located off the coast of Venezuela, and Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are 800 km to the north.
_*People #_Population: 183,872 (July 1991), growth rate 0.2% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 18 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 10 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 8 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 74 years for males, 79 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Netherlands Antillean(s); adjective—Netherlands Antillean
_#_Ethnic divisions: mixed African 85%; the rest Carib Indian, European, Latin, and Asian
_#_Religion: mostly Roman Catholic; also Protestant, Jewish, and Seventh-Day Adventist.
_#_Language: Dutch (official); Papiamento, a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect dominates; English is widely spoken; Spanish
_#_Literacy: 94% (male 94%, female 93%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1981)
_#_Labor force: 89,000; government 65%, industry and commerce 28% (1983)
_#_Organized labor: 60-70% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: part of the Dutch kingdom—complete independence in internal matters granted in 1954
_#_Capital: Willemstad
_#_Administrative divisions: none (part of the Dutch kingdom)
_#_Independence: none (part of the Dutch realm)
_#_Constitution: December 29, 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended
_#_Legal system: based on the Dutch civil law system, with some influence from English common law.
_#_National holiday: Queen's Day, April 30 (1938)
_#_Executive branch: Dutch king or queen, governor, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet of Ministers
_#_Legislative branch: legislature (Staten)
_#_Judicial branch: Joint High Court of Justice
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since April 30, 1980), represented by Governor General Jaime SALEH (since October 1989);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Maria LIBERIA-PETERS (since May 17, 1988, previously served from September 1984 to November 1985)
_#_Political parties and leaders: political parties are local to each island:
Curacao—National People's Party (PNP), Maria
LIBERIA-PETERS;
New Antilles Movement (MAN), Domenico Felip MARTINA;
Workers' Liberation Front (FOL), Wilson (Papa) GODETT;
Socialist Independent (SI), George HUECK and Nelson MONTE;
Democratic Party of Curacao (DP), Augustin DIAZ;
Nos Patria, Chin BEHILIA;
Bonaire—Patriotic Union of Bonaire (UPB), C. V. Winklaar;
Democratic Party of Bonaire (PDB), John Evert (Jopie) ABRAHAM;
New Force, Rudy ELLIS;
Sint Maarten—Democratic Party of Sint Maarten (DP-St.M),
Claude WATHEY;
Patriotic Movement of Sint Maarten (SPM), Romeo PAPLOPHLET;
Sint Eustatius—Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius (DP-St.E),
Albert
K. Van PUTTEN; Windward Islands People's Movement (WIPM), Eric HENRIQUEZ;
Saba—Windward Islands People's Movement (WIPM Saba), Will
JOHNSTON; Saba Democratic Labor Movement, Vernon HASSELL; Saba Unity
Party, Carmen SIMMONDS
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Staten—last held on March 16, 1990 (next one scheduled for March 1994); results—percentage of votes by party NA; seats—(22 total) PNP 7, FOL-SI-Curacao 3, UPB 3, MAN 2, Democratic Party of Sint Maarten 2, Democratic Party of Curacao 1, SPM-Sint Maarten 1, WIPM 1, Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius 1, Nos Patria-Curacao 1; note—the government of Prime Minister Maria LIBERIA-PETERS is a coalition of several parties.
_#_Communists: small leftist groups
_#_Member of: CARICOM (observer), ECLAC (associate), ICFTU, INTERPOL, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCL, WMO, WTO (associate)
_#_Diplomatic representation: as a distinct part of the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antillean interests in the US are represented by the Netherlands;
US—Consul General Sharon P. WILKINSON; Consulate General at
Sint Anna Boulevard 19, Willemstad, Curacao (mailing address P. O.
Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao); telephone [599] (9) 613066
_#_Flag: white with a horizontal blue stripe in the center superimposed on a vertical red band also centered; five white five-pointed stars are arranged in an oval pattern in the center of the blue band; the five stars represent the five main islands of Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten
_*Economy #_Overview: Tourism, oil refining, and offshore finance are the key components of the economy. The islands have a high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure compared to other countries in the region. Unlike many Latin American countries, the Netherlands Antilles has managed to avoid significant international debt. Nearly all consumer and capital goods are imported, with the US as the main supplier.
_#_GDP: $1.0 billion, per capita $5,500; real growth rate 3% (1988 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.9% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 20% (1988)
_#_Budget: revenues $454 million; expenses $525 million, which includes capital expenses of $42 million (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $959 million (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities—petroleum products 98%;
partners—US 55%, UK 7%, Jamaica 5%
_#_Imports: $935 million (c.i.f., 1988);
commodities—crude petroleum 64%, food, manufactures;
partners—Venezuela 52%, Nigeria 15%, US 12%
_#_External debt: $701.2 million (December 1987)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 125,000 kW capacity; 365 million kWh produced, 1,990 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism (Curaçao and Sint Maarten), oil refining (Curaçao), oil transshipment facilities (Curaçao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curaçao)
# Agriculture: limited by poor soil and lack of water; main products—aloes, sorghum, peanuts, fresh vegetables, tropical fruit; not self-sufficient in food
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, official development assistance (ODA) and other official flows (OOF) bilateral commitments (1970-88), $428 million
_#_Currency: Netherlands Antillean guilder, gulden, or florin (plural—guilders, gulden, or florins); 1 Netherlands Antillean guilder, gulden, or florin (NAf.) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Netherlands Antillean guilders, gulden, or florins (NAf.) per US$1—1.79 (fixed rate since 1989; 1.80 fixed rate 1971-88)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 950 km in total; 300 km paved, 650 km unpaved and dirt
_#_Ports: Willemstad, Philipsburg, Kralendijk
_#_Merchant marine: 54 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 431,958 GRT/441,056 DWT; includes 4 passenger ships, 19 cargo ships, 8 refrigerated cargo ships, 6 container ships, 6 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 7 multifunction large-load carriers, 1 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas carrier, and 2 bulk carriers; note—all but a few are foreign-owned, mostly in the Netherlands
_#_Civil air: 5 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 7 total, 7 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 2 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: generally good facilities; extensive interisland radio relay connections; stations—9 AM, 4 FM, 1 TV; 2 submarine cables; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Royal Netherlands Navy, Marine Corps, Royal Netherlands Air Force, National Guard, Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49 49,249; 27,803 fit for military service; 1,634 reach military age (20) each year
_#Note: defense is the responsibility of the Netherlands % @New Caledonia (overseas territory of France) *Geography #_Total area: 19,060 km²; land area: 18,760 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than New Jersey
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 2,254 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; influenced by southeast trade winds; hot and humid
_#_Terrain: coastal plains with inland mountains
_#_Natural resources: nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper
_#_Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 14%; forest and woodland 51%; other 35%
_#_Environment: typhoons are most common from November to March
_#_Note: located 1,750 km east of Australia in the South Pacific Ocean
_*People #_Population: 171,559 (July 1991), growth rate 1.9% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 23 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 1 migrant per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 17 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 69 years for males, 76 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.8 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—New Caledonian(s); adjective—New Caledonian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%, Polynesian 3.8%, Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3.0%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10%
_#_Language: French; 28 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects
_#_Literacy: 91% (male 91%, female 90%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1976)
_#_Labor force: 50,469; foreign workers for plantations and mines from Wallis and Futuna, Vanuatu, and French Polynesia (1980 est.)
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Full name: Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies
_#_Type: overseas territory of France since 1956
_#_Capital: Noumea
_#_Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 3 provinces named Iles Loyaute, Nord, and Sud
_#_Independence: none (overseas territory of France); note— a referendum on independence will take place in 1998, with a review of the issue in 1992
_#_Constitution: September 28, 1958 (French Constitution)
_#_Legal system: the 1988 Matignon Accords provide significant autonomy to the islands; previously governed by French law
_#_National holiday: Storming of the Bastille, July 14 (1789)
_#_Executive branch: high commissioner, Consultative Committee (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Francois MITTERRAND (since May 21, 1981);
Head of Government High Commissioner and President of the Council of Government Bernard GRASSET (since July 15, 1988)
_#_Political parties:
white-dominated Rassemblement pour la Caledonie dans la Republique
(RPCR), conservative, Jacques LAFLEUR—affiliated with France's
Rassemblement pour la Republique (RPR);
Melanesian pro-independence Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front
(FLNKS), Paul NEAOUTYINE;
Melanesian moderate Kanak Socialist Liberation (LKS), Nidoish
NAISSELINE;
National Front (FN), far-right, Guy GEORGE;
Caledonie Demain (CD), right-wing, Bernard MARANT;
Union Oceanienne (UO), conservative, Michel HEMA;
Front Uni de Liberation Kanak (FULK), pro-independence, Yann
CELENE
# Suffrage: universal adult at age 18
_#_Elections:
Territorial Assembly—last held on June 11, 1989 (next to be held N/A in 1993); results—percentage of votes by party—RPCR 44.5%, FLNKS 28.5%, FN 7%, CD 5%, UO 4%, other 11%; seats—(total 54) RPCR 27, FLNKS 19, FN 3, other 5; note—election boycotted by FULK;
French Senate—last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(1 total) RPCR 1;
French National Assembly—last held June 5 and 12, 1988 (next to be held June 1993); results—percentage of vote by party—RPR 83.5%, FN 13.5%, other 3%; seats—(2 total) RPCR 2
_#_Communists: number unknown; Palita extreme left party; some politically active Communists were deported during the 1950s; small number of North Vietnamese
_#_Member of: FZ, SPC, WFTU, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: as an overseas territory of France, New Caledonian interests are represented in the US by France
_#_Flag: the flag of France is used
_*Economy #_Overview: New Caledonia has over 25% of the world's known nickel resources. In recent years, the economy has struggled due to low international demand for nickel, which is the main source of export income. Only a small fraction of the land is suitable for farming, and food makes up about 25% of imports.
_#_GNP: $973 million, per capita $5,790; real growth rate 2.4% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.1% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 16.0% (1989)
_#_Budget: revenues $224.0 million; expenditures $211.0 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1985)
_#_Exports: $344 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—nickel metal 87%, nickel ore;
partners—France 52.3%, Japan 15.8%, US 6.4%
_#_Imports: $389 million (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—foods, fuels, minerals, machines, electrical equipment;
partners—France 44.0%, US 10%, Australia 9%
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 400,000 kW capacity; 2.2 billion kWh produced, 12,790 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: nickel mining
_#_Agriculture: vast areas used for cattle grazing; coffee, corn, wheat, vegetables; 60% self-sufficient in beef
_#_Illicit drugs: illegal cannabis farming is becoming a major source of income for some families.
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $3.9 billion
_#_Currency: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (plural—francs); 1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1—93.28 (January 1991), 99.00 (1990), 115.99 (1989), 108.30 (1988), 109.27 (1987), 125.92 (1986), 163.35 (1985); note—linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 6,340 km total; only around 10% are paved (1987)
_#_Ports: Noumea, Nepoui, Poro, Thio
_#_Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 29 total, 27 operational; 6 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 1 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 32,578 telephones (1987); stations—5 AM, 3 FM, 7 TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Gendarmerie, Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 46,388; NA fit for military service
_#Note: defense is the responsibility of France % @New Zealand *Geography #_Total area: 268,680 km²; land area: 268,670 km²; includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands
_#_Comparative area: roughly the size of Colorado
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 15,134 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: the edge of the continental margin or 200 nautical miles;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency)
_#_Climate: mild with distinct regional differences
_#_Terrain: mainly mountainous with some large coastal plains
_#_Natural resources: natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydroelectric power, gold, limestone
_#_Land use: arable land 2%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 53%; forests and woodlands 38%; other 7%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: earthquakes happen often, but they're usually not severe.
_*People #_Population: 3,308,973 (July 1991), growth rate 0.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 15 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 3 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 72 years for males, 79 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.9 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—New Zealander(s); adjective—New Zealand
_#_Ethnic divisions: European 88%, Maori 8.9%, Pacific Islander 2.9%, other 0.2%
_#_Religion: Anglican 24%, Presbyterian 18%, Roman Catholic 15%, Methodist 5%, Baptist 2%, other Protestant 3%, unspecified or none 9% (1986)
_#_Language: English (official), Maori
_#_Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1970)
_#_Labor force: 1,591,900; services 67.4%, manufacturing 19.8%, primary production 9.3% (1987)
_#_Organized labor: 681,000 members; 43% of the workforce (1986)
_*Government #_Long-form name: none; abbreviated NZ
_#_Type: parliamentary democracy
_#_Capital: Wellington
_#_Administrative divisions: 93 counties, 9 districts*, and
3 town districts**; Akaroa, Amuri, Ashburton, Bay of Islands, Bruce,
Buller, Chatham Islands, Cheviot, Clifton, Clutha, Cook, Dannevirke,
Egmont, Eketahuna, Ellesmere, Eltham, Eyre, Featherston, Franklin, Golden
Bay, Great Barrier Island, Grey, Hauraki Plains, Hawera*, Hawke's Bay,
Heathcote, Hikurangi**, Hobson, Hokianga, Horowhenua, Hurunui, Hutt,
Inangahua, Inglewood, Kaikoura, Kairanga, Kiwitea, Lake, Mackenzie,
Malvern, Manaia**, Manawatu, Mangonui, Maniototo, Marlborough, Masterton,
Matamata, Mount Herbert, Ohinemuri, Opotiki, Oroua, Otamatea,
Otorohanga*, Oxford, Pahiatua, Paparua, Patea, Piako, Pohangina, Raglan,
Rangiora*, Rangitikei, Rodney, Rotorua*, Runanga, Saint Kilda,
Silverpeaks, Southland, Stewart Island, Stratford, Strathallan, Taranaki,
Taumarunui, Taupo, Tauranga, Thames-Coromandel*, Tuapeka, Vincent,
Waiapu, Waiheke, Waihemo, Waikato, Waikohu, Waimairi, Waimarino, Waimate,
Waimate West, Waimea, Waipa, Waipawa*, Waipukurau*, Wairarapa South,
Wairewa, Wairoa, Waitaki, Waitomo*, Waitotara, Wallace, Wanganui,
Waverley**, Westland, Whakatane*, Whangarei, Whangaroa, Woodville
_#_Dependent areas: Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau
_#_Independence: September 26, 1907 (from the UK)
_#_Constitution: there is no formal written constitution; it includes various documents, such as certain acts from the UK and New Zealand Parliaments; the Constitution Act 1986 was supposed to take effect on January 1, 1987, but it has not been enacted.
_#_Legal system: based on English law, with specific land laws and land courts for Maoris; accepts mandatory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty), 6 February (1840)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber House of Representatives (usually referred to as Parliament)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952), represented by Governor General Dame Catherine TIZARD (since December 12, 1990);
Head of Government—Prime Minister James BOLGER (since October 29, 1990); Deputy Prime Minister Donald McKINNON (since November 2, 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
National Party (NP; government), James BOLGER;
New Zealand Labor Party (NZLP; opposition), Michael MOORE;
New Labor Party (NLP), Jim ANDERTON;
Democratic Party, Neil MORRISON;
Green Party, no official leader;
Socialist Unity Party (SUP; pro-Soviet), Kenneth DOUGLAS
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
House of Representatives—last held on October 27, 1990 (next to be held in October 1993); results—NP 49%, LP 35%, Green Party 7%, New Labor 5%; seats—(97 total) NP 67, LP 29, NLP 1
_#_Communists: SUP around 140, other groups, about 200
_#_Member of: ANZUS (US suspended security obligations to NZ on 11 August 1986), APEC, AsDB, C, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, OECD, PCA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UNTSO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador-designate Denis Bazely Gordon McLEAN; Chancery at 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 328-4800; there are New Zealand Consulates General in Los Angeles and New York;
US—Ambassador Della M. NEWMAN; Embassy at 29 Fitzherbert Terrace,
Thorndon, Wellington (mailing address is P. O. Box 1190, Wellington, or
FPO San Francisco 96690-0001); phone [64] (4) 722-068; there is a US
Consulate General in Auckland
_#_Flag: blue with the UK flag in the upper left corner, with four red five-pointed stars outlined in white centered in the outer half of the flag; the stars symbolize the Southern Cross constellation.
_*Economy #_Overview: Since 1984, the government has been shifting from an agriculture-based economy that relied on a stable British market to a free market economy that can compete internationally. The government hoped that strong growth would increase real incomes, lower inflation, and allow for more welfare benefits. The results have been mixed: inflation is down from double-digit rates, but growth has been slow and unemployment, always a sensitive issue, has reached a record high of 7.4%. In 1988, GDP fell by 1%, grew by a moderate 2.4% in 1989, and was stagnant in 1990.
_GDP: $40.2 billion, per person $12,200; actual growth rate 0.7% (1990)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.5% (FY90)
_#_Unemployment rate: 7.4% (March 1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $17.6 billion; expenditures $18.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY91 est.)
_#_Exports: $8.8 billion (f.o.b., FY90);
commodities—wool, lamb, mutton, beef, fruit, fish, cheese, manufactured goods, chemicals, forestry products;
partners—EC 18.3%, Japan 17.9%, Australia 17.5%, US 13.5%, China 3.6%, South Korea 3.1%
_#_Imports: $8.1 billion (f.o.b., FY90);
commodities—oil, consumer products, cars, industrial equipment;
partners—Australia 19.7%, Japan 16.9%, EU 16.9%, US 15.3%, Taiwan 3.0%
_#_External debt: $17.4 billion (1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 1.9% (1990); makes up about 20% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 7,800,000 kW capacity; 28,000 million kWh produced, 8,500 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining
_#_Agriculture: makes up around 9% of GNP and 10% of the workforce; livestock is the main focus—wool, meat, and dairy products are all significant exports; crops include wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, and vegetables; a surplus producer of agricultural products; fish catch hit a record 503,000 metric tons in 1988.
_#_Economic aid: donor—ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $526 million
_#_Currency: New Zealand dollar (plural—dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1—1.6798 (January 1991), 1.6750 (1990), 1.6711 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987), 1.9088 (1986), 2.0064 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Railroads: 4,716 km total; all 1.067-meter gauge; 274 km double track; 113 km electrified; over 99% government-owned
_#_Highways: 92,648 km total; 49,547 km paved, 43,101 km gravel or crushed stone
_#_Inland waterways: 1,609 km; not very important for transportation
_#_Pipelines: 1,000 km of natural gas; 160 km of refined products; 150 km of condensate
_#_Ports: Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Wellington, Tauranga
_#_Merchant marine: 21 ships (1,000 GRT or more) with a total of 204,269 GRT/281,375 DWT; includes 5 cargo ships, 1 container ship, 4 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 1 railcar carrier, 4 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 1 liquefied gas carrier, and 5 bulk carriers.
_Civil air: around 40 main transport planes_
_#_Airports: 157 total, 157 usable; 33 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 2 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 46 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: outstanding international and domestic systems; 2,110,000 phones; 64 AM stations, 2 FM stations, 14 TV stations; submarine cables extend to Australia and Fiji; 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 874,443; 740,831 qualified for military service; 28,814 turn 20 and become eligible for military service each year.
_#Defense spending: $832 million, 1-2% of GDP (FY90) % @Nicaragua *Geography #_Total area: 129,494 km2; land area: 120,254 km2
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than New York State
_#_Land boundaries: 1,231 km total; Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km
_#_Coastline: 910 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 25 nautical mile security zone (claim status unclear);
Continental shelf: not specified;
Territorial sea: 200 nm
_#_Disputes: territorial disputes with Colombia over the San Andres and Providencia Archipelago and Quita Sueno Bank; unresolved maritime boundary in the Gulf of Fonseca
_#_Climate: tropical in lowland areas, cooler in highland regions
_#_Terrain: large Atlantic coastal plains that rise to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain disrupted by volcanoes
_#_Natural resources: gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 9%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 43%; forest and woodland 35%; other 12%; including irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: prone to devastating earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and sporadic severe hurricanes; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
_*People #_Population: 3,751,884 (July 1991), growth rate 2.8% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 37 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 60 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 60 years for males, 65 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.7 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Nicaraguan(s); adjective—Nicaraguan
_#_Ethnic divisions: mestizo 69%, white 17%, Black 9%, Indigenous 5%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant 5%
_#_Language: Spanish (official); minorities speaking English and Indian on the Atlantic coast
_#_Literacy: 57% (male 57%, female 57%) of those aged 15 and over can read and write (1971)
_#_Labor force: 1,086,000; service 43%, agriculture 44%, industry 13% (1986)
_#_Organized labor: 35% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Nicaragua
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Managua
_#_Administrative divisions: 9 administrative regions consisting of 16 departments (departamentos, singular—departamento); Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, Chontales, Estelí, Granada, Jinotega, León, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Río San Juan, Rivas, Zelaya; note—Zelaya may have been replaced by 2 autonomous regions (regiones autonomistas, singular—región autonomista) called North Atlantic Coast and South Atlantic Coast.
_#_Independence: September 15, 1821 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution: January 1987
_#_Legal system: civil law system; the Supreme Court can review administrative acts
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, September 15 (1821)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional)
# Judicial branch: Supreme Court and municipal courts
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Violeta
Barrios de CHAMORRO (since April 25, 1990);
Vice President Virgilio GODOY (since April 25, 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
ruling coalition—National Opposition Union (UNO) is a
14-party alliance—National Conservative Party (PNC), Silviano MATAMOROS;
Conservative Popular Alliance Party (PAPC), Myriam ARGUELLO;
National Conservative Action Party (PANC), Hernaldo ZUNIGA;
National Democratic Confidence Party (PDCN), Augustin JARQUIN;
Independent Liberal Party (PLI), Wilfredo NAVARRO;
Neo-Liberal Party (PALI), Andres ZUNIGA;
Liberal Constitutionalist Party (PLC), Jose Ernesto SOMARRIBA;
National Action Party (PAN), Eduardo RIVAS;
Nicaraguan Socialist Party (PSN), Gustavo TABLADA;
Communist Party of Nicaragua (PCdeN), Eli ALTIMIRANO;
Popular Social Christian Party (PPSC), Luis HUMBERTO;
Nicaraguan Democratic Movement (MDN), Roberto URROZ;
Social Democratic Party (PSD), Guillermo POTOY;
Central American Integrationist Party (PIAC), Alejandro PEREZ;
opposition parties—Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN),
Daniel ORTEGA;
Central American Unionist Party (PUCA), Blanca ROJAS;
Democratic Conservative Party of Nicaragua (PCDN), Jose BRENES;
Liberal Party of National Unity (PLUIN), Eduardo CORONADO;
Movement of Revolutionary Unity (MUR), Francisco SAMPER;
Social Christian Party (PSC), Erick RAMIREZ;
Revolutionary Workers' Party (PRT), Bonifacio MIRANDA;
Social Conservative Party (PSOC), Fernando AGUERRO;
Popular Action Movement—Marxist-Leninist (MAP-ML), Isidro TELLEZ;
Popular Social Christian Party (PPSC), Mauricio DIAZ
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 16
_#_Elections:
President—last held on February 25, 1990 (next one scheduled for February
1996);
results—Violeta Barrios de CHAMORRO (UNO) 54.7%, Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra
(FSLN) 40.8%, other 4.5%;
National Assembly—last held on February 25, 1990 (next one scheduled for February 1996); results—UNO 53.9%, FSLN 40.8%, PSC 1.6%, MUR 1.0%; seats—(92 total) UNO 51, FSLN 39, PSC 1, MUR 1
_#_Communists: 15,000-20,000
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Permanent Congress of Workers (CPT), Confederation of Labor Unification (CUS), Autonomous Nicaraguan Workers' Central (CTN-A), Independent General Confederation of Workers (CTG-I), Communist Labor Action and Unity Central (CAUS), Nicaraguan Workers' Central (CST); the Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP) is an umbrella organization comprising 11 different business groups, including the Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Industry, and the Nicaraguan Development Institute (INDE)
_#_Member of: BCIE, CACM, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT,
IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Ernesto PALAZIO; Chancery at 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 387-4371 or 4372;
US—Ambassador Harry W. SHLAUDEMAN; Embassy at Kilometer 4.5 Carretera Sur, Managua (mailing address is APO Miami 34021); phone [505] (2) 666010 or 666013, 666015 through 18, 666026, 666027, 666032 through 34
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal stripes of blue (top), white, and blue with the national coat of arms in the center of the white stripe; the coat of arms shows a triangle surrounded by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA at the top and AMERICA CENTRAL at the bottom; it's similar to the flag of El Salvador, which has a round emblem surrounded by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white stripe; it’s also similar to the flag of Honduras, which features five blue stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white stripe.
_*Economy #_Overview: Government control of the economy has historically been extensive, but the Chamorro government has promised to reduce it. The state directly controls the financial system and regulates wholesale purchasing, production, sales, foreign trade, and distribution of most goods. Over 50% of agricultural and industrial firms are state-owned. Sandinista economic policies and the war have led to a severe economic crisis. The backbone of the economy continues to be the export of agricultural commodities, mainly coffee and cotton. Farm production fell by about 7% in 1989, marking the fifth consecutive year of decline. The agricultural sector employs 44% of the workforce and accounts for 23% of GDP and 86% of export earnings. Industry, which employs 13% of the workforce and contributes approximately 25% to GDP, also saw a 7% drop in 1989 and remains below pre-1979 levels. External debt is among the highest in the world on a per capita basis. In 1990, the annual inflation rate soared to 11,800%, a sharp increase from 1,800% in 1989.
_#_GDP: $1.7 billion, per capita $470; real growth rate - 1.0% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11,800% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 35% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $244 million; expenses $550 million, including capital expenses of $73 million (1988)
_#_Exports: $298 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—coffee, cotton, sugar, bananas, seafood, meat, chemicals;
partners—OECD 75%, USSR and Eastern Europe 15%, others 10%
_#_Imports: $710 million (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—petroleum, food, chemicals, machinery, clothing;
partners—Latin America 30%, US 25%, EC 20%, USSR and Eastern Europe 10%, other 15% (1990 est.)
_#_External debt: $9 billion (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 7% (1989); makes up about 25% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 415,000 kW capacity; 1,342 million kWh produced, 360 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: food processing, chemicals, metal products, textiles, clothing, oil refining and distribution, drinks, footwear
_#_Agriculture: makes up 23% of GDP and employs 44% of the workforce; cash crops—coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton; food crops—rice, corn, cassava, citrus fruits, beans; a range of animal products—beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy; typically self-sufficient in food.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $294 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1,186 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $3.5 billion
_#_Currency: cordoba (plural—cordobas); 1 cordoba (C$) = 100 centavos
_#_Exchange rates: cordobas (C$) per US$1—13,300,000 (January 1991), 15,655 (1989), 270 (1988), 102.60 (1987), 97.48 (1986), 38.90 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 373 km of 1.067-meter gauge, government-owned; most of the system is not operational; 3 km of 1.435-meter gauge track at Puerto Cabezas (does not connect with the main line)
_#_Highways: 25,930 km total; 4,000 km paved, 2,170 km gravel or crushed stone, 5,425 km dirt or graded earth, 14,335 km unimproved; Pan-American highway 368.5 km
_#_Inland waterways: 2,220 km, including 2 large lakes
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 56 km
_#_Ports: Corinto, El Bluff, Puerto Cabezas, Puerto Sandino, Rama
_#_Merchant marine: 2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 2,161 GRT/2,500 DWT
_#_Civil air: 12 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 251 total, 162 usable; 10 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 12,000 ft; 2 with runways between 8,000-12,000 ft; 12 with runways between 4,000-8,000 ft
_#_Telecommunications: low-capacity radio relay and wire system being expanded; connection to the Central American Microwave System; 60,000 telephones; stations—45 AM, no FM, 7 TV, 3 shortwave; earth stations—1 Intersputnik and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 845,961; 521,425 eligible for military service; 44,222 turn 18 and reach military age each year.
_#Defense spending: $70 million, 3.8% of GDP (1991) % @Niger *Geography #_Total area: 1,267,000 km²; land area: 1,266,700 km²
_#_Comparative area: just under twice the size of Texas
_#_Land boundaries: 5,697 km total; Algeria 956 km, Benin 266 km, Burkina 628 km, Chad 1,175 km, Libya 354 km, Mali 821 km, Nigeria 1,497 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Disputes: Libya claims around 19,400 km2 in northern Niger; the marking of international boundaries in Lake Chad, which has caused border incidents in the past, is finished and awaiting approval from Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria; Burkina Faso and Mali are moving forward with boundary marking, including the tripoint with Niger.
_#_Climate: desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in the far south
_#_Terrain: mostly desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in the south; hills in the north
_#_Natural resources: uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates
_#_Land use: arable land 3%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 7%; forest and woodland 2%; other 88%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: ongoing drought and desertification seriously impacting marginal farming activities; overgrazing; soil erosion
_#_Note: landlocked
_*People #_Population: 8,154,145 (July 1991), growth rate 3.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 50 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 16 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 129 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 49 years for males, 53 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 7.0 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Nigerien(s) adjective—Nigerien
_#_Ethnic divisions: Hausa 56%; Djerma 22%; Fula 8.5%; Tuareg 8%; Beri Beri (Kanouri) 4.3%; Arab, Toubou, and Gourmantche 1.2%; about 4,000 French expats
_#_Religion: 80% Muslim, the rest are indigenous beliefs and Christians
_#_Language: French (official); Hausa, Djerma
_#_Literacy: 28% (male 40%, female 17%) aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 2,500,000 wage earners (1982); agriculture 90%, industry and commerce 6%, government 4%; 51% of the population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: negligible
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Niger
_#_Type: republic; presidential system where military officers occupy key positions
_#_Capital: Niamey
_#_Administrative divisions: 7 departments (departments, singular—department); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey, Tahoua, Zinder
_#_Independence: August 3, 1960 (from France)
_#_Constitution: adopted in December 1989 after 15 years of military rule
_#_Legal system: based on the French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted the compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
_#_National holidays: Republic Day, December 18, 1958
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, cabinet (Council of Ministers)
_#_Legislative branch: National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale)
_#_Judicial branch: State Court, Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Brig. Gen. Ali SAIBOU (since November 14, 1987);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Aliou Mahamidou (since March 2, 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: National Movement for the Development Society (MNSD), leader NA; other political parties are currently being formed.
_#_Suffrage: universal voting rights for all adults at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held December 1989 (next to be held NA 1996); results—President Ali SAIBOU was reelected without opposition;
National Assembly—last held on December 10, 1989 (next to be held NA); results—MNSD was the only party; seats—(150 total) MNSD 150 (indirectly elected); note—Niger is set to hold a national conference to determine a transitional government and a plan for multiparty elections.
_#_Communists: no Communist party; some supporters in the banned Sawaba party
_#_Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO,
FZ, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE; Chancery at 2204 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-4224 through 4227;
US—Ambassador Carl C. CUNDIFF; Embassy at Avenue des Ambassades, Niamey (mailing address is B. P. 11201, Niamey); telephone [227] 72-26-61 through 64
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal stripes of orange (top), white, and green with a small orange circle (representing the sun) in the center of the white stripe; similar to the flag of India which features a blue, spoked wheel in the center of the white stripe.
_*Economy #_Overview: About 90% of the population works in farming and livestock raising, which account for nearly half of the national income. The economy also relies heavily on the extraction of large uranium deposits. Uranium production surged in the mid-1970s but declined in the early 1980s as global prices fell. France is a key buyer, while Germany, Japan, and Spain also make consistent purchases. The low demand for uranium has led to overall sluggishness in the economy, a significant trade imbalance, and rising external debt.
_GDP: $2.0 billion, per capita $270; real growth rate - 3.3% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): - 2.8% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $220 million; expenditures $446 million, including capital expenditures of $190 million (FY89 est.)
_#_Exports: $308 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—uranium 75%, livestock products, cowpeas, onions;
partners—France 65%, Nigeria 11%, Ivory Coast, Italy
_#_Imports: $386 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
commodities—oil products, raw materials, machinery, vehicles and parts, electronics, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, grains, food items;
partners—France 32%, Ivory Coast 11%, Germany 5%, Italy 4%, Nigeria 4%
_#_External debt: $1.8 billion (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 3.0% (1989 est.); makes up 18% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 102,000 kW capacity; 225 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: cement, brick, textiles, food processing, chemicals, slaughterhouses, and a few other small light industries; uranium production started in 1971
_#_Agriculture: makes up about 40% of GDP and 90% of the workforce; cash crops include cowpeas, cotton, and peanuts; food crops consist of millet, sorghum, cassava, and rice; livestock includes cattle, sheep, and goats; generally self-sufficient in food except during drought years.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $380 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $3.0 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $504 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $61 million
_#_Currency: West African CFA franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1—256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
_*Communications #_Highways: 39,970 km total; 3,170 km paved, 10,330 km gravel and laterite, 3,470 km unpaved, 23,000 km trails
_#_Inland waterways: The Niger River is navigable for 300 km from Niamey to Gaya at the Benin border from mid-December to March.
_Civil air: no major transport aircraft_
_#_Airports: 31 total, 29 functional; 7 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 1 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: small system of wiring, radio communications, and radio relay links focused in the southwestern area; 11,900 telephones; stations—15 AM, 5 FM, 16 TV; satellite earth stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, and 4 domestic
_*Defense Forces
#_Branches: Army, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie, paramilitary
Republican Guard, paramilitary Presidential Guard, paramilitary National
Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,713,566; 923,634 eligible for military service; 90,801 reach military age (18) each year
_#Defense spending: $20.6 million, 0.9% of GDP (1988) % @Nigeria *Geography #_Total area: 923,770 km²; land area: 910,770 km²
_#_Comparative area: just over twice the size of California
_#_Land boundaries: 4,047 km total; Benin 773 km, Cameroon 1,690 km, Chad 87 km, Niger 1,497 km
_#_Coastline: 853 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of extraction;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 30 nm
_#_Disputes: The process of defining international boundaries in Lake Chad, which has caused border incidents in the past, is complete and awaiting approval from Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria. Nigerian proposals to restart talks on maritime boundaries and redefine the entire land boundary have been rejected by Cameroon.
_#_Climate: varies—equatorial in the south, tropical in the center, dry in the north
_#_Terrain: southern lowlands blend into central hills and plateaus; mountains in the southeast, plains in the north
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, tin, columbite, iron ore, coal, limestone, lead, zinc, natural gas
_#_Land use: arable land 31%; permanent crops 3%; meadows and pastures 23%; forest and woodland 15%; other 28%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: recent droughts in the north are seriously impacting marginal farming activities; desertification; soil degradation; rapid deforestation
_*People #_Population: 122,470,574 (July 1991), growth rate 3.0% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 46 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 16 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 118 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 48 years for males, 50 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.5 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Nigerian(s); adjective—Nigerian
_#_Ethnic divisions: over 250 tribal groups; the Hausa and Fulani in the north, Yoruba in the southwest, and Igbos in the southeast account for 65% of the population; around 27,000 non-Africans
_#_Religion: Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, Indigenous beliefs 10%
_#_Language: English (official); Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Fulani, and several other languages are also widely spoken
_#_Literacy: 51% (male 62%, female 40%) aged 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 42,844,000; agriculture 54%, industry, commerce, and services 19%, government 15%; 49% of the working-age population (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 3,520,000 workers are part of 42 recognized trade unions, all of which are under one national labor federation—the Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Federal Republic of Nigeria
_#_Type: military government since December 31, 1983
_#_Capital: Lagos; note—some government departments have moved to the new capital in Abuja
_#_Administrative divisions: 21 states and 1 territory*;
Abuja Capital Territory*, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bendel, Benue,
Borno, Cross River, Gongola, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kwara, Lagos,
Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto
_#_Independence: October 1, 1960 (from the UK)
_#_Constitution: October 1, 1979, amended February 9, 1984, revised 1989
_#_Legal system: based on English common law, Islamic law, and tribal law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, October 1 (1960)
_#_Executive branch: president of the Armed Forces Ruling Council, Armed Forces Ruling Council, National Council of State, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: The National Assembly was dissolved after the military coup on December 31, 1983.
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Federal Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President and Commander in
Chief of Armed Forces Gen. Ibrahim BABANGIDA (since August 27, 1985)
_#_Political parties and leaders: two political parties formed by the government in 1989—Social Democratic Party (SDP) and National Republican Convention (NRC)
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
President—scheduled for 1 October 1992;
National Assembly—scheduled for early 1992
_#_Communists: the pro-Communist underground is made up of a small part of the Nigerian left; leftist leaders have a significant presence in the country's central labor organization but hold little sway over the government.
_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77,
GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMO, IMF, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPEC,
PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Hamzat AHMADU; Chancery at 2201 M Street NW, Washington DC 20037; phone (202) 822-1500; there are Nigerian Consulates General in Atlanta, New York, and San Francisco;
US—Ambassador Lannon WALKER; Embassy at 2 Eleke Crescent, Victoria Island, Lagos (mailing address is P. O. Box 554, Lagos); telephone [234] (1) 610097; there is a US Consulate General in Kaduna
_#_Flag: three equal vertical bands of green (left side), white, and green
_*Economy #_Overview: Even though Nigeria is Africa's top oil producer, it still struggles with poverty, having a $280 per capita GDP. In 1990, despite rising oil prices and a significant drop in inflation, the country's economic performance was still weak, with ongoing underutilization of industrial capacity and another year of disappointing agricultural results. Agricultural production increased by only 4.2% in 1990, which was still lower than the 1987 level. Industrial output grew by 7.2%, but it remained below the 1985 level. Government efforts to reduce Nigeria's reliance on oil exports and to promote stable, noninflationary growth have not succeeded due to a lack of new investment funds. Living standards continue to decline from the higher levels reached during the early 1980s oil boom.
_GDP: $27.2 billion, per person $230; actual growth rate 2.7% (1990 est.)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 16% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $8.0 billion; expenditures $8.0 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $13.0 billion (f.o.b., 1990 estimate);
commodities—oil 95%, cocoa, rubber;
partners—EC 51%, US 32%
_#_Imports: $9.5 billion (cost, insurance, and freight, 1990 estimated);
commodities—consumer goods, machinery, chemicals, raw materials;
partners—EC, US
_#_External debt: $35 billion (estimated December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 7.2% (1990 est.); makes up 23% of GDP, including petroleum
_#_Electricity: 4,737,000 kW capacity; 11,270 million kWh produced, 100 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: crude oil and mining—coal, tin, columbite; primary processing industries—palm oil, peanuts, cotton, rubber, wood, hides and skins; manufacturing industries—textiles, cement, building materials, food products, footwear, chemicals, printing, ceramics, steel
_#_Agriculture: makes up 28% of GNP and employs half of the workforce; inefficient small-scale farming is the norm; was once a major food exporter and is now an importer; cash crops—cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, rubber; food crops—corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava, yams; livestock—cattle, sheep, goats, pigs; fishing and forestry resources are heavily exploited.
_#_Illicit drugs: illegal heroin and some cocaine trafficking; marijuana farming for local use and export; significant transit country for heroin traveling from Southwest Asia through Africa to Western Europe and the US; increasing transit route for cocaine from South America through West Africa to Western Europe and the US
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $705 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $2.5 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $2.2 billion
_#_Currency: naira (plural—naira); 1 naira (4) = 100 kobo
_#_Exchange rates: naira (4) per US$1—8.707 (December 1990), 8.038 (1990), 7.3647 (1989), 4.5370 (1988), 4.0160 (1987), 1.7545 (1986), 0.8938 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 3,505 km 1.067-meter gauge
_#_Highways: 107,990 km total 30,019 km paved (mostly bituminous-surface treatment); 25,411 km laterite, gravel, crushed stone, improved earth; 52,560 km unimproved
_#_Inland waterways: 8,575 km made up of the Niger and Benue Rivers along with smaller rivers and creeks
_#_Pipelines: 2,042 km of crude oil; 500 km of natural gas; 3,000 km of refined products
_#_Ports: Lagos, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Warri, Onne, Sapele
_#_Merchant marine: 28 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 420,658 GRT/668,951 DWT; includes 18 cargo ships, 1 refrigerated cargo ship, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo ship, 6 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 1 chemical tanker, 1 bulk
_#_Civil air: 76 large passenger airplanes
_#_Airports: 81 total, 68 usable; 32 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 14 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 21 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: an above-average system constrained by inadequate maintenance; significant expansion underway; radio relay and cable routes; 155,000 telephones; stations—37 AM, 19 FM, 38 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, domestic, with 19 stations; 1 coaxial submarine cable
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 28,070,431; 16,040,870 eligible for military service; 1,302,970 reaching military age (18) each year
_#Defense spending: $300 million, 1% of GNP (1990 estimate) % @Niue (free association with New Zealand) *Geography #_Total area: 260 km²; land area: 260 km²
_#_Comparative area: just under 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 64 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; influenced by southeast trade winds
_#_Terrain: steep limestone cliffs along the coast, central plateau
_#_Natural resources: fish, arable land
_#_Land use: arable land 61%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and woodland 19%; other 12%
_#_Environment: subject to typhoons
_#_Note: one of the world's largest coral islands; located about 460 km east of Tonga
_*People #_Population: 1,908 (July 1991), growth rate - 0.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: NA births per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: NA deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NA migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: NA deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: NA years for males, NA years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Niuean(s); adjective—Niuean
_#_Ethnic divisions: Polynesian, with around 200 Europeans, Samoans, and Tongans
_#_Religion: Ekalesia Nieue (Niuean Church)—a Protestant church closely linked to the London Missionary Society 75%, Mormon 10%, Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist 5%
_#_Language: Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and Samoan; English
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%) but education is mandatory for ages 5 to 14
_#_Labor force: 1,000 (1981 est.); most work on family farms; paid jobs are mainly found in government services, small industries, and the Niue Development Board.
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand; Niue is fully responsible for its internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs
_#_Capital: Alofi
_#_Administrative divisions: none
_#_Independence: became a self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand on October 19, 1974
_#_Constitution: October 19, 1974 (Niue Constitution Act)
_#_Legal system: English common law
_#_National holiday: Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty), February 6 (1840)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: Legislative Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: New Zealand Court of Appeal, High Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952), represented by New Zealand Representative John SPRINGFORD (since 1974);
Head of Government—Premier Sir Robert R. REX (since NA October 1974)
# Suffrage: universal adult at age 18
_#_Political parties and leaders: Niue Island Party (NIP), Young VIVIAN
_#_Elections:
Legislative Assembly—last held on April 8, 1990 (next to be held in March 1993); results—percent of vote N/A; seats—(20 total, 6 elected) independents 5, NIP 1
_#_Member of: ESCAP (associate), SPC, SPF
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)
_#_Flag: yellow with the UK flag in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the UK flag features five yellow five-pointed stars—a large one on a blue circle in the center and a smaller one on each arm of the bold red cross.
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy relies heavily on aid from New Zealand. Government spending regularly exceeds income, with the shortfall covered by grants from New Zealand—these grants are used to pay salaries for public workers. The agricultural sector mainly includes subsistence gardening, although some cash crops are cultivated for export. Industry primarily consists of small factories that process passion fruit, lime oil, honey, and coconut cream. Selling postage stamps to foreign collectors is an important source of revenue. In recent years, the island has experienced a significant loss of population due to Niueans migrating to New Zealand.
_#_GNP: $2.1 million, per person $1,000; real growth rate NA% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.6% (1984)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $5.5 million; expenditures $6.3 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY85 est.)
_#_Exports: $175,274 (f.o.b., 1985);
commodities—canned coconut cream, copra, honey, passion fruit products, pawpaw, root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts;
partners—NZ 89%, Fiji, Cook Islands, Australia
_#_Imports: $3.8 million (c.i.f., 1985);
commodities—food, live animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, lubricants, chemicals, drugs;
partners—NZ 59%, Fiji 20%, Japan 13%, Western Samoa, Australia, US
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 1,500 kW capacity; 3 million kWh produced, 1,490 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: tourist, handicrafts
_#_Agriculture: copra, coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes; subsistence crops—taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, official development assistance (ODA) and other official flows (OOF) bilateral commitments (1970-88), $62 million
_#_Currency: New Zealand dollar (plural—dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1—1.6798 (January 1991), 1.6750 (1990), 1.6711 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987), 1.9088 (1986), 2.0064 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Highways: 123 km of all-weather roads, 106 km of access and plantation roads
_#_Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
_#_Airports: 1 with a permanent runway surface of 1,650 m
_#_Telecommunications: a single-line telephone system connects all villages on the island; 383 phones; 1,000 radio receivers (1987 est.); stations—1 AM, 1 FM, no TV
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Police Force
_#Note: defense is the responsibility of New Zealand % @Norfolk Island (territory of Australia) *Geography #_Total area: 34.6 km²; land area: 34.6 km²
_#_Comparative area: about 0.2 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 32 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Climate: subtropical, mild, minimal seasonal temperature variation
_#_Terrain: volcanic landscape with mainly rolling hills
_#_Natural resources: fish
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 25%; forest and woodland 0%; other 75%
_#_Environment: at risk of typhoons (especially from May to July)
_#_Note: located 1,575 km east of Australia in the South Pacific Ocean
_*People #_Population: 2,576 (July 1991), growth rate NEGL% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NA migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: NA deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: NA years for males, NA years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Norfolk Islander(s); adjective—Norfolk Islander(s)
_#_Ethnic divisions: descendants of the Bounty mutiny; more recently, Australian and New Zealand settlers
_#_Religion: Anglican 39%, Roman Catholic 11.7%, Uniting Church in Australia 16.4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 4.4%, none 9.2%, unknown 16.9%, other 2.4% (1986)
_#_Language: English (official) and Norfolk—a blend of 18th century English and ancient Tahitian
_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)_
_#_Labor force: NA
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: Territory of Norfolk Island
_#_Type: territory of Australia
_#_Capital: Kingston (admin center), Burnt Pine (business center)
_#_Administrative divisions: none (territory of Australia)
_#_Independence: none (territory of Australia)
_#_Constitution: Norfolk Island Act of 1957
_#_Legal system: extensive legislative and executive responsibilities under the Norfolk Island Act of 1979; Supreme Court
_#_National holiday: Pitcairners Arrival Day Anniversary, June 8 (1856)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, Governor-General of Australia, administrator, Executive Council (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952), represented by Administrator H. B. MACDONALD (since NA 1989), who is appointed by the Governor-General of Australia;
Head of Government—Assembly President and Chief Minister John
Terence BROWN (since NA)
_#_Political parties and leaders: NA
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Legislative Assembly—last held in 1989 (held every three years); results—percent of vote by party N/A; seats—(9 total) percent of seats by party N/A
_#_Member of: none
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (territory of Australia)
_#_Flag: three vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green with a large green Norfolk Island pine tree centered in the slightly wider white band
_*Economy #_Overview: The main economic activity is tourism, which has brought a level of prosperity that is rare among people in the Pacific Islands. The number of visitors has steadily increased over the years, reaching 29,000 in FY89. Income from tourism has provided the island with a positive trade balance and allowed the agricultural sector to become self-sufficient in producing beef, poultry, and eggs.
_#_GDP: $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate NA%
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $4.2 million, including capital expenditures of $400,000 (FY89)
_#_Exports: $1.7 million (f.o.b., FY86);
commodities—postage stamps, seeds of the Norfolk Island pine and Kentia Palm, small amounts of avocados;
partners—Australia, Pacific Islands, New Zealand, Asia, Europe
_#_Imports: $15.6 million (c.i.f., FY86);
commodities—NA;
partners—Australia, Pacific Islands, New Zealand, Asia, Europe
_#_External debt: NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 7,000 kW capacity; 8 million kWh produced, 3,160 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism
_#_Agriculture: Norfolk Island pine seeds, Kentia palm seeds, grains, vegetables, fruits, cattle, poultry
_#_Economic aid: none
_#_Currency: Australian dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1—1.2834 (January 1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987), 1.4905 (1986), 1.4269 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Highways: 80 km of roads, including 53 km of paved roads; the rest are unpaved or made of coral.
_#_Ports: none; loading jetties at Kingston and Cascade
_#_Airports: 1 with paved runways 1,220-2,439 m (Australian owned)
_#_Telecommunications: 1,500 radio receivers (1982); radio link service with Sydney; 987 telephones (1983); stations—1 AM, no FM, no TV
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of Australia % @Northern Mariana Islands (commonwealth associated with the US) *Geography #_Total area: 477 km²; land area: 477 km²; includes Saipan, Rota, and Tinian
_#_Comparative area: about 2.5 times bigger than Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 1,482 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Climate: tropical marine; influenced by northeast trade winds, minimal seasonal temperature changes; dry season from December to July, rainy season from July to October
_#_Terrain: the southern islands are made of limestone with flat terraces and surrounding coral reefs; the northern islands are volcanic; the highest point is 471 meters (Mt. Tagpochu on Saipan)
_#_Natural resources: arable land, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures 19%; forest and woodland NA%; other NA%
_#_Environment: Mt. Pagan is an active volcano (last erupted in October 1988) and is prone to typhoons during the rainy season.
_#_Note: strategic location 5,635 km west-southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and the Philippines
_*People #_Population: 23,494 (July 1991), growth rate 3.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 43 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 3 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 17 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 65 years for males, 70 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 5.8 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: undetermined
_#_Ethnic divisions: Chamorro majority; Carolinians and other Micronesians; Spanish, German, and Japanese mixes
_#_Religion: Predominantly Christian with a Roman Catholic majority, although traditional beliefs and customs may still exist.
_#_Language: English, but Chamorro and Carolinian are also spoken at home and taught in school.
_#_Literacy: 96% (male 97%, female 96%) of those aged 15 and over can read and write (1980)
_#_Labor force: 12,788 local; 18,799 foreign workers (1990 est.)
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Full name: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
_#_Type: commonwealth associated with the US and managed by the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the Interior
_#_Capital: Saipan
_#_Administrative divisions: none
_#_Independence: none (commonwealth linked to the US)
_#_Constitution: Covenant Agreement effective November 3, 1986
_#_Legal system: NA
_#_National holiday: Commonwealth Day, January 8 (1978)
_#_Executive branch: governor, lieutenant governor
_#_Legislative branch: a two-chamber Legislature made up of an upper house, known as the Senate, and a lower house, called the House of Representatives.
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President George BUSH (since January 20, 1989);
Vice President Dan QUAYLE (since January 20, 1989);
Head of Government—Governor Lorenzo I. DeLeon GUERRERO
(since NA 1990);
Lieutenant Governor Benjamin T. MANGLONA (since NA 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Republican Party, Alonzo IGISOMAR; Democratic Party, Felicidad OGUMORO
_#_Suffrage: everyone can vote at 18; indigenous people are US citizens but can't vote in US presidential elections
_#_Elections:
Governor—last held on NA November 1989 (next to be held November 1993); results—Lorenzo I. DeLeon GUERRERO, Republican Party, was elected governor;
Senate—last held in November 1989 (next to be held in November 1991); results—percentage of votes by party NA; seats—(9 total) number of seats by party NA;
House of Representatives—last held in November 1989 (next to be held in November 1991); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(15 total) number of seats by party NA;
US House of Representatives—last held in November 1989 (next to be held N/A); results—percent of vote by party N/A; seats—(1 total) party of nonvoting delegate N/A
_#_Member of: ESCAP (associate), SPC
_#_Diplomatic representation: none
_#_Flag: blue with a white five-point star layered over the gray outline of a latte stone (a traditional building foundation stone) in the center
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy gains a lot from financial support from the US. An agreement for the years 1986 to 1992 provides the islands with $228 million for capital development, government operations, and special programs. Another major source of income is the tourism industry, which employs about 10% of the workforce. The agricultural sector consists of cattle ranches and small farms that produce coconuts, breadfruit, tomatoes, and melons. The industrial sector is small scale, mainly focusing on handicrafts and fish processing.
_#_GNP: $165 million, per person $9,170; real growth rate NA% (1982)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $70.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1987)
_#_Exports: $153.9 million (1989);
commodities—manufactured goods, garments;
partners—NA
_#_Imports: $313.7 million, a 43% increase compared to the previous year (1989);
commodities—NA;
partners—NA
_#_External debt: none
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 25,000 kW capacity; 35 million kWh produced, 1,540 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, construction, light industry, crafts
_#_Agriculture: coffee, coconuts, fruits, tobacco, cattle
_#_Economic aid: none
_#_Currency: US currency is used
_#_Exchange rates: US currency is used
_#_Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
_*Communications #_Highways: 300 km total (53 km main, 55 km secondary, 192 km local)
_#_Ports: Saipan, Rota, Tinian
_#_Airports: 6 total, 4 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: stations—2 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the US % @Norway *Geography #_Total area: 324,220 km²; land area: 307,860 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than New Mexico
_#_Land boundaries: 2,544 km total; Finland 729 km, Sweden 1,619 km, USSR 196 km
_#_Coastline: 21,925 km (3,419 km of mainland; 2,413 km of large islands; 16,093 km of long fjords, numerous small islands, and minor indentations)
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 10 nm;
Continental shelf: to the depth of extraction;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 4 nm
_#_Disputes: maritime boundary dispute with the USSR; territorial claim in Antarctica (Queen Maud Land); Denmark has contested Norway's maritime claims between Greenland and Jan Mayen.
_#_Climate: mild along the coast, influenced by the North Atlantic Current; cooler in the interior; rainy throughout the year on the west coast
_#_Terrain: glaciated; mostly high plateaus and rugged mountains broken by fertile valleys; small, scattered plains; coastline deeply indented by fjords; arctic tundra in the north
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, copper, natural gas, pyrites, nickel, iron ore, zinc, lead, fish, timber, hydropower
_#_Land use: arable land 3%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures NEGL%; forest and woodland 27%; other 70%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: air and water pollution; acid rain
_#_Note: strategic location next to sea lanes and air routes in the North Atlantic; one of the most rugged and longest coastlines in the world; Norway and Turkey are the only NATO members that share a land border with the USSR.
_*People #_Population: 4,273,442 (July 1991), growth rate 0.5% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 11 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 2 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 74 years for males, 81 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Norwegian(s); adjective—Norwegian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Germanic (Nordic, Alpine, Baltic) and a racial-cultural minority of 20,000 Lapps
_#_Religion: Evangelical Lutheran (state church) 87.8%, other Protestant and Roman Catholic 3.8%, none 3.2%, unknown 5.2% (1980)
_#_Language: Norwegian (official); small Lapp and Finnish-speaking minorities
_#_Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1976 est.)
_#_Labor force: 2,167,000 (September 1990); services 34.7%, commerce 18%, mining and manufacturing 16.6%, banking and financial services 7.5%, transportation and communications 7.2%, construction 7.2%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 6.4% (1989)
_#_Organized labor: 66% of the workforce (1985)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Kingdom of Norway
_#_Type: constitutional monarchy
_#_Capital: Oslo
_#_Administrative divisions: 19 provinces (fylker, singular—fylke); Akershus, Aust-Agder, Buskerud, Finnmark, Hedmark, Hordaland, Møre og Romsdal, Nordland, Nord-Trøndelag, Oppland, Oslo, Østfold, Rogaland, Sogn og Fjordane, Sør-Trøndelag, Telemark, Troms, Vest-Agder, Vestfold
Independence: October 26, 1905 (from Sweden)
_#_Constitution: May 17, 1814, updated in 1884
_#_Dependent areas: Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard
_#_Legal system: a mix of customary law, civil law, and common law traditions; the Supreme Court gives advisory opinions to the legislature when requested; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Constitution Day, May 17 (1814)
_#_Executive branch: king, prime minister, State Council (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Stortinget) with an Upper Chamber (Lagting) and a Lower Chamber (Odelsting)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Hoiesterett)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—King HARALD V (since January 17, 1991); Heir
Apparent Crown Prince HAAKON MAGNUS (born July 20, 1973);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Gro Harlem BRUNDTLAND (since November 3, 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Labor, Gro Harlem Brundtland;
Conservative, Kaci Kullmann Five;
Center Party, Anne Enger Lahnstein;
Christian People's, Kjell Magne Bondevik;
Socialist Left, Eric Solheim;
Norwegian Communist, Kare Andre Nilsen;
Progress, Carl I. Hagen; Liberal, Arne Fjortoft;
Finnmark List, leader NA
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Storting—last held on September 11, 1989 (next to be held on September 6, 1993); results—Labor 34.3%, Conservative 22.2%, Progress 13.0%, Socialist Left 10.1%, Christian People's 8.5%, Center Party 6.6%, Finnmark List 0.3%, other 5%; seats—(165 total) Labor 63, Conservative 37, Progress 22, Socialist Left 17, Christian People's 14, Center Party 11, Finnmark List 1
_#_Communists: approximately 15,500; 5,500 from the Norwegian Communist Party (NKP); 10,000 from the Workers Communist Party Marxist-Leninist (AKP-ML, pro-Chinese)
_#_Member of: AfDB, AsDB, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD,
ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA,
IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, OECD, PCA, UN, UNAVEM,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIIMOG, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Kjeld VIBE; Chancery at 2720 34th Street NW, Washington DC 20008; phone (202) 333-6000; there are Norwegian Consulates General in Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, and San Francisco, and Consulates in Miami and New Orleans;
US—Ambassador Loret Miller RUPPE; Embassy at Drammensveien 18, 0244 Oslo 2 (mailing address is APO New York 09085); telephone [47] (2) 44-85-50
_#_Flag: red with a blue cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the left side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
_*Economy #_Overview: Norway is a thriving capitalist country with the means to support extensive welfare programs. Since 1975, the exploitation of large oil and natural gas reserves has contributed to consistent high growth; over the past five years, the average growth rate has been 4.1%, making it the fourth-highest among OECD countries. Growth slowed down in 1987-88 due in part to a significant drop in global oil prices, but it rebounded in 1989. The Brundtland government aims to prioritize environmental issues, reduce unemployment, enhance child care, modernize key industries, and negotiate an EC - European Free Trade Association (EFTA) agreement on an Economic European Area.
_GDP: $74.2 billion, per person $17,400; actual growth rate 3.1% (1990)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.1% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 5.2% (1990, not counting people in job-training programs)
_#_Budget: revenues $47.9 billion; expenditures $48.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990)
_#_Exports: $33.8 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—petroleum and petroleum products 25%, natural gas 11%, fish 7%, aluminum 6%, ships 3.5%, pulp and paper;
partners—EC 64.9%, Nordic countries 19.5%, developing countries 6.9%, US 6.2%, Japan 1.7% (1990)
_#_Imports: $26.8 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—machines, fuels and oils, transportation gear, chemicals, food items, clothing, ships;
partners—EC 46.3%, Nordic countries 25.7%, developing countries 14.3%, US 8.1%, Japan 4.7% (1990)
External debt: $15 billion (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 3.6% (1990)
_#_Electricity: 26,735,000 kW capacity; 121,685 million kWh produced, 28,950 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: oil and gas, food production, shipbuilding, paper products, metals, chemicals, wood, mining, textiles, fishing
_#_Agriculture: makes up 2.8% of GNP and 6.4% of the workforce; one of the world's top 10 fishing nations; livestock production is more valuable than crops; more than half of food needs are imported; fish catch was 1.76 million metric tons in 1989
_#_Economic aid: donor—ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $4.4 billion
_#_Currency: Norwegian krone (plural—kroner); 1 Norwegian krone (NKr) = 100 ore
_#_Exchange rates: Norwegian kroner (NKr) per US$1—5.9060 (January 1991), 6.2597 (1990), 6.9045 (1989), 6.5170 (1988), 6.7375 (1987), 7.3947 (1986), 8.5972 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 4,223 km of 1.435-meter standard gauge; Norwegian State Railways (NSB) runs 4,219 km (2,450 km electrified and 96 km double track); 4 km other
_#_Highways: 79,540 km total; 18,600 km concrete, asphalt, stone block; 19,980 km asphalt treated; 40,960 km gravel, crushed stone, and soil
_#_Inland waterways: 1,577 km along the west coast; maximum vessel draft of 1.5-2.4 m
_#_Pipelines: refined products, 53 km
_#_Ports: Oslo, Bergen, Fredrikstad, Kristiansand, Stavanger, Trondheim
_#_Merchant marine: 867 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 23,270,845 GRT/41,199,182 DWT; includes 11 passenger, 23 short-sea passenger, 121 cargo, 3 passenger-cargo, 24 refrigerated cargo, 14 container, 50 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 18 vehicle carriers, 1 railcar carrier, 186 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 98 chemical tankers, 69 liquefied gas vessels, 1 specialized tanker, 35 combination ore/oil vessels, 204 bulk carriers, 9 combination bulk; note—the government has created a captive register, the Norwegian International Ship Register (NIS), as a part of the Norwegian register; ships on the NIS enjoy many benefits of flags of convenience and do not need to be crewed by Norwegians; the majority of ships (777) under the Norwegian flag are now registered with the NIS
_#_Civil air: 76 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 104 total, 103 usable; 64 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 12 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 16 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: high-quality domestic and international phone, telegraph, and telex services; 3,102,000 phones; stations—8 AM, 46 (1,400 relays) FM, 55 (2,100 relays) TV; 4 coaxial submarine cables; communication satellite ground stations operating in the EUTELSAT, INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean), MARISAT, and domestic systems
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Norwegian Army, Royal Norwegian Navy, Royal Norwegian Air Force, Home Guard
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 1,124,201; 942,158 eligible for military service; 31,813 reach military age (20) each year.
_#Defense spending: $3.3 billion, 3.3% of GDP (1990) % @Oman *Geography #_Total area: 212,460 km²; land area: 212,460 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Kansas
_#_Land boundaries: 1,374 km total; Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km
_#_Coastline: 2,092 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: to be defined;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: Administrative border with Yemen; no clear boundary with most of the UAE, Administrative border in the far north
_#_Climate: dry desert; hot and humid along the coast; hot and dry in the interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in the far south
_#_Terrain: large central desert plain, rough mountains in the north and south
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and woodland 0%; other 95%; includes irrigated 0%
_#_Environment: summer winds frequently cause significant sandstorms and duststorms in the interior; limited natural freshwater resources
_#_Note: strategic location with a small foothold on the Musandam Peninsula controlling the Strait of Hormuz (17% of the world's oil production passes through this point from the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea)
_*People #_Population: 1,534,011 (July 1991), growth rate 3.5% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 41 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 40 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 65 years for males, 68 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.7 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Omani(s); adjective—Omani
_#_Ethnic divisions: mainly Arab, with small Balochi, Zanzibari, and South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi) communities
_#_Religion: Ibadhi Muslim 75%; the rest are Sunni Muslim, Shia Muslim, and some Hindu
_#_Language: Arabic (official); English, Balochi, Urdu, Indian dialects
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: 430,000; agriculture (est.) 60%; 58% are non-Omani
_#_Organized labor: trade unions are not allowed
_*Government #_Long-form name: Sultanate of Oman
_#_Type: absolute monarchy; independent, with some UK influence remaining
_#_Capital: Muscat
_#_Administrative divisions: there are no primary administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 7 planning regions (manatiq takhtitiyah, singular—mintaqah takhtitiyah) that include 1 governorate* (muhafazah) and 50 districts (wilayat, singular—wilayah);
al-Batinah—Awabi, Barka, Khabura, Liwa, Musanaa, Nakhl, Rustaq, Saham, Shinas, Sohar, Suwaiq, Wadi al-Maawil;
al-Dakhiliah—Adam, al-Hamra, Bahla, Bidbid, Haima, Izki, Manah, Nizwa, Sumail;
al-Dhahirah—al-Buraimi, Dhank, Ibri, Mhadha, Yanqul;
al-Janubiah—Dhalqut, Mirbat, Rokhyut, Sadah, Salalah, Shalim, Taqa, Thamrait;
al-Sharqiya—al Kamil and al-Wafi, al-Mudhaiby, al-Qabil, Bidiya, Dimaa and Tayin, Ibra, Jaalan Bani Bu Ali, Jaalan Bani Bu Hassan, Masirah, Sur, Wadi Bani Khalid;
Musandam—Daba al-Biya, Bukha, Khasab, Madha;
Muscat—Muscat*, Quriyat
_#_Independence: 1650, removal of the Portuguese
_#_Constitution: none
_#_Legal system: based on English common law and Islamic law; ultimate appeal to the sultan; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_Executive branch: sultan, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: State Consultative Assembly (advisory function only)
_#_Judicial branch: none; traditional Islamic judges and a developing civil court system
# National holiday: National Day, November 18
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—Sultan and Prime Minister
QABOOS bin Said Al Said (since July 23, 1970)
_#_Political parties: none
_#_Suffrage: none
_#_Elections: none
_#_Other political or pressure groups: the banned Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman (PFLO), located in Yemen
_#_Member of: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD,
ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Awadh Bader AL-SHANFARI; Chancery at 2342 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 387-1980 through 1982;
US—Ambassador Richard W. BOEHM; Embassy at address NA, Muscat (mailing address is P. O. Box 50200 Madinat Qaboos, Muscat); telephone 698-989
_#_Flag: three horizontal stripes of white (top, twice the width), red, and green (twice the width), with a wide, vertical red stripe on the left side; the national emblem (a khanjar dagger in its sheath over two crossed swords in scabbards) in white is positioned at the top center of the vertical stripe.
_*Economy #_Overview: Economic performance is closely linked to the oil industry. Petroleum makes up almost all export earnings, around 80% of government revenues, and about 40% of GDP. Oman has proven oil reserves of 4 billion barrels, which is roughly a 20-year supply at the current extraction rate. Although agriculture employs most of the population, urban areas rely on imported food.
_#_GDP: $9.2 billion, per capita $5,870 (1990); real growth rate - 3.0% (1987 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.3% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $3.5 billion; expenditures $4.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $675 million (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $3.9 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—oil, reexports, processed copper, dates, nuts, fish;
partners—Japan, South Korea, Taiwan
_#_Imports: $2.3 billion (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants;
partners—UK, UAE, Japan, US
_#_External debt: $3.1 billion (December 1989 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 10% (1989), including the petroleum sector
_#_Electricity: 1,136,000 kW capacity; 3,650 million kWh generated, 2,500 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: crude oil production and refining, natural gas production, construction, cement, copper
_#_Agriculture: makes up 6% of GDP and employs 60% of the labor force (including fishing); less than 2% of land is farmed; mainly subsistence farming (dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables, camels, cattle); not self-sufficient in food; annual fish catch averages 100,000 metric tons
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $137 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $122 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $797 million
_#_Currency: Omani rial (plural—rials); 1 Omani rial (RO) = 1,000 baiza
_#_Exchange rates: Omani rials (RO) per US$1—0.3845 (fixed rate since 1986)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 22,800 km total; 3,800 km paved, 19,000 km driveable trail
_#_Pipelines: crude oil 1,300 km; natural gas 1,030 km
_#_Ports: Mina Qabus, Mina Raysut
_#_Merchant marine: 1 passenger ship (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 4,442 GRT/1,320 DWT
_#_Civil air: 4 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 122 total, 114 usable; 6 with paved runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 8 with runways between 2,440 and 3,659 m; 64 with runways between 1,220 and 2,439 m.
_#_Telecommunications: a fair system of open-wire, radio relay, and radio communication stations; 50,000 phones; stations—3 AM, 3 FM, 11 TV; satellite earth stations—2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT, and 8 domestic
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Royal Oman Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 348,849; 197,870 ready for military service; 20,715 reach military age (14) each year
_#Defense spending: $1.0 billion, 12% of GDP (1991) % @Pacific Islands, Trust Territory of the (Palau) *Geography #_Total area: 458 km2; land area: 458 km2
_#_Comparative area: a bit more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 1,519 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Climate: rainy season from May to November; hot and humid
_#_Terrain: islands vary geologically from the towering mountainous main island of Babelthuap to low coral islands typically surrounded by large barrier reefs.
_#_Natural resources: forests, minerals (especially gold), marine products; deep-sea minerals
_#_Land use: arable land NA%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures NA%; forest and woodland NA%; other NA%
_#_Environment: affected by typhoons from June to December; a group of six island clusters with more than 200 islands in the Caroline chain
_#_Note: important location 850 km southeast of the Philippines; includes the World War II battleground of Peleliu and famous rock islands
_*People #_Population: 14,411 (July 1991), growth rate 0.7% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 25 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 12 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 26 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 68 years for males, 74 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.3 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Palauan(s); adjective—Palauan
_#_Ethnic divisions: Palauans are a mix of Polynesian, Malayan, and Melanesian backgrounds.
_#_Religion: mostly Christian, primarily Roman Catholic
_#_Language: Palauan is the official language, but English is widely spoken; people from the remote southwestern islands use a dialect of Trukese.
_#_Literacy: 92% (male 93%, female 91%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1980)
_#_Labor force: NA
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (no short-form name); may change to Republic of Palau after independence; note—Belau, the native form of Palau, is sometimes used
_#_Type: UN trusteeship managed by the US; a constitutional government signed a Compact of Free Association with the US on January 10, 1986, following approval in a series of UN-monitored referendums; until the UN trusteeship ends with the implementation of the Compact, Palau continues to be under US administration as the Palau District of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
_#_Capital: Koror; a new capital is being built about 20 km northeast in eastern Babelthuap
_#_Administrative divisions: none
_#_Independence: still part of the US-administered UN trusteeship (the last territory remaining under trusteeship; the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas have left); managed by the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of Interior
_#_Constitution: 11 January 1981
_#_Legal system: based on Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws
_#_National holiday: Constitution Day, July 9 (1979)
_#_Executive branch: US President, US Vice President, National President, National Vice President
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Olbiil Era Kelulau or OEK) consists of an upper house, the Senate, and a lower house, the House of Delegates.
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President George BUSH (since January 20, 1989); represented by the Assistant Secretary for Territorial Affairs, US Department of the Interior, Stella GUERRA (since NA July 1989);
Head of Government—President Ngiratkel ETPISON (since November 2, 1988)
_#_Political parties: no formal parties
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held on November 2, 1988 (next to be held in November 1992); Ngiratkel ETPISON 26.3%, Roman TMETUCHL 25.9%, Thomas REMENGESAU 19.5%, other 28.3%;
Senate—last held on November 2, 1988 (next to be held in November 1992); results—percent of vote N/A; seats—(18 total);
House of Delegates—last held on November 2, 1988 (next will be held in November 1992); results—percent of vote N/A; seats—(16 total)
_#_Member of: ESCAP (associate), SPC, SPF (observer)
_#_Diplomatic representation: none;
US—US Liaison Officer Lloyd MOSS; US Liaison Office at Top Side, Neeriyas, Koror (mailing address: P. O. Box 6028, Koror, Republic of Palau 96940); phone 160-680-920 or 990
_#_Flag: light blue with a big yellow circle (representing the moon) shifted slightly to the left side
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy mainly relies on subsistence farming and fishing. Tourism brings in some foreign currency, but Palau's remote location and lack of adequate facilities have slowed progress. The government is the largest employer in the workforce and depends significantly on financial aid from the US.
_#_GDP: $31.6 million, per capita $2,260; real growth rate NA% (1986)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: 20% (1986)
_#_Budget: revenues $6.0 million; expenditures N/A, including capital expenditures of N/A (1986)
_#_Exports: $0.5 million (f.o.b., 1986);
commodities—NA;
partners—US, Japan
_#_Imports: $27.2 million (c.i.f., 1986);
commodities—NA;
partners—US
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 16,000 kW capacity; 22 million kWh produced, 1,540 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, handmade goods (shell, wood, pearl), some commercial fishing and farming
_#_Agriculture: basic farming of coconut, copra, cassava, and sweet potatoes
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $2 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $62.6 million
_#_Currency: US currency is used
_#_Exchange rates: The US dollar is used
_#_Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
_*Communications #_Highways: 25.7 km of paved macadam and concrete roads, with the rest being stone, coral, or laterite-surfaced roads (1986)
_#_Ports: Koror
_#_Airports: 2 with paved runways ranging from 1,220 to 2,439 meters
_#_Telecommunications: stations—1 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #Note: the responsibility for defense lies with the US, and that won't change when the UN trusteeship ends % @Pacific Ocean *Geography #_Total area: 165,384,000 km²; includes the Arafura Sea, Banda Sea, Bellingshausen Sea, Bering Sea, Bering Strait, Coral Sea, East China Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Makassar Strait, Philippine Sea, Ross Sea, Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk, South China Sea, Tasman Sea, and other related water bodies.
_#_Comparative area: just under 18 times the size of the US; the largest ocean (followed by the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Arctic Ocean); covers about one-third of the Earth's surface; larger than the total land area of the world.
_#_Coastline: 135,663 km
_#_Climate: the western Pacific experiences a monsoon climate—there's a rainy season in the summer when moisture-filled winds blow from the ocean over the land, and a dry season in the winter when dry winds blow from the Asian continent back to the ocean.
_#_Terrain: the surface in the northern Pacific is dominated by a clockwise, warm water gyre (a large, circular system of currents), while the southern Pacific has a counterclockwise, cool water gyre; sea ice forms in the Bering Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk during winter, reaching its maximum northern extent from Antarctica in October; the ocean floor in the eastern Pacific is mainly shaped by the East Pacific Rise, whereas the western Pacific is marked by deep trenches; the deepest point in the world is 10,924 meters in the Marianas Trench.
_Natural resources: oil and gas fields, polymetallic nodules, sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, fish
_#_Environment: endangered marine species include the dugong, sea lion, sea otter, seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in the Philippine Sea and South China Sea; scattered with low coral islands and rugged volcanic islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean; experiences tropical cyclones (typhoons) in Southeast and East Asia from May to December (most frequent from July to October); tropical cyclones (hurricanes) can form south of Mexico and hit Central America and Mexico from June to October (most common in August and September); southern shipping lanes are affected by icebergs from Antarctica; an occasional El Niño phenomenon occurs off the coast of Peru when the trade winds weaken and the warm Equatorial Countercurrent shifts south, which kills the plankton that is the main food source for anchovies; as a result, the anchovies migrate to better feeding areas, leading to thousands of resident marine birds starving due to the loss of their food source.
_#_Note: the main choke points are the Bering Strait, Panama Canal, Luzon Strait, and the Singapore Strait; the Equator splits the Pacific Ocean into the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean; ships can experience superstructure icing in the extreme north from October to May and in the extreme south from May to October; persistent fog in the northern Pacific from June to December poses a risk to shipping; it's surrounded by a zone of intense volcanic and earthquake activity often called the Pacific Ring of Fire.
_*Economy #_Overview: The Pacific Ocean plays a significant role in the global economy, especially for the countries it directly touches. It offers affordable sea transport between the East and the West, vast fishing areas, offshore oil and gas reserves, minerals, and sand and gravel for construction. In 1985, over half (54%) of the world's total fish catch came from the Pacific Ocean, which is the only ocean where fish catches have increased every year since 1978. The extraction of offshore oil and gas reserves is becoming increasingly important for the energy supplies of Australia, New Zealand, China, the US, and Peru. The high costs associated with recovering offshore oil and gas, along with the fluctuating world prices for oil since 1985, have slowed but not halted new drilling activities.
_#_Industries: fishing, oil, and gas production
_*Communications
#_Ports: Bangkok (Thailand), Hong Kong, Los Angeles (US),
Manila (Philippines), Pusan (South Korea), San Francisco (US), Seattle
(US), Shanghai (China), Singapore, Sydney (Australia), Vladivostok
(USSR), Wellington (NZ), Yokohama (Japan)
_#Telecommunications: several underwater cables with a network centered around Guam and Hawaii% @Pakistan *Geography #_Total area: 803,940 km²; land area: 778,720 km²
_#_Comparative area: just under twice the size of California
_#_Land boundaries: 6,774 km total; Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km, India 2,912 km, Iran 909 km
_#_Coastline: 1,046 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: edge of the continental margin or 200 nautical miles;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: border with India; Pashtun issue with Afghanistan; Baloch issue with Afghanistan and Iran; water sharing issues with upstream neighbor India over the Indus
_#_Climate: mostly hot, dry desert; mild in the northwest; arctic up north
_#_Terrain: flat Indus plain in the east; mountains in the north and northwest; Balochistan plateau in the west
_#_Natural resources: land, large natural gas reserves, limited crude oil, low-quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone
_#_Land use: arable land 26%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 6%; forest and woodland 4%; other 64%; includes irrigated 19%
_#_Environment: frequent earthquakes, sometimes severe, especially in the north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August); deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; water logging
_#_Note: controls Khyber Pass and Malakand Pass, traditional invasion routes between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent
_*People #_Population: 117,490,278 (July 1991), growth rate 2.5% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 43 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 13 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 5 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 109 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 56 years for males, 57 years for females (1991)
_Total fertility rate: 6.6 children born/woman (1991)_
_#_Nationality: noun—Pakistani(s); adjective—Pakistani
_#_Ethnic divisions: Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from India and their descendants)
_#_Religion: Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shia 20%), Christian, Hindu, and other 3%
_#_Language: Urdu and English (both official); total spoken languages—Punjabi 64%, Sindhi 12%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu 7%, Balochi and other 9%; English serves as the common language of the Pakistani elite and most government ministries, but official policies are pushing for its gradual replacement with Urdu.
_#_Literacy: 35% (male 47%, female 21%) of people age 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 28,900,000; agriculture 54%, mining and manufacturing 13%, services 33%; significant export of labor (1987 est.)
_#_Organized labor: around 10% of the industrial workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
_#_Type: parliamentary with a strong executive, federal republic
_#_Capital: Islamabad
_#_Administrative divisions: 4 provinces, 1 territory*, and 1 capital territory**; Balochistan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas*, Islamabad Capital Territory**, North-West Frontier, Punjab, Sindh; note—the Pakistani-administered part of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region includes Azad Kashmir and the Northern Areas
_#_Independence: August 15, 1947 (from the UK; formerly West Pakistan)
_#_Constitution: April 10, 1973, suspended July 5, 1977, restored with amendments, December 30, 1985
_#_Legal system: based on English common law with adjustments to fit Pakistan's identity as an Islamic state; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations.
_#_National holiday: Pakistan Day (proclamation of the republic), 23 March (1956)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Mijlis-e-Shoora) consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or National Assembly.
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Federal Islamic (Shariat) Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President GHULAM ISHAQ Khan (since December 13, 1988);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Mian Nawaz SHARIF (since November 6, 1990);
_#_Political parties and leaders: Islamic Democratic
Alliance (Islami Jamuri Ittehad or IJI)—the Pakistan Muslim League
(PML) led by Mohammed Khan JUNEJO is the main party in the IJI;
Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Benazir BHUTTO; note—in September 1990
the PPP announced the formation of the People's Democratic Alliance
(PDA), an electoral alliance including the following four
parties—PPP, Solidarity Movement (Tehrik Istiqlal), Movement for the
Implementation of Shia Jurisprudence (Tehrik-i-Nifaz Fiqh Jafariya
or TNFJ), and the PML (Malik faction);
Muhajir Qaumi Movement (MQM), Altaf HUSSAIN;
Awami National Party (ANP), Khan Abdul Wali KHAN;
Jamiat-ul-Ulema-i-Islam (JUI), Fazlur RAHMAN;
Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP), Mohammad Akbar Khan BUGTI;
Pakistan National Party (PNP), Mir Ghaus Bakhsh BIZENJO;
Pakistan Khawa Milli Party (PKMP), leader NA;
Assembly of Pakistani Clergy (Jamiat-ul-Ulema-e-Pakistan or JUP),
Maulana Shah Ahmed NOORANI;
Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), Qazi Hussain AHMED
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
President—last held on December 12, 1988 (next to be held December 1993); results—Ghulam Ishaq Khan was elected by Parliament and the four provincial assemblies;
Senate—last held in March 1991 (next one scheduled for March 1994); results—elected by provincial assemblies; seats—(87 total) IJI 57, Tribal Area Representatives (nonparty) 8, PPP 5, ANP 5, JWP 4, MQM 3, PNP 2, PKMP 1, JUI 1, independent 1;
National Assembly—last held on October 24, 1990 (next to be held by October 1995); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(217 total) IJI 107, PDA 45, MQM 15, ANP 6, JUI 6, JWP 2, PNP 2, PKMP 1, independent 14, religious minorities 10, Tribal Area Representatives (nonparty) 8, vacant 1
_#_Communists: the Communist party is officially prohibited but is permitted to function openly
_#_Other political or pressure groups: the military continues to be the dominant political force; religious leaders (ulema), industrialists, and small business owners are also influential.
_#_Member of: AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Najmuddin SHAIKH; Chancery at 2315 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; phone (202) 939-6200; there is a Pakistani Consulate General in New York;
US—Ambassador Robert B. OAKLEY; Embassy at Diplomatic Enclave,
Ramna 5, Islamabad (mailing address is P. O. Box 1048,
Islamabad or APO New York 09614); telephone [92] (51) 826161
through 79; there are US Consulates General in Karachi and Lahore, and a
Consulate in Peshawar
_#_Flag: green with a vertical white band on the left side; a large white crescent and star are centered in the green area; the crescent, star, and green color are traditional symbols of Islam
_*Economy #_Overview: Pakistan is a struggling developing country dealing with common issues like a quickly growing population, large government deficits, and significant reliance on foreign aid. Additionally, the economy needs to support a substantial military and cater to the needs of 4 million Afghan refugees. A real economic growth rate of about 5-6% in recent years has helped the country manage these challenges. Almost all agriculture and small-scale industries are privately owned, and the government aims to privatize some of the large-scale industrial enterprises currently owned by the public. In December 1988, Pakistan signed a three-year economic reform agreement with the IMF, which calls for reducing the government deficit and liberalizing trade in exchange for further financial support from the IMF. Late in 1990, the IMF suspended assistance to Pakistan because the government did not implement the promised deficit reforms. Pakistan is unlikely to make much progress in improving living standards for its rapidly growing population; at the current growth rate, the population is expected to double in 29 years.
_#_GNP: $43.3 billion, per person $380; actual growth rate 5.0% (FY90 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.7% (FY90)
_#_Unemployment rate: 10% (FY91 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $5.6 billion; expenditures $10.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.7 billion (FY91 est.)
_#_Exports: $4.8 billion (f.o.b., FY90);
commodities—rice, cotton, textiles, clothing;
partners—EC 31%, Japan 11.6%, US 11.5% (FY89)
_#_Imports: $6.5 billion (f.o.b., FY90);
commodities—oil, oil products, machinery, transportation equipment, vegetable oils, animal fats, chemicals;
partners—EC 26%, US 16%, Japan 14% (FY89)
_#_External debt: $20.1 billion (1990 estimate)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 7.5% (FY91 est.); makes up almost 20% of GNP
_#_Electricity: 7,575,000 kW capacity; 29,300 million kWh produced, 270 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: textiles, food processing, drinks, oil products, building materials, clothing, paper goods, global finance, shrimp
_#_Agriculture: 25% of GDP, over 50% of the workforce; the world's largest contiguous irrigation system; major crops include cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, and vegetables; livestock products consist of milk, beef, mutton, and eggs; self-sufficient in food grains.
_#_Illicit drugs: illegal production of opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade; government efforts to eradicate poppy cultivation have had limited success.
_#_Economic aid: (including Bangladesh before 1972) US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $4.5 billion authorized (excluding what is now Bangladesh); Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-88), $8.2 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $2.3 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $3.2 billion
_#_Currency: Pakistani rupee (plural—rupees); 1 Pakistani rupee (PRe) = 100 paisa
_#_Exchange rates: Pakistani rupees (PRs) per US$1—22.072 (January 1991), 21.707 (1990), 20.541 (1989), 18.003 (1988), 17.399 (1987), 16.648 (1986), 15.928 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Railroads: 8,773 km total; 7,718 km broad gauge, 445 km meter gauge, and 610 km narrow gauge; 1,037 km of broad-gauge double track; 286 km electrified; all government-owned (1985)
_#_Highways: 101,315 km total (1987); 40,155 km paved, 23,000 km gravel, 29,000 km improved earth, and 9,160 km unimproved earth or sand tracks (1985)
_#_Pipelines: 250 km of crude oil; 4,044 km of natural gas; 885 km of refined products (1987)
_#_Ports: Gwadar, Karachi, Port Muhammad bin Qasim
_#_Merchant marine: 29 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 339,855 GRT/500,627 DWT; includes 4 passenger-cargo ships, 24 cargo ships, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker
_#_Civil air: 30 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 115 total, 105 usable; 75 with paved runways; 1 with runways over 12,000 feet; 31 with runways 8,000-12,000 feet; 43 with runways 4,000-8,000 feet.
_#_Telecommunications: reliable international radio communication service through microwave and INTELSAT satellite; local radio communications are lacking; broadcast service is good; 813,000 telephones (1990); stations—19 AM, 8 FM, 29 TV; earth stations—1 INTELSAT in the Atlantic Ocean and 2 INTELSAT in the Indian Ocean.
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Civil Armed Forces, National Guard
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 26,840,840; 16,466,334 eligible for military service; 1,322,883 turn 17 (military age) each year
_#Defense spending: $2.9 billion, 6% of GNP (FY91) % @Palmyra Atoll (U.S. territory) *Geography #_Total area: 11.9 km²; land area: 11.9 km²
_#_Comparative area: about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 14.5 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical, hot, and very rainy
_#_Terrain: low, with highest points around 2 meters
_#_Natural resources: none
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 100%; other 0%
_#_Environment: about 50 small islands covered with thick vegetation, coconut trees, and balsa-like trees reaching heights of up to 30 meters.
_#_Note: situated 1,600 km south-southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, roughly halfway between Hawaii and American Samoa
_*People #_Population: uninhabited
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: unincorporated territory of the US; privately owned, but administered by the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the Interior
_*Economy #_Overview: no economic activity
_*Communications #_Ports: none; offshore anchoring in West Lagoon
_#_Airports: 1 with a permanent-surface runway of 1,220-2,439 m
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the US % @Panama *Geography #_Total area: 78,200 km²; land area: 75,990 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than South Carolina
_#_Land boundaries: 555 km total; Colombia 225 km, Costa Rica 330 km
_#_Coastline: 2,490 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 200 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; hot, humid, and cloudy; extended rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)
_#_Terrain: mostly steep, rugged mountains and broken upland plains in the interior; coastal areas are mainly flat plains and rolling hills.
_#_Natural resources: copper, mahogany forests, shrimp
_#_Land use: arable land 6%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 15%; forest and woodland 54%; other 23%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: thick tropical jungle in the east and northwest
_#_Note: strategic location on the eastern end of the isthmus forming a land bridge that connects North and South America; controls the Panama Canal, which links the North Atlantic Ocean through the Caribbean Sea with the North Pacific Ocean
_*People #_Population: 2,476,281 (July 1991), growth rate 2.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 26 births per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 21 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 72 years for males, 76 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.0 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Panamanian(s); adjective—Panamanian
_#_Ethnic divisions: mestizo (mixed Indigenous and European ancestry) 70%, West Indian 14%, white 10%, Indigenous 6%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 93%+, Protestant 6%
_#_Language: Spanish (official); English as a native language for 14%; many Panamanians are bilingual.
_#_Literacy: 88% (male 88%, female 88%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 770,472 (1987); government and community services 27.9%; agriculture, hunting, and fishing 26.2%; commerce, restaurants, and hotels 16%; manufacturing and mining 10.5%; construction 5.3%; transportation and communications 5.3%; finance, insurance, and real estate 4.2%; Canal Zone 2.4%; there is a shortage of skilled labor, but an oversupply of unskilled labor
_#_Organized labor: 17% of the workforce (1986)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Panama
_#_Type: centralized republic
_#_Capital: Panama
_#_Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (provincias, singular—provincia) and 1 territory* (comarca); Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Cocle, Colon, Darien, Herrera, Los Santos, Panama, San Blas*, Veraguas
_#_Independence: November 3, 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain on November 28, 1821)
_#_Constitution: October 11, 1972; major reforms adopted April 1983
_#_Legal system: based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Justice; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, November 3, 1903
_#_Executive branch: president, two vice presidents, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia) is currently being reorganized.
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Guillermo ENDARA (since December 20, 1989, elected May 7, 1989); First Vice President Ricardo ARIAS Calderon (since December 20, 1989, elected May 7, 1989); Second Vice President Guillermo FORD (since December 20, 1989, elected May 7, 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
government alliance—Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement
(MOLIRENA), Alfredo RAMIREZ;
Authentic Liberal Party (PLA);
Arnulfista Party (PA), Francisco ARTOLA;
opposition parties—Christian Democratic Party (PDC),
Ricardo ARIAS Calderon;
Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD, former ruling party),
Gerardo GONZALEZ;
Agrarian Labor Party (PALA), Carlos ELETA Almaran;
Liberal Party (PL);
People's Party (PdP, Soviet-aligned Communist party), Ruben DARIO
Sousa Batista;
Democratic Workers Party (PDT, left-leaning), Eduardo RIOS;
National Action Party (PAN, right-leaning);
Popular Action Party (PAPO), Carlos Ivan ZUNIGA;
Socialist Workers Party (PST, left-leaning), Jose CAMBRA;
Revolutionary Workers Party (PRT, left-leaning), Graciela DIXON
# Suffrage: universal and mandatory at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held on May 7, 1989, canceled but later confirmed (next to be held in May 1994); results—anti-NORIEGA coalition thought to have secured about 75% of the total votes cast;
Legislative Assembly—last held on January 27, 1991 (next one to be held in May 1994); results—percentage of votes by party NA; seats—(67 total) pro-government parties—PDC 28, MOLIRENA 16, PA 6, PLA 5;
opposition parties—PRD 10, PALA 1, PL 1; note—the PDC went into opposition after President Guillermo ENDARA removed the PDC from the coalition government in April 1991
_#_Communists: People's Party (PdP), a pro-Soviet mainstream Communist party, failed to secure the required 3% of the total vote in the 1984 election to keep its legal status; around 3,000 members.
_#_Other political or pressure groups: National Council of Organized
Workers (CONATO); National Council of Private Enterprise (CONEP);
Panamanian Association of Business Executives (APEDE); National Civic
Crusade; National Committee for the Right to Life
_#_Member of: AG (associate), CG, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), LORCS, NAM, OAS,
OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jaime FORD; Chancery at 2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington DC 20008; phone (202) 483-1407; the status of the Consulates General and Consulates has not been decided yet;
US—Ambassador Deane R. HINTON; Embassy at Avenida Balboa and
Calle 38, Apartado 6959, Panama City 5 (mailing address is Box E,
APO Miami 34002); telephone [507] 27-1777
_#_Flag: separated into four equal rectangles; the top sections are white with a blue five-pointed star in the center (hoist side) and solid red, while the bottom sections are solid blue (hoist side) and white with a red five-pointed star in the center.
_*Economy #_Overview: GDP grew by an estimated 5% in 1990, following a 1% drop in 1988 and a 14% decline in 1989. Political stability boosted business confidence and consumer demand, which led to increased production in the agriculture, commerce, manufacturing, construction, and utilities sectors. The transportation sector and government services saw a slight decrease due to reduced early-1990 traffic through the Panama Canal, lower oil pipeline flow, and budget cuts in Panama City. Both imports and exports saw increases throughout the year, and government revenues rose significantly compared to 1989.
_GDP: $4.8 billion, per person $1,980; actual growth rate 5% (1990 est.)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.3% (estimated in 1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 20% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $1.7 billion; expenditures $1.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $70 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $355 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—bananas 27%, shrimp 21%, clothing 6%, coffee 4%, sugar 4%;
partners—US 90%, Central America and Caribbean, EC (1989 est.)
_#_Imports: $1,250 million (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—food products 13%, capital goods 12%, crude oil 12%, consumer goods, chemicals;
partners—US 35%, Central America and Caribbean, EC, Mexico, Venezuela (1989 est.)
_#_External debt: $5 billion (December 1990 estimate)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 4.8% (1990 est.)
_#_Electricity: 1,113,000 kW capacity; 3,264 million kWh produced, 1,350 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: manufacturing and construction activities, oil refining, brewing, cement and other building materials, sugar mills, paper products
_#_Agriculture: makes up 12% of GDP (1990 estimate), 25% of the workforce (1989); crops—bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane; livestock; fishing; importing food grains, vegetables, and dairy products.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $516 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $575 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $4 million
_#_Currency: balboa (plural—balboas); 1 balboa (B) = 100 centesimos
_#_Exchange rates: balboas (B) per US$1—1.000 (fixed rate)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 238 km total; 78 km 1.524-meter gauge, 160 km 0.914-meter gauge
_#_Highways: 8,530 km in total; 2,745 km paved, 3,270 km gravel or crushed stone, 2,515 km improved and unimproved dirt roads.
_#_Inland waterways: 800 km navigable by shallow draft vessels; 82 km Panama Canal
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 130 km
_#_Ports: Cristobal, Balboa, Port of La Bahia de Las Minas
_#_Merchant marine: 2,932 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 41,314,623 GRT/66,226,104 DWT; includes 22 passenger ships, 22 short-sea passenger ships, 5 passenger-cargo ships, 1,060 cargo ships, 188 refrigerated cargo ships, 165 container ships, 62 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 105 vehicle carriers, 8 livestock carriers, 5 multifunction large-load carriers, 301 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 175 chemical tankers, 27 combination ore/oil ships, 91 liquefied gas carriers, 8 specialized tankers, 651 bulk carriers, 37 combination bulk carriers; note—all but 5 are foreign owned and operated; the top 4 foreign owners are Japan 36%, Greece 9%, Hong Kong 9%, and the US 8%; (China owns at least 127 ships, Vietnam 10, Yugoslavia 10, Cuba 5, Cyprus 3, and the USSR 2)
_#_Civil air: 16 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 113 in total, 101 in operation; 41 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 2 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 15 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m.
_#_Telecommunications: domestic and international facilities are well developed; connection to the Central American Microwave System; 2 Atlantic Ocean satellite antennas; 220,000 telephones; stations—91 AM, no FM, 23 TV; 1 coaxial submarine cable
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: note—the Panamanian Defense Forces (PDF) stopped being a military institution soon after the United States invaded Panama on December 20, 1989; President Endara is trying to transform the forces into a civilian police service under the new name of Panamanian Public Forces (PPF); a Council of Public Security and National Defense overseen by Menalco Solis in the president's office coordinates the activities of the security forces; the Institutional Protection Service under Carlos Bares is linked to the presidency.
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 644,895; 444,522 suitable for military service; no draft
_#Defense spending: $75.5 million, 1.5% of GDP (1990) % @Papua New Guinea *Geography #_Total area: 461,690 km2; land area: 451,710 km2
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than California
_#_Land boundary: 820 km with Indonesia
_#_Coastline: 5,152 km
_#_Maritime claims: (measured from the claimed archipelagic baselines);
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of exploitation;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature variation
_#_Terrain: mainly mountains with coastal lowlands and gentle hills
_#_Natural resources: gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil potential
_#_Land use: arable land negligible%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures negligible%; forest and woodland 71%; other 28%
_#_Environment: one of the world's largest swamps along the southwest coast; some active volcanoes; frequent earthquakes
_#_Note: shares the island of New Guinea with Indonesia
_*People #_Population: 3,913,186 (July 1991), growth rate 2.3% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 34 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 11 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 66 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 55 years for males, 56 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.9 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Papua New Guinean(s); adjective—Papua New Guinean
_#_Ethnic divisions: mostly Melanesian and Papuan; some Negrito, Micronesian, and Polynesian
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 22%, Lutheran 16%, Presbyterian/Methodist/London Missionary Society 8%, Anglican 5%, Evangelical Alliance 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1%, other Protestant sects 10%; indigenous beliefs 34%
_#_Language: 715 indigenous languages; English spoken by 1-2%, pidgin English is widespread, Motu is spoken in the Papua region.
_#_Literacy: 52% (male 65%, female 38%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 estimate)
_#_Labor force: 1,660,000; 732,806 in salaried jobs; agriculture 54%, government 25%, industry and commerce 9%, services 8% (1980)
_#_Organized labor: over 50 trade unions, some with fewer than 20 members
_*Government #_Long-form name: Independent State of Papua New Guinea
_#_Type: parliamentary democracy
_#_Capital: Port Moresby
_#_Administrative divisions: 20 provinces; Central, Chimbu, Eastern
Highlands, East New Britain, East Sepik, Enga, Gulf, Madang, Manus, Milne
Bay, Morobe, National Capital, New Ireland, Northern, North Solomons,
Sandaun, Southern Highlands, Western, Western Highlands, West New Britain
_#_Independence: September 16, 1975 (from UN trusteeship under Australian administration)
_#_Constitution: 16 September 1975
_#_Legal system: based on English common law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, September 16 (1975)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, National Executive Council (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber National Parliament (often called the House of Assembly)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen Elizabeth II (since February 6, 1952), represented by Governor General Vincent Eri (since January 18, 1990);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Rabbie NAMALIU (since July 4, 1988); Deputy Prime Minister Ted DIRO (since April 29, 1990); note—Deputy Prime Minister Ted DIRO holds the title only because he has been suspended pending trial for alleged corruption charges.
_#_Political parties:
Papua New Guinea United Party (Pangu Party), Rabbie Namaliu;
People's Progress Party (PPP), Sir Julius Chan;
United Party (UP), Paul Torato;
Papua Party (PP), Galeva Kwarara;
National Party (NP), Paul Pora;
Melanesian Alliance (MA), Fr. John Momis
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
National Parliament—last held June 13 - July 4, 1987 (next to be held July 4, 1992); results—PP 14.7%, PDM 10.8%, PPP 6.1%, MA 5.6%, NP 5.1%, PAP 3.2%, independents 42.9%, other 11.6%; seats—(109 total) PP 26, PDM 17, NP 12, MA 7, PAP 6, PPP 5, independents 22, other 14
_#_Communists: no significant strength
_#_Member of: ACP, AsDB, ASEAN (observer), C, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77,
IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM (observer), SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Margaret TAYLOR; Chancery at Suite 350, 1330 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 659-0856;
US—Ambassador Robert W. FERRAND; Embassy at Armit Street, Port Moresby (mailing address is P. O. Box 1492, Port Moresby); telephone [675] 211-455 or 594, 654
_#_Flag: split diagonally from the upper left corner; the top triangle is red with a soaring yellow bird of paradise in the center; the bottom triangle is black with five white five-pointed stars from the Southern Cross constellation in the center
_*Economy #_Overview: Papua New Guinea has an abundance of natural resources, but the rough landscape and high costs of infrastructure development have made it difficult to exploit them. Agriculture supports a subsistence lifestyle for 85% of the population. Mining various deposits, including copper and gold, contributes around 60% of export earnings. Financial support from Australia and development aid from the World Bank help keep the economy stable.
_#_GDP: $2.7 billion, per capita $725; real growth rate - 3.0% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.5% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 5% (1988)
_#_Budget: revenues $867 million; expenditures $873 million, including capital expenditures of $119 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—gold, copper ore, coffee, cocoa, copra, palm oil, timber, lobster;
partners—FRG, Japan, Australia, UK, Spain, US
_#_Imports: $1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—machines and transportation equipment, fuels, food, chemicals, consumer products;
partners—Australia, Singapore, Japan, USA, New Zealand, UK
_#_External debt: $2.76 billion (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate N/A; accounts for 25% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 397,000 kW capacity; 1,510 million kWh produced, 400 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: copra crushing, oil palm processing, plywood processing, wood chip production, gold, silver, copper, construction, tourism
_#_Agriculture: makes up one-third of GDP; supports 85% of the population; fertile soil and a good climate allow for a wide range of crops to be grown; cash crops include coffee, cocoa, coconuts, and palm kernels; other products include tea, rubber, sweet potatoes, fruits, vegetables, poultry, and pork; it's a net importer of food for urban areas.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $40.6 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $6.4 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $17 million
_#_Currency: kina (plural—kina); 1 kina (K) = 100 toea
_#_Exchange rates: kina (K) per US$1—1.0549 (January 1991), 1.0467 (1990), 1.1685 (1989), 1.1538 (1988), 1.1012 (1987), 1.0296 (1986), 1.0000 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 19,200 km total; 640 km paved, 10,960 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized-soil surface, 7,600 km unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 10,940 km
_#_Ports: Anewa Bay, Lae, Madang, Port Moresby, Rabaul
_#_Merchant marine: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 26,711 GRT/34,682 DWT; includes 5 cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 combination ore/oil, 2 bulk
_#_Civil air: about 15 main passenger planes
_#_Airports: 567 total, 479 usable; 19 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 1 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 40 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: services are sufficient and actively being enhanced; facilities offer radio broadcasting, radiotelephone and telegraph services, coastal radio, aeronautical radio, and international radiocommunication; submarine cables reach Australia and Guam; 51,700 telephones (1985); stations—31 AM, 2 FM, 2 TV (1987); 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Papua New Guinea Defense Force (including Army, Navy, Air Force)
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 983,175; 546,824 eligible for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $42 million, 1.3% of GDP (1989 est.) % @Paracel Islands *Geography #_Total area: undetermined
_#_Comparative area: undetermined
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 518 km
_#_Maritime claims: undetermined
_#_Disputes: controlled by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam
_#_Climate: tropical
_#_Terrain: undetermined
_#_Natural resources: none
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: subject to typhoons
_#_Note: situated 400 km east of Vietnam in the South China Sea, roughly one-third of the distance between Vietnam and the Philippines
_*People #_Population: no permanent inhabitants
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_*Economy #_Overview: no economic activity
_*Communications #_Ports: small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island are currently being expanded.
_#_Airports: 1 on Woody Island
_*Defense Forces #Note: occupied by China % @Paraguay *Geography #_Total area: 406,750 km²; land area: 397,300 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than California
_#_Land boundaries: 3,920 km total; Argentina 1,880 km, Bolivia 750 km, Brazil 1,290 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Disputes: a small part of the border with Brazil (just west of Guaira Falls on the Rio Parana) has not been finalized.
_#_Climate: ranges from mild in the east to dry in the far west
_#_Terrain: grassy plains and wooded hills east of the Paraguay River; the Gran Chaco region west of the Paraguay River is mostly a low, marshy plain near the river, with dry forests and thorny scrub in other areas.
_#_Natural resources: iron ore, manganese, limestone, hydropower, timber
_#_Land use: arable land 20%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 39%; forest and woodland 35%; other 5%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: local flooding in the southeast (early September to June); poorly drained areas may get muddy (early October to June)
_#_Note: landlocked; serves as a buffer between Argentina and Brazil
_*People #_Population: 4,798,739 (July 1991), growth rate 2.9% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 35 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 47 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 67 years for males, 72 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.7 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Paraguayan(s); adjective—Paraguayan
_#_Ethnic divisions: mestizo (Spanish and Indigenous) 95%, white and Indigenous 5%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 90%; Mennonite and other Protestant denominations
_#_Language: Spanish (official) and Guarani
_#_Literacy: 90% (male 92%, female 88%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 1,300,000; agriculture 44%, industry and commerce 34%, services 18%, government 4% (1986)
_#_Organized labor: around 2% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Paraguay
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Asuncion
_#_Administrative divisions: 19 departments (departamentos, singular—departamento); Alto Paraguay, Alto Parana, Amambay, Boqueron, Caaguazu, Caazapa, Canindeyu, Central, Chaco, Concepcion, Cordillera, Guaira, Itapua, Misiones, Neembucu, Nueva Asuncion, Paraguari, Presidente Hayes, San Pedro
_#_Independence: May 14, 1811 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution 25 August 1967
_#_Legal system: based on Argentine codes, Roman law, and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Justice; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.
_#_National holiday: Independence Days, May 14-15 (1811)
_#_Executive branch: president, Cabinet, Council of State
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Congress (Congreso) consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Cámara de Senadores) and a lower chamber or House of Representatives (Cámara de Diputados)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Gen. Andres
RODRIGUEZ Pedotti (since May 15, 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Colorado Party, Luis Maria ARGANA, acting president;
Authentic Radical Liberal Party (PLRA), Juan Manuel BENITEZ Florentin;
Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Jorge Dario CRISTALDO;
Febrerista Revolutionary Party (PRF), Euclides ACEVEDO;
Popular Democratic Party (PDP), Hugo RICHER
_#_Suffrage: universal and mandatory from age 18 to 60
_#_Elections:
President—last held May 1, 1989 (next to be held February 1993); results—Gen. RODRIGUEZ 75.8%, Domingo LAINO 19.4%;
Chamber of Senators—last held 1 May 1989 (next to be held by May 1993); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(36 total) Colorado Party 24, PLRA 10, PLR 1, PRF 1;
Chamber of Deputies—last held on May 1, 1989 (next to be held by May 1994); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(72 total) Colorado Party 48, PLRA 19, PRF 2, PDC 1, PL 1, PLR 1
_#_Communists: Oscar Creydt faction and Miguel Angel SOLER faction (both illegal); about 3,000 to 4,000 party members and supporters in Paraguay, with very few being hardcore; the party is starting to come back from exile but is small and highly divided.
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Confederation of Workers (CUT); Roman Catholic Church
_#_Member of: AG (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES,
LAIA, LORCS, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Marcos MARTINEZ MENDIETA; Chancery at 2400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-6960 through 6962; there are Paraguayan Consulates General in New Orleans and New York, and a Consulate in Houston;
US—Ambassador Jon GLASSMAN; Embassy at 1776 Avenida Mariscal Lopez, Asuncion (mailing address is C. P. 402, Asuncion, or APO Miami 34036-0001); phone [595] (21) 213-715
_#_Flag: three equal, horizontal stripes of red (top), white, and blue, with an emblem centered in the white stripe; it’s a unique flag because the emblem is different on each side; the front (hoist side on the left) features the national coat of arms (a yellow five-pointed star surrounded by a green wreath topped with the words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, all within two circles); the back (hoist side on the right) displays the treasury seal (a yellow lion under a red Cap of Liberty and the words Paz y Justicia (Peace and Justice) topped by the words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, all within two circles)
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is mainly agricultural. Agriculture, including forestry, makes up about 25% of GNP, employs around 45% of the workforce, and generates most of the exports. Paraguay doesn't have any significant mineral or oil resources, but it does have a vast potential for hydropower. Since 1981, economic performance has declined compared to the boom period of 1976-81, when real GDP grew at an average annual rate of almost 11%. Between 1982-86, real GDP decreased in three out of five years, inflation surged to an annual rate of 32%, and foreign debt increased. Some factors that contributed to the economy's instability were the completion of the Itaipu hydroelectric dam, poor weather affecting crops, and low international commodity prices for agricultural exports. In 1987, the economy saw a slight recovery due to better weather and higher international prices for important agricultural exports. This recovery continued until 1990, supported by bumper crops in 1988-89. However, the government needs to follow through on promises of reforms to manage rising inflation, large fiscal deficits, increasing debt arrears, and dwindling reserves.
_#_GDP: $4.6 billion, per capita $1,000; real growth rate 3.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 44% (1990 estimate)
_#_Unemployment rate: 12% (1989 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $1.2 billion; expenditures $1.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $487 million (1991)
_#_Exports: $980 million (registered f.o.b., 1990 estimate);
commodities—cotton, soybeans, timber, vegetable oils, coffee, tung oil, meat products;
partners—EC 37%, Brazil 25%, Argentina 10%, Chile 6%, US 6%
_#_Imports: $1.4 billion (registered c.i.f., 1990 estimate);
commodities—capital goods 35%, consumer goods 20%, fuels and lubricants 19%, raw materials 16%, food products, drinks, and tobacco 10%;
partners—Brazil 30%, EU 20%, US 18%, Argentina 8%, Japan 7%
_#_External debt: $1.7 billion (est. 1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 5.9% (1989 est.); makes up 16% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 5,169,000 kW capacity; 15,144 million kWh produced, 3,250 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: meatpacking, oilseed processing, milling, brewing, textiles, other light consumer products, cement, construction
_#_Agriculture: makes up 25% of GDP and employs 44% of the labor force; cash crops—cotton, sugarcane; other crops—corn, wheat, tobacco, soybeans, cassava, fruits, and vegetables; animal products—beef, pork, eggs, milk; surplus producer of timber; self-sufficient in most foods
_#_Illicit drugs: illegal producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; major transshipment point for Bolivian cocaine headed for the US and Europe
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $172 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.05 billion
_#_Currency: guarani (plural—guaranies); 1 guarani (0) = 100 centimos
_#_Exchange rates: guaranies (0) per US$1—1,204.5 (October 1989), 1,056.2 (1989), 550.00 (fixed rate 1986-February 1989), 339.17 (1986), 306.67 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 970 km total; 440 km standard gauge (1.435 meters), 60 km gauge (1.000 meter), 470 km various narrow gauge (privately owned)
_#_Highways: 21,960 km total; 1,788 km paved, 474 km gravel, and 19,698 km unpaved
_#_Inland waterways: 3,100 km
_#_Ports: Asuncion
_#_Merchant marine: 14 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 18,743 GRT/22,954 DWT; includes 12 cargo ships, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers; note—1 naval cargo ship is occasionally used for commercial purposes.
_#_Civil air: 4 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 851 total, 738 usable; 6 with paved runways; 1 with runways over 12,000 ft; 2 with runways between 8,000-12,000 ft; 60 with runways between 4,000-8,000 ft.
_#_Telecommunications: main hub in Asuncion; decent intercity microwave network; 78,300 phones; stations—40 AM, no FM, 5 TV, 7 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy (including Naval Air and Marines), Air Force
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 1,130,690; 823,136 eligible for military service; 51,415 reaching military age (17) each year
_#Defense spending: $84 million, 1.4% of GDP (1988 est.) % @Peru *Geography #_Total area: 1,285,220 km²; land area: 1,280,000 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Alaska
_#_Land boundaries: 6,940 km total; Bolivia 900 km, Brazil 1,560 km, Chile 160 km, Colombia 2,900 km, Ecuador 1,420 km
_#_Coastline: 2,414 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 200 nm
_#_Disputes: two sections of the border with Ecuador are in dispute
_#_Climate: ranges from tropical in the east to dry desert in the west
_#_Terrain: western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in the center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of the Amazon Basin (selva)
_#_Natural resources: copper, silver, gold, oil, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash
_#_Land use: arable land 3%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 21%; forest and woodland 55%; other 21%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: prone to earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, minor volcanic activity; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; air pollution in Lima
_#_Note: shares control of Lake Titicaca, the world's highest navigable lake, with Bolivia
_*People #_Population: 22,361,785 (July 1991), growth rate 2.0% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 28 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 66 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 62 years for males, 67 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.5 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Peruvian(s); adjective—Peruvian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Indian 45%; mestizo (mixed Indian and European ancestry) 37%; white 15%; black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3%
_#_Religion: predominantly Roman Catholic
_#_Language: Spanish and Quechua (both official), Aymara
_#_Literacy: 85% (male 92%, female 29%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 6,800,000 (1986); government and other services 44%, agriculture 37%, industry 19% (1988 est.)
_#_Organized labor: around 40% of salaried workers (1983 est.)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Peru
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Lima
_#_Administrative divisions: 24 departments (departamentos, singular—departamento) and 1 constitutional province* (provincia constitucional); Amazonas, Ancash, Apurímac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Callao*, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huánuco, Ica, Junín, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martín, Tacna, Tumbes, Ucayali; note—the 1979 Constitution and legislation passed from 1987 to 1990 require the creation of regions (regiones, singular—region) that are intended to eventually operate as self-sufficient economic and administrative entities; so far, 12 regions have been formed from 23 existing departments—Amazonas (from Loreto), Andrés Avelino Cáceres (from Huánuco, Pasco, Junín), Arequipa (from Arequipa), Chavín (from Ancash), Grau (from Tumbes, Piura), Inca (from Cusco, Madre de Dios, Apurímac), La Libertad (from La Libertad), Los Libertadores-Huari (from Ica, Ayacucho, Huancavelica), Mariátegui (from Moquegua, Tacna, Puno), Nor Oriental del Marañón (from Lambayeque, Cajamarca, Amazonas), San Martín (from San Martín), Ucayali (from Ucayali); the formation of another region has been stalled due to the constitutional province of Callao's unwillingness to merge with the department of Lima; because of insufficient funding from the central government, the regions have not yet taken on their responsibilities and currently coexist with the departmental structure.
_#_Independence: July 28, 1821 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution: July 28, 1980 (often called the 1979 Constitution because the Constituent Assembly convened in 1979, but the Constitution officially took effect the next year); reinstated civilian government with a president elected by the people and a two-chamber legislature.
_#_Legal system: based on a civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, July 28 (1821)
_#_Executive branch: president, two vice presidents, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Congress (Congreso) consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Senado) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Alberto FUJIMORI (since July 28, 1990);
Vice President Maximo SAN ROMAN (since July 28, 1990);
Vice President Carlos GARCIA (since July 28, 1990);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Carlos TORRES Y TORRES Lara (since February 15, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Change 90 (Cambio 90), Alberto FUJIMORI;
Democratic Front (FREDEMO), a loosely organized three-party
coalition—Popular Christian Party (PPC), Luis BEDOYA Reyes;
Popular Action Party (AP), Fernando BELAUNDE Terry;
and Liberty Movement;
American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA), Luis ALVA Castro;
National Front of Workers and Peasants (FRENATRACA), Roger CACERES;
United Left (IU), managed by committee;
Socialist Left (IS), Enrique BERNALES
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held on June 10, 1990 (next to be held in April 1995); results—Alberto FUJIMORI 56.53%, Mario VARGAS Llosa 33.92%, other 9.55%;
Senate—last held on April 8, 1990 (next to be held in April 1995); results—percentage of vote by party NA; seats—(60 total) FREDEMO 20, APRA 16, Change 90 14, IU 6, IS 3, FRENATRACA 1;
Chamber of Deputies—last held April 8, 1990 (next one scheduled for April 1995); results—percentage of votes by party NA; seats—(180 total) FREDEMO 62, APRA 53, Change 90 32, IU 16, IS 4, FRENATRACA 3, other 10
_#_Communists: Peruvian Communist Party-Unity (PCP-U), pro-Soviet, 2,000; other minor Communist parties
_#_Other political or pressure groups:
leftist guerrilla groups—Shining Path, leader Abimael Guzmán; Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement, Néstor Cerpa and Víctor Polay
_#_Member of: AG, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT,
IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM, OAS,
OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU, WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Roberto G. MACLEAN; Chancery at 1700 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 833-9860 through 9869); Peruvian Consulates General are located in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paterson (New Jersey), San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico);
US—Ambassador Anthony C.E. QUAINTON; Embassy at the corner of Avenida Inca Garcilaso de la Vega and Avenida España, Lima (mailing address is P.O. Box 1995, Lima 100, or APO Miami 34031); telephone [51] (14) 338-000
_#_Flag: three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), white, and red with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a shield displaying a llama, a cinchona tree (the source of quinine), and a yellow cornucopia pouring out gold coins, all surrounded by a green wreath.
_*Economy #_Overview: The Peruvian economy is primarily capitalist, featuring a significant amount of government welfare programs and management of credit. In the 1980s, the economy experienced hyperinflation, decreasing per capita output, and increasing external debt. Peru lost access to IMF and World Bank support in the mid-1980s due to its substantial debt arrears. An austerity program implemented shortly after the Fujimori government took office in July 1990 led to a third consecutive year of economic contraction but managed to spark a slight recovery in the last quarter. Following a spike in inflation as the program removed government price subsidies, monthly price increases lowered to single digits for the first time since mid-1988. Lima has resumed current payments to multilateral lenders and, despite facing $14 billion in arrears on its external debt, is working towards an agreement with its creditors.
_GDP: $19.3 billion, per capita $898; real growth rate - 3.9% (1990 est.)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7,650% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 20.0%; underemployment estimated at 60% (1989)
_#_Budget: revenues $1.3 billion; expenditures $2.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $3.01 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—fish meal, cotton, sugar, coffee, copper, iron ore, refined silver, lead, zinc, crude oil and byproducts;
partners—EC 22%, US 20%, Japan 11%, Latin America 8%, USSR 4%
_#_Imports: $2.78 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—food, machinery, transportation equipment, iron and steel semi-finished products, chemicals, pharmaceuticals;
partners—US 23%, Latin America 16%, EU 12%, Japan 7%, Switzerland 3%
_#_External debt: $20 billion (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 21% (1989); makes up nearly 25% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 4,867,000 kW capacity; 15,540 million kWh produced, 710 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: metal mining, oil extraction, fishing, textiles, clothing, food processing, cement, car assembly, steel production, shipbuilding, metal fabrication
_#_Agriculture: makes up 12% of GDP, employs 37% of the workforce; main commercial crops include coffee, cotton, and sugarcane; other crops consist of rice, wheat, potatoes, plantains, and coca; animal products include poultry, red meats, dairy, and wool; not self-sufficient in grains or vegetable oil; fish catch was 4.6 million metric tons (1987), the fifth-largest in the world.
_#_Illegal drugs: the world's biggest coca leaf producer with around 121,000 hectares in cultivation; the main supplier of most of the world's coca paste and cocaine base; approximately 85% of cultivation is for illegal production; most of the cocaine base is sent to Colombian drug traffickers for processing into cocaine for the international drug market.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.7 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $3.95 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $577 million
_#_Currency: inti (plural—intis); 1 inti (I/) = 1,000 soles
_#_Exchange rates: intis (I/) per US$1—530,000 (January 1991), 187,886 (1990), 2,666 (1989), 128.83 (1988), 16.84 (1987), 13.95 (1986), 10.97 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 1,884 km total; 1,584 km standard gauge (1.435 meters), 300 km narrow gauge (0.914 meters)
_#_Highways: 56,645 km total; 6,030 km paved, 11,865 km gravel, 14,610 km upgraded earth, 24,140 km unpaved earth
_Inland waterways: 8,600 km of navigable tributaries of the Amazon system and 208 km of Lake Titicaca._
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 500 miles; natural gas and natural gas liquids, 40 miles
_#_Ports: Callao, Ilo, Iquitos, Matarani, Talara
_#_Merchant marine: 29 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 321,541 GRT/516,859 DWT; includes 16 cargo ships, 1 refrigerated cargo ship, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo ship, 3 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, and 8 bulk carriers; note—in addition, 8 naval tankers and 1 naval cargo ship are sometimes used for commercial purposes.
_#_Civil air: 27 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 222 total, 205 available for use; 36 with permanent runways; 2 with runways longer than 3,659 m; 24 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 42 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: generally sufficient for most needs; a nationwide radio relay system; 544,000 telephones; stations—273 AM, no FM, 140 TV, 144 shortwave; 2 INTELSAT earth stations in the Atlantic Ocean, 12 domestic antennas
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army (Ejército Peruano), Navy (Marina de Guerra del Perú), Air Force (Fuerza Aérea del Perú), Peruvian National Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 5,704,684; 3,859,123 eligible for military service; 241,792 turn 20 (military age) each year
_#Defense spending: $430 million, 2.4% of GDP (1991) % @Philippines *Geography #_Total area: 300,000 km²; land area: 298,170 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit bigger than Arizona
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 36,289 km
_#_Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines);
Continental shelf: to the depth of extraction;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: irregular polygon extending up to 100 nm from the coastline as defined by the 1898 treaty; since the late 1970s, it has also claimed a polygonal-shaped area in the South China Sea up to 285 nm wide.
_#_Disputes: engaged in a complicated disagreement over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam; claims the Malaysian state of Sabah.
_#_Climate: tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to October)
_#_Terrain: primarily mountains with narrow to wide coastal lowlands
_#_Natural resources: wood, oil, nickel, cobalt, silver, gold, salt, copper
_#_Land use: cropland 26%; permanent crops 11%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and woodland 40%; other 19%; includes irrigated land 5%
_#_Environment: located in a typhoon belt, typically impacted by 15 storms and hit by five to six cyclonic storms annually; prone to landslides, active volcanoes, destructive earthquakes, and tsunamis; facing issues like deforestation, soil erosion, and water pollution.
_*People #_Population: 65,758,788 (July 1991), growth rate 2.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 29 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 54 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 62 years for males, 67 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.6 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Filipino(s); adjective—Philippine
_#_Ethnic divisions: Christian Malay 91.5%, Muslim Malay 4%, Chinese 1.5%, other 3%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 83%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 5%, Buddhist and others 3%
_#_Language: Filipino (based on Tagalog) and English; both official
_#_Literacy: 90% (male 90%, female 90%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 24,120,000; agriculture 46%, industry and commerce 16%, services 18.5%, government 10%, other 9.5% (1989)
_#_Organized labor: 3,945 registered unions; total membership 5.7 million (includes 2.8 million members of the National Congress of Farmers Organizations)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of the Philippines
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Manila
_#_Administrative divisions: 73 provinces and 61 chartered cities*;
Abra, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Aklan, Albay, Angeles*, Antique,
Aurora, Bacolod*, Bago*, Baguio*, Bais*, Basilan, Basilan City*, Bataan,
Batanes, Batangas, Batangas City*, Benguet, Bohol, Bukidnon, Bulacan,
Butuan*, Cabanatuan*, Cadiz*, Cagayan, Cagayan de Oro*, Calbayog*,
Caloocan*, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Camiguin, Canlaon*, Capiz,
Catanduanes, Cavite, Cavite City*, Cebu, Cebu City*, Cotabato*, Dagupan*,
Danao*, Dapitan*, Davao City*, Davao, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental,
Dipolog*, Dumaguete*, Eastern Samar, General Santos*, Gingoog*, Ifugao,
Iligan*, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Iloilo, Iloilo City*, Iriga*, Isabela,
Kalinga-Apayao, La Carlota*, Laguna, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur,
Laoag*, Lapu-Lapu*, La Union, Legaspi*, Leyte, Lipa*, Lucena*,
Maguindanao, Mandaue*, Manila*, Marawi*, Marinduque, Masbate, Mindoro
Occidental, Mindoro Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental,
Mountain, Naga*, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, North Cotabato,
Northern Samar, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Olongapo*, Ormoc*,
Oroquieta*, Ozamis*, Pagadian*, Palawan, Palayan*, Pampanga, Pangasinan,
Pasay*, Puerto Princesa*, Quezon, Quezon City*, Quirino, Rizal, Romblon,
Roxas*, Samar, San Carlos* (in Negros Occidental), San Carlos* (in
Pangasinan), San Jose*, San Pablo*, Silay*, Siquijor, Sorsogon, South
Cotabato, Southern Leyte, Sultan Kudarat, Sulu, Surigao*, Surigao del
Norte, Surigao del Sur, Tacloban*, Tagaytay*, Tagbilaran*, Tangub*,
Tarlac, Tawitawi, Toledo*, Trece Martires*, Zambales, Zamboanga*,
Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur
_#_Independence: July 4, 1946 (from the US)
_#_Constitution: February 2, 1987, effective February 11, 1987
_#_Legal system: based on Spanish and Anglo-American law; accepts mandatory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_National holiday: Independence Day (from Spain), June 12 (1898)_
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Congress (Kongreso) consists of an upper house or Senate (Senado) and a lower house or House of Representatives (Kapulungan Ng Mga Kinatawan)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Corazon C. AQUINO (since February 25, 1986); Vice President Salvador H. LAUREL (since February 25, 1986)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
PDP-Laban, Aquilino PIMENTEL;
Struggle of Philippine Democrats (LDP), Neptali GONZALES;
Nacionalista Party, Salvador LAUREL, Juan Ponce ENRILE;
Liberal Party, Jovito SALONGA
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 15
_#_Elections:
President—last held 7 February 1986 (next election to be held May 1992); results—Corazon C. AQUINO elected, leading to the fall of the MARCOS regime;
Senate—last held on May 11, 1987 (next one scheduled for May 1992); results—pro-Aquino LDP 63%, liberal LDP and PDP-Laban (Pimentel faction) 25%, opposition Nationalista Party 4%, independent 8%; seats—(24 total) pro-Aquino LDP 15, liberal LDP-Laban (Pimentel faction) 6, opposition Nationalista Party 1, independent 2;
House of Representatives—last held on May 11, 1987 (next to be held in May 1992); results—pro-Aquino LDP 73%, liberal LDP and PDP-Laban (Pimentel wing) 10%, opposition Nationalista Party 17%; seats—(250 total, 180 elected) number of seats by party NA
_#_Communists: the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) commands around 18,000-23,000 full-time insurgents and is not acknowledged as a legitimate party; a second Communist party, the pro-Soviet Philippine Communist Party (PKP), has a semi-legal status.
_#_Member of: APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-24, G-77,
GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM (observer), UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Emmanuel PELAEZ; Embassy located at 1617 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; phone number (202) 483-1414; there are Philippine Consulates General in Agana (Guam), Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle;
US—Ambassador Nicholas PLATT; Embassy at 1201 Roxas Boulevard, Manila (mailing address is APO San Francisco 96528); phone [63] (32) 211-101 through 3; there is a US Consulate in Cebu
_#_Flag: two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a white equilateral triangle on the left side; in the center of the triangle is a yellow sun with eight main rays (each with three smaller rays) and in each corner of the triangle is a small yellow five-pointed star
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is still bouncing back from the political chaos that followed the removal of former President Marcos and various coup attempts. After experiencing two years of economic decline (1984 and 1985), the economy has seen positive growth since 1986, although it slowed down significantly in 1990 compared to 1989. The agricultural sector, along with forestry and fishing, plays a crucial role in the economy, employing around 45% of the workforce and contributing nearly 30% of GDP. The Philippines is the largest exporter of coconuts and coconut products in the world. Manufacturing makes up about 25% of GDP, with major industries including food processing, chemicals, and textiles.
_#_GNP: $45.2 billion, per person $700; actual growth rate 2.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12.7% (1990 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 9.3% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: $7.2 billion; spending $8.12 billion, including capital spending of $0.97 billion (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: revenues $8.1 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—electrical equipment 19%, textiles 16%, minerals and ores 11%, agricultural products 10%, coconut 10%, chemicals 5%, fish 5%, forest products 4%;
partners—US 36%, EU 19%, Japan 18%, ESCAP 9%, ASEAN 7%
_#_Imports: $12.1 billion (cost, insurance, and freight, 1990 estimate);
commodities—raw materials 53%, capital goods 17%, petroleum products 17%;
partners—US 25%, Japan 17%, ESCAP 13%, EC 11%, ASEAN 10%, Middle East 10%
_#_External debt: $28.4 billion (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 1.9% (1990 estimate); makes up 30-35% of GNP
_#_Electricity: 6,755,000 kW capacity; 28 billion kWh produced, 420 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: textiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, wood products, food processing, electronics assembly, oil refining, fishing
_#_Agriculture: makes up about one-third of GNP and 45% of the workforce; key crops—rice, coconut, corn, sugarcane, bananas, pineapple, mango; livestock products—pork, eggs, beef; net exporter of agricultural products; fish catch of 2 million metric tons each year.
_#_Illicit drugs: illegal producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; growers are producing more and higher quality cannabis despite government eradication efforts.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.6 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $6.6 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $5 million; Communist countries (1975-89), $123 million
_#_Currency: Philippine peso (plural—pesos); 1 Philippine peso (1) = 100 centavos
_#_Exchange rates: Philippine pesos (1) per US$1—28.055 (January 1991), 24.311 (1990), 21.737 (1989), 21.095 (1988), 20.568 (1987), 20.386 (1986), 18.607 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 378 km operational in Luzon, 34% owned by the government (1982)
_#_Highways: 156,000 km total (1984); 29,000 km paved; 77,000 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized soil surface; 50,000 km unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 3,219 km; restricted to shallow-draft (under 1.5 m) vessels
_#_Pipelines: refined products, 357 km
_#_Ports: Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Guimaras, Iloilo, Legaspi, Manila, Subic Bay
_#_Merchant marine: 569 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 8,429,829 GRT/15,171,692 DWT; includes 1 passenger ship, 9 short-sea passenger ships, 17 passenger-cargo ships, 163 cargo ships, 18 refrigerated cargo ships, 24 vehicle carriers, 8 livestock carriers, 10 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 8 container ships, 41 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 1 chemical tanker, 7 liquefied gas carriers, 3 combination ore/oil ships, 252 bulk carriers, 7 combination bulk carriers; note—many ships flying the Philippine flag are owned by foreigners and are registered for the purpose of long-term bare-boat charter back to their original owners, who are mainly based in Japan and Germany.
_#_Civil air: 53 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 280 total, 235 usable; 71 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 9 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 50 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m.
_#_Telecommunications: good international radio and submarine cable services; domestic and interisland service is adequate; 872,900 telephones; stations—267 AM (including 6 from the US), 55 FM, 33 TV (including 4 from the US); submarine cables connect to Hong Kong, Guam, Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan; satellite earth stations—1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT, and 11 domestic
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy (including Coast Guard), Marine Corps, Air Force, Constabulary
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 16,254,775; 11,491,155 eligible for military service; 715,462 turning 20 each year
_#Defense spending: $1.1 billion, 2% of GNP (1990) % @Pitcairn Islands (dependent territory of the UK) *Geography #_Total area: 47 km²; land area: 47 km²
_#_Comparative area: about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 51 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Climate: tropical, hot, and humid, influenced by the southeast trade winds; rainy season (November to March)
_#_Terrain: rough volcanic landscape; rocky coast with cliffs
_#_Natural resources: miro trees (used for crafts), fish
_#_Land use: arable land NA%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures NA%; forest and woodland NA%; other NA%
_#_Environment: prone to typhoons (especially from November to March)
_#_Note: located in the South Pacific Ocean about halfway between Peru and New Zealand
_*People #_Population: 56 (July 1991), growth rate 0.0% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: NA deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NA migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: NA deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: NA years for males, NA years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Pitcairn Islander(s); adjective—Pitcairn Islander
_#_Ethnic divisions: descendants of the Bounty mutineers
_#_Religion: Seventh-Day Adventist 100%
_#_Language: English (official); also a Tahitian/English dialect
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_ Labor force: Not applicable; no business community as usually defined; some public works; subsistence farming and fishing
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno Islands
_#_Type: dependent territory of the UK
_#_Capital: Adamstown
_#_Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Independence: none (territory dependent on the UK)
_#_Constitution: Local Government Ordinance of 1964
_#_Legal system: local island by-laws
_#_National holiday: Celebration of the Queen's Birthday (second Saturday in June), June 10, 1989
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor, island magistrate
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Island Council
_#_Judicial branch: Island Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952), represented by the Governor and UK High Commissioner to New Zealand David Joseph MOSS (since NA 1990);
Head of Government—Island Magistrate and Chairman of the Island
Council Brian YOUNG (since N/A 1985)
_#_Political parties and leaders: NA
_#_Suffrage: universal at 18 years old with three years of residency
_#_Elections:
Island Council—last held NA (next to be held NA); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(11 total, 5 elected) number of seats by party NA
_#_Communists: none
_#_Other political or pressure groups: NA
_#_Member of: SPC
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Flag: blue with the UK flag in the upper hoist-side corner and the Pitcairn Islander coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms is yellow, green, and light blue with a shield featuring a yellow anchor
_*Economy #_Overview: The people survive through fishing and small-scale farming. The rich soil in the valleys yields a diverse range of fruits and vegetables, such as citrus, sugarcane, watermelons, bananas, yams, and beans. Bartering plays a significant role in the economy. The main sources of income are selling postage stamps to collectors and selling handicrafts to passing ships.
_#_GDP: $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate NA%
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $430,440; expenditures $429,983, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY87 est.)
_#_Exports: $NA;
commodities—fruits, vegetables, curios;
partners—NA
_#_Imports: $NA;
commodities—fuel oil, machinery, construction materials, flour, sugar, and other food items;
partners—NA
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 110 kW capacity; 0.30 million kWh produced, 5,360 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: postage stamp sales, handicrafts
_#_Agriculture: relies on local fishing and farming; a diverse range of fruits and vegetables is cultivated; needs to import grain products
_#_Economic aid: none
_#_Currency: New Zealand dollar (plural—dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1—1.6798 (January 1991), 1.6750 (1990), 1.6711 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6866 (1987), 1.9088 (1986), 2.0064 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Railroads: none
_#_Highways: 6.4 km dirt roads
_#_Ports: Bounty Bay
_#_Airports: none
_#_Telecommunications: 24 phones; party line service on the island; stations—1 AM, no FM, no TV; diesel generator supplies electricity
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK % @Poland *Geography #_Total area: 312,680 km²; land area: 304,510 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than New Mexico
_#_Land boundaries: 2,980 km total; Czechoslovakia 1,309 km, Germany 456 km, USSR 1,215 km
_#_Coastline: 491 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: mild with cold, cloudy, moderately harsh winters that have regular rain; warm summers with frequent rain and thunderstorms.
_#_Terrain: mostly flat land, with mountains along the southern border
_#_Natural resources: coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt
_#_Land use: arable land 46%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 13%; forest and woodland 28%; other 12%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: a flat area crossed by a few north-flowing, winding streams; significant air and water pollution in the south
_#_Note: historically, a conflict zone due to the flat landscape and the absence of natural barriers on the North European Plain
_*People #_Population: 37,799,638 (July 1991), growth rate 0.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 9 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 4 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 12 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 69 years for males, 77 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Pole(s); adjective—Polish
_#_Ethnic divisions: Polish 97.6%, German 1.3%, Ukrainian 0.6%, Belorussian (Byelorussian) 0.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 95% (about 75% actively practicing), Russian Orthodox, Protestant, and other 5%
_#_Language: Polish
_#_Literacy: 98% (male 99%, female 98%) age 15 and over can read and write (1978)
_#_Labor force: 17,104,000; industry and construction 36.1%; agriculture 27.3%; trade, transport, and communications 14.8%; government and other 21.8% (1989)
_#_Organized labor: trade union pluralism
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Poland
_#_Type: democratic state
_#_Capital: Warsaw
_#_Administrative divisions: 49 provinces (wojewodztwa,
singular—wojewodztwo); Biala Podlaska, Bialystok, Bielsko,
Bydgoszcz, Chelm, Ciechanow, Czestochowa, Elblag, Gdansk,
Gorzow, Jelenia Gora, Kalisz, Katowice, Kielce, Konin, Koszalin,
Krakow, Krosno, Legnica, Leszno, Lodz, Lomza, Lublin,
Nowy Sacz, Olsztyn, Opole, Ostroleka, Pila, Piotrkow,
Plock, Poznan, Przemysl, Radom, Rzeszow, Siedlce, Sieradz,
Skierniewice, Slupsk, Suwalki, Szczecin, Tarnobrzeg, Tarnow,
Torun, Walbrzych, Warszawa, Wloclawek, Wroclaw, Zamosc,
Zielona Gora
_#_Independence: November 11, 1918, independent republic declared
_#_Constitution: the Communist-imposed Constitution of July 22, 1952, will likely be replaced by a democratic Constitution in 1992.
_#_Legal system: a blend of Continental (Napoleonic) civil law and Communist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_National holiday: Constitution Day, May 3 (1794)_
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet of Ministers
_#_Legislative branch: the bicameral National Assembly (Zgromadzenie Narodowe) includes an upper house, the Senate (Senat), and a lower house, the Diet (Sejm)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Lech WALESA (since December 22, 1990);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Jan Krzysztof BIELECKI (since January 4, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: center-right agrarian parties—Polish Peasant Party (PSL), Roman BARTOSZCZE, chairman; Polish Peasant Party-Solidarity, Gabriel JANOWSKI, chairman;
other center-right parties—Center Alliance, Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI,
chairman;
Christian National Union, Wieslaw CHRZANOWSKI, chairman;
Christian Democratic Labor Party, Wladyslaw SILA-NOWICKI, chairman;
Democratic Party, Jerzy JOZWIAK, chairman;
center-left parties—Polish Socialist Party, Jan Jozef LIPSKI,
chairman;
Democratic Union, Tadeusz MAZOWIECKI, chairman;
ROAD, Wladyslaw FRASYNIUK and Zbigniew BUJAK, chairmen;
left-wing parties—Polish Socialist Party-Democratic Revolution, Piotr IKONOWICZ;
other—Social Democracy of the Republic of Poland (previously the Communist Party or Polish United Workers' Party/PZPR), Aleksander KWAŚNIEWSKI, chairman; Union of the Social Democracy of the Republic of Poland (splinter group of the PZPR), Tadeusz FISZBACH, chairman
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—first round held November 25, 1990, second round held December 9, 1990 (next to be held November 1995); results—second round Lech WALESA 74.7%, Stanislaw TYMINSKI 25.3%;
Senate—last held on June 4 and 18, 1989 (next one scheduled for late 1991); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(100 total) Solidarity 99, independent 1;
Diet—last held June 4 and 18, 1989 (next one is expected in late 1991); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(460 total) Communists 173, Solidarity 161, Polish Peasant Party 76, Democratic Party 27, Christian National Union 23; note—election rules restricted Solidarity's share of the vote to 35% of the seats; future elections, likely to occur before late 1991, will be freely contested
_#_Communists: 70,000 members in the Communist successor parties (1990)
_#_Other political or pressure groups: influential Roman Catholic Church; Confederation for an Independent Poland (KPN), a nationalist organization; Solidarity (trade union); All Poland Trade Union Alliance (OPZZ), populist agenda; Clubs of Catholic Intellectuals (KIKs); Freedom and Peace (WiP), a pacifist organization; Independent Student Union (NZS)
_#_Member of: BIS, CCC, CERN (observer, but set to become a member on July 1, 1991), CSCE, ECE, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBEC, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IIB, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNDOF, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Kazimierz DZIEWANOWSKI; Chancery at 2640 16th Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 234-3800 through 3802; there are Polish Consulates General in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York;
US—Ambassador Thomas W. SIMONS, Jr.; Embassy at Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31, Warsaw (mailing address is American Embassy Warsaw, c/o American Consulate General (WAW) or APO New York 09213-5010); phone [48] (22) 283041 through 283049; there is a US Consulate General in Krakow and a Consulate in Poznan
_#_Flag: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red—a crowned eagle will be added; similar to the flags of Indonesia and Monaco which have red (top) and white
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy, apart from the agricultural sector, had followed the Soviet model of state ownership and control of productive assets. About 75% of agricultural production came from the private sector, while the rest was from state farms. The economy has shown moderate but slowing growth amidst underlying weaknesses in technology and worker motivation. GNP dropped by 2.0% in 1989 and by another 8.9% in 1990. The inflation rate, which had sharply decreased from the 1982 peak of 100% to 22% in 1986, skyrocketed to 640% in 1989 before falling back to 250% in 1990. Shortages of consumer goods and some food items became worse in 1988-89. Agricultural products and coal are among the top earners of hard currency, but manufactured goods are becoming more important. Poland, with its hard currency debt of $48.5 billion, is severely limited in its ability to import essential hard currency goods. The significant political changes of 1989 disrupted normal economic processes and worsened shortages. In January 1990, the new Solidarity-led government implemented a sudden program to transform Poland into a market economy. The government took steps to eliminate subsidies, deregulate prices, make the zloty convertible, and generally stop hyperinflation. These financial measures were paired with plans to privatize the economy gradually. While inflation decreased to an annual rate of 77.5% by November 1990, rising unemployment and decreasing living standards have led to increased public discontent and a government change in January 1991. The new government is continuing the previous administration's economic program while trying to expedite privatization and cushion the population from the disruptions linked to reform. Significant external aid will be necessary for Poland to successfully transition in the 1990s.
_#_GNP: $158.5 billion, per person $4,200; actual growth rate - 8.9% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 250% (1990 estimate)
_#_Unemployment rate: 6.1% (end-December 1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $20.9 billion; expenditures $23.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.8 billion (1989)
_#_Exports: $12.9 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—machinery and equipment 38%; fuels, minerals, and metals 21%; manufactured consumer goods 15%; agricultural and forestry products 4% (1989);
partners—USSR 25%, FRG 14%, UK 6.5%, Czechoslovakia 5.5% (1989)
_#_Imports: $12.8 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—machinery and equipment 37%; fuels, minerals, and metals 31%; manufactured consumer goods 17%; agricultural and forestry products 5% (1989);
partners—USSR 18%, FRG 16%, Austria 6%, Czechoslovakia 6% (1989)
_#_External debt: $48.5 billion (January 1991)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 23% (State sector 1990 est.)
_#_Electricity: 31,530,000 kW capacity; 136,300 million kWh produced, 3,610 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: machinery manufacturing, iron and steel, mining, chemicals, ship construction, food production, glassmaking, beverages, textiles
_#_Agriculture: makes up 15% of GNP and 27% of the workforce; 75% of output comes from private farms, 25% from state farms; productivity is still low compared to European standards; is a leading European producer of rye, rapeseed, and potatoes; grows a wide variety of other crops and raises livestock; a major exporter of pork products; usually self-sufficient in food.
_#_Economic aid: donor—bilateral aid to non-Communist developing countries, $2.2 billion (1954-89)
_#_Currency: złoty (plural—złotych); 1 złoty (Zł) = 100 groszy
_#_Exchange rates: zlotych (Zl) per US$1—11,100.00 (May 1991), 9,500 (1990), 1,439.18 (1989), 430.55 (1988), 265.08 (1987), 175.29 (1986), 147.14 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 27,041 km total; 24,287 km standard gauge of 1.435 meters, 397 km broad gauge of 1.520 meters, 2,357 km narrow gauge; 8,987 km of double track; 11,016 km electrified; government-owned (1989)
_#_Highways: 299,887 km total; 130,000 km upgraded hard surface (concrete, asphalt, stone block); 24,000 km unpaved hard surface (crushed stone, gravel); 100,000 km earthen; 45,887 km other urban roads (1985)
_#_Inland waterways: 3,997 km of navigable rivers and canals (1989)
_#_Pipelines: 4,500 km for natural gas; 1,986 km for crude oil; 360 km for refined products (1987)
_#_Ports: Gdańsk, Gdynia, Szczecin, Świnoujście; main inland ports are Gliwice on the Gliwice Canal, Wrocław on the Oder, and Warsaw on the Vistula
_#_Merchant marine: 235 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 2,957,600 GRT/4,163,820 DWT; includes 5 short-sea passenger ships, 92 cargo ships, 3 refrigerated cargo ships, 12 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 9 container ships, 3 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 4 chemical tankers, and 107 bulk carriers; Poland owns 1 ship (1,000 GRT or more) with a capacity of 6,333 DWT operating under Liberian registry.
_#_Civil air: 48 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 160 total, all 160 usable; 85 with paved runways; 1 with a runway over 3,659 m; 35 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 65 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: there are 10.5 phones for every 100 residents (October 1990); 3.1 million subscribers; 86% of exchanges are automatic (February 1990); there are 29 AM stations, 29 FM stations, and 37 TV stations (including 5 Soviet relays); 9.6 million TVs.
_*Defense Forces
#_Branches: External Front Ground Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense
Forces, Internal Defense Forces (WOW), Territorial Defense Forces (JOT),
Border Guards (WOP), Paramilitary Forces, Civil Defense (OC)
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 9,571,708; 7,543,565 eligible for military service; 302,000 reach military age (19) each year
_#Defense spending: 22.3 trillion zlotys, NA% of GDP (1991); note—converting defense spending into US dollars using the official exchange rate would give inaccurate results % @Portugal *Geography #_Total area: 92,080 km²; land area: 91,640 km²; includes the Azores and Madeira Islands
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Indiana
_#_Land boundary: 1,214 km with Spain
_#_Coastline: 1,793 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of extraction;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: sovereignty over Timor Timur (East Timor Province) disputed with Indonesia
_#_Climate: maritime temperate; cool and rainy in the north, warmer and drier in the south
_#_Terrain: mountains in the north of the Tagus, flat plains in the south
_#_Natural resources: fish, forests (cork), tungsten, iron ore, uranium ore, marble
_#_Land use: arable land 32%; permanent crops 6%; meadows and pastures 6%; forest and woodland 40%; other 16%; includes irrigated 7%
_#_Environment: Azores experiences severe earthquakes
_#_Note: The Azores and Madeira Islands are strategically located along the western sea routes to the Strait of Gibraltar.
_*People #_Population: 10,387,617 (July 1991), growth rate 0.3% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 12 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 10 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 1 migrant per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 13 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 71 years for males, 78 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Portuguese (sing. and pl.); adjective—Portuguese
_#_Ethnic divisions: mostly the same Mediterranean heritage on the mainland, Azores, and Madeira Islands; citizens of Black African descent who moved to the mainland during decolonization number fewer than 100,000.
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant denominations 1%, other 2%
_#_Language: Portuguese
_#_Literacy: 85% (male 89%, female 82%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 4,605,700; services 45%, industry 35%, agriculture 20% (1988)
_#_Organized labor: about 55% of the workforce; the Communist-led General Confederation of Portuguese Workers—Intersindical (CGTP-IN) represents more than half of the unionized workforce; its main competitor, the General Workers Union (UGT), is organized by the Socialists and Social Democrats and represents less than half of unionized workers.
_*Government #_Long-form name: Portuguese Republic
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Lisbon
_#_Administrative divisions: 18 districts (distritos, singular—distrito) and 2 autonomous regions* (regiões autónomas, singular—região autónoma); Aveiro, Açores (Azores)*, Beja, Braga, Bragança, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Évora, Faro, Guarda, Leiria, Lisboa, Madeira*, Portalegre, Porto, Santarém, Setúbal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Viseu
_#_Dependent area: Macau (set to become a Special Administrative Region of China in 1999)
_#_Independence: 1140; independent republic declared on October 5, 1910
_#_Constitution: April 25, 1976, revised October 30, 1982, and June 1, 1989
_#_Legal system: civil law system; the Constitutional Tribunal checks if laws align with the constitution; agrees to accept mandatory ICJ jurisdiction, with some reservations.
_#_National holiday: Day of Portugal, June 10
_#_Executive branch: president, Council of State, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly of the Republic (Assembly of the Republic)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Supremo Tribunal de Justica)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Dr. Mario Alberto Nobre Lopes SOARES (since March 9, 1986);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Anibal CAVACO SILVA (since November 6, 1985)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Social Democratic Party (PSD), Anibal CAVACO Silva;
Portuguese Socialist Party (PS), Jorge SAMPAIO;
Party of Democratic Renewal (PRD), Herminio MARTINHO;
Portuguese Communist Party (PCP), Alvaro CUNHAL;
Social Democratic Center (CDS), Andriano MORREIRA (acting);
National Solidarity Party, Manuel SERGIO
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 13 February 1991 (next to be held February
1996);
results—Dr. Mario Lopes SOARES 70%, Basilio HORTA 14%, Carlos
CARVALHAS 13%, Carlos MARQUES 3%;
Assembly of the Republic—last held on October 6, 1991 (next one scheduled for October 1995); results—Social Democrats 50.4%, Socialists 29.3%, United Democratic Coalition (CDU; Communists) 8.8%, Christian Democrats 4.4%, National Solidarity Party 1.7%, Democratic Renewal 0.6%, other 4.8%; seats—(230 total) Social Democrats 132, Socialists 70, United Democratic Coalition (CDU; Communists) 17, Christian Democrats 5, National Solidarity Party 1; after counting absentee ballots, five seats to be allocated.
_#_Communists: The Portuguese Communist Party reports a membership of 200,753 (December 1983)
_#_Member of: AfDB, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE,
ECLAC, EIB, FAO, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IEA, IFAD,
IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU,
LAIA (observer), LORCS, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, OAS (observer),
OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Joao Eduardo M. PEREIRA BASTOS; Embassy at 2125 Kalorama Road NW, Washington DC 20008; phone (202) 328-8610; there are Portuguese Consulates General in Boston, New York, and San Francisco, and Consulates in Los Angeles, Newark (New Jersey), New Bedford (Massachusetts), and Providence (Rhode Island);
US—Ambassador Everett E. BRIGGS; Embassy at Avenida das Forcas
Armadas, 1600 Lisbon (mailing address is APO New York 09678-0002);
telephone [351] (1) 726-6600 or 6659, 8670, 8880; there is a US
Consulate in Ponta Delgada (Azores)
_#_Flag: two vertical bands of green (hoist side, two-fifths) and red (three-fifths) with the Portuguese coat of arms centered on the dividing line
_*Economy #_Overview: Over the past four years, the economy has steadily recovered from the severe recession of 1983-85. It grew by 14% from 1987 to 1989, mainly due to strong domestic consumption and investment spending. Unemployment has dropped for the third straight year, but inflation remains about three times higher than the European Community average. The government is promoting economic restructuring and privatization efforts in preparation for the 1992 European Community plan to create a single large market in Europe.
_#_GDP: $57.8 billion, per capita $5,580; real growth rate 3.5% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 13.4% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 5.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $21.6 billion; expenditures $23.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $6.9 billion (1990)
_#_Exports: $16.3 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—cotton fabrics, cork and cork products, canned fish, wine, wood and wood products, resin, machinery, appliances;
partners—EC 72%, other developed countries 13%, US 5%
_#_Imports: $24.9 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—oil, cotton, grains, industrial equipment, iron and steel, chemicals;
partners—EC 69%, other developed countries 11%, less developed countries 13%, US 4%
_#_External debt: $18.4 billion (1990)
_#_ Industrial production: growth rate 4.9% (1989); makes up 40% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 6,729,000 kW capacity; 16 billion kWh produced, 1,530 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: textiles and shoes; wood pulp, paper, and cork; metalworking; oil refining; chemicals; fish canning; wine; tourism
_#_Agriculture: makes up 9% of GDP and 20% of the workforce; small, inefficient farms; imports over half of its food needs; main crops—grains, potatoes, olives, grapes; livestock sector—sheep, cattle, goats, poultry, meat, dairy products
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.8 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.13 billion
_#_Currency: Portuguese escudo (plural—escudos); 1 Portuguese escudo (Esc) = 100 centavos
_#_Exchange rates: Portuguese escudos (Esc) per US$1—134.46 (January 1991), 142.55 (1990), 157.46 (1989), 143.95 (1988), 140.88 (1987), 149.59 (1986), 170.39 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 3,613 km in total; the state-owned Portuguese Railroad Co. (CP) operates 2,858 km of 1.665-meter gauge (434 km electrified and 426 km double track), with 755 km of 1.000-meter gauge; 12 km (1.435-meter gauge) is electrified, double track, and privately owned.
_#_Highways: 73,661 km total; 61,599 km paved (asphalt, gravel, and crushed stone), including 140 km of limited-access divided highway; 7,962 km upgraded dirt roads; 4,100 km of unimproved dirt roads (passable tracks)
_#_Inland waterways: 820 km navigable; relatively unimportant to the national economy, used by shallow-draft vessels limited to a 300-metric-ton cargo capacity
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 11 km; refined products, 58 km
_#_Ports: Leixões, Lisbon, Porto, Ponta Delgada (Azores), Velas (Azores), Setúbal, Sines
# Merchant marine: 52 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 684,350 GRT/1,190,454 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 20 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 1 container, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 12 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 2 chemical tankers, 2 liquefied gas, 10 bulk, 1 combination bulk; note—Portugal has set up a captive register on Madeira (MAR) for Portuguese-owned ships that will benefit from the taxation and crewing advantages of a flag of convenience; although only one ship is currently known to be registered under the Portuguese flag on the MAR register, it is likely that most Portuguese-flagged ships will transition to this subregister in a few years.
_#_Civil air: 29 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 69 total, 63 usable; 36 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways longer than 3,659 m; 12 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 7 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m.
_#_Telecommunications: the facilities are generally enough; 2,690,000 telephones; stations—57 AM, 66 (22 relays) FM, 25 (23 relays) TV; 7 submarine cables; communication satellite ground stations operating in the INTELSAT (2 in the Atlantic Ocean and 1 in the Indian Ocean), EUTELSAT, and domestic systems (mainland and Azores)
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy (including Marines), Air Force, National Republican Guard, Fiscal Guard, Public Security Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 2,621,116; 2,131,628 eligible for military service; 88,718 turning 20 each year
_#Defense spending: $1.6 billion, 3% of GDP (1990) % @Puerto Rico (commonwealth linked with the US) *Geography #_Total area: 9,104 km²; land area: 8,959 km²
_#_Comparative area: almost three times the size of Rhode Island
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 501 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical marine, mild, with minimal seasonal temperature changes
_#_Terrain: mainly mountains with a coastal plain area in the north; mountains steeply dropping to the sea on the west coast
_#_Natural resources: some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore crude oil
_#_Land use: arable land 8%; permanent crops 9%; meadows and pastures 41%; forest and woodland 20%; other 22%
_#_Environment: numerous small rivers and tall central mountains ensure the land is well-watered; the southern coast is relatively dry; there's a fertile coastal plain in the north.
_#_Note: important location between the Dominican Republic and the Virgin Islands group along the Mona Passage—a key shipping route to the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the largest and best natural harbors in the Caribbean
_*People #_Population: 3,294,997 (July 1991), growth rate 0.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 19 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 10 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 16 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 69 years for males, 76 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Puerto Rican(s); adjective—Puerto Rican
_#_Ethnic divisions: almost entirely Hispanic
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant denominations and others 15%
_#_Language: Spanish (official); English is commonly understood
_#_Literacy: 89% (male 90%, female 88%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1980)
_#_Labor force: 1,068,000; government 28%, manufacturing 15%, trade 14%, agriculture 3%, other 40% (1990)
_#_Organized labor: 115,000 members in 4 unions; the largest is the General Confederation of Puerto Rican Workers with 35,000 members (1983)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
_#_Type: commonwealth associated with the US
_#_Capital: San Juan
_#_Administrative divisions: none (commonwealth associated with the US)
_#_Independence: none (commonwealth associated with the US)
_#_Constitution: ratified March 3, 1952; approved by US Congress July 3, 1952; effective July 25, 1952
_#_National holiday: Constitution Day, July 25 (1952)
_#_Legal system: based on the Spanish civil code
_#_Executive branch: U.S. president, U.S. vice president, governor
_#_Legislative branch: the bicameral Legislative Assembly includes an upper house, known as the Senate, and a lower house, called the House of Representatives.
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President George BUSH (since January 20, 1989); Vice President Dan QUAYLE (since January 20, 1989);
Head of Government Governor Rafael HERNANDEZ Colon (since January 2, 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Popular Democratic Party (PPD), Rafael HERNANDEZ Colon;
New Progressive Party (PNP), Carlos ROMERO Barcelo;
Puerto Rican Socialist Party (PSP), Juan MARI Bras and Carlos
GALLISA;
Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP), Ruben BERRIOS Martinez;
Puerto Rican Communist Party (PCP), leadership unknown
_#_Suffrage: everyone can vote at age 18; Indigenous people are U.S. citizens but don't vote in U.S. presidential elections.
_#_Elections:
Governor—last held on November 8, 1988 (next to be held on November 3,
1992);
results—Rafael HERNANDEZ Colon (PPD) 48.7%, Baltasar CORRADA Del Rio
(PNP) 45.8%, Ruben BERRIOS Martinez (PIP) 5.5%;
Senate—last held on November 8, 1988 (next one on November 3, 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(27 total) PPD 18, PNP 8, PIP 1;
House of Representatives—last held on November 8, 1988 (next to be held on November 3, 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(53 total) PPD 36, PNP 15, PIP 2;
US House of Representatives—last held November 8, 1988 (next to be held November 3, 1992); results—Puerto Rico elects one nonvoting representative
_#_Other political or pressure groups: all have been involved in terrorist activities—Armed Forces for National Liberation (FALN), Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolution, Boricua Popular Army (also known as the Macheteros), Armed Forces of Popular Resistance
_#_Member of: ECLAC, ICFTU, IOC, WCL, WFTU, WTO (associate)
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (commonwealth associated with the US)
_#_Flag: five equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; a blue isosceles triangle on the hoist side features a large white five-pointed star in the center; design inspired by the US flag
_*Economy #_Overview: Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean. Industry has overtaken agriculture as the main sector of economic activity and income. Boosted by duty-free access to the US and tax incentives, US companies have heavily invested in Puerto Rico since the 1950s. Key new industries include pharmaceuticals, electronics, textiles, petrochemicals, and processed foods. Sugar production has been overshadowed by dairy and other livestock products as the primary source of income in agriculture. Tourism has always been a significant source of revenue for the island. The economy is gradually recovering from the disruptions caused by Hurricane Hugo in September 1989, which severely impacted the tourism infrastructure.
_#_GNP: $20.1 billion, per capita $6,100; real growth rate 3.6% (FY89)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.3% (October 1989-90)
_#_Unemployment rate: 14.9% (October 1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $5.5 billion; expenditures $5.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.5 billion (FY89)
_#_Exports: $16.4 billion (f.o.b., FY89);
commodities—drugs, electronics, clothing, canned tuna, rum, drink mixes, medical equipment, instruments;
partners—US 87%
_#_Imports: $14.0 billion (c.i.f., FY89);
commodities—chemicals, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products;
partners—US 60%
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 1.6% (FY89)
_#_Electricity: 4,149,000 kW capacity; 14,844 million kWh produced, 4,510 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products, instruments; tourism
_#_Agriculture: accounts for 3% of the workforce; crops—sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas; livestock—cattle, chickens; imports a significant portion of food requirements.
_#_Economic aid: none
_#_Currency: US currency is used
_#_Exchange rates: The US dollar is used
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Railroads: 100 km of rural narrow-gauge tracks for transporting sugarcane; no passenger trains
_#_Highways: 13,762 km paved
_#_Ports: San Juan, Ponce, Mayaguez, Arecibo
_#_Airports: 33 total; 23 usable; 19 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 3 with runways between 2,440 and 3,659 m; 4 with runways between 1,220 and 2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 900,000 or 99% of total households have TV; 1,067,787 telephones (1988); stations—50 AM, 63 FM, 9 TV (1990)
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: paramilitary National Guard, Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males ages 15-49, 830,133; NA fit for military service
_#Note: defense is the responsibility of the US % @Qatar *Geography #_Total area: 11,000 km2; land area: 11,000 km2
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Connecticut
_#_Land boundaries: 60 km total; Saudi Arabia 40 km, UAE 20 km
_#_Coastline: 563 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specific;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Disputes: the border with the UAE is disputed; there is a territorial dispute with Bahrain over the Hawar Islands
_#_Climate: desert; hot and dry; humid and muggy in summer
_#_Terrain: mainly flat and empty desert filled with loose sand and gravel
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and woodland 0%; other 95%
_#_Environment: haze, dust storms, sand storms are common; limited freshwater resources lead to greater reliance on large-scale desalination plants.
_#_Note: strategic location in the central Persian Gulf, close to major crude oil sources
_*People #_Population: 518,478 (July 1991), growth rate 5.3% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 21 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 3 deaths per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 35 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 24 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 69 years for males, 74 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.0 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Qatari(s); adjective—Qatari
_#_Ethnic groups: Arab 40%, Pakistani 18%, Indian 18%, Iranian 10%, other 14%
_#_Religion: Muslim 95%
_#_Language: Arabic (official); English is widely used as a second language
_#_Literacy: 76% (male 77%, female 72%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1986)
_#_Labor force: 104,000; 85% non-Qatari in the private sector (1983)
_#_Organized labor: trade unions are against the law
_*Government #_Long-form name: State of Qatar
_#_Type: traditional monarchy
_#_Capital: Doha
_#_Administrative divisions: none
_#_Independence: 3 September 1971 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: temporary constitution put into effect on April 2, 1970
_#_Legal system: a flexible legal system overseen by the amir, although civil codes are being put into place; Islamic law plays an important role in personal matters.
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, September 3 (1971)
_#_Executive branch: leader, Cabinet of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber Advisory Council (Majlis al-Shura)
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—Amir and Prime Minister Khalifa bin Hamad Al THANI (since February 22, 1972); Heir Apparent Hamad bin Khalifa AL THANI (appointed May 31, 1977; son of Amir)
_#_Political parties and leaders: none
_#_Suffrage: none
_#_Elections:
Advisory Council—its constitution requires elections for part of this advisory body, but no elections have taken place; seats—(30 total)
_#_Member of: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, IDB, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Hamad Abd al-Aziz AL-KAWARI, Chancery at Suite 1180, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20037; phone (202) 338-0111;
US—Ambassador Mark G. HAMBLEY; Embassy at 149 Ali Bin Ahmed St., Farig Bin Omran (across from the television station), Doha (mailing address is P. O. Box 2399, Doha); telephone [0974] 864701 to 864703
_#_Flag: maroon with a wide white zigzag band (nine white points) on the left side
_*Economy #_Overview: Oil is the core of the economy, making up over 85% of export earnings and around 75% of government revenue. With proven oil reserves of 3.3 billion barrels, it should maintain production at current levels for about 25 years. Oil has provided Qatar with a per capita GDP of around $12,500, among the highest globally outside of OECD countries.
_#_GDP: $6.6 billion, per person $12,500 (1989 estimate); real growth rate 5.0% (1988)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.9% (1988 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $1.8 billion; expenditures $3.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $400 million (FY89 est.)
_#_Exports: $2.6 billion (free on board, 1989 estimate);
commodities—petroleum products 85%, steel, fertilizers;
partners—Japan, Italy, Thailand, Singapore
_#_Imports: $1.4 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.), not including military equipment;
commodities—food, drinks, animal and plant oils, chemicals, machinery, and equipment;
partners—Japan, UK, US, Italy
_#_External debt: $1.1 billion (December 1989 estimate)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 0.6% (1987); makes up 64% of GDP, including oil
_#_Electricity: 1,514,000 kW capacity; 4,000 million kWh produced, 8,540 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: crude oil production and refining, fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel, cement
_#_Agriculture: small-scale farming and grazing, accounting for less than 2% of GDP; commercial fishing is becoming more significant; most food is imported.
_#_Economic aid: donor—committed $2.7 billion in ODA to less developed countries (1979-88)
_#_Currency: Qatari riyal (plural—riyals); 1 Qatari riyal (QR) = 100 dirhams
_#_Exchange rates: Qatari riyals (QR) per US$1—3.6400 riyals (fixed rate)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Highways: 1,500 km total; 1,000 km paved, 500 km gravel or natural surface (est.)
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 235 km; natural gas, 400 km
_#_Ports: Doha, Umm Said, Halul Island
_#_Merchant marine: 20 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 465,371 GRT/707,089 DWT; includes 12 cargo ships, 5 container ships, and 3 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers.
_#_Civil air: 3 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 4 total, 4 usable; 1 with paved runways; 1 with runways longer than 3,659 m; none with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m.
_#_Telecommunications: modern system based in Doha; 110,000 telephones; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; radio relay to Saudi Arabia; submarine cable to Bahrain and UAE; stations—2 AM, 1 FM, 3 TV; earth stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Department
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 235,516; 125,591 eligible for military service; 4,243 reach military age (18) each year
_#Defense spending: $500 million, 8% of GDP (1989) % @Reunion (overseas department of France) *Geography #_Total area: 2,510 km²; land area: 2,500 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Rhode Island
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 201 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical, but cooler at higher elevations; cool and dry from May to November, hot and rainy from November to April
_#_Terrain: mostly rough and hilly; productive lowlands along the coast
_#_Natural resources: fish, arable land
_#_Land use: arable land 20%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and woodland 35%; other 39%; includes irrigated 2%
_#_Environment: periodic devastating cyclones
_#_Note: located 750 km east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean
_*People #_Population: 607,086 (July 1991), growth rate 1.9% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 24 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 8 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 70 years for males, 76 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.6 children per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Reunionese (sing. and pl.); adjective—Reunionese
_#_Ethnic divisions: most of the population is made up of mixed French, African, Malagasy, Chinese, Pakistani, and Indian backgrounds.
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 94%
_#_Language: French (official); Creole is commonly spoken
_#_Literacy: 69% (male 67%, female 74%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1982)
_#_Labor force: NA; agriculture 30%, industry 21%, services 49% (1981); 63% of the working-age population (1983)
_#_Organized labor: General Confederation of Workers of Reunion (CGTR)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Department of Reunion
_#_Type: overseas department of France
_#_Capital: Saint-Denis
_#_Administrative divisions: none (overseas department of France)
_#_Independence: none (overseas department of France)
_#_Constitution: September 28, 1958 (French Constitution)
_#_Legal system: French law
_#_National holiday: Storming of the Bastille, July 14 (1789)
_#_Executive branch: French president, commissioner of the Republic
_#_Legislative branch: one-chamber General Council, one-chamber Regional Council
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Appeals (Cour d'appel)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President François MITTERRAND (since May 21, 1981);
Head of Government—Commissioner of the Republic Daniel CONSTANTIN (since September 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Rally for the Republic (RPR), Francois MAS;
Union for French Democracy (UDF), Gilbert GERARD;
Communist Party of Reunion (PCR), Paul VERGES;
France-Reunion Future (FRA), Andre THIEN AH KOON;
Socialist Party (PS), Jean-Claude FRUTEAU;
Social Democrats (CDS), other smaller parties
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections: General Council—last held March 1986 (next scheduled for 1992); results—percentage of votes by party NA; seats—(36 total) number of seats by party NA;
Regional Council—last held 16 March 1986 (next to be held March 1991); results—RPR/UDF 36.8%, PCR 28.2%, FRA and other right wing 17.3%, PS 14.1%, other 3.6%; seats—(45 total) RPR/UDF 18, PCR 13, FRA and other right wing 8, PS 6;
French Senate—last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(3 total) RPR-UDF 1, PS 1, independent 1;
French National Assembly—last held on June 5 and 12, 1988 (next to be held in June 1993); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(5 total) PCR 2, RPR 1, UDF-CDS 1, FRA 1
_#_Communists: The Communist Party is small but has support among sugarcane workers, the tiny Popular Movement for the Liberation of Reunion (MPLR), and in the Le Port district.
_#_Member of: FZ, WFTU
_#_Diplomatic representation: as a French overseas department, Reunionese interests in the US are represented by France.
_#_Flag: the flag of France is used
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy has traditionally relied on agriculture. Sugarcane has been the main crop for over a century, and in some years, it represents 85% of exports. The government has been promoting the development of a tourist industry to help ease high unemployment, which recently reached one-third of the workforce. The white and Indian communities are significantly better off than other parts of the population, which contributes to the social tensions caused by poverty and unemployment. The economic well-being of Reunion depends largely on ongoing financial support from France.
_#_GDP: $3.37 billion, per person $6,000 (1987 est.); actual growth rate 9% (1987 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.3% (1988)
_#_Unemployment rate: 35% (February 1991)
_#_Budget: revenues $358 million; expenditures $914 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1986)
_#_Exports: $166 million (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities—sugar 75%, rum and molasses 4%, perfume essences 4%, lobster 3%, vanilla and tea 1%;
partners—France, Mauritius, Bahrain, South Africa, Italy
_#_Imports: $1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1988);
commodities—manufactured goods, food, drinks, tobacco, machinery and transportation equipment, raw materials, and petroleum products;
partners—France, Mauritius, Bahrain, South Africa, Italy
_#_External debt: NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%; about 25% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 245,000 kW capacity; 546 million kWh produced, 965 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: sugar, rum, cigarettes, several small shops making handicrafts
_#_Agriculture: makes up 30% of the workforce; leading sector of the economy; cash crops—sugarcane, vanilla, tobacco; food crops—tropical fruits, vegetables, corn; imports a large portion of food supplies
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $14.1 billion
_#_Currency: Euro (plural—euros); 1 Euro (€) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1—5.1307 (January 1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 2,800 km total; 2,200 km paved, 600 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized earth
_#_Ports: Pointe des Galets
_#_Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 2 total, 2 in use; 2 with paved runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: a suitable system for current needs; modern open-wire lines and radio relay networks; main hub in Saint-Denis; radiocommunication with Comoros, France, and Madagascar; new radio relay route to Mauritius; 85,900 phones; stations—3 AM, 13 FM, 1 (18 relays) TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 162,017; 83,959 fit for military service; 5,979 reach military age (18) each year.
_#Note: defense is the responsibility of France % @Romania *Geography #_Total area: 237,500 km²; land area: 230,340 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Oregon
_#_Land boundaries: 2,904 km total; Bulgaria 608 km, Hungary 443 km, USSR 1,307 km, Yugoslavia 546 km
_#_Coastline: 225 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of exploitation;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: mild; cold, overcast winters with regular snow and fog; sunny summers with frequent rain and thunderstorms
_#_Terrain: the central Transylvanian Basin is separated from the Moldavian plain to the east by the Carpathian Mountains and separated from the Walachian Plain to the south by the Transylvanian Alps.
_#_Natural resources: crude oil (reserves running low), timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore, salt
_#_Land use: arable land 43%; permanent crops 3%; meadows and pastures 19%; forests and woodlands 28%; other 7%; includes irrigated 11%
_#_Environment: frequent earthquakes are most severe in the south and southwest; the geological structure and climate lead to landslides and air pollution in the south.
_#_Note: controls the easiest land route to travel between the Balkans and western USSR
_*People #_Population: 23,397,054 (July 1991), growth rate 0.5% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 10 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 1 migrant per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 18 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 69 years for males, 75 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Romanian(s); adjective—Romanian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Romanian 89.1%; Hungarian 8.9%; German 0.4%; Ukrainian, Serb, Croat, Russian, Turk, and Gypsy 1.6%
_#_Religion: Romanian Orthodox 70%, Roman Catholic 6%, Greek Catholic (Uniate) 3%, Protestant 6%, unaffiliated 15%
_#_Language: Romanian, Hungarian, German
_#_Literacy: 96% (male NA%, female NA%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1970 est.)
_#_Labor force: 10,690,000; industry 34%, agriculture 28%, other 38% (1987)
_#_Organized labor: until December 1989, there was a single trade union system organized by the General Confederation of Romanian Trade Unions (UGSR) under the control of the Communist Party; since Ceausescu's overthrow, newly formed trade and professional unions have been joining three main umbrella organizations—Organization of Free Trade Unions, Fratia (Brotherhood), and Alfa Cortel; many other trade unions have also been created.
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: in transition from a Communist state to a republic
_#_Capital: Bucharest
_#_Administrative divisions: 40 counties (judete, singular—judet)
and 1 municipality* (municipiu); Alba, Arad, Arges, Bacau, Bihor,
Bistrita-Nasaud, Botosani, Braila, Brasov, Bucuresti*,
Buzau, Calarasi, Caras-Severin, Cluj, Constanta, Covasna,
Dimbovita, Dolj, Galati, Gorj, Giurgiu, Harghita, Hunedoara,
Ialomita, Iasi, Maramures, Mehedinti, Mures, Neamt, Olt,
Prahova, Salaj, Satu Mare, Sibiu, Suceava, Teleorman, Timis, Tulcea,
Vaslui, Vilcea, Vrancea
_#_Independence: 1881 (from Turkey); republic declared on December 30, 1947
_#_Constitution: August 21, 1965; a new constitution is being drafted
_#_Legal system: the previous blend of civil law and Communist legal theory, which increasingly incorporated Romanian traditions, is being revised.
_National holiday: National Day of Romania, December 1 (1990)_
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: a bicameral Parliament made up of an upper house, the Senate (Senat), and a lower house, the House of Deputies (Adunarea Deputatilor)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Ion ILIESCU (since June 20, 1990, previously President of the Provisional Council of National Unity since December 23, 1989);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Teodor STOLOJAN (since October 2, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
National Salvation Front (FSN), Ion STOICA;
Hungarian Democratic Union (UDMR), Geza DOMOKOS;
National Liberal Party (PNL), Radu CAMPEANU;
National Peasants' Christian and Democratic Party (PNTCD), Corneliu
COPOSU;
Ecology Movement (MER), leader NA;
Romanian National Unity Party (AUR), Radu CEONTEA;
there are now over 100 other parties; note—while the Communist
Party no longer exists, a small proto-Communist party, the Socialist
Labor Party, has been created.
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held May 20, 1990 (next to be held NA 1992); results—Ion ILIESCU 85%, Radu CAMPEANU 10.5%, Ion RATIU 3.8%;
Senate—last held on May 20, 1990 (next to be held NA 1992); results—FSN 67%, other 33%; seats—(118 total) FSN 92, UDMR 12, PNL 9, AUR 2, PNTCD 1, MER 1, other 1;
House of Deputies—last held May 20, 1990 (next to be held NA 1992); results—FSN 66%, UDMR 7%, PNL 6%, MER 2%, PNTCD 2%, AUR 2%, other 15%; seats—(387 total) FSN 263, UDMR 29, PNL 29, PNTCD 12, MER 12, AUR 9, other 33
_#_Communists: 3,400,000 (November 1984); the Communist Party no longer exists
_#_Member of: BIS, CCC, CSCE, ECE, FAO, G-9, G-77, GATT,
IAEA, IBEC, IBRD, ICAO, IFAD, IFC, IIB, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC,
ITU, LORCS, NAM (guest), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Virgil CONSTANTINESCU; Chancery at 1607 23rd Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 232-4747;
US—Ambassador Alan GREEN, Jr.; Embassy at Strada Tudor Arghezi 7-9, Bucharest (mailing address is APO New York 09213); phone [40] (0) 10-40-40
_#_Flag: three equal vertical stripes of blue (on the hoist side), yellow, and red; the national coat of arms that used to be in the center of the yellow stripe has been removed; now it resembles the flags of Andorra and Chad
_*Economy #_Overview: The industrial sector, which makes up a third of the workforce and generates over half the GNP, is struggling with outdated facilities and ongoing energy shortages. In 1990, industrial production fell by about 20% due to energy and material shortages, along with labor disputes. In recent years, agriculture has faced challenges like drought, mismanagement, and a lack of inputs. A drought in 1990 led to disappointing harvests, worsened by corruption and an ineffective distribution system. The new government is gradually easing the strict central controls of Ceausescu's command economy. They've implemented moderate land reforms, with nearly half of cropland now privately owned, and have allowed for price changes on private agricultural products. The new administration is also permitting the creation of private businesses, primarily in services, crafts, and small-scale industry. New laws have been enacted for the privatization of major state companies. However, most initial privatizations will convert state firms into joint-stock companies, and the plan for public share sales is still being developed. Additionally, the government has ended the previous practice of redirecting food from local use to hard currency export markets. So far, the government appears reluctant to fully embrace a market economy, showing great caution in deregulating prices due to public resistance. Instead of lifting price controls completely, the government has sharply increased price ceilings.
_#_GNP: $69.9 billion, per person $3,000; actual growth rate - 10.8% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 50% (estimated in 1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $28.4 billion; expenditures $28.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $12.3 billion (1989)
_#_Exports: $9.2 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—machinery and equipment 34.7%, fuels, minerals, and metals 24.7%, manufactured consumer goods 16.9%, agricultural materials and forestry products 11.9%, other 11.6% (1986);
partners—USSR 27%, Eastern Europe 23%, EC 15%, US 5%, China 4% (1987)
_#_Imports: $10.9 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—fuels, minerals, and metals 51.0%, machinery and equipment 26.7%, agricultural and forestry products 11.0%, manufactured consumer goods 4.2% (1986);
partners—Communist countries 60%, non-Communist countries 40% (1987)
_#_External debt: $400 million (mid-1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 20% (1990 estimate)
_#_Electricity: 22,700,000 kW capacity; 64,200 million kWh produced, 2,760 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: mining, forestry, construction materials, metalworking, chemicals, machinery manufacturing, food processing, oil
_#_Agriculture: makes up 15% of GNP and 28% of the workforce; a leading producer of wheat and corn; other products include sugar beets, sunflower seeds, potatoes, milk, eggs, meat, and grapes.
_#_Economic aid: donor—$4.4 billion in bilateral assistance to non-Communist less-developed countries (1956-89)
_#_Currency: leu (plural—lei); 1 leu (L) = 100 bani
_#_Exchange rates: lei (L) per US$1—60.00 (June 1991), 22.432 (1990), 14.922 (1989), 14.277 (1988), 14.557 (1987), 16.153 (1986), 17.141 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 11,275 km total; 10,860 km of 1.435-meter standard gauge, 370 km narrow gauge, 45 km broad gauge; 3,411 km electrified, 3,060 km double track; government owned (1987)
_#_Highways: 72,799 km total; 15,762 km concrete, asphalt, stone block; 20,208 km asphalt treated; 27,729 km gravel, crushed stone, and other paved surfaces; 9,100 km unpaved roads (1985)
_#_Inland waterways: 1,724 km (1984)
_#_Pipelines: 2,800 km of crude oil; 1,429 km of refined products; 6,400 km of natural gas
_#_Ports: Constanta, Galati, Braila, Mangalia; inland ports are Giurgiu, Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Orsova
_#_Merchant marine: 294 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,767,465 GRT/5,893,700 DWT; includes 1 passenger-cargo, 191 cargo, 2 container, 1 rail-car carrier, 11 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 livestock carrier, 15 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 69 bulk, 2 combination ore/oil
_#_Civil air: 59 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 165 total, 165 usable; 25 with permanent-surface runways; 15 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 15 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: around 2.3 million phone customers; 89% of the phone network is automated; current phone density is 9.85 per 100 residents; about 3,300 villages lack service (February 1990); stations—39 AM, 29 FM, 39 TV (1990)
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: French—Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 5,801,986; 4,912,789 eligible for military service; 192,996 turn 20 and reach military age each year.
_#Defense spending: 15 billion lei (unofficial), NA% of GDP (1991); note—converting defense spending into US dollars using the official administratively set exchange rate would yield misleading results % @Rwanda *Geography #_Total area: 26,340 km2; land area: 24,950 km2
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Maryland
_#_Land boundaries: 893 km total; Burundi 290 km, Tanzania 217 km, Uganda 169 km, Zaire 217 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Climate: mild; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); cooler in the mountains with potential frost and snow
_#_Terrain: mostly grassy hills and uplands; mountains to the west
_#_Natural resources: gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), natural gas, hydropower
_#_Land use: arable land 29%; permanent crops 11%; meadows and pastures 18%; forest and woodland 10%; other 32%; includes irrigated NEGL%
# Environment: deforestation; overgrazing; soil depletion; soil erosion; occasional droughts
_#_Note: landlocked
_*People #_Population: 7,902,644 (July 1991), growth rate 3.8% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 52 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 15 deaths per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 110 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 51 years for males, 54 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 8.4 children per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun and adjective—Rwandan(s)
_#_Ethnic groups: Hutu 90%, Tutsi 9%, Twa (Pygmoid) 1%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 65%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 1%, indigenous beliefs and others 25%
_#_Language: Kinyarwanda, French (official); Kiswahili is used in commercial centers.
_#_Literacy: 50% (male 64%, female 37%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 3,600,000; agriculture 93%, government and services 5%, industry and commerce 2%; 49% of the working-age population (1985)
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Rwanda
_#_Type: republic; a presidential system where military leaders occupy key positions; on December 31, 1990, the government announced a National Political Charter to serve as the basis for transitioning to a presidential/parliamentary political system; the charter will be voted on in a national referendum scheduled for June 1991.
_#_Capital: Kigali
_#_Administrative divisions: 10 prefectures (prefectures, singular—prefecture in French; plural—NA, singular—prefegitura in Kinyarwanda); Butare, Byumba, Cyangugu, Gikongoro, Gisenyi, Gitarama, Kibungo, Kibuye, Rigali, Ruhengeri
_#_Constitution: 17 December 1978
_#_Independence: July 1, 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration)
_#_Legal system: based on German and Belgian civil law systems and customary law; judicial review of laws in the Supreme Court; has not accepted mandatory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, July 1, 1962
_#_Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Development Council (National Development Council)
_#_Judicial branch: Constitutional Court (made up of the Court of Cassation and the Council of State in joint session)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Maj. Gen.
Juvenal HABYARIMANA (since July 5, 1973)
_#_Political parties and leaders: only party—National Revolutionary Movement for Development (MRND), Maj. Gen. Juvenal HABYARIMANA; note—the MRND is officially a development movement, not a party
_Suffrage: universal adult, exact age not applicable_
_#_Elections:
President—last held 19 December 1988 (next to be held December 1993); results—President Maj. Gen. Juvenal HABYARIMANA reelected;
National Development Council—last held on December 19, 1988 (next one scheduled for December 1993); results—MRND is the only party; seats—(70 total); MRND 70
_#_Communists: no Communist party
_#_Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, ECA, CCC, CEEAC, CEPGL, FAO, G-77,
GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Aloys UWIMANA; Chancery at 1714 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 232-2882;
US—Ambassador Robert A. FLATEN; Embassy at Boulevard de la Revolution, Kigali (mailing address is B. P. 28, Kigali); telephone [250] 75601 through 75603 or 72126 through 72128
_#_Flag: three equal vertical stripes of red (hoist side), yellow, and green with a large black letter R in the center of the yellow stripe; features the well-known pan-African colors of Ethiopia; resembles the flag of Guinea, which has a plain yellow stripe.
_*Economy #_Overview: Nearly 50% of GDP comes from the agricultural sector; coffee and tea account for 80-90% of total exports. However, the amount of fertile land is limited, and deforestation and soil erosion have created significant issues. The industrial sector in Rwanda is small, contributing only 16% to GDP. Manufacturing primarily focuses on processing agricultural products. The Rwandan economy continues to rely on coffee exports and foreign aid, with no relief expected soon. Weak international prices since 1986 have led to an economic contraction and a decline in per capita GDP. A structural adjustment program with the World Bank started in October 1990. An outbreak of insurgency in the same month has dampened any hopes for economic improvement.
_#_GDP: $2.2 billion, per capita $300; real growth rate - 2.2% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $391 million; expenditures $491 million, including capital expenditures of $225 million (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $117 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—coffee 85%, tea, tin, cassiterite, wolframite, pyrethrum;
partners—FRG, Belgium, Italy, Uganda, UK, France, US
_#_Imports: $293 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—clothing, food, machinery and equipment, capital goods, steel, oil products, cement, and building materials;
partners—US, Belgium, FRG, Kenya, Japan
_#_External debt: $689 million (December 1990 estimate)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 1.2% (1988); makes up 16% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 26,000 kW capacity; 112 million kWh produced, 15 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: mining cassiterite (tin ore) and wolframite (tungsten ore), tin, cement, agricultural processing, small-scale beverage production, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic products, textiles, cigarettes
_#_Agriculture: makes up nearly 50% of GDP and about 90% of the workforce; cash crops include coffee, tea, and pyrethrum (an insecticide derived from chrysanthemums); main food crops are bananas, beans, sorghum, and potatoes; livestock raising; self-sufficiency is decreasing; the country imports food as agricultural production can't keep pace with a 3.8% annual population growth.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $128 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $45 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $58 million
_#_Currency: Rwandan franc (plural—francs); 1 Rwandan franc (RF) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Rwandan francs (RF) per US$1—120.00 (December 1990), 82.60 (1990), 79.98 (1989), 76.45 (1988), 79.67 (1987), 87.64 (1986), 101.26 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 4,885 km total; 460 km paved, 1,725 km gravel and/or improved earth, 2,700 km unimproved
_#_Inland waterways: Lake Kivu is navigable by shallow-draft barges and local boats.
_#_Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 8 total, 8 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 1 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: a fair system with a low-capacity radio relay system based in Kigali; 6,600 telephones; stations—2 AM, 5 FM, no TV; earth stations—1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 SYMPHONIE
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Gendarmerie
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,651,224; 842,480 qualified for military service; no draft
_#Defense spending: $37 million, 1.6% of GDP (1988 est.) % @Saint Helena (dependent territory of the UK) *Geography #_Total area: 410 km2; land area: 410 km2; includes Ascension, Gough Island, Inaccessible Island, Nightingale Island, and Tristan da Cunha
_#_Comparative area: a little over 2.3 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 60 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; marine; mild, influenced by trade winds
_#_Terrain: rough, volcanic; small, scattered plateaus and plains
_#_Natural resources: fish; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles and sooty terns; no minerals
_#_Land use: arable land 7%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 7%; forest and woodland 3%; other 83%
_#_Environment: very few perennial streams
_#_Note: located 1,920 km west of Angola, about two-thirds of the way between South America and Africa; Napoleon Bonaparte's place of exile and burial; the remains were taken to Paris in 1840
_*People #_Population: 6,695 (July 1991), growth rate 0.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 13 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NEGl migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 46 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 70 years for males, 75 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Saint Helenian(s); adjective—Saint Helenian
_#_Ethnic divisions: NA
_#_Religion: Mostly Anglican; also includes Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, and Roman Catholic
_#_Language: English
_#_Literacy: 98% (male 97%, female 98%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1987)
_#_Labor force: NA
_#_Organized labor: Saint Helena General Workers' Union, 472 members; crafts 17%, professional and technical 10%, service 10%, management and clerical 9%, farming and fishing 9%, transport 6%, sales 5%, and other 34%
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: dependent territory of the UK
_#_Capital: Jamestown
_#_Administrative divisions: 2 dependencies and 1 administrative area*; Ascension*, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha
_#_Independence: none (a dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Constitution: 1 January 1967
_#_Legal system: NA
_National holiday: Celebration of the Queen's Birthday (second Saturday in June), June 10, 1989_
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor, Executive Council (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952);
Head of Government—Governor and Commander in Chief Robert
F. STIMSON (since 1987)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Saint Helena Labor Party, G. A. O. THORNTON; Saint Helena Progressive Party, leader unknown; note—both political parties have been inactive since 1976
_#_Suffrage: NA
_#_Elections:
Legislative Council—last held in October 1984 (next to be held N/A); results—percent of vote by party N/A; seats—(15 total, 12 elected) number of seats by party N/A
_#_Communists: probably none
_#_Member of: ICFTU
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (a territory dependent on the UK)
_#_Flag: blue with the UK flag in the upper left corner and the Saint Helenian shield in the center of the outer half of the flag; the shield shows a rocky coastline and a three-masted sailing ship.
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy mainly relies on financial support from the UK. The local community earns some income through fishing, raising livestock, and selling handicrafts. Due to the limited job opportunities, a significant portion of the workforce has left to find work abroad.
_GDP: $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate NA%
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): - 1.1% (1986)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $3.2 million; expenditures $2.9 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1984)
_#_Exports: $23.9 thousand (f.o.b., 1984);
commodities—fish (frozen and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), handicrafts;
partners—South Africa, UK
_#_Imports: $2.4 million (c.i.f., 1984);
commodities—food, drinks, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, construction materials, cars and parts, machinery and parts;
partners—UK, South Africa
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 9,800 kW capacity; 10 million kWh produced, 1,390 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: crafts (furniture, lace, intricate woodwork), fish
_#_Agriculture: corn, potatoes, vegetables; timber production is being developed; crawfishing on Tristan da Cunha
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $184 million
_#_Currency: Saint Helenian pound (plural—pounds); 1 Saint Helenian pound (5S) = 100 pence
_#_Exchange rates: Saint Helenian pounds (5S) per US$1—0.5171 (January 1991), 0.5603 (1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985); note—the Saint Helenian pound is equal to the British pound
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications
#_Roads: 87 km of paved roads, 20 km of dirt roads on
Saint Helena; 80 km of paved roads on Ascension; 2.7 km of paved roads on
Tristan da Cunha
_#_Ports: Jamestown (Saint Helena), Georgetown (Ascension)
_#_Merchant marine: 1 passenger-cargo ship with a total of 6,767 GRT/5,600 DWT
_#_Airports: 1 with a permanent-surface runway between 2,440 and 3,659 m on Ascension
_#_Telecommunications: 1,500 radio receivers; stations—1 AM, no FM, no TV; 550 telephones in an automatic network; HF radio links to Ascension, then connected to global submarine cable and satellite networks; a major coaxial cable relay point between South Africa, Portugal, and the UK at Ascension; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations.
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK % @Saint Kitts and Nevis *Geography #_Total area: 269 km²; land area: 269 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit more than 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 135 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: subtropical influenced by steady sea breezes; minimal seasonal temperature change; rainy season (May to November)
_#_Terrain: volcanic with mountainous interiors
_#_Natural resources: negligible
_#_Land use: arable land 22%; permanent crops 17%; meadows and pastures 3%; forest and woodland 17%; other 41%
_#_Environment: prone to hurricanes (July to October)
_#_Note: located 320 km east-southeast of Puerto Rico
_*People #_Population: 40,293 (July 1991), growth rate 0.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 24 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 10 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 10 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 39 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 64 years for males, 71 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.6 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Ethnic divisions: primarily of black African descent
_#_Nationality: noun—Kittsian(s), Nevisian(s); adjective—Kittsian, Nevisian
_#_Religion: Anglican, other Protestant groups, Roman Catholic
_#_Language: English
_#_Literacy: 98% (male 98%, female 98%) of people aged 15 and over have attended school at some point (1970)
_#_Labor force: 20,000 (1981)
_#_Organized labor: 6,700
_*Government #_Long-form name: Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis
_#_Type: constitutional monarchy
_#_Capital: Basseterre
_#_Administrative divisions: 14 parishes; Christ Church Nichola Town,
Saint Anne Sandy Point, Saint George Basseterre, Saint George Gingerland,
Saint James Windward, Saint John Capisterre, Saint John Figtree, Saint
Mary Cayon, Saint Paul Capisterre, Saint Paul Charlestown, Saint Peter
Basseterre, Saint Thomas Lowland, Saint Thomas Middle Island, Trinity
Palmetto Point
_#_Independence: September 19, 1983 (from the UK)
_#_Constitution: 19 September 1983
_#_Legal system: based on English common law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, September 19 (1983)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Clement Athelston ARRINDELL (since September 19, 1983, previously Governor General of the Associated State since NA November 1981);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Dr. Kennedy Alphonse SIMMONDS (since September 19, 1983, previously Premier of the Associated State since February 1980); Deputy Prime Minister Michael Oliver POWELL (since NA)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
People's Action Movement (PAM), Kennedy SIMMONDS;
Saint Kitts and Nevis Labor Party (SKNLP), Lee MOORE;
Nevis Reformation Party (NRP), Simeon DANIEL;
Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM), Vance AMORY
_Suffrage: universal adult at age NA_
_#_Elections:
House of Assembly—last held on March 21, 1989 (next to be held by March 21, 1994); seats—(14 total, 11 elected) PAM 6, SKNLP 2, NRP 2, CCM 1
_#_Communists: none known
_#_Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, IBRD, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IMF, INTERPOL, OAS, OECS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Minister-Counselor (Deputy Chief of Mission), Charge d'Affaires ad interim Erstein M. EDWARDS; Chancery at Suite 540, 2501 M Street NW, Washington DC 20037; telephone (202) 833-3550;
US—none
_#_Flag: split diagonally from the lower hoist side by a wide black band featuring two white five-pointed stars; the black band has yellow edges; the upper triangle is green, and the lower triangle is red.
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy has traditionally relied on the cultivation and processing of sugarcane, as well as money sent back home by workers abroad. Recently, tourism and export-focused manufacturing have taken on more significant roles.
_#_GDP: $97.5 million, per capita $2,400; real growth rate 4.6% (1988)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 15% (1989)
_#_Budget: revenues $38.1 million; expenditures $68.1 million, including capital expenditures of $31.5 million (1991)
_#_Exports: $32.8 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—sugar, clothing, electronics, postage stamps;
partners—US 53%, UK 22%, Trinidad and Tobago 5%, OECS 5% (1988)
_#_Imports: $89.6 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—foodstuffs, intermediate manufactures, machinery, fuels;
partners—US 36%, UK 17%, Trinidad and Tobago 6%, Canada 3%, Japan 3%, OECS 4% (1988)
_#_External debt: $26.4 million (1988)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 11.8% (1988 est.); makes up 17% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 15,800 kW capacity; 45 million kWh generated, 1,120 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: sugar processing, tourism, cotton, salt, copra, clothing, footwear, beverages
_#_Agriculture: makes up 10% of GDP; cash crop—sugarcane; subsistence crops—rice, yams, vegetables, bananas; fishing potential not fully utilized; most food imported
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY85-88), $10.7 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $57 million
_#_Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural—dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1—2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 58 km of 0.760-meter narrow gauge on Saint Kitts for sugarcane
_#_Highways: 300 km total; 125 km paved, 125 km improved, 50 km unimproved dirt
_#_Ports: Basseterre (Saint Kitts), Charlestown (Nevis)
_#_Civil air: no major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 1 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways between 1,220-2,439 m.
_#_Telecommunications: reliable interisland VHF/UHF/SHF radio connections and international links through Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Martin; 2,400 telephones; stations—2 AM, no FM, 4 TV
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Police Force, Coast Guard
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 38,090; NA fit for military service
_#Defense spending: $NA, NA% of GDP % @Saint Lucia *Geography #_Total area: 620 km²; land area: 610 km²
_#_Comparative area: just under 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 158 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical, with a cooling influence from the northeast trade winds; dry season from January to April, rainy season from May to August
_#_Terrain: volcanic and mountainous with some wide, fertile valleys
_#_Natural resources: forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal energy potential
_#_Land use: arable land 8%; permanent crops 20%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and woodland 13%; other 54%; includes irrigated 2%
_#_Environment: prone to hurricanes and volcanic activity; deforestation; soil erosion
_#_Note: located 700 km southeast of Puerto Rico
_*People #_Population: 153,075 (July 1991), growth rate 2.2% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 31 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 4 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 18 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 69 years for males, 74 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.5 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Saint Lucian(s); adjective—Saint Lucian
_#_Ethnic divisions: African descent 90.3%, mixed 5.5%, East Indian 3.2%, Caucasian 0.8%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 7%, Anglican 3%
_#_Language: English (official), French patois
_#_Literacy: 67% (male 65%, female 69%) aged 15 and older who have ever attended school (1980)
_#_Labor force: 43,800; agriculture 43.4%, services 38.9%, industry and commerce 17.7% (1983 est.)
_#_Organized labor: 20% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: parliamentary democracy
_#_Capital: Castries
_#_Administrative divisions: 11 districts; Anse-la-Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort
_#_Independence: February 22, 1979 (from the UK)
_#_Constitution: 22 February 1979
_#_Legal system: based on English common law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, February 22, 1979
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: a bicameral Parliament made up of an upper house called the Senate and a lower house known as the House of Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952), represented by Acting Governor General Sir Stanislaus Anthony JAMES (since October 10, 1988);
Head of Government—Prime Minister John George Melvin COMPTON (since May 3, 1982)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
United Workers' Party (UWP), John COMPTON;
Saint Lucia Labor Party (SLP), Julian HUNTE;
Progressive Labor Party (PLP), George ODLUM
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
House of Assembly—last held April 6, 1987 (next to be held by April 1992); results—percentage of votes by party NA; seats—(17 total) UWP 10, SLP 7
_#_Communists: negligible
_#_Member of: ACCT (associate), ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO,
G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL,
LORCS, NAM, OAS, OECS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO,
WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Dr. Joseph Edsel EDMUNDS; Chancery at Suite 309, 2100 M Street NW, Washington DC 30037; telephone (202) 463-7378 or 7379; there is a Saint Lucian Consulate General in New York;
US—none
_#_Flag: blue with a gold triangle below a black arrowhead; the top edges of the arrowhead have a white border
_*Economy #_Overview: Since 1983, the economy has seen an impressive average annual growth rate of nearly 5% due to strong agricultural and tourism sectors. Saint Lucia also has a growing industrial base backed by foreign investment in manufacturing and other activities, like data processing. However, the economy remains vulnerable since the key agricultural sector is largely dependent on banana production. Saint Lucia faces periodic droughts and/or tropical storms, and its protected market agreement with the UK for bananas may come to an end in 1992.
_GDP: $273 million, per person $1,830; real growth rate 4.0% (1989)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.4% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 16.0% (1988)
_#_Budget: revenues $131 million; expenditures $149 million, including capital expenditures of $71 million (FY90 est.)
_#_Exports: $111.9 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—bananas 54%, clothing 17%, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil;
partners—UK 51%, CARICOM 20%, US 19%, other 10%
_#_Imports: $265.9 million (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—manufactured goods 23%, machinery and transportation equipment 27%, food and live animals 18%, chemicals 10%, fuels 6%;
partners—US 35%, CARICOM 16%, UK 15%, Japan 7%, Canada 4%, other 23%
_#_External debt: $54.5 million (1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 3.5% (1990 est.); makes up 7% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 32,500 kW capacity; 112 million kWh produced, 730 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: clothing, electronic components assembly, beverages, corrugated boxes, tourism, lime processing, coconut processing
_#_Agriculture: makes up 16% of GDP and employs 43% of the workforce; crops—bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus fruits, root vegetables, cocoa; imports food for the tourism sector.
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $118 million
_#_Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural—dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1—2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
_#_Fiscal Year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Highways: 760 km total; 500 km paved; 260 km unimproved
_#_Ports: Castries
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 1 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: fully automatic telephone system; 9,500 phones; direct radio relay connection with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; inter-island troposcatter link to Barbados; stations—4 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV (cable)
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, Coast Guard
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 38,050; NA eligible for military service
_#Defense spending: $NA, NA% of GDP % @Saint Pierre and Miquelon (territorial collectivity of France) *Geography #_Total area: 242 km2; land area: 242 km2; includes eight small islands in the Saint Pierre and Miquelon groups
_#_Comparative area: just under 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 120 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_Disputes: focus of maritime boundary dispute between Canada and France_
_#_Climate: chilly and damp, with a lot of mist and fog; spring and autumn are breezy.
_#_Terrain: mostly barren rock
_#_Natural resources: fish, deepwater ports
_#_Land use: arable land 13%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 4%; other 83%
_#_Environment: vegetation scanty
_#_Note: located 25 km south of Newfoundland, Canada, in the North Atlantic Ocean
_*People #_Population: 6,356 (July 1991), growth rate 0.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 17 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 6 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_Life expectancy at birth: 72 years for males, 79 years for females (1991)_
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women); adjective—French
_#_Ethnic divisions: originally Basques and Bretons (French fishermen)
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 98%
_#_Language: French
_#_Literacy: 99% (male 99%, female 99%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1982)
_#_Labor force: 2,850 (1988)
_#_Organized labor: Workers' Force union
_*Government #_Long-form name: Territorial Collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon
_#_Type: territorial collectivity of France
_#_Capital: Saint-Pierre
_#_Administrative divisions: none (territorial collectivity of France)
_#_Independence: none (territorial collectivity of France); note—has been under French control since 1763
_#_Constitution: September 28, 1958 (French Constitution)
_#_Legal system: French law
_#_National holiday: National Day, July 14 (Storming of the Bastille)
_#_Executive branch: commissioner of the Republic
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral General Council
_#_Judicial branch: Superior Court of Appeals (Tribunal Superieur d'Appel)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Francois MITTERRAND (since May 21, 1981);
Head of Government—Commissioner of the Republic Jean-Pierre
MARQUIE (since February 1989); President of the General Council Marc
PLANTEGENEST (since NA)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Socialist Party (PS); Union for French Democracy (UDF/CDS), Gerard GRIGNON
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
General Council—last held September-October 1988 (next to be held September 1994); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(19 total) Socialist and other left-wing parties 13, UDF and right-wing parties 6;
French President—last held May 8, 1988 (next to be held May 1995); results—(second ballot) Jacques CHIRAC 56%, Francois MITTERRAND 44%;
French Senate—last held September 24, 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(1 total) PS 1;
French National Assembly—last held June 5 and 12, 1988 (next one scheduled for June 1993); results—percentage of votes by party NA; seats—(1 total) UDF/CDS 1
_#_Member of: FZ, WFTU
_#_Diplomatic representation: as a part of France, local interests in the US are represented by France.
_#_Flag: the flag of France is used
_*Economy #_Overview: The residents have traditionally earned their living by fishing and supporting fishing fleets that operate off the coast of Newfoundland. However, the economy has been declining because the number of ships stopping at Saint Pierre has steadily decreased over the years. In March 1989, an agreement between France and Canada established fish quotas for Saint Pierre's trawlers fishing in Canadian and Canadian-claimed waters for three years. This agreement resolved a long-standing dispute that had nearly stopped fish exports altogether. The islands receive significant subsidies from France. Imports mainly come from Canada and France.
_#_GDP: $50 million, per person $7,900; actual growth rate NA% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: 8.3% (1988)
_#_Budget: revenues $18.3 million; expenditures $18.3 million, including capital expenditures of $5.5 million (1989)
_#_Exports: $24.1 million (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities—fish and fish products, fox and mink fur;
partners—US 58%, France 17%, UK 11%, Canada, Portugal
_#_Imports: $61.6 million (c.i.f., 1988);
commodities—meat, clothes, fuel, electrical gear, machinery, construction materials;
partners—Canada, France, US, Netherlands, UK
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 10,000 kW capacity; 25 million kWh produced, 3,970 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: fish processing and supplying fishing fleets; tourism
_#_Agriculture: vegetables, cattle, sheep, and pigs for local consumption; fish catch, 20,500 metric tons (1989)
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $493 million
_#_Currency: French franc (plural—francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1—5.1307 (January 1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 120 km total; 60 km paved (1985)
_#_Ports: Saint Pierre
_#_Civil air: no major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 2 total, 2 operational; 2 with permanent-surface runways, none with runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runway 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 3,601 phones; stations—1 AM, 3 FM, no TV; radio communication with most countries worldwide; 1 earth station in the French domestic system
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of France % @Saint Vincent and the Grenadines *Geography #_Total area: 340 km²; land area: 340 km²
_#_Comparative area: just under double the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 84 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; minimal seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
_#_Terrain: volcanic, mountainous; Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent
_#_Natural resources: negligible
_#_Land use: farmland 38%; permanent crops 12%; meadows and pastures 6%; forests and woodlands 41%; other 3%; includes irrigated land 3%
_#_Environment: prone to hurricanes; Soufriere volcano is a constant threat
_#_Note: some islands in the Grenadines group are managed by Grenada
_*People #_Population: 114,221 (July 1991), growth rate 1.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 27 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 7 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 31 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 68 years for males, 72 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.8 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s); adjectives—Saint Vincentian or Vincentian
_#_Ethnic divisions: mostly of black African descent; the rest mixed, including some white, East Indian, and Carib Indian.
_#_Religion: Anglican, Methodist, Catholic, Seventh-Day Adventist
_#_Language: English, some French patois
_#_Literacy: 96% (male 96%, female 96%) of those aged 15 and over have attended school (1970)
_#_Labor force: 67,000 (1984 est.)
_#_Organized labor: 10% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: constitutional monarchy
_#_Capital: Kingstown
_#_Administrative divisions: 6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick
_#_Independence: 27 October 1979 (from UK)
_#_Constitution: 27 October 1979
_#_Legal system: based on English common law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, October 27 (1979)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber House of Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952), represented by Governor General David JACK (since September 29, 1989);
Head of Government—Prime Minister James F. MITCHELL (since July 30, 1984)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
New Democratic Party (NDP), James (Son) MITCHELL;
Saint Vincent Labor Party (SVLP), Vincent BEACH;
United People's Movement (UPM), Adrian SAUNDERS;
Movement for National Unity (MNU), Ralph GONSALVES;
National Reform Party (NRP), Joel MIGUEL
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
House of Assembly—last held May 16, 1989 (next to be held July 1994); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(21 total; 15 elected representatives and 6 appointed senators) NDP 15
_#_Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, OAS, OECS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO
_#_Diplomatic representation: none
_#_Flag: three vertical bands of blue (on the hoist side), gold (which is double width), and green; the gold band features three green diamonds arranged in a V pattern
_*Economy #_Overview: Agriculture, primarily focused on banana production, is the most important part of the economy. The services sector, which mainly relies on a growing tourism industry, is also significant. The economy still struggles with a high unemployment rate of 30% due to its heavy reliance on the weather-dependent banana crop as a key source of export income. Efforts by the government to diversify into new industries have not been very successful.
_#_GDP: $146 million, per person $1,315; real growth rate 5.9% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.6% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 30% (1989 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $62 million; expenditures $67 million, including capital expenditures of $21 million (FY90 est.)
_#_Exports: $74.6 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—bananas 45%, eddoes and dasheen (taro), sweet potatoes, spices, light manufacturing;
partners—UK 43%, CARICOM 37%, US 15%
_#_Imports: $127.5 million (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—food, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and fuels;
partners—US 42%, CARICOM 19%, UK 15%
_#_External debt: $42.2 million (FY89)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 0% (1989); makes up 14% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 16,600 kW capacity; 64 million kWh produced, 570 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: food processing (sugar, flour), cement, furniture, clothing, starch, sheet metal, beverage
_#_Agriculture: makes up 15% of GDP and employs 60% of the workforce; contributes most of the exports; products include bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes, and spices; small numbers of cattle, sheep, pigs, and goats; small fish catch used locally
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $11 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $76 million
_#_Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural—dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1—2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year (starting January 1991); previously 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Highways: approximately 1,000 km total; 300 km paved; 400 km upgraded; 300 km unpaved
_#_Ports: Kingstown
_#_Merchant marine: 242 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 1,855,061 GRT/2,919,872 DWT; includes 1 passenger ship, 2 passenger-cargo ships, 132 cargo ships, 11 container ships, 15 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 9 refrigerated cargo ships, 13 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 4 chemical tankers, 4 liquefied gas carriers, 44 bulk carriers, 6 combination bulk carriers, 1 vehicle carrier; note—China owns 3 ships; a flag of convenience registry.
_#_Civil air: no major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 6 total, 6 usable; 4 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 2,439 m; 1 with runways between 1,220 and 2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: a fully automatic telephone system serving the entire island; 6,500 phones; VHF/UHF interisland connections to Barbados and the Grenadines; new SHF connections to Grenada and Saint Lucia; stations—2 AM, no FM, 1 TV (cable)
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force, Coast Guard
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 28,339; NA eligible for military service
_#Defense spending: $NA, NA% of GDP % @San Marino *Geography #_Total area: 60 km²; land area: 60 km²
_#_Comparative area: about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundary: 39 km with Italy
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Climate: Mediterranean; mild to cool winters; warm, sunny summers
_#_Terrain: rugged mountains
_#_Natural resources: building stones
_#_Land use: arable land 17%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 83%
_#_Environment: dominated by the Appenines
_#_Note: landlocked; smallest republic in the world; enclave of Italy
_*People #_Population: 23,264 (July 1991), growth rate 0.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 8 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 5 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 8 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 74 years for males, 79 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.3 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—San Marino (sing. and pl.); adjective—San Marino
_#_Ethnic divisions: Sanmarinese, Italian
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic
_#_Language: Italian
_#_Literacy: 96% (male 96%, female 95%) of people aged 14 and older can read and write (1976)
_#_Labor force: about 4,300
_#_Organized labor: The Democratic Federation of Sanmarinese Workers (affiliated with ICFTU) has around 1,800 members; the Communist-dominated General Federation of Labor has 1,400 members.
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of San Marino
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: San Marino
_#_Administrative divisions: 9 municipalities (castelli, singular—castello); Acquaviva, Borgo Maggiore, Chiesanuova, Domagnano, Faetano, Fiorentino, Monte Giardino, San Marino, Serravalle
_#_Independence: 301 AD (by tradition)
_#_Constitution: October 8, 1600; the electoral law of 1926 fulfills some functions of a constitution
_#_Legal system: based on a civil law system with influences from Italian law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Anniversary of the Foundation of the Republic, September 3
_#_Executive branch: two captains regent, Congress of State (cabinet); real executive power is held by the secretary of state for foreign affairs and the secretary of state for internal affairs
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Great and General Council (Consiglio Grande e Generale)
_#_Judicial branch: Council of Twelve (Consiglio dei XII)
_#_Leaders:
Co-Chiefs of State—Captain Regent Aldamiro BARTOLINI and
Captain Regent Ottaviano ROSSI (since April 1, 1990);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Gabriele GATTI (since July 1986)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democratic Party (DCS), Gabriele GATTI;
San Marino Democratic Progressive Party (PPDS), formerly the San Marino
Communist Party (PCS), Gilberto GHIOTTI;
San Marino Socialist Party (PSS), Remy GIACOMINI;
Democratic Movement (MD), Emilio Della BALDA;
San Marino Social Democratic Party (PSDS), Augusto CASALI;
San Marino Republican Party (PRS), Cristoforo BUSCARINI
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Grand and General Council—last held on May 29, 1988 (next to be held by May 1993); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(60 total) DCS 27, PCS 18, PSU 8, PSS 7
_#_Communists: about 300 members
_#_Other political parties or pressure groups: political parties influenced by the policies of their counterparts in Italy
_#_Member of: CE, CSCE, ICAO, ICFTU, ILO, IMF (observer), IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, LORCS, NAM (guest), UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: San Marino has honorary Consulates General in Washington and New York, and an honorary Consulate in Detroit;
US—no mission in San Marino, but the Consul General in Florence
(Italy) is accredited to San Marino; Consulate General at
Lungarno Amerigo Vespucci, 38, 50123 Florence, Italy (mailing address is
APO New York 09019-0007); telephone [39] (55) 239-8276 through 8279 and
217-605
_#_Flag: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and light blue with the national coat of arms placed in the center; the coat of arms features a shield (showing three towers on three peaks) surrounded by a wreath, below a crown and above a ribbon that says LIBERTAS (Liberty)
_Economy #_Overview: Over 2 million tourists come each year, making up about 60% of GDP. Selling postage stamps to foreign collectors is also a significant source of income. The manufacturing sector employs nearly 40% of the workforce, while agriculture employs less than 4%. The per capita output and standard of living are similar to those in northern Italy.
_GDP: $393 million, per person $17,000; actual growth rate 2% (1990 estimate)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 6.5% (1985)
_#_Budget: revenues $99.2 million; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (1983)
_#_Exports: trade data are included with the statistics for Italy; commodity trade mainly involves exchanging building stone, lime, wood, chestnuts, wheat, wine, baked goods, hides, and ceramics for a broad range of consumer goods.
_#Imports: see #_Exports
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: supplied by Italy
_#_Industries: wine, olive oil, cement, leather, textiles, tourism
_#_Agriculture: employs less than 4% of the workforce; products—wheat, grapes, corn, olives, meat, cheese, hides; small numbers of cattle, pigs, horses; relies on Italy for food imports
_#_Economic aid: NA
_#_Currency: Italian lira (plural—lire); 1 Italian lira (Lit) = 100 centesimi; also mints its own coins
_#_Exchange rates: Italian lire (Lit) per US$1—1,134.4 (January 1991), 1,198.1 (1990), 1,372.1 (1989), 1,301.6 (1988), 1,296.1 (1987), 1,490.8 (1986), 1,909.4 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 104 km
_#_Telecommunications: automatic phone system; 11,700 phones; stations—no AM, 20 FM, no TV; radio relay and cable connections into Italian networks; no communication satellite services
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: public security or police force with fewer than 50 members
_#_Manpower availability: all able-bodied men aged 16-60 make up a militia that can act as an army.
_#Defense spending: $NA, NA% of GDP % @Sao Tome and Principe *Geography #_Total area: 960 km2; land area: 960 km2
_#_Comparative area: a bit less than 5.5 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 209 km
_#_Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; hot and humid; one rainy season (October to May)
_#_Terrain: volcanic, mountainous
_#_Natural resources: fish
_#_Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops 20%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and woodland 75%; other 3%
_#_Environment: deforestation; soil erosion
_#_Note: located south of Nigeria and west of Gabon near the Equator in the North Atlantic Ocean
_*People #_Population: 128,499 (July 1991), growth rate 3.0% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 38 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 60 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 64 years for males, 68 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 5.3 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Sao Tomean(s); adjective—Sao Tomean
_#_Ethnic divisions: mestizos, angolans (descendants of Angolan slaves), forros (descendants of freed slaves), servicais (contract workers from Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde), tongas (children of servicais born on the islands), and Europeans (mainly Portuguese)
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic, Evangelical Protestant, Seventh-Day Adventist
_#_Language: Portuguese (official)
_#_Literacy: 57% (male 73%, female 42%) of those aged 15 and over can read and write (1981)
_#_Labor force: 21,096 (1981); most of the population is engaged in subsistence agriculture and fishing; there are labor shortages on plantations and for skilled workers; 56% of the population is of working age (1983)
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Full name: Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Sao Tome
_#_Administrative divisions: 2 districts (concelhos, singular—concelho); Príncipe, São Tomé
_#_Independence: July 12, 1975 (from Portugal)
_#_Constitution: November 5, 1975, approved December 15, 1982
# Legal system: based on the Portuguese legal system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, July 12 (1975)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: one-chamber People's National Assembly (Assembleia Popular Nacional)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Miguel TROVOADA (since April 4, 1991);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Daniel Lima Dos Santos DAIO (since January 21, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Party for Democratic Convergence-Reflection Group (PCD-GR),
Prime Minister Daniel Lima Dos Santos DAIO, secretary general;
Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe (MLSTP),
Carlos da GRACIA;
Christian Democratic Front (FDC), Alphonse Dos SANTOS;
Democratic Opposition Coalition (CODO), leader NA; other small parties
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held on March 3, 1991 (next to be held in March 1996); results—Miguel TROVOADA was elected unopposed in Sao Tome's first multiparty presidential election;
National People's Assembly—last held January 20, 1991 (next one scheduled for January 1996); results—PCD-GR 54.4%, MLSTP 30.5%, CODO 5.2%, FDC 1.5%, other 8.3%; seats—(55 total) PCD-GR 33, MLSTP 21, CODO 1; note—this was the first multiparty election for the National Assembly in São Tomé.
_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Joaquim Rafael BRANCO; Chancery (temporary) at 801 Second Avenue, Suite 1504, New York, NY 10017; phone (212) 697-4211;
US—Ambassador Keith L. WAUCHOPE in Gabon is assigned to Sao Tome and Principe on a nonresident basis and visits the islands occasionally.
_#_Flag: three horizontal stripes of green (top), yellow (double width), and green with two black five-pointed stars placed side by side in the center of the yellow stripe and a red isosceles triangle on the hoist side; uses the well-known pan-African colors of Ethiopia.
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy has been heavily reliant on cocoa since the country gained independence nearly 15 years ago. However, cocoa production has gradually declined due to drought and mismanagement, leading to output dropping to less than 50% of its previous levels by 1987. Consequently, the shortage of cocoa for export has created a serious balance-of-payments issue. Production of less significant crops, like coffee, copra, and palm kernels, has also decreased. The value of imports generally surpasses that of exports by a ratio of 4 to 1. The focus on cocoa production over other food crops means that Sao Tome has to import 90% of its food needs. It also imports all fuels and most manufactured goods. Over the years, Sao Tome has struggled to service its external debt, which constitutes roughly 80% of export earnings. There is considerable potential for developing a tourist industry, and the government has taken steps to improve facilities in recent years. The government also launched a Five-Year Plan covering 1986-90 to restructure the economy and update external debt service payments in partnership with the International Development Association and Western lenders.
_#_GDP: $46.0 million, per person $380; actual growth rate 1.5% (1989)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 36% (1989 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $10.2 million; expenditures $36.8 million, including capital expenditures of $22.5 million (1989)
_#_Exports: $5.9 million (f.o.b., 1989 estimate);
commodities—cocoa 85%, copra, coffee, palm oil;
partners—FRG, GDR, Netherlands, China
_#_Imports: $26.8 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—machinery and electrical equipment 54%, food products 23%, other 23%;
partners—Portugal, GDR, Angola, China
_#_External debt: $110 million (1990 estimate)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 7.1% (1986)
_#_Electricity: 5,000 kW capacity; 12 million kWh produced, 100 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: light construction, t-shirts, soap, beer, fishing, shrimp processing
_#_Agriculture: the main sector of the economy and the primary source of exports; cash crops—cocoa (85%), coconuts, palm kernels, coffee; food products—bananas, papaya, beans, poultry, fish; not self-sufficient in food grain and meat.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $8 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $59 million
_#_Currency: dobra (plural—dobras); 1 dobra (Db) = 100 centimos
_#_Exchange rates: dobras (Db) per US$1—122.48 (December 1988), 72.827 (1987), 36.993 (1986), 41.195 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 300 km (two-thirds are paved); the roads on Principe are mostly unpaved and require repairs.
_#_Ports: Sao Tome, Santo Antonio
_#_Civil air: 8 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with paved runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: minimal system; 2,200 telephones; stations—1 AM, 2 FM, no TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, National Police
_#_Manpower availability: males ages 15-49, 28,984; 15,287 fit for military service
_#Defense spending: $NA, 1.6% of GDP (1980) % @Saudi Arabia *Geography #_Total area: 2,149,690 km²; land area: 2,149,690 km²
_#_Comparative area: just under one-fourth the size of the US
_#_Land boundaries: 4,410 km total; Iraq 488 km, Iraq-Saudi Arabia Neutral Zone 198 km, Jordan 742 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km, Qatar 40 km, UAE 586 km, Yemen 1,458 km
_#_Coastline: 2,510 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 18 nm;
Continental shelf: not specific;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: no clear borders with Yemen and the UAE; shares a Neutral Zone with Iraq—in December 1981, Iraq and Saudi Arabia signed a boundary agreement that splits the zone between them, but the agreement has to be approved before it takes effect; Kuwaiti ownership of Qaruh and Umm al Maradim Islands is contested by Saudi Arabia.
_#_Climate: harsh, dry desert with extreme temperature variations
_#_Terrain: mostly uninhabited, sandy desert
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper
_#_Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops negligible%; meadows and pastures 39%; forest and woodland 1%; other 59%; includes irrigated negligible%
_#_Environment: no lasting rivers or permanent water sources; building large coastal desalination plants; desertification
_#_Note: the long coastlines along the Persian Gulf and Red Sea offer significant advantages for shipping (especially crude oil) through the Persian Gulf and the Suez Canal.
_*People #_Population: 17,869,558 (July 1991), growth rate 4.2% (1991); note—the population figure is based on growth since the last official Saudi census of 1974 that reported a total of 7 million people and included foreign workers; estimates from other sources may be 15-30% lower.
_#_Birth rate: 37 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 12 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 69 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 65 years for males, 68 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.7 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Saudis; adjective—Saudi or Saudi Arabian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%
_#_Religion: Muslim 100%
_#_Language: Arabic
_#_Literacy: 62% (male 73%, female 48%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_Labor force: 4,200,000; about 60% are foreign workers; government 34%, industry and oil 28%, services 22%, and agriculture 16%_
_#_Organized labor: trade unions are against the law
_*Government #_Long-form name: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
_#_Type: monarchy
_#_Capital: Riyadh
_#_Administrative divisions: 14 emirates (imarat, singular—imarah); Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah, Al Jawf, Al Madinah, Al Qasim, Al Qurayyat, Ar Riyad, Ash Sharqiyah, Asir, Hail, Jizan, Makkah, Najran, Tabuk
_#_Independence: 23 September 1932 (unification)
_#_Constitution: none; governed by Sharia (Islamic law)
_#_Legal system: based on Islamic law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes are handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Unification of the Kingdom, September 23 (1932)
_#_Executive branch: monarch and prime minister, crown prince and deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers
_#_Legislative branch: none
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Council of Justice
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—King and Prime Minister
FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since June 13, 1982);
Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al
Saud (half-brother to the King, appointed heir to the throne June 13,
1982)
_#_Suffrage: none
_#_Elections: none
_#_Communists: negligible
_#_Member of: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-19,
G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM,
OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador BANDAR Bin Sultan; Chancery at 601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20037; phone (202) 342-3800; there are Saudi Arabian Consulates General in Houston, Los Angeles, and New York;
US—Ambassador Charles W. FREEMAN, Jr.; Embassy at Collector Road
M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh (mailing address is P. O. Box 9041, Riyadh
11143, or APO New York 09038); telephone [966] (1) 488-3800; there are US
Consulates General in Dhahran and Jeddah
_#_Flag: green with large white Arabic script (that can be translated as There is no God but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God) above a white horizontal saber (the tip points to the side closest to the flagpole); green is the traditional color of Islam
_*Economy #_Overview: The oil industry makes up about 70% of budget revenues, 33% of GDP, and almost all export income. Saudi Arabia has the biggest oil reserves in the world, is the largest oil exporter, plays a key role in OPEC, and invests a significant amount internationally.
# GDP: $79 billion, per person $4,800; actual growth rate 0.5% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0% (estimated 1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 0% (1989 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $31.5 billion; expenditures $38.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $6.9 billion (1990)
_#_Exports: $28.3 billion (f.o.b., estimated for 1989);
commodities—petroleum and petroleum products 85%;
partners—US 22%, Japan 20%, Singapore 7%, France 5%
_#_Imports: $19.2 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—manufactured products, transportation vehicles, building materials, processed food items;
partners—UK 17%, US 15%, Japan 12%, FRG 6%
_#_External debt: $18.9 billion (December 1989 estimate)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 1.1% (1989 est.); makes up 37% of GDP, including oil
_#_Electricity: 25,205,000 kW capacity; 50,500 million kWh produced, 2,950 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, cement, small steel-rolling mill, construction, fertilizer, plastic
_#_Agriculture: makes up around 10% of GDP and employs 16% of the labor force; it’s the fastest-growing economic sector; supported by government subsidies; main products include wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus fruits, mutton, chickens, eggs, and milk; moving towards self-sufficiency in food.
_#_Economic aid: donor—pledged $64.7 billion in bilateral aid (1979-89)
_#_Currency: Saudi riyal (plural—riyals); 1 Saudi riyal (SR) = 100 halalas
_#_Exchange rates: Saudi riyals (SR) per US$1—3.7450 (fixed rate since late 1986), 3.7033 (1986), 3.6221 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 886 km of 1.435-meter standard gauge
_#_Highways: 74,000 km total; 35,000 km asphalt, 39,000 km gravel and upgraded dirt
_#_Pipelines: 6,400 km of crude oil; 150 km of refined products; 2,200 km of natural gas, which includes 1,600 km of natural gas liquids
_#_Ports: Jeddah, Dammam, Ras Tanura, Jizan, Al Jubail, Yanbu al Bahr, Yanbu al Sinaiyah
_#_Merchant marine: 84 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 1,492,174 GRT/2,436,635 DWT; includes 1 passenger ship, 6 short-sea passenger ships, 14 cargo ships, 12 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 3 container ships, 6 refrigerated cargo ships, 5 livestock carriers, 26 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 8 chemical tankers, 1 liquefied gas ship, 1 specialized tanker, 1 bulk carrier.
_#_Civil air: 182 major transport planes available
_#_Airports: 207 total, 188 operational; 69 with paved runways; 13 with runways longer than 3,659 m; 38 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 103 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: a solid system featuring extensive microwave and coaxial cable networks; 1,624,000 telephones; stations—21 AM, 16 FM, 97 TV; radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait; submarine cable to Djibouti and Egypt; earth stations—3 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT, 1 INMARSAT, 1 ARABSAT
_*Defense Forces
#_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National
Guard, Coast Guard, Frontier Force, Special Security Force, Public
Security Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 6,663,217; 3,724,610 eligible for military service; 165,167 reach military age (17) each year
_#Defense spending: $13.9 billion, 16.9% of GDP (1990 estimate) % @Senegal *Geography #_Total area: 196,190 km²; land area: 192,000 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than South Dakota
_#_Land boundaries: 2,640 km total; The Gambia 740 km, Guinea 330 km, Guinea-Bissau 338 km, Mali 419 km, Mauritania 813 km
_#_Coastline: 531 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: boundary of the continental margin or 200 nautical miles;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: a small section of the border with The Gambia is unclear; the International Court of Justice (ICJ) made its ruling on the maritime boundary between Guinea-Bissau and Senegal in favor of Senegal—Guinea-Bissau has rejected that decision; border with Mauritania
_#_Climate: tropical; hot and humid; the rainy season (December to April) features strong southeast winds; the dry season (May to November) is dominated by hot, dry harmattan winds.
_#_Terrain: mostly flat, gently rolling plains that rise to foothills in the southeast
_#_Natural resources: fish, phosphates, iron ore
_#_Land use: arable land 27%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 30%; forest and woodland 31%; other 12%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: lowland areas that are temporarily flooded; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
_#_Note: The Gambia is nearly an enclave
_*People #_Population: 7,952,657 (July 1991), growth rate 3.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 44 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 13 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 86 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 54 years for males, 56 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.2 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Senegalese (sing. and pl.); adjective—Senegalese
_#_Ethnic divisions: Wolof 36%, Fulani 17%, Serer 17%, Toucouleur 9%, Diola 9%, Mandingo 9%, European and Lebanese 1%, other 2%
_#_Religion: Muslim 92%, indigenous beliefs 6%, Christian 2% (mostly Roman Catholic)
_#_Language: French (official); Wolof, Pulaar, Diola, Mandingo
_#_Literacy: 38% (male 52%, female 25%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 2,509,000; 77% are subsistence farmers; 175,000 wage earners—private sector 40%, government and public sector 60%; 52% of the population is of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: the majority of the wage-labor force is represented by unions; however, the number of paying members is quite limited; the main confederation is the National Confederation of Senegalese Labor (CNTS), which is affiliated with the ruling party.
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Senegal
_#_Type: republic under multiparty democratic governance
_#_Capital: Dakar
_#_Administrative divisions: 10 regions (regions, singular—region); Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Saint-Louis, Tambacounda, Thies, Ziguinchor
_#_Independence: April 4, 1960 (from France); The Gambia and Senegal signed an agreement on December 12, 1981 (effective February 1, 1982) to create a loose confederation called Senegambia, but the agreement was dissolved on September 30, 1989.
_#_Constitution: March 3, 1963, last updated in 1984
_#_Legal system: based on the French civil law system; the Supreme Court conducts judicial reviews of legislative acts and audits the government's accounting office; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.
_National holiday: Independence Day, April 4, 1960_
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Supreme Court)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Abdou DIOUF (since January 1, 1981);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Habib THIAM (since April 7, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Socialist Party (PS), President Abdou DIOUF; Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS), Abdoulaye WADE; 13 other small, not very influential parties
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
President—last held 28 February 1988 (next to be held February 1993); results—Abdou DIOUF (PS) 73%, Abdoulaye WADE (PDS) 26%, other 1%;
National Assembly—last held on February 28, 1988 (next to be held in February 1993); results—PS 71%, PDS 25%, other 4%; seats—(120 total) PS 103, PDS 17
_#_Communists: a small group of Communists and their supporters
_#_Other political or pressure groups: students, teachers, labor, Muslim Brotherhoods
_#_Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77,
GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM,
OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU, WADB, WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Ibra Deguene KA; Chancery at 2112 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 234-0540 or 0541;
US—Ambassador George E. MOOSE; Embassy on Avenue Jean XXIII at the corner of Avenue Kleber, Dakar (mailing address is B. P. 49, Dakar); telephone [221] 23-42-96 or 23-34-24
_#_Flag: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red with a small green five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
_*Economy #_Overview: The agricultural sector makes up about 20% of GDP and employs roughly 75% of the labor force. Around 40% of the total cultivated land is dedicated to growing peanuts, a key export crop. The main economic resource is fishing, which generated about $200 million, or about 25% of total foreign exchange earnings in 1987. Mining focuses primarily on phosphate extraction, but production has declined due to decreased global demand for fertilizers in recent years. Over the last decade, tourism has become more significant to the economy.
_#_ GDP: $4.6 billion, per person $615; real growth rate 0.6% (1989)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.4% (estimated for 1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 3.5% (1987)
_#_Budget: revenues $921 million; expenditures $1,024 million; including capital expenditures of $14 million (FY89 est.)
_#_Exports: $801 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—manufactured goods 30%, fish products 27%, peanuts 11%, petroleum products 11%, phosphates 10%;
partners—U.S., France, other EC countries, Ivory Coast, India
_#_Imports: $1.0 billion (cost, insurance, and freight, 1989 estimate);
commodities—semimanufactures 30%, food 27%, durable consumer goods 17%, petroleum 12%, capital goods 14%;
partners—US, France, other EU countries, Nigeria, Algeria, China, Japan
_#_External debt: $4.1 billion (1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 4.7% (1989); makes up 17% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 210,000 kW capacity; 760 million kWh produced, 100 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: fishing, agricultural processing, phosphate mining, petroleum refining, construction materials
_#_Agriculture, including fishing, makes up 20% of GDP and over 75% of the workforce; major products include peanuts (cash crop), millet, corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, tomatoes, and green vegetables; it's estimated that two-thirds of food needs are met locally; fish catch was 299,000 metric tons in 1987.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $551 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $4.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $589 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $295 million
_#_Currency: Central African Financial Community franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1—256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Railroads: 1,034 km of 1,000-meter gauge; all single track except for 70 km of double track between Dakar and Thies.
_#_Highways: 14,000 km total; 3,770 km paved, 10,230 km laterite or improved dirt
_#_Inland waterways: 900 km total; 785 km on the Senegal, 115 km on the Saloum
_#_Ports: Dakar, Kaolack
_#_Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 GRT and over) totaling 9,263 GRT/15,167 DWT; includes 2 cargo ships, 1 bulk ship.
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 25 total, 20 operational; 10 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 1 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 15 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m.
_#_Telecommunications: an advanced urban system that utilizes radio relay and cable; 40,200 telephones; stations—8 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 3 submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie; National Security
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 1,749,540; 913,806 eligible for military service; 91,607 turn 18 each year
_#Defense spending: $100 million, 2% of GDP (1989 est.) % @Seychelles *Geography #_Total area: 455 km²; land area: 455 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 491 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: edge of the continental margin or 200 nautical miles;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claims Tromelin Island
_#_Climate: tropical marine; humid; cooler season during the southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during the northwest monsoon (March to May)
_#_Terrain: The Mahe Group consists of granite, with a tight coastal strip that is rocky and hilly; other areas are coral, featuring flat, raised reefs.
_#_Natural resources: fish, copra, cinnamon trees
_#_Land use: arable land 4%; permanent crops 18%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 18%; other 60%
_#_Environment: it's located outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short droughts can happen; there's no fresh water, and catchments collect rain; there are 40 granitic islands and about 50 coralline islands.
_#_Note: located north-northeast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean
_*People #_Population: 68,932 (July 1991), growth rate 0.9% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 23 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 8 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 15 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 65 years for males, 75 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.5 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Seychellois (sing. and pl.); adjective—Seychelles
_#_Ethnic divisions: Seychellois (a mix of Asians, Africans, Europeans)
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 90%, Anglican 8%, other 2%
_#_Language: English and French (official); Creole
_#_Literacy: 58% (male 56%, female 60%) of people age 15 and older can read and write (1971)
_#_Labor force: 27,700; industry and commerce 31%, services 21%, government 20%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 12%, other 16% (1985); 57% of the population of working age (1983)
_#_Organized labor: three major trade unions
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Seychelles
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Victoria
_#_Administrative divisions: 23 administrative districts;
Anse aux Pins, Anse Boileau, Anse Etoile, Anse Louis, Anse Royale,
Baie Lazare, Baie Sainte Anne, Beau Vallon, Bel Air, Bel Ombre, Cascade,
Glacis, Grand' Anse (on Mahe Island), Grand' Anse (on Praslin Island),
La Digue, La Riviere Anglaise, Mont Buxton, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance,
Pointe La Rue, Port Glaud, Saint Louis, Takamaka
_#_Independence: June 29, 1976 (from the UK)
_#_Constitution: 5 June 1979
_#_Legal system: based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law
_#_National holiday: Liberation Day (anniversary of coup), June 5 (1977)
_#_Executive branch: president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral People's Assembly (Assemblée du Peuple)
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President France Albert
RENE (since June 5, 1977)
_#_Political parties and leaders: only party—Seychelles People's Progressive Front (SPPF), France Albert RENE
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 17
_#_Elections:
President—last held June 9-11, 1989 (next to be held June 1994); results—President France Albert RENE reelected with no opposition;
National Assembly—last held on December 5, 1987 (next one scheduled for December 1992); results—SPPF is the only party; seats—(25 total, 23 elected) SPPF 23
_#_Communists: insignificant, although some Cabinet ministers support a pro-Soviet stance
_#_Other political or pressure groups: labor unions, Roman Catholic Church
_#_Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Second Secretary, Acting Charge d'Affaires Marc R. MARENGO; Temporary Chancery at 820 Second Avenue, Suite 201, New York, NY 10017; phone (212) 687-9766;
US—Ambassador James B. MORAN; Embassy at 4th Floor, Victoria
House, Victoria (mailing address is Box 148, Victoria, and Victoria
House, Box 251, Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles, or APO New York 09030-0006);
telephone (248) 25256
_#_Flag: three horizontal stripes of red (top), white (wavy), and green; the white stripe is the narrowest, while the red stripe is the widest.
_*Economy #_Overview: In this small, open, tropical island economy, the tourist industry employs around 30% of the workforce and is the primary source of foreign currency earnings. Recently, the government has encouraged foreign investment to improve hotels and other services. At the same time, it has worked to lessen the heavy reliance on tourism by promoting the growth of farming, fishing, and small-scale manufacturing.
_GDP: $283 million, per person $4,100; real growth rate 7.0% (1989)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 9% (1987)
_#_Budget: revenues $170 million; expenditures $173 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)
_#_Exports: $31 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—fish, copra, cinnamon bark, petroleum products (reexports);
partners—France 63%, Pakistan 12%, Reunion 10%, UK 7% (1987)
_#_Imports: $164 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—manufactured goods, food, tobacco, drinks, machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum products;
partners—UK 20%, France 14%, South Africa 13%, PDRY 13%, Singapore 8%, Japan 6% (1987)
_#_External debt: $171 million (estimated in 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 7% (1987); makes up 10% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 25,000 kW capacity; 67 million kWh generated, 960 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: tourism, processing of coconut and vanilla, fishing, coir rope production, boat building, printing, furniture making, beverages
_#_Agriculture: makes up 7% of GDP, mainly subsistence farming; cash crops—coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla; other products—sweet potatoes, cassava, bananas; broiler chickens; a large portion of food needs is imported; expansion of tuna fishing is in progress.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY78-89), $26 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1978-88), $310 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $5 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $60 million
_#_Currency: Seychelles rupee (plural—rupees); 1 Seychelles rupee (SRe) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Seychelles rupees (SR) per US$1—5.0878 (January 1991), 5.3369 (1990), 5.6457 (1989), 5.3836 (1988), 5.6000 (1987), 6.1768 (1986), 7.1343 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 260 km total; 160 km paved, 100 km gravel or dirt
_#_Ports: Victoria
_#_Merchant marine: 1 refrigerated cargo (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 1,827 GRT/2,170 DWT
_#_Civil air: 3 main transport planes
_#_Airports: 14 total, 14 usable; 8 with paved runways; none with runways over 12,000 ft; 1 with runways between 8,000-12,000 ft; none with runways between 4,000-8,000 ft
_#_Telecommunications: direct radio communications with nearby islands and African coastal nations; 13,000 telephones; stations—2 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station; USAF tracking station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Presidential Protection Unit, Police Force, Militia
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 17,399; 8,933 eligible for military service
_#Defense spending: $12 million, 6% of GDP (1990 estimate) % @Sierra Leone *Geography #_Total area: 71,740 km²; land area: 71,620 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than South Carolina
_#_Land boundaries: 958 km total; Guinea 652 km, Liberia 306 km
_#_Coastline: 402 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 200 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; hot and humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)
_#_Terrain: coastal area of mangrove swamps, forested hills, elevated plateaus, mountains to the east
_#_Natural resources: diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite
_#_Land use: arable land 25%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 31%; forest and woodland 29%; other 13%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: large mangrove swamps block access to the sea; deforestation; soil erosion
_*People #_Population: 4,274,543 (July 1991), growth rate 2.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 46 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 20 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 151 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 42 years for males, 48 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.1 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Sierra Leonean(s); adjective—Sierra Leonean
_#_Ethnic divisions: native African 99% (Temne 30%, Mende 30%); Creole, European, Lebanese, and Asian 1%; 13 tribes
_#_Religion: Muslim 30%, indigenous beliefs 30%, Christian 10%, other or none 30%
_#_Language: English (official); regular use is limited to a literate minority; the main vernaculars are Mende in the south and Temne in the north; Krio is the language of the resettled ex-slave population in the Freetown area and serves as a lingua franca.
_#_Literacy: 21% (male 31%, female 11%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write in English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 1,369,000 (est.); agriculture 65%, industry 19%, services 16% (1981); only about 65,000 earn wages (1985); 55% of the population is of working age
_#_Organized labor: 35% of workers
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Sierra Leone
_#_Type: republic under presidential regime
_#_Capital: Freetown
_#_Administrative divisions: 4 provinces; Eastern, Northern, Southern, Western
_#_Independence: April 27, 1961 (from the UK)
_#_Constitution: 14 June 1978
_#_Legal system: based on English law and the traditional laws of local tribes; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.
_#_National holiday: Republic Day, April 27 (1961)
_#_Executive branch: president, two vice presidents, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: one-chamber House of Representatives
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Gen. Joseph
Saidu MOMOH (since November 28, 1985); First Vice President Abu Bakar
KAMARA (since April 4, 1987); Second Vice President Salia JUSU-SHERIFF
(since April 4, 1987)
_#_Political parties and leaders: only party—All People's Congress (APC), Gen. Joseph Saidu MOMOH; note—constitutional referendum to adopt a multiparty system is scheduled for June 1991
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held October 1, 1985 (next to be held October 1992); results—Gen. Joseph Saidu MOMOH was elected unopposed;
House of Representatives—last held on May 30, 1986 (next one scheduled for February 1992); results—APC is the only party; seats—(127 total, 105 elected) APC 105
_#_Communists: no official party, but there are a few Communists and a somewhat larger group of supporters
_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC,
ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador George CAREW; Chancery at 1701 19th Street NW, Washington DC 20009; phone (202) 939-9261;
US—Ambassador Johnny YOUNG; Embassy at the corner of Walpole and
Siaka Stevens Street, Freetown; phone [232] (22) 26481
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light blue
_*Economy #_Overview: The economic and social infrastructure is underdeveloped. Subsistence agriculture dominates the economy, making up about one-third of GDP and employing roughly two-thirds of the workforce. Manufacturing contributes less than 10% of GDP, primarily focused on processing raw materials and light manufacturing for the local market. Diamond mining is a significant source of hard currency. The economy is facing high unemployment, rising inflation, large trade deficits, and increasing reliance on foreign aid. In 1990, the government was working to control the budget deficit and generally align economic policy with the recommendations from the IMF and the World Bank.
# GDP: $1.302 billion, per capita $325; real growth rate 1.8% (FY89)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): over 100% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $134 million; expenses $187 million, including capital expenses of $32 million (FY91 est.)
_#_Exports: $138 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—rutile 50%, bauxite 17%, cocoa 11%, diamonds 3%, coffee 3%;
partners—US, UK, Belgium, Germany, and other Western European countries
_#_Imports: $183 million (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—capital goods 40%, food 32%, petroleum 12%, consumer goods 7%, light industrial goods;
partners—US, EC, Japan, China, Nigeria
_#_External debt: $632 million (1990 estimate)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 19% (FY88 est.); makes up 8% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 83,000 kW capacity; 180 million kWh produced, 45 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: mining (diamonds, bauxite, rutile), small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear), petroleum refinery
_#_Agriculture: makes up over 30% of GDP and two-thirds of the workforce; primarily subsistence farming; cash crops include coffee, cocoa, and palm kernels; rice harvests meet 80% of local demand; annual fish catch averages 53,000 metric tons
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $161 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $698 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $18 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $101 million
_#_Currency: leone (plural—leones); 1 leone (Le) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: leones per US$1—196.08 (January 1991), 144.93 (1990), 58.14 (1989), 31.25 (1988), 30.77 (1987), 8.40 (1986), 4.73 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Railroads: A 84 km narrow-gauge mineral line with a 1.067-meter gauge is used only occasionally since the Marampa mine is closed.
_#_Highways: 7,400 km total; 1,150 km paved, 490 km laterite (some gravel), the rest upgraded dirt roads
_#_Inland waterways: 800 km; 600 km navigable all year round
_#_Ports: Freetown, Pepel
_#_Civil air: no major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 12 total, 8 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 1 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: limited telephone and telegraph service; national microwave radio relay system currently out of service; 23,650 telephones; stations—1 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Police
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 939,214; 453,877 fit for military service; no draft
_#Defense spending: $6 million, 0.7% of GDP (1988 est.) % @Singapore *Geography #_Total area: 632.6 km2; land area: 622.6 km2
_#_Comparative area: just under 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 193 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: not specific;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; hot, humid, rainy; no distinct rainy or dry seasons; thunderstorms happen on 40% of all days (67% of days in April)
_#_Terrain: lowland; gently rolling central plateau includes a water catchment area and nature reserve
_#_Natural resources: fish, deepwater ports
_#_Land use: arable land 4%; permanent crops 7%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 5%; other 84%
_#_Environment: mostly urban and industrialized
_#_Note: key point for Southeast Asian sea routes
_*People #_Population: 2,756,330 (July 1991), growth rate 1.3% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 18 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 8 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 72 years for males, 77 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Singaporean(s), adjective—Singapore
_#_Ethnic divisions: Chinese 76.4%, Malay 14.9%, Indian 6.4%, other 2.3%
_#_Religion: most Chinese people are Buddhists or atheists; almost all Malays are Muslim (with minorities including Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Taoists, and Confucianists)
_#_Language: Chinese, Malay, Tamil, and English (all official); Malay (national)
_#_Literacy: 88% (male 93%, female 84%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 1,280,000; financial, business, and other services 35.3%, manufacturing 29.0%, commerce 22.8%, construction 6.6%, other 6.3% (1989)
_#_Organized labor: 210,000; 16.1% of the workforce (1989)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Singapore
_#_Type: republic within Commonwealth
_#_Capital: Singapore
_#_Administrative divisions: none
_#_Independence: August 9, 1965 (from Malaysia)
_#_Constitution: June 3, 1959, amended in 1965; based on the pre-independence State of Singapore Constitution
_#_Legal system: based on English common law; has not accepted mandatory ICJ jurisdiction
_National holiday: National Day, August 9 (1965)_
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, two deputy prime ministers, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President WEE Kim Wee (since September 3, 1985);
Head of Government—Prime Minister GOH Chok Tong (since November 28, 1990); Deputy Prime Minister LEE Hsien Loong (since November 28, 1990); Deputy Prime Minister ONG Teng Cheong (since January 2, 1985)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
government—People's Action Party (PAP), LEE Kuan Yew, secretary general;
opposition—Workers' Party (WP), J. B. JEYARETNAM;
Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), CHIAM See Tong;
National Solidarity Party (NSP), SOON Kia Seng;
United People's Front (UPF), Harbans SINGH;
Barisan Sosialis (BS, Socialist Front), leader NA
_#_Suffrage: universal and mandatory at age 20
_#_Elections:
President—last held August 31, 1989 (next scheduled for August 1993); results—President WEE Kim Wee was reelected by Parliament without any opposition;
Parliament—last held on September 3, 1988 (next one scheduled for August 31, 1991); results—PAP 61.8%, WP 18.4%, SDP 11.5%, NSP 3.7%, UPF 1.3%, others 3.3%; seats—(81 total) PAP 80, SDP 1; note—BS has 1 nonvoting seat.
_#_Communists: 200-500; Barisan Sosialis infiltrated by Communists; note—Communist party is illegal
_#_Member of: APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WHO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador S. R. NATHAN; Chancery at 1824 R Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 667-7555;
US—Ambassador Robert D. ORR; Embassy at 30 Hill Street, Singapore 0617 (mailing address is FPO San Francisco 96699); telephone [65] 338-0251
_#_Flag: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; near the side of the flag that’s attached to the pole, there is a vertical white crescent (the closed part is toward the pole side) partially surrounding five white five-pointed stars arranged in a circle
_*Economy #_Overview: Singapore has an open, entrepreneurial economy with strong service and manufacturing sectors, along with excellent international trading connections thanks to its entrepot history. During the 1970s and early 1980s, the economy grew rapidly, averaging a 9% annual growth rate. Per capita GDP is among the highest in Asia. In 1985, the economy experienced its first decline in 20 years, with less than a 2% increase in 1986. The recovery was robust, driven by rising demand for Singapore's products in OECD countries and improved competitiveness of local manufacturers. The economy grew by 8.3% in 1990. Singapore's role as a major oil refining and services hub helped it manage the challenges posed by the Persian Gulf crisis.
_GDP: $34.6 billion, per person $12,700; actual growth rate 8.3% (1990)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.4% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 1.7% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $8.0 billion; expenditures $7.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.4 billion (FY90 est.)
_#_Exports: $52.5 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—includes transshipments to Malaysia—petroleum products, rubber, electronics, manufactured goods;
partners—US 21%, EC 14%, Malaysia 13%, Japan 9%
_#_Imports: $60.6 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—includes transfers from Malaysia—capital equipment, oil, chemicals, manufactured goods, food items;
partners—Japan 20%, US 16%, Malaysia 14%, EU 13%
_#_External debt: $3.9 billion (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 9% (1990 est.); makes up 29% of GDP (1989)
_#_Electricity: 4,000,000 kW capacity; 14,400 million kWh produced, 5,300 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: petroleum refining, electronics, oil drilling equipment, rubber processing and rubber products, processed food and beverages, ship repair, entrepot trade, financial services, biotechnology
_#_Agriculture: has a relatively small role in the economy; is self-sufficient in poultry and eggs; needs to import a lot of other food; main crops include rubber, copra, fruits, and vegetables.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-83), $590 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $882 million
_#_Currency: Singapore dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Singapore dollar (S$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Singapore dollars per US$1—1.7454 (January 1991), 1.8125 (1990), 1.9503 (1989), 2.0124 (1988), 2.1060 (1987), 2.1774 (1986), 2.2002 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Railroads: 38 km of 1,000-meter gauge
_#_Highways: 2,597 km total (1984)
_#_Ports: Singapore
_#_Merchant marine: 435 ships (1,000 GRT or more) with a total of 8,259,085 GRT/13,553,438 DWT; this includes 1 passenger-cargo ship, 121 cargo ships, 66 container ships, 6 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 11 refrigerated cargo ships, 18 vehicle carriers, 1 livestock carrier, 118 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 5 chemical tankers, 3 combination ore/oil carriers, 1 specialized tanker, 7 liquefied gas carriers, 75 bulk carriers, and 2 combination bulk carriers; note—many Singapore flag ships are owned by foreign entities.
_#_Civil air: Approximately 38 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 9 total, 9 usable; 9 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: well-developed domestic facilities; strong international service; extensive radio and television broadcast coverage; 1,110,000 telephones; stations—13 AM, 4 FM, 2 TV; submarine cables reach Malaysia (Sabah and peninsular Malaysia), Indonesia, and the Philippines; satellite earth stations—1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, People's Defense Force, Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 842,721; 625,546 eligible for military service
_#Defense spending: $1.7 billion, 4% of GDP (1990 estimate) % @Solomon Islands *Geography #_Total area: 28,450 km²; land area: 27,540 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than Maryland
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 5,313 km
_#_Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical monsoon; minimal temperature and weather extremes
_#_Terrain: primarily rough mountains with a few low coral atolls
_#_Natural resources: fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates
_#_Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and woodland 93%; other 4%
_#_Environment: prone to typhoons, which are usually not very damaging; geologically active area with frequent earthquakes
_#_Note: located just east of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean
_*People #_Population: 347,115 (July 1991), growth rate 3.5% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 40 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 39 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 67 years for males, 72 years for females (1991)
_Total fertility rate: 6.2 children born per woman (1991)_
_#_Nationality: noun—Solomon Islander(s); adjective—Solomon Islander
_#_Ethnic divisions: Melanesian 93.0%, Polynesian 4.0%, Micronesian 1.5%, European 0.8%, Chinese 0.3%, other 0.4%
_#_Religion: nearly everyone is at least nominally Christian; Anglican 34%, Roman Catholic 19%, Baptist 17%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian) 11%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10%, other Protestant 5%
_#_Language: 120 indigenous languages; Melanesian pidgin serves as the common language in much of the country; English is spoken by 1-2% of the population
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: 23,448 people actively working; agriculture, forestry, and fishing 32.4%; services 25%; construction, manufacturing, and mining 7.0%; commerce, transport, and finance 4.7% (1984)
_#_Organized labor: NA, but most of the cash economy workers have trade union representation
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: independent parliamentary state within Commonwealth
_#_Capital: Honiara
_Adminstrative divisions: 7 provinces and 1 town*; Central, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Temotu, Western
_#_Independence: July 7, 1978 (from the UK; previously British Solomon Islands)
_#_Constitution: 7 July 1978
_#_Legal system: common law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, July 7, 1978
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Parliament
_#_Judicial branch: High Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952), represented by Governor General George LEPPING (since June 27, 1989, previously acted as governor general since July 7, 1988);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Solomon MAMALONI (since March 28, 1989);
Deputy Prime Minister Sir Baddeley DEVESI (since October 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
People's Alliance Party (PAP);
United Party (UP), Sir Peter KENILOREA;
Solomon Islands Liberal Party (SILP), Bartholemew ULUFA'ALU;
Nationalist Front for Progress (NFP), Andrew NORI;
Labor Party (LP), Joses TUHANUKU
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
National Parliament—last held on February 22, 1989 (next to be held in February 1993); results—percentage of votes by party NA; seats—(38 total) PAP 13, UP 6, NFP 4, SILP 4, LP 2, independents 9
_#_Member of: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: The ambassador position is currently vacant and based in Honiara (Solomon Islands);
US—the ambassador in Papua New Guinea is assigned to the
Solomon Islands; Embassy at Mud Alley, Honiara (mailing address is
American Embassy, P. O. Box 561, Honiara); phone (677) 23890
_#_Flag: split diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the bottom left corner; the top triangle (left side) is blue with five white five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern; the bottom triangle is green
_*Economy #_Overview: Nearly 90% of the population relies on subsistence agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of their income. Agriculture, fishing, and forestry account for about 75% of GDP, with the fishing and forestry industries being significant sources of export revenue. The service sector makes up around 25% of GDP. Most manufactured goods and petroleum products need to be imported. The islands have abundant undeveloped mineral resources like lead, zinc, nickel, and gold. The economy was hit hard by a major cyclone in mid-1986 that caused extensive damage to infrastructure.
_#_GDP: $156 million, per person $500 (1988); actual growth rate 5.0% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 14.9% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $44 million; expenditures $45 million, including capital expenditures of $22 million (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $75 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—fish 46%, timber 31%, copra 5%, palm oil 5%;
partners—Japan 51%, UK 12%, Thailand 9%, Netherlands 8%, Australia 2%, US 2% (1985)
_#_Imports: $117 million (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities—plant and machinery 30%, fuel 19%, food 16%;
partners—Japan 36%, US 23%, Singapore 9%, UK 9%, NZ 9%, Australia 4%, Hong Kong 4%, China 3% (1985)
_#_External debt: $128 million (1988 estimate)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 0% (1987); makes up 5% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 21,000 kW capacity; 39 million kWh produced, 115 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: copra, fish (tuna)
_#_Agriculture, which includes fishing and forestry, makes up about 75% of the GDP. It's mainly subsistence farming, with cash crops like cocoa, beans, coconuts, palm kernels, and timber. Other products include rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, cattle, and pigs. The country is not self-sufficient in food grains, and in 1988, 90% of the total fish catch of 44,500 metric tons was exported.
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1985), $16.1 million
_#_Currency: Solomon Islands dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Solomon Islands dollar (SI$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Solomon Islands dollars (SI$) per US$1—2.5934 (January 1991), 2.5288 (1990), 2.2932 (1989), 2.0825 (1988), 2.0033 (1987), 1.7415 (1986), 1.4808 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: about 2,100 km total (1982); 30 km paved, 290 km gravel, 980 km unpaved, 800 private logging and plantation roads of various construction
_#_Ports: Honiara, Ringi Cove
_#_Civil air: no major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 31 total, 29 usable; 2 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 2,439 m; 2 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 3,000 phones; stations—4 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT ground station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 77,169; NA qualified for military service
_#Defense spending: $NA, NA% of GDP % @Somalia *Geography #_Total area: 637,660 km²; land area: 627,340 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Texas
_#_Land boundaries: 2,340 km in total; Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,600 km, Kenya 682 km
_#_Coastline: 3,025 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 200 nm
_#_Disputes: the southern half of the border with Ethiopia is a Provisional Administrative Line; there is a territorial dispute with Ethiopia over the Ogaden; potential claims to Djibouti and parts of Ethiopia and Kenya based on the unification of ethnic Somalis.
_#_Climate: desert; northeast monsoon (December to February), cooler southwest monsoon (May to October); inconsistent rainfall; hot, humid times (tangambili) between monsoons
_#_Terrain: mostly flat with some rolling plateaus that rise into hills in the north
_#_Natural resources: uranium, and mostly untapped reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt
_#_Land use: arable land 2%; permanent crops negligible; meadows and pastures 46%; forest and woodland 14%; other 38%; includes irrigated 3%
_#_Environment: ongoing droughts; frequent dust storms across the eastern plains in summer; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
_#_Note: strategic location on the Horn of Africa along the southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and the route through the Red Sea and Suez Canal
_*People #_Population: 6,709,161 (July 1991), growth rate 3.3% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 46 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 13 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 116 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 56 years for males, 56 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 7.2 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Somali(s); adjective—Somali
_#_Ethnic divisions: Somali 85%, others mainly Bantu; Arabs 30,000, Europeans 3,000, Asians 800
_#_Religion: almost entirely Sunni Muslim
_#_Language: Somali (official); Arabic, Italian, English
_#_Literacy: 24% (male 36%, female 14%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 2,200,000; very few are skilled workers; 70% are pastoral nomads, with agriculture, government, trading, fishing, handicrafts, and other sectors making up the remaining 30%; 53% of the population is of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: The General Federation of Somali Trade Unions is controlled by the government
_*Government #_Long-form name: Somali Democratic Republic
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Mogadishu
_#_Administrative divisions: 16 regions (plural—NA, singular—gobolka); Bakool, Banaadir, Bari, Bay, Galguduud, Gedo, Hiiraan, Jubbada Dhexe, Jubbada Hoose, Mudug, Nugaal, Sanaag, Shabeellaha Dhexe, Shabeellaha Hoose, Togdheer, Woqooyi Galbeed
_#_Independence: 1 July 1960 (from a merger of British Somaliland, which gained independence from the UK on 26 June 1960, and Italian Somaliland, which became independent from the Italian-administered UN trusteeship on 1 July 1960, to create the Somali Republic)
_#_Constitution: August 25, 1979, presidential approval September 23, 1979
_#_National holiday: Anniversary of the Revolution, October 21 (1969)
_#_Executive branch: president, two vice presidents, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber People's Assembly (Golaha Shacbiga)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Interim President ALI Mahdi Mohamed (since January 27, 1991);
Head of Government—Prime Minister OMAR Arteh Ghalib (since January 27, 1991); Deputy Prime Minister MOHAMED Abshir Mussa (since January 27, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: the United Somali Congress (USC) overthrew the previous regime on January 27, 1991; note—previously, the only party was the Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party (SRSP), led by former President and Commander in Chief of the Army Maj. Gen. Mohamed Siad BARRE
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held on December 23, 1986 (next to be held NA); results—President Siad was reelected without opposition;
People's Assembly—last held 31 December 1984 (next to be held NA); results—SRSP was the only party; seats—(177 total, 171 elected) SRSP 171; note—the United Somali Congress (USC) removed the regime of Maj. Gen. Mohamed SIAD Barre on 27 January 1991; the provisional government has promised that a democratically elected government will be set up.
_#_Communists: likely some Communist supporters in the government hierarchy
_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD,
ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
IOM (observer), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador ABDIKARIM Ali Omar; Chancery at Suite 710, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20037; telephone (202) 342-1575; there is a Somali Consulate General in New York;
US—Ambassador James K. BISHOP; Embassy at K-7, AFGOI Road,
Mogadishu (mailing address is P. O. Box 574, Mogadishu); telephone
[252] (01) 39971; note—US Embassy evacuated and closed indefinitely in
January 1991
_#_Flag: light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the center; design based on the flag of the UN (Italian Somaliland was a UN trust territory)
_*Economy #_Overview: Somalia is one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world, with limited resources. Agriculture is the key sector of the economy, with livestock making up about 40% of GDP and around 65% of export earnings. More than half of the population consists of nomads and seminomads who rely on livestock for their livelihoods. Crop production contributes only 10% to GDP and provides jobs for about 20% of the workforce. Bananas are the main export crop; sugar, sorghum, and corn are produced for the local market. The small industrial sector focuses on processing agricultural products and accounts for less than 10% of GDP. The country faces serious economic challenges, including an external debt of $1.9 billion and double-digit inflation.
_#_GDP: $1.7 billion, per capita $210; real growth rate - 1.4% (1988)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 81.7% (estimated for 1988)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $190 million; expenses $195 million, including capital expenses of $111 million (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $58.0 million (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities—livestock, hides, skins, bananas, fish;
partners—US 0.5%, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Germany (1986)
_#_Imports: $354.0 million (c.i.f., 1988);
commodities—clothes, oil products, food, building materials;
partners—US 13%, Italy, Germany, Kenya, UK, Saudi Arabia (1986)
_#_External debt: $1.9 billion (1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 5.0% (1988); makes up 5% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 72,000 kW capacity; 60 million kWh produced, 7 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: a few small industries, including sugar refining, textiles, and petroleum refining.
_#_Agriculture: the main sector, focused on raising livestock (cattle, sheep, goats); crops include bananas, sorghum, corn, mangoes, and sugarcane; not self-sufficient in food; fishing potential mostly untapped.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $639 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $3.2 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $1.1 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $336 million
# Currency: Somali shilling (plural—shillings); 1 Somali shilling (So.Sh.) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Somali shillings (So. Sh.) per US$1—3,800.00 (December 1990), 490.7 (1989), 170.45 (1988), 105.18 (1987), 72.00 (1986), 39.49 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 15,215 km total; including 2,335 km paved, 2,880 km gravel, and 10,000 km improved earth or stabilized soil (1983)
_#_Pipelines: 15 km crude oil
_#_Ports: Mogadishu, Berbera, Chisimayu
_#_Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 6,913 GRT/9,457 DWT; includes 2 cargo ships, 1 refrigerated cargo ship
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 61 in total, 46 operational; 8 with paved runways; 2 with runways longer than 3,659 m; 5 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 22 with runways from 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: limited telephone and telegraph service; a radio relay and troposcatter system based in Mogadishu connects a few towns; 6,000 telephones; stations—2 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station; planned to receive an ARABSAT station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Somali National Army (which includes the Navy, Air Force, and Air Defense Force), National Police Force, National Security Service
_#_Manpower availability: males ages 15-49, 1,601,690; 902,732 suitable for military service
_#Defense spending: $NA, NA% of GDP % @South Africa *Geography #_Total area: 1,221,040 km2; land area: 1,221,040 km2; includes Walvis Bay, Marion Island, and Prince Edward Island
_#_Comparative area: just under twice the size of Texas
_#_Land boundaries: 4,973 km total; Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Mozambique 491 km, Namibia 1,078 km, Swaziland 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km
_#_Coastline: 2,881 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of extraction;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: Namibia's claim to the Walvis Bay exclave and 12 offshore islands managed by South Africa
_#_Climate: mainly semiarid; subtropical by the coast; sunny days, cool nights
_#_Terrain: a wide inland plateau surrounded by steep hills and a narrow coastal area
_#_Natural resources: gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas
_#_Land use: arable land 10%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 65%; forest and woodland 3%; other 21%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: the absence of key rivers or lakes means we need to implement extensive water conservation and management strategies.
_#_Note: Walvis Bay is a part of South Africa that is located in Namibia; South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Swaziland.
_*People #_Population: 40,600,518 (July 1991), growth rate 2.7% (1991); includes the 10 so-called homelands, which are not recognized by the US;
four independent homelands—Bophuthatswana 2,419,515, growth rate 2.83%; Ciskei 1,056,552, growth rate 2.96%; Transkei 4,553,994, growth rate 4.16%; Venda 691,273, growth rate 3.83%;
six other homelands—Gazankulu 772,532, growth rate 3.98%; Kangwane 576,573, growth rate 3.62%; KwaNdebele 360,582, growth rate 3.38%; KwaZulu 5,546,082, growth rate 3.60%; Lebowa 2,812,630, growth rate 3.91%; QwaQwa 277,957, growth rate 3.60%
_#_Birth rate: 34 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NEGL migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 51 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 61 years for males, 67 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.4 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—South African(s); adjective—South African
_#_Ethnic divisions: Black 75.2%, White 13.6%, Coloured 8.6%, Indian 2.6%
_#_Religion: most white people and people of color, along with about 60% of Black individuals, are Christian; around 60% of Indian individuals are Hindu; and 20% are Muslim.
_#_Language: Afrikaans, English (both official); many local languages, including Zulu, Xhosa, North and South Sotho, Tswana
_#_Literacy: 76% (male 78%, female 75%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1980)
_#_Labor force: 11,000,000 people actively working (1989); services 34%, agriculture 30%, industry and commerce 29%, mining 7% (1985)
_#_Organized labor: about 17% of the total workforce is unionized; African unions represent 15% of the Black workforce.
_*Government #_Full name: Republic of South Africa; abbreviated as RSA
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: administrative, Pretoria; legislative, Cape Town; judicial, Bloemfontein
_#_Administrative divisions: 4 provinces; Cape, Natal, Orange Free State, Transvaal; there are 10 homelands not recognized by the US—4 independent (Bophuthatswana, Ciskei, Transkei, Venda) and 6 others (Gazankulu, Kangwane, KwaNdebele, KwaZulu, Lebowa, QwaQwa)
_#_Independence: May 31, 1910 (from the UK)
_#_Constitution: 3 September 1984
_#_Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law; accepts mandatory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Republic Day, May 31 (1910)
_#_Executive branch: state president, Executive Council (cabinet), Ministers' Councils (from the three houses of Parliament)
_#_Legislative branch: a tricameral Parliament (Parlement) consists of the House of Assembly (Volksraad; whites), House of Representatives (Raad van Verteenwoordigers; Coloreds), and House of Delegates (Raad van Afgevaardigdes; Indians)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—State President
Frederik W. DE KLERK (since September 13, 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders: white political parties and leaders—National Party (NP), Frederik W. DE KLERK (majority party); Conservative Party (CP), Dr. Andries P. TREURNICHT (official opposition party); Herstigte National Party (HNP), Jaap MARAIS; Democratic Party (DP), Zach DE BEER;
Colored political parties and leaders—Labor Party (LP), Allan
HENDRICKSE (majority party);
Democratic Reform Party (DRP), Carter EBRAHIM;
United Democratic Party (UDP), Jac RABIE;
Freedom Party;
Indian political parties and leaders—Solidarity, J. N. REDDY
(majority party);
National People's Party (NPP), Amichand RAJBANSI;
Merit People's Party
_#_Suffrage: universal at 18, but voting rights are based on race.
_#_Elections:
House of Assembly (whites)—last held September 6, 1989 (next to be held by March 1995); results—NP 58%, CP 23%, DP 19%; seats—(178 total, 166 elected) NP 103, CP 41, DP 34;
House of Representatives (Coloreds)—last held 6 September 1989 (next to be held by September 1994); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(85 total, 80 elected) LP 69, DRP 5, UDP 3, Freedom Party 1, independents 2;
House of Delegates (Indians)—last held September 6, 1989 (next one to be held by September 1994); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(45 total, 40 elected) Solidarity 16, NPP 9, Merit People's Party 3, United Party 2, Democratic Party 2, People's Party 1, National Federal Party 1, independents 6
_#_Communists: a small Communist party that was legalized in 1990 after a 30-year ban, with Daniel TLOOME as chairman and Joe SLOVO as general secretary.
_#_Other political or pressure groups: African National Congress (ANC), Nelson MANDELA, president; Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC), Clarence MAKWETU, president
_#_Member of: BIS, CCC, ECA, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IFC, IMF, INTELSAT, ISO, ITU, LORCS, SACU, UN, UNCTAD, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO (suspended)
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Harry SCHWARZ; Chancery at 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 232-4400; there are South African Consulates General in Beverly Hills (California), Chicago, Houston, and New York;
US—Ambassador William L. SWING; Embassy at Thibault House, 225 Pretorius Street, Pretoria; phone [27] (12) 28-4266; there are US Consulates General in Cape Town, Durban, and Johannesburg
_#_Flag: actually four flags combined into one—three small flags displayed in the center of the white band of the former flag of the Netherlands, which consists of three equal horizontal stripes of orange (top), white, and blue; the small flags include a vertically hanging flag of the old Orange Free State next to a horizontal flag of the UK on the hoist side and a horizontal flag of the old Transvaal Republic on the other side.
_*Economy #_Overview: A significant portion of the white population, which makes up one-seventh of South Africa, experiences incomes, material comforts, and health and education standards comparable to those in Western Europe. In contrast, most of the remaining population struggles with poverty similar to that of the Third World, facing issues like unemployment, lack of job skills, and obstacles in moving into better-paying jobs. As a result, inputs and outputs don’t transition smoothly into the most productive jobs, and the market's efficiency is further diminished by international restrictions on trade with South Africa. The economy's main strength is its abundant mineral resources, which account for two-thirds of its exports. Recent years have seen an average growth of less than 2% in output, which is far below the 5-6% growth needed to tackle the high unemployment rate.
_#_GDP: $101.7 billion, per person $2,600; actual growth rate - 0.9% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 14.4% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 22% (1989); Black individuals 25-30%, up to 50% in homelands (1988 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $28.9 billion; expenditures $32.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.1 billion (FY92 est.)
_#_Exports: $23.4 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—gold 39%, minerals and metals 33%, food 5%, chemicals 3%;
partners—Italy, Japan, US, Germany, UK, other EU, Hong Kong
_#_Imports: $17 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—machinery 32%, transportation equipment 15%, chemicals 11%, oil, textiles, scientific instruments, base metals;
partners—FRG, Japan, UK, US, Italy
_#_External debt: $19.5 billion (July 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%; makes up about 45% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 34,941,000 kW capacity; 158,000 million kWh produced, 4,100 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: mining (largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium in the world), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textiles, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, food products
_#_Agriculture: makes up about 5% of GDP and 30% of the workforce; diversified agriculture, focusing on livestock; products—cattle, poultry, sheep, wool, milk, beef, corn, wheat; sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; self-sufficient in food
_#_Economic aid: NA
_#_Currency: rand (plural—rand); 1 rand (R) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: rand (R) per US$1—2.5625 (January 1991), 2.5863 (1990), 2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988), 2.0350 (1987), 2.2685 (1986), 2.1911 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Railroads: 20,638 km total route distance; 35,079 km of 1.067-meter gauge track (counting double and multiple tracks as single); 314 km of 610 mm gauge.
_#_Highways: 188,309 km total; 54,013 km paved, 134,296 km unpaved, gravel, or dirt improvements
_#_Pipelines: 931 km of crude oil; 1,748 km of refined products; 322 km of natural gas
_#_Ports: Durban, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Richard's Bay, Saldanha, Mossel Bay, Walvis Bay
_#_Merchant marine: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 229,245 GRT/218,929 DWT; includes 6 container ships, 1 vehicle carrier
_#_Civil air: 81 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 917 total, 765 usable; 130 with paved runways; 5 with runways over 3,659 m; 10 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 224 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: the system is the most advanced, modern, and has the highest capacity in Africa; it includes carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables, radio relay links, fiber optic cables, and radio communication stations; major hubs are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoria; 4,500,000 telephones; stations—14 AM, 286 FM, 67 TV; 1 submarine cable; earth stations—1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Medical Services
_#_Manpower availability: males ages 15-49, 9,797,349; 5,980,786 eligible for military service; 426,615 turn 18 (military age) each year; service obligation in the Citizen Force or Commandos starts at 18; volunteers for permanent service must be at least 17; national service requirement is one year; numbers include the so-called homelands not recognized by the US.
_#Defense spending: $3.67 billion, 11% of GDP (FY92) % @South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (dependent territory of the UK) *Geography #_Total area: 4,066 km2; land area: 4,066 km2; includes Shag and Clerke Rocks
_#_Comparative area: a bit bigger than Rhode Island
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: undetermined
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: managed by the UK, claimed by Argentina
_#_Climate: changeable, with mostly westerly winds all year, mixed with calm periods; almost all precipitation falls as snow
_#_Terrain: most of the islands, which rise sharply from the sea, are rough and hilly; South Georgia is mostly desolate and features steep, glacier-covered mountains; the South Sandwich Islands are volcanic in nature and have some active volcanoes.
_#_Natural resources: fish
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%; mostly covered by permanent ice and snow with some scattered vegetation like grass, moss, and lichen.
_#_Environment: reindeer, brought in early this century, live on South Georgia; weather conditions usually make it hard to get close to the South Sandwich Islands; the South Sandwich Islands are prone to active volcanic activity.
_#_Note: the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which offer good places to anchor.
_*People #_Population: no permanent population; there is a small military presence on South Georgia and the British Antarctic Survey operates a biological station on Bird Island; the South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited.
_*Government #_Long-form name: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (no short-form name)
_#_Type: dependent territory of the UK
_#_Capital: Grytviken on South Georgia is the military town
_#_Administrative divisions: none (UK dependent territory)
_#_Independence: none (a territory dependent on the UK)
_#_Constitution: 3 October 1985
_#_Legal system: English common law
_#_National holiday: Liberation Day, June 14 (1982)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, commissioner
_#_Legislative branch: none
_#_Judicial branch: none
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952), represented by Commissioner William Hugh FULLERTON (since 1988; residing in Stanley, Falkland Islands)
_*Economy #_Overview: Some fishing happens in nearby waters. There’s potential income from catching fin fish and krill. The islands earn money from postage stamps made in the UK.
_#_Budget: revenues $291,777; expenditures $451,011, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY88 est.)
_#_Electricity: 900 kW capacity; 2 million kWh produced, NA kWh per capita (1990)
_*Communications #_Highways: NA
_#_Ports: Grytviken on South Georgia
_#_Airports: 5 total, 5 usable; 2 with paved runways; 1 with runway 2,440-3,659 m
_#_Telecommunications: coastal radio station at Grytviken; no broadcast stations
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK % @Soviet Union *Geography #_Total area: 22,402,200 km²; land area: 22,272,000 km²
_#_Comparative area: just under 2.5 times the size of the US
_#_Land boundaries: 19,933 km total; Afghanistan 2,384 km,
Czech Republic 98 km, China 7,520 km, Finland 1,313 km, Hungary 135 km,
Iran 1,690 km, North Korea 17 km, Mongolia 3,441 km, Norway 196 km,
Poland 1,215 km, Romania 1,307 km, Turkey 617 km
_#_Coastline: 42,777 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth where resources can be exploited;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: bilateral negotiations are ongoing to resolve contested areas of the boundary with China; the US Government has not acknowledged the annexation of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania into the Soviet Union; Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan Islands and the Habomai island group have been occupied by the Soviet Union since 1945 and are claimed by Japan; there's a maritime dispute with Norway over a part of the Barents Sea; the US has not made any territorial claims in Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do so) and does not recognize the claims of any other nation; the Kurdish issue involves Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and the USSR.
_#_Climate: mostly temperate to arctic continental; winters range from cool by the Black Sea to frigid in Siberia; summers range from hot in the southern deserts to cool along the Arctic coast
_#_Terrain: a wide plain with gentle hills west of the Urals; extensive coniferous forests and tundra in Siberia, deserts in Central Asia, and mountains in the south.
_#_Natural resources: self-sufficient in oil, natural gas, coal, and strategic minerals (except for bauxite, alumina, tantalum, tin, tungsten, fluorspar, and molybdenum), timber, gold, manganese, lead, zinc, nickel, mercury, potash, phosphates; note—the USSR is the world's largest producer of oil and natural gas, and third in coal.
_#_Land use: arable land 10%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 17%; forest and woodland 41%; other 32%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: Despite its size and diversity, only a small percentage of the land is suitable for farming, and much of it is located too far north. Some of the most fertile areas face water shortages or have limited growing seasons. Many regions with better climates suffer from poor soil quality. The hot, dry, desiccating sukhovey wind impacts the south, leading to desertification. The continuous permafrost covering much of Siberia is a major barrier to development.
_#_Note: the largest country in the world, but poorly situated in relation to the major sea routes.
_*People #_Population: 293,047,571 (July 1991), growth rate 0.7% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 17 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 10 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 23 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 65 years for males, 74 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.4 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Soviet(s); adjective—Soviet
_#_Ethnic divisions: Russian 50.78%, Ukrainian 15.45%, Uzbek 5.84%, Belorussian 3.51%, Kazakh 2.85%, Azeri 2.38%, Armenian 1.62%, Tajik 1.48%, Georgian 1.39%, Moldovan 1.17%, Lithuanian 1.07%, Turkmen 0.95%, Kirghiz 0.89%, Latvian 0.51%, Estonian 0.36%, other 9.75%
_#_Religion: Russian Orthodox 20%, Muslim 10%, Protestant, Georgian Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Roman Catholic 7%, Jewish less than 1%, atheist 60% (est.)
_#_Language: Russian (official); over 200 languages and dialects (at least 18 with more than 1 million speakers); 75% Slavic group, 8% other Indo-European, 12% Altaic, 3% Uralian, 2% Caucasian
_#_Literacy: 98% (male 99%, female 97%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1989)
_#_Labor force: 152,300,000 civilians; industry and other non-agricultural sectors 80%, agriculture 20%; shortage of skilled labor (1989)
_#_ Organized labor: the vast majority of workers are union members; official unions are organized under the General Confederation of Trade Unions (GCTU) and still operate within the general guidelines established by the CPSU and the Soviet Government; a significant number of independent trade unions have formed since President Gorbachev took office; most are locally or regionally based and represent workers from one enterprise or a group of enterprises; there are a few independent unions that claim a national presence, the most notable of which is the Independent Miners Trade Union established by the country's coal miners.
_*Government #_Full name: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; abbreviated USSR
_#_Type: in transition to a multiparty federal system
_#_Capital: Moscow
_#_Administrative divisions: 1 Soviet Federative Socialist Republic* (sovetskaya federativnaya sotsialistcheskaya respublika) and 14 Soviet Socialist Republics (sovetskiye sotsialisticheskiye respubliki, singular—sovetskaya sotsialisticheskaya respublika); Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, Belorussian (Byelorussian) Soviet Socialist Republic, Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic, Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic, Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic*, Soviet Socialist Republic of Moldova, Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic, Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic; note—Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic is often abbreviated RSFSR and Soviet Socialist Republic is often abbreviated SSR; the parliaments in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, and Lithuania have removed the words Soviet Socialist from the names of their republics, but the central government has not recognized those changes; the parliament in Kirghiziya changed the name Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic to Republic of Kyrgyzstan, but the central government has not recognized that change.
_#_Independence: December 30, 1922 (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics established)
_#_Constitution: 7 October 1977
_#_Legal system: civil law system modified by Communist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Great October Socialist Revolution, 7-8 November (1917)
_#_Executive branch: president
_#_Legislative branch: the Congress of People's Deputies (S'ezd Narodnykh Deputatov) is the highest authority of state power in the USSR and elects the bicameral Supreme Soviet (Verkhovnyi Sovyet), which is made up of two equal houses—the Soviet of the Union (Soviet Soiuza) and the Soviet of Nationalities (Soviet Natsional'nostei).
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court of the USSR
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Mikhail Sergeyevich GORBACHEV (since March 14, 1990; former General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party since March 11, 1985—resigned August 1991);
Head of Government—Prime Minister (vacant); Chairman of the
Committee for the Operational Management of the USSR National
Economy Ivan SILAYEV (since August 24, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: emerging multiparty system
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held March 14, 1990 (next to be held NA 1995); results—Mikhail Sergeyevich GORBACHEV was elected by the Congress of People's Deputies;
Congress of People's Deputies—last held December 17, 1990 (next to be held N/A); results—N/A; seats—(2,250 total) CPSU N/A, non-CPSU N/A; note—dissolved September 1991
USSR Supreme Soviet—made up of the Council of the Union and the Council of Republics;
Council of the Union—last held Spring 1991 (next to be held Fall 1991); results—N/A; seats—(271 total) CPSU N/A, non-CPSU N/A;
Council of Republics—last held Spring 1991 (next to be held Fall 1991); results—N/A; seats—(271 total) CPSU N/A, non-CPSU N/A; note—to be reformed as a new legislature—date not set
_#_Communists: before August 1991, there were about 15 million party members, but membership was decreasing.
_#_Other political or pressure groups: official parties, regional coalitions, labor unions, and unofficial organizations
_#_Member of: CSCE, ECE, ESCAP, IAEA, IBEC, ICAO, ICFTU,
IIB, ILO, IMO, INMARSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UN Security Council, UN Trusteeship Council, UNTSO, UPU,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Viktor KOMPLEKTOV; Chancery at 1125 16th Street NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 628-7551 or 8548; there is a Soviet Consulate General in San Francisco;
US—Ambassador Robert S. STRAUSS; Embassy at Chaykovskogo Street 19/21/23, Moscow (mailing address is APO New York 09862); telephone [7] (095) 252-2450 through 59; there is a US Consulate General in St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad)
_#_Flag: red with the yellow outline of a crossed hammer and sickle below a yellow-edged five-pointed red star in the upper left corner
_*Economy #_Overview: The first six years of perestroika (economic and political restructuring) have weakened the institutions and processes of the Soviet command economy without establishing efficiently functioning markets. The initial reforms have given enterprise managers more control over prices, wages, product lines, investments, supply sources, and customers. However, without effective market discipline, this has led to the disappearance of low-price goods, excessive wage hikes, an even larger number of unfinished construction projects, and, overall, ongoing economic stagnation. The Gorbachev administration has made at least four major mistakes in economic policy during these six years: the unpopular and short-lived anti-alcohol campaign; the initial reduction in imports of consumer goods; the failure to take decisive action early on for the privatization of agriculture; and the accumulation of a huge surplus of unspent rubles in the hands of households and enterprises. The administration has wavered among a series of ambitious economic policy proposals suggested by leading economists and political
_#_GNP: about $2,660 billion, per capita $9,130; real growth rate - 2.4% to - 5.0% (1990 estimate based on a reassessment of official Soviet statistics); note—due to the ongoing breakdown of Soviet economic and statistical controls, this estimate is even less certain than in previous years; the dollar estimates likely inflate Soviet GNP to some degree because they do not fully account for the poor quality, limited variety, and low performance of Soviet goods and services; the - 2.4% growth figure is based on CIA's standard estimation methods, while the - 5.0% figure is adjusted for worsening measurement issues in 1990.
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 14% (1990 est.)
# Unemployment rate: official Soviet statistics suggest an unemployment rate of 1 to 2 percent in 1990; however, the USSR's first official unemployment estimate is recognized to be rough.
_#_Budget: revenues of 422 billion rubles; expenditures of 510 billion rubles, including capital expenses of 53 billion rubles (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $109.3 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—oil and oil products, natural gas, metals, wood, agricultural products, and a wide range of manufactured goods (mainly capital goods and weapons);
partners—Eastern Europe 46%, EU 16%, Cuba 6%, US, Afghanistan (1989)
_#_Imports: $114.7 billion (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—grain and other agricultural products, machinery and equipment, steel products (including large-diameter pipe), consumer goods;
partners—Eastern Europe 50%, EC 13%, Cuba, China, US (1989)
_#_External debt: $55 billion (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 2.4% (1990 estimate)
_#_Electricity: 350,000,000 kW capacity; 1,740,000 million kWh produced, 5,920 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: diversified, highly developed capital goods and defense industries; comparatively less developed consumer goods industries
_#_Agriculture: makes up about 20% of GNP and the labor force; production relies on large collective and state farms; management is inefficient; a variety of temperate crops and livestock are produced; the country is the third-largest grain producer after the US and China; there are shortages of grain, oilseeds, and meat; it is the leading producer of sawnwood and roundwood; the annual fish catch is among the largest in the world.
_#_Illicit drugs: illegal production of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for local use; the government has started an eradication program to manage cultivation; used as a transit country for illegal drugs to Western Europe
_#_Economic aid: donor—provided to non-Communist less developed countries (1954-89), $49.6 billion; provided to other Communist countries (1954-89), $154 billion
_#_Currency: ruble (plural—rubles); 1 ruble (R) = 100 kopecks
_#_Exchange rates: rubles (R) per US$1—0.580 (1990), 0.629 (1989), 0.629 (1988), 0.633 (1987), 0.704 (1986), 0.838 (1985); note—as of April 1, 1991, the official exchange rate was still set by the government; it shouldn't be used casually to convert domestic rubles to dollars; in November 1990, the USSR introduced a commercial exchange rate of 1.8 rubles to the dollar for accounting purposes within the USSR, which was still in effect on April 1, 1991; on April 1, 1991, the USSR launched a new foreign-currency market for foreign companies and individuals; the rate will be fixed twice a week based on supply and demand; as of April 4, 1991, the rate was 27.6 rubles to the dollar; Soviet citizens traveling abroad can only buy $200 per year at the current rates.
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 147,400 km total; 53,900 km electrified; does not include industrial lines (1989)
_#_Highways: 1,757,000 km total; 1,310,600 km paved (asphalt, concrete, stone block, asphalt-treated, gravel, crushed stone); 446,400 km unpaved (1989)
_#_Inland waterways: 123,700 km navigable, not including the Caspian Sea (1989)
_#_Pipelines: 82,000 km of crude oil and refined products; 206,500 km of natural gas (1987)
_#_Ports: St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad), Riga, Tallinn, Kaliningrad, Liepaja, Ventspils, Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, Odessa, Novorossiysk, Il'ichevsk, Nikolayev, Sevastopol, Vladivostok, Nakhodka; inland ports are Astrakhan, Baku, Nizhny Novgorod (Gorky), Kazan, Khabarovsk, Krasnoyarsk, Kuybyshev, Moscow, Rostov, Volgograd, Kyiv
_#_Merchant marine: 1,565 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 15,243,228 GRT/20,874,488 DWT; includes 52 passenger, 898 cargo, 52 container, 11 barge carriers, 4 roll-on/float off cargo, 5 railcar carriers, 114 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 230 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 5 liquefied gas carriers, 17 combination ore/oil carriers, 4 specialized liquid carriers, 13 chemical tankers, 160 bulk carriers; note—594 merchant ships are based in the Black Sea, 366 in the Baltic Sea, 398 in the Soviet Far East, and 207 in the Barents Sea and White Sea; the Soviet Union has been transferring merchant ships to various flags of convenience; at the beginning of 1991, the USSR had 64 ships under foreign flags (Cyprus 52, Malta 7, Panama 2, Vanuatu 2, and Honduras 1)
_#_Civil air: 4,000 large transport planes
_#_Airports: 7,192 total, 4,607 usable; 1,163 with permanent-surface runways; 33 with runways over 3,659 m; 491 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 661 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 37 million phone subscribers; phone density is 37 per 100 households; urban phone density is 9.2 phones per 100 residents; rural phone density is 2.9 per 100 residents (June 1990); automatic phone dialing with 70 countries and between 25 Soviet cities (April 1989); stations—457 AM, 131 FM, over 900 TV; 90 million TVs (December 1990)
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense, Strategic Missile Forces, Command and General Support, Security Forces
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 70,058,651; 55,931,817 eligible for military service; 2,265,935 turn 18 annually (a slight decrease from 2,500,000 a decade ago); about 35-40% get deferments due to health, education, or other reasons.
_#Defense spending: 63.9 billion rubles, NA% of GDP % @Spain *Geography #_Total area: 504,750 km²; land area: 499,400 km²; includes the Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, and five areas of sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of Morocco—Ceuta, Melilla, Islas Chafarinas, Peñón de Alhucemas, and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera.
_#_Comparative area: just over twice the size of Oregon
_#_Land boundaries: 1,903.2 km total; Andorra 65 km, France 623 km, Gibraltar 1.2 km, Portugal 1,214 km
_#_Coastline: 4,964 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: The Gibraltar issue with the UK; Spain controls five areas of sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of Morocco—the coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, which Morocco disputes, as well as the islands of Peñón de Alhucemas, Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera, and Islas Chafarinas.
_#_Climate: mild; clear, hot summers inland, more moderate and overcast along the coast; cloudy, cold winters inland, partly cloudy and cool along the coast.
_#_Terrain: a large, flat to broken plateau surrounded by steep hills; Pyrenees to the north
_#_Natural resources: coal, lignite, iron ore, uranium, mercury, pyrites, fluorspar, gypsum, zinc, lead, tungsten, copper, kaolin, potash, hydropower
_#_Land use: arable land 31%; permanent crops 10%; meadows and pastures 21%; forest and woodland 31%; other 7%; includes irrigated land 6%
_#_Environment: deforestation; air pollution
_#_Note: important location along routes to the Strait of Gibraltar
_*People #_Population: 39,384,516 (July 1991), growth rate 0.3% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 11 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 75 years for males, 82 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Spaniard(s); adjective—Spanish
_#_Ethnic divisions: a mix of Mediterranean and Nordic types
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 99%, other groups 1%
_#_Language: Castilian Spanish; second languages include Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%
_#_Literacy: 95% (male 97%, female 93%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 14,621,000; services 53%, industry 24%, agriculture 14%, construction 9% (1988)
_#_Organized labor: less than 10% of the workforce (1988)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Kingdom of Spain
_#_Type: parliamentary monarchy
_#_Capital: Madrid
_#_Administrative divisions: 17 autonomous communities (comunidades autónomas, singular—comunidad autónoma); Andalucía, Aragón, Asturias, Canarias, Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Cataluña, Comunidad Valenciana, Extremadura, Galicia, Islas Baleares, La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia, Navarra, País Vasco; Note—there are five places of sovereignty on and off the coast of Morocco (Ceuta, Melilla, Islas Chafarinas, Peñón de Alhucemas, and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera) with administrative status unknown.
_#_Independence: 1492 (expulsion of the Moors and unification)
_#_Constitution: December 6, 1978, effective December 29, 1978
_#_Legal system: civil law system, with regional applications; does not accept mandatory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: National Day, October 12
_#_Executive branch: monarch, head of government (prime minister), deputy prime minister, cabinet, Council of State
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral The General Courts or National
Assembly (Las Cortes Generales) consists of an upper house or Senate
(Senado) and a lower house or Congress of Deputies (Congreso de los
Diputados)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—King JUAN CARLOS I (since November 22, 1975);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Felipe GONZALEZ Marquez (since December 2, 1982); Deputy Prime Minister Narcis SERRA (since March 13, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: main national parties, from
right to left—Popular Party (PP), Jose Maria AZNAR;
Popular Democratic Party (PDP), Luis DE GRANDES;
Social Democratic Center (CDS), Adolfo SUAREZ Gonzalez;
Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), Felipe GONZALEZ Marquez;
Socialist Democracy Party (DS), Ricardo Garcia DAMBORENEA;
Spanish Communist Party (PCE), Julio ANGUITA;
key regional parties—
Convergence and Unity (CiU), Jordi PUJOL Saley, in Catalonia;
Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), Xabier ARZALLUS;
Basque Solidarity (EA), Carlos GARAICOETXEA Urizza;
Basque Popular Unity (HB), Jon IDIGORAS;
Basque Left (EE), Kepa AULESTIA;
Andalusian Party (PA), Pedro PACHECO;
Independent Canary Group (AIC);
Aragon Regional Party (PAR);
Valencian Union (UV)
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Senate —last held on October 29, 1989 (next to be held in October 1993); results—N/A; seats (208) PSOE 106, PP 79, CiU 10, PNV 4, HB 3, AIC 1, other 5;
Congress of Deputies—last held on October 29, 1989 (next one scheduled for October 1993); results—PSOE 39.6%, PP 25.8%, CDS 9%, Communist-led coalition (IU) 9%, CiU 5%, Basque Nationalist Party 1.2%, HB 1%, Andalusian Party 1%, others 8.4%; seats—(350 total) PSOE 175, PP 106, CiU 18, IU 17, CDS 14, PNV 5, HB 4, others 11
_#_Communists: PCE membership dropped from a potential peak of 160,000 in 1977 to about 60,000 in 1987; the party attracted nearly 1 million voters and gained 10 deputies in the 1989 election; most voters came from the dissatisfied socialist left; its remaining strength is in labor, where it leads the Workers Commissions trade union (one of the two main labor federations in the country), which claims around 1 million members; it saw a modest recovery in the 1986 national election, almost doubling its vote share from 1982.
_#_Other political or pressure groups: on the far left, the Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) and the First of October Antifascist Resistance Group (GRAPO) engage in terrorism to oppose the government; free labor unions (authorized in April 1977) include the Communist-led Workers Commissions (CCOO); the Socialist General Union of Workers (UGT), and the smaller independent Workers Syndical Union (USO); the Catholic Church; business and landowners; Opus Dei; university students
_#_Member of: AG (observer), AsDB, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, CSCE, EBRD,
EC, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, FAO, G-8, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), LORCS, NAM (guest),
NATO, NEA, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jaime de OJEDA; Embassy located at 2700 15th Street NW, Washington DC 20009; phone number (202) 265-0190 or 0191; there are Spanish Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico);
US—Ambassador Joseph ZAPPALA; Embassy at Serrano 75, 28006 Madrid (mailing address is APO New York 09285); phone [34] (1) 577-4000; there is a US Consulate General in Barcelona and a Consulate in Bilbao
_#_Flag: three horizontal stripes of red (top), yellow (twice as wide), and red, featuring the national coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow stripe; the coat of arms includes the royal seal surrounded by the Pillars of Hercules, which are the two cliffs (Gibraltar and Ceuta) on either side of the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar.
_*Economy #_Overview: This Western capitalist economy has performed well since Spain joined the EC in 1986. With annual real GNP growth averaging around 5% from 1987 to 1990, Spain has been the fastest-growing member of the EC. Increased investment—both from within the country and from abroad—has been the key driver of this economic growth. Inflation dropped to 4.8% in 1988, but an overheated economy pushed inflation up to nearly 7% in 1989-90. Another challenge facing Spain is a 16.3% unemployment rate, the highest in Europe.
# GDP: $435.9 billion, per person $11,100; actual growth rate 3.7% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.7% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 16.3% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $100.1 billion; expenditures $111.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990)
_#_Exports: $55.6 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—food, live animals, wood, shoes, machinery, chemicals;
partners—EC 67.8%, US 6.5%, other developed countries 9%
_#_Imports: $87.7 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—oil, shoes, machines, chemicals, grain, soybeans, coffee, tobacco, iron and steel, wood, cotton, transportation equipment;
partners—EC 59.7%, US 8.5%, other developed countries 11.5%, Middle East 3.4%
_#_External debt: $37 billion (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 3.5% (estimated in 1990)
_#_Electricity: 46,589,000 kW capacity; 141,000 million kWh produced, 3,590 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: textiles and clothing (including shoes), food and drinks, metals and metal products, chemicals, shipbuilding, cars, machine tools
_#_Agriculture: makes up 5% of GNP and 14% of the workforce; main products include grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus fruits, beef, pork, poultry, and dairy; mostly self-sufficient in food; fish catch of 1.4 million metric tons ranks among the top 20 nations.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $1.9 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-79), $545.0 million; not currently a recipient
_#_Currency: peseta (plural—pesetas); 1 peseta (Pta) = 100 centimos
_#_Exchange rates: pesetas (Ptas) per US$1—95.20 (January 1991), 101.93 (1990), 118.38 (1989), 116.49 (1988), 123.48 (1987), 140.05 (1986), 170.04 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 15,430 km in total; Spanish National Railways (RENFE) operates 12,691 km of 1.668-meter gauge, with 6,184 km electrified and 2,295 km double track; FEVE (government-owned narrow-gauge railways) operates 1,821 km mainly of 1.000-meter gauge and 441 km electrified; privately owned railways run 918 km primarily of 1.000-meter gauge, with 512 km electrified and 56 km double track.
_#_Highways: 150,839 km total; 82,513 km national (includes 2,433 km limited-access divided highway, 63,042 km asphalt treated, 17,038 km intermediate asphalt, concrete, or stone block) and 68,326 km provincial or local roads (asphalt treated, intermediate asphalt, or stone block)
_Inland waterways: 1,045 km, but not very economically significant_
_#_Pipelines: 265 km of crude oil; 1,794 km of refined products; 1,666 km of natural gas
_#_Ports: Algeciras, Alicante, Almeria, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cadiz,
Cartagena, Castellon de la Plana, Ceuta, El Ferrol del Caudillo,
Puerto de Gijon, Huelva, La Coruna, Las Palmas (Canary Islands),
Mahon, Malaga, Melilla, Rota, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Sagunto,
Tarragona, Valencia, Vigo, and 175 smaller ports
_#_Merchant marine: 304 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 3,367,529 GRT/5,984,306 DWT; includes 2 passenger, 9 short-sea passenger, 105 cargo, 17 refrigerated cargo, 14 container, 29 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 4 vehicle carriers, 50 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 14 chemical tankers, 7 liquefied gas, 1 combination ore/oil, 4 specialized tankers, 48 bulk
_#_Civil air: 172 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 104 total, 98 usable; 61 with permanent-surface runways; 4 with runways over 3,659 m; 22 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 25 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: generally sufficient, modern facilities; 15,350,464 telephones; stations—206 AM, 411 (134 relays) FM, 143 (1,297 relays) TV; 17 coaxial submarine cables; communication satellite ground stations operating in INTELSAT (5 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Indian Ocean), MARISAT, and ENTELSAT systems
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Civil Guard
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 10,134,256; 8,222,987 eligible for military service; 339,749 turn 20 each year.
_#Defense spending: $8.6 billion, 2% of GDP (1990) % @Spratly Islands *Geography #_Total area: less than 5 km²; land area: less than 5 km²; consists of around 100 islets, coral reefs, and underwater mountains scattered throughout the South China Sea.
_#_Comparative area: undetermined
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 926 km
_#_Maritime claims: undetermined
_#_Disputes: China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam all claim ownership, either fully or partially, of the Spratly Islands.
_#_Climate: tropical
_#_Terrain: flat
_#_Natural resources: fish, guano; potential for oil and natural gas
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: prone to typhoons; consists of many small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs
_#_Note: strategically located near several main shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; serious navigational hazard
_*People #_Population: no permanent inhabitants; garrisons
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_*Economy #_Overview: Economic activity is restricted to commercial fishing and phosphate mining. Geological surveys conducted a few years ago indicate that there could be significant reserves of oil and natural gas beneath the islands; commercial extraction has not been initiated yet.
_#_Industries: some guano mining
_*Communications #_Airports: 3 total, 2 usable; none with runways over 2,439 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Ports: no natural harbors
_*Defense Forces #Note: about 50 small islands or reefs are occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam % @Sri Lanka *Geography #_Total area: 65,610 km²; land area: 64,740 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than West Virginia
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 1,340 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: the boundary of the continental margin or 200 nautical miles;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; monsoonal; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October)
_#_Terrain: mostly low, flat to gently rolling plains; mountains in the south-central part of the interior
_#_Natural resources: limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay
_#_Land use: arable land 16%; permanent crops 17%; meadows and pastures 7%; forest and woodland 37%; other 23%; includes irrigated 8%
_#_Environment: occasional hurricanes, tornadoes; deforestation; soil erosion
_#_Note: only 29 km from India across the Palk Strait; close to key Indian Ocean shipping routes
_*People #_Population: 17,423,736 (July 1991), growth rate 1.2% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 20 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 2 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 21 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 69 years for males, 74 years for females (1991)
_Total fertility rate: 2.3 children born per woman (1991)_
_#_Nationality: noun—Sri Lankan(s); adjective—Sri Lankan
_#_Ethnic divisions: Sinhalese 74%; Tamil 18%; Moor 7%; Burgher, Malay, and Veddha 1%
_#_Religion: Buddhist 69%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 8%
_#_Language: Sinhala (official); Sinhala and Tamil are recognized as national languages; Sinhala is spoken by around 74% of the population, Tamil is spoken by about 18%; English is frequently used in government and is spoken by around 10% of the population.
_#_Literacy: 86% (male 91%, female 81%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1981)
_#_Labor force: 6,600,000; agriculture 45.9%, mining and manufacturing 13.3%, trade and transport 12.4%, services and other 28.4% (1985 est.)
_#_Organized labor: about 33% of the workforce, over 50% of which is employed on tea, rubber, and coconut estates
_*Government #_Long-form name: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Colombo
_#_Administrative divisions: 24 districts; Amparai, Anuradhapura,
Badulla, Batticaloa, Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Hambantota, Jaffna,
Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalla, Kurunegala, Mannar, Matale, Matara, Moneragala,
Mullaittivu, Nuwara Eliya, Polonnaruwa, Puttalam, Ratnapura, Trincomalee,
Vavuniya; note—the administrative structure may now include 8 provinces
(Central, North Central, North Eastern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa,
Southern, Uva, and Western) and 25 districts (with Kilinochchi added to
the existing districts)
_#_Independence: February 4, 1948 (from the UK; previously Ceylon)
_#_Constitution: 31 August 1978
_#_Legal system: a very complex blend of English common law, Roman-Dutch law, Islamic law, and customary law; has not accepted mandatory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence and National Day, February 4, 1948
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Ranasinghe PREMADASA (since January 2, 1989);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Dingiri Banda WIJETUNGE (since March 6, 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
United National Party (UNP), Ranasinghe PREMADASA;
Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), Sirimavo BANDARANAIKE;
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), M. H. M. ASHRAFF;
All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), Kumar PONNAMBALAM;
People's United Front (MEP, or Mahajana Eksath Peramuna), Dinesh
GUNAWARDENE;
Eelam Democratic Front (EDF), Edward Sebastian PILLAI;
Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), leader (vacant);
Eelam Revolutionary Organization of Students (EROS), Velupillai
BALAKUMARAN;
New Socialist Party (NSSP, or Nava Sama Samaja Party),
Vasudeva NANAYAKKARA;
Lanka Socialist Party/Trotskyite (LSSP, or Lanka Sama Samaja Party),
Colin R. de SILVA;
Sri Lanka People's Party (SLMP, or Sri Lanka Mahajana Party),
Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARANATUNGA;
Communist Party/Moscow (CP/M), K. P. SILVA;
Communist Party/Beijing (CP/B), N. SHANMUGATHASAN;
note—the United Socialist Alliance (USA) includes the NSSP, LSSP,
SLMP, CP/M, and CP/B
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 19 December 1988 (next to be held
December 1994);
results—Ranasinghe PREMADASA (UNP) 50%,
Sirimavo BANDARANAIKE (SLFP) 45%, other 5%;
Parliament—last held on February 15, 1989 (next to be held by February 1995); results—UNP 51%, SLFP 32%, SLMC 4%, TULF 3%, USA 3%, EROS 3%, MEP 1%, other 3%; seats—(225 total) UNP 125, SLFP 67, other 33
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam (LTTE) and other smaller Tamil separatist groups; Janatha Vimukthi
Peramuna (JVP or People's Liberation Front); Buddhist clergy; Sinhalese
Buddhist lay groups; labor unions
_#_Member of: AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador W. Susanta De ALWIS; Chancery at 2148 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-4025 through 4028; there is a Sri Lankan Consulate in New York;
US—Ambassador Marion V. CREEKMORE, Jr.; Embassy at 210 Galle Road, Colombo 3 (mailing address is P. O. Box 106, Colombo); telephone [94] (1) 448007
_#_Flag: yellow with two sections; the smaller panel on the hoist side has two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and orange; the other section is a large dark red rectangle featuring a yellow lion holding a sword, and there is a yellow bo leaf in each corner; the yellow area acts as a border that surrounds the entire flag and separates the two sections.
_*Economy #_Overview: Agriculture, forestry, and fishing are the main sectors of the economy, employing around 45% of the workforce and making up 26% of GDP. The major plantation crops, including tea, rubber, and coconuts, generate about 35% of export earnings. Since the late 1970s, the economy has faced high unemployment rates. Economic growth, which has been held back by ethnic conflicts, picked up in 1990 as domestic conditions started to get better.
_GDP: $6.6 billion, per person $380; real growth rate 4.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 23% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 20% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $1.7 billion; expenditures $2.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $0.5 billion (1990)
_#_Exports: $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—tea, textiles and clothing, oil products, coconut, rubber, agricultural goods, gems and jewelry, seafood;
partners—US 26%, Germany, Japan, UK, Belgium, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China
_#_Imports: $2.2 billion (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—food and drinks, fabrics and textile materials, oil, machinery and equipment;
partners—Japan, Saudi Arabia, US 5.6%, India, Singapore, FRG, UK, Iran
_#_External debt: $5.6 billion (1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 6% (1989 est.); makes up 18% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 1,300,000 kW capacity; 4.2 billion kWh produced, 240 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: processing rubber, tea, coconuts, and other agricultural products; cement, oil refining, textiles, tobacco, and clothing
_#_Agriculture: makes up 26% of GDP and nearly half of the workforce; the most important staple crop is paddy rice; other field crops include sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseeds, roots, and spices; cash crops are tea, rubber, and coconuts; animal products consist of milk, eggs, hides, and meat; not self-sufficient in rice production
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.0 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-88), $4.9 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $169 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $369 million
_#_Currency: Sri Lankan rupee (plural—rupees); 1 Sri Lankan rupee (SLRe) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Sri Lankan rupees (SLRs) per US$1—40.272 (January 1991), 40.063 (1990), 36.047 (1989), 31.807 (1988), 29.445 (1987), 28.017 (1986), 27.163 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 1,948 km total (1989); all 1.868-meter broad gauge; 102 km double track; no electrification; government owned
_#_Highways: 75,263 km in total (1988); 27,637 km paved (mostly treated with bitumen), 32,887 km of crushed stone or gravel, 14,739 km of improved earth or unimproved earth; several thousand km of mainly unmotorable tracks (1988 est.)
_#_Inland waterways: 430 km; accessible for shallow-draft boats
_#_Pipelines: crude and refined products, 62 km (1987)
_#_Ports: Colombo, Trincomalee
_#_Merchant marine: 34 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 364,466 GRT/551,686 DWT; includes 18 cargo, 6 refrigerated cargo, 5 container, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 3 bulk
_#_Civil air: 8 major transports (including 1 leased)
_#_Airports: 14 total, 13 available for use; 12 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 1 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 7 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: reliable international service; 114,000 phones (1982); stations—12 AM, 5 FM, 5 TV; underwater cables reach Indonesia and Djibouti; 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT ground stations
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 4,636,767; 3,625,289 are fit for military service; 178,010 reach military age (18) each year.
_#Defense spending: $300 million, 5% of GDP (1991) % @Sudan *Geography #_Total area: 2,505,810 km²; land area: 2,376,000 km²
_#_Comparative area: just over one quarter the size of the US
_#_Land boundaries: 7,697 km total; Central African Republic 1,165 km, Chad 1,360 km, Egypt 1,273 km, Ethiopia 2,221 km, Kenya 232 km, Libya 383 km, Uganda 435 km, Zaire 628 km
_#_Coastline: 853 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 18 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of resource extraction;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: the administrative boundary with Kenya does not match the international boundary; the administrative boundary with Egypt does not match the international boundary.
_#_Climate: tropical in the south; dry desert in the north; rainy season (April to October)
_#_Terrain: mostly flat, plain, with mountains in the east and west
_#_Natural resources: small reserves of crude oil, iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, crude oil
_#_Land use: arable land 5%; permanent crops negligible%; meadows and pastures 24%; forest and woodland 20%; other 51%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: dominated by the Nile and its rivers; dust storms; desertification
_#_Note: largest country in Africa
_*People #_Population: 27,220,088 (July 1991), growth rate 3.0% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 44 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 13 deaths per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 1 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 85 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 52 years for males, 54 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.4 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Sudanese (sing. and pl.); adjective—Sudanese
_#_Ethnic divisions: Black 52%, Arab 39%, Beja 6%, foreigners 2%, other 1%
_#_Religion: Sunni Muslim (in the north) 70%, indigenous beliefs 20%, Christian (mainly in the south and Khartoum) 5%
_#_Language: Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, various dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, and Sudanic languages, English; Arabization program in progress.
_#_Literacy: 27% (male 43%, female 12%) age 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 6,500,000; agriculture 80%, industry and commerce 10%, government 6%; significant labor shortages in nearly all skilled job categories (1983 estimate); 52% of the population of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: trade unions were suspended after the coup on June 30, 1989; they are now in the process of being legalized again
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of the Sudan
_#_Type: military; civilian government suspended and martial law imposed after the coup on June 30, 1989.
_#_Capital: Khartoum
_#_Administrative divisions: 9 states (wilayat, singular—wilayat or wilayah*); Aali an Nil, Al Wusta*, Al Istiwaiyah*, Al Khartum, Ash Shamaliyah*, Ash Sharqiyah*, Bahr al Ghazal, Darfur, Kurdufan
_#_Independence: January 1, 1956 (from Egypt and the UK; previously Anglo-Egyptian Sudan)
_#_Constitution: April 12, 1973, suspended after the coup on April 6, 1985; interim constitution from October 10, 1985, suspended after the coup on June 30, 1989.
_#_Legal system: based on English common law and Islamic law; as of January 20, 1991, the Revolutionary Command Council enforced Islamic law in the six northern states of Al Wusta, Al Khartum, Ash Shamaliyah, Ash Sharqiyah, Darfur, and Kurdufan; the council is still reviewing criminal provisions under Islamic law; Islamic law will apply to all residents of the six northern states, regardless of their religion; there are some separate religious courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, January 1 (1956)
_#_Executive branch: executive and legislative power is held by a 13-member Revolutionary Command Council (RCC); the chairperson of the RCC serves as the prime minister; in July 1989, the RCC appointed a mostly civilian 22-member cabinet to act as advisors.
_#_Legislative branch: none
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Special Revolutionary Courts
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—Revolutionary Command
Council Chairman and Prime Minister Lt. Gen. Umar Hasan Ahmad
al-BASHIR (since June 30, 1989);
Deputy Chairman of the Command Council and Deputy Prime Minister
Maj. Gen. al-Zubayr Muhammad SALIH Ahmed (since July 9, 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders: none; banned after the coup on June 30, 1989.
_#_Suffrage: none
_#_Elections: none
_#_Member of: ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ECA, FAO,
G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Abdallah Ahmad ABDALLAH; Chancery at 2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 338-8565 through 8570; there is a Sudanese Consulate General in New York;
US—Ambassador James R. CHEEK; Embassy at Shar'ia Ali Abdul Latif, Khartoum (mailing address is P. O. Box 699, Khartoum, or APO New York 09668); telephone 74700 or 74611
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal stripes of red (top), white, and black, with a green isosceles triangle on the hoist side
_*Economy #_Overview: Sudan, one of the world's poorest countries, is struggling with civil war, ongoing political instability, harsh weather conditions, and ineffective economic policies. The government dominates the economy, accounting for over 70% of new investment. The private sector primarily focuses on agriculture and trade, with most industrial investments made before 1980. Agriculture forms the backbone of the economy, employing 80% of the workforce. Industry mostly processes agricultural products. Slow economic growth over the past decade, mainly due to decreasing annual rainfall, has led to lower per capita income and consumption. A significant foreign debt and massive arrears continue to create challenges. In 1990, the International Monetary Fund took the rare step of classifying Sudan as noncooperative due to its failure to pay overdue debts to the Fund.
_#_GDP: $8.5 billion, per capita $330; real growth rate - 7% (FY90 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 60% (FY90 estimate)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA
_#_Budget: revenues $514 million; expenditures $1.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $183 million (FY89 est.)
_#_Exports: $465 million (f.o.b., FY90 est.);
commodities—cotton 52%, sesame, gum arabic, peanuts;
partners—Western Europe 46%, Saudi Arabia 14%, Eastern Europe 9%, Japan 9%, US 3% (FY88)
_#_Imports: $1.0 billion (c.i.f., FY90 est.);
commodities—petroleum products 28%, manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, medicines, and chemicals;
partners—Western Europe 32%, Africa and Asia 15%, US 13%, Eastern Europe 3% (FY88)
_#_External debt: $12.3 billion (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 0.7% (FY89); represents 11% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 606,000 kW capacity; 900 million kWh produced, 37 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: cotton ginning, textiles, cement, cooking oils, sugar, soap making, footwear, petroleum refining
_#_Agriculture: makes up 35% of GNP and employs 80% of the workforce; facing water shortages; two-thirds of the land is suitable for growing crops and raising livestock; main products include cotton, oilseeds, sorghum, millet, wheat, gum arabic, and sheep; mostly self-sufficient in most foods.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.5 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $4.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $3.1 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $588 million
_#_Currency: Sudanese pound (plural—pounds); 1 Sudanese pound (5Sd) = 100 piasters
_#_Exchange rates: official rate—Sudanese pounds (5Sd) per US$1—4.5004 (fixed rate since 1987), 2.8121 (1987), 2.5000 (1986), 2.2883 (1985); note—commercial exchange rate 12.2 (May 1990)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Railroads: 5,500 km in total; 4,784 km with a 1.067-meter gauge, 716 km with a 1.6096-meter gauge for plantation lines.
_#_Highways: 20,000 km total; 1,600 km paved, 3,700 km gravel, 2,301 km enhanced dirt, 12,399 km regular dirt and track
_#_Inland waterways: 5,310 km navigable
_#_Pipelines: refined products, 815 km
_#_Ports: Port Sudan, Suakin
_#_Merchant marine: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 42,277 GRT / 59,588 DWT; includes 3 cargo ships, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships
_#_Civil air: 14 main transport planes
_#_Airports: 78 total, 66 usable; 8 with paved runways; none with runways over 12,000 feet; 4 with runways between 8,000-12,000 feet; 30 with runways between 4,000-8,000 feet.
_#_Telecommunications: a large, well-equipped system by African standards, but just barely adequate and not well-maintained; includes radio relay, cables, radio communications, and troposcatter; a domestic satellite system with 14 stations; 73,400 telephones; stations—4 AM, 1 FM, 2 TV; earth stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force
_#_Manpower availability: males ages 15-49, 6,176,917; 3,792,635 eligible for military service; 306,695 turn 18 (military age) each year
_#Defense spending: $610 million, 7.2% of GDP (1989 estimate) % @Suriname *Geography #_Total area: 163,270 km2; land area: 161,470 km2
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than Georgia
_#_Land boundaries: 1,707 km total; Brazil 597 km, French Guiana 510 km, Guyana 600 km
_#_Coastline: 386 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claims area in French Guiana between Litani River and Riviere Marouini (both sources of the Lawa); claims area in Guyana between New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/Kutari Rivers (all sources of the Courantyne)
_#_Climate: tropical; influenced by trade winds
_#_Terrain: mainly rolling hills; a narrow coastal plain with swamps
_#_Natural resources: wood, hydropower potential, fish, shrimp, bauxite, iron ore, and trace amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, gold
_#_Land use: arable land negligible%; permanent crops negligible%; meadows and pastures negligible%; forest and woodland 97%; other 3%; includes irrigated negligible%
_#_Environment: mostly tropical rain forest
_*People #_Population: 402,385 (July 1991), growth rate 1.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 26 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 6 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 39 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 66 years for males, 71 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.9 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Surinamer(s); adjective—Surinamese
_#_Ethnic divisions: Hindustani (East Indian) 37.0%, Creole (Black and mixed) 31.0%, Javanese 15.3%, Bush black 10.3%, Amerindian 2.6%, Chinese 1.7%, Europeans 1.0%, other 1.1%
_#_Religion: Hindu 27.4%, Muslim 19.6%, Roman Catholic 22.8%, Protestant (mostly Moravian) 25.2%, indigenous beliefs about 5%
_#_Language: Dutch (official); English is widely spoken; Sranan Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki) is the native language of Creoles and much of the younger population, and it's a common language among others; also Hindi Suriname Hindustani (a variant of Bhojpuri) and Javanese.
_#_Literacy: 95% (male 95%, female 95%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 104,000 (1984)
_#_Organized labor: 49,000 members of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Suriname
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Paramaribo
_#_Administrative divisions: 10 districts (districts, singular—district); Brokopondo, Commewijne, Coronie, Marowijne, Nickerie, Para, Paramaribo, Saramacca, Sipaliwini, Wanica
_#_Independence: November 25, 1975 (from the Netherlands; formerly Netherlands Guiana or Dutch Guiana)
_#_Constitution: ratified 30 September 1987
_#_Legal system: NA
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, November 25, 1975
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, and prime minister, Cabinet of Ministers, Council of State; note—commander in chief of the National Army holds considerable power
_#_Legislative branch: one-chamber National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President
Ronald VENETIAAN (since September 16, 1991); Vice President and
Prime Minister Jules AJODHIA (since September 16, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
traditional ethnic-based parties—The New Front (NF), Henck ARRON, a coalition made up of four parties after the military coup on December 24, 1990—Progressive Reform Party (VHP), Jaggernath LACHMON; National Party of Suriname (NPS), Henck ARRON; Indonesian Peasants Party (KTPI), Willy SOEMITA; and Suriname Labor Party (SLP), Frank DERBY;
promilitary New Democratic Party (NDP), Jules Albert WIJDENBOSCH, Frank PLAYFAIR;
Democratic Alternative '91 (DA '91),
Gerard BRUNINGS, a coalition of five parties formed in
January 1991—Alternative Forum, Gerard BRUNINGS, Winston JESSURUN;
Reformed Progressive Party (HPP), Panalall PARMISSER;
Party for Brotherhood and Unity in Politics (BEP), Caprino ALLENDY;
Pendawalima, Marsha JAMIN; and
Independent Progressive Group, Karam RAMSUNDERSINGH;
leftists—Revolutionary People's Party (RVP), Michael NAARENDORP; Progressive Workers and Farmers (PALU), Iwan KROLIS
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 6 September 1991 (next to be held May 1996); results—elected by the National Assembly—Ronald VENETIAAN (NF) 80% (645 votes), Jules WIJDENBOSCH (NDP) 14% (115 votes), Hans PRADE (DA '91) 6% (49 votes)
National Assembly—last held on May 25, 1991 (next one scheduled for May 1996); results—percent of vote NA; seats—(51 total) NF 30, NDP 12, DA '91 9
_#_Member of: ACP, CARICOM (observer), ECLAC, FAO, GATT, G-77, IADB,
IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LAES,
LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO,
WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Willem A. UDENHOUT; Chancery at Suite 108, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 244-7488 or 7490 through 7492; there is a Surinamese Consulate General in Miami;
US—Ambassador John (Jack) P. LEONARD; Embassy at Dr. Sophie
Redmonstraat 129, Paramaribo (mailing address is P. O. Box 1821,
Paramaribo); telephone [597] 72900, 77881, or 76459
_#_Flag: five horizontal bands of green (top, double width), white, red (quadruple width), white, and green (double width); there’s a large yellow five-pointed star centered in the red band
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is primarily driven by the bauxite industry, which makes up about 70% of export earnings and 40% of tax revenues. The economy has struggled since the Dutch stopped providing development aid in 1982. A decline in global bauxite prices that began in the late 1970s and lasted until late 1986 was followed by the start of a guerrilla insurgency in the interior. The guerrillas targeted key economic infrastructure, severely damaging the crucial bauxite sector and halting other export industries. These issues have led to high inflation, high unemployment, widespread black market activity, and a poor environment for foreign investment. A slight economic growth of 2.0% was noted in 1989 due to decreased guerrilla activity and better international markets for bauxite.
_#_GDP: $1.35 billion, per capita $3,400; real growth rate 2.0% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 50% (estimated in 1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 33% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $466 million; expenditures $716 million, including capital expenditures of $123 million (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $425 million (f.o.b., 1988 estimate);
commodities—alumina, bauxite, aluminum, rice, wood and wood products, shrimp and fish, bananas;
partners—Norway 33%, Netherlands 20%, US 15%, FRG 9%, Brazil 5%, UK 5%, Japan 3%, other 10%
_#_Imports: $370 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities—capital equipment, oil, food, cotton, consumer goods;
partners—US 37%, Netherlands 15%, Netherlands Antilles 11%, Trinidad and Tobago 9%, Brazil 5%, UK 3%, other 20%
_#_External debt: $138 million (est. 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 16.4% (1988 est.); makes up 22% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 458,000 kW capacity; 2,018 million kWh produced, 5,090 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: bauxite mining, alumina and aluminum production, logging, food processing, fishing
_#_Agriculture: makes up 11% of both GDP and the workforce; paddy rice is grown on 85% of arable land and accounts for 60% of total farm output; other products include bananas, palm kernels, coconuts, plantains, peanuts, beef, and chicken; shrimp and forestry products are becoming more important; self-sufficient in most foods.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-83), $2.5 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.45 billion
_#_Currency: Surinamese guilder, gulden, or florin (plural—guilders, gulden, or florins); 1 Surinamese guilder, gulden, or florin (Sf.) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Surinamese guilders, gulden, or florins (Sf.) per US$1—1.7850 (fixed rate)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 166 km total; 86 km of 1,000-meter gauge, government-owned, and 80 km of 1,435-meter standard gauge; all single track
_#_Highways: 8,300 km total; 500 km paved; 5,400 km made of bauxite gravel, crushed stone, or improved earth; 2,400 km made of sand or clay
_#_Inland waterways: 1,200 km; the main way to transport goods; oceangoing ships with drafts between 4.2 m and 7 m can travel through many of the major waterways.
_#_Ports: Paramaribo, Moengo
_#_Merchant marine: 3 ships (over 1,000 GRT) totaling 6,472 GRT/8,914 DWT; includes 2 cargo ships and 1 container ship
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 46 in total, 42 available for use; 6 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 1 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: international facilities are good; domestic radio relay system; 27,500 telephones; stations—5 AM, 14 FM, 6 TV, 1 shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: National Army (including a company-sized Navy and a small Air Force element), Civil Police
_#_Manpower availability: males ages 15-49, 107,544; 64,146 eligible for military service
_#Defense spending: $91 million, 7.2% of GDP (1990 estimate) % @Svalbard (Norwegian territory) *Geography #_Total area: 62,049 km2; land area: 62,049 km2; includes Spitsbergen and Bear Island (Bjornoya)
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than West Virginia
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 3,587 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm claimed by Norway on its own, not acknowledged by the USSR;
Territorial sea: 4 nm
_#_Disputes: the focus of the maritime boundary dispute between Norway and the USSR
_#_Climate: Arctic, warmed by the North Atlantic Current; cool summers, cold winters; the North Atlantic Current flows along the west and north coasts of Spitsbergen, keeping the water open and navigable for most of the year.
_#_Terrain: wild, rugged mountains; much of the high land is covered in ice; the west coast is ice-free for about half the year; there are fjords along the west and north coasts.
_#_Natural resources: coal, copper, iron ore, phosphate, zinc, wildlife, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%; there are no trees and the only bushes are crowberry and cloudberry.
_#_Environment: massive glaciers are breaking off and flowing into the ocean
_#_Note: located 445 km north of Norway where the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea come together
_*People #_Population: 3,942 (July 1991), growth rate NA% (1991); about one-third of the population lives in the Norwegian areas (Longyearbyen and Svea on Vestspitsbergen) and two-thirds in the Russian areas (Barentsburg and Pyramiden on Vestspitsbergen); about 9 people reside at the Polish research station.
_#_Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NA migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: NA deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: NA years for males, NA years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman (1991)
_#_Ethnic divisions: Russian 64%, Norwegian 35%, other 1% (1981)
_#_Language: Russian, Norwegian
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: NA
_#_Organized labor: none
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: territory of Norway managed by the Ministry of Industry, Oslo, through a governor (sysselmann) living in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9 February 1920) sovereignty was granted to Norway.
_#_Capital: Longyearbyen
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—King HARALD V (since January 17, 1991);
Head of Government—Governor Leif ELDRING (since NA)
_#_Member of: none
_#_Flag: the flag of Norway is displayed
```html _*Economy #_Overview: Coal mining is the primary economic activity on Svalbard. By treaty (February 9, 1920), nationals of the treaty powers have equal rights to exploit mineral resources, following Norwegian regulations. While coal companies from the US, UK, the Netherlands, and Sweden have mined in the past, only Norwegian and Soviet companies are still active. Each company extracts about half a million tons of coal each year. The settlements on Svalbard are essentially company towns. The Norwegian state-owned coal company employs nearly 60% of the island's Norwegian workforce, operates many local services, and supports most of the local infrastructure. There is also some hunting of seals, polar bears, foxes, and walruses. ```
_#_Budget: revenues $13.3 million, expenditures $13.3 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990)
_#_Electricity: 21,000 kW capacity; 45 million kWh produced, 11,420 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Currency: Norwegian krone (plural—kroner); 1 Norwegian krone (NKr) = 100 ore
_#_Exchange rates: Norwegian kroner (NKr) per US$1—5.9060 (January 1991), 6.2597 (1990), 6.9045 (1989), 6.5170 (1988), 6.7375 (1987), 7.3947 (1986), 8.5972 (1985)
_*Communications #_Ports: limited facilities—Ny-Alesund, Advent Bay
_#_Airports: 4 total, 4 usable; 1 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 2,439 m; 1 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 5 weather/radio stations; stations—1 AM, 1 (2 relays) FM, 1 TV
_*Defense Forces #Note: demilitarized by treaty (9 February 1920) % @Swaziland *Geography #_Total area: 17,360 km²; land area: 17,200 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than New Jersey
_#_Land boundaries: 535 km total; Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Climate: ranges from tropical to almost temperate
_#_Terrain: primarily mountains and hills; with some gently rolling plains
_#_Natural resources: asbestos, coal, clay, tin, hydropower, forests, and small gold and diamond deposits
_#_Land use: arable land 8%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 67%; forest and woodland 6%; other 19%; includes irrigated 2%
_#_Environment: overgrazing; soil degradation; soil erosion
_#_Note: landlocked; nearly entirely surrounded by South Africa
_*People #_Population: 859,336 (July 1991), growth rate 2.7% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 44 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 12 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 5 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 101 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 51 years for males, 59 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.2 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Swazi(s); adjective—Swazi
_#_Ethnic divisions: African 97%, European 3%
_#_Religion: Christian 60%, indigenous beliefs 40%
_#_Language: English and siSwati (official); government business conducted in English
_#_Literacy: 55% (male 57%, female 54%) of those aged 15 and over can read and write (1976)
_#_Labor force: 195,000; more than 60,000 involved in subsistence farming; around 92,000 wage earners (many only part-time), with agriculture and forestry 36%, community and social services 20%, manufacturing 14%, construction 9%, and other 21%; 24,000-29,000 employed in South Africa (1987)
_#_Organized labor: around 10% of workers
_*Government #_Long-form name: Kingdom of Swaziland
_#_Type: monarchy; independent member of the Commonwealth
_#_Capital: Mbabane (administrative); Lobamba (legislative)
_#_Administrative divisions: 4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni
_#_Independence: September 6, 1968 (from the UK)
_#_Constitution: none; the constitution from September 6, 1968, was suspended on April 12, 1973; a new constitution was announced on October 13, 1978, but has not been officially presented to the public.
_#_Legal system: based on South African Roman-Dutch law in statutory courts, Swazi traditional law and customs in traditional courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_National holiday: Somhlolo (Independence) Day, September 6 (1968)_
_#_Executive branch: king, prime minister, cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: the bicameral Parliament is advisory and consists of an upper house, the Senate, and a lower house, the House of Assembly.
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—King MSWATI III (since April 25, 1986);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Obed DLAMINI (since July 12, 1989)
_#_Political parties: none; prohibited by the Constitution enacted on 13 October 1978
_#_Suffrage: none
_#_Elections: no direct elections
_#_Communists: no Communist party
_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, PCA, SACU, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Absalom Vusani MAMBA; Chancery at 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 362-6683;
US—Ambassador Stephen H. ROGERS; Embassy at Central Bank Building, Warner Street, Mbabane (mailing address: P. O. Box 199, Mbabane); phone [268] 46441 through 5
_#_Flag: three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (three times wider), and blue; the red band has yellow edges; centered in the red band is a large black and white shield covering two spears and a staff decorated with feather tassels, all arranged horizontally
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy relies on subsistence farming, which engages a large portion of the workforce and contributes about 23% to GDP. Manufacturing, including various agro-processing factories, makes up another 26% of GDP. Mining has become less significant in recent years; high-quality iron ore deposits were exhausted in 1978, and concerns over health have reduced global demand for asbestos. Exports of sugar and forestry products are the primary sources of foreign currency. Surrounded by South Africa, with only a small border with Mozambique, Swaziland is heavily reliant on South Africa, from which it imports 92% of its goods and to which it exports about 40% of its products.
_GNP: $563 million, per person $670; real growth rate 5.0% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 13% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $322.9 million; expenditures $325.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92 est.)
_#_Exports: $543 million (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—soft drink mixes, sugar, wood pulp, citrus, canned fruit;
partners—South Africa 40% (estimated), EU, Canada
_#_Imports: $651 million (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—cars, machinery, transport equipment, oil products, food items, chemicals;
partners—South Africa 92% (estimated), Japan, Belgium, UK
_#_External debt: $290 million (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate N/A; makes up 26% of GDP (1989)
_#_Electricity: 50,000 kW capacity; 130 million kWh produced, 170 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: mining (coal and asbestos), wood pulp, sugar
_#_Agriculture: makes up 23% of GDP and over 60% of the workforce; mainly subsistence farming; cash crops include sugarcane, citrus fruits, cotton, and pineapples; other crops and livestock include corn, sorghum, peanuts, cattle, goats, and sheep; not self-sufficient in grain
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $142 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $488 million
_#_Currency: lilangeni (plural—emalangeni); 1 lilangeni (E) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: emalangeni (E) per US$1—2.5625 (January 1991), 2.5863 (1990), 2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988), 2.0350 (1987), 2.2685 (1986), 2.1911 (1985); note—the Swazi emalangeni is equal to the South African rand.
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Railroads: 297 km plus 71 km unused, 1.067-meter gauge, single track
_#_Highways: 2,853 km total; 510 km paved, 1,230 km made of crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil, and 1,113 km upgraded dirt roads.
_#_Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 23 total, 22 usable; 1 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 1 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: the system includes carrier-equipped open-wire lines and low-capacity radio relay links; 15,400 telephones; stations—6 AM, 6 FM, 10 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force, Royal Swaziland Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 185,562; 107,254 eligible for military service
_#Defense spending: $8 million, 1.3% of GDP (1988) % @Sweden *Geography #_Total area: 449,964 km²; land area: 410,928 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than California
_#_Land boundaries: 2,205 km total; Finland 586 km, Norway 1,619 km
_#_Coastline: 3,218 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of resource extraction;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: mild in the south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in the north
_#_Terrain: mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in the west
_#_Natural resources: zinc, iron ore, lead, copper, silver, timber, uranium, hydropower potential
_#_Land use: arable land 7%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 2%; forest and woodland 64%; other 27%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: water pollution; acid rain
_#_Note: strategic location along the Danish Straits connecting the Baltic and North Seas
_*People #_Population: 8,564,317 (July 1991), growth rate 0.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 13 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 11 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 3 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 75 years for males, 81 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.9 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Swede(s); adjective—Swedish
_#_Ethnic divisions: mostly white population; small Lappish minority; foreign-born or first-generation immigrants (Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks) make up about 12%
_#_Religion: Evangelical Lutheran 94%, Roman Catholic 1.5%, Pentecostal 1%, other 3.5% (1987)
_#_Language: Swedish, small Lapp and Finnish-speaking minorities; immigrants speak their native languages.
_#_Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1979 est.)
_#_Labor force: 4,572,000 (October 1990); government services 37.4%, mining, manufacturing, electricity, and water service 23.1%, private services 22.2%, transportation and communications 7%, construction 6.3%, agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting 3.8%, other 0.2% (1988)
_#_Organized labor: 80% of the workforce (1990 estimate)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Kingdom of Sweden
_#_Type: constitutional monarchy
_#_Capital: Stockholm
_#_Administrative divisions: 24 provinces (lan, singular and
plural); Alvsborgs Lan, Blekinge Lan, Gavleborgs Lan,
Goteborgs and Bohus Lan, Gotlands Lan, Hallands Lan, Jamtlands
Lan, Jonkopings Lan, Kalmar Lan, Kopparbergs Lan,
Kristianstads Lan, Kronobergs Lan, Malmohus Lan, Norrbottens
Lan, Orebro Lan, Ostergotlands Lan, Skaraborgs Lan,
Sodermanlands Lan, Stockholms Lan, Uppsala Lan, Varmlands
Lan, Vasterbottens Lan, Vasternorrlands Lan, Vastmanlands
_#_Independence: June 6, 1809, constitutional monarchy established
_#_Constitution: 1 January 1975
_#_Legal system: civil law system influenced by customary law; accepts mandatory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Swedish Flag Day, June 6
_#_Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Riksdag)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Högsta domstolen)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—King CARL XVI Gustaf (since September 19, 1973);
Heir Apparent Princess VICTORIA Ingrid Alice Desiree, daughter of the
King (born July 14, 1977);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Carl BILDT (since October 3, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
The ruling four-party coalition consists of the
Moderate Party (conservative), Carl BILDT;
Liberal People's Party, Bengt WESTERBERG;
Center Party, Olof JOHANSSON; and the
Christian Democratic Party, Alf SVENSSON;
Social Democratic Party, Ingvar CARLSSON;
New Democracy Party, Count Ian WACHMEISTER;
Left Party (VP; Communist), Lars WERNER;
Swedish Communist Party (SKP), Rune PETTERSSON;
Communist Workers' Party, Rolf HAGEL;
Green Party, no formal leader
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Riksdag—last held on September 15, 1991 (next to be held in September 1994); results—Social Democratic 37.6%, Moderate (conservative) 21.9%, Liberal People's Party 9.1%, Center Party 8.5%, Christian Democrats 7.1%, New Democracy 6.7%, Left Party (Communist) 4.5%, Green Party 3.4%, other 1.2%; seats—(349 total) Social Democratic 138, Moderate (conservative) 80, Liberal People's Party 33, Center Party 31, Christian Democrats 26, New Democracy 25, Left Party (Communist) 16; note: the Green Party leaves the Riksdag because it received less than the required 4% of the vote.
_#_Communists: VP and SKP; VP, which was previously known as the Left Party-Communists, is said to have about 17,800 members and received 5.8% of the vote in the 1988 election; VP dropped the Communist label in 1990 but still upholds a Marxist ideology.
_#_Member of: AfDB, AG (observer) AsDB, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, CSCE,
EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO, G-6, G-8, G-9, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTERPOL,
INTELSAT, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM (guest), NC,
NEA, NIB, OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNIFIL, UNIIMOG, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Anders THUNBORG; Chancery at Suite 1200, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20037; phone (202) 944-5600; there are Swedish Consulates General in Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and New York;
US—Ambassador Charles E. REDMAN; Embassy at Strandvagen 101,
S-115 89 Stockholm; phone [46] (8) 783-5300
_#_Flag: blue with a yellow cross that goes all the way to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the side where it is attached in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
_*Economy #_Overview: Thanks to a long period of peace and neutrality during World War I and World War II, Sweden has achieved a commendable standard of living through a mixed system of high-tech capitalism and extensive welfare benefits. The country enjoys nearly full employment, a modern distribution system, excellent internal and external communications, and a skilled labor force. Key resources like timber, hydropower, and iron ore form the backbone of an economy that is heavily focused on foreign trade. Privately owned businesses account for about 90% of industrial output, with the engineering sector making up 50% of that output and exports. Some observers believe the Swedish model has successfully aligned economic efficiency and social equality as complementary goals, rather than conflicting ones. However, others assert that the Swedish model is on the brink of collapse, citing serious economic issues Sweden faced in 1991, including high inflation and absenteeism, rising unemployment and deficits, and declining international competitiveness. In 1990, to boost the economy, the government agreed to pursue EC membership, introduced an austerity and privatization package, and initiated a major tax reform. These reforms might help turn the economy around in 1992.
_GDP: $137.8 billion, per person $16,200; actual growth rate 0.3% (1990)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10.9% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 1.6% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $60.1 billion; expenditures $56.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY89)
_#_Exports: $57.5 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—machines, cars, paper products, wood pulp and timber, iron and steel goods, chemicals, oil and oil products;
partners—EC 54.4%, (FRG 14.2%, UK 10.1%, Denmark 6.6%), US 8.6%, Norway 8.2%
_#_Imports: $54.7 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—machines, oil and oil products, chemicals, cars, food, iron and steel, clothing;
partners—EC 55.3%, US 8.4%
_#_External debt: $14.1 billion (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 2.0% (1990)
_#_Electricity: 39,716,000 kW capacity; 142,000 million kWh produced, 16,700 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts, weapons), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, automobiles
_#_Agriculture: livestock farming is the main focus, with milk and dairy products making up 37% of farm income; key crops include grains, sugar beets, and potatoes; fully self-sufficient in grains and potatoes, 85% self-sufficient in sugar beets.
_#_Economic aid: donor—ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $10.3 billion
_#_Currency: Swedish krona (plural—kronor); 1 Swedish krona (SEK) = 100 öre
_#_Exchange rates: Swedish kronor (SKr) per US$1—5.6402 (January 1991), 5.9188 (1990), 6.4469 (1989), 6.1272 (1988), 6.3404 (1987), 7.1236 (1986), 8.6039 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Railroads: 12,000 km total; Swedish State Railways (SJ)—10,819 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 6,955 km electrified and 1,152 km double track; 182 km 0.891-meter gauge; 117 km rail ferry service; privately owned railways—511 km 1.435-meter standard gauge (332 km electrified); 371 km 0.891-meter gauge (all electrified)
_#_Highways: 97,400 km (51,899 km paved, 20,659 km gravel, 24,842 km unpaved)
_#_Inland waterways: 2,052 km suitable for small boats and barges
_#_Pipelines: 84 km natural gas
_#_Ports: Gävle, Gothenburg, Halmstad, Helsingborg, Kalmar, Malmö, Stockholm; many secondary and smaller ports
_#_Merchant marine: 182 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 2,226,923 GRT/2,879,057 DWT; includes 9 short-sea passenger ships, 29 cargo ships, 3 container ships, 45 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 11 vehicle carriers, 2 railcar carriers, 28 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 27 chemical tankers, 6 specialized tankers, 1 liquefied gas tanker, 8 combination ore/oil carriers, 12 bulk carriers, 1 combination bulk carrier
_#_Civil air: 115 major transports
_#_Airports: 256 total, 254 usable; 137 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 10 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 92 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: outstanding domestic and international services; 8,200,000 telephones; stations—4 AM, 56 (321 relays) FM, 111 (925 relays) TV; 5 submarine coaxial cables; communication satellite ground stations operating in the INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean) and EUTELSAT systems
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Swedish Army, Royal Swedish Navy, Royal Swedish Air Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 2,136,227; 1,865,645 eligible for military service; 55,198 turn 19 each year
_#Defense spending: $4.9 billion, 2.5% of GDP (FY90) % @Switzerland *Geography #_Total area: 41,290 km²; land area: 39,770 km²
_#_Comparative area: just over twice the size of New Jersey
_#_Land boundaries: 1,852 km total; Austria 164 km, France 573 km, Italy 740 km, Liechtenstein 41 km, Germany 334 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Climate: mild, but changes with elevation; cold, overcast, rainy or snowy winters; cool to warm, overcast, humid summers with occasional rain showers.
_#_Terrain: mostly mountains (Alps in the south, Jura in the northwest) with a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes
_#_Natural resources: hydropower potential, timber, salt
_#_Land use: arable land 10%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 40%; forest and woodland 26%; other 23%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: dominated by Alps
_#_Note: landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe
_*People #_Population: 6,783,961 (July 1991), growth rate 0.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 12 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 9 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 3 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 5 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 75 years for males, 83 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Swiss (sing. & pl.); adjective—Swiss
_#_Ethnic divisions: total population—German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6%; Swiss nationals—German 74%, French 20%, Italian 4%, Romansch 1%, other 1%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 47.6%, Protestant 44.3%, other 8.1% (1980)
_#_Language: total population—German 65%, French 18%, Italian 12%, Romansch 1%, other 4%; Swiss nationals—German 74%, French 20%, Italian 4%, Romansch 1%, other 1%
_#_Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and older can read and write (1980 est.)
_#_Labor force: 3,310,000; 904,095 foreign workers, mostly Italian; services 50%, industry and crafts 33%, government 10%, agriculture and forestry 6%, other 1% (1989)
_#_Organized labor: 20% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: Swiss Confederation
_#_Type: federal republic
_#_Capital: Bern
_#_Administrative divisions: 26 cantons (canton, singular—canton in French; cantoni, singular—cantone in Italian; kantone, singular—kanton in German); Aargau, Appenzell Innerrhoden (Ausser-Rhoden), Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Bern, Fribourg, Geneva, Glarus, Graubünden, Appenzell Ausserrhoden (Inner-Rhoden), Jura, Lucerne, Neuchâtel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, St. Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais, Vaud, Zug, Zurich
_#_Independence: 1 August 1291
_#_Constitution: 29 May 1874
_#_Legal system: civil law system influenced by customary law; judicial review of legislation, except for federal decrees that are generally binding; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Anniversary of the Founding of the Swiss Confederation, August 1 (1291)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, Federal Council (German—Bundesrat, French—Conseil Federal, Italian—Consiglio Federale)
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Assembly (German—Bundesversammlung, French—Assemblee Federale, Italian—Assemblea Federale) includes an upper house or Council of States (German—Standerat, French—Conseil des Etats, Italian—Consiglio degli Stati) and a lower house or National Council (German—Nationalrat, French—Conseil National, Italian—Consiglio Nazionale)
_#_Judicial branch: Federal Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Flavio COTTI (1991 calendar year; presidency rotates annually); Vice President Rene FELBER (term runs concurrently with that of president)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Free Democratic Party (FDP), Bruno HUNZIKER, president;
Social Democratic Party (SPS), Helmut HUBACHER, chairman;
Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP), Eva SEGMULLER-WEBER, chairman;
Swiss People's Party (SVP), Hans UHLMANN, president;
Green Party (GPS), Peter SCHMID, president;
Automobile Party (AP), DREYER;
Alliance of Independents' Party (LdU), Dr. Franz JAEGER, president;
Swiss Democratic Party (SD), NA;
Evangelical People's Party (EVP), Max DUNKI, president;
Workers' Party (PdA; Communist), Jean SPIELMANN, general secretary;
Ticino League, leader NA
Liberal Party (LPS), Gilbert COUTAU, president;
National Action Party (NA), Rudolph KELLER, chairman;
Republican Party (RP), Franz BAUMGARTNER, president;
Progressive Organizations of Switzerland (POCH), Georg DEGEN, secretary;
Unitary Socialist Party (PSU), Dario ROBBIANI, president
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 20
_#_Elections:
Council of States—last held throughout 1991 (next to be held in 1995; results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(46 total) FDP 15, CVP 14, SVP 4, LPS 3, LDU 1; note—9 seats require run-off elections, to be held in November 1991
National Council—last held on October 20, 1991 (next to be held in October 1995); results—FDP %, SPS %, CVP %, SVP %, GPS %, LPS %, AP %, LDU %, SD %, EVP %, Workers Party %, Ticino League 23%, other %; seats—(200 total) FDP 44, SPS 42, CVP 37, SVP 25, GPS 14, LPS 10, AP 8, LDU 6, SD 5, EVP 3, Workers Party 2, Ticino League 2, other 2
_#_Communists: 4,500 members (est.)
_#_Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN,
EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO, G-8, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
IEA, IFAD, ILO, IMF (observer), IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM (guest), NEA, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA,
UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Edouard BRUNNER; Chancery at 2900 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; phone (202) 745-7900; there are Swiss Consulates General in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco;
US—Ambassador Joseph B. GILDENHORN; Embassy at
Jubilaeumstrasse 93, 3005 Bern; phone [41] (31) 437-011;
there is a Branch Office of the Embassy in Geneva and a
Consulate General in Zurich
_#_Flag: a red square with a thick white cross in the center that doesn’t reach the edges of the flag
_*Economy #_Overview: Switzerland's economic success is unmatched by few, if any, other countries. The per capita output, overall living standards, education and science, healthcare, and diet are the best in Europe. Inflation stays low thanks to sound government policies and good labor-management relations. Unemployment is minimal, a stark contrast to the larger economies in Western Europe. This economic stability helps support the vital banking and tourism sectors. Since World War II, Switzerland's economy has adapted smoothly to the significant changes in output and trade patterns in Europe and can likely adjust to the challenges of the 1990s, especially the further economic integration of Western Europe and the rapid changes in Eastern Europe's political and economic landscape.
_GDP: $126 billion, per person $18,700; real growth rate 2.6% (1990)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.3% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 0.5% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $24.0 billion; expenses $23.8 billion, including capital expenses of $NA (1990)
_#_Exports: $63.4 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—machines and equipment, precision tools, metal products, food items, textiles, and clothing;
partners—Western Europe 64% (EU 56%, other 8%), US 9%, Japan 4%
_#_Imports: $70.5 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—farm products, machinery and transport gear, chemicals, fabrics, building materials;
partners—Western Europe 78% (EC 71%, other 7%), US 6%
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 2.1% (1990)
_#_Electricity: 17,710,000 kW capacity; 59,070 million kWh produced, 8,930 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments
_#_Agriculture: dairy farming is the main focus; less than 50% self-sufficient; food shortages—fish, refined sugar, fats and oils (other than butter), grains, eggs, fruits, vegetables, meat
_#_Economic aid: donor—ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $3.5 billion
_#_Currency: Swiss franc, franken, or franco (plural—francs, franken, or franchi); 1 Swiss franc, franken, or franco (SwF) = 100 centimes, rappen, or centesimi
_#_Exchange rates: Swiss francs, franken, or franchi (SwF) per US$1—1.2724 (January 1991), 1.3892 (1990), 1.6359 (1989), 1.4633 (1988), 1.4912 (1987), 1.7989 (1986), 2.4571 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 5,174 km in total; 2,971 km are government-owned and 2,203 km are privately owned; the government network includes 2,897 km of 1.435-meter standard gauge and 74 km of 1.000-meter narrow gauge track; 1,432 km are double tracks, with 99% electrified; the private network includes 710 km of 1.435-meter standard gauge, 1,418 km of 1.000-meter gauge, and 75 km of 0.790-meter gauge track, all 100% electrified.
_#_Highways: 62,145 km total (all paved), including 18,620 km of canton roads and 1,057 km of national highways (740 km of autobahn); 42,468 km are local roads.
_#_Pipelines: 314 km crude oil; 1,506 km natural gas
_Inland waterways: 65 km; Rhine (Basel to Rheinfelden, Schaffhausen to Lake Constance); 12 navigable lakes_
_#_Ports: Basel (river port)
_#_Merchant marine: 20 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 258,678 GRT/441,555 DWT; includes 6 cargo ships, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 3 chemical tankers, 2 specialized tankers, and 7 bulk carriers.
_#_Civil air: 89 major commercial aircraft
_#_Airports: 67 total, 65 operational; 42 with paved runways; 2 with runways longer than 3,659 m; 6 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 17 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: great domestic, international, and broadcast services; 5,890,000 telephones; stations—6 AM, 36 (400 relays) FM, 145 (1,250 relays) TV; communications satellite earth stations operating in the INTELSAT (4 in the Atlantic Ocean and 1 in the Indian Ocean) and EUTELSAT systems
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Air Force, Border Guards, Defense Guards
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 1,802,005; 1,549,347 eligible for military service; 42,619 reach military age (20) each year
_#Defense spending: $4.6 billion, 2% of GDP (1990) % @Syria *Geography #_Total area: 185,180 km²; land area: 184,050 km² (including 1,295 km² of Israeli-occupied territory)
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than North Dakota
_#_Land boundaries: 2,253 km total; Iraq 605 km, Israel 76 km, Jordan 375 km, Lebanon 375 km, Turkey 822 km
_#_Coastline: 193 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 6 nautical miles beyond the territorial sea limit;
Territorial sea: 35 nm
_#_Disputes: separated from Israel by the 1949 Armistice Line; Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied; Hatay issue with Turkey; ongoing disputes with Iraq over Euphrates water rights; continuing disagreement over Turkey's water development plans for the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; Kurdish issue involving Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and the USSR.
_#_Climate: primarily desert; hot, dry, sunny summers (June to August) and mild, rainy winters (December to February) along the coast
_#_Terrain: mainly dry and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in the west
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum
_#_Land use: arable land 28%; permanent crops 3%; meadows and pastures 46%; forest and woodland 3%; other 20%; includes irrigated 3%
_#_Environment: deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
_#_Note: there are 38 Jewish communities in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights
_*People #_Population: 12,965,996 (July 1991), growth rate 3.8% (1991); in addition, there are at least 12,000 Druze and 13,000 Jewish settlers in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (1990 est.)
_#_Birth rate: 43 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 37 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 68 years for males, 71 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.7 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Syrian(s); adjective—Syrian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Arab 90.3%; Kurds, Armenians, and others 9.7%
_#_Religion: Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%, Christian (various sects) 10%, small Jewish communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo
_#_Language: Arabic (official), Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian; French is widely understood
_#_Literacy: 64% (male 78%, female 51%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 2,400,000; miscellaneous and government services 36%, agriculture 32%, industry and construction 32%; mostly unskilled; shortage of skilled workers (1984)
_#_Organized labor: 5% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: Syrian Arab Republic
_#_Type: republic; under a left-wing military government since March 1963
_#_Capital: Damascus
_#_Administrative divisions: 14 provinces (muhafazat, singular—muhafazah); Al Hasakah, Al Ladhiqiyah, Al Qunaytirah, Ar Raqqah, As Suwayda, Dara, Dayr az Zawr, Dimashq, Halab, Hamah, Hims, Idlib, Rif Dimashq, Tartus
_#_Independence: April 17, 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration); previously United Arab Republic
_#_Constitution: 13 March 1973
_#_Legal system: based on Islamic law and civil law system; special religious courts; has not accepted the mandatory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: National Day, April 17 (1946)
_#_Executive branch: president, three vice presidents, prime minister, three deputy prime ministers, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: one-house People's Council (Majlis al-Chaab)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Constitutional Court, High Judicial Council, Court of Cassation, State Security Courts
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Hafiz al-ASAD (since February 22, 1971); Vice Presidents Abd al-Halim KHADDAM, Rifat al-ASAD, and Muhammad Zuhayr MASHARIQA (since March 11, 1984);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Mahmud ZUBI (since November 1, 1987);
Deputy Prime Minister Lt. Gen. Mustafa TALAS (since March 11, 1984);
Deputy Prime Minister Salim YASIN (since December 1981);
Deputy Prime Minister Mahmud QADDUR (since May 1985)
_#_Political parties and leaders: the ruling party is the Arab Socialist Resurrectionist (Ba'ath) Party; the Progressive National Front is mainly led by Ba'athists but also includes independents and members of the Syrian Arab Socialist Party (ASP), Arab Socialist Union (ASU), Syrian Communist Party (SCP), Arab Socialist Unionist Movement, and Democratic Socialist Union Party.
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held February 10-11, 1985 (next to be held February 1992); results—President Hafiz al-ASAD was reelected without opposition;
People's Council—last held May 22-23, 1990 (next one scheduled for May 1994); results—Ba'ath Party 53.6%, ASU 3.2%, SCP 3.2%, Arab Socialist Unionist Movement 2.8%, ASP 2%, Democratic Socialist Union Party 1.6%, independents 33.6%; seats—(250 total) Ba'ath Party 134, ASU 8, SCP 8, Arab Socialist Unionist Movement 7, ASP 5, Democratic Socialist Union Party 4, independents 84; the People's Council was expanded to a total of 250 seats before the May 1990 election.
_#_Communists: mostly supporters, totaling around 5,000
_#_Other political or pressure groups: non-Bath parties have minimal effective political influence; the Communist party is not effective; the biggest threat to the Asad regime comes from divisions within the military; conservative religious leaders; Muslim Brotherhood
_#_Member of: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-24,
G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Walid MOUALEM; Chancery at 2215 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 232-6313;
US—Ambassador Edward P. DJEREJIAN; Embassy at Abu Rumaneh,
Al Mansur Street No.2, Damascus (mailing address is P. O. Box 29,
Damascus); telephone [963] (11) 333052 or 332557, 330416, 332814, 332315,
714108, 337178, 333232, 334352
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal stripes of red (top), white, and black with two small green five-pointed stars arranged in a horizontal line centered in the white stripe; it resembles the flag of Yemen, which has a plain white stripe, and the flag of Iraq, which features three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line centered in the white stripe; it also resembles the flag of Egypt, which has a symbolic eagle centered in the white stripe.
_*Economy #_Overview: Syria's rigidly structured Baathist economy produced slightly more goods in 1990 than in 1983, despite the population being 20% smaller at that time. Economic challenges stem, in part, from severe droughts in recent years, expensive but unsuccessful efforts to match Israel's military power, a decline in Arab aid, and inadequate foreign exchange earnings to purchase essential inputs for industry and agriculture. Socialist policies, buried under excessive bureaucratic regulations, have often stifled the entrepreneurial and mercantile spirit that Syrian businessmen have historically been known for. On a positive note, many villagers have benefited from land redistribution, electrification, and other rural development initiatives, and a recent discovery of light crude oil has allowed Syria to reduce its oil imports. A long-term concern is the additional withdrawal of Euphrates water by Turkey when its extensive dam and irrigation projects are completed toward the end of the 1990s. Output in 1990 improved from the very poor performance in 1989, as agricultural production and oil revenues saw significant increases.
_#_GDP: $20.0 billion, per capita $1,600; real growth rate 12% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 50% (1990 estimate)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $4.8 billion; expenditures $5.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.1 billion (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $2.3 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—oil 40%, textiles 30%, agricultural products 13%, phosphates (1989);
partners—USSR and Eastern Europe 42%, EC 31%, Arab countries 17%, US/Canada 2% (1989)
_#_Imports: $2.5 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—food and drinks 21%, metal and metal products 16%, machinery 14%, textiles, petroleum (1989);
partners—EC 42%, USSR and Eastern Europe 13%, other Europe 13%, US/Canada 8%, Arab countries 6% (1989)
_#_External debt: $5.2 billion in foreign currency (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 17% (1990 est.); makes up 19% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 2,867,000 kW capacity; 6,000 million kWh produced, 500 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: textiles, food production, drinks, tobacco, phosphate rock mining, oil
_#_Agriculture: makes up 27% of GDP and one-third of the workforce; all major crops (wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas) are primarily grown on rainfed land, leading to significant fluctuations in production; animal products include beef, lamb, eggs, poultry, and milk; not self-sufficient in grain or livestock products.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $538 million; Western (non-US) ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.2 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $12.3 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $3.3 billion
_#_Currency: Syrian pound (plural—pounds); 1 Syrian pound (5S) = 100 piasters
_#_Exchange rates: Syrian pounds (SYP) per US$1—11.2250 (fixed rate since 1987), 3.9250 (fixed rate 1976-87)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 2,241 km in total; 1,930 km standard gauge, 311 km 1.050-meter narrow gauge; note—the Tartus-Latakia line is almost complete.
_#_Highways: 27,000 km total; 21,000 km paved, 3,000 km gravel or crushed stone, 3,000 km improved dirt
_#_Inland waterways: 672 km; of minimal economic significance
_#_Pipelines: 1,304 km of crude oil; 515 km of refined products
_#_Ports: Tartus, Latakia, Baniyas
_#_Merchant marine: 22 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 61,951 GRT/86,552 DWT; includes 18 cargo ships, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 1 vehicle carrier, and 1 bulk carrier.
_#_Civil air: 35 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 99 total, 96 usable; 24 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 21 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: a fair system that is currently going through major improvements; 512,600 phones; stations—9 AM, 1 FM, 40 TV; satellite earth stations—1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station, with 1 Intersputnik station being built; 1 submarine cable; coaxial cable and radio relay to Iraq, Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon (inactive)
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Navy, Syrian Arab Air Force, Syrian Arab Air Defense Forces, Police and Security Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 2,825,214; 1,584,887 eligible for military service; 149,105 reach military age (19) each year.
_#Defense spending: $1.6 billion, 10.9% of GDP (1988 est.) % @Tanzania *Geography #_Total area: 945,090 km²; land area: 886,040 km²; includes the islands of Mafia, Pemba, and Zanzibar
_#_Comparative area: a bit more than double the size of California
_#_Land boundaries: 3,402 km total; Burundi 451 km, Kenya 769 km, Malawi 475 km, Mozambique 756 km, Rwanda 217 km, Uganda 396 km, Zambia 338 km
_#_Coastline: 1,424 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: boundary dispute with Malawi at Lake Nyasa; The Tanzania-Zaire-Zambia tripoint in Lake Tanganyika may no longer be uncertain, as it's reported that the indefinite part of the Zaire-Zambia border has been resolved.
_#_Climate: ranges from tropical along the coast to temperate in the highlands
_#_Terrain: flatlands by the coast; central plateau; mountainous regions in the north and south
_#_Natural resources: hydroelectric power potential, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones, gold, natural gas, nickel
_#_Land use: arable land 5%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 40%; forest and woodland 47%; other 7%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: the shortage of water and the presence of tsetse flies restrict agriculture; recent droughts have impacted marginal farming; Kilimanjaro is the highest point in Africa.
_*People #_Population: 26,869,175 (July 1991), growth rate 3.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 50 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 15 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 1 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 105 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 50 years for males, 55 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 7.0 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Tanzanian(s); adjective—Tanzanian
_#_Ethnic divisions: mainland—native African making up over 100 tribes 99%; Asian, European, and Arab 1%
_#_Religion:
mainland—Christian 33%, Muslim 33%, indigenous beliefs 33%;
Zanzibar—almost all Muslim
_#_Language: Swahili and English (official); English is the main language for business, government, and higher education; Swahili is commonly understood and usually used for communication among different ethnic groups; most people's first language is one of the local languages; primary education is typically in Swahili.
_#_Literacy: 46% (male 62%, female 31%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1978)
_#_Labor force: 732,200 workers; 90% in agriculture, 10% in industry and commerce (1986 est.)
_#_Organized labor: 15% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: United Republic of Tanzania
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Dar es Salaam; some government offices have been moved to Dodoma, which is intended to be the new national capital starting in the 1990s.
_#_Administrative divisions: 25 regions; Arusha, Dar es Salaam,
Dodoma, Iringa, Kigoma, Kilimanjaro, Lindi, Mara, Mbeya, Morogoro,
Mtwara, Mwanza, Pemba North, Pemba South, Pwani, Rukwa, Ruvuma,
Shinyanga, Singida, Tabora, Tanga, Zanzibar Central/South, Zanzibar
North, Zanzibar Urban/West, Ziwa Magharibi
_#_Independence: Tanganyika gained independence on December 9, 1961 (from UN trusteeship under British administration); Zanzibar became independent on December 19, 1963 (from the UK); Tanganyika united with Zanzibar on April 26, 1964, to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar; renamed the United Republic of Tanzania on October 29, 1964.
_#_Constitution: March 15, 1984 (Zanzibar has its own Constitution but is still governed by the rules of the union Constitution)
_#_Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts is limited to interpreting the law; has not accepted mandatory ICJ jurisdiction.
_#_National holiday: Union Day, April 26 (1964)
_#_Executive branch: president, first vice president and prime minister of the union, second vice president and president of Zanzibar, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: a single-chamber National Assembly (Bunge)
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, High Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Ali Hassan MWINYI (since November 5, 1985); First Vice President John MALECELA (since November 9, 1990); Second Vice President Salmin AMOUR (since November 9, 1990);
Head of Government—Prime Minister John MALECELA (since November 9, 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: only party—Chama Cha MAPINDUZI (CCM or Revolutionary Party), Ali Hassan MWINYI, party chair
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 28 October 1990 (next to be held October 1995); results—Ali Hassan MWINYI was elected unopposed;
National Assembly—last held on October 28, 1990 (next one scheduled for October 1995); results—CCM is the sole party; seats—(total 241, 168 elected) CCM 168
_#_Communists: no Communist party; a few Communist supporters
_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, EADB, ECA, FAO, FLS, G-6, G-77,
GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador-designate Charles Musama NYIRABU; Chancery at 2139 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-6125;
US—Ambassador Edmund DE JARNETTE; Embassy at 36 Laibon Road (off
Bagamoyo Road), Dar es Salaam (mailing address is P. O. Box 9123,
Dar es Salaam); phone [255] (51) 37501 through 37504
_#_Flag: divided diagonally by a yellow-edged black band from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green and the lower triangle is blue
_*Economy #_Overview: Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world. The economy relies heavily on agriculture, which makes up about 47% of GDP, provides 85% of exports, and employs 90% of the workforce. Industry contributes 8% of GDP and mainly focuses on processing agricultural products and producing light consumer goods. The economic recovery program introduced in mid-1986 has led to significant improvements in agricultural production and financial backing from bilateral donors. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have increased access to imports and provided funds to restore Tanzania's deteriorating economic infrastructure.
_GDP: $5.92 billion, per person $240; actual growth rate 4.3% (FY89 est.)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 31.2 (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $495 million; expenditures $631 million, including capital expenditures of $118 million (FY90)
_#_Exports: $380 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—coffee, cotton, sisal, tea, cashew nuts, meat, tobacco, diamonds, coconut products, pyrethrum, cloves (Zanzibar);
partners—FRG, UK, Japan, Netherlands, Kenya, Hong Kong, US
_#_Imports: $1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—manufactured products, machinery and transportation equipment, cotton fabrics, crude oil, food items;
partners—FRG, UK, US, Japan, Italy, Denmark
_#_External debt: $5.8 billion (December 1990 estimate)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 4.2% (1988); accounts for 8% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 401,000 kW capacity; 895 million kWh produced, 35 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: mainly agricultural processing (sugar, beer, cigarettes, sisal twine), diamond mining, oil refining, footwear, cement, textiles, wood products, fertilizer
_#_Agriculture: makes up over 40% of GDP; the landscape and weather conditions restrict cultivated crops to just 5% of the land area; cash crops—coffee, sisal, tea, cotton, pyrethrum (an insecticide derived from chrysanthemums), cashews, tobacco, cloves (Zanzibar); food crops—corn, wheat, cassava, bananas, fruits, and vegetables; a small number of cattle, sheep, and goats; not self-sufficient in food grain production.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $400 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $9.2 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $44 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $614 million
_#_Currency: Tanzanian shilling (plural—shillings); 1 Tanzanian shilling (TSh) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Tanzanian shillings (TSh) per US$1—196.60 (January 1991), 195.06 (1990), 143.377 (1989), 99.292 (1988), 64.260 (1987), 32.698 (1986), 17.472 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Railroads: 3,555 km total; 960 km of 1.067-meter gauge; 2,595 km of 1.000-meter gauge; 6.4 km of double track; 962 km of Tazara Railroad at 1.067-meter gauge; 115 km of 1.000-meter gauge planned by the end of the decade.
_#_Highways: total 81,900 km, 3,600 km paved; 5,600 km gravel or crushed stone; the rest improved and unimproved dirt roads.
_#_Pipelines: 982 km crude oil
_#_Inland waterways: Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, Lake Nyasa
_#_Ports: Dar es Salaam, Mtwara, Tanga, and Zanzibar are ocean ports; Mwanza on Lake Victoria and Kigoma on Lake Tanganyika are inland ports
_#_Merchant marine: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 20,784 GRT/25,860 DWT; includes 2 passenger-cargo ships, 3 cargo ships, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo ship, and 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker
_#_Civil air: 6 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 105 total, 93 usable; 12 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 3 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 44 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: a fair system of open wire, radio relay, and troposcatter; 103,800 telephones; stations—12 AM, 4 FM, 2 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Tanzanian People's Defense Force (TPDF; which includes the Army, Navy, and Air Force); paramilitary Police Field Force Unit; Militia
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 5,545,022; 3,200,744 eligible for military service
_#Defense spending: $111 million, 3.9% of GDP (1988) % @Thailand *Geography #_Total area: 514,000 km²; land area: 511,770 km²
_#_Comparative area: a little over twice the size of Wyoming
_#_Land boundaries: 4,863 km total; Myanmar 1,800 km, Cambodia 803 km, Laos 1,754 km, Malaysia 506 km
_#_Coastline: 3,219 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: border dispute with Laos; unresolved maritime boundary with Vietnam
_#_Climate: tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); the southern isthmus is always hot and humid
_#_Terrain: central plain; eastern plateau (Khorat); mountains in other areas
_#_Natural resources: tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite
_#_Land use: agricultural land 34%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 1%; forests and woodlands 30%; other 31%; includes irrigated land 7%
_#_Environment: air and water pollution; land sinking in the Bangkok area
_#_Note: controls only the land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore
_*People #_Population: 56,814,069 (July 1991), growth rate 1.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 20 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 37 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 66 years for males, 71 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Thai (sing. and pl.); adjective—Thai
_#_Ethnic divisions: Thai 75%, Chinese 14%, other 11%
_#_Religion: Buddhism 95%, Muslim 3.8%, Christianity 0.5%, Hinduism 0.1%, other 0.5% (1991)
_#_Language: Thai; English is the secondary language of the elite; ethnic and regional dialects
_#_Literacy: 93% (male 96%, female 90%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 30,870,000; agriculture 62%, industry 13%, commerce 11%, services (including government) 14% (1989 est.)
_#_Organized labor: 309,000 union members (1989)
_*Government #_Full name: Kingdom of Thailand; under martial law since the military takeover on February 23, 1991
_#_Type: constitutional monarchy; under martial law since the military coup of February 23, 1991
_#_Capital: Bangkok
_#_Administrative divisions: 73 provinces (changwat, singular and
plural); Ang Thong, Buriram, Chachoengsao, Chai Nat, Chaiyaphum,
Chanthaburi, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Chon Buri, Chumphon, Kalasin,
Kamphaeng Phet, Kanchanaburi, Khon Kaen, Krabi, Krung Thep Mahanakhon,
Lampang, Lamphun, Loei, Lop Buri, Mae Hong Son, Maha Sarakham, Nakhon
Nayok, Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Phanom, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Sawan,
Nakhon Si Thammarat, Nan, Narathiwat, Nong Khai, Nonthaburi, Pathum
Thani, Pattani, Phangnga, Phatthalung, Phayao, Phetchabun, Phetchaburi,
Phichit, Phitsanulok, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Phrae, Phuket, Prachin
Buri, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ranong, Ratchaburi, Rayong, Roi Et, Sakon
Nakhon, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram, Sara Buri, Satun,
Sing Buri, Sisaket, Songkhla, Sukhothai, Suphan Buri, Surat Thani, Surin,
Tak, Trang, Trat, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Uthai Thani, Uttaradit,
Yala, Yasothon
_#_Independence: 1238 (traditional founding date); never colonized
_#_Constitution: December 22, 1978; interim constitution issued by the National Peace-Keeping Council on March 1, 1991
_#_Legal system: based on a civil law system, with influences from common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; martial law has been in effect since the military coup on February 23, 1991.
_#_National holiday: Birthday of His Majesty the King, December 5 (1927)
_#_Executive branch: monarch, acting prime minister, three acting deputy prime ministers, acting Council of Ministers (cabinet), Privy Council; after the military coup on February 23, 1991, a National Peacekeeping Council was established.
_#_Legislative branch: the bicameral National Assembly (Rathasatha) consists of an upper house or Senate (Vuthisatha) and a lower house or House of Representatives (Saphaphoothan-Rajsadhorn). After the military coup on February 23, 1991, the National Assembly was dissolved, and a new interim National Legislative Assembly was established until elections take place in April 1992.
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Sarndika)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—King PHUMIPHON ADUNLAYADET (since June 9, 1946);
Heir Apparent Crown Prince WACHIRALONGKON (born July 28, 1952);
Head of Government—Interim Prime Minister ANAN Panyarachun
(since March 4, 1991);
Interim Deputy Prime Minister SANO Unakun (since March 6, 1991);
Interim Deputy Prime Minister Police Gen. PHAO Sarasin (since March 6, 1991);
Interim Deputy Prime Minister MICHAI Ruchupan (since March 6, 1991);
National Peace-Keeping Council (ruling junta)—Chairman
Gen. SUNTHON Khongsomphong;
Vice Chairman Gen. SUCHINDA Khraprayun;
Vice Chairman Adm. PRAPHAT Kritsanachan;
Vice Chairman Air Chief Mar. KASET Rotchananin;
Vice Chairman Police Gen. SAWAT Amonwiwat
_#_Political parties and leaders: under martial law, political parties are not allowed to meet; leaders from several parties have stepped down, and other parties are breaking apart; it’s uncertain which of the parties that were active at the time of the military coup will still be around by the time new elections take place;
Thai Nation Party (TNP);
Solidarity Party;
Thai Citizens Party (TCP);
People's Party (Ratsadon);
Thai People's Party;
Social Action Party (SAP);
Democrat Party (DP);
Mass Party;
Force of Truth Party (Phalang Dharma);
People's Party (Prachachon);
New Aspiration Party;
United Democracy Party;
Liberal Party;
Social Democratic Force
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
House of Representatives—last held on July 24, 1988 (next to be held by April 1992 for a new National Legislative Assembly according to the National Peace-Keeping Council); results—TNP 27%, SAP 15%, DP 13%, TCP 9%, other 36%; seats—(357 total) TNP 96, Solidarity 62, SAP 53, DP 48, TCP 31, People's Party (Ratsadon) 21, Thai People's Party (Prachachon) 17, Force of Truth Party (Phalang Dharma) 15, United Democracy Party 5, Mass Party 5, Liberal 3, Social Democratic Force 1; note—the House of Representatives was dissolved on February 23, 1991; the new interim National Legislative Assembly has 292 seats, with 148 of those seats held by active and retired military officers.
_#_Communists: the illegal Communist party has between 500 and 1,000 members; armed Communist insurgents across Thailand are estimated to number between 300 and 500.
_#_Member of: APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador-designate PHIRAPHONG Kasemsi; Embassy at 2300 Kalorama Road NW, Washington DC 20008; phone (202) 483-7200; there are Thai Consulates General in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York;
US—Ambassador Daniel A. O'DONAHUE; Embassy at 95 Wireless Road, Bangkok (mailing address is APO San Francisco 96346); telephone [66] (2) 252-504019; there is a US Consulate General in Chiang Mai and Consulates in Songkhla and Udorn
_#_Flag: five horizontal stripes of red (top), white, blue (twice the width), white, and red
_*Economy #_Overview: Thailand, one of the more advanced developing countries in Asia, had a 9% growth rate in 1990, although that was a decline from the double-digit rates of 1987-89. The increasingly sophisticated manufacturing sector benefited from investment focused on exports, but the agricultural sector shrank by 2%, mainly due to lower demand in Thailand's main overseas markets for commodities like rice. The trade deficit nearly doubled in 1990 to $9 billion, but earnings from tourism ($4.7 billion), remittances, and net capital inflows helped keep the balance of payments in the black. The government has maintained fairly sound fiscal and monetary policies, supported by increased tax revenues from the rapidly growing economy. In 1990, the government approved new projects—especially in telecommunications and roads—necessary to upgrade the country's now overstrained infrastructure. Although growth in 1991 is expected to slow down further, Thailand's economic outlook remains promising, assuming that responsible government policies continue after the military coup on February 23, 1991.
_#_GNP: $79 billion, per person $1,400; real growth rate 10% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8% (1990 estimate)
_#_Unemployment rate: 4.9% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $15.2 billion; expenditures $15.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $4.1 billion (FY91)
_#_Exports: $23.0 billion (f.o.b., 1990 estimate);
commodities—light manufacturing 66%, fish products 12%, rice 8%, tapioca 8%, manufactured gas, corn, tin;
partners—US 22%, Japan 17%, Singapore 7%, Netherlands, Germany, Hong Kong, UK, Malaysia, China (1989)
_#_Imports: $32.0 billion (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities—machinery and parts 23%, petroleum products 13%, chemicals 11%, iron and steel, electrical appliances;
partners—Japan 30%, US 11%, Singapore 8%, FRG 5%, Taiwan, South Korea, China, Malaysia, UK (1989)
_#_External debt: $26.9 billion (end of 1990 estimate)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 14% (1990 est.); makes up almost 27% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 7,270,000 kW capacity; 29,000 million kWh produced, 530 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism is the biggest source of foreign exchange; textiles and clothing, agricultural processing, drinks, tobacco, cement, and other light manufacturing like jewelry; electric appliances and components, integrated circuits, furniture, plastics; second-largest producer of tungsten in the world and third-largest producer of tin.
_#_Agriculture: makes up 15% of GNP and employs 62% of the workforce; is the leading producer and exporter of rice and cassava (tapioca); other crops include rubber, corn, sugarcane, coconuts, and soybeans; is self-sufficient in food except for wheat; fish catch was 2.8 million tons (1989)
_#_Illicit drugs: a small producer but a significant trafficker of heroin, especially from Burma and Laos, as well as cannabis for the global drug market; efforts to eliminate drugs have decreased the area where cannabis is grown and moved some production to nearby countries; the cultivation of opium poppy has also been impacted by these eradication efforts.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $870 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $8.1 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $19 million
_#_Currency: baht (plural—baht); 1 baht (B) = 100 satang
_#_Exchange rates: baht (B) per US$1—25.224 (January 1991), 25.585 (1990), 25.702 (1989), 25.294 (1988), 25.723 (1987), 26.299 (1986), 27.159 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
_*Communications #_Railroads: 3,940 km of 1,000-meter gauge, 99 km of double track
_#_Highways: 44,534 km total; 28,016 km paved, 5,132 km unpaved, 11,386 km in progress
_Inland waterways: 3,999 km of main waterways; 3,701 km with navigable depths of 0.9 m or more year-round; many smaller waterways navigable by shallow-draft local boats._
_#_Pipelines: natural gas, 350 km; refined products, 67 km
_#_Ports: Bangkok, Pattani, Phuket, Sattahip, Si Racha
_#_Merchant marine: 136 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 521,565 GRT/791,570 DWT; includes 2 short-sea passenger ships, 79 cargo ships, 9 container ships, 29 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 9 liquefied gas tankers, 1 chemical tanker, 3 bulk carriers, 3 refrigerated cargo ships, 1 combination bulk carrier.
_#_Civil air: 41 (plus 2 leased) major transport planes
_#_Airports: 127 total, 103 usable; 56 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 12 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 28 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: service to the general public is lacking; most services for government activities come from a multichannel cable and radio relay network; 739,500 telephones (1987); stations—over 200 AM, 100 FM, and 11 TV in government-controlled networks; satellite earth stations—1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT; a domestic satellite system is being developed.
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Navy (including Royal Thai Marine Corps), Royal Thai Air Force, Paramilitary Forces
_#_Manpower availability: males ages 15-49, 16,028,159; 9,778,003 fit for military service; 604,483 reaching military age (18) each year
_#Defense spending: $2.4 billion, 3% of GNP (1990 est.) % @Togo *Geography #_Total area: 56,790 km²; land area: 54,390 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than West Virginia
_#_Land boundaries: 1,647 km total; Benin 644 km, Burkina 126 km, Ghana 877 km
_#_Coastline: 56 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 30 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; hot and humid in the south; semiarid in the north
_#_Terrain: gently rolling savanna in the north; central hills; southern plateau; low coastal plain with vast lagoons and wetlands
_#_Natural resources: phosphates, limestone, marble
_#_Land use: arable land 25%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and woodland 28%; other 42%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: the hot, dry harmattan wind can lower visibility in the north during winter; recent droughts are impacting agriculture; deforestation
_*People #_Population: 3,810,616 (July 1991), growth rate 3.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 49 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 13 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 110 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 54 years for males, 58 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 7.1 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Togolese (sing. and pl.); adjective—Togolese
_#_Ethnic divisions: 37 tribes; the largest and most significant are Ewe, Mina, and Kabye; less than 1% European and Syrian-Lebanese
_#_Religion: indigenous beliefs about 70%, Christian 20%, Muslim 10%
_#_Language: French, which is both the official language and the language used in business; the main African languages are Ewe and Mina in the south and Dagomba and Kabye in the north.
_#_Literacy: 43% (male 56%, female 31%) of people age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: N/A; agriculture 78%, industry 22%; around 88,600 wage earners, evenly split between public and private sectors; 50% of the population is of working age (1985)
_#_Organized labor: one national union, the National Federation of Togolese Workers
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Togo
_#_Type: republic; one-party presidential regime
_#_Capital: Lome
_#_Administrative divisions: 21 areas (areas, singular—area); Amlame (Amou), Aneho (Lacs), Atakpame (Ogou), Badou (Wawa), Bafilo (Assoli), Bassar (Bassari), Dapaong (Tone), Kante (Keran), Klouto (Kloto), Kpagouda (Binah), Lama-Kara (Kozah), Lome (Golfe), Mango (Oti), Niamtougou (Doufelgou), Notse (Haho), Sotouboua, Tabligbo (Yoto), Tchamba, Tchaoudjo, Tsevie (Zio), Vogan (Vo); note—the 21 units may now be called prefectures (prefectures, singular—prefecture) and reported name changes for individual units are included in parentheses.
_#_Independence: April 27, 1960 (from UN trusteeship under French administration, formerly French Togo)
_#_Constitution: December 30, 1979, effective January 13, 1980
_#_Legal system: French-based court system
_#_National holiday: Liberation Day (anniversary of coup), January 13 (1967)
_#_Executive branch: president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Gen. Gnassingbe EYADEMA (since April 14, 1967);
Head of Government—interim Prime Minister Kokou KOFFIGOH (since August 28, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: The Rally of the Togolese People (RPT), led by President EYADEMA, was the only political party until the legalization of multiple parties on April 12, 1991. By mid-May, more than 10 parties had formed, although none were legally registered yet. A national conference to establish the transition regime occurred from June 10 to June 20, 1991.
_#_Suffrage: universal adult at age NA
_#_Elections:
President—last held 21 December 1986 (next to be held December 1993); results—Gen. EYADEMA was reelected without opposition;
National Assembly—last held on March 4, 1990 (next one scheduled for June 14, 1992); results—RPT was the only party; seats—(77 total) RPT 77
_#_Communists: no Communist party
_#_Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CEAO (observer), ECA, ECOWAS, Entente,
FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WADB, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Ellom-Kodjo SCHUPPIUS; Chancery at 2208 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 234-4212 or 4213;
US—Ambassador Harmon E. KIRBY; Embassy at Rue Pelletier Caventou and Rue Vauban, Lome (mailing address is B. P. 852, Lome); telephone [228] 21-29-91 through 94 and 21-77-17
_#_Flag: five equal horizontal stripes of green (top and bottom) alternating with yellow; there is a white five-pointed star on a red square in the upper hoist-side corner; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy relies heavily on subsistence farming, which makes up about 35% of GDP and provides jobs for 78% of the workforce. The main agricultural exports are cocoa, coffee, and cotton, which together represent around 30% of total export income. Togo is self-sufficient in basic food products when harvests are average. In the industrial sector, phosphate mining is by far the most significant activity, with phosphate exports accounting for about 40% of total foreign exchange earnings. Togo acts as a regional commercial and trade hub. The government actively promotes foreign investment.
_#_GDP: $1.4 billion, per capita $395; real growth rate 3.6% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): - 1.2% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 2.0% (1987)
_#_Budget: revenues $330 million; expenditures $363 million, including capital expenditures of $101 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $331 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—phosphates, cocoa, coffee, cotton, manufactured goods, palm kernels;
partners—EC 70%, Africa 9%, US 2%, other 19% (1985)
_#_Imports: $344 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—food, fuel, durable consumer goods, other intermediate goods, capital goods;
partners—EC 61%, US 6%, Africa 4%, Japan 4%, other 25% (1989)
_#_External debt: $1.3 billion (estimated 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 4.9% (1987 est.); 6% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 179,000 kW capacity; 209 million kWh produced, 60 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: phosphate mining, agricultural processing, cement, handicrafts, textiles, beverages
_#_Agriculture: cash crops—coffee, cocoa, cotton; food crops—yams, cassava, corn, beans, rice, millet, sorghum; livestock production is not significant; annual fish catch, 10,000-14,000 tons
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $132 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $35 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $51 million
_#_Currency: Communauté Financière Africaine franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1—256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 515 km of 1,000-meter gauge, single track
_#_Highways: 6,462 km total; 1,762 km paved; 4,700 km unpaved roads
_#_Inland waterways: none
_#_Ports: Lome, Kpeme (phosphate port)
_#_Merchant marine: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 38,906 GRT/70,483 DWT; includes 4 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships and 3 multifunction large-load carriers.
_#_Civil air: 3 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 9 in total, all 9 are usable; 2 have permanent-surface runways; none have runways longer than 3,659 m; 2 have runways between 2,440-3,659 m; none have runways between 1,220-2,439 m.
_#_Telecommunications: a fair system based on a network of open-wire lines supplemented by radio relay routes; 12,000 telephones; stations—2 AM, no FM, 3 (2 relays) TV; earth stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 SYMPHONIE
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 799,597; 420,092 eligible for military service; no draft
_#Defense spending: $44 million, 3.7% of GDP (1987) % @Tokelau (part of New Zealand) *Geography #_Total area: 10 km²; land area: 10 km²
_#_Comparative area: roughly 17 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 101 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; tempered by trade winds (April to November)
_#_Terrain: coral atolls surrounding large lagoons
_#_Natural resources: negligible
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: located in the Pacific typhoon zone
_#_Note: located 3,750 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand
_*People #_Population: 1,700 (July 1991), growth rate 0.0% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: NA deaths per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NA migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: NA deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: NA years for males, NA years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Tokelauan(s); adjective—Tokelauan
_#_Ethnic divisions: all Polynesian, with cultural connections to Western Samoa
_#_Religion: Congregational Christian Church 70%, Roman Catholic 28%, other 2%; on Atafu, everyone is Congregational Christian Church of Samoa; on Nukunonu, everyone is Roman Catholic; on Fakaofo, both denominations are present, with the Congregational Christian Church being the majority.
_#_Language: Tokelauan (a Polynesian language) and English
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: NA
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: territory of New Zealand
_#_Capital: none, each atoll has its own administrative center
_#_Administrative divisions: none (territory of New Zealand)
_#_Independence: none (territory of New Zealand)
_#_Constitution: governed by the Tokelau Islands Act of 1948, as updated in 1970
_#_Legal system: British and local laws
_#_National holiday: Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British control over New Zealand), February 6 (1840)
_#_Executive branch: administrator (appointed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs in New Zealand), official secretary
_#_Legislative branch: Council of Elders (Taupulega) on each atoll
_#_Judicial branch: High Court in Niue, Supreme Court in New Zealand
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952);
Head of Government—Administrator Neil WALTER; Official Secretary
M. NORRISH, Office of Tokelau Affairs
_#_Suffrage: NA
_#_Elections: NA
_#_Communists: probably none
_#_Member of: SPC
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (territory of New Zealand)
_#_Flag: New Zealand's flag is used
_*Economy #_Overview: Tokelau's small size, isolation, and lack of resources greatly limit economic development and keep agriculture at a subsistence level. The people depend on aid from New Zealand to support public services, with annual aid being significantly higher than GDP. The main sources of revenue come from selling copra, postage stamps, souvenir coins, and handicrafts. Families also receive money from relatives in New Zealand.
_#_GDP: $1.4 million, per capita $800; real growth rate NA% (1988 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $430,830; expenditures $2.8 million, including capital expenditures of $37,300 (FY87)
_#_Exports: $98,000 (f.o.b., 1983);
commodities—stamps, copra, handicrafts;
partners—NZ
_#_Imports: $323,400 (c.i.f., 1983);
commodities—foodstuffs, building materials, fuel;
partners—NZ
_#_External debt: none
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 200 kW capacity; 300,000 kWh produced, 180 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: small businesses for coconut oil production, woodworking, woven craft items; stamps, coins; fishing
_#_Agriculture: coconuts, copra; basic subsistence crops—breadfruit, papaya, bananas; pigs, chickens, goats
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $24 million
_#_Currency: New Zealand dollar (plural—dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1—1.6798 (January 1991), 1.6750 (1990), 1.6711 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987), 1.9088 (1986), 2.0064 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
_#_Airports: none; lagoon landings by seaplanes from Western Samoa
_#_Telecommunications: phone service between islands and to Western Samoa
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of New Zealand % @Tonga *Geography #_Total area: 748 km²; land area: 718 km²
_#_Comparative area: just over four times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 419 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: no specific limits;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; influenced by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December)
_#_Terrain: most islands have a limestone base made from uplifted coral formations; others have limestone sitting on top of a volcanic base.
_#_Natural resources: fish, fertile soil
_#_Land use: arable land 25%; permanent crops 55%; meadows and pastures 6%; forest and woodland 12%; other 2%
_#_Environment: a group of 170 islands (36 inhabited); prone to cyclones (October to April); deforestation
_#_Note: located about 1,400 miles north-northwest of New Zealand, roughly two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and New Zealand
_*People #_Population: 102,272 (July 1991), growth rate 0.9% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 26 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 10 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 23 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 65 years for males, 70 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.8 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Tongan(s); adjective—Tongan
_#_Ethnic groups: Polynesian; around 300 Europeans
_#_Religion: Christian; Free Wesleyan Church has more than 30,000 members
_#_Language: Tongan, English
_#_Literacy: 100% (male 100%, female 100%) age 15 and over can read and write a simple message in Tongan or English (1976)
_#_Labor force: N/A; 70% in agriculture; 600 people working in mining
_#_Organized labor: none
_*Government #_Long-form name: Kingdom of Tonga
_#_Type: hereditary constitutional monarchy
_#_Capital: Nukualofa
_#_Administrative divisions: three island groups; Haapai, Tongatapu, Vavau
_#_Independence: June 4, 1970 (from the UK; formerly known as the Friendly Islands)
_#_Constitution: November 4, 1875, revised January 1, 1967
_#_Legal system: based on English law
_National holiday: Emancipation Day, June 4, 1970_
_#_Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet), Privy Council
_#_Legislative branch: one-chamber Legislative Assembly (Fale Alea)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—King Taufa'ahau TUPOU IV (since December 16, 1965);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Prince Fatafehi TU'IPELEHAKE (since December 16, 1965)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Democratic Reform Movement, 'Akolisi POHIVA
_#_Suffrage: all literate, tax-paying men and all literate women over 21
_#_Elections:
Legislative Assembly—last held February 14-15, 1990 (next to be held in February 1993); results—percent of vote unavailable; seats—(29 total, 9 elected) 6 pro-reform, 3 traditionalist
_#_Communists: none known
_#_Member of: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, SPC, SPF, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Siosaia a'Ulupekotofa TUITA is based in London;
US—the US has no offices in Tonga; the Ambassador to Fiji is assigned to Tonga and makes regular visits.
_#_Flag: red with a thick red cross on a white rectangle in the upper left corner
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is primarily based on agriculture, which employs about 70% of the workforce and contributes 50% to GDP. Coconuts, bananas, and vanilla beans are the main crops, making up two-thirds of exports. The country has to import a significant portion of its food, mainly from New Zealand. The manufacturing sector accounts for only 11% of GDP. Tourism is the main source of hard currency earnings, but the island relies heavily on substantial external aid and remittances to maintain its trade deficit.
# GDP: $86 million, per person $850; real growth rate 3.6% (FY89 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.5% (FY89)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $30.6 million; expenditures $48.9 million, including capital expenditures of $22.5 million (FY89 est.)
_#_Exports: $9.6 million (f.o.b., FY90 est.);
commodities—coconut oil, shredded coconut, copra, bananas, taro, vanilla beans, fruits, vegetables, fish;
partners—NZ 54%, Australia 30%, US 8%, Fiji 5% (FY87)
_#_Imports: $59.9 million (cost, insurance, and freight, FY90 est.);
commodities—food products, drinks and tobacco, fuels, machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals, building materials;
partners—NZ 39%, Australia 25%, Japan 9%, US 6%, EC 5% (FY87)
_#_External debt: $42.0 million (FY89)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 15% (FY86); makes up 11% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 6,000 kW capacity; 8 million kWh produced, 80 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, fishing
_#_Agriculture: focused on coconut, copra, and banana production; vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $16 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $240 million
_#_Currency: pa'anga (plural—pa'anga); 1 pa'anga (T$) = 100 seniti
_#_Exchange rates: pa'anga (T$) per US$1—1.2832 (January 1991), 1.2809 (1990), 1.2637 (1989), 1.2799 (1988), 1.4282 (1987), 1.4960 (1986), 1.4319 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Highways: 198 km of paved roads (Tongatapu); 74 km (Vavau); 94 km of unpaved roads that can only be used in dry weather.
_#_Ports: Nukualofa, Neiafu, Pangai
_#_Merchant marine: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 35,857 GRT/480,726 DWT; includes 2 cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 container, 1 liquefied gas
_Civil air: no major transport aircraft_
_#_Airports: 6 total, 6 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 3,529 phones; 66,000 radios; no TVs; stations—1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Royal Tongan Marines, Royal Tongan Guard, Police
_#_Manpower availability: NA
_#Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP % @Trinidad and Tobago *Geography #_Total area: 5,130 km²; land area: 5,130 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Delaware
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 362 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: outer edge of continental margin or 200 nautical miles;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; wet season (June to December)
_#_Terrain: mostly flat with a few hills and low mountains
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, asphalt
_#_Land use: arable land 14%; permanent crops 17%; meadows and pastures 2%; forest and woodland 44%; other 23%; includes irrigated 4%
_#_Environment: outside the typical path of hurricanes and other tropical storms
_#_Note: located 11 km from Venezuela
_*People #_Population: 1,285,297 (July 1991), growth rate 1.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 21 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 4 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 18 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 68 years for males, 73 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.4 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s); adjective—Trinidadian, Tobagonian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Black 43%, East Indian 40%, mixed 14%, white 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 32.2%, Hindu 24.3%, Anglican 14.4%, other Protestant 14%, Muslim 6%, none or unknown 9.1%
_#_Language: English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish
_#_Literacy: 95% (male 97%, female 93%) aged 15 and older can read and write (1980)
_#_Labor force: 463,900; construction and utilities 18.1%; manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 14.8%; agriculture 10.9%; other 56.2% (1985 est.)
_#_Organized labor: 22% of the workforce (1988)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
_#_Type: parliamentary democracy
_#_Capital: Port-of-Spain
_#_Administrative divisions: 8 counties, 3 municipalities*, and 1 ward**; Arima*, Caroni, Mayaro, Nariva, Port-of-Spain*, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick, San Fernando*, Tobago**, Victoria
_#_Independence: August 31, 1962 (from the UK)
_#_Constitution: 31 August 1976
_#_Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, August 31 (1962)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: a bicameral Parliament made up of an upper house, the Senate, and a lower house, the House of Representatives.
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Noor Mohammed HASSANALI (since March 18, 1987);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Arthur Napoleon Raymond ROBINSON (since December 18, 1986)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR), A. N. R. ROBINSON;
People's National Movement (PNM), Patrick MANNING;
United National Congress (UNC), Basdeo PANDAY;
Movement for Social Transformation (MOTION), David ABDULLAH
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
House of Representatives—last held on December 15, 1986 (next to be held by December 1991); results—NAR 66%, PNM 32%, other 2%; seats—(36 total) NAR 33, PNM 3; note—in 1989, six members were expelled from the NAR and formed the UNC, while keeping their parliamentary seats; as a result, the seats held are NAR 27, UNC 6, PNM 3.
_#_Communists: Communist Party of Trinidad and Tobago; Trinidad and Tobago Peace Council, James MILLETTE
_#_Other political pressure groups: National Joint Action Committee
(NJAC), a radical antigovernment black-identity group; Trinidad and
Tobago Peace Council, a leftist organization linked to the World
Peace Council; Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce;
Trinidad and Tobago Labor Congress, a moderate labor federation; Council of
Progressive Trade Unions, a radical labor federation
_#_Member of: ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT,
IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Angus Albert KHAN; Chancery at 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 467-6490; Trinidad and Tobago has a Consulate General in New York;
US—Ambassador Charles A. GARGANO; Embassy at 15 Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain (mailing address is P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain); telephone (809) 622-6372 through 6376, 6176
_#_Flag: red with a black diagonal band edged in white from the upper hoist side
_*Economy #_Overview: Trinidad and Tobago's petroleum-based economy started to recover from a long depression in 1990. The economy took a significant hit throughout most of the 1980s, mainly due to falling oil prices. This sector makes up 80% of export earnings and more than 25% of GDP. In reaction to the loss of oil revenue, the government implemented a series of austerity measures that raised the unemployment rate to as high as 22% in 1988. However, the economy began to show signs of recovery in 1990, bolstered by increasing oil prices. Agriculture employs only about 11% of the labor force and contributes about 3% of GDP. Since this sector is small, it has been unable to absorb the large number of unemployed. The government is currently working to diversify its export base.
_GDP: $4.05 billion, per capita $3,363; real growth rate - 3.7% (1989)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11.4% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 20% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $1.5 billion; expenditures $1.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991 est.)
_#_Exports: $1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—includes reexports—petroleum and petroleum products 82%, steel products 9%, fertilizer, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus (1988);
partners—US 53%, CARICOM 16%, EC 10%, Latin America 3% (1989)
_#_Imports: $1.3 billion (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities—raw materials and intermediate goods 47%, capital goods 26%, consumer goods 26% (1988);
partners—US 51%, Latin America 10%, UK 8%, Canada 5%, CARICOM 6% (1989)
_#_External debt: $2.5 billion (1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 5.2%, excluding oil refining (1986); makes up 30% of GDP, including petroleum
_#_Electricity: 1,176,000 kW capacity; 3,468 million kWh produced, 2,730 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: oil, chemicals, tourism, food processing, cement, drinks, cotton textiles
_#_Agriculture: heavily supported sector; main crops—cocoa and sugarcane; sugarcane fields are being converted to rice, citrus, coffee, and vegetables; poultry sector is the primary source of animal protein; needs to import a significant portion of food requirements
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $373 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $443 million
_#_Currency: Trinidad and Tobago dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TT$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Trinidad and Tobago dollars (TT$) per US$1—4.2500 (January 1991), 4.2500 (1990), 4.2500 (1989), 3.8438 (1988), 3.6000 (1987), 3.6000 (1986), 2.4500 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: limited farming setup close to San Fernando
_#_Highways: 8,000 km total; 4,000 km paved, 1,000 km upgraded dirt, 3,000 km undeveloped dirt
_#_Pipelines: 1,032 km of crude oil; 19 km of refined products; 904 km of natural gas
_#_Ports: Port-of-Spain, Point Lisas, Pointe-a-Pierre
_#_Civil air: 14 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 6 total, 5 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 12,000 ft; 2 with runways between 8,000-12,000 ft; 2 with runways between 4,000-8,000 ft
_#_Telecommunications: top-notch international service through tropospheric scatter links to Barbados and Guyana; reliable local service; 109,000 telephones; stations—2 AM, 4 FM, 5 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (Army), Coast Guard, Air Wing, Trinidad and Tobago Police Service
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 339,260; 245,086 eligible for military service
_#Military spending: $59 million, 1.6% of GDP (1989 estimate) % @Tromelin Island (French territory) *Geography #_Total area: 1 sq km; land area: 1 sq km
_#_Comparative area: roughly 1.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 3.7 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of exploitation;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claimed by Madagascar, Mauritius, and Seychelles
_#_Climate: tropical
_#_Terrain: sandy
_#_Natural resources: fish
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other—scattered bushes 100%
_#_Environment: wildlife sanctuary
_#_Note: located 350 km east of Madagascar and 600 km north of Reunion in the Indian Ocean; an important place for predicting cyclones
_*People #_Population: uninhabited
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: French territory overseen by Commissioner of the Republic Daniel CONSTANTIN, based in Reunion
_*Economy #_Overview: no economic activity
_*Communications #_Airports: 1 with a runway shorter than 1,220 m
_#_Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
_#_Telecommunications: important meteorological station
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of France % @Tunisia *Geography #_Total area: 163,610 km²; land area: 155,360 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than Georgia
_#_Land boundaries: 1,424 km total; Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km
_#_Coastline: 1,148 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: maritime boundary conflict with Libya
_#_Climate: mild in the north with pleasant, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in the south
_#_Terrain: mountains in the north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt
_#_Land use: arable land 20%; permanent crops 10%; meadows and pastures 19%; forest and woodland 4%; other 47%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
_#_Note: It's strategically located in the central Mediterranean; just 144 km from Italy across the Strait of Sicily; borders Libya to the east.
_*People #_Population: 8,276,096 (July 1991), growth rate 2.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 26 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 38 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 70 years for males, 74 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.3 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Tunisian(s); adjective—Tunisian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish less than 1%
_#_Religion: Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish less than 1%
_#_Language: Arabic (official); Arabic and French (business)
_#_Literacy: 65% (male 74%, female 56%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 2,250,000; agriculture 32%; lack of skilled workers
_#_Organized labor: around 360,000 members reported, about 20% of the labor force; General Union of Tunisian Workers (UGTT), somewhat independent of the Constitutional Democratic Party
_*Government #_Full name: Republic of Tunisia; note—might be updated to Tunisian Republic
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Tunis
_#_Administrative divisions: 23 governorates (wilayat, singular—wilayah); Al Kaf, Al Mahdiyah, Al Munastir, Al Qasrayn, Al Qayrawan, Aryanah, Bajah, Banzart, Bin Arus, Jundubah, Madanin, Nabul, Qabis, Qafsah, Qibili, Safaqis, Sidi Bu Zayd, Silyanah, Susah, Tatawin, Tawzar, Tunis, Zaghwan
_#_Independence: March 20, 1956 (from France)
_#_Constitution: 1 June 1959
_#_Legal system: based on the French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in a joint session.
_#_National holiday: National Day, March 20 (1956)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: one-house Chamber of Deputies (Majlis al-Nuwaab)
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Cassation (Cour de Cassation)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Gen. Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (since November 7, 1987);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Hamed KAROUI (since September 26, 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (RCD), President BEN ALI (official ruling party); Movement of Democratic Socialists (MDS), Ahmed Mestiri; five other political parties are legal, including the Communist Party
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 20
_#_Elections:
President—last held April 2, 1989 (next to be held April 1994); results—Gen. Zine el Abidine BEN ALI was reelected without opposition;
Chamber of Deputies—last held April 2, 1989 (next to be held April 1994); results—RCD 80.7%, independents/Islamists 13.7%, MDS 3.2%, other 2.4%; seats—(141 total) RCD 141
_#_Communists: a small group of people who identify as Communists, mainly students
_#_Member of: ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC, ECA, FAO,
G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM,
OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador-designate Habib LAZREG; Chancery at 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20005; telephone (202) 862-1850;
US—Ambassador Robert H. PELLETREAU, Jr.; Embassy at 144 Avenue de la Liberte, 1002 Tunis-Belvedere; phone [216] (1) 782-566
_#_Flag: red with a white disk in the center featuring a red crescent nearly surrounding a red five-pointed star; the crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy mainly relies on oil, phosphates, tourism, and exports of light manufacturing for ongoing growth. After two years of economic decline caused by drought, the economy bounced back strongly in 1990 due to a fruitful harvest, ongoing growth in exports, and increased domestic investment. However, persistently high inflation and unemployment have diminished public support for the government, leading Tunis to slow down the pace of economic reform. Still, the government seems dedicated to carrying out its IMF-backed structural adjustment program and managing its foreign debt.
_GDP: $10 billion, per person $1,235; real growth rate 6.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.4% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: 15.4% (1989)
_#_Budget: revenues $3.8 billion; expenditures $4.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $970 million (1991 est.)
_#_Exports: $3.3 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—fuels, farm products, phosphates, and chemicals;
partners—EC 73%, Middle East 9%, US 1%, Turkey, USSR
_#_Imports: $4.8 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—industrial goods and equipment 57%, hydrocarbons 13%, food 12%, consumer goods;
partners—EC 68%, US 7%, Canada, Japan, USSR, China, Saudi Arabia, Algeria
_#_External debt: $7.4 billion (December 1990 estimate)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 5% (1989); makes up 38% of GDP, including oil.
_#_Electricity: 1,493,000 kW capacity; 4,210 million kWh produced, 530 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: oil, mining (especially phosphate and iron ore), textiles, shoes, food, drinks
_#_Agriculture: makes up 16% of GDP and employs one-third of the workforce; production is heavily affected by frequent droughts; export crops include olives, dates, oranges, and almonds; other products consist of grain, sugar beets, wine grapes, poultry, beef, and dairy; not self-sufficient in food; fish catch was 99,200 metric tons (1987)
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $730 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $4.9 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $684 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $410 million
_#_Currency: Tunisian dinar (plural—dinars); 1 Tunisian dinar (TD) = 1,000 millimes
_#_Exchange rates: Tunisian dinars (TD) per US$1—0.8408 (January 1991), 0.8783 (1990), 0.9493 (1989), 0.8578 (1988), 0.8287 (1987), 0.7940 (1986), 0.8345 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 2,154 km total; 465 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; 1,689 km 1.000-meter gauge
_#_Highways: 17,700 km total; 9,100 km asphalt; 8,600 km improved and unpaved roads
_#_Pipelines: 797 km of crude oil; 86 km of refined products; 742 km of natural gas
_#_Ports: Bizerte, Gabes, Sfax, Sousse, Tunis, La Goulette, Zarzis
_#_Merchant marine: 21 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 160,172 GRT/218,970 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger ship, 4 cargo ships, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 6 chemical tankers, 1 liquefied gas tanker, and 5 bulk carriers.
_#_Civil air: 13 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 29 total, 28 operational; 14 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 7 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 7 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: the system is better than the average in Africa; facilities include open-wire lines, multi-conductor cables, and radio relays; key locations are Safaqis, Susah, Bizerte, and Tunis; there are 233,000 telephones; stations—18 AM, 4 FM, 14 TV; 4 submarine cables; earth stations—1 INTELSAT in the Atlantic Ocean and 1 ARABSAT with a backup control station; coaxial cable to Algeria; radio relay to Algeria, Libya, and Italy.
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary forces
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 2,052,191; 1,180,614 eligible for military service; 90,218 turn 20 and reach military age each year.
_#Defense spending: $315 million, 2.6% of GDP (1990 estimate) % @Turkey *Geography #_Total area: 780,580 km²; land area: 770,760 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit bigger than Texas
_#_Land boundaries: 2,715 km total; Bulgaria 240 km, Greece 206 km, Iran 499 km, Iraq 331 km, Syria 822 km, USSR 617 km
_#_Coastline: 7,200 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: in the Black Sea only—to the maritime boundary agreed upon with the USSR;
Territorial sea: 6 nautical miles in the Aegean Sea, 12 nautical miles in the Black Sea and
Mediterranean Sea
_#_Disputes: complicated maritime and air disputes with Greece in the Aegean Sea; the Cyprus issue; the Hatay issue with Syria; ongoing disagreements with downstream neighbors (Syria and Iraq) over water development plans for the Tigris and Euphrates rivers; Kurdish issues involving Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and the USSR.
_#_Climate: moderate; hot, dry summers with mild, rainy winters; harsher in the interior
_#_Terrain: mostly mountains; narrow coastal plain; high central plateau (Anatolia)
# Natural resources: antimony, coal, chromium, mercury, copper, borate, sulfur, iron ore
_#_Land use: arable land 30%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 12%; forest and woodland 26%; other 28%; includes irrigated 3%
_#_Environment: prone to strong earthquakes, especially in the major river valleys in the west; air pollution; desertification
_#_Note: strategic location controlling the Turkish straits (Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles) that connect the Black and Aegean Seas; Turkey and Norway are the only NATO members with a land border with the USSR.
_*People #_Population: 58,580,993 (July 1991), growth rate 2.2% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 28 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 54 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 68 years for males, 72 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.6 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Turk(s); adjective—Turkish
_#_Ethnic divisions: Turkish 80%, Kurdish 17%, other 3% (est.)
_#_Religion: Muslim (mostly Sunni) 99.8%, other (Christian and Jews) 0.2%
_#_Language: Turkish (official), Kurdish, Arabic
_#_Literacy: 81% (male 90%, female 71%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 18,800,000; agriculture 56%, services 30%, industry 14%; about 1,000,000 Turks work abroad (1987)
_#_Organized labor: 10-15% of workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Turkey
_#_Type: republican parliamentary democracy
_#_Capital: Ankara
_#_Administrative divisions: 73 provinces (iller, singular—il);
Adana, Adiyaman, Afyon, Agri, Aksaray, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya,
Artvin, Aydin, Balikesir, Batman, Bayburt, Bilecik, Bingol, Bitlis,
Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Canakkale, Cankiri, Corum, Denizli,
Diyarbakir, Edirne, Elazig, Erzincan, Erzurum, Eskisehir, Gaziantep,
Giresun, Gumushane, Hakkari, Hatay, Icel, Isparta,
Istanbul, Izmir, Kahraman Maras, Karaman, Kars, Kastamonu,
Kayseri, Kirikkale, Kirklareli, Kirsehir, Kocaeli, Konya, Kutahya,
Malatya, Manisa, Mardin, Mugla, Mus, Nevsehir, Nigde, Ordu,
Rize, Sakarya, Samsun, Siirt, Sinop, Sirnak, Sivas, Tekirdag, Tokat,
Trabzon, Tunceli, Urfa, Usak, Van, Yozgat, Zonguldak
_#_Independence: October 29, 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)
_#_Constitution: 7 November 1982
_#_Legal system: based on different continental legal systems; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Anniversary of the Declaration of the Republic, 29 October (1923)
_#_Executive branch: president, Presidential Council, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Grand National Assembly (Büyük Millet Meclisi)
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Cassation
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Turgut OZAL (since November 9, 1989);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Mesut YILMAZ (since June 30, 1991); Deputy Prime Minister Ekrem PAKDAMIRLI (since June 30, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Motherland Party (ANAP), Mesut YILMAZ;
Social Democratic People's Party (SHP), Erdal INONU;
True Path Party (DYP), Suleyman DEMIREL;
People's Labor Party (HEP), Fehmi ISIKLAR;
Socialist Unity Party (SBP), leader NA;
Democratic Center Party (DMP), Bedrettin DALAN;
Great Anatolia Party (BAP), leader NA;
Democratic Left Party (DSP), Bulent ECEVIT;
Welfare Party (RP), Necmettin ERBAKAN;
Democratic Center Party (DSP), Bedrettin DALAN;
Grand National Party (GNP), leader NA
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21
_#_Elections:
Grand National Assembly—last held November 29, 1987 (next one scheduled for November 1992); results—ANAP 36%, SHP 25%, DYP 19%, other 20%; seats—(450 total) ANAP 275, SHP 82, DYP 60, HEP 9, SBP 4, DMP 2, BAP 1, independent 6, vacant 11
_#_Communists: strength and support negligible
_#_Member of: AsDB, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN (observer), COCOM, CSCE, EBRD,
ECE, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IEA, IFAD, IFC,
ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS,
NATO, NEA, OECD, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNIIMOG, UNRWA, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Nuzhet KANDEMIR; Chancery at 1606 23rd Street NW, Washington DC 20008; phone (202) 387-3200; there are Turkish Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York;
US—Ambassador Morton ABRAMOWITZ; Embassy at 110 Ataturk Boulevard,
Ankara (mailing address is APO New York 09257-0006);
telephone [90] (4) 126 54 70; there are US Consulates General in
Istanbul and Izmir, and a Consulate in Adana
_#_Flag: red with a vertical white crescent (the closed side is toward the hoist) and a white five-pointed star centered just outside the crescent opening
_*Economy #_Overview: The economic reforms that Turkey initiated in 1980 continue to deliver impressive benefits. The economy has steadily grown since the early 1980s, with real growth in per capita GDP increasing by more than 6% each year. Agriculture remains the most crucial economic sector, employing about 55% of the workforce, making up almost 20% of GDP, and contributing roughly 20% to exports. Despite recent impressive growth, Turkey still faces several economic challenges. Inflation and interest rates are high, and a significant budget deficit continues to create difficulties for a country that is undergoing a major transformation from a centrally controlled to a free market economy. The government has initiated a multimillion-dollar development program in the southeastern region, which includes the construction of several dams on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers to produce electricity and irrigate large areas of farmland. The plan to draw large amounts of water from the Euphrates has raised serious concerns among the downstream countries of Syria and Iraq.
_#_GDP: $178.0 billion, per capita $3,100; real growth rate 7.6% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 60.3% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 10.4% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $27.6 billion; expenditures $34.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $6.6 billion (1991)
_#_Exports: $11.8 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—industrial products 78%, crops and livestock products 20%;
partners—FRG 18%, Italy 8%, Iraq 8%, US 8%, UK 5%, France 4%
_#_Imports: $16.0 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—crude oil, machinery, transportation equipment, metals, pharmaceuticals, dyes, plastics, rubber, fossil fuels, fertilizers, chemicals;
partners—FRG 15%, US 11%, Iraq 10%, Italy 7%, France 6%, UK 5%
##_External debt: $42.8 billion (June 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 5.9% (1989 est.); makes up 32% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 14,315,000 kW capacity; 41 million MWh produced, 720 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: textiles, food processing, mining (coal, chromite, copper, boron minerals), steel, oil, construction, wood, paper
_#_Agriculture: makes up 20% of GDP and employs most of the population; products include tobacco, cotton, grains, olives, sugar beets, pulses, citrus fruits, and a variety of animal products; generally self-sufficient in food most years.
_#_Illicit drugs: one of the world's main suppliers of legal opiate products; the government keeps tight controls over regions where opium poppies are cultivated and the production of poppy straw concentrate.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $2.3 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $8.6 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $665 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $4.5 billion
_#_Currency: Turkish lira (plural—liras); 1 Turkish lira (TL) = 100 kuruş
_#_Exchange rates: Turkish liras (TL) per US$1—2,873.9 (December 1990), 2,608.6 (1990), 2,121.7 (1989), 1,422.3 (1988), 857.2 (1987), 674.5 (1986), 522.0 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 8,401 km of 1.435-meter standard gauge; 479 km electrified
_#_Highways: 49,615 km total; 26,915 km paved; 16,500 km gravel or crushed stone; 4,000 km upgraded earth; 2,200 km untreated earth (1985)
_#_Inland waterways: about 1,200 km
_#_Pipelines: 1,738 km of crude oil; 2,321 km of refined products; 708 km of natural gas
_#_Ports: Iskenderun, Istanbul, Mersin, Izmir
_#_Merchant marine: 340 ships (1,000 GRT or more) with a total of 3,583,720 GRT/6,220,642 DWT; includes 8 short-sea passenger ships, 1 passenger-cargo ship, 190 cargo ships, 1 container ship, 4 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 3 refrigerated cargo ships, 1 livestock carrier, 37 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 9 chemical tankers, 2 liquefied gas carriers, 7 combination ore/oil carriers, 1 specialized tanker, 72 bulk carriers, and 4 combination bulk carriers.
_#_Civil air: 39 major transport planes (1990)
_#_Airports: 115 total, 109 usable; 64 with permanent-surface runways; 3 with runways over 12,000 ft; 30 with runways between 8,000-12,000 ft; 26 with runways between 4,000-8,000 ft
_#_Telecommunications: equitable domestic and international systems; trunk radio relay network; 3,400,000 telephones; stations—15 AM; 45 (60 repeaters) FM; 67 (504 repeaters) TV; satellite communications ground stations operating in the INTELSAT (2 Atlantic Ocean) and EUTELSAT systems; 1 submarine telephone cable
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy (including Naval Aviation and Naval Infantry), Air Force, Coast Guard, Gendarmerie
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 14,861,358; 9,083,559 qualified for military service; 606,871 turn 20 (military age) each year
_#Defense spending: $5.6 billion, 5% of GDP (1990) % @Turks and Caicos Islands (dependent territory of the UK) *Geography #_Total area: 430 km²; land area: 430 km²
_#_Comparative area: just under 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 389 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; marine; influenced by trade winds; sunny and fairly dry
_#_Terrain: flat limestone terrain; large marshes and mangrove swamps
_#_Natural resources: spiny lobster, conch
_#_Land use: arable land 2%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 98%
_#_Environment: 30 islands (8 inhabited); prone to frequent hurricanes
_#_Note: located 190 km north of the Dominican Republic in the North Atlantic Ocean
_*People #_Population: 9,983 (July 1991), growth rate 2.2% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 25 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 2 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 14 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 72 years for males, 78 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.8 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: no noun or adjective forms
_#_Ethnic divisions: majority of African descent
_#_Religion: Baptist 41.2%, Methodist 18.9%, Anglican 18.3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.7%, other 19.9% (1980)
_#_Language: English (official)
_#_Literacy: 98% (male 99%, female 98%) of people aged 15 and older have attended school (1970)
_#_Labor force: N/A; most people work in fishing and tourism; some are involved in subsistence farming.
_#_Organized labor: Saint George's Industrial Trade Union
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: dependent territory of the UK
_#_Capital: Grand Turk (Cockburn Town)
_#_Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Independence: none (a territory dependent on the UK)
_#_Constitution: introduced on August 30, 1976, suspended in 1986, and a Constitutional Commission is currently reviewing its contents
_#_Legal system: based on the laws of England and Wales with a few adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas
_#_National holiday: Constitution Day, August 30 (1976)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor, Executive Council
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1953), represented by Governor Michael J. BRADLEY (since 1987);
Head of Government—Chief Minister Oswald O. Skippings (since March 3, 1988)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
People's Democratic Movement (PDM), Oswald SKIPPINGS;
Progressive National Party (PNP), Dan MALCOLM and Norman SAUNDERS;
National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Ariel MISSICK
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Legislative Council—last held on March 3, 1988 (next to be held NA); results—PDM 60%, PNP 30%, other 10%; seats—(20 total, 13 elected) PDM 11, PNP 2
_#_Communists: none
_#_Member of: CDB
_#_Diplomatic representation: as a dependent territory of the UK, the interests of the Turks and Caicos Islands are represented in the US by the UK;
US—none
_#_Flag: blue with the UK flag in the upper left corner and the colonial shield in the center of the outer half of the flag; the shield is yellow and features a conch shell, lobster, and cactus.
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy relies on fishing, tourism, and offshore banking. Subsistence farming—primarily corn and beans—only takes place on the Caicos Islands, so most food, along with non-food products, has to be imported.
_#_GDP: $44.9 million, per person $5,000; actual growth rate NA% (1986)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: 12% (1989)
_#_Budget: revenues $12.4 million; expenditures $15.8 million, including capital expenditures of $2.6 million (FY87)
_#_Exports: $2.9 million (f.o.b., FY84);
commodities—lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells;
partners—US, UK
_#_Imports: $26.3 million (c.i.f., FY84);
commodities—foodstuffs, drink, tobacco, clothing;
partners—US, UK
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 9,050 kW capacity; 11.1 million kWh produced, 1,140 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: fishing, tourism, offshore financial services
_#_Agriculture: small-scale farming is dominant, focusing on corn and beans; fishing is more crucial than farming; not self-sufficient in food.
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $100 million
_#_Currency: US currency is used
_#_Exchange rates: US currency is used
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 121 km, including 24 km of paved road
_#_Ports: Grand Turk, Salt Cay, Providenciales, Cockburn Harbour
_#_Civil air: Air Turks and Caicos (passenger service) and Turks Air Ltd. (cargo service)
_#_Airports: 7 total, 7 usable; 4 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 2,439 m; 4 with runways between 1,220 and 2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: fair cable and radio services; 1,446 telephones; stations—3 AM, no FM, several TV; 2 submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK % @Tuvalu *Geography #_Total area: 26 km²; land area: 26 km²
_#_Comparative area: approximately 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 24 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly winds and heavy rain (November to March)
_#_Terrain: very low and narrow coral atolls
_#_Natural resources: fish
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: severe tropical storms are uncommon
_#_Note: situated 3,000 km east of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean
_*People #_Population: 9,317 (July 1991), growth rate 1.9% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 29 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 10 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 33 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 61 years for males, 63 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.1 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Tuvaluans(s); adjective—Tuvaluan
_#_Ethnic divisions: 96% Polynesian
_#_Religion: Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.06%
_#_Language: Tuvaluan, English
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: NA
_#_Organized labor: none
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: democracy
_#_Capital: Funafuti
_#_Administrative divisions: none
_#_Independence: October 1, 1978 (from the UK; formerly known as the Ellice Islands)
_#_Constitution: 1 October 1978
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, October 1 (1978)
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Palamene)
_#_Judicial branch: High Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952), represented by Governor General Tupua LEUPENA (since March 1, 1986);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Bikenibeu PAENIU (since October 16, 1989); Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Alesana SELUKA (since October 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders: none
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Parliament—last held on September 28, 1989 (next one to be held by September 1993); results—percent of vote N/A; seats—(12 total)
_#_Member of: ACP, C (special), ESCAP, SPC, SPF, UPU
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador (vacant);
US—none
_#_Flag: light blue with the UK flag in the upper left corner; the outer half of the flag features a map of the country with nine yellow five-pointed stars representing the nine islands
_*Economy #_Overview: Tuvalu is made up of a scattered group of nine coral atolls with poor soil. The country has no known mineral resources and few exports. Subsistence farming and fishing are the main economic activities. The islands are too small and too remote to develop a tourist industry. Government revenue mainly comes from selling stamps and coins, as well as money sent home by workers abroad. Significant income is received each year from an international trust fund set up in 1987 by Australia, New Zealand, and the UK, with support from Japan and South Korea.
_#_GNP: $4.6 million, per person $530; real growth rate NA% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.9% (1984)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $4.3 million; expenditures $4.3 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)
_#_Exports: $1.0 million (f.o.b., 1983 est.);
commodities—copra;
partners—Fiji, Australia, NZ
_#_Imports: $2.8 million (cost, insurance, and freight, 1983 estimate);
commodities—food, animals, fossil fuels, machinery, manufactured goods;
partners—Fiji, Australia, NZ
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA
_#_Electricity: 2,600 kW capacity; 3 million kWh produced, 330 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: fishing, tourism, copra
_#_Agriculture: coconuts, copra
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $1 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $96 million
_#_Currency: Tuvaluan dollar and Australian dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Tuvaluan dollar ($T) or 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Tuvaluan dollars ($T) or Australian dollars ($A) per US$1—1.2834 (January 1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987), 1.4905 (1986), 1.4269 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: NA
_*Communications #_Highways: 8 km gravel
_#_Ports: Funafuti, Nukufetau
_#_Merchant marine: 1 passenger-cargo (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 1,043 GRT/450 DWT
_#_Civil air: no major transport planes
_#_Airports: 1 with a runway of 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: stations—1 AM, no FM, no TV; 300 radiophones; 4,000 radios; 108 telephones
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: NA
_#Defense spending: $NA, NA% of GDP % @Uganda *Geography #_Total area: 236,040 km²; land area: 199,710 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Oregon
_#_Land boundaries: 2,698 km total; Kenya 933 km, Rwanda 169 km, Sudan 435 km, Tanzania 396 km, Zaire 765 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Climate: tropical; mostly rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August); semi-arid in the northeast
_#_Terrain: mostly flat with a ring of mountains
_#_Natural resources: copper, cobalt, limestone, salt
_#_Land use: arable land 23%; permanent crops 9%; meadows and pastures 25%; forest and woodland 30%; other 13%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: located on the Equator; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion
_#_Note: landlocked
_*People #_Population: 18,690,070 (July 1991), growth rate 3.7% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 51 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 15 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 94 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 50 years for males, 52 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 7.3 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Ugandan(s); adjective—Ugandan
_#_Ethnic divisions: African 99%, European, Asian, Arab 1%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 33%, Protestant 33%, Muslim 16%, the rest hold indigenous beliefs.
_#_Language: English (official); Luganda and Swahili are widely spoken; other Bantu and Nilotic languages
_#_Literacy: 48% (male 62%, female 35%) of those aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 4,500,000 (est.); subsistence farming 94%, wage earners (est.) 6%; 50% of the population of working age (1983)
_#_Organized labor: 125,000 union members
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Uganda
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Kampala
_#_Administrative divisions: 10 provinces; Busoga, Central, Eastern, Karamoja, Nile, North Buganda, Northern, South Buganda, Southern, Western
_#_Independence: October 9, 1962 (from the UK)
_#_Constitution: September 8, 1967, in the process of constitutional revision
_#_Legal system: the government plans to restore a system based on English common law and customary law, and to reinstate a normal judicial system; it accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations.
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, October 9th (1962)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, three deputy prime ministers, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber National Resistance Council
_#_Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, High Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since January 29, 1986); Vice President Samson Babi Mululu KISEKKA (since NA January 1991);
Head of Government—Prime Minister George Cosmas ADYEBO (since N/A
January 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: only party—National Resistance
Movement (NRM); note—the Uganda Patriotic Movement (UPM), Ugandan
People's Congress (UPC), Democratic Party (DP), and Conservative Party
(CP) are all banned from holding public political activities
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
National Resistance Council—last held from February 11 to February 28, 1989 (next meeting scheduled after January 1995); results—NRM is the only party; seats—(278 total, 210 indirectly elected) 210 members elected without party affiliation
_#_Other political parties or pressure groups:
Uganda People's Front (UPF),
Uganda People's Christian Democratic Army (UPCDA),
Ruwenzori Movement
_#_Communists: possibly a few sympathizers
_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, EADB, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IGADD, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Stephen Kapimpina KATENTA-APULI; 5909 16th Street NW, Washington DC 20011; phone (202) 726-7100 to 7102;
US—Ambassador James CARSON; Embassy at Parliament Avenue, Kampala (mailing address is P. O. Box 7007, Kampala); phone [256] (41) 259792, 259793, 259795
_#_Flag: six equal horizontal bands of black (top), yellow, red, black, yellow, and red; a white circle is placed in the center with a red-crested crane (the national symbol) facing the staff side.
_*Economy #_Overview: Uganda has significant natural resources, including fertile land, consistent rainfall, and large mineral deposits of copper and cobalt. The economy has suffered greatly from political instability, mismanagement, and civil war since independence in 1962, leaving Uganda impoverished with a per capita income of around $300. (GDP is still below the levels of the early 1970s, as is industrial production.) Agriculture is the most critical sector of the economy, employing over 80% of the workforce. Coffee is the main export crop and accounts for the majority of export revenues. Since 1986, the government has worked to rehabilitate and stabilize the economy by implementing currency reform, increasing producer prices for export crops, raising petroleum prices, and improving civil service wages. These policy changes are specifically aimed at reducing inflation, which exceeded 300% in 1987, and enhancing production and export earnings.
_#_GDP: $4.9 billion, per person $290 (1988); real growth rate 6.1% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 30% (FY90)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $365 million; expenditures $545 million, including capital expenditures of $165 million (FY89 est.)
_#_Exports: $273 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—coffee 97%, cotton, tea;
partners—US 25%, UK 18%, France 11%, Spain 10%
_#_Imports: $652 million (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—oil products, machinery, cotton textiles, metals, transportation equipment, food;
partners—Kenya 25%, UK 14%, Italy 13%
_#_External debt: $1.9 billion (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 15.0% (1989 est.); makes up 5% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 173,000 kW capacity; 312 million kWh produced, 18 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: sugar, brewing, tobacco, cotton textiles, cement
_#_Agriculture: makes up 57% of GDP and employs 83% of the workforce; cash crops include coffee, tea, cotton, and tobacco; food crops consist of cassava, potatoes, corn, millet, and pulses; livestock products feature beef, goat meat, milk, and poultry; self-sufficient in food
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (1970-89), $145 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.2 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $60 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $169 million
_#_Currency: Ugandan shilling (plural—shillings); 1 Ugandan shilling (USh) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Ugandan shillings (USh) per US$1—563.18 (January 1991), 428.85 (1990), 223.09 (1989), 106.14 (1988), 42.84 (1987), 14.00 (1986), 6.72 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Railroads: 1,300 km, 1,000-meter-gauge single track
_
Highways:
26,200 km total; 1,970 km paved; 5,849 km crushed stone, gravel, and laterite; the rest are earth roads and tracks__#_Inland waterways: Lake Victoria, Lake Albert, Lake Kyoga, Lake George, Lake Edward; Victoria Nile, Albert Nile; the main inland water ports are located at Jinja and Port Bell, both on Lake Victoria
_#_Merchant marine: 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 1,697 GRT
_#_Civil air: 4 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 37 total, 28 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 10 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: a fair system with radio relay and radio communication stations; 61,600 phones; stations—10 AM, no FM, 9 TV; satellite communication ground stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, around 3,980,637; about 2,162,241 are fit for military service.
_#Defense spending: $68 million, 1.5% of GDP (1988) % @United Arab Emirates *Geography #_Total area: 83,600 km²; land area: 83,600 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Maine
_#_Land boundaries: 1,016 km total; Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 586 km, Qatar 20 km
_#_Coastline: 1,448 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: defined by two-sided boundaries or an equidistant line
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm (assumed), 12 nm for Ash Shariqah
(Sharjah)
_#_Disputes: the boundary with Qatar is disputed; there is no defined boundary with Saudi Arabia; there is no defined boundary with most of Oman, but there is an Administrative Line in the far north; it claims three islands in the Persian Gulf occupied by Iran (Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb)
_#_Climate: desert; cooler in the eastern mountains
_#_Terrain: flat, empty coastal plain blending into rolling sand dunes of a huge desert wasteland; mountains to the east
_#_Natural resources: crude oil and natural gas
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 2%; forest and woodland 0%; other 98%; includes irrigated 0%
_#_Environment: frequent dust and sandstorms; shortage of natural freshwater sources being addressed by desalination plants; desertification
_#_Note: it's a strategic location along the southern routes to the Strait of Hormuz, which is a crucial transit point for global crude oil.
_*People #_Population: 2,389,759 (July 1991), growth rate 5.7% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 30 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 3 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 30 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 23 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 69 years for males, 74 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.9 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Emirian(s), adjective—Emirian
_#_Ethnic divisions: Emirati 19%, other Arabs 23%, South Asians (varies) 50%, other expats (includes Westerners and East Asians) 8%; less than 20% of the population are UAE citizens (1982)
_#_Religion: Muslim 96% (Shia 16%); Christian, Hindu, and others 4%
_#_Language: Arabic (official); Persian and English are commonly spoken in major cities; Hindi, Urdu
_#_Literacy: 68% (male 70%, female 63%) ages 10 and up, but the definition of literacy isn't available (1980)
_#_Labor force: 580,000 (1986 est.); industry and commerce 85%, agriculture 5%, services 5%, government 5%; 80% of the labor force is foreign
_#_Organized labor: trade unions are illegal
_*Government #_Full name: United Arab Emirates (no abbreviation); short form: UAE
_#_Type: federation with specific powers given to the UAE central government and other powers kept by the member emirates
_#_Capital: Abu Dhabi
_#_Administrative divisions: 7 emirates (imarat, singular—imarah); Abu Dhabi (Abu Zaby), Ajman, Al Fujairah, Sharjah (Ash Shariqah), Dubai (Dubayy), Ras al Khaimah (Ras al Khaymah), Umm al-Quwain (Umm al Qaywayn)
_#_Independence: December 2, 1971 (from the UK; formerly known as the Trucial States)
_#_Constitution: 2 December 1971 (provisional)
_#_Legal system: the UAE Government is introducing secular codes in several member shaykhdoms; Islamic law continues to be influential.
_#_National holiday: National Day, December 2 (1971)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, Supreme Council of Rulers, prime minister, Council of Ministers
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber Federal National Council (Majlis Watani Itihad)
_#_Judicial branch: Union Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Shaykh Zayid bin Sultan Al NUHAYYAN, (since December 2, 1971), ruler of Abu Dhabi; Vice President Shaykh Maktum bin Rashid al-MAKTUM (since October 8, 1990), ruler of Dubayy;
Head of Government—Prime Minister Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid al-Maktum (since October 8, 1990), ruler of Dubai; Deputy Prime Minister Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan (since November 20, 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: none
_#_Suffrage: none
_#_Elections: none
_#_Communists: NA
_#_Other political or pressure groups: a few small secret groups are active
_#_Member of: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77,
GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC,
OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Chancery at Suite 740, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20037; telephone (202) 338-6500;
US—Ambassador Edward S. WALKER, Jr.; Embassy at Al-Sudan Street, Abu Dhabi (mailing address is P. O. Box 4009, Abu Dhabi); phone [971] (2) 336691; there is a US Consulate General in Dubai.
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a thicker vertical red band on the left side
_*Economy #_Overview: The UAE has an open economy with one of the highest incomes per person in the world, excluding OECD countries. This wealth comes from oil and gas, and the economy's performance varies with the prices of these commodities. Since 1973, when oil prices soared, the UAE has transformed dramatically from a poor area of small desert principalities into a modern state with a high standard of living. At the current level of production, crude oil reserves are expected to last for over 100 years.
_#_GDP: $27.3 billion, per capita $12,100; real growth rate 10% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3-4% (1989 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: NEGL (1988)
_#_Budget: revenues $3.8 billion; expenditures $3.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $15.0 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—crude oil 65%, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates;
partners—US, EC, Japan
_#_Imports: $9.0 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—food, consumer and capital goods;
partners—EC, Japan, US
_#_External debt: $11.0 billion (December 1989 estimate)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 9.3% (1986)
_#_Electricity: 5,773,000 kW capacity; 15,400 million kWh produced, 6,830 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: oil, fishing, petrochemicals, construction materials, some boat building, crafts, diving for pearls
_#_Agriculture: makes up 2% of GNP and 5% of the workforce; cash crop—dates; food products—vegetables, watermelons, poultry, eggs, dairy, fish; only 25% self-sufficient in food
_#_Economic aid: donor—committed $9.1 billion in bilateral aid to less developed countries (1979-89)
_#_Currency: Emirati dirham (plural—dirhams); 1 Emirati dirham (Dh) = 100 fils
_#_Exchange rates: Emirati dirhams (Dh) per US$1—3.6710 (fixed rate)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 2,000 km total; 1,800 km paved, 200 km gravel and graded earth
_#_Pipelines: 830 km of crude oil; 870 km of natural gas, including natural gas liquids
_#_Ports: Al Fujayrah, Khawr Fakkan, Mina Jabal Ali, Mina Khalid, Mina Rashid, Mina Saqr, Mina Zayid
_#_Merchant marine: 57 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 925,424 GRT/1,543,716 DWT; includes 22 cargo ships, 8 container ships, 2 roll-on/roll-off ships, 20 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, and 5 bulk carriers.
_Civil air: 8 main transport planes_
_#_Airports: 38 total, 35 usable; 20 with permanent-surface runways; 7 with runways over 12,000 ft; 5 with runways between 8,000-12,000 ft; 5 with runways between 4,000-8,000 ft
_#_Telecommunications: a reliable system of radio relay and coaxial cable; main hubs are Abu Dhabi and Dubai; 386,600 phones; stations—8 AM, 3 FM, 12 TV; satellite communication ground stations—1 INTELSAT in the Atlantic Ocean, 2 INTELSAT in the Indian Ocean, and 1 ARABSAT; underwater cables to Qatar, Bahrain, India, and Pakistan; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; radio relay to Saudi Arabia.
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Federal Police Force
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 940,130; 516,218 eligible for military service
_#Defense spending: $1.59 billion, 6.8% of GDP (1988) % @United Kingdom *Geography #_Total area: 244,820 km²; land area: 241,590 km²; includes Rockall and the Shetland Islands
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Oregon
_#_Land boundary: Ireland 360 km
_#_Coastline: 12,429 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: as defined in continental shelf orders or based on agreed-upon boundaries;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: Northern Ireland issue with Ireland; Gibraltar issue with Spain; Argentina claims the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas); Argentina claims South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; Mauritius claims the island of Diego Garcia in the British Indian Ocean Territory; Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark, Iceland, and Ireland (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area); territorial claim in Antarctica (British Antarctic Territory)
_#_Climate: mild; influenced by the prevailing southwest winds from the North Atlantic Current; more than half of the days are cloudy
_#_Terrain: mostly rocky hills and low mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in the east and southeast
_#_Natural resources: coal, crude oil, natural gas, tin, limestone, iron ore, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, lead, silica
_#_Land use: arable land 29%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 48%; forest and woodland 9%; other 14%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: pollution control measures improving air and water quality; due to the heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters.
_#_Note: lies close to important North Atlantic shipping routes; just 35 km from France and now connected by a tunnel under the English Channel
_*People #_Population: 57,515,307 (July 1991), growth rate 0.3% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 11 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
##_Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 73 years for males, 79 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Briton(s), British (collective pl.); adjective—British
_#_Ethnic divisions: English 81.5%, Scottish 9.6%, Irish 2.4%, Welsh 1.9%, Ulster 1.8%, West Indian, Indian, Pakistani, and other 2.8%
_#_Religion: Anglican 27 million, Roman Catholic 5.3 million, Presbyterian 2 million, Methodist 760,000, Jewish 410,000
_#_Language: English, Welsh (about 26% of the population of Wales), Scottish Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland)
_#_Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) of individuals aged 15 and older can read and write (1978 est.)
_#_Labor force: 28,966,000; services 60.6%, manufacturing and construction 27.2%, government 8.9%, energy 2.1%, agriculture 1.2% (June 1990)
_#_Organized labor: 35.7% of the workforce (1989)
_*Government #_Full name: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; shortened to UK
_#_Type: constitutional monarchy
_#_Capital: London
_#_Administrative divisions: 47 counties, 7 metropolitan counties, 26 districts, 9 regions, and 3 island areas;
England—39 counties, 7 metropolitan counties*; Avon, Bedford,
Berkshire, Buckingham, Cambridge, Cheshire, Cleveland, Cornwall, Cumbria,
Derby, Devon, Dorset, Durham, East Sussex, Essex, Gloucester, Greater
London*, Greater Manchester*, Hampshire, Herefordshire and Worcester,
Hertfordshire, Humberside, Isle of Wight, Kent, Lancashire, Leicester,
Lincoln, Merseyside*, Norfolk, Northampton, Northumberland,
North Yorkshire, Nottingham, Oxford, Shropshire, Somerset, South
Yorkshire*, Stafford, Suffolk, Surrey, Tyne and Wear*, Warwick, West
Midlands*, West Sussex, West Yorkshire*, Wiltshire;
Northern Ireland—26 districts: Antrim, Ards, Armagh, Ballymena,
Ballymoney, Banbridge, Belfast, Carrickfergus, Castlereagh, Coleraine,
Cookstown, Craigavon, Down, Dungannon, Fermanagh, Larne, Limavady,
Lisburn, Londonderry, Magherafelt, Moyle, Newry and Mourne, Newtownabbey,
North Down, Omagh, Strabane;
Scotland—9 regions, 3 island areas*; Borders, Central, Dumfries and Galloway, Fife, Grampian, Highland, Lothian, Orkney*, Shetland*, Strathclyde, Tayside, Western Isles*;
Wales—8 counties; Clwyd, Dyfed, Gwent, Gwynedd, Mid Glamorgan,
Powys, South Glamorgan, West Glamorgan
_#_Independence: January 1, 1801, the United Kingdom was established
_#_Constitution: not written down; made up of some laws and some common law and practices
_#_Dependent areas: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Hong Kong (set to become a Special Administrative Region of China in 1997), Jersey, Isle of Man, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands
_#_Legal system: common law tradition with early Roman and modern continental influences; no judicial review of Acts of Parliament; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Celebration of the Queen's Birthday (second Saturday in June), June 10, 1989
_#_Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: the bicameral Parliament has an upper house called the House of Lords and a lower house known as the House of Commons.
_#_Judicial branch: House of Lords
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 6, 1952);
Heir Apparent Prince CHARLES (son of the Queen, born November 14, 1948);
Head of Government—Prime Minister John MAJOR (since November 28, 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Conservative and Unionist Party, John MAJOR;
Labour Party, Neil KINNOCK;
Social and Liberal Democratic Party (SLDP; formed from the merger of the
Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party), Jeremy (Paddy) ASHDOWN;
Scottish National Party, Alex SALMOND;
Welsh National Party (Plaid Cymru), Dafydd THOMAS;
Ulster Unionist Party (Northern Ireland), James MOLYNEAUX;
Democratic Unionist Party (Northern Ireland), Rev. Ian PAISLEY;
Ulster Popular Unionist Party (Northern Ireland), James KILFEDDER;
Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP, Northern Ireland), John HUME;
Sinn Féin (Northern Ireland), Gerry ADAMS;
Alliance Party (Northern Ireland), John ALDERDICE;
Communist Party, Nina TEMPLE
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
House of Commons—last held on June 11, 1987 (next one to be held by June 1992); results—Conservative 43%, Labour 32%, Liberal/Social Democratic 23%, other 2%; seats—(650 total) Conservative 376, Labour 228, Liberal/Social Democratic 22, Ulster Unionist (Northern Ireland) 9, Scottish National 4, Welsh National 3, Democratic Unionist (Northern Ireland) 3, Social Democratic and Labour (Northern Ireland) 3, Ulster Popular Unionist (Northern Ireland) 1, Sinn Féin (Northern Ireland) 1; note—the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party merged to become the Social and Liberal Democratic Party in 1988.
_#_Communists: 15,961
_#_Other political or pressure groups: Trades Union Congress, Confederation of British Industry, National Farmers' Union, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
_#_Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, BIS, C,
CCC, CDB, CE, CERN, COCOM, CP, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECA (associate), ECE,
ECLAC, EIB, ESCAP, ESA, FAO, G-5, G-7, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NATO, NEA, OECD,
PCA, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UN Security Council,
UN Trusteeship Council, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Sir Antony ACLAND; Chancery at 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; phone (202) 462-1340; there are British Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, and Consulates in Dallas, Miami, and Seattle;
US—Ambassador Raymond SEITZ; Embassy at 24/31 Grosvenor Square, London, W.1A1AE, (mailing address is FPO New York 09509); phone [44] (71) 499-9000; there are US Consulates General in Belfast and Edinburgh
_#_Flag: blue with the red cross of Saint George (the patron saint of England) outlined in white, laid over the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick (the patron saint of Ireland), which is placed on the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew (the patron saint of Scotland); known as the Union Flag or Union Jack; the design and colors (especially the Blue Ensign) have inspired several other flags, including those of dependencies, Commonwealth countries, and others.
_*Economy #_Overview: The UK is one of the world's major trading powers and financial hubs, and its economy ranks among the four largest in Europe. It operates primarily on a capitalist model, mixed with various social welfare programs and some government ownership. Over the past decade, the Thatcher government ended the growth of welfare measures and pushed for extensive privatization of the government-run economic sector. Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient by European standards, meeting about 60% of food needs with just 1% of the labor force. The industrial sector includes both public and private enterprises, employing around 27% of the workforce and contributing 22% of GDP. The UK has abundant energy resources, including large coal, natural gas, and oil reserves; primary energy production represents 12% of GDP, one of the highest proportions among industrialized countries. In mid-1990, the economy slipped into recession following eight years of strong economic growth, which had increased national output by 25%. Britain's inflation rate, which has consistently been higher than that of its major trading partners, is projected to decrease in 1991. From 1986 to 1990, unemployment dropped from 11% to about 6%, but is now rising rapidly due to the economic downturn. As a key trading nation, the UK will remain significantly influenced by global economic booms or recessions, fluctuations in the international oil market, productivity trends in the domestic industry, and the ongoing process of economic integration in Europe.
_#_GDP: $858.3 billion, per person $15,000; actual growth rate 0.8% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.3% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 5.7% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $385.0 billion; expenditures $385.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $35.0 billion (FY91 est.)
_#_Exports: $188.9 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—manufactured products, machinery, fuels, chemicals, unfinished goods, transportation equipment;
partners—EC 50.7% (FRG 11.9%, France 10.2%, Netherlands 7.0%), US 13.1%
_#_Imports: $222 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—manufactured products, machinery, semi-finished products, food items, consumer products;
partners—EC 52.6% (FRG 16.6%, France 8.9%, Netherlands 7.9%), US 10.8%
_#_External debt: $10.5 billion (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 0% (1990)
_#_Electricity: 98,000,000 kW capacity; 316,500 million kWh produced, 5,520 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: machinery and transportation equipment, metals, food processing, paper and paper products, textiles, chemicals, clothing, other consumer goods, motor vehicles, aircraft, shipbuilding, petroleum, coal
_#_Agriculture: makes up just 1.5% of GNP and 1% of the workforce; very mechanized and efficient farms; a diverse range of crops and livestock products are produced; approximately 60% self-sufficient in food and feed needs; fish catch of 665,000 metric tons (1987)
_#_Economic aid: donor—ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $21.0 billion
_#_Currency: British pound or pound sterling (plural—pounds); 1 British pound (5) = 100 pence
_#_Exchange rates: British pounds (5) per US$1—0.5171 (January 1991), 0.5603 (1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Railroads: Great Britain—16,629 km total; British Railways (BR) runs 16,629 km of 1.435-meter standard gauge (4,205 km electrified and 12,591 km double or multiple track); several additional small standard-gauge and narrow-gauge lines are privately owned and operated; Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) operates 332 km of 1.600-meter gauge, 190 km double track
_#_Highways: UK, 362,982 km total; Great Britain, 339,483 km paved (including 2,573 km of limited-access divided highway); Northern Ireland, 23,499 km (22,907 paved, 592 km gravel)
_#_Inland waterways: 2,291 total; British Waterways Board, 606 km; Port Authorities, 706 km; other, 979 km
_#_Pipelines: 933 km of crude oil, nearly all of which is minor; 2,993 km of refined products; 12,800 km of natural gas
_#_Ports: London, Liverpool, Felixstowe, Tees and Hartlepool, Dover, Sullom Voe, Southampton
_#_Merchant marine: 251 ships (over 1,000 GRT) totaling 4,643,056 GRT/6,214,450 DWT; includes 7 passenger ships, 21 short-sea passenger ships, 39 cargo ships, 34 container ships, 22 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 10 refrigerated cargo ships, 1 vehicle carrier, 1 railcar carrier, 74 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 4 chemical tankers, 9 liquefied gas carriers, 1 combination ore/oil ship, 1 specialized tanker, 25 bulk carriers, 2 combination bulk carriers.
_#_Civil air: 618 large transport planes
_#_Airports: 520 total, 388 usable; 252 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 12,000 feet; 37 with runways between 8,000 and 12,000 feet; 133 with runways between 4,000 and 8,000 feet
_#_Telecommunications: a modern, efficient domestic and international system; 30,200,000 telephones; excellent nationwide broadcast systems; stations—223 AM, 165 (401 relays) FM, 207 (3,210 relays) TV; 40 coaxial submarine cables; satellite communication ground stations operating in INTELSAT (7 in the Atlantic Ocean and 3 in the Indian Ocean), MARISAT, and EUTELSAT systems.
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Royal Navy (including Royal Marines), Royal Air Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 14,475,433; 12,167,324 eligible for military service; no draft
_#Defense spending: $41 billion, 4.8% of GDP (FY90) % @United States *Geography #_Total area: 9,372,610 km²; land area: 9,166,600 km²; includes only the 50 states and the District of Columbia
_#_Comparative area: about 40% the size of the USSR; about one-third the size of Africa; about half the size of South America (or slightly larger than Brazil); slightly smaller than China; about two and a half times the size of Western Europe
_#_Land boundaries: 12,248 km total; Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska), Mexico 3,326 km, Cuba (US naval base at Guantanamo) 29 km
_#_Coastline: 19,924 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: not specified;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: maritime boundary disputes with Canada; the US Naval Base at Guantanamo is leased from Cuba, and the lease can only be terminated by mutual agreement or if the US decides to leave the area; Haiti asserts its claim over Navassa Island; the US has not made any territorial claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do so) and does not acknowledge the claims of any other country; the Marshall Islands claims Wake Island.
_#_Climate: mostly mild, but ranges from tropical (Hawaii) to polar (Alaska); dry to semi-dry in the west with occasional warm, dry chinook winds.
_#_Terrain: large central flatland, mountains to the west, hills and low mountains to the east; rough mountains and wide river valleys in Alaska; rough, volcanic landscape in Hawaii
_#_Natural resources: coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, crude oil, natural gas, timber
_#_Land use: arable land 20%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 26%; forest and woodland 29%; other 25%; includes irrigated 2%
_#_Environment: pollution control measures improving air and water quality; acid rain; agricultural fertilizer and pesticide pollution; management of limited natural water resources in the west; desertification; tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquake activity around the Pacific Basin; continuous permafrost in northern Alaska is a major barrier to development
_#_Note: fourth-largest country in the world (after the USSR, Canada, and China)
_*People #_Population: 252,502,000 (July 1991), growth rate 0.8% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 15 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 9 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 2 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 72 years for males, 79 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—American(s); adjective—American
_#_Ethnic divisions: white 85%, black 12%, other 3% (1985)
_#_Religion: Protestant 61% (Baptist 21%, Methodist 12%, Lutheran 8%, Presbyterian 4%, Episcopalian 3%, other Protestant 13%), Roman Catholic 25%, Jewish 2%, other 5%, none 7%
_#_Language: mostly English; large Spanish-speaking minority
_#_Literacy: 97% (male 97%, female 97%) age 15 and older having completed 5 or more years of schooling (1980)
_#_Labor force: 126,424,000 (includes military and unemployed); civilian labor force 124,787,000 (1990)
_#_Organized labor: 16,729,000 members; 16.1% of total wage and salary employment, which was 103,905,000 (1990)
_*Government #_Full name: United States of America; short form US or USA
_#_Type: federal republic; strong democratic tradition
_#_Capital: Washington, DC
_#_Administrative divisions: 50 states and 1 district*; Alabama,
Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware,
District of Columbia*, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois,
Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland,
Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana,
Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North
Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode
Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont,
Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
_#_Independence: July 4, 1776 (from England)
_#_Constitution: September 17, 1787, effective June 4, 1789
_#_Dependent areas: American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island; Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palmyra Atoll, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Wake Island. Since July 18, 1947, the US has governed the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, but recently established a new political relationship with three of the four political units. The Northern Mariana Islands is a Commonwealth in association with the US (effective November 3, 1986). Palau entered into a Compact of Free Association with the US that was approved by Congress, but the Compact process hasn't been completed in Palau, which is still administered by the US as the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. The Federated States of Micronesia signed a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective November 3, 1986). The Republic of the Marshall Islands signed a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective October 21, 1986).
_#_Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, July 4 (1776)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: a bicameral Congress consists of an upper house, the Senate, and a lower house, the House of Representatives.
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President George BUSH (since January 20, 1989); Vice President Dan QUAYLE (since January 20, 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Republican Party, Clayton YEUTTER, national committee chairman; Jeanie AUSTIN, co-chairman; Democratic Party, Ronald H. BROWN, national committee chairman; several other groups or parties of minor political significance
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held November 8, 1988 (next to be held November 3, 1992); results—George BUSH (Republican Party) 53.37%, Michael DUKAKIS (Democratic Party) 45.67%, other 0.96%;
Senate—last held November 6, 1990 (next to be held November 3, 1992); results—Democratic Party 51%, Republican Party 47%, other 2%; seats—(100 total) Democratic Party 56, Republican Party 44;
House of Representatives—last held November 6, 1990 (next to be held November 3, 1992); results—Democratic Party 52%, Republican Party 44%, other 4%; seats—(435 total) Democratic Party 267, Republican Party 167, Socialist 1
_#_Communists: Communist Party (claimed 15,000-20,000 members), Gus HALL, general secretary; Socialist Workers Party (claimed 1,800 members), Jack BARNES, national secretary
_#_Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), ANZUS, APEC, AsDB, BIS,
CCC, COCOM, CP, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, FAO, ESCAP, G-2, G-5, G-7, G-8,
G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO,
IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS,
NATO, NEA, OAS, OECD, PCA, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UN
Security Council, UN Trusteeship Council, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: US Representative to the UN, Ambassador Thomas R. PICKERING; Mission at 799 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017; telephone (212) 415-4444 (afternoon hours)
_#_Flag: thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there’s a blue rectangle in the upper left corner with 50 small white five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars; the 50 stars represent the 50 states, and the 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies; known as Old Glory; the design and colors have inspired several other flags, including those of Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico.
_*Economy #_Overview: The US has the strongest, most diverse, and technologically advanced economy in the world, with a per capita GNP of $21,800, the highest among major industrial nations. In 1989, the economy enjoyed its seventh consecutive year of significant growth, the longest period of expansion in peacetime history. This growth was marked by moderate wage and consumer price increases and a steady drop in unemployment to 5.2% of the workforce. However, in 1990, growth slowed to 1% due to a mix of factors, including rising global interest rates, Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in August, a subsequent spike in oil prices, and a general decline in business and consumer confidence. Ongoing issues for the 1990s include insufficient investment in education and other essential infrastructure, rapidly increasing healthcare costs, and substantial budget and trade deficits.
_#_GNP: $5.465 trillion, per person $21,800; real growth rate 1.0% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.4% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 5.5% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $1,106 billion; expenditures $1,272 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY90 est.)
_#_Exports: $393.9 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—capital goods, cars, industrial supplies and raw materials, consumer products, agricultural goods;
partners—Western Europe 27.3%, Canada 22.1%, Japan 12.1% (1989)
_#_Imports: $516.2 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—crude and partially refined oil, machinery, cars, consumer products, industrial raw materials, food, and drinks;
partners—Western Europe 21.5%, Japan 19.7%, Canada 18.8% (1989)
_#_External debt: $581 billion (December 1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 1.0% (1990)
_#_Electricity: 776,550,000 kW capacity; 3,020,000 million kWh produced, 12,080 kWh per person (1990)
# Industries: leading industrial power in the world, highly diversified; petroleum, steel, cars, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, fishing, lumber, mining
_#_Agriculture: makes up 2% of GNP and 2.8% of the workforce; the favorable climate and soil allow for a wide range of crops and livestock; second-largest producer and top exporter of grain in the world; produces surplus food; fish catch of 5.0 million metric tons (1988)
_#_Illicit drugs: illegal production of cannabis for personal use with 1987 production estimated at 3,500 metric tons, or about 25% of the available marijuana; ongoing eradication efforts targeting small plots and greenhouses have not decreased production.
_#_Economic aid: donor—commitments, including ODA and OOF, (FY80-89), $115.7 billion
_#_Currency: United States dollar (plural—dollars); 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: British pounds (5) per US$—0.5171 (January 1991), 0.5603 (1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985);
Canadian dollars (Can$) per US$—1.1559 (January 1991), 1.1668 (1990), 1.1840 (1989), 1.2307 (1988), 1.3260 (1987), 1.3895 (1986), 1.3655 (1985);
French francs (F) per US$—5.1307 (January 1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985);
Italian lire (Lit) per US$—1,134.4 (January 1991), 1,198.1 (1990), 1,372.1 (1989), 1,301.6 (1988), 1,296.1 (1987), 1,490.8 (1986), 1,909.4 (1985);
Japanese yen (3) per US$—133.88 (January 1991), 144.79 (1990), 137.96 (1989), 128.15 (1988), 144.64 (1987), 168.52 (1986), 238.54 (1985);
German deutsche marks (DM) per US$—1.5100 (January 1991), 1.6157 (1990), 1.8800 (1989), 1.7562 (1988), 1.7974 (1987), 2.1715 (1986), 2.9440 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
_*Communications #_Railroads: 270,312 km
_#_Highways: 6,365,590 km, including 88,641 km of expressways
_#_Inland waterways: 41,009 km of navigable inland channels, not including the Great Lakes (est.)
_#_Pipelines: 275,800 km of petroleum, 305,300 km of natural gas (1985)
_#_Ports: Anchorage, Baltimore, Beaumont, Boston, Charleston,
Cleveland, Duluth, Freeport, Galveston, Hampton Roads, Honolulu, Houston,
Jacksonville, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Mobile, New Orleans,
New York, Philadelphia, Portland (Oregon), Richmond (California), San
Francisco, Savannah, Seattle, Tampa, Wilmington
_#_Merchant marine: 404 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling NA GRT/NA DWT); includes 3 passenger-cargo, 44 cargo, 23 bulk, 180 tankers, 13 tanker tug-barge, 11 liquefied gas, 130 intermodal; additionally, there are 231 government-owned vessels
_#_Civil air: 3,297 commercial multi-engine transport planes, including 2,989 jets, 231 turboprops, and 77 piston (1985)
_#_Airports: 14,177 total, 12,417 usable; 4,820 with permanent surface runways; 63 with runways over 3,659 m; 325 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 2,524 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 182,558,000 telephones; stations—4,892 AM, 5,200 FM (including 3,915 commercial and 1,285 public broadcasting), 7,296 TV (including 796 commercial, 300 public broadcasting, and 6,200 commercial cable); 495,000,000 radio receivers (1982); 150,000,000 TV sets (1982); satellite communications ground stations—45 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 16 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy (including Marine Corps), Air Force
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 66,458,000; NA fit for military service
_#Defense spending: $312.9 billion, 5.7% of GNP (1990) % @Uruguay *Geography #_Total area: 176,220 km²; land area: 173,620 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Washington State
_#_Land boundaries: 1,564 km total; Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km
_#_Coastline: 660 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of extraction;
Territorial sea: 200 nm (flying over and navigating allowed beyond 12 nm)
_#_Disputes: a short section of the border with Argentina is disputed; two short sections of the border with Brazil are disputed (the Arroyo de la Invernada area of the Rio Quarai and the islands at the point where the Rio Quarai meets the Uruguay)
_#_Climate: mild temperate; freezing temperatures are rare
# Terrain: mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland
_#_Natural resources: soil, hydropower potential, minor minerals
_#_Land use: arable land 8%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 78%; forest and woodland 4%; other 10%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: exposed to seasonal high winds, droughts, and floods
_*People #_Population: 3,121,101 (July 1990), growth rate 0.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 17 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 10 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 1 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 22 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 69 years for males, 76 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.4 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Uruguayan(s); adjective—Uruguayan
_#_Ethnic divisions: white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic (fewer than half of the adult population goes to church regularly) 66%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, non-professing or other 30%
_#_Language: Spanish
_#_Literacy: 96% (male 97%, female 96%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 1,300,000; government 25%, manufacturing 19%, agriculture 11%, commerce 12%, utilities, construction, transport, and communications 12%, other services 21% (1988 est.)
_#_Organized labor: Interunion Workers' Assembly/National Workers' Confederation (PIT/CNT) Labor Federation
_*Government #_Long-form name: Oriental Republic of Uruguay
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Montevideo
_#_Administrative divisions: 19 departments (departamentos, singular—departamento); Artigas, Canelones, Cerro Largo, Colonia, Durazno, Flores, Florida, Lavalleja, Maldonado, Montevideo, Paysandu, Rio Negro, Rivera, Rocha, Salto, San Jose, Soriano, Tacuarembo, Treinta y Tres
_#_Independence: August 25, 1828 (from Brazil)
_#_Constitution: November 27, 1966, effective February 1967, suspended June 27, 1973, new constitution rejected by referendum November 30, 1980
_#_Legal system: based on the Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, August 25 (1828)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral General Assembly (Asamblea General) consists of an upper chamber or Chamber of Senators (Camara de Senadores) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Representatives (Camera de Representantes)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Luis Alberto LACALLE (since March 1, 1990); Vice President Gonzalo AGUIRRE (since March 1, 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders: National (Blanco) Party, Luis Alberto LACALLE Herrera; Colorado Party, Jorge BATLLE Ibanez; Broad Front Coalition, Liber SEREGNI Mosquera—includes the Communist Party led by Jaime PEREZ and the National Liberation Movement (MLN) or Tupamaros led by Eleuterio FERNANDEZ Huidobro; New Space Coalition consists of the Party of the Government of the People (PGP), Hugo BATALLA; Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Hector LESCANO; and Civic Union, Humberto CIGANDA
_#_Suffrage: universal and mandatory starting at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held November 26, 1989 (next to be held in November
1994);
results—Luis Alberto LACALLE Herrera (White) 37%, Jorge BATLLE
Ibanez (Red) 29%, Liber SEREGNI Mosquera (Broad Front) 20%;
Chamber of Senators—last held on November 26, 1989 (next one to be held in November 1994); results—Blanco 40%, Colorado 30%, Broad Front 23%, New Space 7%; seats—(30 total) Blanco 12, Colorado 9, Broad Front 7, New Space 2;
Chamber of Representatives—last held in November 1989 (next one scheduled for November 1994); results—Blanco 39%, Colorado 30%, Broad Front 22%, New Space 8%, other 1%; seats—(99 total) number of seats by party NA
_#_Communists: 50,000
_#_Member of: AG (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UNMOGIP, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Eduardo MACGILLICUDDEY; Chancery at 1918 F Street NW, Washington DC 20006; phone (202) 331-1313 to 1316; there are Uruguayan Consulates General in Los Angeles, Miami, and New York, and a Consulate in New Orleans;
US—Ambassador Richard C. BROWN; Embassy at Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo (mailing address is APO Miami 34035); phone [598] (2) 23-60-61
_#_Flag: nine equal horizontal stripes of white (top and bottom) alternating with blue; there’s a white square in the upper hoist-side corner featuring a yellow sun with a human face known as the Sun of May and 16 rays that are alternately triangular and wavy
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is gradually bouncing back from the severe recession of the early 1980s. In 1988, real GDP grew by just 0.5%, and in 1989, it increased by 1.5%. The recovery has been primarily driven by growth in the agriculture and fishing sectors, with agriculture alone contributing 20% to GDP, employing about 11% of the workforce, and generating a significant portion of export earnings. Raising livestock, especially cattle and sheep, is the main agricultural activity. In 1990, even with strong exports and a better current account, domestic growth remained sluggish due to the government focusing on the external sector, bad weather, and ongoing strikes. Addressing high inflation, reducing a large fiscal deficit, and minimizing frequent strikes continue to be major economic challenges for the government.
_GDP: $9.2 billion, per person $2,970; actual growth rate 1% (1990 est.)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 129% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 8.8% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $1.2 billion; expenditures $1.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $165 million (1988)
_#_Exports: $1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—hides and leather goods 17%, beef 10%, wool 9%, fish 7%, rice 4%;
partners—Brazil 17%, US 15%, Germany 10%, Argentina 10% (1987)
_#_Imports: $1.28 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—fuels and lubricants 15%, metals, machinery, transportation equipment, industrial chemicals;
partners—Brazil 24%, Argentina 14%, US 8%, Germany 8% (1987)
_#_External debt: $4.2 billion (1990 estimate)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 2.1% (1989 est.)
_#_Electricity: 1,950,000 kW capacity; 5,274 million kWh produced, 1,740 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: meat processing, wool and hides, sugar, textiles, footwear, leather clothing, tires, cement, fishing, oil refining, wine
_#_Agriculture: vast regions dedicated to extensive livestock grazing; wheat, rice, corn, and sorghum; self-sufficient in most essential food items.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $105 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $293 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $69 million
_#_Currency: new Uruguayan peso (plural—pesos); 1 new Uruguayan peso (N$Ur) = 100 centesimos
_#_Exchange rates: new Uruguayan pesos (N$Ur) per US$1—1,626.4 (January 1991), 1,171.0 (1990), 605.5 (1989), 359.44 (1988), 226.67 (1987), 151.99 (1986), 101.43 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 3,000 km, all 1.435-meter standard gauge and owned by the government.
_#_Highways: 49,900 km total; 6,700 km paved, 3,000 km gravel, 40,200 km dirt
_#_Inland waterways: 1,600 km; used by coastal and shallow-draft river boats
_#_Ports: Montevideo, Punta del Este
_#_Merchant marine: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 65,212 GRT/116,613 DWT; includes 2 cargo ships, 1 container ship, and 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker.
_#_Civil air: 14 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 91 total, 86 operational; 16 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 2 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 17 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: most modern facilities are concentrated in Montevideo; there’s a new nationwide radio relay network; 337,000 telephones; stations—99 AM, no FM, 26 TV, 9 shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy (including Naval Air Arm and Marines), Air Force, Coast Guard, Grenadier Guards, Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 735,971; 597,302 eligible for military service; no conscription
_#Defense spending: $168 million, 2.2% of GDP (1988) % @Vanuatu *Geography #_Total area: 14,760 km²; land area: 14,760 km²; consists of over 80 islands
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than Connecticut
_#_Land boundary: none
_#_Coastline: 2,528 km
_#_Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines);
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: boundary of the continental margin or 200 nautical miles;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; tempered by southeast trade winds
_#_Terrain: mostly volcanic mountains; narrow coastal plains
_#_Natural resources: manganese, hardwood forests, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 1%; permanent crops 5%; meadows and pastures 2%; forest and woodland 1%; other 91%
_#_Environment: prone to tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanic activity causes minor earthquakes.
_#_Note: located 5,750 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean, roughly three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and Australia
_*People #_Population: 170,319 (July 1991), growth rate 3.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 36 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 36 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 67 years for males, 72 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 5.4 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural); adjective—Ni-Vanuatu
_#_Ethnic divisions: indigenous Melanesian 94%, French 4%, other groups include Vietnamese, Chinese, and various Pacific Islanders
_#_Religion: Presbyterian 36.7%, Anglican 15%, Catholic 15%, indigenous beliefs 7.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6.2%, Church of Christ 3.8%, other 15.7%
_#_Language: English and French (official); pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama)
_#_Literacy: 53% (male 57%, female 48%) of people age 15 and over can read and write (1979)
_#_Labor force: NA
_#_Organized labor: 7 registered trade unions—largest include the Oil and Gas Workers' Union and the Vanuatu Airline Workers' Union.
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Vanuatu
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Port-Vila
_#_Administrative divisions: 11 island councils; Ambrym, Aoba/Maewo, Banks/Torres, Efate, Epi, Malakula, Paama, Pentecote, Santo/Malo, Shepherd, Tafea
_#_Independence: July 30, 1980 (from France and the UK; previously New Hebrides)
_#_Constitution: 30 July 1980
_#_Legal system: a unified system being created from the former dual French and British systems
_National holiday: Independence Day, July 30 (1980)_
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber Parliament; note—the National Council of Chiefs provides guidance on custom and land issues
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Frederick TIMAKATA (since January 30, 1989);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Father Walter Hadye LINI (since July 30, 1980); Deputy Prime Minister (vacant)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
National Party (Vanua'aku Pati), Donald KALPOKAS;
Union of Moderate Parties, Maxine CARLOT;
Melanesian Progressive Party, Barak SOPE
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Parliament—last held on November 30, 1987 (next to be held by November 1991); by-elections took place in December 1988 to fill vacancies caused by the expulsion of opposition members for boycotting sessions; results—percentage of vote by party NA; seats—(46 total) National Party 26, Union of Moderate Parties 19, independent 1
_#_Member of: ACCT, ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFC, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, NAM, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Vanuatu doesn't have an embassy in Washington;
US—the ambassador in Papua New Guinea is officially recognized in Vanuatu.
_#_Flag: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green (bottom) with a black isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) all separated by a black-edged yellow stripe in the shape of a horizontal Y (the two points of the Y face the hoist side and enclose the triangle); centered in the triangle is a boar's tusk encircling two crossed namele leaves, all in yellow
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy is mainly driven by subsistence farming, supporting around 80% of the population. Fishing and tourism are also key components of the economy. There are very few mineral deposits, and the country lacks known oil reserves. A small light industry serves the local market. Most tax revenue comes from import duties.
# GDP: $137 million, per person $860; actual growth rate 4.3% (1989 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.8% (1989 estimate)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $90 million; expenditures $103 million, including capital expenditures of $45 million (1989 est.)
_#_Exports: $14.5 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—copra 59%, cocoa 11%, meat 9%, fish 8%, timber 4%;
partners—Netherlands 34%, France 27%, Japan 17%, Belgium 4%, New Caledonia 3%, Singapore 2% (1987)
_#_Imports: $58.4 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—machines and vehicles 25%, food and drinks 23%, basic products 18%, raw materials and fuels 11%, chemicals 6%;
partners—Australia 36%, Japan 13%, NZ 10%, France 8%, Fiji 5% (1987)
_#_External debt: $30 million (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 17,000 kW capacity; 30 million kWh produced, 180 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: food and fish freezing, forestry processing, meat canning
_#_Agriculture: export crops—copra, cocoa, coffee, and fish; subsistence crops—copra, taro, yams, coconuts, fruits, and vegetables
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $565 million
_#_Currency: vatu (plural—vatu); 1 vatu (VT) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: vatu (VT) per US$1—109.62 (January 1991), 116.57 (1990), 116.04 (1989), 104.43 (1988), 109.85 (1987), 106.08 (1986), 106.03 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: none
_#_Highways: 1,027 km total; at least 240 km of sealed or all-weather roads
_#_Ports: Port-Vila, Luganville, Palikoulo, Santu
_#_Merchant marine: 129 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 2,242,850 GRT/3,447,671 DWT; includes 33 cargo ships, 13 refrigerated cargo ships, 8 container ships, 11 vehicle carriers, 1 livestock carrier, 5 petroleum, oil, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 1 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas tanker, 55 bulk carriers, 1 combination bulk carrier; note—a flag of convenience registry; the USSR has 2 ships under the Vanuatu flag
_#_Civil air: no major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 32 total, 28 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: stations—2 AM, no FM, no TV; 3,000 telephones; satellite communications ground stations—1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: no military forces; Vanuatu Police Force, paramilitary force
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 41,183; NA eligible for military service
_#Defense spending: $NA, NA% of GDP % @Vatican City *Geography #_Total area: 0.438 km²; land area: 0.438 km²
_#_Comparative area: about 0.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
_#_Land boundary: 3.2 km with Italy
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Climate: mild; cool, rainy winters (September to mid-May) with hot, dry summers (May to September)
_#_Terrain: low hill
_#_Natural resources: none
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: urban
_#_Note: landlocked; enclave of Rome, Italy; world's smallest state; outside Vatican City, 13 buildings in Rome and Castel Gandolfo (the pope's summer residence) have extraterritorial rights
_*People #_Population: 778 (July 1991), growth rate 0% (1991)
_Nationality: no noun or adjective forms_
_#_Ethnic divisions: mainly Italians, along with Swiss and other nationalities
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic
_#_Language: Italian, Latin, and other various languages
_#_Literacy: 100% (male N/A, female N/A)
_#_Labor force: high officials, clergy, nuns, guards, and 3,000 lay workers who live outside the Vatican
_#_Organized labor: Association of Vatican Lay Workers, 1,800 members (1987)
_*Government #_Long-form name: State of the Vatican City; note—the Vatican City is the actual location of the Holy See, which is the central government of the Roman Catholic Church
_#_Type: monarchical-sacerdotal state
_#_Capital: Vatican City
_#_Independence: February 11, 1929 (from Italy)
_#_Constitution: Apostolic Constitution of 1967 (effective March 1, 1968)
_#_National holiday: Installation Day of Pope John Paul II, 22 October (1978); note—Pope John Paul II was elected on 16 October 1978
_#_Executive branch: pope
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Pontifical Commission
_#_Judicial branch: none; typically managed by Italy
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Pope JOHN PAUL II (Karol WOJTYLA; since October 16, 1978);
Head of Government—Secretary of State Archbishop Angelo SODANO
_#_Political parties and leaders: none
_#_Suffrage: restricted to cardinals under 80 years old
_#_Elections:
Pope—last held on October 16, 1978 (next to be held after the current pope's death); results—Karol WOJTYLA was elected for life by the College of Cardinals
_#_Communists: NA
_#_Other political or pressure groups: none (excluding influence exerted by church officials)
_#_Member of: CSCE, IAEA, ICFTU, IMF (observer), INTELSAT, IOM (observer), ITU, OAS (observer), UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNHCR, UPU, WIPO, WTO (observer)
_#_Diplomatic representation: Apostolic Pro-Nuncio Archbishop Agostino CACCIAVILLAN; 3339 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 333-7121;
US—Ambassador Thomas P. MELADY; Embassy at Villino Pacelli, Via Aurelia 294, 00165 Rome (mailing address is APO New York 09794); telephone [396] 639-0558
_#_Flag: two vertical bands of yellow (on the hoist side) and white, featuring the crossed keys of Saint Peter and the papal tiara centered in the white band
_*Economy #_Overview: This unique, noncommercial economy is financially supported by contributions (called Peter's Pence) from Roman Catholics around the globe, the sale of postage stamps, tourist souvenirs, admission fees for museums, and the sale of publications. The incomes and living standards of lay workers are similar to, or slightly better than, those of their counterparts working in the city of Rome.
_#_Budget: revenues $76.6 million; expenditures $168 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991)
_#_Electricity: 5,000 kW backup capacity (1990); power provided by Italy
_#_Industries: printing and producing a small number of mosaics and staff uniforms; global banking and financial operations
_#_Currency: Vatican lira (plural—lire); 1 Vatican lira (VLit) = 100 centesimi
_#_Exchange rates: Vatican lire (VLit) per US$1—1,134.4 (January 1991), 1,198.1 (1990), 1,372.1 (1989), 1,301.6 (1988), 1,296.1 (1987), 1,490.8 (1986), 1,909.4 (1985); note—the Vatican lira is equal to the Italian lira, which circulates freely.
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 850 m, 750 mm gauge (connects with Italian network near the Rome station of Saint Peter's)
_#_Highways: none; all city streets
_#_Telecommunications: stations—3 AM, 4 FM, no TV; 2,000-line automatic telephone exchange; no communication satellite systems
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of Italy; Swiss Papal Guards are stationed at the entrances to Vatican City % @Venezuela *Geography #_Total area: 912,050 km²; land area: 882,050 km²
_#_Comparative area: a little over twice the size of California
_#_Land boundaries: 4,993 km total; Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km
_#_Coastline: 2,800 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 15 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of extraction;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claims all of Guyana west of the Essequibo River; maritime border dispute with Colombia in the Gulf of Venezuela
_#_Climate: tropical; hot and humid; more mild in the highlands
_#_Terrain: Andes mountains and Maracaibo lowlands in the northwest; central plains (llanos); Guyana highlands in the southeast
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds
_#_Land use: arable land 3%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 20%; forest and woodland 39%; other 37%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: prone to floods, rockslides, mudslides; occasional droughts; rising industrial pollution in Caracas and Maracaibo
_#_Note: on major sea and air routes connecting North and South America
_*People #_Population: 20,189,361 (July 1991), growth rate 2.4% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 28 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 4 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 1 migrant per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 26 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 71 years for males, 78 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.4 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Venezuelan(s); adjective—Venezuelan
_#_Ethnic divisions: mestizo 67%, white 21%, black 10%, indigenous 2%
_#_Religion: about 96% Roman Catholic, 2% Protestant
_#_Language: Spanish (official); Indian dialects spoken by around 200,000 Indigenous people in the remote interior
_#_Literacy: 88% (male 87%, female 90%) of people aged 15 and older can read and write (1981 est.)
_#_Labor force: 5,800,000; services 56%, industry 28%, agriculture 16% (1985)
_#_Organized labor: 32% of the workforce
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Venezuela
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Caracas
_#_Administrative divisions: 20 states (estados, singular—estado), 2 territories* (territorios, singular—territorio), 1 federal district** (distrito federal), and 1 federal dependence*** (dependencia federal); Amazonas*, Anzoátegui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolívar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro*, Dependencias Federales***, Distrito Federal**, Falcón, Guárico, Lara, Mérida, Miranda, Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Táchira, Trujillo, Yaracuy, Zulia; note—the federal dependence consists of 11 federally controlled island groups with a total of 72 individual islands.
_#_Independence: July 5, 1811 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution: 23 January 1961
_#_Legal system: based on the Napoleonic code; judicial review of legislative acts is only conducted in the Cassation Court; has not accepted mandatory ICJ jurisdiction.
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, July 5 (1811)
_#_Executive branch: president, Cabinet (Council of Ministers)
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral Congress of the Republic
(Congreso de la Republica) is made up of an upper chamber, the Senate
(Senado), and a lower chamber, the Chamber of Deputies (Camara de
Diputados)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Carlos Andres
PEREZ (since February 2, 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Social Christian Party (COPEI), Eduardo FERNANDEZ, secretary general;
Democratic Action (AD), Gonzalo BARRIOS, president, and Humberto CELLI,
secretary general;
Movement Toward Socialism (MAS), Argelia LAYA, president, and
Freddy MUNOZ, secretary general
_#_Suffrage: universal and mandatory at age 18, although not well enforced
_#_Elections:
President—last held on December 4, 1988 (next to be held
December 1993);
results—Carlos Andres PEREZ (AD) 54.6%,
Eduardo FERNANDEZ (COPEI) 41.7%, other 3.7%;
Senate—last held on December 4, 1988 (next one scheduled for December 1993); results—percentage of votes by party not available; seats—(49 total) AD 23, COPEI 22, others 4; note—3 former presidents (1 from AD, 2 from COPEI) have lifetime senate seats;
Chamber of Deputies—last held December 4, 1988 (next to be held December 1993); results—AD 43.7%, COPEI 31.4%, MAS 10.3%, other 14.6%; seats—(201 total) AD 97, COPEI 67, MAS 18, other 19
_#_Communists: 10,000 members (est.)
_#_Other political or pressure groups: FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers, the Democratic Action-dominated labor organization
_#_Member of: AG, CDB, CG, ECLAC, FAO, G-3, G-11, G-19, G-24, G-77,
GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM, OAS,
OPANAL, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Simon Alberto CONSALVI Bottaro; Chancery at 2445 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 797-3800; there are Venezuelan Consulates General in Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico);
US—Ambassador Michael Martin SKOL; Embassy at Avenida Francisco de Miranda and Avenida Principal de la Floresta, Caracas (mailing address is P. O. Box 62291, Caracas 1060-A, or APO Miami 34037); telephone [58] (2) 285-3111 or 2222; there is a US Consulate in Maracaibo
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal stripes of yellow (top), blue, and red, with the coat of arms on the left side of the yellow stripe and an arc of seven white five-pointed stars centered in the blue stripe.
_*Economy #_Overview: Oil is the foundation of the economy and made up 21% of GDP, 60% of central government revenue, and 81% of export earnings in 1989. When President Perez took office in February 1989, he launched an economic adjustment program. Reduced tariffs and price supports, a free market exchange rate, and interest rates linked to the market have caused chaos in the economy, leading to an approximately 8% drop in GDP in 1989, though the economy began to recover somewhat in 1990.
_#_GDP: $42.4 billion, per capita $2,150; real growth rate 4.4% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 40.7% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 10.4% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $8.4 billion; expenditures $8.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.9 billion (1989)
_#_Exports: $12.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989 estimate);
commodities—petroleum 81%, bauxite and aluminum, iron ore, agricultural products, basic manufactured goods;
partners—US 50.7%, Europe 13.7%, Japan 4.0% (1989)
_#_Imports: $8.7 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—food, chemicals, manufactured goods, machinery, and transportation equipment;
partners—US 44%, FRG 8.0%, Japan 4%, Italy 7%, Canada 2% (1989)
_#_External debt: $33.2 billion (1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 11% (1989 est.); makes up one-fourth of GDP, including petroleum
_#_Electricity: 19,733,000 kW capacity; 54,660 million kWh produced, 2,780 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: oil, iron ore mining, building materials, food processing, textiles, steel, aluminum, car assembly
_#_Agriculture: makes up 6% of GDP and 16% of the workforce; products—corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee, beef, pork, milk, eggs, fish; not self-sufficient in food except for meat.
_#_Illicit drugs: unauthorized producer of cannabis and coca leaf for the international drug trade on a small scale; however, large amounts of cocaine do pass through the country.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-86), $488 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $10 million
_#_Currency: bolivar (plural—bolivares); 1 bolivar (Bs) = 100 centimos
_#_Exchange rates: bolivares (Bs) per US$1—51.331 (January 1991), 46.900 (1990), 34.6815 (1989), 14.5000 (fixed rate 1987-88), 8.0833 (1986), 7.5000 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 542 km total; 363 km of 1.435-meter standard gauge, all single track, government-owned; 179 km of 1.435-meter gauge, privately owned
_#_Highways: 77,785 km total; 22,780 km paved, 24,720 km gravel, 14,450 km dirt roads, and 15,835 km unimproved dirt.
_Inland waterways: 7,100 km; the Orinoco River and Lake Maracaibo can accommodate ocean-going vessels._
_#_Pipelines: 6,370 km of crude oil; 480 km of refined products; 4,010 km of natural gas
_#_Ports: Amuay Bay, Bajo Grande, El Tablazo, La Guaira, Puerto Cabello, Puerto Ordaz
_#_Merchant marine: 58 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 811,650 GRT/1,294,077 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger ship, 1 passenger cargo ship, 22 cargo ships, 1 container ship, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 17 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 1 chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas carriers, 9 bulk carriers, 1 vehicle carrier, 1 combination bulk carrier
_Civil air: 58 major transport planes_
_#_Airports: 296 total, 277 usable; 137 with permanent surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 13 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 88 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: modern and growing; 1,440,000 phones; stations—181 AM, no FM, 59 TV, 26 shortwave; 3 submarine coaxial cables; satellite communication ground stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 3 domestic
_*Defense Forces
#_Branches: Army, Navy (including Marines, Coast Guard), Air Force, National Guard
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 5,220,183; 3,782,548 fit for military service; 216,132 reach military age (18) annually
_#Defense spending: $1.9 billion, 4.3% of GDP (1991) % @Vietnam *Geography #_Total area: 329,560 km²; land area: 325,360
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than New Mexico
_#_Land boundaries: 3,818 km total; Cambodia 982 km, China 1,281 km, Laos 1,555 km
_#_Coastline: 3,444 km (excluding islands)
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: edge of the continental margin or 200 nautical miles;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: offshore islands and three sections of the border with Cambodia are disputed; maritime boundary with Cambodia is not defined; occupied Cambodia on December 25, 1978; occasional border clashes with China; involved in a complicated dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Taiwan; unresolved maritime boundary with Thailand; maritime boundary dispute with China in the Gulf of Tonkin; Paracel Islands occupied by China but claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; unresolved maritime boundary with Thailand
_#_Climate: tropical in the south; monsoon in the north with a hot, rainy season (mid-May to mid-September) and a warm, dry season (mid-October to mid-March)
_#_Terrain: low, flat delta in the south and north; central highlands; hilly and mountainous in the far north and northwest
_#_Natural resources: phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil deposits, forests
_#_Land use: arable land 22%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and woodland 40%; other 35%; includes irrigated 5%
_#_Environment: occasional typhoons (May to January) with significant flooding
_*People #_Population: 67,568,033 (July 1991), growth rate 2.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 29 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 48 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 63 years for males, 67 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.7 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Vietnamese (sing. and pl.); adjective—Vietnamese
_#_Ethnic divisions: mainly Vietnamese 85-90%; Chinese 3%; ethnic minorities include Muong, Thai, Hmong, Khmer, Man, Cham; other mountain tribes.
_#_Religion: Buddhist, Confucian, Taoist, Roman Catholic, indigenous beliefs, Islamic, Protestant
_#_Language: Vietnamese (official), French, Chinese, English, Khmer, tribal languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)
_#_Literacy: 88% (male 92%, female 84%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 32.7 million; agriculture 65%, industry and services 35% (1990 est.)
_#_Organized labor: it's reported that over 90% of wage and salary earners are members of the Vietnam Federation of Trade Unions (VFTU)
_*Government #_Full name: Socialist Republic of Vietnam; abbreviated as SRV
_#_Type: Communist state
_#_Capital: Hanoi
_#_Administrative divisions: 41 provinces (tinh, singular and plural), 3 municipalities* (thanh pho, singular and plural); An Giang, Bac Thai, Ben Tre, Binh Dinh, Cao Bang, Cuu Long, Dak Lak, Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Gia Lai-Kon Tum, Ha Bac, Hai Hung, Hai Phong*, Ha Nam Ninh, Ha Noi*, Ha Son Binh, Ha Tuyen, Hau Giang, Hoang Lien Son, Ho Chi Minh*, Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Lai Chau, Lam Dong, Lang Son, Long An, Minh Hai, Nghe Tinh, Phu Yen, Quang Binh, Quang Nam-Da Nang, Quang Ngai, Quang Ninh, Quang Tri, Song Be, Son La, Tay Ninh, Thai Binh, Thanh Hoa, Thua Thien, Thuan Hai, Tien Giang, Vinh Phu, Vung Tau-Con Dao; note—diacritical marks are not included
_#_Independence: September 2, 1945 (from France)
_#_Constitution: 18 December 1980
_#_Legal system: based on Communist legal theory and the French civil law system
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, September 2 (1945)
_#_Executive branch: chair of the Council of State, Council of State, chair of the Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber National Assembly (Quoc-Hoi)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme People's Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Chairman of the Council of State Vo Chi CONG (since June 18, 1987);
Head of Government—Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Premier)
Vo Van KIET (since August 9, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: only party— Vietnam Communist Party (VCP), Nguyen Van LINH
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
National Assembly—last held April 19, 1987 (next to be held April 1992); results—VCP is the only party; seats—(496 total) VCP or VCP-approved 496
_#_Communists: nearly 2 million
_#_Member of: ACCT, AsDB, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBEC, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IIB, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: none
_#_Flag: red with a big yellow five-pointed star in the center
_*Economy #_Overview: This is a centrally planned, developing economy with significant government ownership and control over productive facilities. The economy is mainly agricultural; this sector employs about 65% of the workforce and accounts for nearly half of the GNP. Rice is the main crop, and substantial amounts of maize, sorghum, cassava, and sweet potatoes are also cultivated. The government allows the sale of surplus grain on the open market. Most mineral resources are located in the north, including coal, which is a key export item. Oil was discovered off the southern coast in 1986, with production reaching 54,000 b/d in 1990 and expected to rise in the coming years. After the war ended in 1975, strict government measures hampered efforts to efficiently merge the agricultural resources of the south with the industrial resources of the north. The economy remains heavily reliant on foreign aid, having received support from Communist countries, Sweden, and UN agencies. Inflation, though down from recent triple-digit rates, is still a significant issue and is starting to show signs of rising again. Per capita output is among the lowest in the world. Since late 1986, the government has launched a wide-ranging reform program aimed at shifting more economic activity to the private sector.
_GNP: $15.2 billion, per person $230; actual growth rate 2.4% (1990 est.)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 65% (1990 estimate)
_#_Unemployment rate: 33% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $892 million; expenditures $1.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $344 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $2.3 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—agricultural and handmade products, coal, minerals, crude oil, ores, seafood;
partners—USSR, Eastern Europe, Japan, Singapore
_#_Imports: $2.6 billion (cost, insurance, and freight, 1990 estimate);
commodities—oil products, steel goods, train equipment, chemicals, medicines, raw cotton, fertilizer, grain;
partners—USSR, Eastern Europe, Japan, Singapore
_#_External debt: $16.8 billion (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 10% (1989); makes up 30% of GNP
_#_Electricity: 2,740,000 kW capacity; 7,500 million kWh produced, 110 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: food processing, textiles, machinery manufacturing, mining, cement, chemical fertilizers, glass, tires, oil, fishing
_#_Agriculture: makes up half of the Gross National Product; paddy rice, corn, and potatoes account for 50% of farm output; commercial crops (rubber, soybeans, coffee, tea, bananas) and animal products make up the other 50%; since 1989, the country has been self-sufficient in the staple food rice; fish catch reached approximately 943,100 metric tons (estimated in 1989)
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-74), $3.1 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $2.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $61 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $12.0 billion
_#_Currency: new dong (plural—new dong); 1 new dong (D) = 100 xu
_#_Exchange rates: new dong (D) per US$1—7,530 (May 1991), 7,280 (December 1990), 3,996 (March 1990), 2,047 (1988), 225 (1987), 18 (1986), 12 (1985); note—1985-89 figures are end of year
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 3,059 km total; 2,454 km of 1,000-meter gauge, 151 km of 1.435-meter standard gauge, 230 km of dual gauge (three rails), and 224 km not back in service.
_#_Highways: about 85,000 km total; 9,400 km asphalt, 48,700 km gravel or upgraded dirt, 26,900 km unpaved earth
_#_Pipelines: 150 km, refined products
_#_Inland waterways: approximately 17,702 km navigable; over 5,149 km navigable at all times by vessels with a draft of up to 1.8 meters.
_#_Ports: Da Nang, Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City
_#_Merchant marine: 87 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 364,596 GRT/539,174 DWT; includes 2 short-sea passenger ships, 69 cargo ships, 4 refrigerated cargo ships, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo ship, 1 vehicle carrier, 8 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, and 2 bulk carriers; note—Vietnam owns 11 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 106,759 DWT registered under Panama and Malta
_#_Civil air: controlled by military
_#_Airports: 100 total, 100 usable; 50 with paved runways; 10 with runways measuring 2,440-3,659 m; 20 with runways measuring 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 35,000 phones in Ho Chi Minh City (1984); stations—16 AM, 1 FM, 2 TV; 2,300,000 TV sets; 6,000,000 radio receivers; at least 2 satellite earth stations, including 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy (including Marines and Naval Infantry), Air Force
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 16,260,120; 10,377,105 eligible for military service; 809,617 reach military age (17) each year
_#Defense spending: $NA, 19.4% of GNP (1986 estimate) % @Virgin Islands (US territory) *Geography #_Total area: 352 km2; land area: 349 km2
_#_Comparative area: just under twice the size of Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 188 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: subtropical, moderated by eastward trade winds, relatively low humidity, minor seasonal temperature changes; rainy season from May to November
_#_Terrain: mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little flat land
_#_Natural resources: sun, sand, ocean, waves
_#_Land use: arable land 15%; permanent crops 6%; meadows and pastures 26%; forest and woodland 6%; other 47%
_#_Environment: not often hit by hurricanes; however, it experiences frequent severe droughts, floods, and earthquakes; there's a shortage of natural freshwater resources.
_#_Note: important location 1,770 km southeast of Miami and 65 km east of Puerto Rico, along the Anegada Passage—a key shipping route for the Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the Caribbean.
_*People #_Population: 99,404 (July 1991), growth rate 0.7% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 22 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 10 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 19 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 70 years for males, 76 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 2.7 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Virgin Islander(s); adjective—Virgin Islander
_#_Ethnic divisions: West Indian (45% born in the Virgin Islands and 29% born elsewhere in the West Indies) 74%, US mainland 13%, Puerto Rican 5%, other 8%; black 80%, white 15%, other 5%; Hispanic origin 14%
_#_Religion: Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7%
_#_Language: English (official), but Spanish and Creole are commonly spoken.
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: 45,500 (1988)
_#_Organized labor: 90% of government workers
_*Government #_Long-form name: United States Virgin Islands
_#_Type: organized, unincorporated territory of the US managed by the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the Interior
_#_Capital: Charlotte Amalie
_#_Administrative divisions: none (territory of the US)
_#_Independence: none (territory of the US)
_#_Constitution: The Revised Organic Act of July 22, 1954, serves as the constitution.
_#_Legal system: based on US
_#_National holiday: Transfer Day (from Denmark to US), 31 March (1917)
_#_Executive branch: U.S. President, governor, lieutenant governor
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Senate
_#_Judicial branch: The US District Court deals with civil cases over $50,000, felonies (for individuals 15 years and older), and federal cases; the Territorial Court manages civil cases up to $50,000, small claims, juvenile matters, domestic issues, misdemeanors, and traffic violations.
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President George
BUSH (since January 20, 1989), represented by Governor Alexander A.
FARRELLY (since January 5, 1987); Lieutenant Governor Derek HODGE (since
January 5, 1987)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party, Marilyn STAPLETON;
Independent Citizens' Movement (ICM), Virdin BROWN;
Republican Party, Charlotte-Poole DAVIS
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens, but do not vote in US presidential elections
_#_Elections:
Governor—last held NA 1986 (next to be held NA 1990); results—Alexander FARRELLY (Democratic Party) defeated Adelbert BRYAN (ICM);
Senate—last held on November 6, 1990 (next one on November 3, 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(15 total) number of seats by party NA;
US House of Representatives—last held on November 6, 1990 (next scheduled for November 3, 1992); results—the Virgin Islands elects one nonvoting representative
_#_Member of: ECLAC (associate), IOC
_#_Diplomatic representation: none (part of the US)
_#_Flag: white with a changed US coat of arms in the center between the large blue letters V and I; the coat of arms features an eagle holding an olive branch in one claw and three arrows in the other with a shield of vertical red and white stripes below a blue panel.
_*Economy #_Overview: Tourism is the main economic activity, making up over 70% of GDP and 70% of jobs. The manufacturing sector includes textile, electronics, pharmaceutical, and watch assembly factories. The agricultural sector is minimal, with most food being imported. International business and financial services are a small but expanding part of the economy. The world's largest petroleum refinery is located in Saint Croix.
_GDP: $1.0 billion, per person $9,000; real growth rate NA% (1985)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: 2.0% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $470 million; expenditures $322 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY90)
_#_Exports: $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities—refined petroleum products;
partners—US, Puerto Rico
_#_Imports: $3.7 billion (c.i.f., 1988);
commodities—crude oil, food, consumer products, construction materials;
partners—US, Puerto Rico
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 12%
_#_Electricity: 358,000 kW capacity; 532 million kWh produced, 5,360 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, oil refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics
_#_Agriculture: urban gardens, food crops (small scale), fruit, sorghum, Senepol cattle
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $34.5 million
_#_Currency: US currency is used
_#_Exchange rates: The US dollar is used
_#_Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
_*Communications #_Highways: 856 km total
_#_Ports: Saint Croix—Christiansted, Frederiksted; Saint Thomas—Long Bay, Crown Bay, Red Hook; Saint John—Cruz Bay
_#_Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m; international airports on Saint Thomas and Saint Croix
_#_Telecommunications: 44,280 phones; stations—4 AM, 6 FM, 3 TV; modern system using fiber-optic cable, underwater cable, microwave radio, and satellite facilities; 90,000 radios; 56,000 TVs
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the US % @Wake Island (territory of the US) *Geography #_Total area: 6.5 km²; land area: 6.5 km²
_#_Comparative area: roughly 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 19.3 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth);
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: claimed by the Republic of the Marshall Islands
_#_Climate: tropical
_#_Terrain: a ring of three coral islands built on an underwater volcano; the central lagoon is the old crater, and the islands are part of the rim; average elevation is less than four meters.
_#_Natural resources: none
_#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
_#_Environment: subject to occasional typhoons
_#_Note: strategic location 3,700 km west of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, roughly two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and the Northern Mariana Islands; emergency landing spot for transpacific flights
_*People #_Population: 195 (January 1990); no native residents; 302 temporary residents
_#_Note: the population peaked around 1970 with over 1,600 people during the Vietnam War
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: unincorporated territory of the US managed by the US Air Force (under an agreement with the US Department of Interior) since June 24, 1972.
_#_Flag: the American flag is used
_*Economy #_Overview: Economic activity mainly involves providing services to US military personnel and contractors on the island. All food and manufactured goods need to be imported.
_#_Electricity: supplied by US military
_*Communications #_Ports: none; due to the reefs, there are only two offshore anchorages for large ships.
_#_Airports: 1 with paved runways 2,440 to 3,659 m
_#_Telecommunications: underwater cables to Guam and via Midway to Honolulu; AFRTS radio and TV service provided by satellite; stations—1 AM, no FM, no TV
_#_Note: It used to be a key hub for commercial aviation, but now it's only used by the US military and a few commercial cargo planes.
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of the US % @Wallis and Futuna (overseas territory of France) *Geography #_Total area: 274 km²; land area: 274 km²; includes Uvea Island (Wallis Island), Futuna Island (Ile Futuna), Alofi Island, and 20 islets.
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than Washington, DC
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 129 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; hot, rainy season (November to April); cool, dry season (May to October)
_#_Terrain: volcanic origin; low hills
_#_Natural resources: negligible
_#_Land use: arable land 5%; permanent crops 20%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 75%
_#_Environment: both island groups have fringed reefs
_#_Note: situated 4,600 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean, roughly two-thirds of the distance from Hawaii to New Zealand
_*People #_Population: 16,590 (July 1991), growth rate 3.0% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 28 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 8 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 30 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 70 years for males, 71 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.7 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality
_#_Ethnic divisions: almost entirely Polynesian
_#_Religion: largely Roman Catholic
_#_Language: French, Wallisian (indigenous Polynesian language)
_#_Literacy: 50% (male 50%, female 51%) of the population can read and write at all ages (1969)
_#_Labor force: NA
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands
_#_Type: overseas territory of France
_#_Capital: Mata-Utu (on Ile Uvea)
_#_Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of France)
_#_Independence: none (overseas territory of France)
_#_Constitution: September 28, 1958 (French Constitution)
_#_Legal system: French
_#_National holiday: Storming of the Bastille, July 14 (1789)
_#_Executive branch: French president, high administrator; note—there are three traditional kings with limited powers
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber Territorial Assembly (Assemblee Territoriale)
_#_Judicial branch: none; justice is generally administered under French law by the chief administrator, but the three traditional kings oversee customary law and there is a magistrate in Mata-Utu.
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President François MITTERRAND (since May 21, 1981);
Head of Government—Chief Administrator Roger DUMEC (since July 15, 1988)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Rally for the Republic (RPR);
Local Popular Union (UPL);
Union for French Democracy (UDF);
First Wave (Giscardians);
Left Radical Movement (MRG)
_#_Suffrage: everyone can vote at age 18
_#_Elections:
Territorial Assembly—last held on March 15, 1987 (next one scheduled for March 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(20 total) RPR 7, UPL 6, UDF and Lua kae tahi 7;
French Senate—last held in September 1989 (next to be held by September 1992); results—percent of vote by party unavailable; seats—(1 total) RPR 1;
French National Assembly—last held on June 12, 1988 (next scheduled by September 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(1 total) MRG 1
_#_Member of: FZ, SPC
_#_Diplomatic representation: as a territory of France, local interests are represented in the US by France
_#_Flag: the French flag is used
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy relies on traditional subsistence farming, with around 80% of the workforce depending on agriculture (mainly coconuts and vegetables), livestock (mostly pigs), and fishing. About 4% of the population works in government. Revenue comes from French government subsidies, fishing rights licenses sold to Japan and South Korea, import taxes, and money sent home by workers in New Caledonia. Wallis and Futuna imports food, fuel, clothing, machinery, and transport equipment, but its exports are minimal, consisting of copra and crafts.
_#_GDP: $7.5 million, per capita $470; real growth rate NA% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $2.7 million; expenditures $2.7 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1983)
_#_Exports: negligible;
commodities—copra, handicrafts;
partners—NA
_#_Imports: $6.9 million (c.i.f., 1983);
commodities—food, manufactured products, transportation equipment, fuel;
partners—France, Australia, New Zealand
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 1,200 kW capacity; 1 million kWh produced, 70 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: copra, handicrafts, fishing, lumber
_#_Agriculture: primarily focused on coconut production, along with subsistence crops like yams, taro, bananas, and livestock including pigs and goats.
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $118 million
_#_Currency: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (plural—francs); 1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1—93.28 (January 1991), 99.0 (1990), 115.99 (1989), 108.30 (1988), 109.27 (1987), 125.92 (1986), 163.35 (1985); note—linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc
_#_Fiscal year: NA
_*Communications #_Highways: 100 km on Ile Uvea, 16 km paved; 20 km unpaved surface on Ile Futuna
_#_Inland waterways: none
_#_Ports: Mata-Utu, Leava
_#_Airports: 2 total; 2 available; 1 with permanent runways; none with runways longer than 2,439 m; 1 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 225 phones; stations—1 AM, no FM, no TV
_*Defense Forces #Note: defense is the responsibility of France % @West Bank #_Note: The war between Israel and the Arab states in June 1967 ended with Israel taking control of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Sinai, and Golan Heights. According to the 1978 Camp David Accords and reaffirmed by President Reagan's September 1, 1982 peace initiative, the final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, their relationships with neighboring countries, and a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan must be negotiated among the involved parties. Camp David also specifies that these negotiations will establish the respective boundaries. Until this process is completed, it is US policy that the final status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip has not yet been determined. The US defines the West Bank as all the area west of the Jordan River that was under Jordanian administration before the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. However, regarding the negotiations outlined in the framework agreement, it is US policy to differentiate between Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank due to the city's unique status and circumstances. Therefore, a negotiated solution for the final status of Jerusalem might be different from that of the rest of the West Bank.
_*Geography #_Total area: 5,860 km²; land area: 5,640 km²; includes the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Latrun Salient, Jerusalem No Man's Land, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus.
_#_Comparative area: a bit bigger than Delaware
_#_Land boundaries: 404 km total; Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km;
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Disputes: Israeli occupied territory awaiting status determination
_#_Climate: mild, temperature and rainfall change with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters
_#_Terrain: mostly rough, broken highlands, some plants in the west, but barren in the east
_#_Natural resources: negligible
_#_Land use: arable land 27%, permanent crops 0%, meadows and pastures 32%, forest and woodland 1%, other 40%
_#_Environment: the highlands are the primary recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers
_#_Note: landlocked; there are 175 Jewish settlements in the West Bank and 14 Israeli-built Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem
_*People #_Population: 1,086,081 (July 1991), growth rate 2.6% (1991); in addition, there are about 90,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank and 120,000 in East Jerusalem (1990 est.)
_#_Birth rate: 37 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 4 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 47 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 65 years for males, 69 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.9 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: NA
_#_Ethnic divisions: Palestinian Arab and others 88%, Jewish 12%
_#_Religion: Muslim (mostly Sunni) 80%, Jewish 12%, Christian and other 8%
_#_Language: Arabic, Israeli settlers speak Hebrew, and English is widely understood.
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: NA; excluding Israeli Jewish settlers—small industry, commerce, and business 29.8%, construction 24.2%, agriculture 22.4%, service and other 23.6% (1984)
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Note: The West Bank is currently managed by Israeli military authorities and Israeli civil administration. US policy states that the final status of the West Bank will be decided through negotiations among the involved parties. These discussions will figure out how the area will be governed.
_*Economy #_Overview: Economic growth in the West Bank has been hindered by Israeli military occupation and the impact of the Palestinian uprising. Industries that rely on advanced technology or need significant financial investment have been discouraged due to a lack of resources and Israeli policies. Most capital investment has gone into residential housing rather than into productive assets that could compete with Israeli industry. A large portion of the GNP comes from remittances sent by workers employed in Israel and neighboring Gulf states, but these remittances dropped sharply after Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990. Israeli responses to Palestinian unrest in the West Bank since 1987 have increased unemployment and decreased living standards. The Persian Gulf crisis of 1990-91 also negatively impacted the economy. Many Palestinians returned from the Gulf, worsening unemployment. Export revenues have significantly decreased due to the loss of export markets in Jordan and the Gulf.
_GNP: $1.0 billion, per capita $1,000; real growth rate - 15% (1988 est.)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: 40% (1990 est.)
_#_Budget: revenues $47.4 million; expenditures $45.7 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY86)
_#_Exports: $150 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities—N/A; partners—Jordan, Israel
_#_Imports: $410 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.); commodities—N/A; partners—Jordan, Israel
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: power supplied by Israel
_#_Industries: mostly small family-run businesses that make cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have created a few small modern industries in the settlements and industrial centers.
# Agriculture: olives, citrus fruits, and other fruits, vegetables, beef, and dairy products
_#_Economic aid: none
_#_Currency: new Israeli shekel (plural—shekels) and Jordanian dinar (plural—dinars); 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot and 1 Jordanian dinar (JD) = 1,000 fils
_#_Exchange rates: new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1—2.35 (May 1991), 2.0161 (1990), 1.9164 (1989), 1.5989 (1988), 1.5946 (1987), 1.4878 (1986), 1.1788 (1985); Jordanian dinars (JD) per US$1—0.6670 (January 1991), 0.6636 (1990), 0.5704 (1989), 0.3709 (1988), 0.3387 (1987), 0.3499 (1986), 0.3940 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: previously April 1 - March 31; FY91 will be April 1 - December 31 and starting January 1, 1992, the fiscal year will align with the calendar year.
_*Communications #_Highways: a small local road network, Israelis are developing east-west highways
_#_Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 2,439 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: open-wire telephone system currently being upgraded; stations—no AM, no FM, no TV
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: NA
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 257,740; not available for military service
_#Defense spending: $NA, NA% of GDP % @Western Sahara *Geography #_Total area: 266,000 km2; land area: 266,000 km2
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Colorado
_#_Land boundaries: 2,046 km total; Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km
_#_Coastline: 1,110 km
_#_Maritime claims: dependent on resolving the sovereignty issue
_#_Disputes: claimed and managed by Morocco, but the issue of sovereignty remains unresolved and guerrilla fighting is still ongoing in the area.
_#_Climate: hot, dry desert; rain is rarely seen; cold offshore currents create fog and heavy dew
_#_Terrain: primarily low, flat desert with extensive rocky or sandy areas leading to small mountains in the south and northeast
_#_Natural resources: phosphates, iron ore
_#_Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 19%; forest and woodland 0%; other 81%
_#_Environment: hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco winds can happen during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze is present 60% of the time, often severely limiting visibility; there is little water and arable land.
_*People #_Population: 196,737 (July 1991), growth rate 2.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 48 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 23 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 1 migrant per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 177 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 39 years for males, 41 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 7.3 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Saharan(s), Moroccan(s); adjective—Saharan, Moroccan
_#_Ethnic divisions: Arab and Berber
_#_Religion: Muslim
_#_Language: Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: 12,000; 50% livestock farming and subsistence agriculture
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: legal status of territory and question of sovereignty unresolved; the territory is disputed by Morocco and the Polisario Front (Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro), which officially declared a government in exile for the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in February 1976; the territory was divided between Morocco and Mauritania in April 1976, with Morocco taking the northern two-thirds; Mauritania, facing pressure from Polisario guerrillas, gave up all claims to its part in August 1979; Morocco then quickly moved to take control of that area and has claimed administrative control since; the Polisario's government in exile became a member of the OAU in 1984; guerrilla activities still occur sporadically.
_#_Capital: none
_#_Administrative divisions: none (under the actual control of Morocco)
_#_Leaders: none
_#_Member of: none
_#_Diplomatic representation: none
_*Economy #_Overview: Western Sahara, a territory lacking in natural resources and receiving little rainfall, has a per capita GDP of only a few hundred dollars. Fishing and phosphate mining are the main industries and sources of income. Most of the food for the urban population has to be imported. All trade and other economic activities are managed by the Moroccan Government.
_GDP: $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate NA%
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
_#_Exports: $8 million (f.o.b., 1982 est.);
commodities—phosphates 62%;
partners—Morocco claims and controls Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in the total Moroccan accounts
_#_Imports: $30 million (c.i.f., 1982 est.);
commodities—fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs;
partners—Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 60,000 kW capacity; 79 million kWh produced, 425 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: phosphate, fishing, handicrafts
_#_Agriculture: mostly focused on subsistence farming; some barley is cultivated in non-drought years; fruits and vegetables are produced in the few oases; food imports are crucial; camels, sheep, and goats are raised by the nomadic locals; a cash economy mainly exists for the military personnel.
_#_Economic aid: NA
_#_Currency: Moroccan dirham (plural—dirhams); 1 Moroccan dirham (DH) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: Moroccan dirhams (DH) for US$1—8.071 (January 1991), 8.242 (1990), 8.488 (1989), 8.209 (1988), 8.359 (1987), 9.104 (1986), 10.062 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: NA
_*Communications #_Highways: 6,100 km in total; 1,350 km paved, 4,750 km improved and unpaved dirt roads and paths
_#_Ports: El Aaiun, Ad Dakhla
_#_Airports: 16 total, 14 in use; 3 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 3 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 6 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m.
_#_Telecommunications: limited and sparse system; connected to Morocco's system via radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations linked to Rabat, Morocco; 2,000 telephones; stations—2 AM, no FM, 2 TV
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: NA
_#_Manpower availability: NA
_#Defense spending: $NA, NA% of GDP % @Western Samoa *Geography #_Total area: 2,860 km²; land area: 2,850 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit smaller than Rhode Island
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 403 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical; rainy season (October to March), dry season (May to October)
_#_Terrain: a narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, and rugged mountains inland.
_#_Natural resources: hardwood forests, fish
_#_Land use: arable land 19%; permanent crops 24%; meadows and pastures NEGL%; forest and woodland 47%; other 10%
_#_Environment: occasionally hit by typhoons; active volcanoes
_#_Note: located 4,300 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand
_*People #_Population: 190,346 (July 1991), growth rate 2.3% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 34 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 4 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 47 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 64 years for males, 69 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.5 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Western Samoan(s); adjective—Western Samoan
_#_Ethnic divisions: Samoan; Euronesians (people of European and Polynesian descent) about 7%, Europeans 0.4%
_#_Religion: Christian 99.7% (about half of the population is associated with the London Missionary Society; includes Congregational, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Latter Day Saints, and Seventh-Day Adventist)
_#_Language: Samoan (Polynesian), English
_#_Literacy: 97% (male 97%, female 97%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1971)
_#_Labor force: 38,000; 22,000 working in agriculture (1987 est.)
_#_Organized labor: Public Service Association (PSA)
_*Government #_Long-form name: Independent State of Samoa
_#_Type: constitutional monarchy led by a local chief
_#_Capital: Apia
_#_Administrative divisions: 11 districts; Aana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua, Faasaleleaga, Gagaemauga, Gagaifomauga, Palauli, Satupaitea, Tuamasaga, Vaa-o-Fonoti, Vaisigano
_#_Independence: January 1, 1962 (from UN trusteeship managed by New Zealand)
_#_Constitution: 1 January 1962
_#_Legal system: based on English common law and local customs; judicial review of legislative acts regarding the fundamental rights of citizens; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.
_#_National holiday: National Day, June 1
_#_Executive branch: king/queen, Executive Council, prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: single-chamber Legislative Assembly (Fono)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Susuga Malietoa TANUMAFILI II (Co-Chief of State from January 1, 1962, until becoming the sole Chief of State on April 5, 1963);
Head of Government—Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana (since April 7, 1988)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), TOFILAU Eti, chair; Samoan National Development Party (SNDP), VA'AI Kolone, chair
_#_Suffrage: universal adult at age NA, but only matai (heads of families) can run for the Legislative Assembly
_#_Elections:
Legislative Assembly—last held in February 1991 (next to be held by February 1994); results—percentage of votes by party NA; seats—(47 total) HRPP 30, SNDP 14, independent 3
_#_Member of: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IOC, ITU, LORCS, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Fili (Felix) Tuaopepe WENDT; Temporary Chancery at the Western Samoan Mission to the UN, 820 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10017 (212) 599-6196;
US—the ambassador to New Zealand, Della Newman, is accredited to Western Samoa (mailing address is P.O. Box 3430, Apia); telephone (685) 21-631
_#_Flag: red with a blue rectangle in the upper left corner featuring five white five-pointed stars that represent the Southern Cross constellation
_*Economy #_Overview: Agriculture employs over half of the workforce, makes up 50% of GDP, and accounts for 90% of exports. Most export revenue comes from the sale of coconut oil and copra. The economy relies on remittances from emigrants and foreign aid to sustain a level of imports that's about five times larger than export earnings. Tourism has emerged as the key growth industry, and the construction of the first international hotel is currently in progress.
_#_GDP: $115 million, per person $620; real growth rate - 4.5% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 17% (estimated for 1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%; shortage of skilled workers
_#_Budget: revenues $70 million; expenditures $73 million, including capital expenditures of $41 million (1990)
_#_Exports: $9.4 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—coconut oil and cream 54%, taro 12%, copra 9%, cocoa 3%;
partners—NZ 28%, EC 23%, American Samoa 23%, Australia 11%, US 6% (1990)
_#_Imports: $87 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities—intermediate goods 58%, food 17%, capital goods 12%;
partners—New Zealand 31%, Australia 20%, Japan 15%, Fiji 15%, US 5%, EC 4% (1987)
_#_External debt: $83 million (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 4.3% (1990 est.); makes up 14% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 29,000 kW capacity; 45 million kWh produced, 240 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: timber, tourism, food processing, fishing
_#_Agriculture: makes up 50% of GDP; coconuts, fruit (including bananas, taro, yams)
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $18 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $291 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $4 million
_#_Currency: tala (plural—tala); 1 tala (WS$) = 100 sene
_#_Exchange rates: tala (WS$) per US$1—2.3170 (January 1991), 2.3095 (1990), 2.2686 (1989), 2.0790 (1988), 2.1204 (1987), 2.2351 (1986), 2.2437 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Highways: 2,042 km total; 375 km paved; the rest mainly gravel, crushed stone, or dirt
_#_Ports: Apia
_#_Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 24,930 GRT/34,135 DWT; includes 2 container ships and 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo ship.
_#_Civil air: 3 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 3 total, 3 operational; 1 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 1 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 7,500 telephones; 70,000 radios; stations—1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Police and Prisons Department
_#_Manpower availability: men aged 15-49, 49,119; NA eligible for military service
_#Defense spending: $NA, NA% of GDP % @World *Geography #_Total area: 510,072,000 km²; 361,132,000 km² (70.8%) is water, and 148,940,000 km² (29.2%) is land
_#_Comparative area: land area about 16 times larger than the US
_#_Land boundaries: 442,000 km
_#_Coastline: 359,000 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: usually 24 nautical miles, but varies from 4 nautical miles to 25 nautical miles;
Continental shelf: usually 200 nautical miles, but some are 200 meters deep;
Exclusive fishing zone: most are 200 nautical miles, but it varies from 3 nautical miles to 200 nautical miles;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nautical miles; only the Maldives varies from 35-310 nautical miles;
Territorial sea: typically 12 nautical miles, but can range from 3 nautical miles to 50 nautical miles;
note—32 nations and various regions are landlocked and include Afghanistan, Andorra, Austria, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Czech Republic, Hungary, Iraq-Saudi Arabia Neutral Zone, Laos, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malawi, Mali, Mongolia, Nepal, Niger, Paraguay, Rwanda, San Marino, Eswatini, Switzerland, Uganda, Vatican City, West Bank, Zambia, Zimbabwe
_#_Disputes: major international land boundary disputes—Argentina-Uruguay, Bangladesh-India, Brazil-Paraguay, Brazil-Uruguay, Cambodia-Vietnam, Chad-Libya, China-India, China-USSR, Ecuador-Peru, Egypt-Sudan, El Salvador-Honduras, Ethiopia-Somalia, French Guiana-Suriname, Guyana-Suriname, Guyana-Venezuela, Israel-Jordan, Israel-Syria, North Korea-South Korea, Oman-UAE, Oman-Yemen, Qatar-UAE, Saudi Arabia-Yemen
_#_Climate: two large regions with polar climates divided by two narrow temperate zones from a broad equatorial band of tropical to subtropical climates
_#_Terrain: the highest point is Mt. Everest at 8,848 meters, and the lowest point is the Dead Sea at 392 meters below sea level; the deepest part of the ocean is the Marianas Trench at 10,924 meters.
_#_Natural resources: the oceans are the last major frontier for discovering and developing natural resources.
_#_Land use: arable land 10%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 24%; forest and woodland 31%; other 34%; includes irrigated 1.6%
_#_Environment: large areas affected by severe weather (tropical cyclones), natural disasters (earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions), overpopulation, industrial accidents, pollution (air, water, acid rain, toxic substances), loss of vegetation (overgrazing, deforestation, desertification), loss of wildlife resources, soil degradation, soil depletion, erosion
_*People #_Population: 5,419,643,132 (July 1991), growth rate 1.7% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 26 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 9 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 66 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 61 years for males, 65 years for females (1991)
_Total fertility rate: 3.3 children born per woman (1991)_
_#_Literacy: 74% (male 81%, female 67%) of those aged 15 and older can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 2.2 billion (1991)
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Administrative divisions: 170 sovereign countries plus 72 dependent, other, and miscellaneous regions
_#_Legal system: varies among each of the entities; 162 are members of the United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ) or World Court.
_#_Diplomatic representation: there are 159 members of the UN
_*Economy #_Overview: In 1990, the global economy grew by an estimated 1.0%, which is significantly lower than the estimated 3.0% in 1989 and 3.4% in 1988. The technologically advanced regions—North America, Japan, and Western Europe—together account for 67% of the global gross product (GWP) of $20.9 trillion; these developed areas had an overall growth of 2.3% in 1990. In contrast, output in the USSR and Eastern Europe fell by an average of 5.2%; these countries make up 15% of GWP. The experience in developing nations remained mixed, with newly industrializing economies generally sustaining their rapid growth, while many others struggled with debt, rampant inflation, and insufficient investment. This third group contributed 18% of GWP and grew by an average of 2.3% in 1990; output in this group is likely understated due to insufficient data and the calculation methods used. The year 1990 saw ongoing political and economic turmoil in the USSR and Eastern Europe, which are caught between systems, lacking both the strict discipline of a command economy and the structures of a market economy. Looking ahead to the 1990s, the addition of nearly 100 million people each year to an already overcrowded planet will worsen issues related to pollution, desertification, underemployment, epidemics, and famine.
_#_GWP (gross world product): $20.9 trillion, per person $3,930; real growth rate 1.0% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): developed countries 5%; developing countries 100%, with wide variations (1990 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Exports: $3.33 trillion (f.o.b., 1990 estimate);
commodities—the entire range of industrial and agricultural goods and services;
partners—in value, 74% of exports from industrialized countries
_#_Imports: $3.45 trillion (c.i.f., 1990 estimate);
commodities—the entire range of industrial and agricultural goods and services;
partners—in value, about 75% of imports by the developed countries
_#_External debt: $1.0 trillion for developing countries (1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 3% (1990 est.)
_#_Electricity: 2,864,000,000 kW capacity; 11,450,000 million kWh produced, 2,150 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: chemicals, energy, machinery, electronics, metals, mining, textiles, food processing
_#_Agriculture: grains (wheat, corn, rice), sugar, livestock products, tropical crops, fruits, veggies, fish
_#_Economic aid: NA
_*Communications #_Ports: Mina al Ahmadi (Kuwait), Chiba, Houston, Kawasaki, Kobe, Marseille, New Orleans, New York, Rotterdam, Yokohama
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: army, navy, and air force using all levels of technology
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 1,412,502,000; NA fit for military service
_#Defense spending: $1.1 trillion, 5.3% of GWP (1990 estimate) % @Yemen *Geography #_Total area: 527,970 km²; land area: 527,970 km²; includes Perim, Socotra, the former Yemen Arab Republic (YAR or North Yemen), and the former People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY or South Yemen)
_#_Comparative area: a bit more than twice the size of Wyoming
_#_Land boundaries: 1,746 km total; Oman 288 km, Saudi Arabia 1,458 km
_#_Coastline: 1,906 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: North—18 nautical miles; South—24 nautical miles;
Continental shelf: North—200 meters (depth); South—edge of continental margin or 200 nautical miles;
Exclusive economic zone: North—no claim; South 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: unclear section of the border with Saudi Arabia; Administrative Line with Oman
_#_Climate: desert; hot and humid along the west coast; mild in the western mountains; extremely hot, dry, and harsh desert in the east
_#_Terrain: a narrow coastal plain backed by flat-topped hills and rugged mountains; dissected upland desert plains in the center slope down into the desert interior of the Arabian Peninsula.
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, fish, rock salt, marble; small deposits of coal, gold, lead, nickel, and copper; fertile soil in the west
_#_Land use: arable land 6%; permanent crops negligible%; meadows and pastures 30%; forest and woodland 7%; other 57%; includes irrigated negligible%
_#_Environment: affected by sand and dust storms in the summer; limited natural freshwater resources; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
_#_Note: controls Bab el Mandeb, the strait connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, which is one of the world's busiest shipping routes.
_*People #_Population: 10,062,633 (July 1991), growth rate 3.2% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 51 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 16 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 3 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 121 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 49 years for males, 51 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 7.4 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Yemeni(s); adjective—Yemeni
_#_Ethnic divisions: North—Arab 90%, Afro-Arab (mixed) 10%; South—almost all Arabs; a few Indians, Somalis, and Europeans
_#_Religion: North—100% Muslim (Sunni and Shia); South—Sunni Muslim, with some Christians and Hindus.
_#_Language: Arabic
_#_Literacy: 38% (male 53%, female 26%) ages 15 and up can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: North—NA number of workers in agriculture and herding is 70%, and expatriate laborers are 30% (estimate); South—477,000 with agriculture 45.2%, services 21.2%, construction 13.4%, industry 10.6%, commerce and others 9.6% (1983)
_#_Organized labor:
North—NA;
South—348,200 and the General Confederation of Workers of the
People's Democratic Republic of Yemen had 35,000 members
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Yemen
_#_Type: republic
_#_Capital: Sanaa
_#_Administrative divisions: 17 governorates (muhafazat, singular—muhafazah); Abyan, Aden, Al Bayda, Al Hudaydah, Al Jawf, Al Mahrah, Al Mahwit, Dhamar, Hadramaut, Hajjah, Ibb, Lahij, Marib, Saada, Sana'a, Shabwa, Taizz
_#_Independence: The Republic of Yemen was established on May 22, 1990, when the Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen] merged with the Marxist-led People's Democratic Republic of Yemen [Yemen (Aden) or South Yemen]. North Yemen had previously gained independence on November 30, 1918 (from the Ottoman Empire), while South Yemen became independent on November 30, 1967 (from the UK). The union is set to be strengthened during a 30-month transition period, which aligns with the remaining five-year terms of both legislatures.
_#_Constitution: 16 April 1991
_#_Legal system: based on Islamic law, Turkish law, English common law, and local customary law; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Proclamation of the Republic, May 22 (1990)
_#_Executive branch: a five-member Presidential Council (president, vice president, two members from northern Yemen, and one member from southern Yemen), prime minister
_#_Legislative branch: one-chamber House of Representatives; note—northern Yemen's Consultative Assembly (Majlis Chura) and southern Yemen's Supreme People's Council (Majlis al-Shab al-Ala) will merge to create the new one-chamber House of Representatives
_#_Judicial branch: North—State Security Court; South—Federal High Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government President Ali Abdallah
SALIH (since May 22, 1990, the former president of North Yemen); Vice
President Ali Salim al-BIDH (since May 22, 1990, secretary general of the
Yemeni Socialist Party); Presidential Council Member Salim Salih
MUHAMMED (southern Yemen); Presidential Council Member Kadi Abdul-Karim
al-ARASHI (northern Yemen); Presidential Council Member Abdul-Aziz
ABDUL-GHANI (northern Yemen); Prime Minister Haydar Abu Bakr
al-ATTAS (since May 22, 1990, former president of South Yemen)
_#_Political parties and leaders: General People's Congress, Ali Abdallah SALIH; Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP; previously South Yemen's ruling party—a coalition of the National Front, Ba'ath, and Communist Parties), Ali Salim al-BIDH
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
House of Representatives—last held NA (next to be held 26-27 May, 12 June, and 24 July 1991); results—percent of vote NA; seats—(301); number of seats by party NA; note—the 301 members of the new House of Representatives will come from North Yemen's Consultative Assembly (159 members), South Yemen's Supreme People's Council (111 members), and appointments by the New Presidential Council (31 members)
_#_Communists: small group in the North, larger but unspecified number in the South
_#_Other political or pressure groups: conservative tribal groups, Muslim Brotherhood, leftist factions—pro-Iraqi Ba'athists, Nasserists, National Democratic Front (NDF)
_#_Member of: ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, ESCWA, FAO, G-77,
IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Muhsin Ahmad al-AYNI; Chancery at Suite 840, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20037; telephone (202) 965-4760 or 4761; there is a Yemeni Consulate General in Detroit and a Consulate in San Francisco;
US—Ambassador Charles F. DUNBAR; Embassy at Dhahr Himyar Zone,
Sheraton Hotel District, Sanaa (mailing address is P. O. Box 22347 Sanaa,
Republic of Yemen or Sanaa—Department of State, Washington, D. C.
20521-6330); telephone [967] (2) 238-842 through 238-852
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; similar to the flag of Syria, which features two green stars, and Iraq, which has three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) arranged in a horizontal line in the white band; also similar to the flag of Egypt, which displays a symbolic eagle centered in the white band.
_*Economy #_Overview: While the northern city of Sanaa serves as the political capital of a unified Yemen, the southern city of Aden, with its refinery and port facilities, is the economic and commercial capital. Future economic growth relies significantly on Western-supported development of promising oil resources. South Yemen's readiness to merge was partly driven by the consistent decline in Soviet economic support.
North—The low level of domestic industry and agriculture has made northern Yemen reliant on imports for nearly all its essential needs. Large trade deficits have been offset by remittances from Yemenis working abroad and foreign aid. Once self-sufficient in food production, northern Yemen has become a major importer. Land that was once used for export crops—cotton, fruit, and vegetables—has been repurposed for growing qat, a mildly narcotic shrub that Yemenis chew and has no significant export market. Oil export revenues began coming in late 1987 and boosted 1988 earnings by about $800 million.
South—This has been one of the poorest Arab countries, with a per capita GNP of about $500. A shortage of natural resources, a widely dispersed population, and a dry climate have made economic development challenging. The economy has grown at an average annual rate of only 2-3% since the mid-1970s. It has been structured along socialist lines, with a focus on the public sector. Economic growth has been limited by a lack of incentives, which partly comes from centralized control over production decisions, investment distribution, and import choices.
_GDP: $5.3 billion, per capita $545; real growth rate NA% (1990 est.)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices):
North—16.9% (1988);
South—0% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate:
North—13% (1986);
South—NA%
_#_Budget:
North—revenues $1.4 billion; expenses $2.2 billion, including capital expenses of $590 million (1988 est.);
South—revenues and grants $435 million; expenditures $1.0 billion, including capital expenditure of $460 million (1988 est.)
_#_Exports:
North—$606 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—crude oil, cotton, coffee, leather, vegetables;
partners—FRG 29%, US 26%, Netherlands 12%;
South—$113.8 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—cotton, hides, leather, dried and salted fish;
partners—Japan, North Yemen, Italy
_#_Imports:
North—$1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities—textiles and other manufactured consumer goods, petroleum products, sugar, grain, flour, other food items, and cement;
partners—Saudi Arabia 12%, France 6%, US 5%, Australia 5% (1985);
South—$553.9 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—grain, consumer products, crude oil, machinery, chemicals;
partners—USSR, UK, Ethiopia
_#_External debt: $5.75 billion (December 1989 estimate)
_#_Industrial production:
North—growth rate 2% in manufacturing (1988);
South—growth rate NA% in manufacturing
_#_Electricity: 670,000 kW capacity; 1.1 billion kWh produced, 110 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: crude oil production and petroleum refining; small-scale production of cotton textiles and leather goods; food processing; handicrafts; fishing; small aluminum products factory; cement
_#_Agriculture:
North—contributed 26% of GDP and employed 70% of the workforce; agricultural products—grains, fruits, vegetables, qat (a mildly narcotic plant), coffee, cotton, dairy, poultry, meat, goat meat; not self-sufficient in grain;
South—made up 17% of GNP and 45% of the workforce; products—grains, qat (a mildly narcotic shrub), coffee, fish, livestock; fish and honey are major exports; most food is imported.
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $389 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.9 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $3.2 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $2.4 billion
_#_Currency:
North Yemeni riyal (plural—riyals); 1 North Yemeni riyal
(YR) = 100 fils;
South Yemeni dinar (plural—dinars); 1 South Yemeni dinar
(YD) = 1,000 fils
_#_Exchange rates:
North Yemeni riyals (YR) per US$1—9.7600 (January 1990), 9.7600 (1989), 9.7717 (1988), 10.3417 (1987), 9.6392 (1986), 7.3633 (1985);
South Yemeni dinars (YD) per US$1—0.3454 (fixed rate)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Roads: 15,500 km; 4,000 km paved, 11,500 km unpaved (est.)
# Pipelines: crude oil, 424 km; refined products, 32 km
_#_Ports: Aden, Al Hudaydah, Al Khalf, Mocha, Nishtun, Ras Kathib, Salif
_#_Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,309 GRT/6,568 DWT; includes 2 cargo ships, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker
_#_Civil air: 15 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 49 total, 40 available for use; 10 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 20 with runways between 2,440 and 3,659 m; 12 with runways between 1,220 and 2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: the North has a limited but improving system with new radio relay and cable networks, while the South has a small setup of open-wire, radio relay, multiconductor cable, and radio communications stations; approximately 65,000 telephones; stations—4 AM, no FM, 22 TV; satellite earth stations—2 for Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 for Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 for Intersputnik, 2 for ARABSAT; radio relay to Saudi Arabia and Djibouti.
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,906,887; 1,084,122 eligible for military service; 134,158 reach military age (14) each year
_#Defense spending: $1.06 billion, 20% of GDP (1990) % @Yugoslavia *Geography #_Total area: 255,800 km2; land area: 255,400 km2
_#_Comparative area: a bit bigger than Wyoming
_#_Land boundaries: 2,961 km total; Albania 486 km, Austria 311 km, Bulgaria 539 km, Greece 246 km, Hungary 631 km, Italy 202 km, Romania 546 km
_#_Coastline: 3,935 km (which includes 2,414 km of offshore islands)
_#_Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to the depth of resource extraction;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: The Kosovo issue with Albania; the Macedonia issue with Bulgaria and Greece
_#_Climate: mild; hot, fairly dry summers with cool, rainy winters by the coast; warm summers with cold winters inland
_#_Terrain: mostly mountains with extensive karst landscapes; plain in the north
_#_Natural resources: coal, copper, bauxite, timber, iron ore, antimony, chromium, lead, zinc, asbestos, mercury, crude oil, natural gas, nickel, uranium
_#_Land use: arable land 28%; permanent crops 3%; meadows and pastures 25%; forest and woodland 36%; other 8%; includes irrigated 1%
_#_Environment: prone to frequent and devastating earthquakes
_#_Note: controls the most important land routes from central and western Europe to the Aegean Sea and Turkish straits
_*People #_Population: 23,976,040 (July 1991), growth rate 0.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 14 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 9 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 21 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 70 years for males, 76 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.9 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Yugoslav(s); adjective—Yugoslav
_#_Ethnic divisions: Serb 36.3%, Croat 19.7%, Muslim 8.9%, Slovene 7.8%, Albanian 7.7%, Macedonian 5.9%, Yugoslav 5.4%, Montenegrin 2.5%, Hungarian 1.9%, other 3.9% (1981 census)
_#_Religion: Eastern Orthodox 50%, Roman Catholic 30%, Muslim 9%, Protestant 1%, other 10%
_#_Language: Serbo-Croatian, Slovene, Macedonian (all official); Albanian, Hungarian
_#_Literacy: 90% (male 96%, female 84%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1981)
_#_Labor force: 9,600,000; agriculture 22%, mining and manufacturing 27%; about 5% of the labor force are guest workers in Western Europe (1986)
_#_Organized labor: a seriously divided labor movement, lacking a unified national labor federation; several states have conflicting union federations operating within their borders.
_*Government #_Full name: Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia; abbreviated SFRY
_#_Type: federal republic; four out of six republics have non-Communist governments
_#_Capital: Belgrade
_#_Administrative divisions: 6 republics (republike, singular—republika); Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, Macedonia, Slovenia, Serbia; note—there are two nominally autonomous provinces (autonomne pokajine, singular—autonomna pokajina) within Serbia—Kosovo and Vojvodina
_#_Independence: December 1, 1918; an independent monarchy was established from the Kingdoms of Serbia and Montenegro, parts of the Turkish Empire, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire; the SFRY was proclaimed on November 29, 1945.
_#_Constitution: February 21, 1974, amendments to the Constitution have been approved by the Federal Assembly and are currently under review at the republic level.
_#_Legal system: a mix of civil law and Communist legal theory; has not accepted mandatory ICJ jurisdiction; a new legal code is being developed
_#_National holiday: Proclamation of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, November 29 (1945)
_#_Executive branch: president of the Presidency, vice president of the Presidency, Presidency, president of the Federal Executive Council, two vice presidents of the Federal Executive Council, Federal Executive Council
_#_Legislative branch: the bicameral Federal (Skupstina) has an upper chamber called the Chamber of Republics and Provinces (Vece Republika i Pokrajina) and a lower chamber known as the Federal Chamber.
_#_Judicial branch: Federal Court, Constitutional Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President of the Presidency Stjepan MESIC from Croatia, one-year term expires May 15, 1992; Vice President of the Presidency Branko KOSTIC from Montenegro, one-year term expires May 15, 1992; note—the positions of president and vice president rotate annually among the members of the Presidency, with the current vice president taking over the presidency and a new vice president chosen from the area that has gone the longest without filling the position (the current sequence is Croatia, Montenegro, Vojvodina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, and Serbia);
Head of Government—President of the Federal Executive Council
Ante MARKOVIC (since March 16, 1989); Vice President of the Federal
Executive Council Aleksandar MITROVIC (since March 16, 1989);
Vice President of the Federal Executive Council Zivko PREGL
(since March 16, 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders: there are more than 100 political parties active, some operating only in one republic and others across the entire country.
_#_Suffrage: at 16 if working, universal at 18
_#_Elections: direct federal elections might never take place due to disagreements among the republics regarding the future structure of Yugoslavia.
_#_Other political or pressure groups: there are no national political groups; all major groups are found within the republics
_#_Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), BIS, CCC, CERN (observer),
CSCE, ECE, FAO, G-9, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer),
ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OECD (special), PCA, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Dzevad MUJEZINOVIC; Chancery at 2410 California Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 462-6566; there are Yugoslav Consulates General in Chicago, Cleveland, New York, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco;
US—Ambassador Warren ZIMMERMAN; mailing address Box 5070, Belgrade or APO New York 09213-5070; telephone [38] (11) 645-655; there is a US Consulate General in Zagreb
_#_Flag: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and red with a large red five-pointed star outlined in yellow placed in the center over all three bands
_*Economy #_Overview: For 20 years, Communist Yugoslavia had been trying to move away from the Stalinist command economy and adopt a decentralized semi-market system that included worker self-management councils in all large factories. This mixed system was on the brink of collapse in late 1989 when inflation skyrocketed. The government implemented shock therapy in 1990 under an IMF standby program that imposed strict controls on monetary expansion, a wage freeze, pegging the dinar to the deutsche mark, and a partial price freeze on energy, transportation, and communal services. This program successfully halted hyperinflation and encouraged increased foreign investment. Since June 1990, however, inflation has rebounded and poses a risk of rising further in 1991. The estimated annual inflation for 1990 is 164%. Other significant issues persist: rising unemployment, poor quality of industrial output, and stark income disparities between the poorer southern regions and the relatively affluent northern areas. Nevertheless, political issues significantly overshadow economic problems in terms of importance.
_GNP: $120.1 billion, per person $5,040; actual growth rate - 6.3% (1990 est.)_
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 164% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 16% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $6.4 billion; expenditures $6.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990)
_#_Exports: $13.3 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—raw materials and semimanufactures 50%, consumer goods 31%, capital goods and equipment 19%;
partners—EC 53%, USSR and Eastern Europe 27%, less developed countries 12.9%, US 4.8%, other 2.3%
_#_Imports: $17.6 billion (cost, insurance, and freight, 1990 estimate);
commodities—raw materials and semi-manufactured goods 79%, capital goods and equipment 15%, consumer goods 6%;
partners—EC 53.5%, USSR and Eastern Europe 22.8%, less developed countries 15.4%, US 4.6%, other 3.7%
_#_External debt: $18.0 billion, medium and long term (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 10.9% (1990)
_#_Electricity: 21,000,000 kW capacity; 83,400 million kWh produced, 3,500 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: metalworking, machinery and equipment, oil, chemicals, textiles, wood processing, food production, pulp and paper, automobiles, construction materials
_#_Agriculture: varied, with many small private farms and large corporations; main crops—corn, wheat, tobacco, sugar beets, sunflowers; sometimes a net exporter of corn, tobacco, food products, live animals
_#_Economic aid: donor—about $3.5 billion in bilateral aid to non-Communist developing countries (1966-89)
_#_Currency: Yugoslav dinar (plural—dinars); 1 Yugoslav dinar (YD) = 100 paras; note—on January 1, 1990, Yugoslavia started issuing a new currency with 1 new dinar equal to 10,000 YD
_#_Exchange rates: Yugoslav dinars (YD) per US$1—13,605 (January 1991), 11,318 (1990), 2,876 (1989), 0.252 (1988), 0.074 (1987), 0.038 (1986), 0.027 (1985); note—as of January 1991, the new dinar is linked to the German deutsche mark at the rate of 9 new dinars per 1 deutsche mark.
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 9,349 km total; (all 1.435-meter standard gauge) including 931 km of double track, 3,760 km electrified (1988)
_#_Highways: 122,062 km total; 73,527 km paved with asphalt, concrete, or stone block; 33,663 km made of macadam, asphalt-treated, gravel, or crushed stone; 14,872 km dirt (1988)
_#_Inland waterways: 2,600 km (1982)
_#_Pipelines: 1,373 km crude oil; 2,900 km natural gas; 150 km refined products
_#_Ports: Rijeka, Split, Koper, Bar, Ploce; the inland port is Belgrade
_#_Merchant marine: 277 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 3,780,095 GRT/6,031,359 DWT; includes 3 passenger ships, 4 short-sea passenger ships, 133 cargo ships, 5 refrigerated cargo ships, 19 container ships, 10 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, 3 multifunction large-load carriers, 9 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 3 chemical tankers, 2 combination ore/oil ships, 75 bulk carriers, 11 combination bulk ships; note—Yugoslavia owns 13 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 253,400 GRT/429,613 DWT under the registries of Liberia, Panama, and Cyprus.
# Civil air: 57 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 179 total, 179 usable; 54 with paved runways; none with runways longer than 3,659 m; 23 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 20 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: 1.6 million telephones (97% automatic); 7,500 public phone booths; stations—85 AM, 69 FM, 103 TV; 4.65 million radios; 4.1 million TVs (1990); 92% of the country watches the top TV show (1990)
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Yugoslav People's Army—Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Frontier Guard, Territorial Defense Force, Civil Defense
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 6,176,693; 5,001,024 eligible for military service; 189,886 turn 19 (military age) each year
_#Defense spending: 70.85 billion dinars, 4-6% of GDP (1991 est.); note—using the official exchange rate to convert defense spending into US dollars may lead to inaccurate results % @Zaire *Geography #_Total area: 2,345,410 km2; land area: 2,267,600 km2
_#_Comparative area: just a bit more than a quarter the size of the US
_#_Land boundaries: 10,271 km total; Angola 2,511 km, Burundi 233 km, Central African Republic 1,577 km, Congo 2,410 km, Rwanda 217 km, Sudan 628 km, Uganda 765 km, Zambia 1,930 km
_#_Coastline: 37 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: The Tanzania-Zaire-Zambia tripoint in Lake Tanganyika may no longer be unclear, as reports indicate that the uncertain part of the Zaire-Zambia border has been resolved; however, the lengthy section along the Congo River remains unresolved (no divisions of the river or its islands have been established).
_#_Climate: tropical; hot and humid in the equatorial river basin; cooler and drier in the southern highlands; cooler and wetter in the eastern highlands; north of the Equator—wet season from April to October, dry season from December to February; south of the Equator—wet season from November to March, dry season from April to October
_#_Terrain: a large central basin is a flat area; mountains to the east
_#_Natural resources: cobalt, copper, cadmium, crude oil, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, germanium, uranium, radium, bauxite, iron ore, coal, hydropower potential
_#_Land use: arable land 3%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and woodland 78%; other 15%; includes irrigated 0%
_#_Environment: thick tropical rainforest in the central river basin and eastern highlands; occasional droughts in the south
_#_Note: It straddles the Equator; a very narrow strip of land is the only way to the South Atlantic Ocean.
_*People #_Population: 37,832,407 (July 1991), growth rate 3.3% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 46 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 13 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants per 1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 99 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 52 years for males, 56 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.2 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Zairian(s); adjective—Zairian
_#_Ethnic divisions: over 200 African ethnic groups, with most being Bantu; the four largest tribes—Mongo, Luba, Kongo (all Bantu), and the Mangbetu-Azande (Hamitic)—account for about 45% of the population.
_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other blended sects and traditional beliefs 10%
_#_Language: French (official), Lingala, Swahili, Kingwana, Kikongo, Tshiluba
_#_Literacy: 72% (male 84%, female 61%) of people age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 15,000,000; agriculture 75%, industry 13%, services 12%; wage earners 13% (1981); population of working age 51% (1985)
_#_Organized labor: The National Union of Zairian Workers (UNTZA) was the only officially recognized trade union until April 1990; other unions are currently working towards gaining official recognition.
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Zaire
_#_Type: republic with a strong presidential system
_#_Capital: Kinshasa
_#_Administrative divisions: 10 regions (regions, singular—region) and 1 city* (ville); Bandundu, Bas-Zaire, Equateur, Haut-Zaire, Kasai-Occidental, Kasai-Oriental, Kinshasa*, Maniema, Nord-Kivu, Shaba, Sud-Kivu
_#_Independence: June 30, 1960 (from Belgium; previously Belgian Congo, then Congo/Leopoldville, and later Congo/Kinshasa)
_#_Constitution: June 24, 1967, amended August 1974, revised February 15, 1978; amended 1990; new constitution to be introduced in 1991
_#_Legal system: based on the Belgian civil law system and tribal law; has not accepted mandatory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Anniversary of the Regime (Second Republic), 24 November (1965)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Executive Council (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council (Legislative Council)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Supreme Court)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Marshal MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa
Za Banga (since November 24, 1965);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Bernadin MUNGUL DIAKA (since October 23, 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: the only legal party until January 1991 was the Popular Movement of the Revolution (MPR); other parties include the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), Etienne TSHISEKEDI wa Mulumba; the Democratic Social Christian Party (PDSC), the Union of Federalists and Independent Republicans (UFERI); and the Congolese National Movement-Lumumba (MNC-L)
# Suffrage: universal and mandatory at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 29 July 1984 (next to be held before December 1991); results—President MOBUTU was reelected without any opposition;
Legislative Council—last held on September 6, 1987 (next one scheduled for 1991, likely to be on a multiparty basis); results—the MPR was the only party; seats—(210 total) MPR 210; note—the MPR still holds the majority of seats, but some deputies have switched to other parties.
_#_Communists: no Communist party
_#_Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, APC, CCC, CEEAC, CEPGL, CIPEC, ECA,
FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO,
IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador TATANENE Manata; Chancery at 1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 234-7690 or 7691;
US—Ambassador Melissa F. WELLS; Embassy at 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa (mailing address is APO New York 09662); telephone [243] (12) 21532; there is a US Consulate General in Lubumbashi
_#_Flag: light green with a yellow circle in the center featuring a black arm holding a red flaming torch; the flames of the torch are blowing away from the side near the pole; it uses the well-known pan-African colors of Ethiopia
_*Economy #_Overview: In 1990, despite having vast mineral resources and one of the most advanced and varied economies in Sub-Saharan Africa, Zaire had a GDP per capita of only about $200, which was among the lowest on the continent. The country's ongoing economic issues intensified in 1990, with copper production dropping 20% to its lowest level in 20 years, inflation soaring near 250% compared to 100% from 1987-89, and support from the IMF and most World Bank programs suspended until agreed-upon reforms were implemented. Agriculture, a crucial sector of the economy, employs 75% of the population but contributes less than 25% to GDP. The main opportunity for economic growth lies in the extractive industries. Mining and mineral processing make up about one-third of GDP and two-thirds of total export earnings. Zaire is the world's largest producer of diamonds.
_GDP: $6.6 billion, per capita $180; real growth rate - 2% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 242% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $685 million; expenditures $1.1 billion, does not include capital expenses mostly funded by donors (1990)
_#_Exports: $2.2 billion (free on board, 1989 est.);
commodities—copper 37%, coffee 24%, diamonds 12%, cobalt, crude oil;
partners—US, Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, UK, Japan, South Africa
_#_Imports: $2.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—consumer goods, food items, mining and other machinery, transportation equipment, fuels;
partners—South Africa, US, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK
_#_External debt: $7.9 billion (December 1990 estimate)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate - 3.1%; makes up 30% of GDP (1988)
_#_Electricity: 2,575,000 kW capacity; 5,550 million kWh produced, 150 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: mining, mineral processing, consumer products (including clothing, shoes, and cigarettes), packaged foods and drinks, cement, diamonds
_#_Agriculture: cash crops—coffee, palm oil, rubber, quinine; food crops—cassava, bananas, root vegetables, corn
_#_Illicit drugs: illegal cannabis producer, primarily for local use
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.1 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $6.4 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $35 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $263 million
_#_Currency: zaire (plural—zaire); 1 zaire (Z) = 100 makuta
# Exchange rates: zaire (Z) per US$1—2,113.55 (January 1991), 718.58 (1990), 381.445 (1989), 187.070 (1988), 112.403 (1987), 59.625 (1986), 49.873 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 5,254 km total; 3,968 km of 1.067-meter gauge (851 km electrified); 125 km of 1.000-meter gauge; 136 km of 0.615-meter gauge; 1,025 km of 0.600-meter gauge
_#_Highways: 146,500 km total; 2,550 km paved, 46,450 km gravel and upgraded earth; the rest is unpaved earth
_#_Inland waterways: 15,000 km, including the Congo, its tributaries, and unrelated lakes
_#_Pipelines: refined products 390 km
_#_Ports: Matadi, Boma, Banana
_#_Merchant marine: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or more) totaling 41,802 GRT/60,496 DWT; includes 1 passenger cargo ship and 3 cargo ships.
_#_Civil air: 38 main passenger planes
_#_Airports: 308 total, 255 operational; 24 with permanent runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways between 2,440-3,659 m; 71 with runways between 1,220-2,439 m.
_#_Telecommunications: barely sufficient wire and radio relay service; 31,200 telephones; stations—10 AM, 4 FM, 18 TV; satellite earth stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 14 domestic
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary National Gendarmerie, paramilitary Civil Guard
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 8,240,412; 4,192,991 eligible for military service
_#Defense spending: $49 million, 0.8% of GDP (1988) % @Zambia *Geography #_Total area: 752,610 km²; land area: 740,720 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than Texas
_#_Land boundaries: 5,664 km total; Angola 1,110 km, Malawi 837 km, Mozambique 419 km, Namibia 233 km, Tanzania 338 km, Zaire 1,930 km, Zimbabwe 797 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Disputes: The quadripoint with Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement; the tripoint of Tanzania, Zaire, and Zambia in Lake Tanganyika may no longer be indefinite since it's reported that the indefinite section of the Zaire-Zambia boundary has been resolved.
_#_Climate: tropical; altered by altitude; rainy season (October to April)
_#_Terrain: mostly a high plateau with a few hills and mountains
_#_Natural resources: copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium, hydropower potential
_#_Land use: arable land 7%; permanent crops negligible%; meadows and pastures 47%; forest and woodland 27%; other 19%; includes irrigated negligible%
_#_Environment: deforestation; soil erosion; desertification
_#_Note: landlocked
_*People #_Population: 8,445,724 (July 1991), growth rate 3.5% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 49 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 12 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 2 migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 79 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 55 years for males, 58 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 6.9 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Zambian(s); adjective—Zambian
_#_Ethnic divisions: African 98.7%, European 1.1%, other 0.2%
_#_Religion: Christian 50-75%, Muslim and Hindu, remainder indigenous beliefs 1%
_#_Language: English (official); around 70 indigenous languages
_#_Literacy: 73% (male 81%, female 65%) of people aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 2,455,000; 85% agriculture; 6% mining, manufacturing, and construction; 9% transportation and services
_#_Organized labor: around 238,000 workers are part of a union
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Zambia
_#_Type: multiparty system; on December 17, 1990, President Kenneth KAUNDA signed the constitutional amendment that officially restored the multiparty system in Zambia, ending 17 years of one-party rule.
_#_Capital: Lusaka
_#_Administrative divisions: 9 provinces; Central, Copperbelt, Eastern, Luapula, Lusaka, Northern, North-Western, Southern, Western
_#_Independence: October 24, 1964 (from the UK; formerly Northern Rhodesia)
_#_Constitution: 25 August 1973
_#_Legal system: based on English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in an ad hoc constitutional council; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, October 24 (1964)
_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President Dr. Kenneth David KAUNDA (since October 24, 1964);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Gen. Malimba MASHEKE (since March 15, 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
United National Independence Party (UNIP), Kenneth KAUNDA;
Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), Frederick CHILUBA;
National Democratic Alliance (NADA), leader NA;
Democratic Party, leader NA; note—the first Extraordinary
Congress of UNIP started on 6 August 1991
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 26 October 1988 (next to be held mid-1991); results—President Kenneth KAUNDA was reelected with no opposition;
National Assembly—last held October 26, 1988 (next to be held mid-1991); results—UNIP was the only party; seats—(136 total, 125 elected) UNIP 125
_#_Communists: no Communist party
_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, FLS, G-19, G-77, GATT,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU,
LORCS, NAM, OAU, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU,
WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Paul J. F. LUSAKA; Chancery at 2419 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 265-9717 through 9721;
US—Ambassador Gordon L. STREET; Embassy located at the corner of Independence Avenue and United Nations Avenue, Lusaka (mailing address is P. O. Box 31617, Lusaka); phone numbers [2601] 228-595, 228-596, 228-598, 228-601, 228-602, 228-603, 251-419
_#_Flag: green with a panel of three vertical stripes of red (hoist side), black, and orange beneath a soaring orange eagle, on the outer edge of the flag
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy has been on a downward trend for over a decade, with decreasing imports and increasing foreign debt. The economic struggles are due to a long-term drop in copper production and poor economic policies. In 1990, real GDP was only slightly higher than it was 10 years earlier, while an annual population growth rate over 3% has resulted in a 25% decline in per capita GDP during that same period. A high inflation rate has also contributed to Zambia's economic challenges in recent years.
_#_GDP: $4.7 billion, per person $580; actual growth rate - 2% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 80% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: Revenues $1.5 billion; expenditures $1.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $300 million (1991 est.)
_#_Exports: $1.1 million (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—copper, zinc, cobalt, lead, tobacco;
partners—EC, Japan, South Africa, US
_#_Imports: $1.1 million (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—machinery, transportation equipment, food, fuels, products;
partners—EC, Japan, South Africa, US
_#_External debt: $7.2 billion (December 1990)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 2.9% (1990); makes up one-third of GDP
_#_Electricity: 1,900,000 kW capacity; 8,245 million kWh produced, 1,050 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: copper mining and processing, transportation, construction, food products, beverages, chemicals, textiles, and fertilizers
_#_Agriculture: makes up 15% of GDP and employs 85% of the labor force; crops—corn (staple food), sorghum, rice, peanuts, sunflower, tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, cassava; cattle, goats, beef, eggs; mostly self-sufficient in corn
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (1970-89), $484 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $4.5 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $60 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $533 million
_#_Currency: Zambian kwacha (plural—kwacha); 1 Zambian kwacha (ZK) = 100 ngwee
_#_Exchange rates: Zambian kwacha (ZK) per US$1—43.2900 (January 1991), 28.9855 (1990), 12.9032 (1989), 8.2237 (1988), 8.8889 (1987), 7.3046 (1986), 2.7137 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 1,266 km, all 1.067-meter gauge; 13 km of double track
_#_Highways: 36,370 km total; 6,500 km paved, 7,000 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized soil; 22,870 km improved and unimproved dirt road
_#_Inland waterways: 2,250 km, including the Zambezi and Luapula Rivers, Lake Tanganyika
_#_Pipelines: 1,724 km crude oil
_#_Ports: Mpulungu (lake port)
_#_Civil air: 6 main transport planes
_#_Airports: 121 total, 106 usable; 13 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 12,000 ft; 4 with runways 8,000-12,000 ft; 23 with runways 4,000-8,000 ft
_#_Telecommunications: the facilities are among the best in Sub-Saharan Africa; high-capacity radio relays connect most major towns and cities; 71,700 telephones; stations—11 AM, 3 FM, 9 TV; satellite earth stations—1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Air Force, Police, paramilitary
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 1,755,585; 920,878 eligible for military service
_#Defense spending: $NA, NA% of GDP % @Zimbabwe *Geography #_Total area: 390,580 km²; land area: 386,670 km²
_#_Comparative area: a bit larger than Montana
_#_Land boundaries: 3,066 km total; Botswana 813 km, Mozambique 1,231 km, South Africa 225 km, Zambia 797 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_Disputes: the quadripoint with Botswana, Namibia, and Zambia is in conflict
_#_Climate: tropical; adjusted by altitude; rainy season (November to March)
_#_Terrain: primarily a high plateau with a higher central plateau (high veld); mountains to the east
_#_Natural resources: coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore, vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals
_#_Land use: arable land 7%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 12%; forest and woodland 62%; other 19%; includes irrigated NEGL%
_#_Environment: ongoing droughts; floods and severe storms are uncommon; deforestation; soil erosion; air and water pollution
_#_Note: landlocked
_*People #_Population: 10,720,459 (July 1991), growth rate 2.9% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 41 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 8 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 3 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 61 deaths per 1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 60 years for males, 64 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 5.6 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Zimbabwean(s); adjective—Zimbabwean
_#_Ethnic divisions: African 98% (Shona 71%, Ndebele 16%, other 11%); white 1%, mixed, and Asian 1%
_#_Religion: a mix of Christian and indigenous beliefs (50%), Christian only (25%), indigenous beliefs (24%), with a few Muslims
_#_Language: English (official); Shona, Sindebele
_#_Literacy: 67% (male 74%, female 60%) of those aged 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
_#_Labor force: 3,100,000; agriculture 74%, transport and services 16%, mining, manufacturing, construction 10% (1987)
_#_Organized labor: 17% of wage and salary workers are union members
_*Government #_Long-form name: Republic of Zimbabwe
_#_Type: parliamentary democracy
_#_Capital: Harare
_#_Administrative divisions: 8 provinces; Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Masvingo (Victoria), Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Midlands
_#_Independence: April 18, 1980 (from the UK; formerly Southern Rhodesia)
_#_Constitution: 21 December 1979
_#_Legal system: a blend of Roman-Dutch law and English common law
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, April 18, 1980
_#_Executive branch: executive president, 2 vice presidents, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—Executive President Robert
Gabriel MUGABE (since December 31, 1987);
Co-Vice President Simon Vengai MUZENDA (since December 31, 1987);
Co-Vice President Joshua M. NKOMO (since August 6, 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), Robert MUGABE;
Zimbabwe African National Union-Sithole (ZANU-S), Ndabaningi SITHOLE;
Zimbabwe Unity Movement (ZUM), Edgar TEKERE
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Executive President—last held March 28-30, 1990 (next to be held March NA 1995); results—Robert MUGABE 78.3%; Edgar TEKERE 21.7%;
Parliament—last held 28-30 March 1990 (next to be held NA March 1995); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(150 total, 120 elected) ZANU 117, ZUM 2, ZANU-S 1
_#_Communists: no Communist party
_#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, FLS, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, PCA, SADCC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Counselor (Political Affairs), Head of Chancery, Ambassador Stanislaus Garikai CHIGWEDERE; Chancery at 2852 McGill Terrace NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 332-7100;
US—Ambassador (vacant); Embassy at 172 Herbert Chitapo Avenue, Harare (mailing address is P. O. Box 3340, Harare); telephone [263] (4) 794-521
_#_Flag: seven equal horizontal bands of green, yellow, red, black, red, yellow, and green with a white equilateral triangle outlined in black on the hoist side; a yellow Zimbabwe bird is placed over a red five-pointed star in the center of the triangle
_*Economy #_Overview: Agriculture employs three-quarters of the workforce and provides nearly 40% of exports. The manufacturing sector, which relies on agriculture and mining, produces a range of products and contributes 35% to GDP. Mining makes up only 5% of both GDP and employment, but mineral and metal supplies represent about 40% of exports. Significant year-to-year fluctuations in agricultural output over the past six years have led to inconsistent growth rates, which on average kept pace with the 3% annual population increase.
_GDP: $5.6 billion, per person $540; actual growth rate 4.2% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 13% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: at least 20% (estimated in 1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $2.7 billion; expenditures $3.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $330 million (FY91)
_#_Exports: $1.7 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—agricultural 35% (tobacco 20%, other 15%), manufactures 20%, gold 10%, ferrochrome 10%, cotton 5%;
partners—Europe 55% (EC 40%, Netherlands 5%, other 10%), Africa 20% (South Africa 10%, other 10%), US 5%
_#_Imports: $1.4 billion (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—machinery and transportation equipment 37%, other manufactures 22%, chemicals 16%, fuels 15%;
partners—EC 31%, Africa 29% (South Africa 21%, other 8%), US 8%, Japan 4%
_#_External debt: $2.96 billion (estimated December 1989)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 4.7% (1988 estimate); makes up 35% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 2,036,000 kW capacity; 5,460 million kWh produced, 540 kWh per person (1989)
_#_Industries: mining, steel, apparel and footwear, chemicals, food products, fertilizers, beverages, transportation equipment, wood products
_#_Agriculture: makes up about 15% of GDP and provides jobs for 74% of the population; 40% of land is divided into 4,500 large commercial farms and 42% is communal land; crops include corn (food staple), cotton, tobacco, wheat, coffee, sugarcane, and peanuts; livestock consists of cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs; self-sufficient in food
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY80-89), $389 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $2.3 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $36 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $134 million
_#_Currency: Zimbabwean dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Zimbabwean dollar (Z$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Zimbabwean dollars (Z$) per US$1—2.6724 (January 1991), 2.4480 (1990), 2.1133 (1989), 1.8018 (1988), 1.6611 (1987), 1.6650 (1986), 1.6119 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Railroads: 2,745 km of 1.067-meter gauge; 42 km of double track; 355 km electrified
_#_Highways: 85,237 km total; 15,800 km paved, 39,090 km crushed stone, gravel, stabilized soil: 23,097 km improved earth; 7,250 km unimproved earth
_#_Inland waterways: Lake Kariba could serve as a valuable route for transportation
_#_Pipelines: 8 km, refined products
_#_Civil air: 12 major transport planes
_#_Airports: 499 total, 415 usable; 23 with paved runways; 2 with runways over 12,000 ft; 3 with runways between 8,000-12,000 ft; 35 with runways between 4,000-8,000 ft
_#_Telecommunications: The system used to be one of the best in Africa, but now it struggles with poor maintenance. It includes radio relay links, open-wire lines, and radio communication stations; there are 247,000 telephones; stations—8 AM, 18 FM, 8 TV; and 1 INTELSAT earth station in the Atlantic Ocean.
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Zimbabwe National Army, Air Force of Zimbabwe, Police Support Unit, Paramilitary Police, People's Militia
_#_Manpower availability: males aged 15-49, 2,263,724; 1,399,354 eligible for military service
_#Defense spending: $412.4 million, NA% of GDP (FY91 est.) % @Taiwan *Geography #_Total area: 35,980 km²; land area: 32,260 km²; includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy
_#_Comparative area: just under three times the size of Connecticut
_#_Land boundaries: none
_#_Coastline: 1,448 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Disputes: involved in a complicated dispute over the Spratly Islands with
China, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam; the Paracel Islands are occupied by
China but claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; the Japanese-administered
Senkaku Islands (Senkaku-shoto/Diaoyu Tai) are claimed by China and Taiwan
_#_Climate: tropical; marine; rainy season during the southwest monsoon (June to August); cloud cover is constant and extensive throughout the year.
_#_Terrain: the eastern two-thirds are mostly rugged mountains; the west features flat to gently rolling plains.
_#_Natural resources: small amounts of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos
_#_Land use: arable land 24%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and woodland 55%; other 15%; irrigated 14%
_#_Environment: prone to earthquakes and typhoons
_*People #_Population: 20,658,702 (July 1991), growth rate 1.1% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 16 births per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: NEGL migrants per 1,000 people (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths per 1,000 live births (1990)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 72 years for males, 78 years for females (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born per woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Chinese (sing., pl.); adjective—Chinese
_#_Ethnic divisions: Taiwanese 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, indigenous people 2%
_#_Religion: combination of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%, other 2.5%
_#_Language: Mandarin Chinese (official); Taiwanese and Hakka dialects also used
_#_Literacy: 91.2% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and older can read and write (1990)
_#_Labor force: 7,900,000; industry and commerce 53%, services 22%, agriculture 15.6%, civil administration 7% (1989)
_#_Organized labor: 1,300,000 or about 18.4% (government controlled) (1983)
_*Administration #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: one-party presidential system; opposition political parties legalized in March, 1989
_#_Capital: Taipei
_#_Administrative divisions: the authorities in Taipei claim to be the government of all of China; in line with that claim, the central administrative divisions include 2 provinces (sheng, singular and plural) and 2 municipalities* (shih, singular and plural)—Fu-chien (about 20 offshore islands of Fujian Province including Quemoy and Matsu), Kao-hsiung*, T'ai-pei*, and Taiwan (the island of Taiwan and the Pescadores islands); the more commonly referenced administrative divisions are those of Taiwan Province—16 counties (hsien, singular and plural), 5 municipalities* (shih, singular and plural), and 2 special municipalities** (chuan-shih, singular and plural); Chang-hua, Chia-i, Chia-i*, Chi-lung*, Hsin-chu, Hsin-chu*, Hua-lien, I-lan, Kao-hsiung, Kao-hsiung**, Miao-li, Nan-t'ou, P'eng-hu, P'ing-tung, T'ai-chung, T'ai-chung*, T'ai-nan, T'ai-nan*, T'ai-pei, T'ai-pei**, T'ai-tung, T'ao-yuan, and Yun-lin; the provincial capital is located in Chung-hsing-hsin-ts'un; note—Taiwan uses the Wade-Giles system for romanization.
_#_Constitution: December 25, 1947, currently being revised
_#_Legal system: based on a civil law system; accepts mandatory ICJ jurisdiction, with conditions
_#_National holiday: National Day (Anniversary of the Revolution), 10 October (1911)
_#_Executive branch: president, vice president, head of the Executive Yuan, deputy head of the Executive Yuan, Executive Yuan
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Yuan
_#_Judicial branch: Judicial Yuan
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—President LI Teng-hui (since January 13, 1988);
Vice President LI Yuan-zu (since May 20, 1990);
Head of Government—Premier (President of the Executive Yuan)
HAO Po-ts'un (since May 2, 1990); Vice Premier (Vice President of the
Executive Yuan) SHIH Ch'i-yang (since NA July 1988)
_#_Political parties and leaders: Kuomintang (Nationalist Party), LI Teng-hui, chairman; Democratic Socialist Party and Young China Party controlled by Kuomintang; Democratic Progressive Party (DPP); Labor Party; 27 other minor parties
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 20
_#_Elections:
President—last held March 21, 1990 (next to be held March 1996); results—President LI Teng-hui was reelected by the National Assembly;
Vice President—last held on March 21, 1990 (next to be held in March 1996); results—LI Yuan-zu was elected by the National Assembly;
Legislative Yuan—last held December 2, 1989 (next to be held December 1992); results—KMT 65%, DPP 33%, independents 2%; seats—(304 total, 102 elected) KMT 78, DPP 21, independents 3;
National Assembly:—originally elected in November 1947 (last supplementary election in December 1986; Assembly will be fully reelected in December 1991)
_#_Member of: expelled from the UN General Assembly and Security Council on October 25, 1971, and withdrew on the same date from other relevant subsidiary organizations; expelled from the IMF/World Bank group in April/May 1980; seeking to join GATT; attempting to maintain membership in INTELSAT; suspended from the IAEA in 1972, but still permits IAEA oversight over extensive atomic development; AsDB, ICC, ICFTU, IOC
_#_Diplomatic representation: none; unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people of the US are maintained through a private organization, the Coordination Council for North American Affairs (CCNAA) based in Taipei, with field offices in Washington and 10 other US cities, with all addresses and phone numbers NA;
US—unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people of
Taiwan are maintained through a private institution, the American
Institute in Taiwan (AIT), which has offices in Taipei at #7 Lane 134,
telephone +886 (2) 709-2000, and in Kaohsiung at #2 Chung Cheng 3rd
Road, telephone +886 (7) 224-0154 through 0157, and the American Trade
Center at Room 3207 International Trade Building, Taipei World Trade
Center, 333 Keelung Road Section 1, Taipei 10548, telephone +886 (2)
720-1550
_#_Flag: red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper left corner featuring a white sun with 12 triangular rays
_*Economy #_Overview: Taiwan has a vibrant capitalist economy with significant government involvement in investment and foreign trade, along with partial government ownership of some large banks and industrial companies. Over the past three decades, real growth in GNP has averaged around 9% per year. Export growth has been even more rapid, driving industrialization. Agriculture now accounts for about 4% of GNP, down from 35% in 1952. Taiwan currently ranks 13th among major trading nations. Traditional labor-intensive industries are gradually being replaced by more capital- and technology-intensive sectors.
_#_GNP: $150.8 billion, per person $7,380; real growth rate 5.2% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.4% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 1.7% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $30.3 billion; expenditures $30.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY91 est.)
_#_Exports: $67.2 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—textiles 15.6%, electrical machinery 18.2%, general machinery and equipment 14.8%, basic metals and metal products 7.8%, foodstuffs 1.7%, plywood and wood products 1.6% (1989);
partners—US 36.2%, Japan 13.7% (1989)
_#_Imports: $54.7 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities—machinery and equipment 15.3%, crude oil 5%, chemicals and chemical products 11.1%, basic metals 13.0%, food products 2.2% (1989);
partners—Japan 31%, US 23%, FRG 5% (1989)
_#_External debt: $1.1 billion (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 4.7% (1990 est.)
_#_Electricity: 17,000,000 kW capacity; 68,000 million kWh produced, 3,310 kWh per person (1990)
_#_Industries: electronics, textiles, chemicals, clothing, food processing, plywood, sugar milling, cement, shipbuilding, petroleum
_#_Agriculture: makes up 4% of GNP and 16% of the labor force (including part-time farmers); it is a heavily subsidized sector; major crops include vegetables, rice, fruit, and tea; livestock includes pigs, poultry, beef, milk, and cattle; not self-sufficient in wheat, soybeans, or corn; fish catch is increasing, reaching 1.4 million metric tons (1988)
_#_Economic aid: US, including Ex-Im (FY46-82), $4.6 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $445 million
_#_Currency: New Taiwan dollar (plural—dollars); 1 New Taiwan dollar (NT$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: New Taiwan dollars per US$1—27.2 (January 1991), 27.243 (November 1990), 26.407 (1989), 28.589 (1988), 31.845 (1987), 37.838 (1986), 39.849 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
_*Communications #_Railroads: approximately 4,600 km of total track, including 1,075 km of common carrier lines and 3,525 km of industrial lines; common carrier lines feature the 1.067-meter gauge 708 km West Line and the 367 km East Line; a 98.25 km South Link Line connection is currently being built; common carrier lines are owned by the government and run by the Railway Administration under the Ministry of Communications; industrial lines are owned and operated by government enterprises.
_#_Highways: 20,041 km total; 17,095 km paved with asphalt or concrete, 2,371 km made of crushed stone or gravel, 575 km of graded dirt
_#_Pipelines: 615 km of refined products, 97 km of natural gas
_#_Ports: Kaohsiung, Keelung, Hualien, Su-ao, Taitung
_#_Merchant marine: 226 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,557,167 GRT/9,153,646 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 52 cargo, 17 refrigerated cargo, 75 container, 15 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tankers, 3 combination ore/oil, 1 specialized tanker, 62 bulk
_#_Airports: 38 total, 37 usable; 33 with paved runways; 3 with runways over 12,000 ft; 16 with runways between 8,000-12,000 ft; 8 with runways between 4,000-8,000 ft
_#_Telecommunications: the best-developed system in Asia after Japan; 7,800,000 telephones; extensive microwave transmission links on the east and west coasts; stations—91 AM, 23 FM, 15 TV (13 relays); 8,620,000 radios; 6,386,000 TVs (5,680,000 color, 706,000 monochrome); earth stations—1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT; submarine cable links to Japan (Okinawa), the Philippines, Guam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Australia, the Middle East, and Western Europe.
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Navy (including Marines), Air Force, Taiwan Garrison Command, Ministry of National Defense
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 5,874,345; 4,577,294 eligible for military service; about 187,807 turn 19 and reach military age each year
_#Defense spending: $9.10 billion, 4.5% of GDP (FY91) %_
Appendix A: The United Nations System
The UN has six main organs and many smaller agencies and bodies as follows:
1) Secretariat
2) General Assembly:
UNCHS United Nations Center for Human Settlements (Habitat)
UNCTAD United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
UNDP United Nations Development Program
UNEP United Nations Environment Program
UNFPA United Nations Population Fund
UNHCR United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees
UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund
UNITAR United Nations Institute for Training and Research
UNRWA United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees in the Near East
UNSF United Nations Special Fund
UNU United Nations University
WFC World Food Council
WFP World Food Program
3) Security Council:
UNAVEM United Nations Angola Verification Mission
UNDOF United Nations Disengagement Observer Force
UNFICYP United Nations Force in Cyprus
UNIFIL United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
UNIIMOG United Nations Iran-Iraq Military Observer Group
UNMOGIP United Nations Military Observer Group in India and
Pakistan
UNTSO United Nations Truce Supervision Organization
4) Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC):
Specialized agencies
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization
IDA International Development Association
IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development
IFC International Finance Corporation
ILO International Labor Organization
IMF International Monetary Fund
IMO International Maritime Organization
ITU International Telecommunication Union
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization
UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization
UPU Universal Postal Union
WHO World Health Organization
WIPO World Intellectual Property Organization
WMO World Meteorological Organization
Related organizations
GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency
Regional commissions
ECA Economic Commission for Africa
ECE Economic Commission for Europe
ECLAC Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
ESCAP Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
ESCWA Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
Functional commissions
Commission on Human Rights
Commission on Narcotic Drugs
Commission for Social Development
Commission on the Status of Women
Population Commission
Statistical Commission
5) Trusteeship Council
6) International Court of Justice (ICJ)
=========================================================================
Appendix B: Short Forms for Global Organizations and Groups
ABEDA Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa
ACC Arab Cooperation Council
ACCT Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation
ACP African, Caribbean, and Pacific Countries
AfDB African Development Bank
AFESD Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development
AG Andean Group
AL Arab League
ALADI Latin American Integration Association; see Latin
American Integration Association (LAIA)
AMF Arab Monetary Fund
AMU Arab Maghreb Union
ANZUS Australia-New Zealand-United States Security Treaty
APEC Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
AsDB Asian Development Bank
ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations
BAD African Development Bank;
see African Development Bank (AfDB)
BADEA Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa;
see Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (ABEDA)
BCIE Central American Bank for Economic Integration; see Central
American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE)
BDEAC Central African States Development Bank; see
Central African States Development Bank (BDEAC)
Benelux Benelux Economic Union
BID Inter-American Development Bank; see Inter-American
Development Bank (IADB)
BIS Bank for International Settlements
BOAD West African Development Bank; see West African
Development Bank (WADB)
C Commonwealth
CACM Central American Common Market
CAEU Council of Arab Economic Unity
CARICOM Caribbean Community and Common Market
CCC Customs Cooperation Council
CDB Caribbean Development Bank
CE Council of Europe
CEAO Economic Community of West African States; see West
African Economic Community (CEAO)
CEEAC Economic Community of Central African States; see
Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC)
CEMA Council for Mutual Economic Assistance; also known as CMEA or
Comecon; abolished January 1, 1991
CEPGL Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries; see Economic
Community of the Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL)
CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research; see European
Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)
CG Contadora Group
CMEA Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CEMA); also known as
Comecon; abolished January 1, 1991
COCOM Coordinating Committee on Export Controls
Comecon Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CEMA); also known as
CMEA; abolished January 1, 1991
CP Colombo Plan
CSCE Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe
DC developed country
EADB East African Development Bank
EBRD European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
EC European Community
ECA Economic Commission for Africa
ECAFE Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East; see Economic and
Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
ECE Economic Commission for Europe
ECLA Economic Commission for Latin America; see Economic Commission
for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
ECLAC Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
ECOSOC Economic and Social Council
ECOWAS Economic Community of West African States
ECWA Economic Commission for Western Asia; see Economic and Social
Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)
EFTA European Free Trade Association
EIB European Investment Bank
Entente Council of the Entente
ESA European Space Agency
ESCAP Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
ESCWA Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization
FLS Front Line States
FZ Franc Zone
G-2 Group of 2
G-3 Group of 3
G-5 Group of 5
G-6 Group of 6 (not to be confused with the Big Six)
G-7 Group of 7
G-8 Group of 8
G-9 Group of 9
G-10 Group of 10
G-11 Group of 11
G-19 Group of 19
G-24 Group of 24
G-30 Group of 30
G-33 Group of 33
G-77 Group of 77
GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
GCC Gulf Cooperation Council
Habitat see United Nations Center for Human Settlements (UNCHS)
IADB Inter-American Development Bank
IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency
IBEC International Bank for Economic Cooperation
IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization
ICC International Chamber of Commerce
ICEM Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration; see
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
ICFTU International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
ICJ International Court of Justice
ICM Intergovernmental Committee for Migration; see
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross
IDA International Development Association
IDB Islamic Development Bank
IEA International Energy Agency
IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development
IFC International Finance Corporation
IGADD Inter-Governmental Authority on Drought and Development
IIB International Investment Bank
ILO International Labor Organization
IMCO Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organization; see
International Maritime Organization (IMO)
IMF International Monetary Fund
IMO International Maritime Organization
INMARSAT International Maritime Satellite Organization
INTELSAT International Telecommunications Satellite Organization
INTERPOL International Criminal Police Organization
IOC International Olympic Committee
IOM International Organization for Migration
ISO International Organization for Standardization
ITU International Telecommunication Union
LAES Latin American Economic System
LAIA Latin American Integration Association
LAS League of Arab States; see Arab League (AL)
LDC less developed country
LLDC least developed country
LORCS League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
NAM Nonaligned Movement
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NC Nordic Council
NEA Nuclear Energy Agency
NIB Nordic Investment Bank
NIC newly industrializing country; see newly industrializing
economy (NIE)
NIE newly industrializing economy
OAPEC Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries
OAS Organization of American States
OAU Organization of African Unity
OECD Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
OECS Organization of Eastern Caribbean States
OIC Organization of Islamic Cooperation
OPANAL Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America
and the Caribbean
OPEC Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
PCA Permanent Court of Arbitration
RG Rio Group
SAARC South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
SACU Southern African Customs Union
SADCC Southern African Development Coordination Conference
SELA Latin American Economic System; see Latin American Economic
System (LAES)
SPC South Pacific Commission
SPF South Pacific Forum
UDEAC Central African Customs and Economic Union; see
Union Douaniere et Economique de l'Afrique Centrale (UDEAC)
UN United Nations
UNAVEM United Nations Angola Verification Mission
UNCHS United Nations Center for Human Settlements (also
known as Habitat)
UNCTAD United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
UNDOF United Nations Disengagement Observer Force
UNDP United Nations Development Program
UNEP United Nations Environment Program
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization
UNFICYP United Nations Force in Cyprus
UNFPA United Nations Fund for Population Activities; see UN Population
Fund (UNFPA)
UNHCR United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees
UNICEF United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund; see
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization
UNIFIL United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
UNIIMOG United Nations Iran-Iraq Military Observer Group
UNMOGIP United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan
UNRWA United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees
in the Near East
UNTSO United Nations Truce Supervision Organization
UPU Universal Postal Union
USSR/EE USSR/Eastern Europe
WADB West African Development Bank
WCL World Confederation of Labor
WEU Western European Union
WFC World Food Council
WFP World Food Program
WFTU World Federation of Trade Unions
WHO World Health Organization
WIPO World Intellectual Property Organization
WMO World Meteorological Organization
WP Warsaw Pact (members met July 1, 1991, to dissolve the alliance)
WTO World Tourism Organization
note: not all international organizations and groups have acronyms
=========================================================================
Appendix C: International Organizations and Groups
————————————————————————————————————- _#advanced developing countries—another term for those less developed countries (LDCs) with particularly rapid industrial development; see newly industrializing economies (NIEs) ————————————————————————————————————- #_African, Caribbean, and Pacific Countries (ACP)
established—1 April 1976;
aim—members have a favored economic and support relationship with the EC;
members—(66) Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados,
Belize, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde,
Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Djibouti, Dominica,
Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada,
Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati,
Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius,
Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda,
Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,
Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone,
Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sudan, Suriname, Eswatini, Tanzania, Togo,
Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Samoa,
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
————————————————————————————————————-
_#_African Development Bank (AfDB), also known as Banque Africaine de
Developpement (BAD);
established—4 August 1963;
aim—to promote economic and social development;
regional members—(50) Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina,
Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros,
Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia,
Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia,
Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco,
Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal,
Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo,
Tunisia, Uganda, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe;
nonregional members—(25) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Kuwait, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, US, Yugoslavia ————————————————————————————————————- _#Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation (ACCT)—see Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation (ACCT) ————————————————————————————————————- #_Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation (ACCT)—short form of Agence de Cooperation Culturelle et Technique;
established—21 March 1970;
aim—to promote cultural and technical cooperation among French-speaking countries;
members—(30) Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Canada,
Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Djibouti, Dominica,
France, Gabon, Guinea, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Mali,
Mauritius, Monaco, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Togo, Tunisia,
Vanuatu, Vietnam, Democratic Republic of the Congo;
associate members—(7) Cameroon, Egypt, Guinea-Bissau, Laos, Mauritania, Morocco, Saint Lucia;
participating governments—(2) New Brunswick (Canada), Quebec (Canada) ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL)—acronym from Organismo para la Prohibición de las Armas Nucleares en América Latina y el Caribe (OPANAL);
established—14 February 1967;
aim—to promote the peaceful use of atomic energy and ban nuclear weapons;
members—(25) Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Bolivia,
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador,
El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico,
Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago,
Uruguay, Venezuela;
_@observer—(1) Cuba ————————————————————————————————————- #_Andean Group (AG)
established—May 26, 1969, effective October 16, 1969;
aim—to encourage harmonious development through economic integration;
members—(5) Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela;
associate member—(1) Panama;
observers—(26) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Paraguay, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, US, Uruguay, Yugoslavia ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (ABEDA), also known as Banque Arabe de Developpement Economique en Afrique (BADEA);
established—February 18, 1974, effective September 16, 1974;
aim—to promote economic development;
members—(17 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, Palestine Liberation Organization; note—these are all the members of the Arab League except Djibouti, Somalia, and Yemen ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Arab Cooperation Council (ACC)
established—16 February 1989;
aim—to promote economic cooperation and integration, potentially leading to an Arab Common Market;
members—(4) Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Yemen ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD)
established—16 May 1968;
aim—to promote economic and social development;
members—(20 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt (suspended from 1979 to 1988), Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, Yemen, Palestine Liberation Organization ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Arab League (AL), also known as League of Arab States (LAS);
established—22 March 1945;
aim—to promote economic, social, political, and military cooperation;
members—(20 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, Yemen, Palestine Liberation Organization ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Arab Maghreb Union (AMU)
established—17 February 1989;
aim—to encourage collaboration and unity among the Arab countries of North Africa;
members—(5) Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Arab Monetary Fund (AMF)
established—April 27, 1976, effective February 2, 1977;
aim—to promote Arab cooperation, development, and integration in financial and economic matters;
members—(19 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, Yemen, Palestine Liberation Organization ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
established—NA November 1989;
aim—to promote trade and investment in the Pacific region;
members—(12) all ASEAN members (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand) plus Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, NZ, US ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Asian Development Bank (AsDB)
established—19 December 1966;
aim—to promote regional economic cooperation;
regional members—(34) Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan,
Burma, Cambodia, China, Cook Islands, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia,
Japan, Kiribati, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal,
NZ, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Solomon Islands,
Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Tonga, Turkey, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Western
Samoa;
nonregional members—(15) Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, US ————————————————————————————————————- _#Asociacion Latinoamericana de Integracion (ALADI)—see Latin American Integration Association (LAIA) ————————————————————————————————————- #_Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
established—9 August 1967;
aim—regional economic, social, and cultural collaboration among the non-Communist countries of Southeast Asia;
members—(6) Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand;
observer—(1) Papua New Guinea ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Australia-New Zealand-United States Security Treaty (ANZUS)
established—September 1, 1951, effective April 29, 1952;
aim—trilateral mutual security agreement, although the US suspended security obligations to NZ on August 11, 1986;
members—(3) Australia, NZ, US ————————————————————————————————————- _#Banco Centroamericano de Integración Económico (BCIE)—see Central American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE) ————————————————————————————————————- #Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID)—see Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) ————————————————————————————————————- #_Bank for International Settlements (BIS)
established—January 20, 1930, effective March 17, 1930;
aim—to encourage collaboration between central banks in global financial transactions;
members—(29) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US, Yugoslavia ————————————————————————————————————- _#African Development Bank (AfDB)—see Banque Africaine de Developpement (BAD) ————————————————————————————————————- #Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (ABEDA)—see Banque Arabe de Developpement Economique en Afrique (BADEA) ————————————————————————————————————- #Central African States Development Bank (BDEAC)—see Banque de Developpement des Etats de l'Afrique Centrale (BDEAC) ————————————————————————————————————- #West African Development Bank (WADB)—see Banque Ouest-Africaine de Developpement (BOAD) ————————————————————————————————————- #_Benelux Economic Union (Benelux)—acronym from Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg;
established—February 3, 1958, effective November 1, 1960;
aim—to develop closer economic cooperation and integration;
members—(3) Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Big Seven—membership is the same as the Group of 7;
established—NA;
aim—to discuss and coordinate key economic policies;
members—(7) Big Six (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK) plus the US ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Big Six—not to be confused with the Group of 6;
established—NA;
aim—economic cooperation;
members—(6) Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM)
established—July 4, 1973, effective August 1, 1973;
aim—to promote economic integration and development, especially among the less developed countries;
members—(13) Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago;
observers—(7) Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Netherlands Antilles, Suriname ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Caribbean Development Bank (CDB)
established—October 18, 1969, effective January 26, 1970;
aim—to promote economic growth and collaboration;
regional members—(20) Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas,
Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Colombia,
Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico, Montserrat,
Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,
Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Venezuela;
nonregional members—(3) Canada, France, UK ————————————————————————————————————- _#Cartagena Group—see Group of 11 ————————————————————————————————————- #_Central African Customs and Economic Union (UDEAC)—acronym from Union Douaniere et Economique de l'Afrique Centrale;
established—December 8, 1964, effective January 1, 1966;
aim—to promote the creation of a Central African Common Market;
members—(6) Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Central African States Development Bank (BDEAC)—an acronym for Banque de Développement des États de l'Afrique Centrale;
established—3 December 1975;
aim—to provide loans for economic development;
members—(9) Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gabon, Germany, Kuwait ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Central American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE)—acronym from Banco Centroamericano de Integracion Economico;
established—13 December 1960;
aim—to promote economic integration and development;
members—(5) Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Central American Common Market (CACM)
established—December 13, 1960, effective June 3, 1961;
aim—to promote the creation of a Central American Common Market;
members—(5) Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua ————————————————————————————————————- _#centrally planned economies—a term mainly used for the traditionally Communist states that looked to the USSR for guidance; many are now moving towards more democratic and market-oriented systems; previously referred to as the Second World or Communist countries; during the 1980s, this group included Albania, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, North Korea, Laos, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, USSR, Vietnam, Yugoslavia ————————————————————————————————————- #_Colombo Plan (CP)
established—1 July 1951;
aim—to promote economic and social development in Asia and the Pacific;
members—(26) Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Cambodia, Canada, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Commission for Social Development
established—June 21, 1946, as the Social Commission, renamed July 29, 1966;
aim—ECOSOC organization focused on social development programs;
members—(32) chosen on a rotating basis from all regions ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Commission on Human Rights
established—18 February 1946;
aim—ECOSOC organization focused on human rights;
members—(43) selected on a rotating basis from all regions ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Commission on Narcotic Drugs
established—16 February 1946;
aim—ECOSOC organization focused on illegal drugs;
members—(40) chosen on a rotating basis from all regions with a focus on producing and processing countries ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Commission on the Status of Women
established—21 June 1946;
aim—ECOSOC organization focused on women's rights;
members—(32) chosen on a rotating basis from all regions ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Commonwealth (C)
established—31 December 1931;
aim—voluntary association that developed from the British Empire and aims to promote multinational cooperation and support;
members—(48) Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas,
Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei, Canada, Cyprus, Dominica,
The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati,
Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Namibia, NZ,
Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia,
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore,
Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Eswatini, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and
Tobago, Uganda, UK, Vanuatu, Samoa, Zambia, Zimbabwe;
special members—(2) Nauru, Tuvalu ————————————————————————————————————- _#West African Economic Community (CEAO)—see West African Economic Community (CEAO) ————————————————————————————————————- #Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC)—see Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC) ————————————————————————————————————- #Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL)—see Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL) ————————————————————————————————————- #Communist countries—traditionally the Marxist-Leninist states with authoritarian governments and command economies based on the Soviet model; see centrally planned economies ————————————————————————————————————- #_Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE)
established—NA November 1972;
aim—talks about issues of shared interest and goes over how the Helsinki Agreement has been put into action;
members—(35) Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US, USSR, Vatican City, Yugoslavia ————————————————————————————————————- _#European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)—see European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) ————————————————————————————————————- #Contadora Group (CG) was established on January 5, 1983 (on the Panamanian island of Contadora) to reduce tensions and conflicts in Central America but evolved into the Rio Group (RG); members included Colombia, Mexico, Panama, Venezuela ————————————————————————————————————- #Gulf Cooperation Council—see Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) ————————————————————————————————————- #_Coordinating Committee on Export Controls (COCOM)
established—NA 1949;
aim—compiles a strategic embargo list of goods that shouldn't be sold by the West to Eastern bloc countries;
members—(15) Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Turkey, UK, US ————————————————————————————————————- _#Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CEMA), also known as CMEA or Comecon, was established on January 25, 1949, to promote the development of socialist economies and was abolished on January 1, 1991; its members included Afghanistan (observer), Albania (had not participated since the 1961 break with USSR), Angola (observer), Bulgaria, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Ethiopia (observer), GDR, Hungary, Laos (observer), Mongolia, Mozambique (observer), Nicaragua (observer), Poland, Romania, USSR, Vietnam, Yemen (observer), Yugoslavia (associate) ————————————————————————————————————- #_Council of Arab Economic Unity (CAEU)
established—June 3, 1957, effective May 30, 1964;
aim—to promote economic integration among Arab nations;
members—(11) Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, UAE, Yemen ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Council of Europe (CE)
established—May 5, 1949, effective August 3, 1949;
aim—to promote greater unity and an improved quality of life in Europe;
members—(24) Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Council of the Entente (Entente)
established—29 May 1959;
aim—to promote economic, social, and political collaboration;
members—(5) Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Niger, Togo ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Customs Cooperation Council (CCC)
established—15 December 1950;
aim—to encourage global collaboration in customs issues;
members—(104) Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belgium, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Congo, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, South Korea, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe ————————————————————————————————————- _#_developed countries (DCs)—the top tier in the detailed but mutually exclusive hierarchy of developed countries (DCs), USSR/Eastern Europe (USSR/EE), and less developed countries (LDCs); includes the market-driven economies of mainly democratic nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Bermuda, Israel, South Africa, and the small European states; also referred to as the First World, high-income countries, the North, industrial countries; typically have a per capita GNP/GDP exceeding $10,000, although some OECD countries and South Africa have numbers significantly below $10,000, and three of the excluded OPEC nations have figures at $10,000 or more;
the 34 DCs are—Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US, Vatican City ————————————————————————————————————- _#developing countries—an unclear term for the less developed countries with growing economies; see less developed countries (LDCs) ————————————————————————————————————- #_East African Development Bank (EADB)
established—June 6, 1967, effective December 1, 1967;
aim—to promote economic development;
members—(3) Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
established—28 March 1947 as the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (ECAFE);
aim—to promote economic development as a regional commission for the UN's ECOSOC;
members—(38) Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei,
Burma, Cambodia, China, Fiji, France, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan,
South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nauru, Nepal,
Netherlands, NZ, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore,
Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, Tuvalu, UK, US, USSR,
Vanuatu, Vietnam, Western Samoa;
associate members—(9) Cook Islands, Guam, Hong Kong, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Palau) ———————————————————————————————————— _#_Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)
established—9 August 1973 as the Economic Commission for Western Asia (ECWA);
aim—to promote economic development as a regional commission for the UN's ECOSOC;
members—(12) Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, UAE, Yemen ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
established—June 26, 1945, effective October 24, 1945;
aim—to coordinate the economic and social efforts of the UN; includes five regional commissions (see Economic Commission for Africa, Economic Commission for Europe, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia) and six functional commissions (see Commission for Social Development, Commission on Human Rights, Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Commission on the Status of Women, Population Commission, and Statistical Commission);
members—(54) chosen on a rotating basis from all regions ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
established—29 April 1958;
aim—to promote economic development as a regional commission of the UN's ECOSOC;
members—(51) Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi,
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo,
Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana,
Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya,
Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique,
Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles,
Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Eswatini, Tanzania, Togo,
Tunisia, Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe;
associate members—(3) France, Namibia, UK ————————————————————————————————————- _#Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (ECAFE)—see Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) ————————————————————————————————————- #_Economic Commission for Europe (ECE)
established—28 March 1947;
aim—to promote economic development as a regional commission of the UN's ECOSOC;
members—(33) Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Belarus, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, Ukraine, US, USSR, Yugoslavia ————————————————————————————————————- _#Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLA)—see Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) ————————————————————————————————————- #_Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
established—February 25, 1948, as the Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLA);
aim—to promote economic development as a regional commission of the UN's Economic and Social Council;
members—(41) Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, The Bahamas,
Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica,
Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France,
Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico,
Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Puerto Rico,
Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,
Spain, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, US, Uruguay, Venezuela;
associate members—(5) Aruba, British Virgin Islands, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Virgin Islands ————————————————————————————————————- _#Economic Commission for Western Asia (ECWA)—see Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) ————————————————————————————————————- #_Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC)—acronym from Communaute Economique des Etats de l'Afrique Centrale;
established—18 October 1983;
aim—to promote regional economic cooperation and establish a Central African Common Market;
members—(10) Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Zaire;
observer—(1) Angola ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL)—acronym from Community of Economies of the Great Lakes Countries;
established—26 September 1976;
aim—to promote regional economic cooperation and integration;
members—(3) Burundi, Rwanda, Zaire ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
established—28 May 1975;
aim—to promote regional economic cooperation;
members—(16) Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo ————————————————————————————————————- _#_European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
established—15 April 1991;
aim—to help seven centrally planned economies in Europe (Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, USSR, and Yugoslavia) shift to market economies by dedicating 60% of its loans to privatization;
members—(34) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, European Community (EC), Egypt, European Investment Bank (EIB), Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US; note—includes all 12 members of the EC as individual countries and the EC itself as an institution ————————————————————————————————————- _#_European Community (EC)
established—April 8, 1965, effective July 1, 1967;
aim—a combination of the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), the European Coal and Steel Community (ESC), and the European Economic Community (EEC or Common Market); the EC aims to create a fully integrated common market by 1992 and ultimately a federation of Europe;
members—(12) Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK ————————————————————————————————————- _#_European Free Trade Association (EFTA)
established—January 4, 1960, effective May 3, 1960;
aim—to promote the growth of free trade;
members—(7) Austria, Finland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland ————————————————————————————————————- _#_European Investment Bank (EIB)
established—March 25, 1957, effective January 1, 1958;
aim—to promote economic development of the EC;
members—(12) Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK ————————————————————————————————————- _#_European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)—acronym retained from the predecessor organization Conseil Europeen pour la Recherche Nucleaire;
established—July 1, 1953, effective September 29, 1954;
aim—to promote nuclear research solely for peaceful purposes;
members—(14) Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK;
observers—(3) Poland (set to join on 1 July 1991), Turkey, Yugoslavia ————————————————————————————————————- _#_European Space Agency (ESA)
established—July 31, 1973, effective May 1, 1975;
aim—to encourage peaceful collaboration in space research and technology;
members—(13) Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK;
associate member—(1) Finland ————————————————————————————————————- _#First World—another term for countries with advanced, industrialized economies; see developed countries (DCs) ————————————————————————————————————- #_Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
established—16 October 1945;
aim—UN specialized agency to improve living standards and increase the availability of agricultural products;
members—(157) all UN members except Brunei, Belarus, Liechtenstein, Singapore, South Africa, Ukraine, USSR; other members are Cook Islands, North Korea, South Korea, Switzerland, Tonga ————————————————————————————————————- _#Four Dragons the four small Asian less developed countries (LDCs) that have experienced unusually rapid economic growth; also known as the Four Tigers; this group includes Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan ————————————————————————————————————- #Four Tigers—another term for the Four Dragons; see Four Dragons ————————————————————————————————————- #_Franc Zone (FZ)
established—NA;
aim—monetary union among countries whose currencies are tied to the French franc;
members—(15) Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo; note—France includes metropolitan France, the four overseas departments of France (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion), the two territorial collectivities of France (Mayotte, Saint Pierre and Miquelon), and the three overseas territories of France (French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna) ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Front Line States (FLS)
established—NA;
aim—to achieve a black majority rule in South Africa;
members—(7) Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe ————————————————————————————————————- _#_General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
established—October 30, 1947, effective January 1, 1948;
aim—to encourage the growth of international trade without discrimination;
members—(101) Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria,
Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil,
Burkina Faso, Myanmar, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic,
Chad, Chile, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia,
Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guyana, Haiti, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland,
India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan,
Kenya, South Korea, Kuwait, Lesotho, Luxembourg, Macau, Madagascar,
Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico,
Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan,
Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra
Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden,
Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia,
Turkey, Uganda, UK, US, Uruguay, Venezuela, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia,
Zimbabwe
————————————————————————————————————-
_#_Group of 2 (G-2)
established—informal term that started being used around 1986;
aim—collaborative economic partnership between the two strongest economic powers;
members—(2) Japan, US ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Group of 3 (G-3)
established—NA October 1990;
aim—mechanism for policy coordination;
members—(3) Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Group of 5 (G-5)
established—22 September 1985;
aim—the five major non-Communist economic powers;
members—(5) France, Germany, Japan, UK, US ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Group of 6 (G-6)—not to be confused with the Big Six;
established—22 May 1984;
aim—seeks to achieve nuclear disarmament;
members—(6) Argentina, Greece, India, Mexico, Sweden, Tanzania ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Group of 7 (G-7)—membership is the same as the Big Seven;
established—22 September 1985;
aim—the seven major non-Communist economic powers;
members—(7) Group of 5 (France, Germany, Japan, UK, US) plus Canada and Italy ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Group of 8 (G-8)
established—NA October 1975;
aim—the developed countries (DCs) that took part in the Conference on International Economic Cooperation (CIEC), which was held in multiple sessions from late December 1975 to June 3, 1977;
members—(8) Australia, Canada, EC (as one member), Japan, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, US ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Group of 9 (G-9)
established—NA;
aim—an informal group that gets together now and then to discuss things that everyone cares about;
members—(9) Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Romania, Sweden, Yugoslavia ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Group of 10 (G-10), also known as the Paris Club;
established—NA October 1962;
aim—wealthiest members of the IMF who provide most of the money to be loaned and act as the informal steering committee; the name still exists even after Switzerland joined in April 1984;
members—(11) Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, US ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Group of 11 (G-11), also known as the Cartagena Group;
established—June 22, 1984, in Cartagena, Colombia;
aim—forum for the largest debtor countries in Latin America;
members—(11) Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Group of 19 (G-19)
established—NA October 1975;
aim—the less developed countries (LDCs) that took part in the Conference on International Economic Cooperation (CIEC) held in various sessions between December 1975 and June 3, 1977;
members—(19) Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Cameroon, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Group of 24 (G-24)
established—NA January 1972;
aim—to promote the interests of developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America within the IMF;
members—(24) Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Iran, Ivory Coast, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Syria, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Yugoslavia, Zaire ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Group of 30 (G-30)
established—NA 1979;
aim—to discuss and suggest solutions to the world's economic issues;
members—(30) informal group of 30 prominent international bankers, economists, financial experts, and businesspeople formed by Johannes Witteveen (former managing director of the IMF) ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Group of 33 (G-33)
established—NA 1987;
aim—to promote solutions to global economic issues;
members—(33) top economists from 13 countries ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Group of 77 (G-77)
established—NA October 1967;
aim—to encourage economic collaboration among developing countries; name continues to exist despite growing membership;
members—(123 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization)
Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, The
Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia,
Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Myanmar, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape
Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Comoros, Congo,
Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic,
Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon,
The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana,
Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica,
Jordan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho,
Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta,
Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua,
Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru,
Philippines, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles,
Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan,
Suriname, Eswatini, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and
Tobago, Tunisia, Uganda, UAE, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam,
Samoa, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Palestine
Liberation Organization
————————————————————————————————————-
_#_Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), also known as the Cooperation
Council for the Arab States of the Gulf;
established—25-26 May 1981;
aim—to encourage regional collaboration in economic, social, political, and military matters;
members—(6) Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE ————————————————————————————————————- _#Habitat—see United Nations Center for Human Settlements (UNCHS) ————————————————————————————————————- #high-income countries—another term for the industrialized countries with high per capita GNPs/GDPs; see developed countries (DCs) ————————————————————————————————————- #industrial countries—another term for the developed countries; see developed countries (DCs) ————————————————————————————————————- #_Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), also known as Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID);
established—April 8, 1959; effective December 30, 1959;
aim—to promote economic and social development in Latin America;
members—(44) Argentina, Austria, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, US, Uruguay, Venezuela, Yugoslavia ———————————————————————————————————— _#_Inter-Governmental Authority on Drought and Development (IGADD)
established—NA January 1986;
aim—to promote collaboration on drought-related issues;
members—(6) Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda ————————————————————————————————————- _#_International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
established—October 26, 1956, effective July 29, 1957;
aim—to promote peaceful uses of nuclear energy;
members—(111) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Australia,
Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Myanmar,
Belarus, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada,
Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia,
Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti,
Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy,
Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea,
Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Madagascar,
Malaysia, Mali, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Namibia,
Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama,
Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania,
Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Spain,
Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand,
Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK,
US, USSR, Uruguay, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yugoslavia, Zaire,
Zambia, Zimbabwe
————————————————————————————————————-
_#_International Bank for Economic Cooperation (IBEC)
established—22 October 1963;
aim—to promote economic collaboration and growth;
members—(9) Bulgaria, Cuba, Czech Republic, Hungary, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, USSR, Vietnam ————————————————————————————————————- _#_International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), also known as the World Bank;
established—July 22, 1944, effective December 27, 1945;
aim—UN specialized agency that originally focused on rebuilding economies after World War II and now offers economic development loans;
members—(152) all UN members except Albania, Angola, Brunei, Bulgaria, Belarus, Cuba, the Czech Republic, Liechtenstein, Ukraine, and the USSR; other members are Kiribati, South Korea, and Tonga ————————————————————————————————————- _#_International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
established—NA 1919;
aim—to promote free trade, private enterprise, and represent business interests at national and international levels;
members—(60 national councils) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Colombia, Cyprus, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Greece, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, UK, US, Uruguay, Venezuela, Yugoslavia, Democratic Republic of the Congo ————————————————————————————————————- _#_International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
established—December 7, 1944, effective April 4, 1947;
aim—UN specialized agency to promote international collaboration in civil aviation;
members—(161) all UN members except Albania, Belize, Belarus, Dominica, Liechtenstein, Namibia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Ukraine, Samoa; other members are Cook Islands, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Monaco, Nauru, San Marino, Switzerland, Tonga ————————————————————————————————————- _#_International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
established—NA 1863;
aim—to provide humanitarian aid in times of war;
members—(25 individuals) all Swiss nationals ————————————————————————————————————- _#_International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU)
established—NA December 1949;
aim—to promote the labor union movement;
members—(142 national organizations in the following 95 areas)
Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, The Bahamas,
Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Bermuda, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina,
Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica,
Cyprus, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador,
Falkland Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, The Gambia, Germany, Greece,
Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India,
Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kiribati, South Korea, Lebanon,
Lesotho, Liberia, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico,
Montserrat, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, NZ, Nicaragua, Norway,
Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal,
Puerto Rico, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia,
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Seychelles, Sierra Leone,
Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland,
Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UK, US,
USSR, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela, Western Samoa
————————————————————————————————————-
_#_International Court of Justice (ICJ), also known as the
World Court;
established—June 26, 1945, effective October 24, 1945;
aim—main judicial body of the UN;
members—(15 judges) elected by the General Assembly and Security Council to represent all major legal systems ————————————————————————————————————- _#_International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL)
established—13 June 1956;
aim—to promote international collaboration among criminal police authorities;
members—(151) Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda,
Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh,
Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei,
Burkina Faso, Myanmar, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde,
Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo,
Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica,
Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Fiji,
Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada,
Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India,
Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica,
Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon,
Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi,
Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco,
Morocco, Mozambique, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, NZ,
Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Norway, Oman, Pakistan,
Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar,
Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles,
Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname,
Eswatini, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga,
Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UAE, UK, US, USSR, Uruguay,
Venezuela, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe
————————————————————————————————————-
_#_International Development Association (IDA)
established—January 26, 1960, effective September 24, 1960;
aim—UN specialized agency and IBRD affiliate that offers economic loans to low-income countries;
members—(136);
Part I—(22 more economically advanced countries) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, UAE, UK, US;
Part II—(114 less developed nations) Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Western Samoa, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe ————————————————————————————————————- _#_International Energy Agency (IEA)
established—15 November 1974;
aim—set up by the OECD to encourage collaboration on energy issues, particularly emergency oil sharing and the relationships between oil consumers and oil producers;
members—(21) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US ————————————————————————————————————- _#_International Finance Corporation (IFC)
established—May 25, 1955, effective July 20, 1956;
aim—UN specialized agency and IBRD affiliate that assists the private sector in economic development;
members—(133) Afghanistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina,
Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize,
Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Myanmar, Burundi, Cameroon,
Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Denmark,
Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador,
Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Germany, Ghana,
Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti,
Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland,
Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati,
South Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Luxembourg,
Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius,
Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger,
Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay,
Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saudi Arabia,
Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia,
South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Eswatini, Sweden, Syria,
Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,
Uganda, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Samoa,
Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe
————————————————————————————————————-
_#_International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
established—NA November 1974;
aim—UN specialized agency that supports agricultural development;
members—(144);
Category I—(21 industrialized aid contributors) Australia, Austria,
Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland,
Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, UK, US;
Category II—(12 petroleum-exporting aid contributors) Algeria, Gabon,
Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE,
Venezuela;
Category III—(111 aid recipients) Afghanistan, Angola,
Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin,
Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Myanmar, Burundi, Cameroon,
Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia,
Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Djibouti, Dominica,
Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea,
Ethiopia, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea,
Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Israel, Ivory Coast,
Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho,
Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania,
Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Oman,
Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines,
Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia,
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal,
Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan,
Suriname, Eswatini, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga,
Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Uruguay, Vietnam,
Samoa, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
————————————————————————————————————-
_#_International Investment Bank (IIB)
established—7 July 1970;
aim—to promote economic development;
members—(9) Bulgaria, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, USSR, Vietnam ————————————————————————————————————- _#_International Labor Organization (ILO)
established—April 11, 1919 (joined the UN December 14, 1946);
aim—UN specialized agency focused on global labor issues;
members—(148) all UN members except Albania, Bhutan, Brunei, The Gambia, Liechtenstein, Maldives, Oman, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, South Africa, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Western Samoa; other members are San Marino, Switzerland ————————————————————————————————————- _#_International Maritime Organization (IMO)—name changed from Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO) on 22 May 1982;
established—17 March 1958;
aim—UN specialized agency focused on global maritime issues;
members—(132) Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina,
Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium,
Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Myanmar, Cambodia, Cameroon,
Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba,
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic,
Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland,
France, Gabon, The Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala,
Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India,
Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Côte d'Ivoire, Jamaica,
Japan, Jordan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia,
Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritania,
Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ,
Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea,
Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Saint Lucia,
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles,
Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka,
Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo,
Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE, UK, US, USSR, Uruguay,
Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Democratic Republic of the Congo;
associate member—(1) Hong Kong ————————————————————————————————————- _#_International Maritime Satellite Organization (INMARSAT)
established—September 3, 1976, effective July 26, 1979;
aim—to provide global communications for maritime and other applications;
members—(55) Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Belarus, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Kuwait, Liberia, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, USSR ————————————————————————————————————- _#_International Monetary Fund (IMF)
established—July 22, 1944, effective December 27, 1945;
aim—UN specialized agency focused on global monetary stability and economic growth;
members—(154) all UN members except Albania, Brunei, Bulgaria, Belarus, Cuba, Liechtenstein, Ukraine, USSR; other members are Kiribati, South Korea, Tonga ————————————————————————————————————- _#_International Olympic Committee (IOC)
established—23 June 1894;
aim—to promote the Olympic ideals and manage the Olympic games:
1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France (February 8-23);
1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain (July 25 - August 9);
1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway (February 12-27);
1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, USA (July 20 - August 4):
1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan (date NA);
members—(165) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa,
Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Australia,
Austria, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize,
Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin
Islands, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina, Myanmar, Cameroon, Canada,
Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia,
Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador,
Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia,
Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana,
Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran,
Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya,
North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya,
Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali,
Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco,
Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Zealand, Nicaragua,
Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea,
Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar,
Romania, Rwanda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino,
Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore,
Solomon Islands, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Eswatini,
Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga,
Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UAE, UK, US, USSR, Uruguay,
Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands, Samoa, Yemen,
Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe
————————————————————————————————————-
_#_International Organization for Migration (IOM)—established as
Provisional Intergovernmental Committee for the Movement of Migrants
from Europe; renamed Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration
(ICEM) on 15 November 1952; renamed Intergovernmental Committee for
Migration (ICM) on NA November 1980; current name adopted
14 November 1989;
established—5 December 1951;
aim—to make international emigration and immigration more organized;
members—(35) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia,
Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Republic,
Ecuador, El Salvador, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel,
Italy, Kenya, South Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway,
Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Switzerland, Thailand, US,
Uruguay, Venezuela;
observers—(22) Belize, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, Egypt, Finland, France, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Japan, Mexico, NZ, San Marino, Somalia, Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, UK, Vatican City, Yugoslavia, Zimbabwe ————————————————————————————————————- _#_International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
established—NA February 1947;
aim—to promote the creation of international standards;
members—(72 national standards organizations) Albania, Algeria,
Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria,
Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, India,
Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica,
Japan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia,
Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea,
Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore,
South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria,
Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, UK, US, USSR,
Venezuela, Vietnam, Yugoslavia;
correspondent members—(14) Bahrain, Barbados, Brunei, Guinea, Hong Kong, Iceland, Jordan, Kuwait, Malawi, Mauritius, Oman, Senegal, UAE, Uruguay ————————————————————————————————————- _#_International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
established—NA 1928;
aim—to promote global humanitarian aid through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) during wartime, and the League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (LORCS) during peacetime;
members—(9) 2 representatives from ICRC, 2 from LORCS, and 5 from national societies elected by the international conference of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement ————————————————————————————————————- _#_International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
established—December 9, 1932, effective January 1, 1934, affiliated with the UN November 15, 1947;
aim—UN specialized agency focused on global telecommunications;
members—(164) all UN members except Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Seychelles; other members are Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Monaco, Nauru, San Marino, Switzerland, Tonga, Vatican City ————————————————————————————————————- _#_International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (INTELSAT)
established—August 20, 1971, effective February 12, 1973;
aim—to create and manage a worldwide commercial telecommunications satellite system;
members—(118) Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia,
Austria, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia,
Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile,
China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Republic,
Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon,
Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, Iceland,
India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast,
Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, South Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya,
Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali,
Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal,
Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan,
Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar,
Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Spain,
Sri Lanka, Sudan, Eswatini, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania,
Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UAE, UK,
US, Uruguay, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire,
Zambia, Zimbabwe
————————————————————————————————————-
_#_Islamic Development Bank (IDB)
established—15 December 1973;
aim—to promote Islamic economic support and social development;
members—(43 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization) Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UAE, Yemen, Palestine Liberation Organization ————————————————————————————————————— _#_ Latin American Economic System (LAES), also known as Sistema Economico Latinoamericano (SELA);
established—17 October 1975;
aim—to promote economic and social growth through regional collaboration;
members—(26) Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Latin American Integration Association (LAIA), also known as Asociacion Latinoamericana de Integracion (ALADI);
established—August 12, 1980, effective March 18, 1981;
aim—to promote freer regional trade;
members—(11) Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela;
observers—(13) Andean Group, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Inter-American Development Bank, Organization of American States, Panama, Portugal, Spain, UN Development Program, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean ————————————————————————————————————- _#League of Arab States (LAS)—see Arab League (AL) ————————————————————————————————————- #_League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (LORCS)
established—5 May 1919;
aim—to provide humanitarian assistance during peacetime;
members—(147) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina,
Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium,
Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina, Myanmar,
Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African
Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba,
Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador,
Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, The Gambia, Germany,
Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti,
Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy,
Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea,
Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein,
Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius,
Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ,
Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea,
Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda,
Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Sao Tome and
Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia,
South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Eswatini, Sweden,
Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago,
Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UAE, UK, US, USSR, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam,
Samoa, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe;
associate members—(2) Equatorial Guinea, Gabon ————————————————————————————————————- _#_least developed countries (LLDCs)—a group of less developed countries (LDCs) that the UN General Assembly first identified in 1971 as lacking significant economic growth, with per capita GNPs/GDPs typically under $500 and low literacy rates; also referred to as undeveloped countries;
the 41 LLDCs are—Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Myanmar, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Laos, Lesotho, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Samoa, Yemen ————————————————————————————————————- _#_less developed countries (LDCs)—the lowest group in the comprehensive but mutually exclusive hierarchy of developed countries (DCs), USSR/Eastern Europe (USSR/EE), and less developed countries (LDCs); mainly countries with low levels of output, living standards, and technology; per capita GNPs/GDPs are generally below $5,000 and often less than $1,000; includes the advanced developing countries, developing countries, Four Dragons (Four Tigers), least developed countries (LLDCs), low-income countries, middle-income countries, newly industrializing economies (NIEs), the Global South, Third World, underdeveloped countries, undeveloped countries;
the 173 LDCs are—Afghanistan, Algeria, American Samoa, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Myanmar, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands, Fiji, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gabon, The Gambia, Gaza Strip, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jersey, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Macau, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Isle of Man, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Oman, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Palau), Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Réunion, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Eswatini, Syria, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, UAE, Uganda, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands, Wallis and Futuna, West Bank, Western Sahara, Samoa, Yemen, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe ————————————————————————————————————- _#low-income countries—another term for the less developed countries with below-average per capita GNPs/GDPs; see less developed countries (LDCs) ————————————————————————————————————- #middle-income countries—another term for the less developed countries with above-average per capita GNPs/GDPs; see less developed countries (LDCs) ————————————————————————————————————- #newly industrializing countries (NICs)—former term for the newly industrializing economies; see newly industrializing economies (NIEs) ————————————————————————————————————- #newly industrializing economies (NIEs)—that subgroup of the less developed countries (LDCs) that has experienced particularly rapid industrialization of their economies; formerly known as the newly industrializing countries (NICs); also known as advanced developing countries; usually includes the Four Dragons (Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan) plus Brazil and Mexico ————————————————————————————————————- #_Nonaligned Movement (NAM)
established—1-6 September 1961;
aim—political and military cooperation separate from the traditional East or West blocs;
members—(102 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization)
Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, The Bahamas, Bahrain,
Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina,
Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad,
Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cuba, Cyprus, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt,
Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guinea,
Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast,
Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, North Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho,
Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta,
Mauritania, Mauritius, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal,
Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Qatar, Rwanda,
Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles,
Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland,
Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Uganda, UAE,
Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
Palestine Liberation Organization;
observers—(9) Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, Costa Rica, Dominica, El Salvador, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Uruguay;
guests—(11) Australia, Austria, Dominican Republic, Finland, Greece, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Nordic Council (NC)
established—March 16, 1952, effective February 12, 1953;
aim—to promote collaboration in regional economic, cultural, and environmental aspects;
members—(5) Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden; note—Denmark includes Faroe Islands and Greenland ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Nordic Investment Bank (NIB)
established—December 4, 1975, effective June 1, 1976;
aim—to promote economic cooperation and development;
members—(5) Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden ————————————————————————————————————- _North—a common term for the wealthy industrialized nations typically found in the upper part of the Northern Hemisphere; it's the opposite of the South; see developed countries (DCs) ————————————————————————————————————- #_North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
established—17 September 1949;
aim—shared defense and collaboration in other areas;
members—(16) Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, UK, US ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA)
established—NA 1958;
aim—linked to the OECD, aims to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy;
members—(23) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US ————————————————————————————————————- _#Organization for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL)—see Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPANAL) ————————————————————————————————————- #_Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
established—December 14, 1960, effective September 30, 1961;
aim—to promote economic cooperation and development;
members—(24) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan,
Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States;
special member—(1) Yugoslavia ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Organization of African Unity (OAU)
established—25 May 1963;
aim—to promote unity and collaboration among African nations;
members—(51) Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Eswatini, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Organization of American States (OAS)
established—April 30, 1948, effective December 13, 1951;
aim—to promote peace and security, along with economic and social development;
members—(35) Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba (not allowed to participate since 1962), Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, US, Uruguay, Venezuela;
observers—(22) Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, EC, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, Morocco, Netherlands, Pakistan, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Switzerland, Vatican City ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC)
established—9 January 1968;
aim—to promote collaboration in the oil industry;
members—(10) Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, UAE ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)
established—June 18, 1981, effective July 4, 1981;
aim—to encourage collaboration in politics, economics, and defense;
members—(7) Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines;
associate member—(1) British Virgin Islands ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
established—14 September 1960;
aim—to coordinate petroleum policies;
members—(13) Algeria, Ecuador, Gabon, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Venezuela ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)
established—22-25 September 1969;
aim—to promote Islamic unity and collaboration in economic, social, cultural, and political matters;
members—(44 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization)
Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Brunei, Burkina,
Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea,
Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya,
Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Oman,
Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan,
Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UAE, Yemen, Palestine Liberation
Organization; note—Afghanistan was suspended in January 1980, but in
March 1989 the self-proclaimed Afghan Interim Government based in
Pakistan was granted membership;
observer—(1) area of Cyprus administered by Turkish Cypriots ————————————————————————————————————- _#Paris Club—see Group of 10 ————————————————————————————————————- #_Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)
established—NA 1899;
aim—to help resolve international disputes;
members—(75) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia,
Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Belarus,
Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Fiji, Finland,
France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary,
Iceland, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, Laos, Lebanon,
Luxembourg, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua,
Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal,
Romania, Senegal, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Eswatini, Sweden,
Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine,
UK, US, USSR, Uruguay, Venezuela, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zimbabwe
————————————————————————————————————-
_#_Population Commission
established—3 October 1946;
aim—ECOSOC organization focused on population issues;
members—(27) chosen on a rotating basis from all regions ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Rio Group (RG)
established—NA 1988;
aim—a consultation mechanism for regional Latin American issues;
members—(11) Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela; note—Panama was expelled in 1988 ————————————————————————————————————- _#Second World—another term for the traditionally Marxist-Leninist states with authoritarian governments and command economies based on the Soviet model; see centrally planned economies ————————————————————————————————————- #socialist countries—in general, countries where the government owns and manages the main factors of production; note—the term is sometimes misused as a synonym for Communist countries ————————————————————————————————————- #South—a common term for poorer, less industrialized countries typically located south of the developed countries; the counterpart of the North; see less developed countries (LDCs) ————————————————————————————————————- #_South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
established—8 December 1985;
aim—to promote economic, social, and cultural cooperation;
members—(7) Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka ————————————————————————————————————- _#_South Pacific Commission (SPC)
established—February 6, 1947, effective July 29, 1948;
aim—to encourage regional collaboration in economic and social issues;
members—(27) American Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, France, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, NZ, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Palau), Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Islands, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, UK, US, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna, Western Samoa ————————————————————————————————————- _#_South Pacific Forum (SPF)
established—5 August 1971;
aim—to encourage regional collaboration in political issues;
members—(15) Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, NZ, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Western Samoa;
observer—(1) Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Palau) ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Southern African Customs Union (SACU)
established—11 December 1969;
aim—to promote free trade and collaboration in customs issues;
members—(9) Bophuthatswana, Botswana, Ciskei, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Transkei, Venda ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC)
established—1 April 1980;
aim—to promote regional economic development and reduce dependence on South Africa;
members—(10) Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Statistical Commission
established—21 June 1946;
aim—ECOSOC organization focused on developing and standardizing national statistics;
members—(24) selected on a rotating basis from all regions ————————————————————————————————————- _#Third World—another term for less developed countries; see less developed countries (LDCs) ————————————————————————————————————- #underdeveloped countries—refers to less developed countries with the potential for above-average economic growth; see less developed countries (LDCs) ————————————————————————————————————- #undeveloped countries—refers to extremely poor less developed countries (LDCs) with little prospect for economic growth; see least developed countries (LLDCs) ————————————————————————————————————- #Union Douaniere et Economique de l'Afrique Centrale (UDEAC)—see Central African Customs and Economic Union (UDEAC) ————————————————————————————————————- #_United Nations (UN)
established—June 26, 1945, effective October 24, 1945;
aim—to maintain international peace and security and promote cooperation on economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian issues;
members—(159) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and
Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh,
Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil,
Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Myanmar, Burundi, Belarus
Socialist Republic, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central
African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo,
Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica,
Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea,
Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Germany,
Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti,
Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland,
Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, North
Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia,
Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi,
Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius,
Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique,
Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman,
Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland,
Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia,
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia,
Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia,
South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Eswatini, Sweden,
Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,
Uganda, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, UAE, UK, US, USSR, Uruguay,
Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Samoa, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire,
Zambia, Zimbabwe;
note—all UN members are represented in the General Assembly;
observers—(4) Monaco, San Marino, Switzerland, Vatican City ————————————————————————————————————- _#_United Nations Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM)
established—20 December 1988;
aim—set up by the UN Security Council to confirm the withdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola;
members—(10) Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Congo, Czechoslovakia, India, Jordan, Norway, Spain, Yugoslavia ————————————————————————————————————- _#_United Nations Center for Human Settlements (UNCHS or Habitat)
established—12 October 1978;
aim—to help solve issues related to human settlements;
members—(88) chosen on a rotating basis from all regions ————————————————————————————————————- _#_United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)—abbreviation kept from the earlier organization UN International Children's Emergency Fund;
established—11 December 1946;
aim—to help set up child health and welfare services;
members—(41) selected on a rotating basis from all regions ————————————————————————————————————- _#_United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
established—30 December 1964;
aim—to promote international trade;
members—(166) all UN members plus North Korea, South Korea, Monaco, San Marino, Switzerland, Tonga, Vatican City ————————————————————————————————————- _#_United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
established—22 November 1965;
aim—to offer technical support to encourage economic and social growth;
members—(48) selected on a rotating basis from all regions ————————————————————————————————————- _#_United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF)
established—31 May 1974;
aim—set up by the UN Security Council to monitor the 1973 Arab-Israeli ceasefire;
members—(4) Austria, Canada, Finland, Poland ————————————————————————————————————- _#_United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
established—November 16, 1945, effective November 4, 1946;
aim—to promote collaboration in education, science, and culture;
members—(159) all UN members except Brunei, Liechtenstein, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, UK, US, Vanuatu; other members are Cook Islands, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Monaco, San Marino, Switzerland, Tonga;
associate members—(3) Aruba, British Virgin Islands, Netherlands Antilles ————————————————————————————————————- _#_United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)
established—15 December 1972;
aim—to encourage global collaboration on all environmental issues;
members—(58) selected on a rotating basis from all regions ————————————————————————————————————- _#_United Nations Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP)
established—4 March 1964;
aim—established by the UN Security Council to act as a peacekeeping force between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in Cyprus;
members—(8) Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Sweden, UK ————————————————————————————————————- _#_United Nations General Assembly
established—June 26, 1945, effective October 24, 1945;
aim—main decision-making body in the UN;
members—(159) all UN members are represented in the General Assembly ————————————————————————————————————- _#_United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
established—November 17, 1966, effective January 1, 1967;
aim—UN specialized agency that promotes industrial development, especially among its members;
members—(150) all UN members except Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Chad, Djibouti, Iceland, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Western Samoa; other members are North Korea, South Korea, Switzerland, Tonga ———————————————————————————————————— _#_United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
established—19 March 1978;
aim—set up by the UN Security Council to verify the withdrawal of Israeli forces, restore peace, and reestablish Lebanese authority in southern Lebanon;
members—(9) Fiji, Finland, France, Ghana, Ireland, Italy, Nepal, Norway, Sweden ————————————————————————————————————- _#_United Nations Iran-Iraq Military Observer Group (UNIIMOG)
established—9 August 1988;
aim—set up by the UN Security Council to monitor the 1988 Iran-Iraq ceasefire;
members—(26) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Ghana, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Poland, Senegal, Sweden, Turkey, Uruguay, Yugoslavia, Zambia ————————————————————————————————————- _#_United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP)
established—13 August 1948;
aim—set up by the UN Security Council to oversee the 1949 India-Pakistan ceasefire;
members—(8) Belgium, Chile, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Uruguay ————————————————————————————————————- _#_United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
established—December 3, 1949, effective January 1, 1951;
aim—to strive for the humane treatment of refugees and seek permanent solutions to refugee issues;
members—(43) Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Madagascar, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UK, US, Vatican City, Venezuela, Yugoslavia, Zaire ————————————————————————————————————- _#_United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)—acronym retained from predecessor organization UN Fund for Population Activities;
established—NA July 1967;
aim—to promote help in addressing population issues;
members—(48) selected on a rotating basis from all regions ————————————————————————————————————- _#_United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
established—8 December 1949;
aim—to provide help to Palestinian refugees;
members—(10) Belgium, Egypt, France, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, UK, US ————————————————————————————————————- _#_United Nations Secretariat
established—June 26, 1945, effective October 24, 1945;
aim—main administrative body of the UN;
members—Secretary General appointed for a five-year term by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council ————————————————————————————————————- _#_United Nations Security Council
established—June 26, 1945, effective October 24, 1945;
aim—to maintain international peace and security;
permanent members—(5) China, France, UK, US, Russia;
nonpermanent members—(10) elected for two-year terms by the UN General Assembly; Austria (1991-92), Belgium (1991-92), Cuba (1990-91), Ecuador (1991-92), India (1991-92), Ivory Coast (1990-91), Romania (1990-91), Yemen (1990-91), Zaire (1990-91), Zimbabwe (1991-92) ————————————————————————————————————- _#_United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO)
established—NA May 1948;
aim—originally set up by the UN Security Council to oversee the 1948 Arab-Israeli ceasefire and later expanded to operate in the Sinai, Lebanon, Jordan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan;
members—(16) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, United States, Soviet Union ————————————————————————————————————- _#_United Nations Trusteeship Council
established—26 June 1945, effective 24 October 1945;
aim—to oversee the management of the UN trust territories; only one of the original 11 trusteeships is still active—the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Palau);
members—(5) China, France, UK, US, USSR ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Universal Postal Union (UPU)
established—October 9, 1874, affiliated with the UN November 15, 1947, effective July 1, 1948;
aim—UN specialized agency that promotes global postal collaboration;
members—(168) all UN members except Antigua and Barbuda, Namibia, South Africa; other members are Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Monaco, Nauru, Netherlands Antilles, San Marino, Switzerland, Tonga, Tuvalu, UK Overseas Territories, Vatican City ————————————————————————————————————- _#USSR/Eastern Europe (USSR/EE)—the middle group in the comprehensive but mutually exclusive hierarchy of developed countries (DCs), USSR/Eastern Europe (USSR/EE), and less developed countries (LDCs); these countries are in political and economic transition; this group includes Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, USSR, Yugoslavia ————————————————————————————————————- #Warsaw Pact (WP)—was established 14 May 1955 to promote mutual defense; members met 1 July 1991 to dissolve the alliance; member states—Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the USSR—are now in the process of ratifying this agreement ————————————————————————————————————- #_West African Development Bank (WADB), also known as Banque Ouest-Africaine de Developpement (BOAD);
established—14 November 1973;
aim—to promote economic growth and integration;
members—(7) Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo ————————————————————————————————————- _#_West African Economic Community (CEAO)—an acronym for Communauté Économique de l'Afrique de l'Ouest;
established—3 June 1972;
aim—to promote regional economic development;
members—(7) Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal;
observers—(2) Guinea, Togo ————————————————————————————————————- _#_Western European Union (WEU)
established—October 23, 1954, effective May 6, 1955;
aim—mutual defense and progressive political unification;
members—(9) Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK ————————————————————————————————————- _#World Bank—see International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) ————————————————————————————————————- #_World Confederation of Labor (WCL)
established—June 19, 1920, as the International Federation of Christian Trade Unions (IFCTU), renamed October 4, 1968;
aim—to promote the labor union movement;
members—(93 national organizations) Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, French Guiana, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Martinique, Mauritius, Mexico, Montserrat, Namibia, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, UK, US, Uruguay, Vietnam, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe ————————————————————————————————————- _#World Court—see International Court of Justice (ICJ) ————————————————————————————————————- #_World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU)
established—NA 1945;
aim—to promote the labor union movement;
members—(74 plus the Palestine Liberation Organization)
Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Argentina, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh,
Benin, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China, Congo, Costa Rica,
Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador,
Ethiopia, France, French Guiana, The Gambia, Germany, Guadeloupe,
Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India,
Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, North Korea, Kuwait, Laos,
Lebanon, Madagascar, Martinique, Mauritius, Mongolia, Namibia, New
Caledonia, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines,
Poland, Puerto Rico, Réunion, Romania, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Solomon Islands, South
Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Trinidad and Tobago, USSR, Vanuatu,
Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Palestine Liberation Organization
————————————————————————————————————-
_#_World Food Council (WFC)
established—17 December 1974;
aim—ECOSOC organization that examines global food issues and suggests solutions;
members—(36) selected on a rotating basis from all regions ————————————————————————————————————- _#_World Food Program (WFP)
established—24 November 1961;
aim—ECOSOC organization that offers food assistance to support development or disaster relief;
members—(30) selected on a rotating basis from all regions ————————————————————————————————————- _#_World Health Organization (WHO)
established—July 22, 1946, effective April 7, 1948;
aim—UN specialized agency focused on health issues;
members—(165) all UN members except Belize, Liechtenstein; other members are Cook Islands, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Monaco, San Marino, Switzerland, Tonga ————————————————————————————————————- _#_World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
established—14 July 1967, effective 26 April 1970;
aim—UN specialized agency focused on protecting literary, artistic, and scientific works;
members—(124) Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Austria,
The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Benin, Brazil, Bulgaria,
Burkina, Burundi, Belarus, Cameroon,
Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo,
Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt,
El Salvador, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Germany, Ghana,
Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary,
Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast,
Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Lebanon,
Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi,
Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia,
Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Norway, Pakistan, Panama,
Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda,
Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Spain,
Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Eswatini, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania,
Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda,
Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, USSR, Uruguay,
Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia,
Zimbabwe
————————————————————————————————————-
_#_World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
established—October 11, 1947, effective April 4, 1951;
aim—specialized UN agency focused on weather cooperation;
members—(159) all UN members except Bhutan, Equatorial Guinea, Grenada, Liechtenstein, Namibia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Western Samoa; South Africa is included even though its WMO membership is suspended; other members are the British Caribbean Territories, French Polynesia, Hong Kong, North Korea, South Korea, the Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, and Switzerland ————————————————————————————————————- _#_World Tourism Organization (WTO)
established—2 January 1975;
aim—promote tourism to help boost economic development, foster international understanding, and support peace;
members—(104) Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia,
Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina,
Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo,
Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt,
Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece,
Grenada, Guinea, Haiti, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel,
Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, North Korea,
South Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi,
Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco,
Nepal, Netherlands, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal,
Sierra Leone, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania,
Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UAE, US, USSR, Uruguay, Venezuela,
Vietnam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe;
associate members—(4) Aruba, Macau, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico;
permanent observer—(1) Vatican City
=========================================================================
Appendix D: Weights and Measures
Mathematical Notation
Mathematical Power Name _________________________________________________________________________ 10 +18 or 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 one quintillion 10 +15 or 1,000,000,000,000,000 one quadrillion 10 +12 or 1,000,000,000,000 one trillion 10 +9 or 1,000,000,000 one billion 10 +6 or 1,000,000 one million 10 +3 or 1,000 one thousand 10 +2 or 100 one hundred 10 +1 or 10 ten 10 +0 or 1 one 10 -1 or 0.1 one tenth 10 -2 or 0.01 one hundredth 10 -3 or 0.001 one thousandth 10 -6 or 0.000 001 one millionth 10 -9 or 0.000 000 001 one billionth 10 -12 or 0.000 000 000 001 one trillionth 10 -15 or 0.000 000 000 000 001 one quadrillionth 10 -18 or 0.000 000 000 000 000 001 one quintillionth =========================================================================
Metric Interrelationships
Conversions from multiples or fractions to the basic units of meters, liters, or grams can be performed using the table. For example, to convert from kilometers to meters, multiply by 1,000 (9.26 kilometers equals 9,260 meters) or to convert from meters to kilometers, multiply by 0.001 (9,260 meters equals 9.26 kilometers) _________________________________________________________________________ Length, weight, Prefix Symbol capacity Area Volume ————————————————————————————————————- exa E 10 +18 10 +36 10 +54 peta P 10 +15 10 +30 10 +45 tera T 10 +12 10 +24 10 +36 giga G 10 +9 10 +18 10 +27 mega M 10 +6 10 +12 10 +18 hectokilo hk 10 +5 10 +10 10 +15 myria ma 10 +4 10 +8 10 +12 kilo k 10 +3 10 +6 10 +9 hecto h 10 +2 10 +4 10 +6 deka da 10 +1 10 +2 10 +3 basic unit - 1 meter, 1 meter2 1 meter3 1 gram, 1 liter deci d 10 -1 10 -2 10 -3 centi c 10 -2 10 -4 10 -6 milli m 10 -3 10 -6 10 -9 decimilli dm 10 -4 10 -8 10 -12 centimilli cm 10 -5 10 -10 10 -15 micro u 10 -6 10 -12 10 -18 nano n 10 -9 10 -18 10 -27 pico p 10 -12 10 -24 10 -36 femto f 10 -15 10 -30 10 -45 atto a 10 -18 10 -36 10 -54
========================================================================
EQUIVALENTS
The exponents 2 and 3 represent square and cube, respectively.
Unit Metric Equivalent US Equivalent _________________________________________________________________________
acre 0.4047 hectares 43,560 ft² acre 4,046.856 m² 4,840 yd² acre 0.0040469 mi² 0.0015625 miles², km² statute are 100 m² 119.599 yd² barrel (petroleum, US) 158.98729 liters 42 gallons (proof spirits, US) 151.41647 liters 40 gallons (beer, US) 117.34777 liters 31 gallons bushel 35.23907 liters 4 pecks cable 219.456 meters 120 fathoms chain (surveyor's) 20.1168 meters 66 feet cord (wood) 3.624556 m³ 128 ft³ cup 0.2365882 liters 8 fl oz (US) degrees, celsius (water boils at 100 multiply by 1.8 and add degrees C, freezes at 32 to get degrees F 0 degrees C) degrees, fahrenheit subtract 32 and divide (water boils at 212 by 1.8 to get degrees F, freezes at degrees C 32 degrees F) dram, avoirdupois 1.7718452 grams 0.0625 oz (avoirdupois) dram, troy 3.8879346 grams 0.125 ounces (troy) dram, liquid (US) 3.69669 milliliters 0.125 fl oz (liquid) fathom 1.8288 meters 6 feet foot 30.48 centimeters 12 inches foot 0.3048 meters 0.3333 yd foot 0.0003048 kilometers 0.00018939 miles, statute ft² 929.0304 cm² 144 in² ft² 0.09290304 m² 0.1111 yd² ft³ 28.316846592 liters 7.480519 gallons ft³ 0.028316847 m³ 1,728 in³ furlong 201.168 meters 220 yards gallon, liquid (US) 3.785411784 liters 4 quarts (liquid) gill (US) 118.294118 milliliters 4 fl oz (liquid) grain 64.79891 milligrams 0.00228571 ounces (avoirdupois) gram 1,000 milligrams 0.03527396 ounces (avoirdupois) hand (height of horse) 10.16 centimeters 4 inches hectare 10,000 m² 2.4710538 acres hundredweight, long 50.802345 kilograms 112 pounds (avoirdupois) hundredweight, short 45.359237 kilograms 100 pounds (avoirdupois) inch 2.54 centimeters 0.08333333 feet in² 6.4516 cm² 0.00694444 ft² in³ 16.387064 cm³ 0.0005787 ft³ in³ 16.387064 milliliters 0.0297616 pints (dry) in³ 16.387064 milliliters 0.0346320 pints (liquid) kilogram 0.001 metric tons 2.204623 pounds (avoirdupois) kilometer 1,000 meters 0.62137119 miles (statute) km² 100 hectares 247.10538 acres km² 1,000,000 m² 0.38610216 mi² (statute) knot (1 nautical mi/hr) 1.852 km/hr 1.151 statute mi/hr league, nautical 5.559552 kilometers 3 nautical miles league, statute 4,828.032 kilometers 3 statute miles link (surveyor's) 20.1168 centimeters 7.92 inches liter 0.001 m³ 61.02374 in³ liter 0.1 dekaliter 0.908083 quarts (dry) liter 1,000 milliliters 1.056688 quarts (liquid) meter 100 centimeters 1.093613 yards m² 10,000 cm² 1.195990 yd² m³ 1,000 liters 1.307951 yd³ micron 0.000001 meter 0.0000394 inches mil 0.0254 millimeters 0.001 inch mile, nautical 1.852 kilometers 1.1507794 miles (statute) mi², nautical 3.429904 km² 1.325 mi² (statute) mile, statute 1.609344 kilometers 5,280 feet or 8 furlongs mi², statute 258.998811 hectares 640 acres or 1 section mi², statute 2.58998811 km² 0.755 mi² (nautical) minim (US) 0.06161152 milliliters 0.00208333 fl oz (liquid) ounce, avoirdupois 28.349523125 grams 437.5 grains ounce, liquid (US) 29.57353 milliliters 0.0625 pints (liquid) ounce, troy 31.1034768 grams 480 grains pace 76.2 centimeters 30 inches peck 8.8097675 liters 8 quarts (dry) pennyweight 1.55517384 grams 24 grains pint, dry (US) 0.55061047 liters 0.5 quarts (dry) pint, liquid (US) 0.473176473 liters 0.5 quarts (liquid) point (typographical) 0.3514598 millimeters 0.013837 inches pound, avoirdupois 453.59237 grams 16 ounces (avoirdupois) pound, troy 373.2417216 grams 12 ounces (troy) quart, dry (US) 1.101221 liters 2 pints (dry) quart, liquid (US) 0.946352946 liters 2 pints (liquid) quintal 100 kilograms 220.46226 pounds (avoirdupois) rod 5.0292 meters 5.5 yards scruple 1.2959782 grams 20 grains section (US) 2.5899881 km² 1 mi² (statute) or 640 acres span 22.86 centimeters 9 inches stere 1 m³ 1.30795 yd³ tablespoon 14.78676 milliliters 3 teaspoons teaspoon 4.928922 milliliters 0.333333 tablespoons ton, long or deadweight 1,016.046909 kilograms 2,240 pounds (avoirdupois) ton, metric 1,000 kilograms 2,204.623 pounds (avoirdupois) ton, metric 1,000 kilograms 32,150.75 ounces (troy) ton, register 2.8316847 m³ 100 ft³ ton, short 907.18474 kilograms 2,000 pounds (avoirdupois) township (US) 93.239572 km² 36 mi² (statute) yard 0.9144 meters 3 feet yd² 0.83612736 m² 9 ft² yd³ 0.76455486 m³ 27 ft³ yd³ 764.554857984 liters 201.974 gallons =========================================================================
Appendix E: Cross-Reference List of Geographic Names
This list shows where you can find different names, including all United States Foreign Service Posts, alternate names, former names, and political or geographical parts of larger entities in The World Factbook. The spellings aren’t always the ones approved by the United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN). Alternate names are in parentheses, and extra information is in brackets.
Name Entry in The World Factbook
Abidjan [US Embassy] Ivory Coast
Abu Dhabi [US Embassy] United Arab Emirates
Acapulco [US Consular Agency] Mexico
Accra [US Embassy] Ghana
Adana [US Consulate] Turkey
Addis Ababa [US Embassy] Ethiopia
Adelaide [US Consular Agency] Australia
Adelie Land (Terre Adelie) Antarctica
[claimed by France]
Aden Yemen
Aden, Gulf of Indian Ocean
Admiralty Islands Papua New Guinea
Adriatic Sea Atlantic Ocean
Aegean Islands Greece
Aegean Sea Atlantic Ocean
Afars and Issas, French Djibouti
Territory of the (F.T.A.I.)
Agalega Islands Mauritius
Aland Islands Finland
Alaska United States
Alaska, Gulf of Pacific Ocean
Aldabra Islands Seychelles
Alderney Guernsey
Aleutian Islands United States
Alexander Island Antarctica
Alexandria [US Consulate General] Egypt
Algiers [US Embassy] Algeria
Alhucemas, Penon de Spain
Alphonse Island Seychelles
Amami Strait Pacific Ocean
Amindivi Islands India
Amirante Isles Seychelles
Amman [US Embassy] Jordan
Amsterdam [US Consulate General] Netherlands
Amsterdam Island French Southern and Antarctic Lands
(Ile Amsterdam)
Amundsen Sea Pacific Ocean
Amur China; Soviet Union
Andaman Islands India
Andaman Sea Indian Ocean
Anegada Passage Atlantic Ocean
Anglo-Egyptian Sudan Sudan
Anjouan Comoros
Ankara [US Embassy] Turkey
Annobon Equatorial Guinea
Antananarivo [US Embassy] Madagascar
Antipodes Islands New Zealand
Antwerp [US Consulate General] Belgium
Aozou Strip [claimed by Libya] Chad
Aqaba, Gulf of Indian Ocean
Arabian Sea Indian Ocean
Arafura Sea Pacific Ocean
Argun China; Soviet Union
Ascension Island Saint Helena
Assumption Island Seychelles
Asuncion [US Embassy] Paraguay
Asuncion Island Northern Mariana Islands
Atacama Chile
Athens [US Embassy] Greece
Attu United States
Auckland [US Consulate General] New Zealand
Auckland Islands New Zealand
Australes Iles (Iles Tubuai) French Polynesia
Axel Heiberg Island Canada
Azores Portugal
Azov, Sea of Atlantic Ocean
Bab el Mandeb Indian Ocean
Babuyan Channel Pacific Ocean
Babuyan Islands Philippines
Baffin Bay Arctic Ocean
Baffin Island Canada
Baghdad [US Embassy] Iraq
Balabac Strait Pacific Ocean
Balearic Islands Spain
Balearic Sea (Iberian Sea) Atlantic Ocean
Bali [US Consular Agency] Indonesia
Bali Sea Indian Ocean
Balintang Channel Pacific Ocean
Balintang Islands Philippines
Balleny Islands Antarctica
Balochistan Pakistan
Baltic Sea Atlantic Ocean
Bamako [US Embassy] Mali
Banaba (Ocean Island) Kiribati
Bandar Seri Begawan [US Embassy] Brunei
Banda Sea Pacific Ocean
Bangkok [US Embassy] Thailand
Bangui [US Embassy] Central African Republic
Banjul [US Embassy] Gambia, The
Banks Island Canada
Banks Islands (Iles Banks) Vanuatu
Barcelona [US Consulate General] Spain
Barents Sea Arctic Ocean
Barranquilla [US Consulate] Colombia
Bashi Channel Pacific Ocean
Basilan Strait Pacific Ocean
Bass Strait Indian Ocean
Batan Islands Philippines
Bavaria (Bayern) Germany
Beagle Channel Atlantic Ocean
Bear Island (Bjornoya) Svalbard
Beaufort Sea Arctic Ocean
Bechuanaland Botswana
Beijing [US Embassy] China
Beirut [US Embassy] Lebanon
Belau Pacific Islands, Trust Territory of the
(Palau)
Belem [US Consular Agency] Brazil
Belep Islands (Iles Belep) New Caledonia
Belfast [US Consulate General] United Kingdom
Belgian Congo Zaire
Belgrade [US Embassy] Yugoslavia
Belize City [US Embassy] Belize
Belle Isle, Strait of Atlantic Ocean
Bellinghausen Sea Pacific Ocean
Belmopan Belize
Bengal, Bay of Indian Ocean
Bering Sea Pacific Ocean
Bering Strait Pacific Ocean
Berkner Island Antarctica
Berlin [US Branch Office] Germany
Berlin, East Germany
Berlin, West Germany
Bern [US Embassy] Switzerland
Bessarabia Romania; Soviet Union
Bijagos, Arquipelago dos Guinea-Bissau
Bikini Atoll Marshall Islands
Bilbao [US Consulate] Spain
Bioko Equatorial Guinea
Biscay, Bay of Atlantic Ocean
Bishop Rock United Kingdom
Bismarck Archipelago Papua New Guinea
Bismarck Sea Pacific Ocean
Bissau [US Embassy] Guinea-Bissau
Bjornoya (Bear Island) Svalbard
Black Rock Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Black Sea Atlantic Ocean
Boa Vista Cape Verde
Bogota [US Embassy] Colombia
Bombay [US Consulate General] India
Bonaire Netherlands Antilles
Bonifacio, Strait of Atlantic Ocean
Bonin Islands Japan
Bonn [US Embassy] Germany
Bophuthatswana South Africa
Bora-Bora French Polynesia
Bordeaux [US Consulate General] France
Borneo Brunei; Indonesia; Malaysia
Bornholm Denmark
Bosporus Atlantic Ocean
Bothnia, Gulf of Atlantic Ocean
Bougainville Island Papua New Guinea
Bougainville Strait Pacific Ocean
Bounty Islands New Zealand
Brasilia [US Embassy] Brazil
Brazzaville [US Embassy] Congo
Bridgetown [US Embassy] Barbados
Brisbane [US Consulate] Australia
British East Africa Kenya
British Guiana Guyana
British Honduras Belize
British Solomon Islands Solomon Islands
British Somaliland Somalia
Brussels [US Embassy, US Mission Belgium
to European Communities, US
Mission to the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization (USNATO)]
Bucharest [US Embassy] Romania
Budapest [US Embassy] Hungary
Buenos Aires [US Embassy] Argentina
Bujumbura [US Embassy] Burundi
Cabinda Angola
Cabot Strait Atlantic Ocean
Caicos Islands Turks and Caicos Islands
Cairo [US Embassy] Egypt
Calcutta [US Consulate General] India
Calgary [US Consulate General] Canada
California, Gulf of Pacific Ocean
Campbell Island New Zealand
Canal Zone Panama
Canary Islands Spain
Canberra [US Embassy] Australia
Cancun [US Consular Agency] Mexico
Canton (Guangzhou) China
Canton Island Kiribati
Cape Town [US Consulate General] South Africa
Caracas [US Embassy] Venezuela
Cargados Carajos Shoals Mauritius
Caroline Islands Micronesia, Federated States of;
Pacific Islands, Trust Territory of the
Caribbean Sea Atlantic Ocean
Carpentaria, Gulf of Pacific Ocean
Casablanca [US Consulate General] Morocco
Cato Island Australia
Cebu [US Consulate] Philippines
Celebes Indonesia
Celebes Sea Pacific Ocean
Celtic Sea Atlantic Ocean
Central African Empire Central African Republic
Ceuta Spain
Ceylon Sri Lanka
Chafarinas, Islas Spain
Chagos Archipelago (Oil Islands) British Indian Ocean Territory
Channel Islands Guernsey; Jersey
Chatham Islands New Zealand
Cheju-do South Korea
Cheju Strait Pacific Ocean
Chengdu [US Consulate General] China
Chesterfield Islands New Caledonia
(Iles Chesterfield)
Chiang Mai [US Consulate General] Thailand
Chihli, Gulf of (Bo Hai) Pacific Ocean
China, People's Republic of China
China, Republic of Taiwan
Choiseul Solomon Islands
Christchurch [US Consular Agency] New Zealand
Christmas Island [Indian Ocean] Australia
Christmas Island [Pacific Ocean] Kiribati
(Kiritimati)
Chukchi Sea Arctic Ocean
Ciskei South Africa
Ciudad Juarez [US Consulate Mexico
General]
Cochabamba [US Consular Agency] Bolivia
Coco, Isla del Costa Rica
Cocos Islands Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Colombo [US Embassy] Sri Lanka
Colon [US Consular Agency] Panama
Colon, Archipielago de Ecuador
(Galapagos Islands)
Commander Islands Soviet Union
(Komandorskiye Ostrova)
Conakry [US Embassy] Guinea
Congo (Brazzaville) Congo
Congo (Kinshasa) Zaire
Congo (Leopoldville) Zaire
Con Son Islands Vietnam
Cook Strait Pacific Ocean
Copenhagen [US Embassy] Denmark
Coral Sea Pacific Ocean
Corn Islands (Islas del Maiz) Nicaragua
Corsica France
Cosmoledo Group Seychelles
Cote d'Ivoire Ivory Coast
Cotonou [US Embassy] Benin
Crete Greece
Crooked Island Passage Atlantic Ocean
Crozet Islands (Iles Crozet) French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Curacao [US Consulate General] Netherlands Antilles
Cusco [US Consular Agency] Peru
Dahomey Benin
Daito Islands Japan
Dakar [US Embassy] Senegal
Daman (Damao) India
Damascus [US Embassy] Syria
Danger Atoll Cook Islands
Danish Straits Atlantic Ocean
Danzig (Gdansk) Poland
Dao Bach Long Vi Vietnam
Dardanelles Atlantic Ocean
Dar es Salaam [US Embassy] Tanzania
Davis Strait Atlantic Ocean
Deception Island Antarctica
Denmark Strait Atlantic Ocean
D'Entrecasteaux Islands Papua New Guinea
Devon Island Canada
Dhahran [US Consulate General] Saudi Arabia
Dhaka [US Embassy] Bangladesh
Diego Garcia British Indian Ocean Territory
Diego Ramirez Chile
Diomede Islands Soviet Union [Big Diomede]; United States
[Little Diomede]
Diu India
Djibouti [US Embassy] Djibouti
Dodecanese Greece
Doha [US Embassy] Qatar
Douala [US Consulate General] Cameroon
Dover, Strait of Atlantic Ocean
Drake Passage Atlantic Ocean
Dubai [US Consulate General] United Arab Emirates
Dublin [US Embassy] Ireland
Durango [US Consular Agency] Mexico
Durban [US Consulate General] South Africa
Dusseldorf [US Consulate General] Germany
Dutch East Indies Indonesia
Dutch Guiana Suriname
East China Sea Pacific Ocean
Easter Island (Isla de Pascua) Chile
Eastern Channel (East Korea Pacific Ocean
Strait or Tsushima Strait)
East Germany (German Democratic Germany
Republic)
East Korea Strait (Eastern Pacific Ocean
Channel or Tsushima Strait)
East Pakistan Bangladesh
East Siberian Sea Arctic Ocean
East Timor (Portuguese Timor) Indonesia
Edinburgh [US Consulate General] United Kingdom
Elba Italy
Ellef Ringnes Island Canada
Ellesmere Island Canada
Ellice Islands Tuvalu
Elobey, Islas de Equatorial Guinea
Enderbury Island Kiribati
Enewetak Atoll (Eniwetok Atoll) Marshall Islands
England United Kingdom
English Channel Atlantic Ocean
Eniwetok Atoll Marshall Islands
Epirus, Northern Albania; Greece
Eritrea Ethiopia
Essequibo [claimed by Venezuela] Guyana
Estonia Soviet Union [de facto]
Etorofu Soviet Union [de facto]
Farquhar Group Seychelles
Fernando de Noronha Brazil
Fernando Po (Bioko) Equatorial Guinea
Finland, Gulf of Atlantic Ocean
Florence [US Consulate General] Italy
Florida, Straits of Atlantic Ocean
Formosa Taiwan
Formosa Strait (Taiwan Strait) Pacific Ocean
Fort-de-France Martinique
[US Consulate General]
Frankfurt am Main Germany
[US Consulate General]
Franz Josef Land Soviet Union
Freetown [US Embassy] Sierra Leone
French Cameroon Cameroon
French Indochina Cambodia; Laos; Vietnam
French Guinea Guinea
French Sudan Mali
French Territory of the Afars Djibouti
and Issas (F.T.A.I.)
French Togo Togo
Friendly Islands Tonga
Fukuoka [US Consulate] Japan
Funchal [US Consular Agency] Portugal
Fundy, Bay of Atlantic Ocean
Futuna Islands (Hoorn Islands) Wallis and Futuna
Gaborone [US Embassy] Botswana
Galapagos Islands (Archipelago Ecuador
of Columbus)
Galleons Passage Atlantic Ocean
Gambier Islands (Iles Gambier) French Polynesia
Gaspar Strait Indian Ocean
Geneva [Branch Office of the US Switzerland
Embassy, US Mission to European
Office of the UN and Other
International Organizations]
Genoa [US Consulate General] Italy
George Town [US Consular Agency] Cayman Islands
Georgetown [US Embassy] Guyana
German Democratic Republic Germany
(East Germany)
German Federal Republic of Germany
(West Germany)
Gibraltar, Strait of Atlantic Ocean
Gilbert Islands Kiribati
Goa India
Gold Coast Ghana
Golan Heights Syria
Good Hope, Cape of South Africa
Goteborg [US Consulate General] Sweden
Gotland Sweden
Gough Island Saint Helena
Grand Banks Atlantic Ocean
Grand Cayman Cayman Islands
Grand Turk [US Consular Agency] Turks and Caicos Islands
Great Australian Bight Indian Ocean
Great Belt (Store Baelt) Atlantic Ocean
Great Britain United Kingdom
Great Channel Indian Ocean
Greater Sunda Islands Brunei; Indonesia; Malaysia
Green Islands Papua New Guinea
Greenland Sea Arctic Ocean
Grenadines, Northern Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Grenadines, Southern Grenada
Guadalajara Mexico
[US Consulate General]
Guadalcanal Solomon Islands
Guadalupe, Isla de Mexico
Guangzhou [US Consulate General] China
Guantanamo [US Naval Base] Cuba
Guatemala [US Embassy] Guatemala
Gubal, Strait of Indian Ocean
Guinea, Gulf of Atlantic Ocean
Guayaquil [US Consulate General] Ecuador
Ha'apai Group Tonga
Habomai Islands Soviet Union [de facto]
Hague, The [US Embassy] Netherlands
Haifa [US Consular Agency] Israel
Hainan Dao China
Halifax [US Consulate General] Canada
Halmahera Indonesia
Hamburg [US Consulate General] Germany
Hamilton [US Consulate General] Bermuda
Hanoi Vietnam
Harare [US Embassy] Zimbabwe
Hatay Turkey
Havana [US post not maintained, Cuba
representation by US Interests
Section (USINT) of the Swiss
Embassy]
Hawaii United States
Heard Island Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Helsinki [US Embassy] Finland
Hermosillo [US Consulate] Mexico
Hispaniola Dominican Republic; Haiti
Hokkaido Japan
Holy See, The Vatican City
Hong Kong [US Consulate General] Hong Kong
Honiara [US Consulate] Solomon Islands
Honshu Japan
Hormuz, Strait of Indian Ocean
Horn, Cape (Cabo de Hornos) Chile
Horne, Iles de Wallis and Futuna
Horn of Africa Ethiopia; Somalia
Hudson Bay Arctic Ocean
Hudson Strait Arctic Ocean
Inaccessible Island Saint Helena
Indochina Cambodia; Laos; Vietnam
Inner Mongolia (Nei Mongol) China
Ionian Islands Greece
Ionian Sea Atlantic Ocean
Irian Jaya Indonesia
Irish Sea Atlantic Ocean
Islamabad [US Embassy] Pakistan
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) Islas Malvinas
Istanbul [US Consulate General] Turkey
Italian Somaliland Somalia
Iwo Jima Japan
Izmir [US Consulate General] Turkey
Jakarta [US Embassy] Indonesia
Japan, Sea of Pacific Ocean
Java Indonesia
Java Sea Indian Ocean
Jeddah [US Consulate General] Saudi Arabia
Jerusalem [US Consulate General] Israel; West Bank
Johannesburg South Africa
[US Consulate General]
Juan de Fuca, Strait of Pacific Ocean
Juan Fernandez, Isla de Chile
Juventud, Isla de la Cuba
(Isle of Youth)
Kabul [US Embassy now closed] Afghanistan
Kaduna [US Consulate General] Nigeria
Kalimantan Indonesia
Kamchatka Peninsula Soviet Union
(Poluostrov Kamchatka)
Kampala [US Embassy] Uganda
Kampuchea Cambodia
Karachi [US Consulate General] Pakistan
Kara Sea Arctic Ocean
Karimata Strait Indian Ocean
Kathmandu [US Embassy] Nepal
Kattegat Atlantic Ocean
Kauai Channel Pacific Ocean
Keeling Islands Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Kerguelen, Iles French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Kermadec Islands New Zealand
Khabarovsk Soviet Union
Khartoum [US Embassy] Sudan
Khmer Republic Cambodia
Kiel Canal (Nord-Ostsee Kanal) Atlantic Ocean
Khuriya Muriya Islands Oman
(Kuria Muria Islands)
Khyber Pass Pakistan
Kigali [US Embassy] Rwanda
Kingston [US Embassy] Jamaica
Kinshasa [US Embassy] Zaire
Kiritimati (Christmas Island) Kiribati
Kithira Strait Atlantic Ocean
Kodiak Island United States
Kola Peninsula Soviet Union
(Kol'skiy Poluostrov)
Kolonia [US Special Office] Micronesia, Federated States of
Korea Bay Pacific Ocean
Korea, Democratic People's Korea, North
Republic of
Korea, Republic of Korea, South
Korea Strait Pacific Ocean
Koror [US Special Office] Pacific Islands, Trust Territory of
Kosovo Yugoslavia
Kowloon Hong Kong
Krakow [US Consulate] Poland
Kuala Lumpur [US Embassy] Malaysia
Kunashiri (Kunashir) Soviet Union [de facto]
Kuril Islands Soviet Union [de facto]
Kuwait [US Embassy] Kuwait
Kwajalein Atoll Marshall Islands
Kyushu Japan
Labrador Canada
Laccadive Islands India
Laccadive Sea Indian Ocean
La Coruna [US Consular Agency] Spain
Lagos [US Embassy] Nigeria
Lahore [US Consulate General] Pakistan
Lakshadweep India
La Paz [US Embassy] Bolivia
La Perouse Strait Pacific Ocean
Laptev Sea Arctic Ocean
Las Palmas [US Consular Agency] Spain
Latvia Soviet Union [de facto]
Lau Group Fiji
Leningrad [US Consulate General] Soviet Union
Lesser Sunda Islands Indonesia
Leyte Philippines
Liancourt Rocks [claimed by Japan]Korea, South
Libreville [US Embassy] Gabon
Ligurian Sea Atlantic Ocean
Lilongwe [US Embassy] Malawi
Lima [US Embassy] Peru
Lincoln Sea Arctic Ocean
Line Islands Kiribati; Palmyra Atoll
Lisbon [US Embassy] Portugal
Lithuania Soviet Union [de facto]
Lombok Strait Indian Ocean
Lome [US Embassy] Togo
London [US Embassy] United Kingdom
Lord Howe Island Australia
Louisiade Archipelago Papua New Guinea
Loyalty Islands New Caledonia
(Iles Loyaute)
Lubumbashi [US Consulate General] Zaire
Lusaka [US Embassy] Zambia
Luxembourg [US Embassy] Luxembourg
Luzon Philippines
Luzon Strait Pacific Ocean
Lyon [US Consulate General] France
Macao Macau
Macedonia Bulgaria; Greece; Yugoslavia
Macquarie Island Australia
Madeira Islands Portugal
Madras [US Consulate General] India
Madrid [US Embassy] Spain
Magellan, Strait of Atlantic Ocean
Mahe Island Seychelles
Maiz, Islas del (Corn Islands) Nicaragua
Majorca (Mallorca) Spain
Majuro [US Special Office] Marshall Islands
Makassar Strait Pacific Ocean
Malabo [US Embassy] Equatorial Guinea
Malacca, Strait of Indian Ocean
Malaga [US Consular Agency] Spain
Malagasy Republic Madagascar
Male [US post not maintained, Maldives
representation from Colombo,
Sri Lanka]
Mallorca (Majorca) Spain
Malpelo, Isla de Colombia
Malta Channel Atlantic Ocean
Malvinas, Islas Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Managua [US Embassy] Nicaragua
Manama [US Embassy] Bahrain
Manaus [US Consular Agency] Brazil
Manchukuo China
Manchuria China
Manila [US Embassy] Philippines
Manipa Strait Pacific Ocean
Mannar, Gulf of Indian Ocean
Manua Islands American Samoa
Maputo [US Embassy] Mozambique
Maracaibo [US Consulate] Venezuela
Marcus Island (Minami-tori-shima) Japan
Mariana Islands Guam; Northern Mariana Islands
Marion Island South Africa
Marmara, Sea of Atlantic Ocean
Marquesas Islands French Polynesia
(Iles Marquises)
Marseille [US Consulate General] France
Martin Vaz, Ilhas Brazil
Mas a Tierra Chile
(Robinson Crusoe Island)
Mascarene Islands Mauritius; Reunion
Maseru [US Embassy] Lesotho
Matamoros [US Consulate] Mexico
Mazatlan [US Consulate] Mexico
Mbabane [US Embassy] Swaziland
McDonald Islands Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Medan [US Consulate] Indonesia
Mediterranean Sea Atlantic Ocean
Melbourne [US Consulate General] Australia
Melilla Spain
Merida [US Consulate] Mexico
Messina, Strait of Atlantic Ocean
Mexico [US Embassy] Mexico
Mexico, Gulf of Atlantic Ocean
Milan [US Consulate General] Italy
Minami-tori-shima Japan
Mindanao Philippines
Mindoro Strait Pacific Ocean
Minicoy Island India
Mogadishu [US Embassy] Somalia
Mombasa [US Consulate] Kenya
Mona Passage Atlantic Ocean
Monrovia [US Embassy] Liberia
Montego Bay [US Consular Agency] Jamaica
Monterrey [US Consulate General] Mexico
Montevideo [US Embassy] Uruguay
Montreal [US Consulate General, Canada
US Mission to the International
Civil Aviation Organization
(ICAO)]
Moravian Gate Czechoslovakia
Moroni [US Embassy] Comoros
Mortlock Islands Micronesia, Federated States of
Moscow [US Embassy] Soviet Union
Mozambique Channel Indian Ocean
Mulege [US Consular Agency] Mexico
Munich [US Consulate General] Germany
Musandam Peninsula Oman; United Arab Emirates
Muscat [US Embassy] Oman
Muscat and Oman Oman
Myanma, Myanmar Burma
Naha [US Consulate General] Japan
Nairobi [US Embassy] Kenya
Nampo-shoto Japan
Naples [US Consulate General] Italy
Nassau [US Embassy] Bahamas
Natuna Besar Islands Indonesia
N'Djamena [US Embassy] Chad
Netherlands East Indies Indonesia
Netherlands Guiana Suriname
Nevis Saint Kitts and Nevis
New Delhi [US Embassy] India
Newfoundland Canada
New Guinea Indonesia; Papua New Guinea
New Hebrides Vanuatu
New Siberian Islands Soviet Union
New Territories Hong Kong
New York, New York [US Mission United States
to the United Nations (USUN)]
Niamey [US Embassy] Niger
Nice [US Consular Agency] France
Nicobar Islands India
Nicosia [US Embassy] Cyprus
Nightingale Island Saint Helena
North Atlantic Ocean Atlantic Ocean
North Channel Atlantic Ocean
Northeast Providence Channel Atlantic Ocean
Northern Epirus Albania; Greece
Northern Grenadines Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Northern Ireland United Kingdom
Northern Rhodesia Zambia
North Island New Zealand
North Korea North Korea
North Pacific Ocean Pacific Ocean
North Sea Atlantic Ocean
North Vietnam Vietnam
Northwest Passages Arctic Ocean
North Yemen (Yemen Arab Republic) Yemen
Norwegian Sea Atlantic Ocean
Nouakchott [US Embassy] Mauritania
Novaya Zemlya Soviet Union
Nuevo Laredo [US Consulate] Mexico
Nyasaland Malawi
Oahu United States
Oaxaca [US Consular Agency] Mexico
Ocean Island (Banaba) Kiribati
Ocean Island (Kure Island) United States
Ogaden Ethiopia; Somalia
Oil Islands (Chagos Archipelago) British Indian Ocean Territory
Okhotsk, Sea of Pacific Ocean
Okinawa Japan
Oman, Gulf of Indian Ocean
Ombai Strait Pacific Ocean
Oporto [US Consulate] Portugal
Oran [US Consulate] Algeria
Oresund (The Sound) Atlantic Ocean
Orkney Islands United Kingdom
Osaka-Kobe [US Consulate General] Japan
Oslo [US Embassy] Norway
Otranto, Strait of Atlantic Ocean
Ottawa [US Embassy] Canada
Ouagadougou [US Embassy] Burkina
Outer Mongolia Mongolia
Pagan Northern Mariana Islands
Palau Pacific Islands, Trust Territory of the
Palawan Philippines
Palermo [US Consulate General] Italy
Palk Strait Indian Ocean
Palma de Mallorca Spain
[US Consular Agency]
Pamirs China; Soviet Union
Panama [US Embassy] Panama
Panama Canal Panama
Panama, Gulf of Pacific Ocean
Paramaribo [US Embassy] Suriname
Parece Vela Japan
Paris [US Embassy, US Mission to France
the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development
(OECD), US Observer Mission at
the UN Educational, Scientific,
and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO)]
Pascua, Isla de (Easter Island) Chile
Passion, Ile de la Clipperton Island
Pashtunistan Afghanistan; Pakistan
Peking (Beijing) China
Pemba Island Tanzania
Pentland Firth Atlantic Ocean
Perim Yemen
Perouse Strait, La Pacific Ocean
Persian Gulf Indian Ocean
Perth [US Consulate] Australia
Pescadores Taiwan
Peshawar [US Consulate] Pakistan
Peter I Island Antarctica
Philip Island Norfolk Island
Philippine Sea Pacific Ocean
Phoenix Islands Kiribati
Pines, Isle of Cuba
(Isla de la Juventud)
Piura [US Consular Agency] Peru
Pleasant Island Nauru
Ponape (Pohnpei) Micronesia
Ponta Delgada [US Consulate] Portugal
Port-au-Prince [US Embassy] Haiti
Port Louis [US Embassy] Mauritius
Port Moresby [US Embassy] Papua New Guinea
Porto Alegre [US Consulate] Brazil
Port-of-Spain [US Embassy] Trinidad and Tobago
Port Said [US Consular Agency] Egypt
Portuguese Guinea Guinea-Bissau
Portuguese Timor (East Timor) Indonesia
Poznan [US Consulate] Poland
Prague [US Embassy] Czech Republic
Praia [US Embassy] Cape Verde
Pretoria [US Embassy] South Africa
Pribilof Islands United States
Prince Edward Island Canada
Prince Edward Islands South Africa
Prince Patrick Island Canada
Principe Sao Tome and Principe
Puerto Plata [US Consular Agency] Dominican Republic
Puerto Vallarta Mexico
[US Consular Agency]
Pusan [US Consulate] South Korea
P'yongyang North Korea
Quebec [US Consulate General] Canada
Queen Charlotte Islands Canada
Queen Elizabeth Islands Canada
Queen Maud Land Antarctica
[claimed by Norway]
Quito [US Embassy] Ecuador
Rabat [US Embassy] Morocco
Ralik Chain Marshall Islands
Rangoon [US Embassy] Burma
Ratak Chain Marshall Islands
Recife [US Consulate] Brazil
Redonda Antigua and Barbuda
Red Sea Indian Ocean
Revillagigedo Island United States
Revillagigedo Islands Mexico
Reykjavik [US Embassy] Iceland
Rhodes Greece
Rhodesia Zimbabwe
Rhodesia, Northern Zambia
Rhodesia, Southern Zimbabwe
Rio de Janeiro Brazil
[US Consulate General]
Rio de Oro Western Sahara
Rio Muni Equatorial Guinea
Riyadh [US Embassy] Saudi Arabia
Robinson Crusoe Island Chile
(Mas a Tierra)
Rocas, Atol das Brazil
Rockall [disputed] United Kingdom
Rodrigues Mauritius
Rome [US Embassy, US Mission to Italy
the UN Agencies for Food and
Agriculture (FODAG)]
Roncador Cay Colombia
Roosevelt Island Antarctica
Ross Dependency Antarctica
[claimed by New Zealand]
Ross Island Antarctica
Ross Sea Antarctica
Rota Northern Mariana Islands
Rotuma Fiji
Ryukyu Islands Japan
Saba Netherlands Antilles
Sabah Malaysia
Sable Island Canada
Sahel Burkina; Cape Verde; Chad; The Gambia;
Guinea-Bissau; Mali; Mauritania;
Niger; Senegal
Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) Vietnam
Saint Brandon Mauritius
Saint Christopher and Nevis Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint George's [US Embassy] Grenada
Saint George's Channel Atlantic Ocean
Saint John's [US Embassy] Antigua and Barbuda
Saint Lawrence, Gulf of Atlantic Ocean
Saint Lawrence Island United States
Saint Lawrence Seaway Atlantic Ocean
Saint Martin Guadeloupe
Saint Martin (Sint Maarten) Netherlands Antilles
Saint Paul Island Canada
Saint Paul Island United States
Saint Paul Island French Southern and Antarctic Lands
(Ile Saint-Paul)
Saint Peter and Saint Paul Rocks Brazil
(Penedos de Sao Pedro e
Sao Paulo)
Saint Vincent Passage Atlantic Ocean
Saipan Northern Mariana Islands
Sakhalin Island (Ostrov Sakhalin) Soviet Union
Sala y Gomez, Isla Chile
Salisbury (Harare) Zimbabwe
Salvador de Bahia Brazil
[US Consular Agency]
Salzburg [US Consulate General] Austria
Sanaa [US Embassy] Yemen
San Ambrosio Chile
San Andres y Providencia, Colombia
Archipelago
San Bernardino Strait Pacific Ocean
San Felix, Isla Chile
San Jose [US Embassy] Costa Rica
San Luis Potosi Mexico
[US Consular Agency]
San Miguel Allende Mexico
[US Consular Agency]
San Salvador [US Embassy] El Salvador
Santa Cruz [US Consular Agency] Bolivia
Santa Cruz Islands Solomon Islands
Santiago [US Embassy] Chile
Santo Domingo [US Embassy] Dominican Republic
Sao Luis [US Consular Agency] Brazil
Sao Paulo [US Consulate General] Brazil
Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo, Brazil
Penedos de
Sapporo [US Consulate General] Japan
Sapudi Strait Indian Ocean
Sarawak Malaysia
Sardinia Italy
Sargasso Sea Atlantic Ocean
Sark Guernsey
Scotia Sea Atlantic Ocean
Scotland United Kingdom
Scott Island Antarctica
Senyavin Islands Micronesia, Federated States of
Seoul [US Embassy] South Korea
Serrana Bank Colombia
Serranilla Bank Colombia
Severnaya Zemlya (Northland) Soviet Union
Seville [US Consular Agency] Spain
Shag Island Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Shag Rocks Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Shanghai [US Consulate General] China
Shenyang [US Consulate General] China
Shetland Islands United Kingdom
Shikoku Japan
Shikotan (Shikotan-to) Japan
Siam Thailand
Sibutu Passage Pacific Ocean
Sicily Italy
Sicily, Strait of Atlantic Ocean
Sikkim India
Sinai Egypt
Singapore [US Embassy] Singapore
Singapore Strait Pacific Ocean
Sinkiang (Xinjiang) China
Sint Eustatius Netherlands Antilles
Sint Maarten (Saint Martin) Netherlands Antilles
Skagerrak Atlantic Ocean
Slovakia Czechoslovakia
Society Islands French Polynesia
(Iles de la Societe)
Socotra Yemen
Sofia [US Embassy] Bulgaria
Solomon Islands, northern Papua New Guinea
Solomon Islands, southern Solomon Islands
Soloman Sea Pacific Ocean
Songkhla [US Consulate] Thailand
Sound, The (Oresund) Atlantic Ocean
South Atlantic Ocean Atlantic Ocean
South China Sea Pacific Ocean
Southern Grenadines Grenada
Southern Rhodesia Zimbabwe
South Georgia South Georgia and the South
Sandwich Islands
South Island New Zealand
South Korea South Korea
South Orkney Islands Antarctica
South Pacific Ocean Pacific Ocean
South Sandwich Islands South Georgia and the South
Sandwich Islands
South Shetland Islands Antarctica
South Tyrol Italy
South Vietnam Vietnam
South-West Africa Namibia
South Yemen (People's Democratic Yemen
Republic of Yemen)
Spanish Guinea Equatorial Guinea
Spanish Sahara Western Sahara
Spitsbergen Svalbard
Stockholm [US Embassy] Sweden
Strasbourg [US Consulate General] France
Stuttgart [US Consulate General] Germany
Suez, Gulf of Indian Ocean
Sulu Archipelago Philippines
Sulu Sea Pacific Ocean
Sumatra Indonesia
Sumba Indonesia
Sunda Islands (Soenda Isles) Indonesia; Malaysia
Sunda Strait Indian Ocean
Surabaya [US Consulate] Indonesia
Surigao Strait Pacific Ocean
Surinam Suriname
Suva [US Embassy] Fiji
Swains Island American Samoa
Swan Islands Honduras
Sydney [US Consulate General] Australia
Tahiti French Polynesia
Taipei Taiwan
Taiwan Strait Pacific Ocean
Tampico [US Consular Agency] Mexico
Tanganyika Tanzania
Tangier [US Consulate General] Morocco
Tarawa Kiribati
Tartar Strait Pacific Ocean
Tasmania Australia
Tasman Sea Pacific Ocean
Taymyr Peninsula Soviet Union
(Poluostrov Taymyra)
Tegucigalpa [US Embassy] Honduras
Tehran [US post not maintained, Iran
representation by Swiss Embassy]
Tel Aviv [US Embassy] Israel
Terre Adelie (Adelie Land) Antarctica
[claimed by France]
Thailand, Gulf of Pacific Ocean
Thessaloniki Greece
[US Consulate General]
Thurston Island Antarctica
Tibet (Xizang) China
Tierra del Fuego Argentina; Chile
Tijuana [US Consulate General] Mexico
Timor Indonesia
Timor Sea Indian Ocean
Tinian Northern Mariana Islands
Tiran, Strait of Indian Ocean
Tobago Trinidad and Tobago
Tokyo [US Embassy] Japan
Tonkin, Gulf of Pacific Ocean
Toronto [US Consulate General] Canada
Torres Strait Pacific Ocean
Trans-Jordan Jordan
Transkei South Africa
Transylvania Romania
Trieste [US Consular Agency] Italy
Trindade, Ilha de Brazil
Tripoli [US post not maintained, Libya
representation by Belgian
Embassy]
Tristan da Cunha Group Saint Helena
Trobriand Islands Papua New Guinea
Trucial States United Arab Emirates
Truk Islands Micronesia
Tsugaru Strait Pacific Ocean
Tuamotu Islands (Iles Tuamotu) French Polynesia
Tubuai Islands (Iles Tubuai) French Polynesia
Tunis [US Embassy] Tunisia
Turin [US Consulate] Italy
Turkish Straits Atlantic Ocean
Turks Island Passage Atlantic Ocean
Tyrol, South Italy
Tyrrhenian Sea Atlantic Ocean
Udorn [US Consulate] Thailand
Ulaanbaatar Mongolia
Ullung-do South Korea
Unimak Pass [strait] Pacific Ocean
United Arab Republic Egypt; Syria
Upper Volta Burkina Faso
Vaduz [US post not maintained, Liechtenstein
representation from Zurich,
Switzerland]
Vakhan Corridor Afghanistan
(Wakhan)
Valencia [US Consular Agency] Spain
Valletta [US Embassy] Malta
Vancouver [US Consulate General] Canada
Vancouver Island Canada
Van Diemen Strait Pacific Ocean
Vatican City [US Embassy] Vatican City
Velez de la Gomera, Penon deSpain
Venda South Africa
Veracruz [US Consular Agency] Mexico
Verde Island Passage Pacific Ocean
Victoria [US Embassy] Seychelles
Vienna [US Embassy, US Mission Austria
to International Organizations
in Vienna (UNVIE)]
Vientiane [US Embassy] Laos
Volcano Islands Japan
Vostok Island Kiribati
Vrangelya, Ostrov Soviet Union
(Wrangel Island)
Wakhan Corridor Afghanistan
(now Vakhan Corridor)
Wales United Kingdom
Walvis Bay South Africa
Warsaw [US Embassy] Poland
Washington, DC [The Permanent United States
Mission of the USA to the
Organization of American
States (OAS)]
Weddell Sea Atlantic Ocean
Wellington [US Embassy] New Zealand
Western Channel Pacific Ocean
(West Korea Strait)
West Germany (Federal Republic Germany
of Germany)
West Korea Strait Pacific Ocean
(Western Channel)
West Pakistan Pakistan
Wetar Strait Pacific Ocean
White Sea Arctic Ocean
Windhoek Namibia
Windward Passage Atlantic Ocean
Winnipeg [US Consular Agency] Canada
Wrangel Island (Ostrov Vrangelya) Soviet Union
Yaoundé [US Embassy] Cameroon
Yap Islands Micronesia
Yellow Sea Pacific Ocean
Yemen (Aden) [People's Democratic
Republic of Yemen]
Yemen Arab Republic Yemen
Yemen, North [Yemen Arab Yemen
Republic]
Yemen (Sanaa) [Yemen Arab Yemen
Republic]
Yemen, People's Democratic Yemen
Republic of
Yemen, South [People's Democratic Yemen
Republic of Yemen]
Youth, Isle of Cuba
(Isla de la Juventud)
Yucatan Channel Atlantic Ocean
Zagreb [US Consulate General] Yugoslavia
Zanzibar Tanzania
Zurich [US Consulate General] Switzerland
Download ePUB
If you like this ebook, consider a donation!